Climate Change Impacts in the Indian Subcontinent - Term Paper Example

Climate Change Essay: Student Name: Name of institution: Lecture; Date: Introduction Climate change is a global problem facing populations and civilizations around the world. Climate change is a drastic change in weather patterns around the globe characterized by global increases in temperatures or global warming. Global warming itself is a result of the unprecented build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in the last 100 years. Climate change is experienced in many regions around the world as adverse weather events such as frequent storms, flooding, prolonged droughts and rainy season among other impacts. The Indian subcontinent is a vast region that juts from the rest of Asia is one of the regions expected to sufferer most from the adverse impacts of climate change. The Indian subcontinent is a tropical region that comprises of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Reports indicate that the Indian subcontinent is among regions that suffer disproportionately from the climate change impacts. According to Stern (2007), India will lose 9% of its Gross Domestic production to Climate Change. In comparison the European Union will only lose 2.5% of its GDP to climate change while Africa will lose only 4%. Bangladesh will lose most of it productive agricultural land to rising rivers, flooding and a rising sea (Billet, 2010). Some projections show that most Bangladesh could become completely submerged if the projected sea level rises occur. This essay will discuss the disproportional actual and projected climate change impacts in the Indian subcontinent. The essay will begin by discussing climate change impacts that have devastated the Indian subcontinent in the past. Secondly, the essay will address the environmental impact of climate change in the subcontinent. Thirdly, the essay will try to assess the economic impacts of changing weather patterns and other climate change impacts in the subcontinent. In addition, the essay will assess the culpability of nations in the subcontinent in causing climate change. The essay will also offer some recommendations on what can be done to address or reduce the impacts of climate change in the Indian subcontinent. Climate Change Impacts There is little doubt that the Indian subcontinent has experienced devastating climate change impacts in the recent past. Some of the impacts include heat waves, droughts, unpredictable monsoon, flooding, sea level rises, rising rivers, water shortages, mudslides among other impacts (Dubash 2012). Increases in global temperature have seen unprecedented melting of mountain glaciers in the Himalayas. Glacial runoff water is a major source of water in Dry Northern India. The region could experience severe water shortages after larger sheets of glacial water crumble (Kumar 2004). The livelihoods of over 500 million people who depend on the glacial runoff water for irrigation and drinking will be at risk. Rivers fed by the Himalayas glacial runoff will fall to dangerously low levels after recording an initial swell. In recent times, the glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating by as much as 20 metres in 1 year as compared to a 16. 5 metres average annual retreat in the period between 1993 and 1998. Frequent and severe heat waves are among the most devastating impacts of climate change in the Indian subcontinent. In the past three decade, heat waves have become more frequent across the Indian subcontinent. Heat waves had increased to 12 cases per year in 2005 from just 3 across the central and North-west India region a decade ago (Sethi 2007). The Indian summer between April and June has become hotter and many people die from heatstroke during this period of intense temperatures. In 2009, the Times of India reported that 126 deaths had occurred due to heatstroke in the Orissa region of India (Dubash 2012). In 2007, the government officially reported that 150 people had lost their lives to heat stroke caused by intensely high summer temperatures. However, Dubash (2012) asserts that government figures could be misleading as many deaths caused by heatstroke are owed to other causes in government reports. Heat waves are set to increase in frequency and intensity as global temperatures continue rising. Another worrying impact of climate change in the Indian subcontinent is the increasing erratic patterns of the monsoon. The monsoon rains have traditionally brought steady rains to the subcontinent and contribute 80 per cent of the rainfall that falls in the region (Billet, 2010). Unfortunately, the monsoons have increased in frequency and intensity in recent decades. Instead of becoming the reliable foundation of rain fed agriculture, monsoons are increasingly becoming destructive forces (Billet, 2010). In July 2005, the Mumbai area was hit by the heaviest monsoon ever recorded. The heavy rains flooded a third of India’s commercial capital. Unfortunately, the impacts of climate change are even more severe in neighbouring Bangladesh and Pakistan. Erratic monsoon patterns in Bangladesh have disrupted farming as monsoons either arrives early or too late. In recent years, Pakistan has suffered under heavier than usual monsoons which leave many parts of the country underwater. Environmental Impacts Climate change impacts are changing the environment and reducing its capacity to support plant and animal life around the subcontinent. Erratic monsoon patterns threaten the livelihoods of millions that depend on water-based ecosystems such as agriculture, wetlands, forestry, fisheries and other land use. In 1998, an extensive and unprecented bleaching of the coral reef occurred around the world due to increasing global temperatures (Aggarwal and Lal, 2007). This destruction of coral reefs affects the lives of coastal communities that depend on the coral ecosystem