Tamil Nadu well-poised to tackle climate challenges: Economic Survey

Tamil Nadu faces climate challenges, takes proactive action, secures top rank in SDG 13, and focuses on sustainable solutions.

Tamil Nadu, one of India’s most urbanised and industrialised states, faces growing climate challenges, including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting rainfall patterns, the Economic Survey of Tamil Nadu for 2024-2025 said.

The Tamil Nadu government had taken a proactive approach to climate action by establishing the Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change. It developed the Tamil Nadu State Action Plan on Climate Change for 2023-30 and set up a ₹1,000 crore Green Fund to support projects mitigating climate change impacts, it said.

In NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 13 (Climate Action) Index for 2023-24, Tamil Nadu secured the top rank with a score of 81, well above the national average of 67, the survey noted.

Climate change has become a major concern for Tamil Nadu. In recent years, the State experienced an increased frequency of extreme weather events, including cyclones (Vardah in 2016, Ockhi in 2017, Gaja in 2018, Michaung in 2023, and Fengel in 2024) and floods (notably in 2015 and 2017), it said.

The State’s average mean temperature has risen by +0.68°C per century, and there is clear evidence of a decline in annual rainfall. A report by the Climate Studio at Anna University highlights that north-eastern coastal regions are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events during the northeast monsoon, including pluvial floods, cyclones, and sea-level rise, which exacerbate agricultural losses due to prolonged water stagnation, the survey noted.

The Western Ghats have relatively lower vulnerability, benefiting from dense forests that serve as robust carbon sinks. Meanwhile, degradation in the Eastern Ghats has intensified drought conditions, affecting agricultural productivity, it said.

The State is well-positioned to tackle climate challenges through its 2023-2030 Action Plan, which focuses on emissions reduction, sustainable agriculture, and water management, the survey said. Key initiatives include sustainable habitat development, waste-to-energy programmes, coastal ecosystem restoration, and climate-smart agriculture, it said.