This ppt gives you a brief view to where India stands on the issue of climate change

1. Approach for development
of a national response to
climate change from a
public health
perspective in India
Presenter: Dr. Sidharth Sekhar Mishra
Preceptor: Dr. Arvind Kumar Singh
1/50

2. ‘‘We need to…
convince the world
that humanity
really is the most
important species
endangered by
climate change.’’
Margaret Chan,
MD, Director-General
World Health
Organization
2/50

3. Search strategy
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No
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Site
Key Words No. of
Articles
found
1 Pubmed National response to climate change 291
National response to climate change in India 7
National response to climate change from a public
3
health perspective
National response to climate change from a public
health perspective in India
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2 Google
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National response to climate change 2450000
National response to climate change in India 1170000
National response to climate change from a public
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health perspective
National response to climate change from a public
health perspective in India
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* No date restrictions were applied 3/50

4. Outline of presentation
 Introduction
 Definitions
 Indicators
 Impact of climate change
 Global response to climate change
 Global Scenario
 Indian Scenario
 Steps for Development of National Response
 Opportunities
 Conclusion
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5. Introduction
 What is climate change?
 Any major change in measures of climate
(temperature, precipitation, rainfall, snow, wind)
 Lasting for a long period of time (decades or longer)
 Factors causing climate change:
 Natural factors, such as changes in the sun's energy
or slow changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun
 Natural processes within the climate system, such as
changes in ocean circulation
 Human activities
Ref: Ready for Change: Preparing Public Health Agencies for the Impacts of Climate Change, A Climate Masters
Guide for the Public Section, May 2010 5/50

6. Two Important Concepts of Climate
Change
 Climate Mitigation: An anthropogenic intervention
to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of
greenhouse gases
 Climate adaptation: adjustment in natural or
human systems to a new or changing
environment
6

7. Indicators of Climate Change
 Increase in:
 Land surface temperature
 Sea surface temperature
 Increase in sea level
 Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
 Climate related natural calamities
 Decrease:
 Ice level
 Forest cover
 Change in wildlife pattern
Ref: Bush F K. Impacts of Climate Change on Public Health in India: Future Research Directions. Environmental
Health Perspectives • volume 119 | number 6 | June 2011
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8. 8
Ref: Climate change 2013. The physical science basis. Summary for policymakers. Intergovernmental panel on
climate change. (http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/docs/WGIAR5_SPM_brochure_en.pdf)

9. Change in ice over last decade
Ref: Climate change 2013. The physical science basis. Summary for policymakers. Intergovernmental panel on climate
change. (http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/docs/WGIAR5_SPM_brochure_en.pdf) 9/50

10. Global Occurrence of Floods
(2000-10)
Ref: Atlas of health and climate. 2012. World Health Organization 10/50

11. Impact of climate change
 Rainfall pattern
 Surface temperature
and cyclones
 Coastline changes
 Water level changes
 Food productivity
 Forest cover
 Desertification of land
 Health effects
* Details in Annexure 3
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12. 12

13. Climate change and Health Impacts
 Increased probability of water borne, vector borne
diseases due to increased temperatures and flooding
 Diseases due to heat stress
 Air borne diseases
 Changing weather patterns and more disasters will
also lead to increased poverty and therefore reduced
overall health
 3.94% increase in mortality for each 1 degree Celsius
increase above 29 degree Celsius (Mc Michael et al.,)
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14. Global Action Landmarks on Climate
Change
 Montreal Protocol: 1987
 First worldwide agreement designed to protect human
health and the environment against the adverse effects
of the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer
 Protocol is administered by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP)
 Objective: mandates an end to the production and
consumption of the major CFCs, halons,
hydrobromofluorocarbons and methyl bromide by 1996
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15. Global Action Landmarks on Climate
Change (contd.)
 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)
 leading international body for the assessment of
climate change.
 established by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and World Meteorological
Organization in 1988
 provide clear scientific view on the current state of
knowledge in climate change and its potential
environmental and socio-economic impacts
 5th assessment to be finalised on 31st October, 2014
 Currently 195 countries are members
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16. Global Action Landmarks on Climate
Change (contd.)
 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED/ Earth summit
 UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change
 Rio de Janeiro, 1992
 Objective: stabilize GHG concentrations at a level that
would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference
with climate system
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17. Global Action Landmarks on Climate
Change (contd.)
 Kyoto Protocol
 First legally binding treaty aimed at cutting emissions
of the main greenhouse gases believed to contribute
to global warming
 More than 150 nations signed it in December 1997
 But they left much of the detail about how it would be
implemented to future talks
 USA and EU were not on same terms and US pulled
out
 Other nations decided to carry on and they finally
reached agreement in Marrakech in November 2001
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18. Global Action Landmarks on Climate
Change (contd.)
 WHO World Health Day 2008
 Protecting health from climate change
 Priorities of WHO:
 Advocate and raise awareness
 Strengthen partnerships
 Enhance scientific evidence
 Strengthen health systems
18/50

