Symptoms of climate change are real

Source: The post is based on the article “Symptoms of climate change are real” published in the Business Standard on 28^th September 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Climate Change.

Relevance: About climate change.

News: The resurgence of the monsoon at a time when it should normally have retreated from the northwest highlighted the impacts of climate change.

The excessive rain also exposed the inherent flaws in the drainage systems and poor town planning in most cities, including Delhi.

What are the clear symptoms of climate change in India?

a) Development of new rain-bearing systems in the oceans, b) The frequency of long dry spells and short bouts of intensive rain, along with the schedule of the monsoon’s onset and withdrawal has also undergone a noticeable change, c) There is a significant rise in the incidence of heavy downpours and pre-monsoon heat waves in the Himalayan region. This has led to more landslides and a greater melting of snow, and d) The overall monsoon rainfall this year, though about 7% above normal, has been quite patchy over time and space. This impeds crop sowing in some areas and adversely affects standing crops in others and e) The persistence of La Nina (caused by cooler than normal waters in the tropical Pacific) for an unusually long term of three years.

What are the clear symptoms of climate change around the world?

Globally, the impact of climate change is showing up in a higher frequency and more intensity of heat and cold waves, wet and dry periods, and melting of glaciers.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is of the view that aberrant weather might lead to significant crop losses and exacerbate food security concerns in several countries in Asia, Africa and the Pacific region.

The impact of La-lina for consecutive three years is clearly visible in the dry climate in parts of the US and South America and unprecedented floods in Pakistan.

The potential loss to the global economy on account of weather-related factors is reckoned by some economists at over $1 trillion by the end of 2023. This shows that global efforts to mitigate global warming are not producing the desired results.

What needs to be done to mitigate climate change?

a) Adapt to climate changes and enhance preparedness to cope with them, b) Concerted efforts to evolve crop varieties and agronomic practices capable of boosting the farm sector’s resilience against weather uncertainties.