We’re already seeing the rise of Catastrophes and tragedies, like the 2020 Assam Flood where 27.64 lakh people were affected and 79 people lost their lives. More and more people are coming to realise that these frequent occurrences and their increasing severity is because of Climate change.
It’s really simple to understand. Consider the earth as a very complex system that has its own processes for regulating substances. These very substances (variables) influence the system too in a feedback loop. This results in a very complex system that can be very difficult to predict and that concerns scientists and environmentalists. We can only predict till a point with a certain accuracy.
The one distressing fact about Climate Change is that It does not affect everyone equally. Some regions will get more affected and some might not face the brunt of the change, even though the damage is caused because by other countries. This is why it will become a massive problem in the future. By 2100, around 1.5 million more people could die in India each year due to climate change.
India is ranked among the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. This is due to our tropical and subtropical climate and the overwhelming dependence of a majority of Indians on nature for livelihood. Agriculture is already being affected in many parts of the country. Frequent droughts are visible everywhere. Indian agriculture is crippling due to these unpredictable climate changes and their age-old techniques.
We have the Great Himalayas, the world’s third-largest ice mass in the north, 7,500 km long, which is prone to melting and can cause great harm to the northern plains due to the temperature rise. Heat waves have also been observed and their severity is increasing every year. Precipitation has become very unpredictable along with rising sea levels.
India has a 7,500 km long densely populated coastline which is vulnerable to coastal floods, hurricanes, cyclones and tsunamis. The people who are displaced due to these adversities are likely to face diverse health consequences — traumatic, infectious and nutritional.
To tell the truth, India’s level of preparedness can be judged from the fact that we do not even have data and projections about how climate change will affect our environment. There is currently very little work in this regard which is very dangerous for us in the long run.
About the author: Vignesh is an engineering student who’s curious about everything above and below the sun. An Engineer by the day and electronic musician by night.