India: Several steps initiated to address adaptation issues of drought and flood

The government of India has initiated several steps to address adaptation issues raised in the report entitled "Climate change impacts in drought and flood affected area: case studies in India" relating to climate related risks such as drought and floods. There are several ongoing and future programmes planned by the government on climate change adaptation. The Government has released the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which addresses such issues extensively, as outlined in five out of eight National Missions on Climate Change focusing on climate change adaptation. The government has taken several steps to make the basic climate information accessible to meet various requirements that include a climate information management system to help integrating basic information into policy, planning and economic decisions.

The World Bank released a report entitled "Climate change impacts in drought and flood affected area: case studies in India" in 2009. The report brings out the need to promote the mainstreaming and integration of climate related risks such as drought and floods in India's development policies and processes. Through case studies of three drought and flood affected states viz., Maharashtra, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, the report states that there is a multi-sectoral interest and demand for adaptation solutions in the country. The report focuses the vulnerabilities in natural resources and rural livelihoods, which stand at the front line of climate change impacts.

Minister of Human Resource Development, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Earth Sciences and Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology Shri Kapil Sibal replied to a question by Shri Shivraj Bhaiya in Lok Sabha in a written reply today.

KP