💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (July Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Subject: Environment

  • [pib] Coalition for Disaster resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

    The Prime Minister has recently addressed the third edition of the annual conference of the Coalition for Disaster resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

    What is CDRI?

    • The CDRI is an international coalition of countries, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, the private sector, and academic institutions that aim to promote disaster-resilient infrastructure.
    • Its objective is to promote research and knowledge sharing in the fields of infrastructure risk management, standards, financing, and recovery mechanisms.
    • It was launched by the Indian PM Narendra Modi at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.
    • CDRI’s initial focus is on developing disaster-resilience in ecological, social, and economic infrastructure.
    • It aims to achieve substantial changes in member countries’ policy frameworks and future infrastructure investments, along with a major decrease in the economic losses suffered due to disasters.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short Lived Climate Pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of countries
    2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and hydrofluorocarbons.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Its inception

    • PM Modi’s experience in dealing with the aftermath of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake” as the chief minister led him to the idea.
    • The CDRI was later conceptualized in the first and second edition of the International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (IWDRI) in 2018-19.
    • It was organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in partnership with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the UN Development Programme, the World Bank, and the Global Commission on Adaptation.

    Its diplomatic significance

    • The CDRI is the second major coalition launched by India outside of the UN, the first being the International Solar Alliance.
    • Both of them are seen as India’s attempts to obtain a global leadership role in climate change matters and were termed as part of India’s stronger branding.
    • India can use the CDRI to provide a safer alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well.

  • What is Rule Curve of a river?

    The Supreme Court has warned the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary against the failure to give information on the rule curve for Mullaperiyar dam.

    Do you know?

    The Mullaperiyar dam is located in Kerala on the river Periyar but is operated and maintained by the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

    What is the Rule Curve?

    • A rule curve or rule level specifies the storage or empty space to be maintained in a reservoir during different times of the year.
    • Here the implicit assumption is that a reservoir can best satisfy its purposes if the storage levels specified by the rule curve are maintained in the reservoir at different times.
    • It decides the fluctuating storage levels in a reservoir.
    • The gate opening schedule of a dam is based on the rule curve.
    • It is part of the “core safety” mechanism in a dam.

    Why such a move?

    • During the high-voltage hearing, the Tamil Nadu government blamed Kerala for delaying the finalization of the rule curve for the 123-year-old dam.
    • Kerala government has accused Tamil Nadu of adopting an “obsolete” gate operation schedule dating back to 1939.

    About Mullaperiyar Dam

    • Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in the Indian state of Kerala.
    • It is located on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala.
    • It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick and also reached an agreement to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area (present-day Tamil Nadu).
    • It has a height of 53.6 m from the foundation, and a length of 365.7 m.
    • The Periyar National Park in Thekkady is located around the dam’s reservoir.
    • The dam is built at the confluence of Mullayar and Periyar rivers.

  • Project RE-HAB

    The forest authorities intend to mitigate human-elephant conflict by installing bee boxes along the periphery of the forest and the villages under the Project RE-HAB.

    On similar lines, try this PYQ:

    Q.The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of:

    (a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna

    (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

    (c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System

    (d) Security of National Highways

    Project RE-HAB

    • Project RE-HAB stands for Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees. It is an initiative of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
    • It intends to create “bee fences” to thwart elephant attacks in human habitations using honeybees.
    • Bee boxes have been placed on the ground as well as hung from the trees.
    • The boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further.
    • This idea stems from the elephants’ proven fear of the bees.

    Areas covered by the project

    • The pilot project was launched at four locations around Chelur village in the Kodagu district of Karnataka.
    • These spots are located on the periphery of Nagarahole National Park and Tiger Reserve, known conflict zones.

    Benefits offered

    • The biggest advantage of Project RE-HAB is that it dissuades elephants without causing any harm to them.
    • It is extremely cost-effective as compared to various other measures such as digging trenches or erecting fences.

  • World Air Quality Report, 2020

    Delhi remained the most polluted capital city in the world but India, on the whole, had improved its average annual PM 2.5 (particulate matter) levels higher in 2020 than in 2019, according to a report from World Air Quality Report Air.

    Try this question from CS Mains 2015:

    Q.Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three megacities of the country but air pollution is a much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so?

    World Air Quality Report

    • It is released by a Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.
    • IQAir is an air quality technology company that since 1963 seeks to empower individuals, organizations and communities to breathe cleaner air through information, collaboration and technology solutions.
    • The 2020 Report is based on PM2.5 data from 106 countries that have been measured by ground-based monitoring stations.

