IPCC which stands for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released its latest report some days back. The report is called “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”. It says a lot about the physical science of climate change. The latest report from IPCC states the influence of humans on climate change both now and in the future. It is actually the work and research of 100 scientists or more that is put together as a conclusion to theirs findings.
According to their latest report, this is a final warning for the humans on this planet to stop the emission of greenhouse gases. Climate change is already causing a lot of problems in the world. The worse is yet to come. It is our decisions in this decade that will decide whether the future is liveable or not well-functioning human societies. If we make the right choices, millions of lives, species, and ecosystems will be saved. Our children will lead healthy lives and so will our grandchildren.
Some of the findings of this report say that India and its communities will face a disaster due to extreme weather events like cyclones, floods, and heatwaves. The Indian government has welcomed the report and it stands by the motto: developed nations must “vacate carbon space” for developing nations. We have to keep in mind that India comes third after China and the USA in terms of absolute carbon emissions.
If the predictions of the IPCC about India and its regions are true, then the country needs an immediate plan to develop effective climate mitigation and adaptation techniques. The report says that due to global warming, there will be an increase in temperature in every part of the world and this would cause heatwaves. For India, these heatwaves will be called “extreme heatwaves” because they will be much hotter as compared to the past. Then comes the rainfall problem. The report says that monsoons are tricky to predict, Indian monsoons even so. However, floods caused by heavy rainfall are likely to increase not only in India but also across South Asia. Just like extreme rainfall, India will also witness extreme droughts in various areas. Also, there will be the meltdown of glaciers and ice on the Himalayas
India has to work on three areas to keep the situation under control. They are adaption to the extreme weather events due to climate change, a flexible plan for the urban areas, a plan for the areas facing “compound climate extremes” (there must be a pliable plan for these areas as well). Along with these, forest cover has to be planned in specific regions so that it can help in carbon upgrading. If this is executed successfully, the carbon levels in the atmosphere will decrease not only in India but the world over. Finally, it will also help if India can commit to a deadline to the international community about when it will achieve the global promise of zero net carbon emission. Apparently, the country cannot approve of any more delay on the climate policy.
