Transcript Experience and Strategies for Combating Climate Change

ASSOCHAM
Global Leadership Summit on Climate Change and Calamities
September 17, 2014
Experience and Strategies for Combating Climate Change
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
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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.