    Highlights of the report

    • Of the 14 most polluted cities, 13 were in India.
    • When ranked by cities, Hotan in China was the most polluted, with an average concentration of 110.2 µg/m³, followed by Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh at 106.
    • Delhi’s concentration level, based primarily on data from the Central Pollution Control Board, was 84.1 µg/m³ in 2020, a 15% improvement from the 98.6 µg/m³ recorded in 2019 — a consequence of the lockdown.
    • Bangladesh and Pakistan were the countries in 2020 with worse average PM 2.5 levels than India, says the report.
    • China ranked 11th in the latest report, a deterioration from the 14th in the previous edition of the report. In the 2020 report, 106 countries were evaluated.

  • Draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021

    The draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021, issued by the MoEFCC has necessitated a few changes in the country’s handling of its plastic waste.

    Background

    • The Environment Ministry had first notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules in March 2016.
    • It had provisions for effective and improved collection, segregation, processing, treatment and disposal of plastic waste.

    What are the 2021 rules?

    Phasing out Single-use Plastics

    Single-use plastics have been defined under the rules as “a plastic commodity intended to be used once for the same purpose before being disposed of or recycled”.

    • The rules have proposed to ban the manufacture, use, sale, import and handling of some single-use plastic items on a ‘pan India basis.
    • The provisions will also apply to ‘multi-layered packaging’ – involved extensively in e-commerce and deliver services- but will exempt packaging used for imported goods.
    • They shall apply to every waste generator, local body, Gram Panchayat, manufacturer, Importers and producer as well as ‘brand-owner and “plastic waste processor (recycler, co-processor, etc.)
    • Thermoset plastic and Thermoplastic will also fall within the ambit of these rules.
    • These provisions will, however, not apply to commodities (including carrying bags) made of compostable plastic material, according to the rules.

    The draft is proposed to be implemented in three stages starting this year and culminating in mid-2022.

    Stage I

    • The first set of rules propose that each sheet of non-woven plastic carry bag shall not be less than 60 (GSM per square metre) or 240 microns in thickness. A carry bag made of virgin or recycled plastic shall not be less than 120 microns, with effect from the same date.

    Stage II

    • The second stage will come into effect when six categories of single-use plastic — earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration — will be banned for sale, use, manufacture, stocking, import and distribution.

    Stage III

    • In the third stage, the list of banned items will grow to include single-use plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping/packing films around sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packets, plastic/PVC banners less than 100 micron and stirrers.

    Local bodies and state pollution control boards will ensure the implementation and enforcement of these rules.

    What else is covered?

    One, the amendment has extended the applicability of the rules to brand-owner, plastic waste processor, including the recycler, co-processor, etc.  It will also include new definitions of:

    • Non-woven plastic bag
    • Plastic waste processing
    • Single-use plastic (SUP) item
    • Thermoset plastic
    • Thermoplastic

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.In India, ‘extended producer responsibility’ was introduced as an important feature in which of the following?

    (a) The Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998

    (b) The Recycled Plastic (Manufacturing and Usage) Rules, 1999

    (c) The e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011

    (d) The Food Safety and Standard Regulations, 2011

    Why such a move?

    • As much as 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste was generated in India in 2018-19, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report 2018-19.
    • The total municipal solid waste generation is 55-65 million tonnes; plastic waste is approximately 5-6 per cent of the total solid waste generated in the country.
    • Goa has the highest per capita plastic waste generation at 60 grams per capita per day, which is nearly double what Delhi generates (37 grams per capita per day).
    • Clearly, we do not know the amount of plastic we generate as a country, as the increase in wealth and affluence contributes to a higher generation of plastic waste.
    • Despite the Plastic Waste Management legislation of 2011, followed by numerous changes in the recent past, most parts of the country lack systematic efforts required to mitigate the risks associated with plastic waste.

    Way ahead

    Managing plastic waste requires effective knowledge, not only among those who produce plastic but also among those who handle it.

    • Brand owners, consumers, recyclers and regulatory authorities need to take long strides in ensuring that we first inventorize the total amount of plastic waste that we generate by means of proper calculations.
    • The second step would be to identify the avenues where the use of plastic can be minimised.
    • Third, the brand owner and manufacturer should try and understand the fates a plastic packaging material would meet after its purpose of packaging has been served.
    • Last, as consumers, we should ensure that all plastic waste leaving our homes is segregated and is not contaminated with food waste.

