EnviStats India: 2024 Environment Accounts

FOCUS

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released this seventh edition of EnviStats India in September 2024. The report has been developed in line with the SEEA (System of Environmental-Economic Accounting) Framework, which is an international statistical standard outlining interactions between the economy and the environment, as well as measuring the changes in environmental assets.

The report derives data from numerous national, state and district-level authorities such as the Ministry of Commerce; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Ministry of Fisheries; the International Union for Conservation of Nature and others.

The 207-page report is organised into five chapters. Chapter 1 outlines the objectives and framework. Chapter 2 presents Physical Asset Accounts and Supply-Use Tables for energy, using data from key government sources. Chapter 3 covers ocean accounts, while Chapter 4 provides the Soil Nutrient Index for 2023–24 based on Soil Health Card data, with comparisons to 2019 and 2021. Chapter 5 details India’s floral and faunal diversity, including leopard and snow leopard populations and Red List species, using IUCN spatial datasets.

    FACTOIDS

  1. Following the Prime Minister’s announcement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) held in 2021, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is working to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity-generation capacity by 2030. India currently ranks 4th globally in total renewable energy capacity, 4th in wind power, and 5th in solar power, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

  2. Solar energy is the largest contributor to India’s renewable energy sector (excluding large hydro), accounting for over 50 per cent of total renewable energy. Its installed capacity has grown more than 25 times, from 2.82 GW in March 2014 to 73.32 GW by December 2023. 

  3. The Government of India’s Sagarmala Project, also called the Blue Revolution, aims to enhance the development of ports and coastal infrastructure, the report notes. Alongside this, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has been implementing the National Plan for the Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems since 2013 to manage and protect wetlands, including lakes, through cost-sharing with State and UT governments. 

  4. The Soil and Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, has begun developing a detailed digital soil database. This survey aims to assess soil conditions, evaluate their potential, and integrate findings with Soil Health Card fertility maps at the village level to create comprehensive soil maps for sustainable crop production. 

  5. Studying the Soil Nutrient Index is crucial for crop management, as it highlights soil characteristics that directly affect plant growth. When combined with information on the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties, it offers a comprehensive view of soil fertility and productivity. For macro-nutrient Nitrogen, Assam ranks the highest in the Index among all Indian states, while Gujarat ranks the highest in the measure of Phosphorous and Potassium. 

  6. ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) was established in 1983, under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, to undertake research related to the conservation of fish germplasm resources of the country. The report notes that in 2024, there were 101 fish species conserved under the Bureau. 


    Focus and Factoids by Aseema. 

AUTHOR

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India

COPYRIGHT

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India

PUBLICATION DATE

Sep, 2024

TAGS

#renewable-energy #environmental-statistics

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