Climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions alters ecosystems, significantly impacting natural resources and livelihoods in India. Vulnerabilities include flooding risks from sea-level rise and extreme weather events, especially in coastal cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. The National Action Plan on Climate Change aims to enhance energy efficiency and promote sustainable practices across various sectors to address these challenges.

1. R.JAYACHANDRAN
Social Development Management Consultant
Chennai

2. Climate Change:
-Increase in average temperature of the air
near earth surface
-ocean
caused by the excessive concentration of
green gases(carbon dioxide, methane and
nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.

3. Climate change
• Changes in climate alter the configuration of forest eco-systems and
as such global vegetation pattern
• Recognized as a significant manmade global environmental
challenge.
• Has enormous implications to the natural resources and livelihoods
of the people.

5. Why India is vulnerable to Climate change?
• Long coastline of above 7000kms, (Sea-level rise and
changes in the occurrence of frequency and intensity of
storm surges)
• Our Himalayas with their vast glaciers,
• Our almost 70million hectares of forests (which incidentally
house almost all of our key mineral reserves)

6. World Bank warning
4 Degree C rise in global temperature, would result in increased
climate extreme events:
• heat waves, sea level rise, more storm surges, droughts and flooding
in the South Asian region including India.
• The coastal and deltaic regions of India are reported to be
particularly vulnerable to the risks of flooding including two Indian
cities of Mumbai and Kolkata.
• The Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra—are also vulnerable to the
effects of climate change due to the melting of glaciers and loss of
snow cover resulting in significant risk of flooding
Source: The World Bank Report “Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case
for Resilience” published in June 2013

7. Critical area and Sectors in India
• Should be looked at in four major regions in India, namely, Himalayan
region, the North-Eastern region, the Western Ghats and the Coastal
Region
• Should assess impact on 4 key sectors such as the agriculture, water,
natural ecosystem, biodiversity and health

8. Climate change issues relating to India
• Per capita water availability will go down from 1820m3 to 1140m3
in2050
• Cereal production will be reduced
• More floods and droughts
• Availability of seafood will get reduced.

9. Assessing impacts and vulnerability of climate change
• Assessment is essential to work out adaptation strategies and
activities
• Assessment depends on good quality information.
• This information requires on :
1. climate data (temperature, rainfall and the frequency of
extreme events)
2. Non-climatic data (current situation of water resources,
agriculture and food security, human health, ecosystems and
biodiversity, and coastal zones)
Quantification of the Sensitivity of crops, soil, water, fish and livestock

10. National Action Plan on Climate Change
• Unveiled on 30, June,2008
• 8 Core National Missions
Enhanced
Energy
Efficiency
Solar
Sustainable
Habitat
Water
Green
India
Sustaining
Himalayan Eco
System
Sustainable
Agriculture
Strategic
knowledge for
climate change

11. Where we need to focus?