    Conclusion

    • Plastic, without a doubt, is a miracle commodity that has uses ranging from increasing shelf lives of eatables to medical equipment and automotive.
    • Their waste management needs due attention. And the draft policies is a significant step in this direction.

  • Curbing Benzene Emission

    A joint committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to study air pollution in Kerala has pointed out that petrol refuelling stations were a major source of benzene emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

    Why such a move?

    • Benzene is a major constituent of evaporative emission due to its high volatility.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following:

    1. Carbon monoxide
    2. Methane
    3. Ozone
    4. Sulphur dioxide

    Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to the burning of crop/biomass residue?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 1 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    What is Benzene?

    • Benzene is a chemical that is a colourless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odour and is highly flammable.
    • It evaporates into the air very quickly. Its vapour is heavier than air and may sink into low-lying areas.
    • It dissolves only slightly in water and will float on top of the water.

    Its formation and uses

    Benzene is formed from both natural processes and human activities.

    • Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.
    • Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals that are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibres.
    • It is also used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides.

    Benzene emission

    • The major sources of benzene exposure are tobacco smoke, automobile service stations, exhaust from motor vehicles, and industrial emissions.
    • Benzene is present in both exhaust and evaporative emissions. Motor vehicles account for approximately 85% of the total benzene emissions.
    • However, ingestion and dermal absorption of benzene can also occur through contact with contaminated water.

  • Seabuckthorn plantations in Himachal Pradesh

    The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to start planting Seabuckthorn in the cold desert areas.

    What is Seabuckthorn?

    • It’s a shrub that produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry.
    • In India, it is found above the tree line in the Himalayan region, generally in dry areas such as the cold deserts of Ladakh and Spiti.
    • In Himachal Pradesh, it is locally called Himalayan chharma and grows in the wild in Lahaul and Spiti and parts of Kinnaur.
    • According to the Seabuckthorn Association of India, around 15,000 hectares in Himachal, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are covered by this plant.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2019:

    Q.Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of

    (a) anti-malarial drug

    (b) biodiesel

    (c) pulp for paper industry

    (d) textile fibre

    Benefits of the Seabuckthorn plant

    (1) Medicinal benefits

    • As a folk medicine, Seabuckthorn has been widely used for treating stomach, heart and skin problems.
    • In the last few decades, scientific research worldwide has backed many of its traditional uses.
    • Its fruit and leaves are rich in vitamins, carotenoids and omega fatty acids, among other substances, and it can help troops in acclimatizing to high-altitude.

    (2) Ecological benefits

    • Besides being an important source of fuelwood and fodder, Seabuckthorn is a soil-binding plant that prevents soil-erosion, checks siltation in rivers and helps preserve floral biodiversity.
    • In the Lahaul valley, where willow trees are dying in large numbers due to pest attack, this hardy shrub is a good alternative for protecting the local ecology.

    (3) Commercial benefits

    • Seabuckthorn also has commercial value, as it is used in making juices, jams, nutritional capsules etc.
    • But wild Seabuckthorn cannot sustainably supply raw material to the industry, and the plant needs to be cultivated on a large scale as is being done in China.

    What is the latest project?

    • The Seabuckthorn association wants the forest departments of various Himalayan states/UTs to plant Seabuckthorn on arid and marginal lands using compensatory afforestation or CAMPA funds.
    • Recently, the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change asked these states to submit proposals for taking up such plantations.
    • This is in the light of reduced water flow from Himalayan glaciers and their impact on ecology.

  • Working towards climate justice in a non-ideal world

    The new U.S. administration has renewed its commitment to climate actions by reconvening the Major Economies Forum. This has several implications for India and the developing countries. The article deals with this issue.

    Reconvening MEF and its implications for developing countries

    • The election of Joe Biden as U.S. President has catapulted climate change to the top of the global agenda.
    • Interestingly, the U.S. is not just striding back to the Obama signature achievement of the Paris Accord with its voluntary commitments but also to the Bush days [which was not necessarily voluntary].
    • This change is best evidenced by the presidential call to reconvene the Major Economies Forum (MEF).
    • The MEF, which was first convened in March 2009, originated in the Bush-era U.S. efforts to rope in major emitters.
    • It was also to push a way forward on climate change without heed to the principle of differentiated responsibilities and recognition of historical responsibilities.
    • These two are hallowed principles of the climate discourse given the decades of staying power of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere.

