(a) whether as per the recent assessment made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the study conducted by Oxford University, India is projected to have the highest number of deaths due to climate change;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has any proposal to conduct its own study to assess the situation and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the action plan of the Government in this regard including switching over to cleaner energy sources?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)
(a) & (b) World Health Organization has published a book titled “Quantitative risk assessment of the effects of climate change on selected causes of death, 2030s and 2050s”, in year 2014. It reported that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause increase in deaths due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. The study conducted by University of Oxford on “Global and regional health effects of future food production under climate change: a modelling study”, projected 1.36 lakhs expected climate related death in India due to changes in food production based on probabilistic estimates.
(c) Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change published a report titled “Climate Change in India, (A 4X4 Assessment) - A Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 2030s”, in November 2010. The report has assessed impacts of climate change on four key sectors of Indian economy, namely Agriculture, Water, Natural Ecosystems & Biodiversity and Health in four climate sensitive regions of India, namely the Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, the Coastal Area and the North-East Region. The report has projected a variable rate of change in agriculture production including losses in some crops, change in the composition of the forests & Net Primary Productivity and spread of Malaria in new areas.
(d) The Government has launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in June 2008 to deal with the climate change and related issues. NAPCC comprises of eight Missions in specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, forestry, agriculture and strategic knowledge for climate change, which addresses the issues relating to mitigation of greenhouse gases and adaptation to the adverse impacts of climate change.
All States and Union Territories (UTs) are also preparing State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with the objectives of the NAPCC and highlighting state specific issues relating to climate change. So far, 32 States and UTs have prepared their SAPCC.
India has also announced its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to achieve 40% of installed electricity generation capacity from non- fossil fuel sources by 2030.
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