Defra announces second phase of key Indian climate change adaptation project

The UK is to work with India to provide a detailed assessment of potential impacts of climate change in India and to undertake a pilot regional project to identify and develop adaptation strategies, Environment Secretary David Miliband announced today.

The project will look to improve climate change scenarios for India up to 2050 through different modelling scenarios. It will also assess the impact of climate change nationally on water resources, agriculture and forestry, exploring linkages between the sectors.

It follows the successful completion of a major assessment of the impacts of climate change on India, carried out by Defra and the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests, covering water resources, agriculture, forests, industry, sea level and human health.

The results from this assessment found that India was likely to face significant adverse effects in a range of sectors, including agriculture, health, forestry and infrastructure. The study found that temperatures were likely to rise in the next few decades, leading to a reduction in wheat and rice yields.

Announcing the second phase of the research project at an inaugural workshop in Delhi on Tuesday (January 23), Environment Secretary David Miliband said he was pleased that the first phase of the project had been warmly welcomed across India.

"The UK has so far committed over £40 million to help build developing countries understanding of how climate change will affect them and to improve integration of climate risks within development plans. This project, comprising a total spend of £850K, includes £500K on research to be carried out by Indian research institutes.

"Understanding climate change and its consequences is critical to protect lives and assets upon which India's economy is dependent. Awareness of climate change and its impacts on people, the economy and livelihoods will be important to balance economic growth and development with a changing resource base," he added.

The regional project will concentrate on:

* Water resources - aiming to assess the likely regional changes in water availability, taking account of different water use scenarios.

* Agriculture - looking to assess the effects of climate change on the region's main food products, taking account of the affects of climate change on crop yield, socio-economic factors and different adaptation strategies

* Forestry - aiming to assess the interaction between forestry and water use in the context of climate and socio-economic change and to identify adaptation strategies for forestry

* Human health - looking to assess the effects of heat-waves on human health.

The regional project will use extensive stakeholder involvement to develop options for adaptation that are tailored to the particular circumstance.