In this article, we are going to discuss the effects of climate change on India and the measures taken by India in this regard. Climate change is one of the important topics for any government exam. The reading of this article will help the students in making their concept clear.
The Indian Economy is significantly dependent upon climatic conditions. This is a very serious situation concerning the Indian perspective because India is also vulnerable to the negative impact of climate change.
The Effects of Climate Change on India:
- India is one of the large regions in South Asia that will be greatly affected by climate change in the future.
- India in particular will be vulnerable to climate change due to its diverse topography and rapid exploitation of natural resources due to the current trend of rapid urbanization, industrialization, and economic growth.
- Water and air quality are getting worse every day due to pollution.
- The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters are hurting India’s already ailing economy. The negative impacts of such disasters range from poverty and vulnerability to disease to loss of income and livelihoods.
- According to the World Bank, India’s monsoons will only become more unpredictable if the average global temperature rises by 2°C in the next few decades.
- Changes in rainfall patterns in India are expected to bring flooding to many regions and eliminate water scarcity in others.
- Over 60% of India’s agriculture relies on rain, and a large portion of the population depends on the agricultural sector for survival. This makes India exposed to climate change.
- It is estimated that a temperature increase of 2-2.5°C by the 2050s will cause water recession in the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra basins. This could threaten the food security of about 63 million people.
- Many rely on rain-fed agriculture, making the poor vulnerable to climate change.
- A 2°C increase by 2040 will affect crop production, reducing yields by 12% and requiring more imports to meet domestic demand.
- Melting glaciers and loss of snow could threaten India’s dependable water resources. Major rivers such as the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra depend primarily on snow and glacial meltwater. This makes them more susceptible to the effects of global warming.
- Climate change could further increase the risk of flooding in low-lying areas, threatening agriculture.
- cyclone gains momentum
- Sea waves can rise to 7.46 meters
- Sea level rise will be higher than the global average
- Sundarban and Darjeeling Hill said to get more rain
Himalayan region of India:
- Covering about 16.2% of the country’s total area, the Himalayas are not only an important watershed for India but also play an important role in the monsoon system.
- Climate change impacts on mountain ranges could affect the entire subcontinent.
- Average Himalayan temperatures have increased by 0.6 °C over the past 30 years. The frequency of warm days is also increasing
- Parts of northeastern India, particularly Assam and Manipur, are at risk.
- Flash floods from glacial lake outbursts could trigger landslides, with massive impacts on food security.
- Its glaciers are melting a bit faster than any other in the world.
- Apple’s productivity has declined by 2-3% in recent years. this will keep going down.
- The projected increase in rain day intensity in the Himalayan region is 2-12%.
India’s national policy on climate change:
- India is the world’s third-largest economy and the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG), accounting for about 5% of global emissions. India’s emissions increased by 65% between 1990 and 2005 and are expected to increase by another 70% by 2020.
- By other measures, India’s emissions are low compared to those of other major economies. India accounts for only 2% of its cumulative energy-related emissions since 1850.
- Per capita emissions are 70%low on the global average and 93%low in the United States. India is also at the forefront of tackling the impacts of climate change.
- Altered precipitation patterns, recurring floods, more intense cyclones, droughts, or soil erosion will complicate the poverty reduction challenge and require the allocation of scarce national resources to prevent loss of life.
- Despite lacking resources, India is taking ambitious steps to implement adaptation and mitigation measures. This includes fundamentally reducing the energy intensity of economic growth, increasing energy efficiency in all sectors, and expanding the use of renewable energy.
- India has doubled its clean energy tax on coal, which most countries do not do. And the Clean Energy Fund already has more than $3 billion in funding to support clean technology. India’s national solar mission will increase fivefold from 20,000 megawatts to 100,000 megawatts.
- This represents an additional investment of $100 billion and a reduction in CO2 emissions of approximately 165 million tons per year. India is about to release $6 billion in a rush for intensive afforestation, which will lead to more carbon sinks.
- India has allocated around $200 million for the National Adaptation Fund, the deployment of ultra-mega solar projects, ultra-modern supercritical coal-based thermal power generation technology, and the development of solar farms on canals.
- Another initiative is the $1.2 billion “100 Smart Cities” with integrated adaptation and mitigation actions to reduce urban vulnerability and vulnerability to climate change and improve energy efficiency.
- India has introduced strict standards in the cement industry.
- Our action plan to clean up the Ganges, one of the longest rivers in the world, has many benefits in terms of pollution reduction and climate adaptation. We also work to protect the coasts, the Himalayas, and forest areas.
- India has begun preparations to develop a National Air Quality Index and launched a National Air Quality Programme. Build ultra mega solar projects in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Ladakh to promote renewable energy.
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