CLIMATE CHANGE: AN ALERT

 In today's world, climate change is one of the biggest problems that is leading to the new challenge of survival for humans and wildlife. Intense drought, storms, rising sea levels, change in rainfall rate, melting of glaciers are becoming more frequent. They are causing havoc on people's livelihoods and communities.

itu.int & news-medical.net

The current cause of climate change is due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels, cutting forests and increasing agricultural activities. Released harmful gases trap heat from the sun's rays that lead to a rise in temperature. Earth's average temperature has risen about 1.18 degrees Celsius in the last 40 years. The seven most recent years being the warmest to date. India is one of the countries strongly affected by climate change, as its direct impact is on natural resources, health, and economic activities. 

The North Eastern Region of India has felt the climatic change in a way affecting its biodiversity with deficit monsoon rains as well as flash floods. Meghalaya's Cherrapunji town, which held the distinction of the wettest place on Earth is now facing the problem of water shortage during the dry season. The volume of showers during the monsoon season is decreasing. In between 2001 and 2021, the region has recorded a lower annual rainfall rate. 

skymetwaether.com

Till August 2021, Manipur had recorded a rain deficit of 59 percent followed by Arunachal Pradesh as 37 percent, Meghalaya as 32 percent, and so on. While six of eight North-Eastern states have recorded a decrease in monsoon showers during the period, some districts in Assam, have seen an increase in floods. 

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The changing rainfall pattern has drastically impacted the life and livelihood of the people. A sudden increase in annual rainfall alters the natural flow of the river, as it accelerates soil erosion along the slopes, devoiding the forest covers this in turn results in a change of course. These new courses of the rivers are often earlier filled by younger sediments, where people have settled to avoid the flooding. 

On the other hand, a decrease in the annual rainfall rate dries up the mountain springs. This further leads to crop failure.

The most dramatic change has come due to the construction projects that use coarse sand that's generally not found locally. Much of the coarse sand is being carried downstream by the Brahmaputra river, replacing the fertile alluvial soil.

As we know that frequent climatic changes are responsible for variable annual rainfall rates, if the temperature rises higher, damaging changes to the natural environment will probably transform the human's way of life.

Review: Down To Earth magazine (Climate Special Northeast)

REFERENCES:

https://magazines/reader/magazine/Down-To-Earth

https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/16041.html