Biodiversity & Environment

Impact of the Green India Mission under NAPCC

Introduction
Green India Mission which started in 2014 through the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) works to improve ecosystem functions and forest recovery and boost carbon storage. The climate mitigation strategy of India benefits strongly from GIM because it works to restore 5 million hectares (Mha) of degraded land and improve existing forests.

GIM demonstrates two key environmental benefits of enhancing the carbon storage capacity while simultaneously restoring ecosystems.

1. Carbon Sequestration
Through activities involving tree plantation and afforestation GIM enables the development of carbon sinks.
Development of forest and tree resources recorded a 2,261 sq. km expansion according to the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR 2021) which attributes this growth to forest expansion projects.
The implementation of afforestation has been sluggish since 2023 because only 1.6 Mha of land was afforested against originally intended targets.
2. Ecosystem Restoration
Through eco-restoration of biodiversity-habitats GIM has dedicated itself to preserve natural ecosystems in disrupted terrain as well as wetlands and grasslands.
Watershed management programs together with better livelihood opportunities for forest-based communities run through initiatives operated in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
The delay in funding distribution and implementation setbacks have slowed down massive restoration activities.

Effectiveness and Challenges
Forest governance received a positive improvement through the process of increased awareness as well as enhanced community participation.
The program faces funding challenges because authorities only release less than half of their budgeted funds and execution proceeds at a slow pace yet it encounters resistance from mining operations and construction developments.

Conclusion
The limitations of the GIm project for carbon storage and ecological preservation exist because of insufficient funds and bureaucracy in executing its plans. The complete implementation of GIM in climate change battles requires improved budgetary support and effective monitoring systems and assemblies that deploy conservation practices through local communities.

Methods and strategies for conducting EIA for large-scale development projects:

1. Thorough Scoping:

Define Project Limits: Clearly outline the spatial scope and time period of the project.
Identify potential environmental and social economic impacts, direct, interactive, and cumulative ones.
Involve key stakeholders in the scoping process to ensure their issues are accounted for.

2. Baseline data collection:
All baseline environmental, social, and financial situation data should be obtained through thorough data gathering.

This includes:
Biophysical features encompass soil properties, biodiversity (flora and fauna), air and water quality, hydrology, and temperature.
Socioeconomic factors encompass population, land use, cultural history, incomes, health, and social structure.

Data Quality: Employ appropriate techniques and quality control methods to ensure data integrity, reliability, and consistency.

3. Estimate of Influence and Evaluation:
Use Models and Techniques: Utilize applicable models and equipment-including GIS, spatial analysis, environmental impact prediction software-to predict and assess potential impacts.

Take into account Cumulative Impacts: Assess in conjunction with other existing and proposed developments within the region the cumulative impacts of the project.

Scenario analysis would allow you to analyze likely consequences across a range of possible development trajectories and in a variety of plausible future scenarios.

Mitigation measures and management strategies:
-Develop Effective Mitigation Plans: To avoid, minimize, or offset potential social and environmental impacts, develop and implement effective mitigation measures.
Formulate a detailed EMP outlining the actions to be taken, who is responsible for what, mechanisms for monitoring, and timeline of activities.

5. Public Participation and Consultation:
-Major interactions: Ensure effective public participation at every step of the EIA process, including:
-Early and continuous involvement: involve stakeholders at an early stage and continuously during.
-Accessible Information: Clearly, concisely, and accessibly present material to the public.
-Public Hearings and Discussion: Organize public hearings and discussions to let people express their opinion and so solve worries.

6. Control and Evaluation:
-Create Monitoring Projects: To compare the planned environmental and social effects of the project with reality, set up thorough monitoring plans.

Check that environmental laws and mitigation methods are followed.
Adaptive management is the process of continually assessing the effectiveness of mitigation measures and adjusting them as necessary based on monitoring data.

7. Follow-up and decision-making:

Transparent Decision-Making: Ensure a just and impartial decision based on EIA results.
-Follow-up and Enforcement: Ensure that the project is implemented in accordance with the approved EIA and that any necessary corrections are made.

Roles of stakeholders in ensuring adequate EIA:

Stakeholders are supposed to engage in the process of EIA actively through suggesting feedback, expounding their worry, and supervision of implementation processes of mitigation measure.
-Ensue Openness: Demand from the project proponent and regulation agency openness with liability.
-Assist Fierce Regulation: Strengthen strict regulation on the environmental issues and mean of enforcing this.
-Increase Capacity: Allow the local persons to understand how the EIA process is running and involve effectively.

The effects of climate change result in weather events that occur more frequently as well as reach more extreme levels of intensity.

The rising worldwide temperature has caused heatwaves to repeat more often in addition to increasing in magnitude which increases heat-related mortalities and damages to infrastructure.

Temperature rises lead to excessive moisture storage in air which results in larger precipitation quantities and flash floods and flooding hazards.

The consequences of more severe and repeated drought occurrences affecting agriculture, water resources and ecosystems will become noticeable in specific regions because of climate change.

More intense hurricanes. Hurricanes receive an excess of energy from warmer ocean temperatures that leads to stronger winds as well as increased rainfall amounts and bigger storm surge intensity.

Increased risk and severity of wildfires. Changes in temperature together with environmental conditions that lead to increased dryness and wind pattern modifications create favorable conditions for both greater frequency and higher intensity of wildfires.

Effects on Vulnerable Communities Mitigation

The implementation and enhancement of warning systems for severe weather should receive funding because such advances offer community members valuable notice time for evacuation arrangements.

-Disaster Preparedness and Response: Strengthen the plans for disaster preparedness and response, such as emergency shelters, evacuation routes, and community-based disaster response teams.

Public funds should be directed to build climate-resistant infrastructure which combines flood-proof construction with stronger protective sea barriers along with heat-resistant structural elements.

Social safety networks must receive stronger funding which enables them to help vulnerable groups affected by extreme weather events receive emergency and disaster relief with long-term recovery services.

Reducing environmental emissions and their sources for climate change mitigation requires transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy and raising energy performance levels and developing sustainable land management practices.

Community-Based Adaptation develops local people’s capabilities and gives them control to execute adaptation plans along with implementing local adaptation initiatives.

The introduction of renewable sources of energy, namely, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, can enhance national energy security and, in turn, national economic stability as follows:

While expanding energy independence allows nations to reduce their dependence on foreign oil, such diversification would make them less vulnerable to geopolitical instability, price shocks, and supply disruptions from international energy markets. For this reason, strengthening energy independence supports national security and reduces the country’s reliance upon such external energy shocks to trigger the overall vulnerability of its economy.

-Increased Energy Security: Renewable energy sources are more likely to be locally available. This makes their supply more dependable and secure compared to imported fossil fuels. Therefore, the risks of energy shortages resulting from geopolitical disturbances or supply disruptions are less likely.

Economic Stability
Lower energy costs: The electricity produced from solar and wind sources can be offered at lower long-term rates than from fossil fuel sources, and the cost is continuing to decline with technological improvements. This will save consumers and businesses money on energy bills, furthering economic competitiveness.

One of the reasons renewable energy supports job generation is through a job creation angle in manufacturing and installation, its maintenance, research, and development. This directly supports the economy through job stimulation.

– Savings from Reduced Environmental and Social Costs: Countries can save on environmental and social costs stemming from pollution, climate change, and fossil fuel extraction and transportation costs by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. It leads to enormous long-term economic benefits such as improvement in public health and curbed healthcare expenditure, agricultural productivity, etc.

– Sure, technological innovation: The investment in renewable energy technology creates innovation and technological advancement by opening new industries and economic opportunities that make a country even more competitive globally and boost its economy.