IMD, Japan & UNDP have unveiled a new project to expedite climate action in India.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Japanese government, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have unveiled a new project to expedite climate action in ten Indian states and union territories.
During 2022-23, the project will be implemented in Bihar, Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. Japan has extended a climate grant of $5.16 million to UNDP India for the project. This is part of Japan’s global assistance to 23 countries via UNDP’s ‘Climate Promise — From Pledge to Impact’ initiative.
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India pledged at the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November 2021 to reduce the country’s total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030; install 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030; reduce carbon intensity by less than 45 percent by the end of the decade, and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
IMD-UNDP collaboration initiative
The collaborative project will aid Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in their efforts to attain net-zero emissions and ensure climate-resilient development. It will be implemented in collaboration with the IMD and the Ministries of Earth Sciences and New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
‘The launch comes just a week after the Cabinet approved India’s amended NDCs for submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,’ an official spokesman said.
UNDP will collaborate with IMD to enhance climate resilience, and the MNRE will collaborate to promote climate mitigation. Clean energy infrastructure and low-emission technology will be deployed in critical sectors such as transportation, health, small and medium-sized businesses, and agriculture.
Solarizing 150 healthcare institutions, 20 micro-enterprises, and establishing 85 electric vehicles (EV) charging stations and 30 solar cold storage systems throughout ten states are all part of the plan.
Climate-resilient planning
Climate information flow systems for 30 Gram Panchayats will demonstrate resilient climate planning at the grassroots level. By offering skilling and training to over 2,000 people, the program hopes to create green jobs and green entrepreneurship in industries such as renewable energy.
According to HokugoKyoko, Minister (Economic and Development) of the Japanese Embassy in India, the common objective of decarbonization and sustainable development will necessitate greater climate alliances.
‘We are certain that areas such as transportation, health, industry, and agriculture are critical components that must be addressed.’ The project is projected to help not only the fight against climate change but also diverse players in India, resulting in sustainable development,’ HokugoKyoko noted.
IMD’s climate predictions
According to Shoko Noda, UNDP India’s Resident Representative, there is a need to expedite the use of clean energy for successful climate action. This process should be inclusive and just, enabling sustainable livelihoods and energy access for all while leaving no one behind.
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IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra stated that the national weather forecasting office seeks to illustrate how its climate forecasts can be used to assist development planning.
‘IMD supports project activities in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, and Gyalshing and Soreng, Sikkim, with climate forecasts and weather advisories to improve disaster preparedness in some of the most high-risk geographies, as well as technical expertise during gram panchayat planning to develop climate-informed plans,’ Mohapatra added.
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