Context:
Eight Indian states — Jharkhand, Mizoram, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal — are highly vulnerable to climate change, according to a national climate vulnerability assessment report.
Relevance:
GS-III: Environment and Ecology (Climate change, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Government Interventions and Policies for management of Climate Change)
Dimensions of the Article:
- What is the DST Report on Climate Vulnerability Assessment?
- Highlights of the Report
- About National Action Plan on Climate Change
What is the DST Report on Climate Vulnerability Assessment?
- ‘The Report Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’ identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India with respect to current climate risk and key drivers of vulnerability.
- This report released by the Department of Science and Technology aids in prioritizing adaptation investment, developing and implementing adaptation programs.
- This report is a part of the capacity building programme under two missions of the National Action Plan on Climate Change – National Mission on Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) & National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC).
- The report is unique as the assessment uses a common framework across the states & union territory to make them comparable thereby empowering the decision-making capabilities at the policy and administrative levels.
- Percentage of population living below the poverty line; income share from natural resources; the proportion of marginal and small landholdings, women’s participation in the workforce; density of healthcare workers etc., are some of the key indicators for the assessment.
Highlights of the Report
- The report identified Jharkhand, Mizoram, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal as states highly vulnerable to climate change.
- Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim and Punjab were identified as “Lower-middle Vulnerable States”.
- Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa and Maharashtra were identified as “Low-vulnerable states”.
- Among all states, Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand have over 60% districts in the category of highly vulnerable districts.
- Hence, the report shows that all districts & states are somewhat vulnerable with respect to current climate risk in India.
Use of this report
- The assessments can be used for India’s reporting on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
- These assessments will help support India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.
- It will contribute to the development of more targeted climate change projects and will support the implementation of the State Action Plans on Climate Change.
- It will help in developing adaptation projects for the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and funds from multilateral and bilateral agencies.
- It will also benefit climate-vulnerable communities across India through development of better-designed climate change adaptation projects.
About National Action Plan on Climate Change
- The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched in 2008 by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.
- It aims at creating awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it.
There are 8 national missions forming the core of the NAPCC which represent multi-pronged, long term and integrated strategies for achieving key goals in climate change. These are-
- National Solar Mission
- National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
- National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
- National Water Mission
- National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem
- National Mission for A Green India
- National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
- National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
-Source: PIB
