- Union cabinet has approved a 2000 Cr initiative to make India ‘Weather Ready, Climate Smart’.
- It aims to upgrade instruments used by key organisations like the India Meteorological Department, the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting, and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
- First phase, lasting until 2026:
- The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) plans to procure and install up to 60 weather radars, 15 wind profilers, and 15 radiosondes.
- To measure wind speed, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and temperature at various elevations.
- National Monsoon Mission (2012) focused on developing monsoon forecasting models, Mission Mausam goes beyond by offering new avenues for weather control and intervention.
- ‘Cloud-simulation chamber’ at IITM will model rain clouds and test interventions like cloud seeding and tweaking to control rainfall.
- Additionally, there are plans to address lightning strikes, a leading cause of weather-related deaths in India, by potentially altering cloud electrical characteristics to reduce lethal lightning strikes.
| Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction India signed the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement in July 2024. This treaty focuses on conserving marine biodiversity in the ‘High Seas’ through international cooperation and sustainable resource use. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will lead India’s implementation. The BBNJ Agreement, part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), promotes fair resource sharing and environmental protection using management tools and impact assessments, supporting SDG14 (Life Below Water). |
Dig Deeper: Read about various Ministry of Earth Science initiatives like the Deep Sea Mission.
