MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES(SHRI ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a) There is no clear cause and effect established between global warming and Tsunami,
excessive rains and drought. Occurrences of Tsunamis primarily originate from undersea
earthquakes.
Monsoon rainfall varies on different spatial and temporal scales. Extreme rainfall events that
occur at some isolated places (viz. heavy rainfall over Mumbai or in Rajasthan) are highly
localized and are part of the natural variability of the Indian monsoon system itself.
Although, some recent studies hint at an increasing frequency and intensity of extremes in
rainfall during the past 40-50 years, their attribution to global warming is yet to be
established. Moreover, the report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-AR4,
2007) and our country`s own assessment using regional climate models indicate that the extremes
rainfall events are likely to be more frequent in the later part of the 21st century in the
world including India. As regards other extreme weather phenomena, there are many other reasons
for their occurrence, which cannot always be related to climate change. The country has
experienced 20 drought years since 1901. The drought years are given in Annexure A.
(b) Does not arise.
(c) Yes Madam.
(d) The observed trends are based on instrumental records over the past 130 years archived
by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Details of the observed and projected changes in
the climate were first reported in India’s initial National Communication (NATCOM) on
Climate Change to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
in June, 2004. This effort was coordinated by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF),
who are now working on the second NATCOM report.
i) Although, the monsoon rainfall at all India level does not show any trend but on regional
scale areas of increasing trend is discerned. It is not clear if this increasing trend in the
heavy rainfall events is attributable to global warming.
ii) Mean annual surface air temperatures show a significant warming of about 0.5 degree
C/100 years during the last century and recent data indicates a substantial acceleration of
this warming after the 1990’s and is comparable to the global warming trend. The year 2006 was
the warmest year on record since 1901.
iii) No significant long-term trends are reported in the frequencies of large-scale droughts or
floods in the summer monsoon season.
vi)The total frequency of cyclonic storms that form over the Bay of Bengal has remained almost
constant.
v) Analysis of past tide gauge records for the Indian coastline regions gives an estimate of
sea level rise of 1.30 mm/year.
vi)There is evidence that glaciers in Himalayas are receding at a rapid pace, however it is
unclear as to how much of this recession is attributable to climate change, as glacial retreat
is also due to natural long-term inter-glacial cycles.
Under the aegis of the Indian Network of Climate Change Assessment (INCCA), a Report, entitled
Climate Change & India: A 4X4 Assessment – A Sectoral and Regional Assessment of Impact of
Climate Change in 2030s, has been released by the Government during November, 2010. Studies
were undertaken in four climate sensitive regions of the country, viz. Himalayan Region,
Western Ghats, North Eastern Region, Coastal Areas, assessed impacts in the four sectors viz.
agriculture, water, forests and health, have been analysed.
(e) India is engaged in the process of Climate Change negotiations and participating in the
Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC meetings. COP-8 was held in New Delhi. The twelfth
Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC and the second Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol
took place at Nairobi in December 2006. The continuing multilateral negotiations since COP-14
held in Poznan, Poland in December, 2008 and COP-15 in Copenhagen, Denmark during December,
2009 and understanding reached in COP-16 at Cancun, Mexico during December, 2010 are
essentially to enhance long-term cooperation to deal with the adverse impacts of Climate
Change under the Bali Action Plan (BAP) under the Cancun Agreement. The elements of the
Cancun Agreement include:
i) Industrialised country targets are officially recognized under the multi-lateral
process and these countries are to develop low-carbon development plans and strategies and
assess how best to meet them, including through market mechanisms, and to report their
inventories annually.
ii) Developing country actions to reduce emissions are officially recognized under the
multi-lateral process. A registry is to be set up to record and match developing country
mitigation actions to finance and technology support from industrilised countries. Developing
countries are to publish progress reports every two years.
iii) Parties meeting under the Kyoto Protocol agree to continue negotiations with the aim of
completing their work and ensuring there is no gap between the first and second commitment (up to 2012 and beyond) periods of the treaty.
iv) A total of $30billion in fast start finance from industrialized countries to support
climate action in the developing world up to 2012 and the intension to rise to $100 billion
in long term funds by 2020 is included in the decisions.
v) In the field of climate finance. a process to design a Green Climate Fund under the COP,
with a board with equal representation from developed and developing countries, is
established.
vi) A new Cancun Adaptation Framework is established to allow better planning and
implementation of adaptation projects in developing countries through increased financial
and technical support, including a clear process for continuing work on loss and damage.
vii) Governments agree to boost action to curb emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation in developing countries with technological and financial support.
viii)Parties have established a technology mechanism with a Technology Executive Committee and
Climate Technology Centre and Network to increase technology cooperation to support action on
adaptation and mitigation.
(f) The Government has undertaken the following steps in the area of Climate Change:
(a) Constituted an Expert Committee on Climate Change impacts, which is headed by the
Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.
(b) Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change has been constituted to coordinate national
action for assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
(c) Launched a high-priority Programme to address the Science issues of Global and Regional
Climate Change (GRCC) with a well-equipped state-of-the-art Center for Climate Change Research (CCCR) at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune for inter-disciplinary research
and training in the area of science of climate change.
(d) Under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, it is proposed to establish a
permanent institutional mechanism that will play a development and coordination role. The
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was released by the Prime Minister on 30th
June 2008.
(e) The National Action plan outlines eight missions in specific areas of Solar Energy,
Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system,
Green India, Sustainable Agriculture and Strategic knowledge for Climate Change. Eight National
Missions form the core of the National Action Plan, representing multipronged, long term and
integrated strategies for achieving key goals in the context of climate change.
