Question : CHANGE IN MONSOON

(a) whether the pattern of Monsoon has been changing in the country due to climate change;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to conduct any scientific research in this regard; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF THE STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)

(a) and (b) There is no conclusive evidence to attribute all observed weather and climate variability to increased concentrations of Green House Gases (GHGs) and associated global warming. A report titled “Climate Change and India: 4X4 Assessment - A Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 2030s” was published in 2010 by Government of India projects a variable rate of increase of precipitation patterns for all the four regions of the country for the year 2030.

(c) and (d) Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India has launched Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA), a network based programme in October 2009. The Network aims at undertaking climate change assessment in key sectors of economy inter -alia, assessment of impacts at national level on water resources, agriculture, forests, energy, coastal zone and human health including vulnerability assessment, and developing adaptation frameworks.

Government has also launched a high-priority programme to address the science issues of Global and Regional Climate Change with a well equipped state-of-the-art Center for Climate Change Research (CCCR) at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. The Centre conducts for inter-disciplinary research and training in the area of science of climate change including prioritized Research & Development efforts to comprehensively understand the causes for the aforementioned changes in the southwest monsoon rainfall and to improve the rainfall predictions in all time scales.