India Steps Up With National Framework for Climate Services to Tackle Rising Risks

National Framework for Climate Services: Why it Matters for India

Why it’s in News Now

  • India embarking on major initiative to establish National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS)
  • Recently held first national stakeholder consultation workshop in Pune, important milestone
  • Builds on Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) established in 2009
  • Need for better climate information and services highlighted by increasing climate risks

India is embarking on a major initiative to establish its National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS), holding the first national stakeholder consultation workshop in Pune recently. This marks an important milestone and concrete step forward in implementing the NFCS.

The need for better climate information and services has been highlighted by the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related risks and extreme weather events. Several recent episodes like heatwaves, floods, cyclones demonstrate India’s vulnerability to climate vagaries.

The NFCS builds on the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) which was established during the World Climate Conference in Geneva in 2009. The GFCS recognized the need for a worldwide partnership to enhance the development and use of science-based climate information and services.

The recent Pune workshop brought together key partners like the India Meteorological Department (IMD), various sectoral agencies, civil society groups, and others. It enabled stakeholders to align on priorities and systematically chart the design and roll-out of NFCS, which will be spearheaded by the IMD. The momentum towards implementing NFCS comes at an opportune time given India’s rising climate risks.

Overview of NFCS

Key Takeaways
SectionsDetails
Why it Matters
  • Increasing climate extremes highlight need for better climate services
  • Builds on Global Framework for Climate Services established in 2009
  • Addresses gaps, enhances coordination for climate action
Overview of NFCS
  • Nodal agency: India Meteorological Department (IMD)
  • Goals: Manage climate risks, mainstream climate information, meet SDGs
  • Key sectors: Agriculture, water, DRR, energy, health
Significance for India
  • Bridge data gaps, improve forecasting capabilities
  • Strengthen climate resilience and adaptation
  • Achieve climate-sensitive development goals
  • Enable risk-informed infrastructure planning
Core Components
  • Climate data generation and services
  • Climate predictions and research
  • National climate forum for stakeholders
  • Climate information services system
  • Capacity building of users
Implementation
  • Leverage India’s experience in community engagement
  • Adopt participatory approach with vulnerable communities
  • Mission-mode approach for accelerated rollout

What is NFCS?

  • Multi-stakeholder national platform for developing and delivering tailored climate services
  • Addresses gaps, enhances coordination between agencies that use climate services
  • Spearheaded by India Meteorological Department (IMD)

The National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) constitutes a multi-stakeholder national platform focused on developing and delivering tailored climate services for India.

The NFCS aims to address existing gaps and enhance coordination between the numerous agencies and sectors that require and use climate services across central and state levels. These include agencies and stakeholders dealing with water, agriculture, disaster management, health, infrastructure, and more.

The NFCS will enable relevant climate data, information, advisories, and services to be co-designed and co-produced to meet sectoral needs. It will foster an integrated approach to using climate insights for risk management and adaptation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will serve as the nodal agency spearheading the formulation and roll-out of the NFCS. The IMD has a long history of providing weather and monsoon forecasting services in the country. It will leverage its technical capabilities and expertise in collaborating with partner agencies under the NFCS umbrella.

The NFCS represents an important evolutionary step in making India’s climate services more decision-oriented and impact-based through active user engagement. It will address previous limitations in coordinated actions on climate information dissemination and use.

Goals/Objectives

  • Safeguard society from climate vulnerabilities and disasters
  • Mainstream climate information for social and economic development
  • Achieve sustainable development goals which are climate sensitive
  • Enable dialogue between providers and users of climate information

The National Framework for Climate Services aims to achieve four key objectives that will enable India to manage climate-related risks and realize sustainable development outcomes.

Firstly, the NFCS seeks to safeguard society from climate-related disasters and vulnerabilities across different states, districts, and vulnerable communities. It will help strengthen resilience and adaptive capacities.

Secondly, the NFCS will mainstream climate information services across various social and economic development programs and investments. This is critical to ensure climate risks are accounted for in sectoral planning and policies.

