Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Global Warming and Climate Change
  
Rajya Sabha

The Fourth Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), suggesting disappearance of Himalayan glaciers by 2035 was based on poorly substantiated estimates of recession. In drafting the paragraph on the subject in question, the clear and well established standards of evidence, required by the IPCC procedures, were not applied properly.

Government is sensitive to the need for comprehensive and long term studies to determine the causes of recession of glaciers including the impact of global warming on Himalayan glaciers. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has published a discussion paper titled “Himalayan Glaciers: A state –of-Art Review of Glacial Studies, Glacial Retreat and Climate Change authored by Shri V.K. Raina, Ex. Deputy Director General, Geological Survey of India. This paper contains information on Glacier Monitoring and key finding of recent studies in the Indian Himalayas and notes that glaciers have retreated throughout history as part of a natural cyclic phenomenon.

The National Action Plan on Climate Change which was launched in June 2008, envisages a National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system amongst its 8 national missions. A new research centre on Himalayan Glaciology has been established at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun. This Mission and the Centre would address the issues of Himalayan glaciers. The Government has developed Guidelines and best practices for Sustaining Himalayan Eco-system (G-She), which is shared with all State Governments in the Himalayan Region.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh in a written reply to a question by Dr.Janardhan Waghmare in Rajya Sabha today.

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