Impact of Climate Change upon the Indian subcontinent

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in 2020 released the “Assessment of Climate Change in the Indian Region”, which contains a comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate change on the Indian subcontinent. Here are the highlights of the report:

1. India’s average temperature has risen by about 0.7 degrees. C during 1901-2018.
2. The frequency of daily extreme precipitation (precipitation intensity >150 mm per day) increased by about 75% in the period 1950-2015.
3. The frequency and spatial extent of droughts in India increased significantly over the period 1951-2015.
4. Sea level rise in the northern Indian Ocean has occurred at a rate of 3.3 mm per year over the past two and a half decades (1993-2017).
5. The frequency of severe cyclonic storms over the Arabian Sea increased during the 1998-2018 post-monsoon seasons.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) regularly monitors the climate over the Indian region and releases an annual publication viz. “Annual Climate Summary”. IMD publishes a monthly summary of the climate. The annual climate summary includes information on temperature, precipitation and extreme weather events occurring during the period in question.

This information was given today by the Union Minister for Earth Sciences, Shri Kiren Rijiju, in a written response to the Lok Sabha.

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CNS/PK/LS2222