The North News
New Delhi, December 18
Groundwater depletion and widespread soil degradation have emerged as some of India’s most serious environmental and socio-economic challenges, as climate change accelerates extreme weather events across the country, according to a major government assessment.
The findings are outlined in the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ (MoES) report, Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region, which documents long-term shifts in India’s climate since the mid-20th century. The report notes a rise in average temperatures, a decline in monsoon rainfall, an increase in extreme heat and heavy rainfall events, more frequent droughts, rising sea levels and stronger cyclones.
The assessment warns that these trends are placing growing pressure on land and water resources, threatening agriculture, livelihoods and long-term economic stability. Soil degradation and falling groundwater levels are described as particularly serious concerns, with implications for food security and rural resilience.
In response, the government says it has expanded investment in climate science, forecasting and early warning systems. Research institutions under the MoES — including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and specialised ocean, polar and climate centres — are working to better understand interactions between the atmosphere, oceans and polar systems that shape regional climate patterns.
A key pillar of the strategy is early warning. The IMD has developed advanced systems to forecast cyclones, heavy rainfall, droughts and other extreme events, supported by high-resolution weather models, satellite and radar observations and GIS-based tools. These are linked with modern communication networks to ensure timely alerts reach authorities and the public.
Recently, the IMD introduced an end-to-end GIS-based Decision Support System, designed to act as the front end of India’s early warning framework. The system combines historical climate data with real-time surface and upper-air observations, radar updates every 10 minutes and satellite products every 15 minutes. It provides impact-based forecasts down to district and sub-district levels, helping local administrations prepare for extreme weather.
Flood risk management has also been strengthened. The Central Water Commission issues short-range flood forecasts with up to 24 hours’ lead time and has launched version 2.0 of the FloodWatch India mobile application. The app provides real-time flood updates and reservoir storage data for 150 major dams, allowing authorities and communities to better assess downstream risks.
Landslide forecasting has entered an operational phase following the launch of the National Landslide Forecasting Centre in July 2024. Managed by the Geological Survey of India, the system currently issues daily 48-hour landslide outlooks across 21 districts in eight states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.
The government says forecasting capabilities have been upgraded through expanded observation networks, improved numerical weather and climate models, artificial intelligence applications and a sharp increase in computing power. Two high-performance supercomputers — Arka in Pune and Arunika in Noida — are now supporting high-resolution Earth system modelling.
These initiatives are being brought together under Mission Mausam, a national programme aimed at making India a “weather-ready and climate-smart” nation. The mission focuses on integrating advanced modelling, AI-based techniques and institutional collaboration to reduce the impacts of climate change and extreme weather.
