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Tropical inland capture fisheries are susceptible to a series of vulnerabilities such as habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, pollution, overfishing, invasive species and anthropogenic climate change. A comprehensive review of the impact of climatic uncertainties on Indian inland fisheries has not been adequately attempted yet. Recent approaches emphasizing ecosystem-based management in a regional context, specific to inland fisheries for combating climatic changes, have not been reported to date. The paper presents a critical bibliometric review of the climatic vulnerabilities faced by Indian inland fishery resources and various adaptive and mitigation strategies put forward by the country for the sustainability of the resources. In this communication, a systematic review of the impact of climate change and other stressors on various inland ecosystems of the subcontinent and the ecosystem-based management strategies adopted in India is presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has elucidated that the uninterrupted emission of greenhouse gases has resulted in climate change posing the biggest existential threat to humanity. India, which stretches from the Himalayas to the fertile plains of Ganges to the long west and east coast, is experiencing an array of climate change impacts. India's vulnerability is closely tied to the region's geography, economy, and population patterns. Considering the colossal population, vulnerability, and gross GHG emission, the success of climate action in India will be a major contributory factor in the global response to climate change. India has played a proactive and prominent role in elucidating the position of developing nations in climate negotiation but has not enacted climate-specific legislation. As a consequence, the climate responses have been a continuum of policy actions, drawing on various provisions of the Indian Constitution, and existing environmental legislative provisions drawing on the various international environmental instruments to which India is a signatory. Forest management is a sector closely linked with climate change in terms of impacts and addressing climate change in India. The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets of India envisaged under the Paris Agreement reveal the weightage attached to forests in the climate change response. This paper attempts to capture the legislative framework governing climate change in India, focusing on the general environment protection laws and forest management. It also explores whether the legal framework operating in the forest sector is adequate to address the climate concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global concern of the current century. Its rapid escalation and ever-increasing intensity have been felt worldwide, leading to dramatic impacts globally. The aftermath of climate change in India has brought about a profound transformation in India's environmental, socio-economic, and urban landscapes. In 2019, India ranked seventh, among the most affected countries by extreme weather events caused due to changing climate. This impact was evident in terms of both, the human toll with 2,267 lives lost, and the economic damage, which accounted for 66,182 million US$ Purchasing power parities (PPPs). Over the recent years, India has experienced a significant increase in the number and frequency of extreme weather events, causing vulnerable communities. The country experienced severe air pollution problems in several metropolitan cities and was highlighted in the list of the world's most polluted cities. Additionally, India has become the most populous nation globally, boasting a population of 1.4 billion people, equating to ~18% of the global population, and experiencing an increased rate of consumption of natural resources. Owing to the country's current scenario, various climate mitigation strategies, including nature-based solutions, must be implemented to reduce such impacts and support India's target of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This review tries to have a holistic understanding of the effects of climate change on different sectors to identify India's challenges in achieving SDG 13 and SDG 11. Finally, it also highlighted the future recommendations for climate change-related research from an Indian perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate action plans are essential for climate mitigation and adaptation as well as to achieve climate and development goals like the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the development and implementation of climate action plans at multiple levels involve decision-making processes. In this article, we examine the barriers and opportunities to decision-making in climate action plans for adaptation at three different governance levels in India: national, sub-national and local. Through a literature review and analysis of case studies, we find that lack of usable climate information, institutional weaknesses and capacity of actors are critical barriers to decision-making at all three levels in India. We recommend that providing usable and accessible climate information, creating evidence and knowledge on adaptation, strengthening the science-policy interface and institutional mechanisms, as well as building the capacities of actors can contribute to better decision-making and achieving targeted climate action plans and SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean energy transition via utilizing biomass resources has been projected as an important climate change mitigation strategy. A vital characteristic of biomass is its localized nature; therefore, bioenergy utilization should follow decentralized planning. Agrarian countries like India can take benefit of its large agricultural biomass waste pool to produce clean renewable energy. However, prior knowledge of spatio-temporal distribution, competing uses, and biomass characteristics are necessary for successful bioenergy planning. This paper assesses biomass resource and its power generation potential at different agro-climatic zone levels in the state of Rajasthan, India considering crop residue biomass (25 different crop residues from 14 crops) and livestock manure (from cattle, buffalo, and poultry). Uncertainties associated with the availability of biomass and the power generation potential are assessed for each agro-climatic zone under different scenarios. