As a developing economy, India has numerous developmental aspirations. How India meets these goals without worsening the climate crisis is at the heart of CSTEP's work. Addressing climate change and enabling a secure and sustainable future for Indian citizens require an overhaul of previous paradigms on development and resource utilisation. This is reflected in our work on developing low-carbon trajectories for development with an emphasis on nature-based solutions.
We are working with state governments across India to build capacity on risk and vulnerability assessments to inform their respective action plans on climate change. The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is crucial to achieving a secure and sustainable future. CSTEP's studies explore the possibility of a greater integration of renewables in the energy sector.
Moving Away from False-Positive Climate Risk Assessments
Nine months into 2021, and India, a country with a population of about 1.4 billion has already experienced two devastating cyclones, searing heatwaves, and disastrous floods resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives and destruction of crops and property.
Healing the Ozone Hole
The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, lies in the lower portion of the stratosphere, protecting the Earth from the Sun’s harmful UV radiation, making life possible here. Scientists first got concerned over the increasing size of the ozone hole in the early 1980s. In 1987, the UN declared the Montreal Protocol to initiate global efforts to protect the ozone layer from ozone-depleting substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which were commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.
Press Release - CSTEP Study: Western States Set for More High-Intensity Rainfall Events
A new study by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a Bangalore-based think tank, emphasises the urgent need to build climate resilience in western India. Titled ‘District-Level Changes in Climate: Historical Climate and Climate Change Projections for the Western States of India,’ the study indicates changes in climate patterns that are likely to occur in the western states of India—Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan—over the next three decades compared to the historical period (1990–2019).
Press Release - CSTEP Study: Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh Set for Very High-intensity Rainfall Events Across All Districts
Changing climate patterns—from warmer summer maximum and winter minimum temperatures to heavier and more frequent rainfall and resulting extreme events—are to be expected across the states in Central India, according to a new study by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP).
Press Release - CSTEP Study: Southern States of India Set for Warmer Winters, Heavier & More Frequent Rainfall
Changing climate patterns – from warmer summer maximum and winter minimum temperature to heavier and more frequent rainfall – are to be expected across all states in South India, according to a new study by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP).
District-Level Changes in Climate: Historical Climate and Climate Change Projections for the Western States of India
The impacts of climate variability, climate change, and extreme events are visible globally and in India. The Global Climate Risk Index 2021 ranks India seventh, considering the extent to which India has been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heatwaves, etc.). The index signals that repercussions of escalating climate change are exacerbating and can no longer be ignored.