Article brought to you by: Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
India faces disaster if climate changes
November 22nd, 2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
Global warming is a major concern across the world - but more so in India. A new report says that India could see an increase in two degrees Celsius within 20 years. That climate change could spell disaster for India's agriculture and freshwater supplies.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online - Experts warn that more flooding, more drought and a spreading of malaria would occur, as the disease migrates northward into Kashmir and the Himalayas. These were the findings of 220 Indian scientists and 120 research institutions.
The temperature rise, more extreme along the coasts, would cause drastic changes in India's rain cycles that threaten water supplies and agriculture, which is the key source of livelihood for most of India's 1.2 billion people.
The report comes out just weeks before the Nov. 29 start of the U.N. climate summit in Cancun, Mexico. The world's governments will try again to reach a global agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions thought to contribute to global warming.
An international pledge to limit the rise of the Earth's average temperature to 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.8 F above levels was agreed upon at last year's meeting in Copenhagen.
"There is no country in the world that is as vulnerable, on so many dimensions, to climate change as India is," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in a statement. "We must continue this focus on rigorous climate change science."
India's many ecosystems and proximity to the equator make it particularly sensitive to climate change. The fact most of the country relies on freshwater sources, rather than desalinating sea water, amplifies the threat of global warming on society.
The report also says sea levels will continue to rise, threatening India's more than 4,000 miles of coastline.
"This study enables India to look at its need to adapt to change," Sidarth Pathak, a climate policy official with Greenpeace India says. "It will put pressure on the Indian government and international governments to act, and show that India is a vulnerable country."