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| Adverse effects of natural disasters on the country due to rising temperatures | | | Vijay Garg | 4/2/2022 11:44:56 PM |
| The second installment of the sixth report of the recently released IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) ‘Climate Change-2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’ is affecting the earth and all the countries of the world Adverse effects are mentioned in detail. Nearly half of the world’s population now lives in areas prone to climate change, and many ecosystems have reached a point where they cannot return.
According to the report, rising temperatures will have a devastating effect on biodiversity. Many species of organisms (animals and plants) will become extinct. As temperatures rise, melting ice and glaciers will raise sea levels, affecting coastal populations and forcing them to relocate. The incidence of all kinds of natural disasters is expected to increase manifold. Worryingly, each natural disaster has more than one effect. Rising temperatures increase the incidence of floods and landslides due to hot winds, droughts, wildfires and short-term heavy rainfall.
Floods, droughts and heavy rains damage crops, which in turn reduces yields, resulting in lower household incomes as well as food shortages.
A shortage of foodgrains will lead to an increase in food prices which will be beyond the reach of the poor which in turn will lead to an increase in malnutrition and an increase in deaths due to starvation.
According to meteorologists, scientists and planners, this report reveals the worst effects of climate change on all reports so far. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the time of the report’s release that the report was a bundle of human suffering and the result of selfish leadership.
According to the report, economic and social inequalities are also responsible for the rise in temperature. Although developed and rich countries are responsible for the rise in temperature, the worst hit are the poorest and developing countries. Countries in South Asia, Central and South Africa, South America and small islands are more affected by climate change than developed countries. The IPCC report noted that among the Asian cities, the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat is at risk of Urban Heat Island (higher temperature in urban areas than surrounding areas) and the city of Mumbai in Maharashtra is experiencing rising sea levels. The dangers of disasters and floods will increase. In addition, India’s Ganges and Indus rivers, along with other rivers in Asia, will face severe water shortages by 2050.
According to the report, global warming is likely to have a devastating effect on India. India is the leading agricultural and most populous country. A 1 to 4 degree Celsius rise in temperature could reduce rice production by 10 to 30 per cent and maize production by 25 to 70 per cent. This will lead to food shortages in India. Our country is already struggling with the problem of malnutrition. According to the National Family Health Survey-5, the rate of malnutrition in the country is higher than that of the National Family Health Survey-4 and in 2021, Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilpe, two organizations, India was ranked 101st out of 116 countries. India also lags behind its smaller neighbors Myanmar (71st), Nepal (76th), Bangladesh (76th) and Pakistan (92nd).
The report also revealed that according to high temperature estimates, rising sea levels could cost Mumbai alone about 49 49-50 billion. The 5th report of the IPCC released in 2014 also specifically warned that India and China would be more affected by climate change than other countries.
With the rise in temperature, the effects of various natural calamities on India are now becoming apparent. The year 2021 has been the sixth warmest year on record in the world but according to the Indian Meteorological Department, the year 2021 has been the fifth hottest year in India. According to a December 2020 report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, 75 per cent of India’s districts have been hit by natural disasters (floods, droughts, short-term rainfall, hot, cold waves, etc.) due to climate change. These districts account for half of India’s population (638 million). According to the report, in the last five decades, the incidence of heavy rains, cloudbursts, hailstorms, landslides, etc. has increased 20 times in India, the incidence of floods has increased 8 times and the incidence of drought has increased 18 times. The report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water found shocking developments in 40 per cent of the country’s districts. Traditionally, flood-affected districts are experiencing floods and flood-affected districts are suffering from drought.
There are a number of reasons why India is being hit hardest by climate change due to rising temperatures. India’s economic growth model, geography and its pro-corporate policies are adding to the scourge of natural disasters. About 60 per cent of India’s territory is affected by earthquakes, 12 per cent by floods, 8 per cent by cyclones and 68 per cent by drought. The geographical position of India is such that it is affected by all kinds of natural calamities. To the north are the world’s highest snow-capped Himalayan mountains, also called the Third Pole due to the abundance of snow, and to the south is the sea on three sides. On the basis of geographical facts, the country is divided into four regions: (1) the Himalayan mountain range, (2) the northern plains, (3) the central plateau region, and (4) the coastal region.
