Impact of Climate Change on India

8/14/2019 Impact of Climate Change on India

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Impact of Climate Change

on India

By PRAKASH JHA


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Environmental Impacts

Himalayan Glaciers are retreating at (on average) 50ft each year. Thats over an inch and a half each day.

Runoff from the melting glaciers is partly responsible for the 75% increase in stream flow for the Baspa glacier basin since 1966.

Increase in floods, disrupting agriculture, and local infrastructure.


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Future

If the trends continue one global climate model predictsthat temperatures in India are likely to rise by 2 to 3 C bythe end of the century if greenhouse gas concentrations

increase by 1 per cent each year.


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Energy

Economic growth scenarios predict total power generation capacity in India toincrease nine times between 1995-2100. As a result of climate change, it isestimated that approximately 1.5% more power generation capacity will be required.

Increases in energy use are the results of the effects of climate change. Increases in average temperature can result in the need for space cooling for buildings,

and variability in precipitation can impact irrigation needs and an increase demand forenergy from groundwater pumping.


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Industry

Climate change impacts on industry, energy and transportationlargely relate to infrastructure, such as transport and distributionsystems, machinery, power plants, and water and wastewatersystems.


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Konkan Railway

20% of repair and maintenance expenses are due to climaticfactors, such as heavy rainfall and extreme weather events.

Temperature increase, rainfall increase, and sea level increasewill all affect the Railway.

The railway is the most relied on in the world.


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Forestry

0ver 200,000 villages on India rely on the forest for every day life, and so doindustries for raw materials.

Climate change is likely to impact forest biodiversity. This will in turn impactthe supply of forest products, as well as the livelihoods of forest dependentcommunities.


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Agriculture

Increase temperatures will cause for changes in crop type, and amount.

Increase in precipitation will cause for floods, and the variability of precipitationwill cause for new irrigation systems.

India has about 16% of the global population, but it only has 4% of total waterresources, and many parts of India already face water scarcity.


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Climate Change Decline in rainfall frequency

High amount of rainfall in a short period of

time

Temperature increase

Sea level increase


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What is affected

Water resources

Agriculture

Forests and natural ecosystems Coastal zones

Health

Energy Infrastructure


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Water resources

Decline in rainfall frequency reduces

availability of freshwater

High amount of rainfall in a short period

of time causes flooding, resulting in

water contamination


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Agriculture

Most vulnerable to climate change

Crop growth and yield

Most states have rain-fed agriculture

64% of the population rely on agriculture

Agriculture sector composes 19.9% of Indias GDP (2005 est.)

The agriculture sector employs 60% of the country


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Forests and Natural Ecosystems

Desertification of forests

Change or loss of biodiversity

Ecosystems threatened

Mangroves, coral reefs, grasslands


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Coastal Zones

Rising sea levels

Storm surges

Land loss

Population displacement

Coastal tourism: erosion of sandy beaches


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Health Stagnant water from previous floods give

rise to disease-carrying mosquitos Malaria, dengue, yellow fever

Contaminated water Diarrhea, cholera, poisoning

Drought-related tick-borne diseases Lyme disease, encephalitis

Heatwaves and flash floods


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Energy

Increased temperatures will result in

higher energy consumption

Cooling: residences and transportation

Irrigation of agriculture

Increased groundwater pumping demand


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Infrastructure

Flooding

Landslides and erosion


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Global vs Regional

Climate Models More uncertainty in regional models

Limited resolution


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National vs Regional

Climate Projections Spatial resolution of climate models

Uncertainty


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Weather stations in India

http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/online/doe/india.gif


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Form Indias Perspective

Some Background Info:

Overpopulation

India is a very diverse country

Different people are effected by climate

change in different ways


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India and the Kyoto Protocol

Under the Kyoto Protocol, India was

exempt from reducing their emissions

for the time being. The reasoning:

Most of the human induced carbon in the

atmosphere today is the result ofemissions from developed countries since

the industrial revolution.


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Furthermore

Since India is still a developing country,

putting limits on its emissions will slow

down its development and cripple iteconomically.

As a developing country, India has a lot

on its plate already. At some point theywill be stable enough to take on global

warming but at the moment they cant.


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THANK YOU

Impact of Climate Change on India

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