New Delhi: The Ministry of Science & Technology stated in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that various ministries are leading research initiatives in climate science. These include the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, a PIB press release stated.
According to the reply, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is spearheading two national missions on climate change. These are the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC). These missions provide funding to academic and research institutions to study various aspects of climate change, including health, coastal vulnerability, agriculture, water resources, and the Himalayan ecosystem, the release added.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is also involved in developing technologies and products for climate-resilient industrial growth, including the launch of the High Performance Bio-manufacturing initiative.
The MoES established the Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR) at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, the reply noted, explaining that the center’s focus on understanding regional climate change and providing scientific input for policy-making. The IITM Earth System Model, the first of its kind in India, was developed at this center, the ministry noted.
The MoEF&CC has initiated various studies under the Climate Change Action Programme (CCAP). These include the National Carbonaceous Aerosols Programme (NCAP) and the Long Term Ecological Observatories (LTEO) Programme. These programs aim to strengthen the country’s scientific and analytical capacity to assess climate change.
While there is no separate budget allocation for environmental research in the MoES and MoST, DST allocated Rs. 125 crore in 2023 for climate, energy, and sustainable technology initiatives. The MoEF&CC’s Environment Research and Development Program (ERDP) allocated Rs. 3 crore for 2023, the reply stated.