Effects of Climate Change on Monsoon

Effects of Climate Change on Monsoon

Context:

  • The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has clearly sighted that 2022 has seen the second highest extreme events since 1902.
  • An alarming case as incidents of floods and droughts have increased, there is more evidence coming our way on how global warming has been impacting the Indian monsoon.

Changes in Indian Monsoon:

  • The Indian Monsoon has undergone changes over the span of time one of the major reasons for this is the climate change.
  • We have witnessed the movement of the monsoon tracks southwards due to which intense and frequent extreme unprecedented weather events over the places which once struggled to record even normal monsoon rains. 
  • Other reasons include intense La Nina conditions, the abnormal warming of East Indian Ocean, negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), southward movement of most of the monsoon depressions and lows and pre-monsoon heating over the Himalayan region are melting glaciers.
Changes in Indian Sub-Continent:
  • In the recent months the entire South Asian region has witnessed extreme weather events.
  • While Bangladesh, Pakistan and India have battled severe floods, China is reeling under massive drought conditions.
  • And also, in the Indian scenario states such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and parts of Maharashtra have been recording excess rainfall this season. 
Impact on Agriculture:
  • Due to this changing pattern of monsoon the agriculture sector is affected immensely and also it has impacted specially kharif crops, particularly rice production. 
  • As they form a significant share of more than 50% of total food grain production during this period.
  • As we know there is southwards shift of the monsoon tract rice producing States such as West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and east Uttar Pradesh have been deficit of more rains.
  • Many analysts feel that this would have an impact directly on the quantity as well as the quality of the crop.
  • And also due to the extreme weather events and uneven rainfall along with increasing temperatures and humidity give rise to pest attacks and diseases. 

 

          Source The Hindu