28-Mar-2022: Effects of Global Warming on Maritime Flora and Fauna
Impact of climate change on water bodies is a dynamic process and quantum of this impact varies from time to time due to variable nature of climatic conditions. While country-wide assessment has not been performed to examine the impacts of climate change on soil erosion and sedimentation, there are studies conducted at the river basin scales in different regions of India that suggest an increase in soil erosion and sedimentation due to climate change. The observed and projected increase in erosion is mainly due to increase in heavy rainfall events and associated floods in the observed and projected future climate.
Further, various agencies of the Government of India undertake research and development studies on the effect of climate change on various dimensions of water from time to time depending upon the prevailing conditions gauging the systematic linkages between climate and water.
The National Hydrology Project is being implemented which has resulted in improved extent, quality and accessibility of water resources information and strengthened the capacity of water resources management institutions in India. For the implementation of this project, modern technologies like Lidar mapping, Real Time Data Acquisition System through telemetry, Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for Water Resources management and advanced information technology-based information system were used.
The Central and State Governments take all possible steps for the preservation, conservation and management of water bodies (including lakes, wetlands etc.) in the country which inter-alia include Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) started in 2019, a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India, Namami Gange Programme for conservation of river Ganga, notification of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 for protection, conservation and management of wetlands, etc.
As per the Special Report on ‘The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’ released in September 2019 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), since about 1950 many marine species across various groups have undergone shifts in geographical range and seasonal activities in response to ocean warming, sea ice change and biogeochemical changes, such as oxygen loss, to their habitats. This has resulted in shifts in species composition, abundance and biomass production of ecosystems, from the equator to the poles. However, in some marine ecosystems, species are impacted by both the effects of fishing and climate changes. The report also states that the coastal ecosystem is affected by ocean warming, including intensified marine heat waves, acidification, loss of oxygen, salinity intrusions and sea level rise, in combination with adverse effects from human activities on ocean and land.
As per information provided by the Indian Space Research Organization, a long-term study was carried out (1982-2018) on five major coral reef regions of India based on the modelled and satellite derived Sea Surface Temperatures (SST). The study found that Indian coral reef regions have different regional, thermal and bleaching thresholds corresponding to their individual warmest months and warmest quarters. A prototype coral bleaching alert system based on these regional thresholds has also been developed and hosted at VEDAS geoportal (vedas.sac.isro.gov.in).
Time series data on sea surface temperature and the abundance of green microscopic plants in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal was obtained from satellite data during 2003-2019. Analysis long-term data showed a significant change in sea surface temperature since 2014. The southern area of Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal showed sea surface temperature above the long term mean. The years 2015 and 2016,had the warmest sea surface temperatures in the region. Correspondingly, the production of green microscopic plants (estimated as concentration of chlorophyll - a pigment) as revealed from chlorophyll images decreased below the long term and was lowest during 2015-2016. These years also corresponded to the strongest El-Niño years of the decade.
Further, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has also been entrusted to carry out the climate change impact studies on Indian marine fisheries sector through multiple projects viz ‘National network project on climate change’ (2004-2007), ‘National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture’ (NICRA) (2010-2020) funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change funded project entitled ‘Impacts, Vulnerabilities and Adaptation Strategies for Marine Fisheries of India’ (2017-2020). The preliminary investigations reveal strong correlations of sea surface temperature change with abundance of marine plankton species, fish eggs and larvae. The studies of marine fauna reveal that variations in oceanographic parameters- sea surface temperature, current speed, wind and rainfall, etc. do have influence on the food and feeding, maturity and spawning, distribution range, abundance and catch of several marine fish species.
24-Mar-2022: Unusual rise in temperature due to climate change
Climate Change is a global collective action problem which has precipitated mainly due to historical, cumulative emissions by the developed countries arising from the disproportionate and excessive production and consumption. The advances in the science of climate change is periodically assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC Sixth Assessment Working Group I report points to three major facts: First, that global average temperature has already risen by 1.07 degree C since pre-industrial times. Second, we only have a certain amount of carbon budget left before we reach the temperature limits of 1.5 degree C and 2 degree C mentioned in the Paris Agreement. And third, historical cumulative emissions are an important determinant of current climate change. Carbon budget is the cumulative amount of carbon dioxide emissions permitted since the pre-industrial era to keep the increase in global average temperature, over pre-industrial levels, within a certain limit. For 1.5 degree C warming, 83% of carbon budget is already taken up by historic cumulative emissions until 2019. So, for a temperature target of 1.5 degree C increase, there is only 500 Gt of carbon dioxide that the world can emit. Compared to what has been emitted thus far, this is quite small. While for 2 degree C, 65% is taken up by historic cumulative emissions and 35% remains for the whole world.
India with more than 17% of the global population has contributed only about 4% of the global cumulative greenhouse gas emissions between 1850 and 2019. India firmly believes in global cooperation to deal with the challenge of climate change through multilateral processes on the basis of the principles of equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC). Hence all countries must keep their emissions to their fair share of the global carbon budget and use it responsibly. At the same time, technological development is needed globally to move to a low-carbon development pathway while the excessive and unsustainable lifestyles of the developed countries must be immediately curbed and transformed. Simultaneously, development and adaptation is necessary to manage the impact of the climate change that is already taking place.
The Government is seized of the matter. Studies show that average temperature over India has warmed around 0.7˚C during 1901-2018 and similar warming has been observed in the sea-surface temperature in the tropical Indian Ocean by 1˚C for 1951-2015. The rise in temperature is gradual. The rise in extreme events is attributed to the complex earth system interactions due to global warming and regional anthropogenic influences.
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has the mandate to provide forecasts and early warnings. However, as an adaptive measure to minimize the effects of increasing temperatures, India Meteorological Department (IMD) in collaboration with local health departments have started heat action plan in many parts of the country to forewarn about the heat waves and also advising action to be taken during such occasions. Heat action plan became operational since 2013. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and IMD are working with 23 states prone to high temperatures at present with respect to heat action plan.
The monitoring of glaciers is pursued by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Defence Geo informatics Research Establishment (DGRE), and also through various research projects sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The latter also has an autonomous institution on Himalayan Geology, namely, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun. The Central Water Commission (CWC) monitors 477 glacial lakes and water bodies in the Himalayan Region of the Indian river basin system, having an area of more than 50 hectares on a monthly basis in the monsoon season since 2011. Further, the National Disaster Management Authority has issued guidelines titled “Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)” in October 2020, which inter-alia includes a discussion on early warning systems.
The Government is implementing the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which is the overarching policy framework for climate action in India, covering mitigation, adaptation and generation of strategic knowledge on climate change. It comprises of national missions in the specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, water, agriculture, the Himalayan eco-system, sustainable habitat, green India and strategic knowledge on climate change. Further, 33 States/Union Territories have prepared State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) consistent with the objectives of NAPCC.The Government is also implementing the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change to support adaptation measures of States/UTs in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. A number of other measures are taken, keeping in view the threat of climate change, by various departments, ministries and entities of the Government, as part of their regular mandated activities and responsibilities. These are periodically shared with all stakeholders and the world through India’s National Communications and Biennial Update Reports submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
