It’s time to save the world: come ahead

By Suraj Vaidya

INTRODUCTION

Global warming is a serious concern for countries all around the world and is the major factor of climate

change that we are facing. For India, the last two decades have seen much adverse changes in the

climate. In the recent time India has faced serious natural havocs. Tsunami 2004, Uttarakhand

floods2013, and draughts are all consequences of the climate change. Climate change is impacting the

natural ecosystems and is expected to have substantial adverse effects in India, mainly on agriculture on

which 58 per cent of the population still depends for livelihood, water storage in the Himalayan glaciers

which are the source of major rivers and groundwater recharge, sea-level rise, and threats to a long

coastline and habitations. Climate change will also cause increased frequency of extreme events such as

floods, and droughts. These in turn will impact India’s food security problems and water security.

Main sources and sectors of greenhouse gas emissions in India

According to the INCCA report 2009, the energy sector in India emitted 1100.06 million tons of carbon

dioxide equivalents. About 65.4% of the total CO2 equivalent emissions from the energy sector were

from the electricity generation. This includes emission from electricity produced for distribution through

grids as well as for captive generation of electricity in various industries. The transport sector emitted

12.9% of the total CO2 equivalent emissions in 2007. The residential sector has a rural and urban spread,

and therefore it combusts both fossil fuel as well as biomass which together emitted 12.6% of the total

GHG emitted from the energy sector. Rest of the 9.2% GHG emissions were from fuel combusted in the

commercial and residential sector, in agriculture and fisheries, the fugitive emissions from coal mining,

and from extraction, transport and storage of oil and natural gas.

Projected impacts

The latest high resolution climate change scenarios and projections for India, based on Regional Climate

Modeling (RCM) system, known as PRECIS developed by Hadley Center and applied for India using IPCC

scenarios A2 and B2 depicts the following:

• An annual mean surface temperature rise by the end of this century, ranging from 3°C to 5°C

(under A2 scenario) and 2.5°C to 4°C (under B2 scenario), with the warming more pronounced in

the northern parts of India.

• A 20 per cent rise in all India summer monsoon rainfall and a further rise in rainfall is projected

over all states except Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, which show a slight decrease.

• Extreme rise in maximum and minimum temperatures is also expected and similarly extreme

precipitation is also projected, particularly over the West Coast of India and West Central India.

PHYSICAL IMPACTS

• Heat spells

• Storms /cyclones

• Change in monsoon pattern and decline in rainfall.

• Melting of glaciers causing sea level rise and flooding.

65%

13%

13%

3% 3% 3%

%

electricity transport

residential/commercial petroleum refining/solid fuel

agriculture/fisheries fugitive emissions

Source: State of Environment Atlas of India, 2007, MoEF

Socio-economic impact

• Food production in India

will suffer as it is

dependent on rainfall.

• Shifts in forest boundary,

changes in species

assemblage or forest

types, changes in net

primary productivity,

possible forest die-back in

the transient phase, and

potential loss or change in

biodiversity.

• Climate change, leading to

warming and water stress

could further exacerbate land

degradation, leading to

desertification.

Vulnerability of Indian Agriculture to Climate

Change and Globalization. Source: The Energy and Resources Institute, 2003-04

• Water resources will come under increasing pressure in the Indian subcontinent due to the changing

climate.

• Erosion, flooding, submergence and deterioration of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and

salinisation.

• Eco-systems will be particularly vulnerable to climate change; with a study estimating that between

15 and 40 per cent of species will face extinction, with 2oC of warming. The impact of climate

change would be particularly adverse on the forests, wetlands and coastal regions.

• Changes in the climate may affect

vector borne diseases in several ways,

namely, their survival and

reproduction rates, the intensity and

temporal pattern of vector activity

and the rates of development,

survival and reproduction of

pathogens within vectors.

Some mitigation efforts currently in

place in India

India accounts for only 2% of cumulative energy

India’s emissions are 70% below the world average and 93% below those of the United States. Still India

has taken major steps towards climate management.

• India is an active participant in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) established by the

Protocol. India has more than 45 registered CDM projects, more than any other country, and

about a third of all projects globally.

• The National Tariff Policy (2006) stipulates that SERCs must purchase a minimum percentage of

power from renewable sources

individually.

• The largest urban fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle

and Mumbai to reduce pollution and increase energy security.

• The government is formulating a national policy on

develop R&D for production and commercialization of ethanol and jatrop

national biofuel development board.

• In 2007, the government announced the Green India program to reforest 6 million hectares of

degraded forest lands.

CONCLUSION

Concerning the climate change, the effort of Indian government is

policies made need to be implemented. We need to work together for the change. The government

alone can’t take steps to save our environment. We, the people need to be more cautious. We should

try at our level, for e.g. try to conserve resources and energy, the environmentalists should come ahead

ay affect

vector borne diseases in several ways,

reproduction rates, the intensity and

temporal pattern of vector activity

and the rates of development,

survival and reproduction of

rts currently in

India accounts for only 2% of cumulative energy-related emissions since 1850. On a per capita basis,

India’s emissions are 70% below the world average and 93% below those of the United States. Still India

eps towards climate management.

India is an active participant in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) established by the

India has more than 45 registered CDM projects, more than any other country, and

about a third of all projects globally.

The National Tariff Policy (2006) stipulates that SERCs must purchase a minimum percentage of

renewable sources, with the specific shares to be determined by each SERC

The largest urban fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles was introduced in New Delhi

and Mumbai to reduce pollution and increase energy security.

The government is formulating a national policy on biofuels to introduce financial incentives,

develop R&D for production and commercialization of ethanol and jatrop

national biofuel development board.

In 2007, the government announced the Green India program to reforest 6 million hectares of

Concerning the climate change, the effort of Indian government is commendable but is it sufficient. The

policies made need to be implemented. We need to work together for the change. The government

alone can’t take steps to save our environment. We, the people need to be more cautious. We should

. try to conserve resources and energy, the environmentalists should come ahead

related emissions since 1850. On a per capita basis,

India’s emissions are 70% below the world average and 93% below those of the United States. Still India

India is an active participant in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) established by the

India has more than 45 registered CDM projects, more than any other country, and

The National Tariff Policy (2006) stipulates that SERCs must purchase a minimum percentage of

, with the specific shares to be determined by each SERC

s was introduced in New Delhi

to introduce financial incentives,

develop R&D for production and commercialization of ethanol and jatropha, and establish a

In 2007, the government announced the Green India program to reforest 6 million hectares of

commendable but is it sufficient. The

policies made need to be implemented. We need to work together for the change. The government

alone can’t take steps to save our environment. We, the people need to be more cautious. We should

. try to conserve resources and energy, the environmentalists should come ahead

to spread the knowledge among the common people. We should follow the norms made by the

environmental agencies.

Earth has survived many adverse conditions it will give us time to take measures but greed has no limits.

We need to act now so that it’s not too late. We should not wait for others to start; we need to pay the

debts build up on us by nature, the debt of the love and affection the nature has given us.

References

SoE report 2009

Report of INCCA 2007

http://moef.nic.in/