Over 85% of Indian Districts Exposed to Extreme Climate Events

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in the News?
• India’s Vulnerability to Climate Extremes
• Escalating Climate Extremes
• Changing Risk Landscape
• Leveraging Technology for Resilience
• Conclusion

Why in the News?

• More than 85% of districts in India are exposed to extreme climate events such as floods, droughts and cyclones, according to a new study.

India’s Vulnerability to Climate Extremes

• India is witnessing an alarming rise in climate extremes, with over 85% of Indian districts vulnerable to floods, droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves.
• According to a recent study by IPE-Global and ESRI-India, approximately 45% of districts are experiencing a significant shift in climate patterns, with regions traditionally prone to floods now facing droughts and vice versa.
• This report highlights the urgency of climate action in the context of these escalating challenges.

Escalating Climate Extremes

• The study, which used pentad-decadal analysis (spanning 50 years from 1973 to 2023), identifies nonlinear trends in climate patterns at the district level. These include:
  • A two-fold increase in drought events (agricultural and meteorological)
  • A fourfold increase in cyclone events
  • A staggering rise in flood frequency, particularly in eastern, northeastern, and southern India.
• The frequency and intensity of climate extremes in India have surged by fourfold in recent decades, with the last decade alone witnessing a fivefold increase.

Changing Risk Landscape

• India’s climate risk landscape is rapidly evolving.
• For example, more than 60% of districts in states like Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Assam are experiencing multiple extreme climate events simultaneously.
• Rising greenhouse gas emissions, unplanned urbanization, and unsustainable anthropogenic activities are exacerbating these hazards.
• The report warns that India’s population is becoming increasingly exposed to these extremes.
• By 2036, over 1.47 billion Indians will face severe climate risks, making hyper-granular risk assessments critical to safeguarding the economy, particularly in sectors like agriculture and infrastructure.
• Land Use & Environmental Changes:
  • The study also notes a 65% change in land-use and land-cover patterns across climate hotspots.
  • Microclimatic shifts driven by deforestation, mangrove destruction, and unplanned land use are further contributing to the intensification of these events.
• Swapping Trend:
  • A noteworthy finding of the study is the swapping trend seen in more than 45% of Indian districts.
  • Areas that once experienced frequent floods, such as Srikakulam, Cuttack, and Guntur, are now witnessing drought conditions, and vice versa.
  • Southern states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka are particularly seeing a rise in drought occurrences.

Leveraging Technology for Resilience

• The study emphasized the role of GIS technology in building climate resilience.
• With its advanced spatial analysis tools, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can integrate diverse data sources to provide a geographical understanding of climate risks.
• Solutions like the Climate Risk Observatory (CRO) can help stakeholders understand sector-specific impacts, fostering better planning and adaptation strategies.
• The report also recommends Infrastructure Climate Fund (ICF) to support sustained investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, focusing on risk management and locally-led climate actions.

Conclusion

• India's climate crisis is a complex issue that needs immediate local solutions.
• The IPE-Global and Esri study highlights the need for detailed risk assessments at the local level.
• It also suggests creating climate resilience funds and focusing on both adaptation and mitigation strategies.
• With proper investments and cooperation, India can lead global efforts in climate resilience and turn risks into opportunities for a sustainable future.

Q1. What is the UNFCCC and what do they do?

The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. UNFCCC stands for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 

Q2. What is the difference between mitigation and adaptation?

In essence, adaptation can be understood as the process of adjusting to the current and future effects of climate change. Mitigation means preventing or reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere to make the impacts of climate change less severe.

Source: Over 85% of Indian districts exposed to extreme climate events: Study

IE