Climate and Weather

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December 12, 2022 Study looks at behavioral biases in crop insurance adoption
Adoption rate of crop insurance low in India despite government efforts (Image: PxHere, CC0 Public Domain)
September 13, 2022 Heavy rains and floods have battered Bengaluru yet again. Uncontrolled and unregulated development and concretisation of the city that pays no heed to the ecology and hydrology of the region needs to stop!
Urban flooding in Bangalore (Image Source: Thejas via Wikimedia Commons)
August 11, 2022 This could lead to water quality crisis reinforcing the need for basin-specific management strategies
Around the world, more than a fifth of nitrogen released by human activity ends up in aquatic ecosystems (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
May 14, 2022 Climate change is real. What are its implications for India? This book presents a first of its kind national forecast on the impact of global warming on climate in India.
Climate change is real. What does it mean for India? (Image Source: Robert Hensley/Wikimedia Commons)
March 29, 2022 The intensity and duration of heat waves is predicted to increase in India and human induced anthropogenic changes are to blame.
A man sits under the scorching heat of the sun in front of Amer fort in Jaipur (Picture courtesy: Prabhu B Doss, Flickr Commons: CC-By-NC-ND-2.0)
How climate change has affected Ladakh: The region has seen unusual floods in July 2005 and August 2006
Ladakh is known as the cold-desert and has severe conditions and is barren and arid. The region has seen unusual floods in July 2005 and August 2006. Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 03:36 PM

It is in Jammu Kashmir and is bordered by the Himalayas and the Karakoram mountain chains. Ladakh and its water sources are almost entirely dependent on the glaciers and snow-melts and changes in water systems can be directly attributed to changes in the glaciers and thus climate change.

Impact of climate change on the Himalayan glaciers
40% reduction has occurred in the Himalayan glaciers in the last 40 years. 67% of the glaciers have retreated in the last decade. Gangotri is retreating at the rate of 28 m per year. Global warming and its consequent melting of glaciers would result in floods, fast and furious run-offs, erosion of the topsoil and sedimentation of the rivers. This could also lead to changes in the course of the rivers in the region. Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 03:30 PM

The Himalayas' permanent ice cover is around 97,000 sq.km. with 12,930 sq.km. volume of ice and snow: 10-20 % are covered by glaciers and 30-40% are seasonal snowfalls. The Himalayan streams and rivers are fed by the melting of snow and ice of approximately 500 sq.km / year.

Impact of climate change on water resources
Sea-level rise and coastal delta flooding will result in large-scale migration, affecting traditional fishing communities, agriculture, tourism as well as industries and urban agglomerations along the coast. The stress on water resources will impact agriculture, especially rain-fed agriculture; as well as health; changing temperatures and moisture levels will affect insects and plants; and also our forests and pasture lands. Livelihoods will be at stake for the millions.
Can we do something about these impacts? Is something already happening? Yes, on both counts.
Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 02:30 PM

India has contributed immensely to the body of scientific research and analysis that underpins the understanding of the global impacts of climate change. There is, to a slightly lesser degree, an understanding of specific regional impacts. More needs to be done here, especially understinding micro-level impacts.

Critical issues related to groundwater: Centre for Water Policy
Understanding various critical issues related to its usage, contamination, and replenishment of groundwater is important as every individual is a user of groundwater. Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 02:16 PM

Click on the link below for a comprehensive understanding about the issues related to groundwater.

Click on to know more about critical issues on groundwater in India

The many large scale impacts of climate change
The heating up of the Earth is putting much more than usual moisture in the air. So, now we have rains (precipitation) which are heavier than normal and that which fall in a few days. Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 01:50 PM

The heat evaporates the moisture in the soil rapidly leading to widespread drought conditions. The changes in ocean temperatures are modifying the ocean currents, thus creating erratic and extreme weather conditions - creating more intense and frequent storms and cyclones; thus creating cycles of floods and drought.

Climate change and India: Is this for real?
The whole world is suddenly talking about climate change. Is it for real? How will India be affected? In what ways will different segments of society be affected? What action can we take to solve the problem? Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 01:44 PM

Climate change is increasingly understood to be a human induced phenomenon, greatly accelerating natural cycles that have been discovered as scientific knowledge has extended the boundaries of our knowledge.

From erratic rainfall to vector borne diseases: The many effects of changing climate on environment and lifestyle across the globe
A look at the many possible impacts of climate change across the globe Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 12:16 PM

Global warming induces an increase in global precipitation through the augmentation of evaporation. According to the IPCC, rainfall patterns are likely to be modified with some regions becoming more arid and others experiencing more rainfall.

How sea level rise can affect communities around the world: Impacts on man and nature
Detrimental effects of sea level rise are projected to be global but some differences remain between regions and countries. A brief look at the phenomenon as well as its consequences Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 10:54 AM

Sea level rise and decrease are ancient phenomena related to the geologic glacial/interglacial cycles. But since the 19th century and the industrial revolution, an acceleration of sea level rise has been observed through tide gauge measurements and satellite altimetry.

ATREE: Faculty in environment & development required
Posted on 26 Aug, 2009 07:02 AM

Image & Content Courtesy: ATREE atree1

ATREE invites applications for faculty positions in the broad theme of Environment and Development, specifically in areas of Land and Water Resources, Forests and Livelihoods, Energy and Climate Change.

Qualifications: Candidates must be dynamic and highly motivated scholars, Ph.D. with one or more years of post-doctoral experience, with a strong track record of academically rigorous but socially relevant research in the areas indicated above. They could be trained in any branch of the social sciences or of the natural/ physical/ engineering sciences, or both. Applicants must have a strong interest in applied research, working in multi-disciplinary teams, and teaching on environmental issues.

Interested and qualified candidates should submit detailed curriculum vitae, list of publications, copies of key publications, names and contact information of three references, and an outline of proposed future research. Please use 'Faculty position in E&D' in the subject head of your e-mail. There is no separate application form. The deadline for receiving applications is September 15, 2009.

How changing climate and melting glaciers affects nations across the globe: Spotlight on the Himalayas
In the next decade, the Himalayas are projected to suffer from devastating Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and landslides - Is climate change the culprit? Posted on 25 Aug, 2009 05:11 PM

As observed by the United Nations Environment Program (GRID-Arendal) ice and snow are major components of the climate system. That is why human induced climate change can be first observed in Polar Regions where most of Earth's snow and ice are concentrated. In these areas global warming induces the progressive melting of ice and snow.

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