#theme:climate_change

This publication describes the results of a systematic and comprehensive study of the status of glacial lakes and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk in Nepal, including the vulnerability of downstream people and property and field studies of three of the most critical lakes. The assessment is intended to provide information for use in GLOF risk management in Nepal, as well as describing a detailed stepwise approach and methodology that can be applied throughout the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. Region-wide cooperation is needed to develop a more coordinated approach and lay the foundations for a glacial lake outburst risk reduction policy. The report outlines a stepwise approach to assessment of risk beginning with an extensive desk study of aerial photographs and satellite images that provided the first reconnaissance mapping of more than a thousand glacial lakes.

This publication describes the results of a systematic and comprehensive study of the status of glacial lakes and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk in Nepal, including the vulnerability of downstream people and property and field studies of three of the most critical lakes. The assessment is intended to provide information for use in GLOF risk management in Nepal, as well as describing a detailed stepwise approach and methodology that can be applied throughout the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. Region-wide cooperation is needed to develop a more coordinated approach and lay the foundations for a glacial lake outburst risk reduction policy. The report outlines a stepwise approach to assessment of risk beginning with an extensive desk study of aerial photographs and satellite images that provided the first reconnaissance mapping of more than a thousand glacial lakes.

The failure of the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 emphasized the limitations of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation as a singular policy response to climate change and highlighted the urgent need to design effective adaptation strategies. Current GHG mitigation efforts seek to limit the global average temperature rise to 2 degrees centigrade. There is some scientific evidence that suggests that this may not lead to catastrophic climate change impacts, but will still have significant effects on vulnerable populations. However, in the absence of any consensus on GHG mitigation plans, the target of limiting global average temperature rise to 2oC appears difficult to achieve. Given the possibility of significantly adverse impacts of moderate as well as catastrophic climate change on developing countries, adaptation as a policy option requires careful attention.

This paper analyses the climate vulnerability in Rajasthan and proposes methods of prioritising watershed projects according to their vulnerability.

Draft proposal prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India.

Government of India's summary of 24 recent initiatives on climate change.

India has been working on the issue of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions over the previous many years. A major study in this direction was the 2006 Report of the Expert Committee on India’s Integrated Energy Policy, which estimated the carbon dioxide generation profile of India’s energy sector up to 2031-32 under 11 different scenarios of fuel mix. India’s Ministry of Environment & Forests has also been supporting a number of organizations undertaking studies on India’s GHG emissions profile. These institutions include The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe), and Jadavpur University. McKinsey and Company have also been doing a separate study on this subject. This Report brings together the results of the work of these institutions, a total of five separate studies.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India's practitioners guide to the benefits and ways of restoring rainforests under the present conditions of environmental distress.