Category Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

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Rethinking Compensatory Afforestation in India.

As we move towards realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, there is an increasing demand for land to accommodate industries for manufacturing, mining rare earth minerals and producing hydroelectric power, etc. At the same time, India, like most other global participants in the climate action, has some crucial commitments towards sustainable development, wherein it needs to fulfill its Panchamrit goals of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070, reducing carbon emission intensity, increasing its renewable energy capacity, etc. (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change [MoEFCC], 2022). Further, under the Bonn Challenge, launched by the German government and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030 (Tambe et al., 2022; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2026b).

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India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), 2019: Bridging the Gap Between Sustainable Cooling and Climate Resilience Background

As India's cooling needs continue to increase, the challenge for policy is at a crossroads between climate change, public health, energy security and economic development. With the rising temperature and the fast urbanisation, the expansion of infrastructure, rising household income, and growing cold-chain networks, cooling is becoming a crucial need in residential, commercial, agricultural, healthcare, transportation and industrial sectors.

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Mission Mausam(2024-26): From Weather-Aware to Weather Ready Nation

India’s tropical climate makes it highly vulnerable to extreme meteorological events, complex monsoon patterns, high humidity, and rapidly changing weather conditions, making accurate weather prediction particularly challenging. To strengthen the country’s forecasting capabilities, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) introduced Mission Mausam, a central sector scheme approved by the union cabinet on 11 September 2024 with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore over two years (2024-26). It was formally inaugurated on 14 January 2025, the 150th anniversary of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) (MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES, 2024).

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Punargeham (2019): Evaluating Coastal Erosion Rehabilitation and Climate-Induced Displacement in Kerala

Punargeham is Kerala's flagship relocation programme for fisher families living within 50 metres of the High Tide Line (HTL). Implemented by the Fisheries Department under the broader LIFE Mission housing framework, its core premise is simple: where the sea keeps taking land, the state should help families move rather than rebuild in the surf zone.

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India’s Updated 2026 Nationally Determined Contribution (2031–2035): Charting the Next Phase of Climate Action

India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2031–2035 sets out next phase of climate action under the Paris Agreement, building on earlier commitments while balancing economic growth, energy security and climate resilience. The Union Cabinet approved the updated NDC on 25 March 2026, and India subsequently submitted it to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The updated framework strengthens three measurable mitigation targets covering emissions intensity, non-fossil electricity capacity and carbon sinks, alongside broader commitments on adaptation, sustainable lifestyles, climate resilience and inclusive development (Press Information Bureau [PIB], 2026; United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC], 2026).

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Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP), 2025.

The increasing problem of legacy waste in India has necessitated an urgent need to focus on dumpsite remediation. The Government of India has set the target of “Lakshya Zero Dumpsites” to be achieved by 2026 under the Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0). To hasten the progress, MoHUA launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Program (DRAP) in November 2025. DRAP is a dedicated one-year program with a goal to double the current pace of remediation at priority dumpsites through better site-level planning, oversight, and financial support (MoHUA, 2025a; MoHUA, 2025b).

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Why Do Similar Livelihood Assets Produce Unequal Resilience?

Two families may live in the same forest landscape. Both may have land, family labour, livestock, traditional knowledge and community networks. Yet after the same crop failure, wildlife loss or employment shock, one household manages to recover while the other slips deeper into insecurity. Why?

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