Govt to launch two more climate change missions

India is set to have two more climate missions for the protection of its coast and improving wind energy generations, notwithstanding the consequences of climate change.

The new missions would add to the eight existing missions on climate change that are expected to run through 2017 before the government takes a stand on their continuation.

“The missions on coast and wind energy are to be added to the existing eight missions. They would focus on what could be the impact of climate change in these areas and what could be the mitigation measures,” R R Rashmi, special secretary in the Union Environment Ministry told DH.

Sources in the ministry pointed out that mission documents were ready but an approval from the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change was required before they are formally launched.

While the mission on the coast would be executed by the environment ministry, the mission on wind energy would come under the Ministry of New and Renewable Resources, which runs the solar mission at the moment.

Documents not ready
Another two missions on waste-to-energy conversion and on climate change’s impact on health are being worked out too. But the mission documents are not yet ready.

The existing missions include three on solar energy, afforestation and energy
efficiency, that seek to slow down the growth of India’s emissions.

Another three missions on agriculture, water and Himalayan eco-system are about initiating measures to adapt to the effects of climate change.

The remaining two on sustainable habitat and strategic knowledge are service missions and seek to create more knowledge on useful climate responses.

However, though these missions were launched way back in 2010, there is little progress on the ground. The same is true for many other environmental plans, prepared over the years.

“For example, since 2004, when we sent our first communication to the UN, there is little change on the way we use water. There is no action in the last 12 years even though we know that the rainfall is going to be less and erratic in the future,” commented A K Gosain, professor at the department of civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
DH News Service