    Changing approach implications for India

    • All countries have been told to commit to net zero (GHG emissions) by 2050 with credible plans to ensure meeting this domestic target.
    • Taking a cue from the new U.S. Administration, the UN Secretary-General has even called on countries to declare national climate emergencies apart from building a coalition for a carbon-neutral world by 2050.
    • As of today, countries representing around 65% of global CO2 emissions have already agreed to this.
    • These plans and their implementation will, undoubtedly, be subject to international reviews and verification.
    • Historical responsibilities and differentiation have no place in this discourse; but neither does the level of development.
    • India can easily be in the crosshairs of such a discourse no matter its extraordinarily small carbon footprint in per-capita terms and huge development imperatives.

    Possibility of carbon border levies

    • Adding to the challenges is the distinct possibility of the EU imposing carbon border levies on those who do not take on high carbon cut-down targets and do so unilaterally if there is no global agreement.
    • While as of now the U.S. Administration appears ambivalent on these border levies, the possibility of their coming around cannot be ruled out.
    • In such a scenario, World Trade Organization rules that presently exclude the use of tariffs on environmental grounds will certainly get modified.

    A fund pay-in idea

    • To deal with the issue of climate finance, Raghuram Rajan has recently put forward a proposal for India to consider.
    • The proposal calls on countries to pay into a global fund amounts based on their carbon emissions over and above the global per-capita average of five tons.
    • This obviously disincentives coal in a big way while incentivising renewables.
    • Those above the global average would pay, while those below would receive the monies.
    • While this would suggest a certain equity, it may be unacceptable to the developed countries even though Mr. Rajan has gone along with the drumbeat to forget historical responsibility.
    • For India, such a proposal may appear attractive as India today has per capita CO2 emission of only 2 tons and is a global record setter in pushing renewables.
    • The long-term implications of such a proposal require examination in detail, quite apart from factoring in the twists and turns that negotiations could give to such an idea.
    • And then, of course, there are alternatives such as emission trading. 

    Implications for developing countries

    • The proposal of fund pay-in allows practical considerations to trump fairness by not only giving a short shrift to historical responsibility but also denying priority access to the remaining carbon space for developing countries.
    • In that sense, it double penalises them while giving developed countries a certain free pass.
    • Here it bears noting that more than 75% of the carbon space available to humankind to keep global temperature rises to 1.5° C has already been taken up by the developed world and China.

    Consider the question “As the world seeks to tackle the climate change through climate action, delivering climate justice should also be the priority. In light of this, discuss the challenges faced by the developing countries in this regard.”

    Conclusion

    Climate justice is an imperative for India, which needs to leverage its green and pro-nature commitment to ensure carbon and policy space for its developmental and global aspirations. India’s diplomatic and negotiating efforts must be quickly geared to that end.

  • [pib] Agriculture Voltage Technology

    An Agri-voltaic system of 105 KW capacity has been developed by ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur.

    Try this PYQ:

    With reference to technologies for solar power production, consider the following statements:

    1. ‘Photovoltaics’ is a technology that generates electricity by direct conversion of light into electricity, while ‘Solar Thermal’ is a technology that utilizes the Sun’s rays to generate heat which is further used in electricity generation process.
    2. Photovoltaics generate Alternating Current (AC), while Solar Thermal generates Direct Current (DC).
    3. India has manufacturing base for Solar Thermal technology, but not for Photovoltaics.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 3

    (d) None

    Agriculture Voltage Technology

    • This technology can increase the income of farmers by the generation of electricity and growing cash crops simultaneously on the same piece of land.
    • Under component-I of the KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha Utthan Mahabhiyan) scheme, there is a provision for installation of the agri-voltaic system in farmers’ fields with a capacity ranging from 500 KW to 2 MW.
    • Moreover, the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) has also documented 13 operational agri-voltaic systems in the country managed by different solar PV functionaries and public Institutes.

    About KUSUM Scheme

    • The scheme aims to provide extra income to farmers, by giving them an option to sell additional power to the grid through solar power projects set up on their barren lands.
    • It was announced in the Union Budget 2018-19.

    Component of KUSUM Scheme

    The proposed scheme consists of three components:

    Component-A

    • Renewable power plants of capacity 500 KW to 2 MW will be set up by individual farmers/ cooperatives/panchayats /farmer producer organisations (FPO) on their barren or cultivable lands.
    • The power generated will be purchased by the DISCOMs at Feed-in tariffs determined by respective SERC.

