The Department of Science and Technology in India recently released a noteworthy report titled ‘The Report Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’. This documentation offers an in-depth analysis of the vulnerability of different Indian states and districts concerning current climate risk.
Objectives and Highlights of The Report
The report presents a detailed delineation of the most susceptible states and districts in India relative to current climatic conditions. Several indicators were used to carry out this assessment, including the percentage of the population living below the poverty line, income derived from natural resources, marginal and small landholdings share, women’s participation rate in the workforce, and density of healthcare workers.
The primary objective is to assist in prioritizing adaptation investment, developing, and implementing effective adaptation programs. The report is distinctive due to its use of a common framework across different states and union territories, ensuring comparability and enhancing decision-making at policy and administrative levels. It forms part of the capacity-building initiative under two missions of the National Action Plan on Climate Change: the National Mission on Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem and the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.
The Report’s Key Findings
According to the report, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal are states that are highly vulnerable to climate change. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim, and Punjab are considered lower-middle vulnerable states; with Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa, and Maharashtra being categorized as low vulnerable states. Highly vulnerable districts are concentrated particularly in Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand, with over 60% of their districts falling into this category.
These findings underscore the fact that all districts and states in India present some level of vulnerability to the current climate risk, with vulnerability scores across all districts lying within a small range.
Significance of the Findings
The findings from this assessment can serve as a key tool for India’s reporting on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. NDCs indicate each country’s efforts to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
This report will support India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change and contribute to developing more tailored climate change projects. The insights garnered will aid in developing adaptation projects for different funding agencies, including the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund, and they will also aid in implementing the State Action Plans on Climate Change.
Understanding Climate Risk
Climate-related extremes such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, cyclones, and wildfires highlight the significant vulnerability and exposure of numerous human systems and ecosystems to current climate variability. These risks arise from non-climatic factors and multidimensional inequalities often caused by uneven development processes.
According to The Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index-2019, India was ranked 5th out of 181 countries, indicating an extremely high exposure and vulnerability.
Source: PIB