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions from biomass-based power generations are also estimated and compared with biomass-equivalent coal power plants. It is observed that the annual biomass power potential of Rajasthan is 3056 MW (2496 MW from crop residues and 560 MW from livestock manure). Scenario analysis suggests that the potential varies from 2445 to 6045 MW under different biomass availability and power plant operating conditions. Annual GHGs emissions due to biomass power generation is 5053 kt CO 2 eq. Replacing coal-based power with biomass power would result in annual GHGs savings of 11412 kt CO 2 eq. The paper also discusses various carriers and barriers viz. logistics, institutional, financial and technical in setting up decentralized bioenergy plants. Outcomes of the present study are expected to assist renewable energy planners in India. • Biomass resources and their power potential are assessed for Rajasthan, India. •Biomass power potential for different selected scenario ranges from 2445-6045 MW. •GHG emissions from biomass power is assessed and compared with fossil fuels. •Spatio-temporal variability, low density and logistics are limitations of biomass. •Favourable policies, technologies and market can help to promote bioenergy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate Change (CC) is universal concern. One of the causes for CC is degradation of forest. World over every minute 22 hectares forest is degraded. Reckonings suggests that US$ 11880, funds must be invested every minute to restore the forest. In India Atmospheric pollution has severed in 90's because of increased automobiles and electronic goods. Green car congress reported level of NO2 concentration in Delhi ranged 70-102 microgram per cm, in 2005. It is argued that the consumers are capable of meeting part of cost of CC mitigation. Recent survey (Teki, 2008) in National Capital Region revealed that 40% of sample preferred to compensate through tax on petroleum products, 22 % in investing in forestry bonds, 57% favoured compulsory investment in bonds. Awareness rate about climate change was 92%, and 88% favoured both technology transitions and economic sanctions for mitigating CC. Evolving innovative financing instruments and mechanisms to finance forest restoration and mitigating CC is important. Timber was considered important contribution of forests, as 2% GDP comes to exchequer. NTFPs now considered equally important for forest restoration as 25-55% of forest living people survival comes from NTFPs. Forests have innovative financial instruments like Eco-tourism, to finance forest restoration. Self reliance apart from the government funding and the private funding. Mobilisation of savings, bank finance, creating/strengthening global carbon fund effectively and financing the substitute sectors are important for restoration of ecological integration and productivity and economic value of deforested or degraded land. Objectives of paper are: a) to assess level and impact of forest degradation and forest restoration in India, b) to translate carbon pollution level into mitigating CC, b) awareness level of CC in NCR c) measure willingness of consumers to compensate for CC, and d) evolve innovative financial instruments and mechanisms to finance sustainable forest restoration in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foremost role of forest vegetation in storing biomass and carbon (C) stock constitutes one of the main nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change. In this study, we aimed to quantify biomass and C stock partitioning in multiple vegetation strata (tree, shrub, herb, and ground floor layers) of major forest types in Jammu and Kashmir, Western Himalaya, India. We used a stratified random cluster sampling strategy to collect field data in 96 forest stands of 12 forest types (altitudinal range: 350 to 3450 m) in the study region. We evaluated the degree to which the carbon stock of the entire ecosystem was dependent on the multiple vegetation strata using the Pearson method. Across all the forest types, the average total ecosystem-level biomass was estimated to be 181.95 Mgha−1 (range: 60.64–528.98). Forest strata-wise, the maximum biomass of 172.92 Mgha−1 (range: 50.64-514.97) was found in the tree vegetation, followed by 5.58 Mgha−1 (range: 2.59–8.93) in understory vegetation (shrubs and herbaceous), and 3.44 Mgha−1 (range: 0.97 and 9.14) in the forest floor. The total ecosystem-level biomass showed a peak at mid-elevation coniferous forest types, whereas the lowest was observed in low-elevation broad leaved forest types. At the ecosystem-level, on average, the understory contributed 3% and the forest floor 2% to the total C stock across the forest types. The shrub layer contributed up to 80% of total understory C, with the herbaceous layer accounting for the remaining 20%. The ordination analysis clearly shows that anthropogenic and environmental variables significantly (p ≤ 0.002) influence the forest types' C stock in the region. Our findings have significant implications for conserving natural forest