Shankar IAS Summary: India and Climate Change - 2 | Environment for UPSC CSE PDF Download

India's Position on Climate Change

India represents a significant portion, accounting for 17% of the world's population. However, its historical emissions contribute only 3.37% to the global total.

1. Current Emissions Profile: In the year 2021, India's greenhouse gas emissions totaled 3.9 billion metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. The primary contributor, the energy sector, comprised 70% of these emissions. This sector includes electricity production, industry fuel combustion, transportation, and other sources. Other contributors were industrial processes and product use at 8%, agriculture at 18%, and waste at 3%. Additionally, approximately 15% of emissions were offset by the carbon sink action of forests and croplands.
2. Per Capita Emissions: In 2010, the average individual in India emitted only 1.91 metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. This is significantly lower, at less than one-third, compared to the global per capita emissions and is notably less than the emissions from many developed and developing countries.
3. Emission Reduction Achievements: India has achieved a substantial reduction in the emission intensity of its GDP by approximately 24% between 2005 and 2016. This reduction aligns with India's voluntary commitment to decrease emission intensity by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
4. Low-Carbon Economy Focus: India is actively positioning itself as a low-carbon economy, as affirmed by a study conducted by the World Bank. The country's primary focus encompasses "adaptation" to climate change impacts, with specific attention given to proactive "mitigation" efforts.
5. National Action Plan: India has articulated a comprehensive strategy to address climate change through its National Action Plan on Climate Change, the details of which are accessible to the public.
6. Global Collaboration: India advocates for collaborative efforts in researching future low-carbon technologies. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of facilitating access to intellectual property rights (IPRs) as a global public good for advancing sustainable solutions.

Observed Climatic and Weather Conditions in India

India's National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has gathered information on observed changes in climate parameters within the country. However, it's important to note that there is currently no definitive connection established between the documented changes described below and the warming attributed to human-induced (anthropogenic) climate change.
Logo of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

1. Impacts on Surface Temperature:
   • Over the last century, India has experienced a slight increase in surface air temperatures by about 0.4°C at the national level.
   • Some areas, like the west coast, central India, the interior peninsula, and north-eastern India, have shown a warming trend. However, north-west India and parts of south India have experienced cooling.
2. Impacts on Rainfall:
   • Overall, there is no significant trend in all-India monsoon rainfall. However, regional variations have been observed.
   • Monsoon seasonal rainfall has increased in regions like the west coast, northern Andhra Pradesh, and north-western India (by 10% to 12% over the last 100 years). In contrast, a decrease in rainfall has been noted in eastern Madhya Pradesh, north-eastern India, and parts of Gujarat and Kerala (6% to 8% less than the normal over the last 100 years).
3. Impacts on Extreme Weather Events:
   • Over the past 130 years, instrument records do not show a marked long-term trend in the frequencies of large-scale droughts and floods.
   • Multi-decadal periods with more frequent droughts followed by less severe droughts have been observed.
   • There is an increasing trend in severe storm incidence along the coast at a rate of 0.011 events per year. While West Bengal and Gujarat report increasing trends, Orissa has seen a decline.
4. Impacts on Rise in Sea Level:
   • Coastal tide gauge records in the north Indian Ocean over 40 years report a sea level rise between 1.06-1.75 mm per year.
   • These rates align with the global estimate of 1-2 mm per year according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
5. Impacts on Himalayan Glaciers:
   • The Himalayas, a vast source of snow and ice, contribute to perennial rivers like the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra.
     
     Melting of ice in glaciers due to climatic changes
   • Melting glaciers may impact long-term lean-season flows, affecting water availability and hydropower generation.
   • Monitoring data indicates the recession of some glaciers in certain Himalayan regions in recent years, but there is no consistent trend across the entire mountain chain. It's too early to establish long-term trends or causation, and there are various hypotheses regarding these changes.

Current Actions for Adaption and Mitigation

Adaptation: Adaptation, concerning climate change, involves taking actions to minimize the negative effects of climate change. For instance, this could mean relocating communities near the seashore to deal with rising sea levels or changing to crops that can handle higher temperatures.

