India has always emphasized that climate change is a global collective action problem and requires international cooperation for its solution. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its Kyoto Protocol (KP), and the Paris Agreement (PA).Reports from various sources including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlight that the challenges faced due to global warming are mainly due to cumulative historical and current greenhouse gas emissions of the developed countries. India with more than 17 % of global population has contributed only about 4 % of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019.

Even though, Indiais not part of the problem, it is part of the solution, and has done farmore than its fair share in addressing the climatechange.The Government of India stands committed to combating climate change through itsseveral programmes and schemes including the National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC) which comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency,water, sustainable agriculture, health, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, andstrategic knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework forall climate actions. Thirty-four States /Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their StateAction Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the Statespecificissues relating to climate change.India has also proactively taken a lead in promoting international collaborations through International Solar Alliance and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructureand has undertaken various programmes and activities through these arrangements.

Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)and Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy(LT-LEDS) are determined by countriesthemselves and communicated to the UNFCCC. In keeping with this, India has submitted itsupdated NDCs on 26^thAugust 2022 and its long-term low carbon development strategy on 14^thNovember 2022.

The impact of climate change on agriculture and other sectors is being assessed by the relevant Ministries from time to time. Agriculture in India is primarily the site of adaptation and not mitigation, though mitigation co-benefits may arise and be utilised from time to time depending on context specific and local circumstances. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has initiated a network project, National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) in 2011 to study and address the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture. As per the studies under NICRA, rainfed rice yields in India are projected to reduce marginally (<2.5%) in 2050 and 2080 and irrigated rice yields by 7% in 2050 and 10% in 2080 scenarios. Wheat yield is projected to reduce by 6-25% in 2100 and maize yield by 18-23%. Climate change is likely to benefit chickpeas with an increase in productivity (23-54%).

Further, Department of Science and Technology is implementing two national missions namely National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change. Under the missions, a number of R&D projects have been supported in climate change studies across India to assess the impact of climate change on sectors like coastal vulnerability, health, agriculture and water.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

 

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