ecosystems and restoring degraded forest landscapes in this Himalayan region, which in turn can lead to better carbon sequestration and climate mitigation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological reaction to climate change anticipates water cycle alterations. To ensure long-term water availability and accessibility, it is essential to develop sustainable water management strategies and better hydrological models that can simulate peak flow. These efforts will aid in water resource planning, management, and climate change mitigation. This study develops and compares Sacramento, Australian Water Balance Model (AWBM), TANK, and SIMHYD conceptual models to simulate daily streamflow at Rajegaon station of the Pranhita subbasin in the Godavari basin of India. The study uses daily Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) gridded rainfall and temperature datasets. For 1987–2019, 70% of the models were calibrated and 30% validated. Pearson correlation (CC), Nash Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Root mean square error (RMSE), and coefficient of determination (CD) between the observed and simulated streamflow to evaluate model efficacy. The best conceptual (Sacramento) model selected to forecast future streamflow for the SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585 scenarios for the near (2021–2040), middle (2041–2070), and far future (2071–2100) using EC-Earth3 data was resampled and bias-corrected using distribution mapping. In the far future, the SSP585 scenario had the most significant relative rainfall change (55.02%) and absolute rise in the annual mean temperature (3.29 °C). In the middle and far future, the 95th percentile of monthly streamflow in the wettest July is anticipated to rise 40.09% to 127.06% and 73.90% to 215.13%. SSP370 and SSP585 scenarios predicted the largest streamflow increases in all three time periods. In the near, middle, and far future, the SSP585 scenario projects yearly relative streamflow changes of 72.49%, 93.80%, and 150.76%. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of considering the potential impacts of future scenarios on water resources to develop effective and sustainable water management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse consequences of climate change often affect people and places far away from those that have the greatest capacity for mitigation. Several correlational and some experimental studies suggest that the willingness to take mitigation actions may diminish with increasing distance. However, the empirical findings are ambiguous. In order to investigate if and how socio-spatial distance to climate change effects plays a role for the willingness to engage in mitigation actions, we conducted an online experiment with a German population sample (n = 383). We find that the willingness to sign a petition for climate protection was significantly reduced when a person in India with a name of Indian origin was affected by flooding, as compared to a person in Germany with a name of German origin. Distance did not affect donating money to climate protection or approving of mitigation policies. Our results provide evidence for the existence of a negative effect of distance to climate change consequences on the willingness to engage in low-cost mitigation actions. Investigating explanations for such an effect, we find that it can be attributed to the spatial rather than the social dimension of distance. Moreover, we find some cautious evidence that people with strong racist attitudes react differently to the distance manipulations, suggesting a form of environmental racism that could also reduce mitigation action in the case of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, land degradation, and desertification lead to the loss of carbon present in the soil and plants. The carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere has reached 412 ppm. This is a rise of 47% since the start of the industrial period, when the concentration was close to 280 ppm. Therefore, the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere to earth is the need of the hour. Many scientists have suggested agroforestry as a potent instrument for climate change mitigation as well as to fetch lucrative benefits. The Indian government is also promulgating tree-based systems for increasing tree cover up to 33% of the total geographical area to mitigate climate change. Therefore, the expansion of the commercial agroforestry system of fast-growing tree species producing higher biomass could be a sustainable and ecologically benign technique to sequester carbon, increase green cover, and improve the financial status of farmers. This review highlights the commercial agroforestry systems, biomass and carbon sequestration potential, and case studies of poplar and eucalyptus. The species such as poplar (Populus deltoides), nilgiri (Eucalyptus spp.), subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), tree of heaven (Ailanthus excelsa), willow (Salix spp.), malabar neem (Melia dubia), cadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba), and white teak (Gmelina arborea) are the suitable tree species for carbon sequestration under agroforestry. Among these species, poplar and eucalyptus are major agroforestry tree species that have been adopted by millions of farmers in India since the 1990s. Indo-Gangetic plains are considered the birthplace of commercial or industrial agroforestry, as poplar and eucalyptus are widely planted. This review reports that poplar and eucalyptus have the potential to sequester carbon stock of 212.7 Mg C ha−1 and 237.2 Mg C ha−1, respectively. Further, the net carbon sequestration rate in poplar and eucalyptus was 10.3 and 12.7 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, respectively. In