Mitigation: Mitigation involves steps to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. This might include shifting to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or nuclear power instead of relying on fossil fuels in thermal power stations.
Image captionAdaption & Mitigation

Government Expenditure: The current spending by the Indian government on adapting to climate variability is more than 2.6% of the GDP. This expenditure is directed towards various sectors like agriculture, water resources, health, sanitation, forests, coastal-zone infrastructure, and extreme weather events, addressing specific concerns in these areas.

1. Agriculture: Two programs help farmers with climate issues. The Crop Insurance Scheme protects farmers from climate risks, and the Credit Support Mechanism provides credit, especially when crops fail due to changing weather.
2. Crop Improvement: Current programs focus on developing crops that work well in dry areas, managing pests, and training workers and organizations to support better farming practices.
3. Drought Proofing: Existing programs try to reduce the harm caused by drought on crops, livestock, and land. The goal is to make areas more resistant to drought and improve the lives of people in those areas.
4. Forestry: India is planting a lot of new trees, mainly due to the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. This law stops the cutting down and damaging of forests by strictly controlling how people use forest land. It also requires planting new trees if forest land is used for non-forestry purposes.
5. Water: The National Water Policy suggests new ways to use water, like moving it between different areas, cleaning salty water, and using traditional methods like collecting rainwater. Many states now make it mandatory for cities to collect rainwater.
6. Coastal Regions: Rules are made for coastal areas, especially within 200 meters of the high tide line, to protect the environment. This includes building things like shelters and planting trees in coastal areas.
7. Health: Health programs focus on watching for and controlling diseases carried by insects, like Malaria and Dengue. They also provide quick medical help during natural disasters and train people to handle these situations.
8. Disaster Management: The National Disaster Management program helps people who are hurt by bad weather and manages efforts to help them. It also tries to prevent disasters by giving information and training to people who handle these situations.

India's National Action Plan on Climate Change

In addressing the challenge of climate change, we need to take concerted actions on various fronts simultaneously. The National Action Plan centers around the development and utilization of new technologies. There are Eight National Missions at the heart of the National Action Plan. These missions represent long-term, integrated strategies aimed at achieving crucial objectives in the context of climate change. 

National Solar Mission

The National Solar Mission is a significant initiative by the Government of India and State Governments to promote sustainable growth while addressing the country's energy security challenges.

Objective: The aim is to make India a global leader in solar energy by creating favorable policy conditions for its quick adoption across the country.

1. Phased Approach: The mission will happen in three phases:
   • Phase 1: Spans the remaining period of the 11th Plan and the first year of the 12th Plan (up to 2012-13).
   • Phase 2: Covers the remaining 4 years of the 12th Plan (2013-17).
   • Phase 3: Encompasses the 13th Plan (2017-22).
2. Evaluation and Planning: At the end of each plan and mid-term during the 12th and 13th Plans, there will be an assessment of progress. This includes reviewing capacity and targets for subsequent phases, considering emerging cost and technology trends both domestically and globally.
3. Protecting Government: The goal is to shield the government from subsidy exposure in case expected cost reduction doesn't happen or is more rapid than anticipated.
4. Phases Breakdown:
   • In the first phase (up to 2013), the focus is on capturing easy options in solar thermal, promoting off-grid systems for areas without commercial energy access, and making modest capacity additions to grid-based systems.
   • In the second phase, based on the experience of the initial years, capacity will be significantly increased to create conditions for widespread and competitive solar energy use in the country.

• Mission Targets: Establish a policy framework for deploying 100 MW of solar power by 2023. The cumulative targets for the National Solar Mission are ambitious, aiming for 100,000 MW by 2021-22, with 40 GW from Rooftop projects and 60 GW from Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects.

National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE):

The NMEEE aims to strengthen the market for energy efficiency by establishing a supportive regulatory and policy framework. It envisions fostering innovative and sustainable business models within the energy efficiency sector.

Market Creation: NMEEE is designed to generate and sustain energy efficiency markets across the entire country, benefiting both the nation and consumers.

Objective: 

1. The mission focuses on promoting innovative policy and regulatory regimes, financing mechanisms, and business models. The goal is to transparently create and sustain energy efficiency markets, with clear deliverables within specific time frames.
2. Market-based approaches under NMEEE are expected to unlock energy efficiency opportunities, contributing to climate change resilience. 
3. This includes improving infrastructure resilience, community-based disaster management, and enhancing warning systems for extreme weather events.