19. 19/50
Global Scenario

20. 20/50

21. Global comparison for approaches on
climate change
China Brazil United States
Political
Commit
ment
Action embedded in
China’s national
strategic development
policy
Absent (bill
relaxing
Brazil
Forest Code
of 2012)
Inside country
present but
internationally
absent
Actions
taken
a. Setting carbon
intensity goals
b. Energy efficient
systems
c. % of non fossil fuel
sourced energy
.... Lowered the
GHG emission
Ref: The response of china, india and brazil to climate change: A perspective for South Africa
http://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/ & Response of United States: A global perspective 21/50

22. Global comparison for approaches on climate
change (contd.)
China Brazil United States
Key
featur
e
a. Leaders of global
renewable energy
sector
b. Moved to high
quality growth rather
than fast growth
Leader in low
carbon
agriculture
and bio fuels
Leaders in
climate related
research
activities
Challe
nges
Benefits have been
marginalised by
negative
environmental impacts
of rapid economic
growth
Economic
development
vs climate
check
methods
No legal
binding of the
situation
Ref: THE RESPONSE OF CHINA, INDIA AND BRAZIL TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A perspective for South Africa
http://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/
22/50

23. 23/50
Indian Scenario

24. Current Status of India in View of
Contributor to Climate Change
 The per capita release of green house gases is even less
than the average of developing countries (2.5 tonnes of
Co2 per year per person)
 But in total India is the second largest emitter
 Coal is the main source of energy and it contributes to
climate change the maximum
Ref: Hansen et al. Dangerous human-made interference with climate: a GISS model study. 2007. Atmospheric
Chemistry and Physics 7: 2287-2312 24/50

25. Indian contribution to global
warming has different facets
 Poverty keeps India’s carbon dioxide emissions
low
 Over 400m Indians lack access to electricity (1)
 But a growing rich class of Indians are increasing
emissions dramatically
 Top 1% of Indians (those earning over $700 US per
month) estimated to emit around to 5 tonnes CO2 per
annum, close to global average
Ref: : UNDP Human Development Indicators, 2008
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26. Indian contribution to global warming
has different facets (contd.)
 And our burning of biofuels such as wood for
cooking adds new problems
 India and China are the primary contributors of ‘black
carbon’ (soot),
 Vegetarian diets use much less energy
 But increased incomes leading to shift in higher meat
diets
Ref: : UNDP Human Development Indicators, 2008
26/50

27. Ref: Impacts of Climate Change on Public Health in India: Future Research Directions
27/50

28. Drivers for action
 Impact of climate change
 Global responsibility to reduce GHG emissions
 Energy security
 Natural resource management
 Economic opportunities
 Political will
Ref: THE RESPONSE OF CHINA, INDIA AND BRAZIL TO CLIMATE CHANGE: A perspective for South Africa
http://www.smithschool.ox.ac.uk/: Reference from Slide No. 29 to 37
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29. Reduce Green House Gas Emissions
 India had the world’s 5th largest aggregate GHG
emissions
 All sectors show an increase in emissions
 except for agriculture
 highest rates in cement, electricity and waste
 Proactive steps by the government have reduced
the emissions intensity of India’s GDP by more
than 30% from 1994 to 2007
29/50

30. Energy security
 India’s primary energy consumption is dominated
by fossil fuels
 together coal, oil and natural gas account for 93% of
consumption
 Nuclear energy provides only 1% of energy
consumption
POOR ENERGY SECURITY
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31. Harness Renewables:
4th in Wind Capacity Today
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32. Harness Renewables:
Significant Solar Resource
Kilowatt-hours per square meter per day
Ref: NASA Atmospheric Science Data Center (2008)
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33. Natural resource management
 Land
 Forest
 Water bodies
 Air quality
33/50

34. Economic opportunities
 Scale in carbon markets (allows it to register
CDM projects)
 Funds from developed countries
 New climate friendly projects
34/50

35. Political Will
 Prime Minister’s council on climate change
 Constituted on 07th June, 2007
 Comprising of: both government and non govrnment
representatives
 Role:
 coordinate national action plans for assessment, adaptation
and mitigation of climate change
 will advise government on pro-active measures that can be
taken by India to deal with the challenge of climate change
 facilitate inter-ministerial coordination and guide policy in
relevant areas
35/50

