Why is it in the news?

• India is embarking on a major program to launch its maiden national-level framework towards providing climate services and information.

National Framework for Climate Services

About

• Spearheaded by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• NFCS aims to provide climate services and information.
• Key sectors addressed: agriculture, energy, disaster management, health, and water.

Basis in the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)

• GFCS is a global partnership for climate information and services.
• Aims to facilitate informed decisions for long-term betterment.
• Established during the third World Climate Conference in Geneva in 2009.
• Led by National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS).
• Involves policymakers, planners, investors, and vulnerable communities.
• Focuses on generating high-quality climate data and user-friendly formats.

NFCS Objectives

• Aligns with the GFCS.
• Tailored to country-specific weather and stakeholder needs.
• Potential expansion to include additional sectors like transport and tourism.
• Initial focus on bridging gaps among agencies requiring climate services.

Need for NFCS

• IMD provides high-quality weather services, but gaps remain in data availability.
• Limited climatological data from the Himalayan regions, oceans, and radar/satellite-based climatology.
• Need for integrated weather and climate services.
• NFCS aims to strengthen the observational network, improve data inflow, and enhance climate predictions.
• Tailored climate data to support agriculture, health, population distribution, infrastructure mapping, and socio-economic variables.
• Supports preparation and adaptation to new climate conditions in various sectors.

Implementation of NFCS

• India joins countries like Switzerland, China, Germany, and the UK in launching the NFCS.
• India is organizing national consultation workshops for NFCS.

Way Forward

• Though, NFCS addresses data gaps, strengthens the observational network, and supports climate adaptation efforts in response to changing climate conditions, its early implementation is crucial given the rising frequency of climate-related events.