Thirdly, the NFCS will facilitate achievement of India’s sustainable development goals that are sensitive to climate change impacts. Over 80% of India’s SDG targets require climate information and services for meeting the 2030 objectives.

Lastly, the National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) will create mechanisms and platforms that enable dialogue between providers of climate data and services with diverse users of this information across the public and private sectors. This will drive usability and last-mile connectivity.

Key Sectors

  • Agriculture and food security
  • Disaster risk reduction
  • Energy
  • Health
  • Water

The National Framework for Climate Services will cater to five priority sectors in India which are vulnerable to climate variability and change.

These include Agriculture and Food Security, Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy, Health, and Water. The tailored climate services and information provided under the NFCS will help manage risks and enable informed planning in each of these key sectors.

For instance, NFCS outputs will support climate-smart agriculture, early warning systems, renewable energy integration, heat action plans and resilient water management. Other emerging sectors can also be progressively incorporated under the ambit of National Framework for Climate Services.

Why NFCS is Significant for India

  • Bridge gaps in observations, especially in data sparse regions like Himalayas
  • Strengthen forecasting capabilities by integrating weather and climate services
  • Support climate change adaptation across vulnerable sectors
  • Help achieve development goals in climate sensitive sectors
  • Enable risk-informed and resilient infrastructure planning

The National Framework for Climate Services is very timely and significant considering India’s rising climate-related risks across states and vulnerable communities.

NFCS will help bridge gaps in climate observations, especially in data sparse regions like the Himalayas and oceans. It will also strengthen forecasting capabilities by promoting integration between weather and climate services.

Further, it will enable climate change adaptation and resilience across agriculture, water, health, disaster management and other climate-sensitive sectors. The NFCS will also aid in informed infrastructure planning by providing relevant climate insights and information.

Also, NFCS will support achievement of sustainable development goals in India which are interlinked with climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience.

Key Components of NFCS

  • Climate data generation and services
  • Climate predictions, research and services
  • National climate forum for stakeholders
  • Climate information services system
  • Capacity building of stakeholders

The National Framework for Climate Services is structured around five interdependent components that collectively will enable impact-oriented generation and use of climate services:

First is augmenting climate data and information services using observations, monitoring, prediction systems, databases and other sources.

Second is enhancing R&D for climate predictions, foresight, outlooks and advisory services for 1-30 day and seasonal timescales.

Third is creating a national climate services forum to foster participatory planning and oversight by stakeholders from government, research, private sector, civil society etc.

Fourth is developing the climate services IT system for managing vast data, products, models, resources and user interfaces.

Finally, extensive capacity building of providers and users of climate services across ministries, states, districts, sectors is required.

Implementing NFCS: Global Lessons and Way Forward

  • Successful examples from UK, China, etc to learn from
  • Leverage India’s experience in agricultural extension services
  • Engage new sectors like energy, health, tourism
  • Adopt participatory approach involving communities
  • Develop supporting policies and regulations
  • Mission-mode approach for accelerated roll-out

India can learn valuable lessons on implementing National Frameworks for Climate Services from other countries like UK, China and Germany who have made progress on this.

India’s own experience in participatory extension services especially relating to agriculture and rural communities needs to be leveraged. The NFCS must also engage emerging users across sectors like energy, health, tourism, and industry.

A participatory approach involving local communities, combined with supporting policies and regulations for climate services, will be key. Mission-mode implementation driven by high-level leadership support can enable accelerated roll-out of the NFCS.

Final Thoughts

  • NFCS will enable India to harness the power of climate information for building resilience and supporting sustainable development
  • Multi-stakeholder coordination and leveraging global partnerships key to its success
  • Timely roll-out critical given increasing climate risks and vagaries

An effectively designed and implemented National Framework for Climate Services will equip India to harness the power of climate insights and information for building resilience as well as supporting sustainable development.

Success rests on coordinated engagement across ministries, agencies and users. India also needs to proactively leverage relevant global partnerships and available technical resources under the NFCS umbrella. Timely roll-out of the NFCS is critical considering rising climate risks and uncertainties.

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