climate change for 5 September 2025

Climate Change is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century, reshaping ecosystems, weather patterns, and human societies across the globe. Its far-reaching consequences make it not just an environmental issue but also a socio-economic one, with implications for health, agriculture, livelihoods, and global security. Understanding Climate Change requires looking at the scientific evidence, identifying its root causes, and assessing its wide-ranging impacts. This article explores these dimensions in detail, with a particular focus on its effects in India and the world, while also examining related concepts such as climate forcings.

Climate Change

Climate Change refers to long-term shifts in climate patterns, including temperature, rainfall, and wind, that persist for decades or even longer. Throughout Earth’s history, the climate has naturally fluctuated, ranging from ice ages to extended warm periods. However, what makes the current trend different is its speed and cause. Since the mid-20th century, human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and large-scale deforestation, have become the primary drivers of global warming. Scientific evidence shows that today’s warming is happening at nearly ten times the pace of past natural warming cycles, making it one of the most critical challenges facing humanity.

Climate Change Types

Climate Change occurs in different forms across the globe, each carrying serious environmental and socio-economic consequences. The major Climate Change Types include:

• Global Warming - This refers to the steady rise in Earth’s average surface temperature, mainly caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. The release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) traps heat in the atmosphere, intensifying the warming effect.
• Ocean Acidification - As oceans absorb excess CO₂ from the atmosphere, their pH levels drop, making them more acidic. This disrupts marine ecosystems, particularly affecting corals, shellfish, and other species that depend on calcium carbonate to build their shells and skeletons.
• Extreme Weather Events - Climate change is linked to a higher frequency and severity of hurricanes, droughts, heatwaves, floods, and wildfires. These events not only harm ecosystems but also damage infrastructure, displace communities, and strain economies.
• Changes in Precipitation Patterns - Shifts in rainfall distribution and intensity are becoming more evident. Some areas are experiencing heavier downpours and flooding, while others face prolonged dry spells and severe droughts, threatening agriculture and water resources.
• Melting Polar Ice and Glaciers - Ice sheets in Greenland, Antarctica, and glaciers around the world are melting at unmatched rates. This contributes to global sea-level rise, endangering low-lying coastal regions and fragile ecosystems.

Climate Change Evidences

Advances in satellite monitoring and scientific technology have made it possible to study Earth’s climate on a global scale. The findings reveal unmistakable signs of Climate Change, which can be categorized into atmospheric, hydrospheric, and cryospheric evidence.

Atmospheric Evidences

• Global Temperature Rise: Since 1900, the planet’s average surface air temperature has risen by about 0.8°C, with the sharpest increase occurring after the mid-1970s.
• Increased Weather Extremities: More frequent and intense storms, heatwaves, and unpredictable rainfall patterns are being recorded worldwide.
• Torrential Downpours: Heavy rainfall events have become more common, causing floods and soil erosion.
• Acid Rain: Emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are leading to higher occurrences of acid rain, affecting crops, forests, and water bodies.
• Air Quality: Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases and pollutants are contributing to smog, respiratory problems, and shifts in atmospheric composition.

Hydrospheric Evidences

• Warming of Oceans: Oceans have absorbed much of the excess heat, with the top layers warming significantly.
• Rising Sea Levels: Thermal expansion of seawater and melting glaciers are causing sea levels to rise, threatening coastal communities.
• Ocean Salinity and Acidification: Excess CO₂ absorption is altering ocean chemistry and reducing salinity patterns, affecting marine biodiversity.
• Changes in Major Current Systems: Disruptions in circulation patterns like the Gulf Stream are altering climate systems across continents.
• Poleward Shifts of Species: Temperature-sensitive species of fish, mammals, and insects are moving toward the poles in search of suitable habitats.

Cryospheric Evidences

• Shrinking Ice Sheets: The Arctic sea ice extent has been declining rapidly, particularly in summer months.
• Decreased Snow Cover: Snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has reduced, impacting water availability in snow-fed rivers.
• Decreasing Glaciers: Glaciers across the Himalayas, Andes, and Alps are retreating, contributing to rising sea levels and water scarcity risks.

Climate Change Causes

Climate Change is driven by both natural factors and human activities. While natural forces have shaped Earth’s climate for millions of years, the rapid warming seen today is largely due to human intervention.

