Reduction in Green House Gas Emission

The largest contributor in percentage term of global greenhouse gas emissions is -19.5% as per available information. It is followed by USA-19.2%, India-5.3%, Russia-5.1%, Japan-3.6% and Germany-2.6%.

Informing this in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament in India), Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Ms. Jayanthi Nataraj said that India has announced that it will endeavour to reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 20 to 25 percent in comparison to the 2005 level by 2020. The minister said that the Government of India has launched National Action Plan on Climate Change that includes National Solar Mission and National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency which aim at reducing emissions intensity of GDP. Government follows the policy of sustainable development through a range of programmes aimed at energy conservation, improved energy efficiency in various sectors; promoting use of renewable energy; power sector reforms; use of cleaner and lesser carbon intensive fuel for transport; fuel switching to cleaner energy; afforestation and conservation of forests; promotion of clean coal technologies and encouraging Mass Rapid Transport systems.

Meanwhile, A Report on “Climate Change and India: A 4x4 Assessment a Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 2030s” has been published in November, 2010. However, the report has not been submitted to United Nations Climate Panel. The Report has projected the likely impact of climate change on temperature, precipitation, extreme events, sea-level rise, agriculture, eco-system and bio-diversity, water and human health in four regions, namely Western Ghats, Himalayan region, North-Eastern region and Coastal region. The assessment brings out vulnerability of these regions to the adverse impact of climate change. The Report does not have any specific recommendations. However, the information generated in the report and assessments made therein are utilized by appropriate agencies of the government including the nodal ministries for effective implementation of activities under National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Government is aware of various challenges posed due to climate change and has come up with National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which outlines steps to enable the country to adapt to climate change and enhance the ecological sustainability of our development path. Eight Missions in specific areas of Solar Energy, Enhanced Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Habitat, Water, Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system, Green India, Sustainable Agriculture and Strategic knowledge for Climate Change are being implemented by the nodal ministries to address vulnerability to climate change and enhance capacity at the Central and State level to respond to climate change.

India is in the mission to study Black Carbon for Global Warming

There is an emergence of interest in the role of Black carbon in global warming since aerosols may modify the planetary albedo. The issue has engaged the attention of scientists and experts in addressing the scientific questions associated with sources, transport and impact of Black Carbon worldwide. The latest scientific studies indicate positive contributions to global warming. However the magnitude of the impact of aerosol on climate remains uncertain.

Aerosols are suspended particulates in the atmosphere. The composition of aerosols varies depending on the sources and temporal and spatial variations. Sulphate aerosols cool the atmosphere. Black carbon (BC) is the soot released in the atmosphere due to indoor combustion of bio-fuels such as wood, dung and crop residue in cook stoves and in outdoors, it is released from combustion of diesel, coal and open biomass burning (forest fires, cut and slash burning in forests, and crop residue burning on fields). The lifetime of black carbon in the atmosphere is small compared to the Greenhouse gases. Black carbon sources vary by regions. On a global basis, approximately 20 per cent of black carbon is emitted from burning bio-fuels, 40 per cent from fossil fuels and 40 per cent from burning biomass in the open.

The knowledge and understanding on aspects such as vertical distribution and mixing of Black Carbon with other aerosols, effects of cloud cover and monsoon still remains uncertain and incomplete. There is thus a need to have better understanding on the following science questions :

• The contribution of black carbon aerosols to regional warming.
• Role of black carbon on atmospheric stability and the consequent effect on cloud formation and monsoon.
• Role of black carbon in altering the ability of hygroscopic aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei.
• Role of BC-Induced low-level temperature inversions and their role in formation of fog especially over northern India.
• Role of black carbon on Himalayan glacier retreat.

With the launch of INCCA in October 2009, the Minister of Environment & Forests of the Government of India had announced a comprehensive study on Black carbon not only to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the role of Black carbon in the context of global warming but also to address the sources and impacts of the black carbon on melting of glaciers.

The Black Carbon Research Initiative builds on the existing work and sets out the science programme to respond to the scientific questions. The science plan has been developed through an intensive consultative process and with the involvement of experts in the subject and builds upon the work of ISRO, MoES and other experts countrywide. The initiative is visualised as an ambitious programme with the involvement of over 101 institutions with 65 observatories nationwide.

The study would lead to long-term monitoring of aerosols; monitoring of impact of BC on snow and; estimating magnitude of BC sources using inventory (bottom-up) and inverse modeling (top-down) approaches and modeling BC atmospheric transport and climate impact. The major expected outcomes are understanding the effect of change in albedo due to black carbon on seasonal snow and glacier melt; estimation of albedo and; reflectance of seasonal snow and glacier, glacier depth and mass balance, using airborne sensors like laser altimeter, ground penetrating radar and pyranometer; modeling effect of enhanced melting on glacier mass balance and retreat and; development of snow/glacier melt runoff models to understand the influence of changes in snow and glacier melt pattern.

Indian Government has earmarked $135 m for Forest Management

Government of India has earmarked Rs. 600 crores for the Intensification of Forest Management Scheme during the 11^th Five Year Plan with a 10 per cent participation from the State governments. The rest 90 per cent grant-in-aid would be provided by the central government from the scheme.

A Ministry of Environment and Forests sources said that the Intensification of Forest Management Scheme has resulted in bridging the gap in developing forest infrastructure in States/UTs.  Earlier known as Integrated Forest Protection Scheme, it is a centrally sponsored scheme of Ministry of Environment and Forest which gives financial assistance to States/Union Territories to take up various activities essential for protection of existing forests.

Sources said that the financial assistance given to the State Forest Departments is used to strengthen their forest protection machinery by way of infrastructure development , use of modern technology, improved mobility by way of deployment of new field vehicles, improved communication and providing arms ammunition to the frontline forestry force.

It added that the scheme also provides financial assistance for developing infrastructure for forest fire control and management; survey, demarcation and preparation of Working Plans. The Scheme was formulated by merger of the two Schemes (Forest Fire Control Management and Infrastructure Development for North Eastern Sector) in all States and Union Territories during the 10th Five Year Plan. It was last revised during 2009 to broaden its objectives by adding four new components.

All State /UT Government provide State share of funds to match the Central share in proportion as stipulated in the Scheme for the approved Annual Plan of Operations of a financial year. The State Government also required to provide necessary funds for maintenance of the assets created under the Scheme and to provide financial and manpower resources for utilization of the assets so created.  

Sources said that the funding pattern is on cost sharing. The scheme is a grants-in-aid based on 90:10 (Central: State) funding pattern in respect of all the North Eastern States including Sikkim and special category states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and 75:25 (Central: State) funding pattern for all other States/UTs.

The State Government also required to provide necessary funds for maintenance of the assets created under the Scheme and to provide financial and manpower resources for utilization of the assets so created.  

Main Components of the Scheme are forest fire control and management, strengthening of infrastructure, survey and demarcation/working plan preparation, protection and conservation of sacred groves, conservation and restoration of unique vegetation and ecosystems, control and eradication of forest invasive species and preparedness for meeting challenges of Bamboo Flowering and Improving Management of Bamboo Forests.

Many interventions are carried out under this scheme which include creation and maintenance of fire-lines, engagement of fire watchers, construction of water harvesting structures; watch towers; office and residential buildings for frontline staff and improvement of forest road, providing the fire fighting equipments and vehicles, training and capacity building, awareness campaigns, assistance to Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) to ensure involvement of local communities, Wireless and communication network, fire arms to the frontline forest protection staff, modernization of office equipments and survey and demarcation and preparation of working plans.