Climate change in India

Climate change in India is the observed and projected alteration of the country’s temperatures, rainfall, and extreme weather, with effects on ecosystems, health, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

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Indian summer monsoon: A seasonal circulation that brings most of India’s annual rainfall from June through September. Warming changes the moisture and circulation patterns that shape monsoon rainfall.
Himalayan glacier retreat: The long-term loss of ice from glaciers in the Himalayan mountain range. Warming is shrinking glaciers that help sustain rivers flowing through northern India.
National Action Plan on Climate Change: India’s 2008 framework of national missions addressing climate mitigation and adaptation. Its missions translate climate concerns into policies for energy, water, and ecosystems.
Climate projections: Estimates of future climate conditions produced from models, emissions pathways, and observations. Projections help distinguish robust Indian trends from uncertain regional rainfall changes.
Indian Ocean warming: The long-term rise in sea-surface temperatures across the Indian Ocean. Warmer ocean waters influence monsoon circulation and raise coastal heat and humidity.
Agriculture in India: The cultivation of crops and raising of livestock across India’s diverse farming regions. Heat and rainfall variability threaten yields, farm income, and seasonal decisions.
International Solar Alliance: An intergovernmental organization promoting solar energy deployment among sun-rich countries. India helped launch the alliance as part of its clean-energy response.
Climate attribution: Methods for estimating how human-caused climate change altered the likelihood or intensity of an event. Attribution helps assess the climate contribution to particular Indian floods, heat waves, and storms.
Heat wave: A prolonged period of unusually high temperatures relative to a region’s climate. Rising baseline temperatures increase the severity and health risks of Indian heat waves.
Heat stress: The strain on the human body when it cannot shed heat effectively. Hotter conditions raise risks for outdoor workers and people with limited cooling.