Nimli (Rajasthan).Extreme weather events have claimed many lives in India and are likely to impact the livelihood of many, mainly the poor. Experts have revealed that extreme weather events are likely will increase due to climate changes in the days ahead.
Mrutyunjay Mhapatra, director of meteorology, India Meteorological Department, (IMD), stated that in 2021 extreme weather events were responsible for the highest number of deaths in Maharashtra, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh. The largest number of affected districts was in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Mohapatra spoke in a four day Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2022 organised by the Centre for Science and Environment.
He stated that there was a rising trend in heat and cold waves, as well as rainfall. According to reports, more than 750 people were killed by heavy rainfall and flood-related events. Similar to last year’s death toll, lightning and thunderstorms claimed more than 700 lives.
AP Dimri (professor of environmental sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi), was one of the speakers who echoed the dire warnings.
“Glaciers are increasing and decreasing the flow of rivers in northern India. The country’s northern side will get more rain than the eastern side. Cloudburst has become more common. We have observed that rainfall increases by 14% in the Himalayan foothills.
Roxy Mathew Koll is a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. She spoke in the same session and focused on the less-known phenomenon of marine heatwaves. According to him the Indian ocean is the largest-warming ocean basin worldwide, which has a severe impact on the South Asian region. The ocean fisheries are being affected by the effects of heatwaves, which is causing a decline in phytoplankton numbers.
“Approximately 93% the heat from global heating goes into oceans. Warm waters are a source of energy for cyclones in terms of frequency, intensity and speed. Our research has shown that the Indian ocean will become more favorable to cyclones as the temperature rises. Koll stated that marine heatwaves can also lead to habitat destruction due to coral bleaching and seagrass destruction, which will adversely impact the fisheries sector.”
Sunita Narain was the director general of CSE.
“The IPCC report’s most recent update has shown that there is a very small window of opportunity to reverse climate change. The effects are severe; half of the world’s population will be affected by these catastrophic changes. It will get worse. The report acknowledges that the poorest people in the world are the most vulnerable. They have not contributed to the increase in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. The report also discusses increasing climate-related displacement for the first time. This will increase the insecurity in the world.”
Akshit Sangomla Down to EarthAccording to him, “2021 was a very important year, a year full of extremes.” It was one of seven warmest years ever. India ranked third on the list of countries that have experienced climate change catastrophes. And lightning and thunderstorms accounted for the maximum number of climate-change-related deaths.”
According to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (April 2006), the Earth’s average temperature rise will exceed 1.5C over the next 20 years, and 2C by mid-century if there is not a drastic reduction in GHG emission. Even if emissions are reduced to net zero by the middle 21st century there will still be a “overshoot” of 1.5C limits by 0.1C. Without deep emissions cuts in the future decades, the threshold of 2C will “exceed” during the 21st Century.
Sangomla stated that it was a scary prediction that the Arctic would be sea-ice-free in September — the peak month of the summer — at least once before 2050.
Anil Agarwal Dialogue 20,22, as it is known, is an annual event. It has brought together around 70 journalists from across India to discuss some of India’s most critical environmental challenges. Bhupender Yadav the Union minister of environment, forest and climate, inaugurated the dialogue. He also released CSE. Down to EarthThe Annual State of India’s Environment 2022 report of the magazine on this occasion.
