How is climate change affecting Maharashtra?
Maharashtra is one of the five states in the country most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Our state witnessed 142 extreme weather events in 2024. Over 94 per cent of the districts in the state are vulnerable to climate change. The number of hot days and extreme heat days have doubled over the last fifty years. The incidents of droughts have tripled and floods quadrupled. Cyclones used to be common on the east coast of the country, occurring least frequently on the west coast. But their frequency on the state¡¯s coast has tripled over the last decade.
Heat waves and urban flooding are putting cities at risk, while changes in the monsoon cycle are affecting agricultural productivity. Over the past five years, the state has seen crop losses across 36 million hectares, translating to over ?7,000 crore (over $819 million) in damages.
Maharashtra is also facing increasing water stress due to erratic rainfall and depleting ground-water. The risk of drought is high in Marathwada, central and Northern Maharashtra. These climate impacts not only threaten food and water security but also strain infrastructure and increase rural-to-urban migration, deepening socio-economic vulnerabilities.
What action are you taking to address climate change?
Our initiatives focus on decarbonising the building sector, incentivising electric vehicles, expanding green areas, fostering climate-resilient farming and promoting bamboo cultivation as an alternative to fossil fuels. Maharashtra is committed to decentralised and participatory climate governance.
The Mazi Vasundhara Abhiyan (My Earth Mission), the state government¡¯s flagship climate initiative, exemplifies the significance of community participation in catalyzing climate action. Rooted in the belief that climate change results from the imbalance between humans and the five elements of nature (Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Space), the programme promotes the restoration of this balance through collective local efforts and a structured competition amongst different local self-governing bodies promoting climate and environmental stewardship. Attractive cash awards are given to the best performers on World Environment Day. The award money is also used for the furtherance of environmental goals.
Over 28,000 village panchayats, municipal councils, and corporations in the state have actively participated in the programme since it was started in 2020 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This demonstrates the power of grassroots mobilization in addressing the climate challenge and underscores the vital role communities can play in furthering the climate agenda.
What are the benefits? Why is it important?
By the end of the fourth cycle of the Mazi Vasundhara Abhiyan initiative, about 30 million trees have been planted, 52,000 green spaces created, 533 buildings certified as green buildings, over 300,000 electric vehicles registered, 2270 million cubic meters of water conservation potential created and 370 megawatts of solar power capacity installed through local action. Thanks to the complete participation of local bodies, this community driven programme is turning into the peoples¡¯ movement to combat climate change.
Maharashtra is the largest subnational economy, with a size of $480 billion, and it accounts for 10 per cent of India¡¯s greenhouse gas emissions. Maharashtra¡¯s developmental choices directly influence India¡¯s development trajectory and emissions profile. Maharashtra's climate action is essential not just for the state, but for achieving India's overall climate goals.
