India's Initial National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

India's Initial National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Government of India 2004 India’s Initial National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change India’s Initial National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change © Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, 2004 Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India and Chairman (National Steering Committee and Technical Advisory Committee) Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003 Phone: 91-11-24360721 Fax: 91-11-24362746 E-mail: [email protected] National Project Director India’s Initial National Communication to the UNFCCC Room No. 564, Paryavaran Bhawan Ministry of Environment and Forests CGO Complex, Lodi Road New Delhi 110 003 Telefax: 91-11-24360861 Email: [email protected] Website: www.natcomindia.org Initial National Communication Project Management Cell Winrock International India (Facilitating Agency) 1, Navjeevan Vihar New Delhi 110 017 Telefax: 91-11-26693876 Email: [email protected] [email protected] ISBN 81 7371 498 3 ◊¥òÊË ¬ÿÊ¸fl⁄UáÊ ∞fl¢ flŸ ÷Ê⁄UÃ ‚⁄U∑§Ê⁄U ∞. ⁄UÊ¡Ê Ÿß¸ ÁŒÀ‹Ë-110003 A. RAJA MINISTER ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS GOVERNMENT OF INDIA NEW DELHI-110003 FOREWORD On behalf of the Government of India, I have great pleasure in presenting India’s Initial National Communication in fulfillment of our commitment in this respect under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Communication has been prepared by a national effort involving more than 350 scientific personnel constituted into 131 multi-disciplinary teams. This exercise was coordinated by the Ministry of Environment & Forests. The Communication has been prepared in terms of the requirements of Article 12 of the Convention and in accordance with the relevant decisions of the Conference of Parties. We committed to maintain the highest standards of scientific rigour in conducting this exercise and the research outputs underpinning the National Communications has been extensively peer reviwed. This national effort has built up human and institutional capacities in the different disciplines related to the preparation of this Initial National Communication. However, we are aware and have identified in our Communication the constraints and the gaps that still exist, and the related financial and capacity building needs, which are required to further improve upon this effort in our future National Communications. I congratulate all those who have been involved in this national task. The Government of India is also thankful to the UNDP-GEF for providing the necessary financial support for conducting this exercise. (A. Raja) Place: New Delhi Dated: 16.06.2004 Contents Executive Summary 1. National Circumstances .................................................................................................... 1 2. GHG Inventory Information ............................................................................................. 29 3. Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation ....................................................................... 57 4. Research and Systematic Observations ......................................................................... 133 5. Education, Training and Public Awareness .................................................................... 159 6. Programmes Related to Sustainable Development ........................................................ 183 7. Constraints and Gaps, and Related Financial, Technical and Capacity Needs ........................ 203 References ...................................................................................................................................... 231 Annexures ...................................................................................................................................... 239 Implementation and Institutional Arrangements for the preparation of India’s Initial National Communication Abbreviations Contributors to India’s Initial National Communication Events for Education, Training and Public Awareness Publications under the Aegis of India’s Initial National Communication Executive Summary Executive Summary India’s Initial National Communication Executive Summary ndia is a Party to the United Nations Framework the amounts of rainfall received in different parts of Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the country. Average annual rainfall is less than 13 cm Ithe Government of India attaches great importance in the Thar desert, while at Cherrapunji in the North- to climate change issues. The Convention aims to East it is as high as 1080 cm. The different climate stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the regimes of the country vary from humid in the North- atmosphere at levels that would prevent dangerous East (about 180 days rainfall in a year) to arid in anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Rajasthan (20 days rainfall in a year). A semi-arid belt Eradication of poverty, avoiding risks to food in the peninsular region extends in the area between production, and sustainable development are three the humid west coast and the central and eastern parts principles embedded in the Convention. Information of the country. The most important feature of India’s provided in the Initial National Communication is in climate is the season of concentrated rain called the terms of guidelines prescribed for Parties not included “monsoon”. The Southwest (SW) monsoon (May - in Annex I to the UNFCCC and the inventory is September) is the most important feature of the Indian prepared for the base year 1994 as stipulated. climate. 2 India is a vast country covering 3.28 million km with India is a land with many rivers. The twelve major diverse surface features. India occupies only 2.4 per rivers spread over a catchment area of 252.8 million cent of the world’s geographical area, but supports hectares (Mha) cover more than 75 per cent of the 16.2 per cent of the global human population. India total area of the country. Rivers in India are classified is endowed with varied soils, climate, biodiversity as Himalayan, Peninsular, Coastal, and Inland- and ecological regimes. Under such diverse natural drainage basin rivers. conditions, over a billion people speaking different languages, following different religions and living in The land use pattern is influenced by diverse factors rural and urban areas, live in harmony under a such as population density, urbanization, industry, democratic system. agriculture, animal husbandry, irrigation demands, and natural calamities like floods and droughts. NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES Despite stresses, the area under forests has increased in recent years due to proactive reforestation and India’s land surface may be classified as (a) the Great afforestation programmes of the Government of India. Mountain Wall of the North; (b) the Northern Plains; Presently 23 per cent of the total land area is under (c) the Great Southern Peninsular Plateau; (d) the forest and tree cover, while 44 per cent is net sown Coastal Plains; and (e) the Islands. India’s unique area. The remaining one-third is roughly equally geography produces a spectrum of climates yielding distributed between fallow land, non-agricultural land, a wealth of biological and cultural diversity. Land and barren land. areas in the north have a continental climate with high summer temperatures with cold winters when The panorama of Indian forests ranges from evergreen temperatures may go below freezing. In contrast are tropical rain forests in the Andaman and Nicobar the coastal regions of the country where the Islands, the Western Ghats, and the North-east, to dry temperature is more even throughout the year and alpine scrub high in the Himalayas in the north. rains are more frequent. There is large variation in Between these extremes, the country has semi- i Executive Summary evergreen rain forests, deciduous monsoon forests, independence in 1947, achieving self-sufficiency in thorn forests, subtropical pine forests in the lower food for a rising population, increasing per capita GDP montane zone, and temperate montane forests. by over three-times, reducing illiteracy and fertility According to the Forest Survey of India, the total rates, creating a strong and diversified industrial base, 2 forest cover in the year 2000 was 6,75,538 km . building up infrastructure, developing technological capabilities in sophisticated areas and establishing India is a largely agrarian society with nearly 64 per growing linkages with the world economy. However, cent of the population dependent on agriculture, much remains to be achieved and the Government of although the share of agriculture in the gross domestic India is committed to developmental targets that are product has been continuously declining over the last more ambitious than the United Nations Millennium 50 years. Crop production in India takes place in Development Goals. The high incidence of poverty almost all land class types, namely, dry, semi dry, underlines the need for rapid economic development moist, sub humid, humid, fluvisols and gleysols. to create more remunerative employment and for Agriculture will continue to be important in India’s investment in social infrastructure such as health and economy in the years to come as it feeds a large and education. Notwithstanding the climate friendly growing population, employs a large labour force, orientation of national

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