UNFCCCandIndia
India signed the UNFCCC on 10th June 1992 and ratified it on 1st November 1993. India does not have binding GHG mitigation commitments because of its small contribution to green house problem and low financial & technical capacities.
The nodal agency for climate change issues is the Ministry OfEnvironment and Forests (MoEF). Working Groups have been constituted for UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol. Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol provides for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). India acceded to the Kyoto Protocol on 26th August 2002.
India has taken following initiatives for improving the understanding about climate change and to comply with the requirements of the UNFCCC (Source -MoEF):
(1) Preparation of the initial National Communication to UNFCCC by the Government of India'. All parties are required to communicate a national inventory of GHGs and a general description of the steps taken for the implementation of the Convention.
The GHG inventory is being prepared for the base year 1994 and covers
the following sectors:
• Energy
• Industrial processes
• Agriculture
∙ Forestry
• Waste
The detailed estimation of each of the sector’s GHG emissions and identification of country specific emission factor would be done.
(2) The Government of India is supporting the study of the Asian -Least cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy (ALGAS). The study developed a national inventory of GHG sources and sinks, and identified potential mitigation options.
Country specific emission factors have been developed - for methane emission from paddy cultivation, CO2 emissions from Indian coal etc.
(3) An extensive methane measurement campaign coordinated by National Physical Laboratory was undertaken in 1991. The measurements were done for major paddy growing regions of the country under different rice environments for the whole cropping period.
(4) The Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council has been established under Department of Science and Technology which facilitates the transfer of environmentally sound technology.
(5) The Participatory Forest Management Strategy secures the rehabilitation of degraded areas, conservation of biodiversity along with sharing of benefits with local people.
(6) Establishment of Standing Committee for monitoring development in coastal ecosystems for all coastal States and Union Territories according to the Coastal Zone Regulation Notification of 1991.
(7) Generation of information regarding vulnerability to climate change in collaboration with research organizations and academic institutions.
(8) Replacement of cyclone detection radars with state of the art Doppler Weather Radar in a phased manner.
(9) Information and data collection - the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) collects information about climatic parameters at surface and upper air observatories throughout the country by 559 surface observatories, more than 8000 rainfall monitoring stations, 100 satellite based data collection platforms in remote areas, 203 voluntary observing ships, 10 cyclone detection radars and 17 storm detection radars.
India has also ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 26 August 2002.The Protocol comes into force only after a minimum of 55 Parties to the Convention included in Annex I accounting for at least 55% of total CO2 emissions of Annex I parties, ratified the Protocol. 77 countries accounting for 36% of 1990 emissions of Annex I parties have ratified the protocol.
The 8th conference of Parties (COP 8) was held in New Delhi from 23rd October to 1st November 2002.
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