Anticipated Impact:

• Annual fuel savings exceeding 23 million toe.
• Cumulative avoidance of electricity capacity addition amounting to 19,000 MW.
• CO₂ emission mitigation of 58 million tons per year.

New Initiatives: 

• Market Transformation for energy efficiency
• Energy Efficiency Financing Platform (EEP) and a Framework for Energy User
• Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development (FEEED)
• Perform Achieve and Trade

National Mission on Sustainable Habitat: Integrated Water Resource Management: 

This mission is about managing water in a smart way to save it, reduce wastage, and share it fairly between different areas.

Some objectives under NMSH

1. Optimum Water Use Framework: They want to create a plan to use water in the best way possible. This means using 20% less water by making rules about who can use how much water and how much it will cost.
2. Urban Water Needs: They are working to reuse water in cities to meet a big part of their water needs.
3. Water Requirements for Coastal Cities: For cities near the sea that don't have much water, they are looking at new ways, like using ocean water with special technology called low-temperature desalination.
4. Adaptation to Climate Change: They want to change the rules about managing water to deal with changes in weather caused by climate change. This includes collecting rainwater, storing more water above and below the ground, and making sure water is managed well.
5. Efficient Irrigation Systems: They are planning to make rules to make existing irrigation systems work better, fix old ones, and create new systems to store more water for farming.
6. Promotion of Water-Neutral Technologies: They are encouraging the use of technologies that don't use too much water. They also want to reward people who find ways to put water back into the ground and use better methods for farming. 

National Mission For Sustaining The Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE): 

The main goal of this mission is to build the ability of the country to continuously check the health of the Himalayan Ecosystem. It helps policymakers make better decisions and assists the states in the Indian Himalayan Region to carry out actions that are good for the environment and development.

Objectives of the Mission:

1. Building Capacity: Teach people and institutions about climate change.
2. Networking and Database: Connect different knowledge institutions and create a clear database with all the information.
3. Understanding Changes: Figure out the changes happening in the environment, whether they are natural or caused by people, and predict what might happen in the future.
4. Assessing Consequences: Understand how these changes affect people and the environment, and come up with good plans for economic growth.
5. Traditional Knowledge: Learn from what people already know in the region about dealing with changes and adapting to them.
6. Policy Evaluation: Look at different ideas for regional development and decide which ones are best.
7. Creating Awareness: Make sure people in the region know about these changes and what they can do.
8. Regional Cooperation: Work together with different areas to gather a lot of information and make good decisions for the policies.

National Mission For A Green India

1. Mission Objectives:
   
   • More Green Areas: Make an extra 10 million hectares of land (forest and non-forest) covered with trees, improving the quality of another 5 million hectares.
   • Better Nature Services: Improve the services nature gives us, like more types of plants and animals, better water services, and capturing more carbon from the air.
   • Helping People: Increase the money people make from forests for about 3 million families living nearby.
   • Less Carbon in the Air: Capture 50 to 60 million tons of a gas called carbon dioxide each year by 2020.
2. Mission Targets:
   • Better Forests and Nature Services: Make 5 million hectares of land better with more trees and nature services, including different types of forests and degraded areas.
   • Fixing Different Areas: Plant trees in different places like deserts, mangroves, and abandoned mining areas (a total of 2 million hectares).
   • Greening Cities: Improve tree cover in and around cities (0.20 million hectares).
   • More Trees in Agriculture Areas: Add more trees in places where people do farming or where the land is not used much for farming (3 million hectares).
   • Community Help: Let communities take care of public areas in forests and non-forests.
   • Better Energy Use: Teach families in the project areas to use wood and energy better.
   • More Ways to Make Money: Help about 3 million families living around forests to have different ways to make money from forests.
3. Sub Missions:
   • Sub-mission 1: Make existing forests better and improve nature services (4.9 million hectares).
   • Sub-mission 2: Fix different areas and make more forests (1.8 million hectares).
   • Sub-mission 3: Add more trees in cities and around them (0.20 million hectares).
   • Sub-mission 4: Use farming areas to grow more trees and capture carbon (3 million hectares).
   • Sub-mission 5: Fix wetlands (0.10 million hectares).

