Extreme Climatic Events : CEEW Report – UPSC GS3

Over 75% of districts in India are hotspots of extreme climate events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heat waves and cold waves.

World is heading for a temperature rise of over 3 degree Celsius in this century : UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2020.

The frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of extreme events have risen in recent decades.

While India witnessed 250 extreme climate events in 35 years between 1970 and 2005, it recorded 310 such weather events in only 15 years since then.

The current trend of catastrophic climate events results from a mere 0.6 degrees Celsius temperature rise in the last 100 years.

India is already the 5th most vulnerable country globally in terms of extreme climate events, and it is all set to become the world’s flood capital.

Cyclones: After 2005, the yearly average number of districts affected by cyclones tripled and the cyclone frequency-doubled.

Flood Events: The decade 2000-2009 showed a spike in extreme flood events and in associated flood events. Events associated with floods such as landslides, heavy rainfall, hailstorms, thunderstorms, and cloudbursts increased by over 20 times.

Rainfall: While the number of rainy days during monsoon has decreased, single-day extreme rainfall events are increasing, leading to flooding.

Droughts: The yearly average of drought-affected districts increased 13 times after 2005.

Swapping of Nature of Extreme Events: Such as flood-prone areas becoming drought-prone and vice-versa, in over 40% of Indian districts.

Develop a Climate Risk Atlas to map critical vulnerabilities such as coasts, urban heat stress, water stress, and biodiversity collapse.

Develop an Integrated Emergency Surveillance System to facilitate a systematic and sustained response to emergencies.

Mainstream risk assessment at all levels, including localised, regional, sectoral, cross-sectoral, macro and micro-climatic level.

Enhance adaptive and resilience capacity to climate-proof lives, livelihoods and investments.

Increase the participatory engagement of all stakeholders in the risk assessment process.

Integrate risk assessment into local, sub-national, and national level plans.