AP Prone to Climate Change Impacts: Centre

Heatwaves are becoming more common in India, as are other climate events, and Andhra Pradesh is one of the states that is vulnerable to climate change driven changes resulting in extreme weather events, the Centre has sai

Minister of state for environment, forest, and climate change Kirti Vardhan Singh, in his reply said Andhra Pradesh was among other drought prone states along with Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. Both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are among states prone to forest fires.

The report, ‘Climate Risk Index 2026 — Who suffers most from extreme weather events?’, published by Germanwatch, has said that in the past 30 years, “India recorded more than 400 events with recurring floods, cyclones, droughts and heatwaves presenting continuous risks” resulting in India ranking among the 30 most affected in the long term 30-year index.

In the Lok Sabha, replying to a question on India being ranked ninth among countries worst affected by climate change as per a recent international report, Kirti Vardhan Singh said India had been experiencing extreme events, including cyclonic storms, droughts, floods, heat waves, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods. While the east and west coasts are prone to tropical cyclone activity, the Indian Himalayan Region lying in seismic zones IV and V, is highly vulnerable to landslides, floods and glacial lake outburst floods, he said.

Heatwaves were occurring more frequently over the Indo-Gangetic plains, central and north-western India, “while extreme precipitation and flooding have affected several parts of the country, particularly the Indo-Gangetic plains, peninsular, eastern and north-eastern regions,” he said.