Parliament Question:- Effects of Climate Change – EQ

In Short : Climate change leads to rising temperatures, melting glaciers, and extreme weather, affecting ecosystems and agriculture. It threatens biodiversity, increases health risks like heatstroke and diseases, and damages infrastructure, disrupting economies. Socially, it causes displacement and inequality, demanding urgent action for mitigation and adaptation to protect the environment, food security, and public health​.

In Detail : Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, an organization under the Ministry carries out the assessment of forest cover biennially. As per latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, the total forest cover of the country is 7,13,789 square kilometer showing an overall increase of 1540 square kilometer of forest cover at the national level as compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2019. There is no decreasing trend in forest cover of the country. The details of State and Union Territory wise forest cover are given in Annexure. An increase in the forest cover may be attributed to better conservation measures, restoration of degraded forest lands, implementation of afforestation programmes and tree plantation drives. The loss forest cover in some States/UTs may be due to reasons such as natural calamities, anthropogenic pressure, shifting cultivation etc.

The Ministry has not conducted any specific study to monitor the effect of climate change on traditional forest dwellers.

The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) provides the overarching framework for all climate actions and comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, Green India, sustainable agriculture, human health and strategic knowledge for climate change. All these Missions are institutionalized and implemented by their respective nodal Ministries/Departments, including allocation of funds under their relevant schemes as a part of their annual budgetary allocations.

To reduce dependence on coal, the government has taken several measures to increase non-fossil fuel based energy sources. As of October 2024, the share of non-fossil fuel-based energy sources in the installed capacity of electricity generation is 46.52 percent. India is, therefore, on track to achieve its target of 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

India’s climate actions across various sectors are embedded in various programmes and schemes. Further, India engages with the financial mechanism of the UNFCCC and various multilateral institutions to finance its climate action. However, the finance received so far through international sources is very limited.

Annexure

State and Union Territory wise details of forest cover as per ISFR 2021

(Area in square kilometre)

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.