National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA):

1. Mission Objectives:
   
   • Smart Plans for Farming: Make smart plans for different farming areas so that the plans fit the needs of each region. This includes research, using new technology, building things, and training people.
   • Better Farming: Make crops and animals better by using things like biotechnology. Also, improve how water is used on farms, show new technology, and teach people new skills.
   • Information for Farmers: Help farmers get information and support by putting weather stations in villages and connecting them to insurance programs. This will make sure farmers get money back in case of bad weather.
   • Testing New Ideas: Test new ideas in real villages and farms, especially in places with less rain. This includes finding better ways to use energy and trying new ways to manage livestock and crops.
   • Reducing Pollution: Find ways to reduce pollution from using energy and other things on farms. This includes using better crops and farm practices.
   • Helping Dryland Farms: Support farms in areas with less rain by creating crops that can survive droughts, using better technology, and teaching people new skills.
2. Key Dimensions for Adaptation and Mitigation:
   
   • Better Seeds and Animals: Make crops, livestock, and fish better.
   • Saving Water: Use water more efficiently on farms.
   • Managing Pests: Find better ways to control pests on farms.
   • Improved Farming: Teach better ways to run farms.
   • Nutrient Management: Manage nutrients in the soil better for healthier crops.
   • Agricultural Insurance: Help farmers get insurance to protect against losses.
   • Access to Information: Make sure farmers get the information they need.
   • Livelihood Diversification: Help farmers find different ways to make a living.

National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC):

Mission Objectives:

1. Connecting Knowledge: Make a network of knowledge institutions that study climate science. This includes sharing information and data through a good policy and support system.
2. Global Technology Groups: Create groups that can do research on choosing the best technology to deal with risks caused by climate change.
3. Understanding Climate Change Impacts: Build the ability to study how climate change affects different areas in the country, like farms, health, and coastal zones.
4. Research Networks: Encourage research on how climate change affects important parts of life, like agriculture, health, ecosystems, biodiversity, and coastal areas.
5. Defining Sustainable Development: Figure out how to make development sustainable considering climate change, and promote actions that are responsible for the climate.
6. Improving Awareness: Help people understand key climate processes, risks, and consequences better.
7. Strengthening Indigenous Capacity: Make sure India can create its own technologies to deal with climate change and use them for the country's growth.
8. Building Research Infrastructure: Create better facilities for research, including access to data, computers, communication tools, and awareness to understand climate change scenarios in India.
9. Generating Human Resources: Attract and support young scientists to work on climate science.
10. Global Collaboration: Work with other countries on research and technology development for climate change.

Climate Change Centers: Set up centers in different states to connect their climate plans with NMSKCC priorities. These are in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.

National Bio-Energy Mission

Power Potential from Biomass: It's estimated that leftover plant material from farming and agro-industries in India can make up to 25,000 MW of power. This can be increased by using unused land for growing energy plants and making power.

Biomass Sources

National Bioenergy Programme (NBP)

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has started the NBP from the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.

The NBP has three parts: Waste to Energy Programme, Biomass Programme, and Biogas Programme.

1. Waste to Energy Programme: Focuses on making energy from urban, industrial, and agricultural wastes.
2. Biomass Programme: Aims to support making briquettes and pellets, and promote using biomass (excluding sugarcane residue) for making power in industries.
3. Biogas Programme: Aims to set up small power plants that use biogas.

Bio Energy: Bioenergy is renewable energy made from living things, used for heat, electricity, or fuel for vehicles. Biofuels made from plant materials are one of the fastest-growing types of renewable energy.

Sources of Bio-Energy:

1. Existing Sources: Leftover organic residue from various sources like farms, forests, and urban areas.
2. New Sources: Growing short-term energy crops & Social forestry.

Advantages of Bio-Energy:

• Cost-Effective: It doesn't need a lot of money to start.
• High Energy Potential: It can make a lot of energy.
• Reduces Carbon Emissions: It helps to reduce harmful emissions.
• Creates Jobs: It can give people work and income.
• Keeps Investments Local: The money stays in the country.
• Adds to the Economy: It adds value to the country's economy.
• Regenerates Wasteland: It helps make unused land useful again.