conclusion, the commercial agroforestry system was very successful in the Indo-Gangetic regions of the country but needs further expansion with suitable compatible crops in different parts of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensity and extent of climate change impacts differ significantly with the geographical and ecological structure of the landscape. This is especially evident in mountain ecosystems where topographic, climatic and biological gradients make them extremely vulnerable to global environmental changes. Designing strategies to mitigate and adapt to global climate change on such local landscapes requires a context-specific vulnerabilities that take into account their particular characteristics. Presently, there are two main challenges in assessing climate change vulnerability in mountain ecosystems: 1) The models that are used for vulnerability assessments at global scales are being used at local scales with broad variables from few sectors that do not capture the range of characteristics of mountain ecosystems 2) indigenous knowledge about climate change are not considered in these models, which makes the implementation of mitigation/adaptation measures less successful. In this study, we highlight these issues drawing from our data collected in India's Lesser Himalayan region (Darjeeling). We used a mixed research approach that combines a vulnerability assessment model with a participatory knowledge approach. We based climate change vulnerability around the socio-ecological system of the mountain landscape. The results from the interactive process showed that Darjeeling region is experiencing higher climate change vulnerability than the results produced by the model at the subregional level. We highlight critical variables that influence the socio-ecological system and need to be taken into account when assessing vulnerability and future adaptation scenarios. The study offers a decision support process for policymakers to plan climate mitigation/adaptation measures and future sustainability pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The urban water system is the worst hit in global climate change. Water resilience is the system's ability to retaliate and recover from various water-related disruptions. The present study aims to delineate the water resilience zones in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India, by effectively integrating the geographic information system, remote sensing, and analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Methods: The methodology incorporated 15 vital factors. A multi-criteria decision analysis technique was adopted to assign a weight to each parameter using the AHP. A pairwise decision matrix was constructed, parameter's relative importance and the consistency ratio were established. Integration of all maps by weighted overlay analysis technique depicted water resilience intensities of five different classes. Results: Very low, low and moderate water resilience areas accounted for more than three-fourth of the study area. Area Under Curve score (80.12%) depicted the accuracy of the developed model. Sensitivity analysis determined the significance of the parameters in the delineation. The logical structural approach can be employed in other parts of India or elsewhere with modifications. Conclusion: This study is novel in its approach by holistically analyzing water resilience by integrating disruptions related to flood, drought and the city's water infrastructure system's adequacy and efficiency. Researchers and planners can effectively use the study results to ensure resilience as a new perspective on effective water resource management and climate change mitigation. It becomes a decision aid mechanism identifying where the system is vulnerable to potential water-related risks for employing resilience measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution regional climate model (RCM) simulations are found to be very useful in deriving realistic climate change projection information. This study uses high-resolution dynamical downscaling framework (CCSM4-WRF) for India. To delineate the advantage of high resolution, we compared the results of 9-km resolution CCSM4-WRF simulations against the 50-km resolution RCM simulations under Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment-South Asia (CORDEX-SA) program. Quantitative estimations show that majority of CORDEX-SA models exhibit large dry bias (< − 4 mm/day) and low pattern correlation coefficient (PCC) over the Western Ghats (WG). Mean climatology of Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall simulated by high-resolution CCSM4-WRF outperforms the CORDEX-SA RCMs with low negative biases (~ 1 mm/day) and high PCC (≥ 0.755). This skill of CCSM4-WRF provides better confidence in its future projection at local scale. CCSM4-WRF projects future intensification of monsoon rainfall over most parts of India and reduction over southern WG, which is consistent with recent observed trends, but none of the CORDEX-SA RCMs could simulate this rainfall reduction. For all-India rainfall, ensemble mean of CORDEX-SA models projects an increase by 1.3 ± 0.9 mm/day and CCSM4-WRF projects 0.67 mm/day. Projected changes in socioeconomic variables such as population and gross domestic product (GDP) exhibit future enhancement over most parts of India but with spatial heterogeneity. Shared socioeconomic pathways scenarios show pronounced future population growth over Indian coastal areas and large enhancement in productivity over urban areas. Therefore, climate change projection information of ISM rainfall, together with enhanced future population and GDP, is useful for taking necessary steps for adaptation and mitigation in a sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]