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.
Climate Change Risks to Rainfed Agriculture in Karnataka: Implications for Building Resilience
Climate change increases strain on agriculture systems through changes in the magnitude, distribution, and timing of rainfall; rise in temperature; and an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In Karnataka, agriculture is the key contributing sector for the state’s economy. Despite its importance, agriculture in the state is limited by the availability of irrigation (only 31.2%) and uncertainty in rainfall distribution. These factors greatly hamper the agricultural productivity of the state.
Syncing phenology phase and canopy spectral reflectance of common tree species of four forest covers in India
Variability in the leaf phenology of tropical trees impacts their growth. How phenology of tree species responds over rainfall gradient is relevant to study in the light of current climatic changes. Airborne visible and infrared imaging spectrometer-next generation (AVIRIS-NG) spectral datasets have been considered for this study as they not only provide wider area of coverage, but also high spatial and spectrally resolved output.
Lack of green recovery puts environment in the red
The Union Budget 2021-22 is clearly a plan to bolster the nation's financial stability that has been down in the doldrums due to the pandemic. But, can the recovery plan, announced on the heels of India being ranked seventh on the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, lead to a resilient and regenerative economy?
Environmental Rating of Coal-Based Thermal Power Plants
Studies point out that despite the Government of India's renewable energy target of 450 GW by 2030, electricity generation from coal-based thermal power plants (TPPs) will still be more than half of the total supply. TPPs release pollutants, such as sulphur dioxides (SOx), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), which have a serious impact on human health. Coal mining and fly ash from coal combustion pollute both surface and ground water. Additionally, TPPs are responsible for around 40% of India’s total GHG emissions.