Indian Government Initiatives on Climate

The government has taken many steps to address the issue of climate change and its impact on health. These are as follows:

• Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): Launched in 2018, it was aimed at providing universal healthcare coverage to the economically weaker sections. It works toward reducing poverty, boosting productivity, and enhancing social justice.
• National Health Mission (NHM): It aims to achieve universal access to equitable, affordable & quality health care services to all and strengthens the healthcare system in urban and rural areas.
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): It was launched in 2008 and identified 8 core national missions including water management, solar energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable habitats, greening initiatives etc to combat climate change.
• Early warning Alerts: Early warning system has been integrated with health sector: Heatwave (March-July), Cold Wave (Dec-Jan) forecasts and Flood alerts from IMD to States. Authorities can enhance preparedness and response measures, ensuring a more resilient healthcare system in the face of climate-related challenges.
• Paris Agreement: Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 that aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and ideally to 1.5°C. India is participant to the agreement and it covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. India’s goals include:

1. Achieving net zero emissions by 2070
2. Meeting 50% of its energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030
3. Decreasing projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030
4. Increasing non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030
5. Reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030 from 2005 levels

Image Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Climate Change has a significant and wide range of impacts on human health, affecting both physical and mental well-being. It can have several negative effects on human health including water and food-related illnesses, respiratory and heart diseases, poor mental health, injuries and even death. Climate change can also lead to increased frequency of extreme weather events like flooding and extreme heat, increased food and water scarcity, and economic loss that often leads to human migration and conflict.

In this article, we will study climate change, its impact on health, the COP28 UAE declaration on climate and health, the Indian Government initiative and some mitigating measures.