Keshab Mahanta, the Minister of Science and Technology, revealed on Friday that Assam had been identified as the fifth most vulnerable state to climate change in India in the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) most recent study.
On the final day of the autumn session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Minister Mahanta while responding to a query from BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia, said, “Assam is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its geographical proximity to the delta region and poor socio-economic conditions. The vulnerability is reflected in the exposure sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of the local population to climate-induced extreme events such as floods.”
The report of Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India using a Common Framework revealed that 15 districts in Assam were among the top 25 districts in the nation for climate change vulnerability.
While Karimganj continues to be the most vulnerable district in Assam, Goalpara has been ranked as the second most vulnerable district, followed by Dhubri, Darrang, etc.
“Assam has the highest overall vulnerability in the country (CEEW 2021). Rainfall intensity is changing. Golaghat district through which the Doyang River flows to join the Brahmaputra has not witnessed a normal monsoon in the last 30 years,” said the minister.
Minister Mahanta noted that the Assam State Action Plan for Climate Change (ASAPCC) indicates that the state’s annual mean temperature has increased by 0.59 degrees Celsius over the past 60 years (1951–2010). He also noted that the state’s climate projections indicate that extreme rainfall will have increased by 38%.
The Minister claimed that Assam’s climate change has led to an increase in temperature and a decrease in rainfall patterns.
