March 05, 2022

India on the frontlines of the climate crisis

topic:	Climate Change
located:	India
editor:	Tish Sanghera

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released this week has once again sounded dire warnings for India’s environmental challenges in the years ahead. While every corner of the planet is set to be affected, the report notes that India’s location and geography make it particularly vulnerable as it hosts three major climate change hotspots - the Himalayan ecosystem, coastal zones and semi-arid or arid areas. 

India will suffer from increasingly extreme events, according to the report, impacted simultaneously by disastrous flooding and sweeping droughts, “deadly” heat waves and violent cyclones. While the fallout from these events will be immediate, slow-burning casualties will also add to the negative impacts via declines in agricultural and labour productivities, mental health and water scarcity. The country must also prepare for a spike in climate refugees following large scale displacement as a result of compounding disasters, it warned. 

Food security and water scarcity are of particular focus in the latest report and a significant challenge for India, which is listed as one of the most vulnerable regions. Currently, of the 4 billion people facing water scarcity globally, half are located in India and China, while the report also noted that India’s crop production will be hit as a result of extreme droughts and heatwaves. Crops are highly sensitive to temperature changes - for example, maize, an important crop in India, could see decreases of 25 percent at 1º C and 70 percent at 4º C.

India’s coastal areas - currently home to over 330 million people - will also be severely at risk from both rising sea levels and the increasing ferocity of cyclones in both the Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal. The economic consequences of climate change in coastal areas could be huge, with mega-cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai on the frontlines of extreme events. India is already estimated to have suffered $87 billion from extreme weather events such as cyclones and floods in 2020.

Countries around the world, including India, are trying to adapt to the changing climate and preparing for an unpredictable future. However the report warns of increasing evidence of ‘maladaptation’ - these are actions that are uncritically embraced, target just one aspect of climate change and potentially cause additional unintended consequences, such as building sea walls to protect against rising sea levels that then trap water. The report cites Mumbai’s $1.7 billion coastal road as a prime example, for though it aims to protect against flood risk it will have devastating impacts for local fishing communities. 

Though cities are set to be flashpoints for climate change impacts (and more than two-thirds of us will live in them by 2050) the report also highlights their ability to capitalise on climate action. “Cities also provide opportunities for climate action - green buildings, reliable supplies of clean water and renewable energy, and sustainable transport systems that connect urban and rural areas can all lead to a more inclusive, fairer society," said Debra Roberts, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group. 

The Indian city of Ahmedabad, home to about 8.5 million people, could be a model for others to follow. Ahmedabad has “pioneered preparedness for extreme temperatures and heat waves by developing annual Heat Action Plans,” the report said, “building regulations to minimise trapping heat, advisories about managing heat stress and instituting cool roofs policy.”

Photo by Caleb Cook

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