Experience and Strategies for Combating Climate Change

ASSOCHAM Global Leadership Summit on Climate Change and Calamities

September 17, 2014

4°C – World Bank Report : Key Finding & Impact

• Unusual and unprecedented heat extremes projected to increase substantially, with adverse effects on humans and ecosystems

• Water availability expected to decline by 20% for many regions under a 2°C warming and 50% under a 4°C warming

• Agricultural yield and nutritional quality projected to decrease in the three regions studied under a 1.5-2°C world, with negative influences on economic growth and poverty eradication

• Sea-level rise: more rapid than previously projected– 50 cm by the 2050s may be unavoidable (results of past emissions). – Limiting warming to 2°C may limit global rise to about 70-100cm by 2100. – Higher Sea-level rise near Equator in combination with storm surges and

tropical cyclones will increase risks

Development Implication

In South Asia, populations exposed to increasing climate change induced risks like natural hazards –Disturbances to the monsoon system and rising peak temperatures put water and food resources at severe risk. Example drought in Maharashtra 2013–In deltaic areas, populations exposed to multiple threats of increasing tropical cyclone intensity, sea-level rise, heat extremes and extreme precipitation. For instance, 2013: Uttarakhand flood disaster, Cyclone Phailin (Odisha and AP); and ongoing Floods in Jammu and Kashmir–Multiple impacts can have severe negative implications for poverty eradication in the region.

Vulnerability profile of India

• The Global Climate Change and Vulnerability Index 2011 ranked India as the second ‘extreme risk’ country (after Bangladesh) in the world vulnerable to natural and climate change hazards

• 4th Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that the incidence of floods is expected to increase in the Himalayan region due to rise in precipitation during monsoon season and glacial melt, both directly linked to the changing climate

• High level of poverty and rapid urban growth increases vulnerability of people to the impacts of natural hazards and climatic changes

• Lack of capacity to respond to impact of natural hazards• Lack of Awareness and Community Participation

Disaster Risk Management

• Understanding of Climate Change and Disasters is still evolving

• India’s Disaster Management system has seen a significant shift from a relief driven to being more proactive, with an emphasis on disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

• Sustainable Development gains require high degree of climate and natural hazard resilience.

• The partnership between GoI and the Bank and their joint learning experiences has led to an increased focus towards future climate and natural risk mitigation programs and strategies catering to save lives and livelihoods.

WB Supported Strategies • Vulnerability Reduction

• Resilient Infrastructure Reconstruction with multi-disaster features• Roads and Bridges designed to withstand earthquake and flood forces• Multi-purpose Cyclone/flood shelters along the coast of India• Underground Cabling to disaster proof electrical systems

• Early Warning Systems • Community Based Disaster Risk Management

• Community participation in preparedness and response • School Curriculum• Communication Strategy

• Strengthening Flood Management Capacity • Flood Forecasting• Strengthening and maintenance of embankments and other infrastructure

• Improving Emergency Response Capabilities and Capacity• Institutional Strengthening, trainings• Studies – River Morphology, slope stabilization, vulnerability mapping, risk

assessment and modeling• Establishing Decision Support System

Ways Forward : Challenges

• Mainstreaming disaster risk mitigation and climate change adaptation into Development planning.

• Engagement of local communities in mitigation and monitoring.

• Robust Communication systems.• Global lesson learnt on resilient infrastructure, response

mechanisms crucial for saving lives and livelihoods needed for long-term disaster risk reduction.

• Risk Financing.