COP28: India showcases Climate Change initiatives to protect Himalyan region

Dubai: India on Monday held a conference over the impacts and implications of Climate Change vulnerability in the Himalayan Region on the sideline of UN Climate Conference COP 28 in Dubai, and briefed the international stakeholders about India’s Climate Change Initiatives to preserve the entire ecosystem in the region.

Dr Anita Gupta, the Head, of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Division, who led the discussion, underscored the necessity for immediate action in the face of the worsening impacts of climate change.

She also briefed the international community about India’s Climate Change initiatives to save and protect the Himalayan Region.

The 28th Conference of Parties is being held in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 30 November until 12 December 2023, where the representatives from 197 countries are showcasing their efforts to limit global warming and prepare for future climate change.

This is the first time that countries formally assess their progress under the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

During the first session, representatives from the Switzerland Development Corporation (SDC); International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal; Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, deliberated about the Climate Change Programme (CCP) under the National Action Plan on Climate Change of government of India.

In Session-2 co-hosted with the Government of Himachal Pradesh, representatives from DST, showcased the initiatives under the National Mission on Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem while the representatives from Govt. of Himachal Pradesh spoke about present climate policy interventions; Climate Risk Assessment (CRA) for transition towards – development of ecologically oriented resilient villages with climate-resilient practices in agriculture and horticulture.

The climate of India is highly dependent on the Himalayan range and the Indian Himalayan region (IHR) has been a shelter for more than 50 million people.

Any impact in the Himalayas would mean an effect on the life of millions of people not only of India but also of the entire subcontinent. These include changes on account of natural causes, climate change resulting from anthropogenic emissions, and developmental pathways.

The experts at the side event elaborated on the importance of the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) launched as part of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), to better understand the linkages between climate change and the Himalayan ecosystem for improved adaptation.

The delegates at COP 28 also discussed adaptation and mitigation efforts to achieve significant positive outcomes in the coming years towards tackling climate change. Such efforts are especially crucial for countries that are highly vulnerable and also for the fragile ecosystems of the world such as the Himalayan Mountain range in Asia.