J&K Climate Plan: Govt seeks department-wise actions, targets up to 2030

SAPCC 2.0 proposes 55 mitigation and 100 adaptation actions up to 2030

Srinagar, October 6: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday reviewed the revised Jammu & Kashmir State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC 2.0) and called for further refinement of the plan by incorporating clearly defined departmental actions, expected outcomes and timelines up to 2030.

The meeting was attended by Administrative Heads including Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department; Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism; Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works Department; Principal Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction; Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education; Commissioner Secretary, Forests; Secretary, Transport; Principal Chief Conservator of Forests; representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and senior officers of concerned departments.

The revised SAPCC, prepared by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, is intended to provide a framework for strengthening climate resilience in Jammu & Kashmir while aligning the Union Territory’s climate response with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Paris Agreement and emerging regional climate risks.

Dulloo said the plan should translate climate priorities into clear, actionable and time-bound interventions. He directed the concerned department to incorporate specific actions for each department, along with expected outcomes and milestones through 2030.

He stressed that interventions should be prioritised based on Jammu & Kashmir’s strengths, constraints, vulnerabilities and available capacities to ensure effective implementation on the ground.

The Chief Secretary also called for greater inter-departmental convergence and integration of climate interventions with ongoing schemes and programmes to optimise resources and avoid duplication. He directed that clear responsibilities and measurable indicators be assigned to departments for monitoring progress.

Climate projections and vulnerability assessment

During a presentation, Commissioner Secretary, Forests, Sheetal Nanda outlined climate projections based on IPCC pathways, including SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5.

Under the moderate-emission scenario, temperatures are projected to rise by around 1.5°C during 2021–2050, with implications for water resources, agriculture, health and ecosystems.

Annual precipitation is projected to increase by around 5 per cent under the moderate-emission scenario and up to 15 per cent under the high-emission scenario. The assessment also points to shorter cold seasons and greater variability and intensity of rainfall events.

The climate vulnerability assessment has evaluated 42 indicators across agriculture, water, health and forest sectors and identified district-specific vulnerabilities and risks to facilitate targeted interventions.

55 mitigation, 100 adaptation actions proposed

The revised plan proposes 55 emission mitigation strategies, with an estimated mitigation potential of 2.6 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030.

The proposed measures include promotion of solar energy, including floating solar plants, greater utilisation of small hydropower and wind energy, strengthening of grid infrastructure, reduction of transmission and distribution losses, promotion of electric mobility and deployment of Intelligent Traffic Management Systems.

The plan also proposes 100 adaptation actions across five key sectors, along with Disaster Risk Reduction measures.

These include expansion of micro-irrigation, universal household tap-water coverage, rainwater harvesting, strengthening of health facilities in underserved areas, restoration of degraded catchment forests with native species, and construction of retaining walls and other slope-protection measures at vulnerable locations.

Digital monitoring proposed

The meeting was also informed about the proposed institutional mechanism under SAPCC 2.0.

It envisages a Governing Council headed by the Chief Minister, which would meet annually, and an Executive Council chaired by the Chief Secretary, which would meet twice a year to oversee implementation and inter-departmental coordination.

Implementation would be monitored quarterly through a digital dashboard, with departmental nodal officers updating defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track progress against targets.

Dulloo directed that the revised framework should clearly establish who will undertake each action, by when and with what measurable outcome, while ensuring that interventions reflect the ecological, geographical and socio-economic realities of Jammu & Kashmir.

The revised SAPCC 2.0 is proposed to be placed before the State Level Steering Committee (SLSC) for formal approval before being submitted to the National Level Steering Committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for early implementation.