Description

Source: DTE

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Context

India is facing increasing effects from global warming and climate change. However, while the Economic Survey 2024-25 highlighted the importance of adapting to these changes and the need for climate finance, the Budget 2025-26 did not provide enough support to address these issues. Despite being the 7th most vulnerable country to climate change, India’s budget did not focus enough on adapting to these challenges.

Key Observations

Climate Mention in Budget 2025	The words ‘climate’ (mentioned thrice) and ‘resilience’ (mentioned a couple of times) appeared in the budget speech.
Absence of ‘Adaptation’ Focus	The term ‘adaptation’ was not mentioned at all in the budget despite the urgency of addressing climate change impacts.
Global Warming & Climate Change	‘Global warming’ and ‘climate change’ were not mentioned, even though India is highly vulnerable to these phenomena.
Vulnerability to Climate Change	According to the Economic Survey 2024-25, India ranks as the 7th most vulnerable country to climate change.

Government's Adaptation Schemes & Budget Allocation Issues

Scheme/Program	Budget Issue/Status
National Adaptation Fund (NAF)	Shifted to non-scheme category; no clear budget allocation since 2022-23; Rs 21.95 crore spent in 2022-23.
Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP)	Shifted to non-scheme; no budget allocation since 2022-23; Rs 31.98 crore spent in 2022-23.
National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS)	Also moved to non-scheme status with no budget allocation since 2022-23; Rs 26.60 crore spent in 2022-23.
NAFCC & NABARD	NAFCC sanctioned 30 projects across 27 states/UTs (total project cost: Rs 847.48 crore), but with funding delays.

Impact of Budget Cuts and Shift:

NAFCC (National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change) was Created in 2015, important for funding adaptation projects in agriculture and animal husbandry.
However, moving it to non-scheme status raises concerns about delayed projects and lack of funding for vulnerable areas.
NMHS (National Mission on Himalayan Studies) is Important for understanding ecological issues in the Himalayas, but has not received budget support since 2022-23.
The region requires immediate help for adaptation because of its delicate ecosystems.
CCAP (National Action Plan on Climate Change) was Introduced in 2008, it has 8 missions to deal with climate change but has not been updated in more than a decade.
This makes it outdated, as climate issues are worsening.

Challenges in Specific Adaptation Projects:

Project	Challenges
Climate Resilient Dairy Project (Andhra Pradesh)	Delayed implementation; issues in land identification and design finalization. Only 1/3 of funds spent.
Coastal Mission Budget Cuts	Budget reduced from Rs 8 crore to Rs 2 crore, impacting coastal management and adaptation to sea-level rise.
O-SMART Scheme (Ministry of Earth Sciences)	No budget allocation in 2024-25 or 2025-26, despite being critical for climate modelling and tropical cyclone prediction.

Positive Developments:

National Mission for Green India (NMGI)	Increased funding in Budget 2025-26 to Rs 220 crore (from Rs 160 crore in 2024-25); focuses on afforestation and fire prevention.
Mission Mausam	New initiative with a budget of Rs 2,000 crore (2024-2026) to make India ‘weather-ready’ and ‘climate-smart’ through improved weather infrastructure.

About Mission Mausam

The Union Cabinet approved this mission in Sep 2024 to Strengthen India’s climate resilience by improving the country’s weather forecasting and adaptation strategies.

Components of Mission Mausam	Objective
Doppler Weather Radars (DWR)	50 radars for better weather monitoring
Radio Sonde/Radio Wind Stations	60 stations to measure atmospheric conditions
Disdrometers, Wind Profilers & Radiometers	For precise weather data collection and understanding climate changes
Marine Automatic Weather Stations	10 stations to study oceanic weather patterns and climate change impacts on coastal regions
Ocean Research Station	Establishment of a marine research center to study the Indian Ocean and its changing dynamics.

Conclusion

Despite limited funding for climate adaptation schemes in the Budget 2025-26, India is making some strides with initiatives like Mission Mausam and the National Green India Mission. However, much more is needed to enhance understanding and response to the global warming crisis. The government must increase its budgetary commitment to ensure that adaptation projects can effectively safeguard vulnerable communities and ecosystems in India.

Source: DTE

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.With reference to India's Budget 2025-26 and climate resilience, consider the following statements:

The Budget allocated increased funding for climate adaptation schemes like the National Adaptation Fund (NAF) and the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP).
India’s vulnerability to climate change, ranking 7th globally, was highlighted in the Economic Survey 2024-25.
Mission Mausam, approved in 2024, is a new initiative aimed at improving India’s weather forecasting and climate adaptation strategies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: (b)
Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect
The Budget 2025-26 did not allocate sufficient funding for key climate adaptation schemes like the National Adaptation Fund (NAF) and the Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). In fact, these were moved to non-scheme status with no clear budget allocation since 2022-23.
Statement 2 is correct
The Economic Survey 2024-25 noted that India ranks as the 7th most vulnerable country to climate change, emphasizing the urgency of addressing climate impacts.
Statement 3 is correct
Mission Mausam, approved in September 2024, is a new initiative focused on strengthening India’s weather forecasting and climate adaptation strategies, with a budget of Rs 2,000 crore for the period 2024-2026.