PIB Summary- 17th April, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

National climate vulnerability assessment

Context: National climate vulnerability assessment released.

Details of the Report

• The report is titled ‘Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’.
• It identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India with respect to current climate risk and key drivers of vulnerability.
• The report has been submitted by the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Key findings of the vulnerability assessment

• Based on an all-India assessment, this report identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India with respect to current climate risk and the main drivers of vulnerability. 
• The states with a relatively high vulnerability, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal, are mostly in the eastern part of the country, requiring prioritisation of adaptation interventions. 
• Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand have over 60% of districts in the category of highly vulnerable districts. 

Significance of the Report

• The vulnerability assessment can assist in ranking and identification of the most vulnerable districts and states and help states prioritise adaptation planning and investments.
• It is critical for developing adaptation projects for the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, and funds from multilateral and bilateral agencies.
• It will also facilitate Nationally Determined Contributions, which aims to adapt better to climate change by enhancing investments in development programmes in sectors vulnerable to climate change, particularly agriculture, water resources, health sector and regions such as the Himalayan region, coastal regions, etc. 
• It may also aid to plan disaster management.