Climate change is affecting all the Himalayan states. According to a research study by Madhav and Tewari, the average temperature in India has risen by 0.4 degree Celsius in the last century. According to a study published in December 2021 by the University of Leeds, London, glaciers in the Himalayas have been melting at least ten times faster than average over the past few decades. Rising temperatures have caused glaciers to melt and form glacier lakes, which can also cause flash floods in mountainous areas. These floods hit mountainous areas like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh etc. every year.
In the summer, when the snow melts rapidly due to rising temperatures, the water floods the plains and wreaks havoc. That is why the northern plains states (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal) are hit hard by floods every year. Thus melting glaciers due to rising temperatures will cause severe damage to crops due to flooding in the plains, resulting in reduced production and food shortages and in a country like India with a population of over 135 crore Crisis will arise. In addition, all the rivers of northern India, including the Ganges, have their source in the Himalayan glaciers. As glaciers melt faster, these rivers will dry up and become dehydrated.
According to the 2018 report of the Policy Commission, by 2030, 40 per cent of the country’s population will suffer from shortage of drinking water. According to the report, 70 per cent of the country’s water resources are polluted. Diseases caused by drinking contaminated water kill 1.5 million children in the country every year.
The southern part is surrounded by sea on three sides. Sea levels in the region are rising rapidly as temperatures rise. According to the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Service of Hyderabad, the sea level in the coastal areas of India is rising at an average rate of 1.6-1.7 mm per year but the rate of rise is not uniform in all coastal areas. . In the Bay of Bengal, the rate is 5.4 mm per year for Kolkata and 1.2 mm per year for Mumbai in the Arabian Sea. Rising sea levels will not only hurt the city of Mumbai, but also many cities in the coastal areas of India, such as Kolkata, Chennai and Kochi. 10 States and 4 Union Territories of India are located in coastal areas. These states are home to 40 per cent of the country’s population, which will be affected by rising sea levels.
As the temperature rose, so did the sea level.
According to a study by the University of Oregon, the waters of the Indian Ocean are warming faster than those of other oceans. As the temperature of the oceans rises, the number of hurricanes and the depth of the storm increase manifold. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, there were an average of five cyclonic storms in the Indian Ocean each year from 1891 to 2017, of which four were in the Bay of Bengal and one in the Arabian Sea. With the rise in water temperature in the Indian Ocean since 2017, the number of cyclones has increased and the depth of their impact has increased in the Bay of Bengal as well as in the Arabian Sea.
Rising seawater temperatures have also changed the timing of the arrival and return of monsoon winds in India. In 2021, the monsoon winds reached India 16 days late and returned after 19 days with heavy rains in India. Thus, the changing nature of monsoon winds has caused severe damage to crops.
The Government of India urgently needs to take urgent action, both nationally and internationally, to protect the people and the country from the adverse effects of natural disasters on the country due to rising temperatures. With the rise in temperature, our country is facing more natural disasters every year than last year. First of all, we need to take action at the national level. The country’s mountainous regions are experiencing higher temperatures than other regions, causing glaciers to melt faster. Therefore, in the name of economic development, non-essential constructions should be banned in the hilly areas. In the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, multi-pronged plans on rivers should be developed according to the capacity of rivers and hilly areas.
Roads and tunnels in mountainous areas should be widened in such a way that it does not have any negative impact on the environment there as the increase in temperature will cause the snow on the mountains to melt faster and flood the country first and then the water. Will be lacking. To protect the coastal areas from the effects of global warming, governments should not destroy the natural wetlands and vegetation by enacting new laws in the name of economic development. Avoid all kinds of maritime disasters. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the number of private cars should be fixed and the means of public transport should be streamlined. In addition to increasing the forest cover in the country, deforestation should be completely banned. Urgent efforts should be made to increase reliance on renewable sources instead of coal power generation. Efforts must be made to deliver on the promises made at the international level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to fulfill our obligations.
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