Global Warming Causes Catastrophe in India

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Global warming implies enhanced green house effect, which entraps solar radiations, consequently increasing the overall temperature of the earth. The GHG creates a blanket in the lower strata of the earth’s atmosphere and this phenomenon results mainly from human activities. The average global temperatures and CO2 level in the atmosphere are higher than they have ever been in the past. Records show that the last 25 years have been the warmest in the past 5 centuries. If temperature rises by 4 – 5° C; a flood event that is likely to occur only once in 100 years in the last century could occur every 10 to 50 years in the vulnerable locations. UN members have pledged to limit warming to 2° C but the current situation is going towards 4 - 5° C by 2100, which seems catastrophic to scientists for biodiversity, extreme weather or sea-level rise. An increase of 2-4° C may lead to 10-20% increase in cyclonic intensity. This warming can go up to an increase of mean surface temperature by 3.5-5° C by the end of the century.

The recent catastrophic climatic events in India are the consequences of global warming. Mumbai, the business capital of India extremely is vulnerable to rising sea levels. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Arabian Sea level around Mumbai is steadily rising at the rate of 2.4 mm per year and expected to rise as much as 15-38 cm by 2050. The city is in a seismic zone and prone to experience massive earthquake or a giant tsunami causing unimaginable loss of human lives and assets. This necessarily means that this would affect the economy of the entire nation, city being the business capital of India. According to a 2012 report, about 2.7 million people live in areas at risk of flood...

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...g construction practices: Reducing the salt content of new building materials; upgrading of older buildings; and examination of stability of seaside buildings at risk of land erosion

Greater investment: Investments in heath sector, health care facilities and health infrastructure for providing medical care to people affected by climate change.
Introduction of Energy Conservation Measures at all levels
Enhancement of the urban ecosystem: Creation of more open spaces, greenery, parks and tree-lined roads.
The population increase and global warming effects in Mumbai will endanger the city much more in coming days. It is high time that Central, State Governments and Local bodies become aware of the gravity of the situation and make necessary policies in urban and environmental planning, where the inhabitants also take active participation to save the city.

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