Natural Causes

• Continental Drift: The movement of landmasses has altered Earth’s climate by changing the physical features of continents and the position of oceans. Shifts in land and sea positions modified ocean currents and wind patterns, leading to long-term climate variations.

• Volcanic Activity: Volcanic eruptions release large amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), dust, ash, and water vapor into the atmosphere. These particles can reach the upper atmosphere, partially blocking sunlight and cooling the Earth’s surface for years. SO₂ also reacts with water to form tiny droplets of sulfuric acid, contributing to acid rain.

• Earth’s Tilt and Precession: Earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5°, which affects the intensity of seasons. A greater tilt produces hotter summers and colder winters, while a smaller tilt leads to milder seasonal variations. The Earth’s axis gradually shifts its orientation (a process called precession) at a rate of about half a degree per century, influencing long-term climate cycles.

• Ocean Currents: Ocean currents redistribute heat across the globe, shaping regional climates. Heat escaping from oceans often takes the form of water vapor, Earth’s most abundant greenhouse gas, which directly affects global temperatures.

Human Causes

• Industrial Revolution and Fossil Fuels: Since the Industrial Revolution, large-scale burning of coal, oil, and natural gas has significantly increased greenhouse gas emissions. This rise in carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) is the main driver of global warming.

• Energy Sector Emissions: Power generation and industrial activity account for most of the emissions. Apart from greenhouse gases, the energy sector also releases nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), which, though not greenhouse gases, affect atmospheric chemical processes that control their formation or destruction.

Climate Change Effects

Climate Change is a global crisis, but its impacts are not uniform across regions. While the world at large is facing rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, India’s vulnerabilities are amplified due to its reliance on monsoon-driven agriculture, long coastline, and dense population. The table below highlights the global impacts versus the specific challenges faced by India.

Climate Change Effects
Aspect	Global Effects	Effects on India
Agriculture	Reduced crop yields due to water stress, pests, and altered growth cycles	Rainfall-dependent farming hit by uncertain monsoons, droughts, floods, and desertification
Extreme Weather	More frequent storms, floods, droughts, and heatwaves worldwide	Increasing floods, cyclones, cold waves, and heatwaves causing heavy losses of life and property
Livestock	Decline in productivity due to rising temperatures and disease spread	Fodder shortages, water scarcity, and disease outbreaks affecting rural livelihoods
Water Resources	Shrinking rivers and lakes, warming oceans, and reduced freshwater	Melting Himalayan glaciers altering river flows, worsening water scarcity and quality
Sea-Level Rise	Projected rise of 30-100 cm by 2100, threatening coastal regions	Coastal flooding, salinization of arable land, and risks to marine food systems
Ecosystems & Biodiversity	Species extinction, habitat loss, and ocean acidification	Desertification, habitat shifts, and loss of biodiversity in forests, wetlands, and coastal areas
Human Health	More heat-related illnesses and vector-borne diseases; WHO projects 250,000 additional deaths/year (2030-2050)	Rising malaria, dengue, water-borne diseases, and heat stress cases in vulnerable populations

Efforts to Mitigate Climate Change

Addressing Climate Change requires a global response supported by international agreements, national policies, technological innovation, and public participation. While international bodies set the framework for cooperation, countries like India have also taken significant steps through policies, programs, and collaborations. The table below presents a clear comparison of International Efforts and India’s Initiatives.

Efforts to Mitigate Climate Change
Category	International Efforts	India’s Efforts
Organisations	UNFCCC - Negotiates climate agreements IPCC - Provides scientific assessments	NAPCC - Eight missions for renewable energy, efficiency, resilience
Agreements	Paris Agreement (2015) - Limit warming <2°C Kyoto Protocol (1997) - Binding emission cuts	INDCs - Reduce emission intensity by 33–35% of 2005 levels by 2030
Programs	REDD & REDD+ - Incentives for reducing deforestation CDM - Projects in developing countries SDG-13 - Climate action goal	National Solar Mission, Ethanol Blending Program, Energy Efficiency programs
Other Efforts	Technological advancements (renewables, CCS) Public awareness campaigns (Earth Hour)	Afforestation & reforestation drives National Electric Mobility Mission
International Cooperation	Global climate finance, technology sharing	Co-founder of International Solar Alliance (ISA), seeking climate finance
Way Forward	Deep decarbonisation, stronger monitoring systems, regional risk assessments	Climate-proofing development, scaling up green energy, securing funds & technology

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Nitrogen Cycle	Carbon Cycle