‘Take steps to check greenhouse gases’

The Hindu , Saturday, March 28, 2009
Correspondent : Staff Reporter
BHUBANESWAR: Experts on climate change here on Friday called upon community to take adaptive measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that would in turn check global warming and help lessen the impact of coastal hazards.

Addressing a two-day seminar on Hazards and Disaster Management, organised by Eastern Geographical Society and PG Department of Geography of Utkal University here, scientists and academicians said all development schemes should have plans to reduce disaster risk and disaster management should be a part of all plans.

The probable range of the increase of average global surface temperature over the next 100 years would lie between 1.4 to 5.8° C. Land areas are projected to be warm more than the oceans with the greatest warming at high latitudes, said S. Sahu, Director of Meteorology Centre, Bhubaneswar.

He said urban areas are the major sources of various types of emissions such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and aerosols. Their impacts on the climate reach far beyond the limits of the urban areas itself.

Speaking on the occasion, G.K. Panda from the Geography Department, Utkal University, said the impacts of coastal hazards and disasters in terms of human and economic losses had risen in the recent years and Orissa coastal area was more vulnerable than ever before.

Minimise impact

Experts said community should come forward to take up eco measures in order to minimise impacts. Effort should be made to encourage rain harvesting in residential areas, plant new crops more suited to changing climate and erect dykes in coastal belts to combat increased frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones to cope with the situation, Mr. Sahu said.

S.C. Mukhopadhyay from Calcutta University, N.K. Mahalik from Utkal University, S.B. Choudhury, scientist from Department of Space and others spoke.

 
SOURCE : Saturday, March 28, 2009
 


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