Climate change: Govt submits proposals for financial assistance

The government on Wednesday said it has submitted proposals for financial assistance to Global Environment Fund and Adaptation Fund under Kyoto Protocol for implementation of mitigation and adaption activities.

"Government has submitted proposals for financial assistance to Global Environment Fund and Adaptation Fund under Kyoto Protocol for implementation of mitigation and adaption activities," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

He was replying to a question whether the government has sought financial and technological assistance from foriegn countries.

Javadekar said the government was aware of the World Bank report titled "Turn down the heat: Climate extremes, regional impacts and the case of resilience" published in June 2013 which projects that a four degrees Celsius rise in global temperature would result in increased climate extreme events such as heat waves, sea level rise, more storm surges, droughts and flooding in south Asian region including India.

He said the coastal and deltaic regions of India are reported to be vulnerable to the risks of flooding.

The Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra are also vulnerable due to the melting of glaciers and loss fo snow cover, he said.

He said that recognising the challenges of climate change, the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was released on June 30, 2008, that outlines eight national missions in specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, green India, sustainable agriculture and strategic knowledge of climate change envisaging actions to address climate change issues.

He said that the state governments have also been requested to prepare action plans to address state specific issues.