for their livelihoods. Increasing sea level rises hold many negative implications for the residents of the Indian subcontinent. Bangladesh is expected to lose more than 15 per cent of its land mass if the expected 1 metre rise in sea level occurs (Younus 2014). Already, Bangladesh ground water has been polluted by salty sea water that is encroaching towards land as sea levels rise. Bangladesh is considered the greatest delta on earth with more than 80 per cent of its landmass made of flat low-lying areas which are several metres above sea level. This extensive area is prone to flooding and will be heavily affected by the expected rises in sea level. The Indian coastline that extends for several thousand kilometres will be heavily affected by the expected 1 metre rise in sea levels. According to Dubash (2012), the expected rise in the sea level will displace millions of people living on the Indian coastline and deny many a source of livelihood. In Pakistan, flooding and frequent mudslides due to heavy rains have become a common occurrence. In 2011 flood, mudslides and floods killed hundreds, displaced thousands and left the Pakistan irrigation system in disarray. Soil erosion and beach erosion caused by either flood or sea level rises are also a great environmental concern across the Indian subcontinent (Aggarwal and Lal, 2007). Economic Impacts Climate change has many negative impacts on the economies of the nations’ and inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent. According to Stern (2007), India is expected to lose 9% of its annual GDP to climate change impacts. The situation is no different in neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh where climate change impacts are even more severe. Millions of people continue to lose their lives, property and livelihoods to annual extreme weather events caused by climate change. Every year 5,000 square kilometres of land and 4.2 million people are affected by floods in India alone (Aggarwal and Lal 2003). An even greater number have become victims of floods in flood-prone Pakistan and Bangladesh. Unfortunately, Floods are not the only climate change impacts threatening the livelihoods of inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent. Residents also have to contend with the consequences of heat waves, frequent droughts and rising sea levels. It estimated that a 1 metre rise in sea levels would lead to a loss of over 1700 square kilometres of productive agricultural land in Bangladesh. A similar rise would affected over 7.1 million people who live on the Indian coastline as it would submerge 5, 763 square kms of land (Aggarwal and Lal 2003). Projections estimate that this rise in sea level could see over 15 million inhabitants displaced in Bangladesh. Sea level rise could destroy the Sundarbans; the world’s largest continuous mangrove swamp. The Sandarnbans employs over 500,000 people indirectly for half of the year (Younus 2014). Tourism in the coastal areas will also be affected as the sea encroaches on beaches. The famed Goa region would lose 4.3 per cent of its land mass including several famous beaches and coastal establishments. Worse, the combination of these factors will lead to a decline in agricultural productivity as drought and floods sometimes destroy entire harvests (Billet, 2010). Climate Change Culpability Climate change culpability is a controversial as nations argue over who is culpable for the changes in climate patterns (Younus 2014). The rest of the world points at industrialized western nations who have contributed the largest portion of historical carbon emissions. However, industrializing nations such as India and China rank as the higher emitters of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. India was ranked as the third biggest emitter in 2009 data. China and the United States came first and second. Sancin (2012) argues that the biggest emitters should bear the most responsibility for climate change impacts around the world. Unfortunately, the biggest emitters take little responsibility for the impacts of climate change that continue to devastate poor and innocent countries around the world. While Climate change impacts are severe in India, it’s it two less developed nations (Pakistan and Bangladesh) that feel the impact of climate change the most. Bangladesh only contributes and insignificant 0.1% of global carbon emissions (Chadrappa, Gupta, Kulshrestha, 2011). Similarly, Pakistan accounts for 0.5% of global Carbon emissions. The irony of climate change is that the countries that are least responsible for carbon emission bear the heaviest burden of climate change. Both Pakistan and Bangladesh show clear evidence of the irony of climate change’s disproportionate impacts. Moreover, most of the countries which bear disproportionate impacts of climate change are poor and have low capacities to deal with the impacts. For example, Bangladesh’s vulnerability to climate change is exacerbated by overpopulation Bangladesh is a country of 150-million with over 1,000 people occupying one square kilometer (Younus 2014). This high population density means that whenever adverse climate change impacts like erratic monsoon patterns and saltwater intrusion occur millions are affected. Millions have already been displaced and some have spilled over the border into India. Other migrants forced by climate change from their homes have migrated to Dhaka where they live in squalid conditions. This is unfortunate and unfair Bangladesh has contributed very little towards causing climate, but suffers so much from its negative consequences (Chadrappa, Gupta, Kulshrestha 2011). What can be done? 1. Immediate Action to reduce carbon emissions The top carbon emitters around the globe must take immediate steps to reduce their carbon emission levels to acceptable levels. According to Matthews et al (2009), the top ten emitters have contributed to more that 98% of carbon emissions between 1850 and 2000. Any concrete action to reduce the impacts of climate change must be led by these top emitters who can save the world from worsening climate change impacts. If top emitters cut their emissions by as much as 50 per cent, the world may be able to contain the rise in global temperatures. Already, 188 countries have agreed to develop strategies that will ensure that global temperatures do not rise by more than 2 degrees by the year 2100 (Paris 2015). However, most top emitters have set their emission reduction very low with the European Union offering to cut their emissions by 40% by 2025. United States the leading historical emitter offered to cut their emissions by disappointing 26-28% by the year 2050 (Paris 2015). 