Climate Equity Monitor

The Climate Equity Monitor is like an online dashboard that helps us check how fair and equal countries are in dealing with climate issues. It looks at things like emissions, energy use, and resources across the world. It also checks the climate policies of different countries.

1. It mainly looks at developed countries (Annex-I Parties) and compares how well they are following the rules set by the UNFCCC. It also checks developing countries (Non Annex-I Parties) for comparison.
2. The main things it checks are the total emissions over time and the carbon budgets.
3. The website was made in India at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai and the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bengaluru. Independent researchers also helped in making it.

India's Climate Plans

India, during the 19th Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2013, decided to prepare its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC). This was to align with the global goal of addressing climate change, and these plans were expected before the 21st COP session.

• INDC stands for Intended Nationally Determined Contributions.
• Countries, including India, share their post-2020 climate actions under a new international agreement through their INDC.

1. India's Efforts:
   • Voluntary Goal: India set a voluntary goal to reduce the intensity of its emissions compared to economic output by 20-25% from 2005 levels by 2020.
   • Progress: Policy measures promoting clean energy and renewables led to a 12% decline in emission intensity from 2005 to 2010.
   • Recognized Efforts: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) acknowledged India's progress in its Emission Gap Report 2014.
2. Focus Areas in INDC:
   • Sustainable Lifestyles
   • Cleaner Economic Development
   • Reducing Emission Intensity of GDP
   • Increasing Non-Fossil Fuel Electricity
   • Enhancing Carbon Sink (Forests)
   • Adaptation Efforts
   • Mobilizing Finance
   • Technology Transfer and Capacity Building
3. Key Targets by 2030:
   • Emissions Intensity: Reduce by 33-35% compared to 2005 levels.
   • Electric Power: Achieve 40% capacity from non-fossil fuel sources.
   • Carbon Sink: Add 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through more forest and tree cover.
   • Adaptation: Invest more in vulnerable sectors like agriculture, water resources, Himalayan region, coastal areas, health, and disaster management.
   • Financial Support: Seek funds, domestically and internationally, for implementation.
   • Technology Focus: Work on advanced climate technologies and collaborative research and development.

Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment

1. What is INCCA?
   • The Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) was started in 2009 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
     
   • It involves over 120 institutions and 250 scientists nationwide.
2. Purpose of INCCA:
   • Promote domestic research on climate change.
   • Build on India’s climate change expertise.
3. Focus Areas:
   • Scientific Research: Based on measurements, monitoring, and modeling.
   • Assessment: Evaluate climate change drivers, implications, vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies.
   • Decision Support: Devise systems to aid decision-making.
   • Capacity Building: Enhance capabilities for managing climate change risks and opportunities.
4. Objective:
   • Establish an independent body of Indian scientists.
   • Prepare scientific reports on climate change impacts for global influence.
5. Reports and UNFCCC: Reports contribute to India’s National Communication (Nat Com) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
6. INCCA Assessments:
   • First Assessment - 'India: Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2007' (2010):
     1. Updated greenhouse gas emission inventory for India in 2007.
     2. Emissions increased by 58% from 1994 to 2007.
   • Second Assessment - 'Climate Change and India: A 4x4 Assessment':
     1. Focuses on climate change impact in 2030.
     2. Examines four regions: Himalayan, North-East, Western Ghats, and Coastal plains.
     3. Assesses four key sectors: Agriculture, Water, Health, and Natural Ecosystems/Biodiversity (4x4 Assessment).

Predictions for 2030:

• Warmer seasons with an average temperature rise of 2.0 degrees Celsius.
• Increased precipitation with lower rainy days; higher intensity.
• Cyclonic disturbances with lower frequency but higher intensity and storm surge risks.
• Sea-level rise at an average of 1.3mm/year.

Impacts on:

• Agriculture: Reduction in yields for maize and rice, variable impacts on coconut and apple production, negative effects on livestock.
• Freshwater supply: Variable water yields, increased flood risks, and drought risks.
• Forests and ecosystems: Shifting borders, altered species mix, affecting livelihoods and biodiversity.
• Human health: Increased morbidity and mortality from heat stress and diseases, expanded malaria transmission window.

National Communication (NATCOM)