36. India’s response to climate change
Year Response
1976 Solar Photo Voltaic R & D Programme started
1980 Forest Conservation Act
1987 IREDA established (India Renewable Energy
Development Agency)
1988 NFAP (National Forestry Action Programme)
2002 Acceded to Kyoto Protocol
2008 India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change
published
2011 National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture
(NICRA) launched
2012 Ministry of New and Renewable Energy set up
* Annexure 2: Full list of Responses by India 36/50

37. Recent initiatives taken by Indian
government for addressing climate
change
 Projects based on Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM)
 Carbon tax on coal (funds generated from this fund
renewable energy projects)
 Detailed climate assessment
 Climate friendly fuel: CNG
 Separate national fund to finance climate change
activities and policies to encourage renewable
energy (also in Brazil)
 Low carbon technology
37/50

38. Steps for development
38/50
of
National response

39. Domains that National response
strategy should address
 Support national objective and sustainable
development
 Adapt to climate change
 Should be sustainable
 Meet international obligations
 Integrate with other sectors
 Partnerships with others
39/50

40. Domains that National response
strategy should address (contd.)
 Domestic and legal provisions should be met
 Climate change related education, training,
awareness and capacity building
 Climate change related research, development
and demonstration
 Inventories of greenhouse gases and air
pollutants
 Accessing and managing financial resources for
climate change
40/50

41. Steps for development of national
response
 Researching impacts of
climate change,
community resources,
and existing measures
 Identifying the most
vulnerable population
 In depth interviews with
key stake holders and
by heat health
vulnerability assessment
(Annexure 1)
 Young children, elders,
people with chronic
illness, workers
Ref: India Health Report. Climate Change and Health Preparedness in India: Protecting Local Communities in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat from Extreme Heat. PHFI.
41/50

42. Steps for development of national
response (contd.)
 Developing an
actionable warning
system and integrating
it into a local climate
change preparedness
plan
 Targeting heat risk
reduction outreach
 Conducting best
practises workshops
 Extreme heat event
tracking system(weather
gauges), by comparing
previous records and
climate change
phenomenon
 Targeting the vulnerable
population
 As was conducted in
Ahmedabad in 2010
Ref: India Health Report. Climate Change and Health Preparedness in India: Protecting Local Communities in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat from Extreme Heat. PHFI. 42/50

43. Components climate change
preparedness programme
 Identification of local vulnerabilities within the
specific population and geography
 Monitoring and tracking health threats and
appropriate responses
 Educating heath care practitioners and general
public about health implications
 Creating emergency response plan
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44. Ref: NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE STRATEGY FOR SOUTH AFRICA. Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism 44/50

45. Indian Opportunities
45/50

46. Strengthening existing systems
 Global Atmospheric Stations
 10 in number
 Generates data of exchange trace materials between
atmosphere and earth
 Measures atmosphere turbidity and air quality
measurements to quantify trends and acid rain threats
 Ozone measuring system
 Currently daily monitoring at 5 sites in the country
46/50

47. Future prospects
 Newer technologies like geospatial technology
needs to further developed
 Adoption of cost effective energy efficient
technologies
 Shift to renewable’s
 Adoption of forest conservation
 Efficient, fast and reliable public transport system
 Rational energy pricing
 LEED design buildings
47/50

48. Climate friendly examples from Our
Country
 Country wide
 Eco friendly bags
 Eco friendly Ganesh idols
 E rickshaws
 Eco friendly towns and villages
 Gujarat
 Eco friendly train
 Gujarat cleaner production centre
 Solar fishing trawler
 Odisha
 Eco friendly stoves
 Eco friendly X cycles
48/50

49. Limitations in current steps being
taken by India
 No plans to phase out fossil fuels in next 20 years
 Self set target for lowering emissions: reduce the
emission intensity of its GDP by 20-25% by 2020
relative to 2005 levels
 Commit emission intensity of GDP (rather than
absolute emission reductions)
49/50

50. Limitations in current steps being
taken by India: the biggest threat
 Stake at International level for onus of climate
destruction on developed countries
 India, the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases
from fossil fuel in the 1990s
 suggested that the ‘right’ to pollute the atmosphere be
apportioned to all countries on the basis of their
population
 Using this gauge, China and India, the only countries
with populations in excess of a billion each, could
legitimately emit greenhouse gases to a greater extent
50/50

51. Conclusion
 India has potential to supply substantial
mitigation at a relatively low price
 India needs to do much more towards becoming
climate resilient
51/50

52. Thank you
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