Lack of reliable data affects climate study

Deccan Herald , Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Correspondent : Staff Reporter
An assessment of the summer and winter monsoon scenario is absolutely necessary to gauge the impact of climate change in the three key southern basins.

Lack of research and reliable data on the three major southern rivers —Godavari, Cauvery and Krishna — has restrained the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) evaluation of the impact of climate change in these three basins covering most of the southern landmass.

While threat to the coastal zones due to sea-level rise is well-documented, there is hardly any research on if rainfall in the south will change and if the change can affect the three rivers that nourish life in four southern states.

“No doubt the precipitation pattern will change and flows will be altered in these southern basins. But we don’t have region- specific studies to evaluate the impact (of climate change). We are simply not doing enough on that,” Dr R K Pachauri, chairman of the UN IPCC said here on Tuesday.

While north Indian rivers rely on glacier melt, southern rivers are dependent on rainfall. Hence, an assessment of the summer and winter monsoon scenario is absolutely necessary to gauge the impact of climate change in the three key southern basins.

Though, the report did not specify the possible impacts of global warming on Indian monsoon, Dr Pachauri said overall rainfall in the South Asia will decrease but the intensity of rainfall will increase. This means there will more drought.

In the process of bringing out its fourth assessment report, the IPCC released its second volume on the impacts of climate change, vulnerability and adoption in Brussels last Friday. The report is likely to serve as the guiding document for policy planners worldwide.

The IPCC report which has analysed data series collected from 29,000 global studies has hardly anything from India. Admitting this, Dr Pachauri stressed on investing more on the research on climate change and its impacts.

Climate change is set to have adversely influence on other Asian mega-deltas including Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra delta as water load in these rivers will increase manifold. The coastal areas and heavily populated mega delta regions in the South, East and South East Asia will be at the greatest risk due to increased flooding.

Less water

But per capita water availability will come down as most of the flood water will be lost. The gross per capita water availability in India will decline from 1820 cubic metre per year in 2001 to 1140 cubic mt per year in 2050. Decrease in crop yields and loss in biodiversity are the two other probable direct consequences of climate change.

Asked to rate India’s preparedness on a scale of 1 to 10, the IPCC chairman said the official system did not deserve to get more than 0.5. However, individual communities are more prepared and they will fare even better if resources are made available to them.

 
SOURCE : Deccan Herald, Wednesday, April 11, 2007
 


Back to pevious page



The NetworkAbout Us  |  Our Partners  |  Concepts   
Resources :  Databases  |  Publications  |  Media Guide  |  Suggested Links
Happenings :  News  |  Events  |  Opinion Polls  |  Case Studies
Contact :  Guest Book  |  FAQs |  Email Us