Climate change is a global problem. How India will be affected by Climate Change? How Himalayan and coastal states in India will be affected by Climate Change?

Climate change occurs due to global warming and large-scale shifts in weather patterns. The largest influence of global warming and climate change are the greenhouse gases, with over 90% of the impact coming from CO2 and CH4. The gases are released mainly due to the burning of fossil fuel. Temperature rise causes loss of snow and ice cover, increased water vapor, and changes to land and ocean carbon sinks.

Impacts

• Uneven rainfall distribution causes severe floods in many parts of India. These floods devastate crops, livestock, cause surface runoff and soil erosion, water pollution, and infrastructure damage.
• Areas with less rainfall face severe drought. That depletes water resources and affects agricultural production and creates drinking water scarcity.
• The nuisance of the pests increases with climate change
• Climate change directly impacts the food security of India and thus provokes the economic breakdown of the nation.

Impacts on Himalayan and coastal states

• Global warming causes glacier retreat at a rate of 13 meters a year. As an instance, we can take the Gangotri glacier, which is melting at an annual rate of 30 meters.
• Sea level rise due to the melting of glaciers causes the destruction of natural resources like mangrove forests along the coastal line.
• Large numbers of biodiversity in the Himalayan and coastal states are very sensitive to changing climate that may face extinction due to climate change.

Comment

It is quite clear that climate change has an adverse effect on the Himalayan and coastal states in India. In order to save the natural resources and habitat loss, the concerned authority should take necessary measures to combat the problem with immediate effect.

Topics: GS-IV: Ethics and Human Interface