Indian subcontinent to witness all-round warming: Studies
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, December 19: The government on Monday told the Lok Sabha that the Indian subcontinent is likely to witness an all-round warming in the next few decades. The government quoting several studies by the Indian institutions that the all-round warming would have adverse effect on agriculture, water resources and installed power capacity.
“As part of the Second National Communication, the MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change) conducted studies on impact of climate change in India which are summarized in the ‘Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation’ chapter. Climate change scenarios were analysed using high-resolution regional climate model. Simulations for 2020s, 2050s and 2080s indicate an all-round warming for Indian subcontinent,” said the government in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
The government also stated, while underlining that studies were conducted by a number of Indian institutions, that the impact of climate change and climate variability on the water resources are likely to affect irrigated agriculture, installed power capacity, environmental flows in the dry season and wet season.
“The impact of climate change on forests in India was assessed based on the changes in area under different forest types, shifts in boundary of forest types and Net Primary Productivity. Climate change will be an additional stress, as forests in India are subjected to insect outbreaks, livestock grazing, forest fires and other anthropogenic pressures. These studies were conducted by Indian Institutions only,” added the Ministry of Environment.
Further, the government stated that two national missions projects, namely National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change, are being implemented. Under the missions, a number of R&D projects have been supported in climate change studies across India to assess the impact of climate change on coastal vulnerability, health, agriculture and water, added the Ministry.
The government also maintained that the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, sustainable agriculture, health, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge for climate change, is being executed to combat impacts of climate change.
Several Indian states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Arunchal Pradesh and Sikkim, Assam and Gujarat witnessed excessive rains this year, which were explained to the climate change. Also, metropolitan cities such as Bengaluru are reporting regular incidents of waterlogging due to excessive rains. Besides several states such as Bihar reported a longer spell of drought like situations this year.
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