Government of India Assesses Dangerous Climate Change Impact
The Ministry of Earth Sciences has taken note of the increase in global warming and has made an assessment of the impact of climate change across the country covering all aspects of regional climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to keep the Earth's long-term average temperature below the 1.5 °C threshold, the world will have to achieve a target of net zero emissions by 2050 . Despite not being a major contributor to the carbon dioxide emissions responsible for the problem of climate change, India has demonstrated a more proactive than justified role in its efforts to address this global issue.
Health, Himalayan Ecosystem Conservation
The Government of India is steadfast in its commitment to combat climate change through various programmes and initiatives, which include the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC). These schemes include specific missions in areas like solar energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable agriculture, health, Himalayan ecosystem protection, sustainable habitat development, green India and knowledge for climate change. The NAPCC acts as a comprehensive framework for all climate-related actions. Additionally, India has played an active role in promoting international cooperation through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure.
Ministry's Assessment Report on Climate Change
The IPCC Assessment Report 6 (AR6 ) document states that rising temperatures have already resulted in greater changes to human and natural systems, including droughts, heat waves , floods, extreme weather, sea level rise and loss of biodiversity, Which are posing unprecedented risks to vulnerable individuals and populations. Further, the Ministry's assessment report on climate change states that the surface air temperature over India has increased by about 0.7 degree Celsius and atmospheric moisture has increased during 1901-2018 . Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Indian Ocean increased by about 1 °C from 1951-2015 .
Glaciers are highly sensitive to temperature changes, and rising temperatures will increase the rate of melting of glaciers.
Glacier Melt Triggers Ice Storm Winds
The melting of glaciers can have significant impacts on human life and the environment, such as the availability of water, rising sea levels, etc. Melting glaciers may initially increase water flow, but decreasing glacier mass may later lead to a decrease in water availability, affecting agriculture, drinking water, and ecosystems dependent on frequent water sources. Glacier melting can also pose risks such as icy storm surges, avalanches, debris flows, glacial lake bursting floods (GLOFs) and catastrophic flooding downstream areas.
A number of Indian institutions/universities/organizations funded by Government of India are monitoring the condition of Himalayan glaciers and have reported rapid stiff mass loss as under:
Glacier thinning and surface flow
• The average rate of retreat of Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers is 14.9 ± 15.1 m/year (m/a), varying from 12.7 ± 13.2 m/year in the Indus, 15.5 ± 14.4 m/year in the Ganges, and 20.2 ± 19.7 m/year in the Brahmaputra river basins.
• The glacial inventory prepared by the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) for the lunar basin shows that during the last 20 years it has lost about 6 per cent of its glacial area and 2.4 m of water equivalent (MWl) during 2013-2021. UE) has lost up to 9 meters.
• The glaciers of Bhaga basin lost a huge ice mass in the range of 6 MWe to 9 MWe during 2008-2021 . The annual rate of retreat of Chandra Basin glaciers during the last decade has varied between 13 to 33 m/year.
• Glaciers in the Garhwal Himalayas show significant variation in glacier thinning and surface flow velocity patterns . 15-20 m/year for Dokriani Glacier in Bhagirathi Basin , 9-11 m/year for Chorabari Glacier in Mandakini Basin, ~12 m/year in Durung-Drung and ~5.6 m/year in Pensilungpa Glaciers in Suru Basin have seen retreat.
This information was given by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.