COP26: Nature's fury sets agenda

 

Chandan Sharma

As global leaders are discussing the agenda of climate action,  recent  developments took place in Himalayan region provide ample ammunition to discuss the impact of climate change. For example, nature’s fury witnessed again in Uttarakhand in form of cloud burst and flash flood that killed over 50 people. Unprecedented damage and loss of property have also been witnessed in the area.

However, number of casualties can vary as per reports appeared but the incident has again refreshed the  urgent need of climate action to combat the ongoing crisis emerged due to climate changes.  The issue of climate change is not new but the severity of the climate change has increased to a great extent in the last few years.

It is usually argued that cloud bursts and flash floods are common phenomena in the hilly areas. But it must be remembered that there are several other hilly states like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir, Nagaland,  Arunachal Pradesh other North-eastern states but Uttarakhand is the most vulnerable state in this concern as the incidents of cloud bursts and flash floods are the highest in the state in comparison with other states.

The memory of Kedarnath’s devastating cloud burst has not been faded away that destroyed several towns and hilly habitats and forests and killed hundreds of people. Several forest areas and habitats are still not able to recover from the devastation.

Environmentalists have not been able to ascertain exact reason of the such a big number of cloud bursts in Uttarakhand  area. According to reports, several cloudbursts have been recorded in the last few days. These including cloudbursts in Ramgarh in Nainital district, Almora and Rudraprayag area causing  flashflood in these areas.

 Geographic experts and environmentalists say that number of incidents of cloud bursts are very high in the area as the Himalaya is a new mountain and Uttarakhand covers its higher peaks, where most of the changes take places in the atmosphere. But similar things are applied in some other hilly states too.  However, this is not the reason in Kerala that has witnessed nature’s fury in the recent times. Incidents  of flash floods in Germany are not very old.

Actually, environmental concerns are more related to unmindful urban and industrial developments in the hilly area, putting more pressure on the natural habitats and destroying the natural bonding of the hilly areas. Moreover, emergence of multi-story buildings and growing pressure of tourists and increasing urban infrastructure have added much more pressure that made entire area vulnerable to such disaster.

The disaster in Uttarakhand is not an isolated case. There are several other incidents are taking place in other regions in the country and abroad.

 For example, rise of the incident of huge difference between day and night temperature. Several metro cities now experience big difference between day and night temperature causing several health issues among older and newborn. Air quality is another common problem that is being faced by several cities and regions. Fast melting ice in polar region and at the high peaks are another  important issues. Moreover, cases of deaths due to lightening has increased substantially in several states and regions. According to reports over 700 people have been died due to lightening in the last one year in India, including over 100 in Bihar.   

Although, India is a signatory of the Paris agreement but speedy climate action is now need of the hour despite the fact that India has achieved several milestones in the area of climate action.

(Author is founder & editor of Yuvavani.com, an independent pvt. initiative) (mail to chandan.sharma @yuvavani.com)