INDIA -- The country is currently battling a range of problems brought about by climate change. From the severe heat waves that cause serious health concerns to the magnitude of extreme weather conditions in the country, all these have been creating devastating living conditions to the people living in the country. Their ministry of Earth Science has recently released a warning.
In the annual rate that concerns the increasing sea levels in some areas in India, the studies available for the ministry show that the increase in the water levels is comparable to what has happened to the rest of the world. Sometimes, the scales show distinctly higher levels.
A 0.6 degree Celsius trend has been recorded in India based on the data released by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. "The data we presented in the House also indicated that several coastal areas in India have a recording that its sea level has increased significantly," said Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
For instance, in the Diamond Harbour in West Bengal, a rise of 5.16 mm per year was recorded between 1948 and the year 2005. In Kandla in Gujarat, the sea level rose at an average of 2.89 mm/year. This is relatively higher than the overall global average increase of 1.8mm/year. The data is according to the assessment report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The current data gathered by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicated that at an average, the level of water in the ocean around the world is at 3.1 mm/year.
"In a global scale, the impacts of climate change are already becoming more visible. However, very few studies have been dedicated to identifying the effects of climate change on forest biodiversity, coastal erosion, and the changes in the crops yield each year. The impact of climate change in India has become higher than the global average. However, we have a very high-quality model study that looks into the factors that impact the climate, but it is also very limited," said NH Ravindranath, a climate scientist from the Indian Institute of Science.
When Choubey was responding to a question of how vulnerable India has become to these effects of climate change, he responded, "the Indian coast is under threat fo tsunami that may have been caused by large under the sea earthquakes. The coastal inundation by tsunamis can exacerbate the rising levels of water in the coastal zone."
Each year, many people die in India due to heatwaves, especially during the pre-monsoon season. And yet the threat of losing thousands of communities due to the rising levels of the water along the coastlines is also making survival a little bit more tricky than before. There is no wonder why people, especially those greatly affected by this phenomenon, to look for ways to cut down carbon emissions that only make it worse. Are their ways helping? Everything is, one small step at a time.