    Component-B

    • Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps.
    • Individual farmers will be supported to install standalone solar pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP. Solar PV capacity in kW equal to the pump capacity in HP is allowed under the scheme.

    Component-C

    • Solarization of 10 Lakh Grid-connected Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps is included in this component,
    • Individual farmers will be supported to solarise pumps of capacity up to 7.5 HP.
    • Solar PV capacity up to two times of pump capacity in kW is allowed under the scheme.
    • The excess available energy will be sold to DISCOM.

  • Adaptation, not mitigation, should inform India’s climate strategy

    The article discusses issues such as China’s changing stance, climate finance and adoption of targets.

    The 26th COP to the UNFCCC

    • Countries Across the world are gearing up for the 26th Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    • At the forthcoming COP countries will be expected to increase the nationally determined commitments they made as part of that agreement.
    • Those original commitments would put the planet on track towards a 3 degrees centigrade temperature rise by the end of the current millennium.
    • 3-degree centigrade is far beyond the 1.5-degree limit that science considers to be a relatively safe threshold.

    Countries declaring carbon neutrality targets

    • The European Union (EU), the UK, Japan and South Korea have announced more ambitious targets.
    • The EU and the UK have pledged to reduce their carbon emissions by 55 per cent in 2030 with 2000 as the base year
    • They have also pledged to achieve “carbon neutrality” or zero carbon emissions by 2050.
    • China has announced that it will achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 and this has been welcomed by other major economies.

    Delinking from China

    • It is anticipated that the Biden administration may engage with China to come up with a template for COP-26.
    • That template did not take into account India’s interests despite China being part of the BASIC group of Brazil, South Africa, China and India.
    • BASIC, as major emerging economies, had been taking coordinated positions at multilateral climate negotiations.
    • Going forward, India must delink itself from China, let BASIC become a consultative forum only and reconstruct a larger coalition of developing countries whose climate change goals are more aligned with its own.
    • After Paris, BASIC has lost whatever rationale it originally possessed.

    Course of action for India: Adaptation is the key

    • There will be some important international conferences before COP-26, where major efforts are expected to set down an agenda for that meeting.
    • Biden has called for a summit of major emitting nations on April 22.
    • In June there will be a G-7 summit of western countries and Japan to which India has been invited.
    • The UK has let it be known that climate change would be at the top of the summit agenda.
    • What should India’s stance be at these meetings?
    • Both for India and other developing countries, it is important that mitigation does not overshadow other key elements of the Paris Climate agreement.
    • There has been step-motherly treatment of adaptation, which is a bigger challenge for most developing countries than mitigation is.
    • Adaptation should have equal billing with mitigation whenever and wherever climate change action is being deliberated upon.
    • India may find itself under pressure to commit to decisions that limit rather than enhance its development prospects.
    • One should not yield to pressures to declare a peaking year for India’s carbon emissions or to follow China into declaring a target year for carbon neutrality.
    • There is a relentless effort by the US and Western European countries to include climate change on the UN Security Council (UNSC) agenda.
    • At a recent UNSC meeting, this was strongly opposed by Russia and by India.
    • We will need to work out a persuasive case for opposing it since a large number of countries seem to believe that climate change is indeed a security issue and needs to be treated as such.
    • The potentially menacing intent behind it should be exposed.

    Climate finance falling short

    • The developed countries had committed themselves to providing $100 billion a year in climate finance to developing countries up to 2020.
    • There was a pledge to increase the size of this funding significantly in the period 2021-2025.
    • Even by the very accommodative accounting methods used by the OECD, the actual flows have fallen far short, being only $79 billion in 2018.
    •  Our own ministry of finance has estimated that there has been only a billion dollars in new and additional finance transferred to developing countries annually against the $100 billion pledge.
    • It is therefore important for India to highlight the finance component.
    • This will also enable the mobilisation of other developing countries, in particular small and medium countries and small island developing states.
    • These countries look up to India to provide intellectual leadership in a domain that is often quite technical and complex.

    Consider the question “What are the factors India should highlight and focus on as it heads to the 26th COP to the UNFCCC?”

    Conclusion

    It is evident that India needs to fashion a fresh strategy on climate change negotiations to safeguard its interests, contribute to a global climate regime that enhances and does not diminish India’s development prospects and helps the country both to adapt to climate change that is already taking place and to accelerate its transition to a low carbon growth trajectory.