The states of Assam, Bihar and Odisha are all set to get flood hazard atlases courtesy the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Union minister of state for Jal Shakti (water resources) and Food Processing Industries Prahlad Singh Patel told the Lok Sabha that the atlases will divide the flood hazard levels into three categories – very high, moderate, low and very low. These categories will be based on the number of times an area has been inundated in the past 20 years, the minister said. The aim is to ensure better flood management and coordination between the concerned departments and agencies.
Oman pledges to reduce emissions by 7% from business as usual by 2030
The Gulf sultanate of Oman, which has seen its oil revenue plunge in the COVID-19 pandemic, submitted its upgraded climate plan to the UN. It committed to reducing its emissions by 7% from business as usual by 2030. This is slightly more than the 2% it had committed to reduce in 2015, but Oman will still remain one of the highest emitters per capita in the world despite the upgrade. According to the plan, around half of the emission reductions are conditional on international finance.
Water Resources panel urges Indian govt to renegotiate Indus treaty with Pakistan
India’s Standing Committee on Water Resources recommended the Indian government should renegotiate the Indus Water Treaty it had signed with Pakistan in 1960 keeping in mind the current challenges of climate change. The panel’s report stated that factors such as climate change, global warming and environmental impact assessment, which are pressing issues today, were not taken into account when the treaty was signed. The panel recommended establishing an institutional structure or a legislative framework to address these issues such as the impact of climate change on the water availability in the Indus basin.
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