Climate Change-

SEA Scoping Study and

State Action Plans In India

Virinder Sharma, DFID India

 Structure of Presentation
Part A: Background
Part B: Scoping Study using the SEA
Methodology
Part C: Scoping Study Findings
Part D: SSAPCC - Next Steps
 India’s National Action Plan on
Climate Change, June 2008
(PM Council for Climate Change)
“India is faced with the challenge of
sustaining its rapid economic growth
while dealing with the global threat of
climate change”.
• India is especially vulnerable to the adverse
impacts of climate, and over 2% of GDP is
currently spent on measures to adapt to
these impacts.
Scoping Study-SEA methodology

• Strategic Environmental Assessment

(SEA) is defined as “analytical and
participatory approaches that aim to
integrate environmental considerations
into policies, plans and programmes
and evaluate the inter linkages with
economic and social considerations”
Source: OECD SEA Guidance
 SEA - Key Reference
• DAC Network on Environment and
Development Co-operation (Environet), SEA
and Adaptation to Climate Change, An
advisory note, Endorsed in October 30, 2008.
[Specific to Adaptation to Climate Change]
• OECD / DAC Good Practice Guidance on
SEA, 2006. [Generic - a broad framework,
steps and principles of SEA application]
 SEA - Applying a Climate
Lens
• Extent to which PPP could be
vulnerable
• Extent to which CC risks have been
considered in formulating PPP
• Extent to which PPP could lead to mal-
adaptation
• Amendments to PPP ... climate-proofing
 SEA - Key Steps
• Establishing the context
• Implementing the SEA [Scoping brings you
into this stage]
• Informing and influencing decision makers
• Monitoring & evaluation
• Study outcomes: Key pillars for action:
Industry; Urban; Energy; Rural; Water and
Health
 Key Cross-cutting Issues
• Making it Happen: Institutional support
• Route Map- Ongoing support for CC champions in
each department (CC cells)
• Enhance Medium Term Planning; Effective cross-
departmental committee
• Need to raise awareness and capacities down
through Districts
• Calculating carbon emission reductions - 2005
• Energy efficiency potential in several sectors
• Further explore CDM and non-energy projects
• Prepare for new financing opportunities
 Strengthening Technical
Knowledge and Awareness
• Increasing access to CC projections
• Need to undertake specific scientific studies
on key gaps e.g. changes in distribution and
intensities of rainfall
• Create baselines to monitor change and
interventions
• Need to create professional and scientific
networks within and to connect them
externally
 Increasing Access to Climate
Change Information
• Create easy to read summaries of climate
change information
• Create information on technology
solutions, economic tools and policy issue
• Create trainers; networks of trainers
• Work with existing institutions and systems
3 audiences: scientific and technical staff
generalist policy-makers; and field officers
 State CC Action Plan- Principles
and Approaches
• Going beyond risk mgt – look for win-win
opportunities – actions which address CC and
deliver benefits for growth and development.
• Understanding limits of scientific predictions,
nature of uncertainties and how to interpret. Aim
for “robust” (to a range of climate scenarios)
rather than “optimal” responses.
• Investing in knowledge and research to reduce
uncertainty and improve knowledge about
appropriate responses.
• Importance of bottom-up vulnerability
assessment, informed by analysis of
historic/current climate variability as well as
range of future predicted CC.
 Principles and Approaches
• Taking longer term approach to planning;
promoting greater flexibility to respond to wider
range of futures.
• State-led (planned) vs bottom-up (autonomous)
adaptation: recognising and facilitating action by
communities and private sector, e.g. through
information, planning tools, access to finance
• Importance of stakeholder involvement – private
sector, CSOs, research institutions – to broaden
ownership. Avoid purely govt-owned consultant-
led strategies.
• Prioritise mitigation options offering substantial
development benefits – e.g. health, energy
security, growth, jobs and income generation.
Explore international carbon finance potential.
 Process
• Institutional arrangements vital - needs to ensure
political leadership, high-level central coordination,
inter-departmental discussions on key issues, non-
govt stakeholder participation, integration with
regular planning and budgetary processes.
• Analytical tools: could include e.g. Strategic
Environmental Assessment; climate impact analysis;
vulnerability assessment; MAC curves, low carbon
growth analytics
• Various technical resources available, e.g. web-
based climate information tools, decision tools (e.g.
climate risk screening), NATCOM, INCCA, IITM on
climate modelling.
 Process
• Identify existing programmes relevant to CC adaptation;
identity which programmes require strengthening or
adjustment in light of CC; identify gaps and issues not
currently addressed. Set out options, then evaluate and
rank according to criteria (effectiveness, costs, feasibility
etc)
• Link up with national policies and programmes for
consistency and to identify financial or policy support that
may be available: NAPCC, Low Carbon strategy, 13th
Finance Commission, relevant centrally-sponsored
schemes (e.g. NREGS, Watersheds, JNNURM)
• Finalise Action Plan and allocate resources. Monitor,
review and refine over time.
 An Example – Orissa (1)
Scoping

Establishing High-Level Inter-departmental Co-ordinating Committee

Establishing Inter-departmental Technical Co-ordinating

Committee
Sector deliberations (Department meetings & stakeholder workshops)

Energy Mining & Forestry Water Agri

Industry
Coasts &
Disasters Urban Health Transport

Formulating Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP)

 An Example – Orissa (2)
High-Level Inter-departmental Co-ordinating Committee &
Inter-departmental Technical Co-ordinating Committee
Discussion on Draft CAP

Stakeholder Workshop on Draft CAP

Finalizing CAP

State Government Approval of CAP

 How could UK/DFID assist?

• Funding for technical and analytical studies – e.g.

vulnerability assessments, low carbon growth modelling.

• Consultancy support to CC Committee and technical cell,

to assist in coordination, process facilitation, identifying
and accessing tools and resources.

• Sharing lessons from UK domestic experience with CC

planning and policymaking (UK domestic legislation,
UKCIP etc)

• Leveraging existing DFID-supported programmes to

support analysis and formulation of sector CC strategies
(health, rural decentralisation, urban, power)
Next step - Preparing a Climate
Change Action Plan
• Experts / Advisers to the different Thematic
Groups
• The themes included energy, Fisheries,
Forests, Health; Industry, Mining, Transport,
Urban, Water
• Preparing a draft Climate Change Action Plan
• Presenting the draft Action Plan to different
sectoral groups
• Stakeholder workshops
• Finalising the draft Action Plan