2. Biggest emitters should pay the Price for climate change It is fair to expect that the world largest historical emitters to pay for the damages caused by climate change in low emission countries. Europe, the US, China, Russia, Japan and India have contributed an overwhelming majority of carbon emission volumes (Younus 2014). It is therefore their responsibility to ensure that countries devastated by extreme weather events caused by climate change are compensated and assisted in rebuilding. The top emitters should establish a climate change fund that compensates nations that are adversely impacted by climate change impacts (Sancin 2012). India as a top emitter should contribute to this fund which should benefit less developed countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh that face the worst impacts of climate change in the world. Such a fund will compensate countries and population hit by the adverse impacts of climate change and enable them recover. 3. Climate Change mitigation and adaptation practices One of the ways to reduce the vulnerability of the Indian subcontinent to climate change is building is making residents more resilient. Government(s) must prepare residents to be more resilient to the impacts of climate changes (Younus 2014). For example they should encourage large scale preservation of rain water to reduce scarcity of water. Secondly, they should encourage residents to build homes are several metres from the ground to reduce the risk of flooding. Thirdly, all individuals should adopt the use of clean energy including solar, hydroelectricity and wind power to avoid burning carbon producing fossil fuels (Younus 2014). 4. Early warning systems The three Indian subcontinent nations need to build early warning systems or strengthen existing ones. The early warning system can help detect adverse weather events before they occur and allow residents to evacuate to safer areas (Younus 2014). The early warning systems will help to minimize human and material losses in the case of adverse weather events. Conclusion This essay clearly illustrates that the Indian subcontinent is suffering disproportionately from the impacts of climate change. The Indian subcontinent has experienced many extreme weather events including floods that displace millions almost every year. Already millions of Bangladesh citizens have been displaced after their homes became submerged by rising sea levels. In coming years, Bangladesh is expected to lose 15% of its land mass to the advancing sea. In addition, more that 80 per cent of the country’s landmass in the low lying flat country remains exposed to the risk of flooding. Overall, the risk of flooding in the whole subcontinent has increased significantly with monsoon and off season rains arriving in heavier volume than usual. Pakistan has faced several consecutive years of annual flooding which displace millions in the monsoon season. Floods are also accompanied by droughts and heat waves and rising sea levels. Thousands of square kilometres of landmass will be submerged by an advancing sea displacing 10 of millions from their coastal homes around the subcontinent. Tens of Millions of lives and livelihoods are at risk from the serious climate change impacts that face Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. Ironically, only India has made and makes a small contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions that eventually led to changes in the global climate. Urgent actions is needed from the nations that are the most responsible for bringing about climate change to help the three Indian subcontinent countries deal with the adverse impacts of climate change. One of the most significant changes to reduce future climate change impacts would be a commitment by the world’s ten top emitters to reduce their carbon emissions by as much as 50% in the next few years. References Aggarwal D,&Lal M. 2003. "Vulnerability of the Indian coastline to sea level rise". SURVAS (Flood Hazard Research Centre). Billett, S. 2010. "Dividing climate change: global warming in the Indian mass media". Climatic Change. 99 (1–2): 1–16. Grover, V. I 2012. Impact of Climate Change on Water and Health. CRC Press. Dubash, N.2012. Handbook of Climate Change and India. Routledge Matthews, H. D., Gillett, N. P., Stott, P. A., &Zickfeld, K 2009. The proportionality of global warming to cumulative carbon emissions. Nature, 459(7248), 829-832. Paris 2015. What was COP21?. Retrieved from: http://www.cop21.gouv.fr/en/185-countries-have-committed-to-reducing-their-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ Sancin, V 2012. International Environmental Law: Contemporary Concerns and Challenges. Mass Kovic Dine. Sethi, N. 2007, "Global warming: Mumbai to face the heat". Times of India. February 5 Toman, MA; Chakravorty, U; Gupta, S. 2003. India and Global Climate Change: Perspectives on Economics and Policy from a Developing Country. Resources for the Future Press. Younus, A.B. 2014. Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in Bangladesh: Processes, Assessment and Effects. Springer. Read More