Saturday, July 30, 2011

Rising sea, killing heat... study gives a scary picture for India's Gujarat state

KapilDave in Indian Express: An alarming rise in sea level coupled with rise in average temperature, erratic rains and floods, droughts, a change in crop pattern in large parts of the state are some of the dire warnings contained in a report prepared by Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) after mapping climate change hazards in major districts of Gujarat.

The report, which is likely to be placed before the Chief Minister soon, is to be used in drafting a climate change mitigation plan for the state. The report titled, “Climate Variability and Climate Change: District-Level Scoping Study for Gujarat”, has been prepared with the assistance of Union Ministry of Forest and Environment.

It says the temperature will rise by 2-4 degree Celsius in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Valsad while in other districts, it will shoot up by 2-3 degrees Celsius. The report says Ahmedabad will face exceptional rise in energy consumption due to increased temperature and will be hit by floods and vector-borne diseases. Coastal districts like Surat, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Kheda, Anand, Rajkot and Valsad will face sea coast erosion, ecological damage, loss of saltpans, frequent crop failures etc.

Kutch will face more frequent cyclones and floods while Mehsana and Patan will face serious changes in crop pattern, the report warns. It says the number of days when temperature will cross 45 degree Celsius will increase in the coming decades. The report says the government will need to reconsider the present industrial setup, ports and urban planning in coastal areas....

The beach at Valsad Tithal in Gujarat, shot by Ibhaviik, Wikimedia Commons

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