Imlisanen Jamir
India is witnessing a scorching heatwave this spring, with temperatures rising to record levels in parts of the country. Conditions are expected to worsen this week in these parts of the country with temperatures approaching 45 degrees Celcius.
India recorded its warmest March in 122 years with a severe heatwave scorching large swathes of the country last month. Parts of the country are also seeing wheat yields drop by up to 35 per cent due to the unseasonal heat.
While the North East is not included in the IMD’s recent forecast for a heatwave, the region is also experiencing conditions pointing to an early and extended summer. Couple this with deficient rainfall levels, and we have a situation that not only affects human health but also jeopardizes agriculture.
A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is more than 6.4 notches, according to the IMD. Based on absolute recorded temperatures, a heatwave is declared when an area logs a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius. A severe heatwave is declared if the temperature crosses the 47-degree mark.
Given the global scale of the problems caused by global warming and climate change, the world has no option but to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to tackle the climate crisis. However, till a sustainable way to do this is found, governments will need to roll out heat action plans in regions vulnerable to heatwaves.
Despite global commitments, the lethargic way in which policies designed to combat climate change are being implemented has now made it near impossible to reverse the effects of global warming. But this alone is not to blame for our current predicament. The way we have used our land resources, the destruction of our forests, and the haphazard way in which infrastructure is being built have made it easier for our dwellings to turn into boiling cauldrons.
In the shorter term, alleviating the effects of heatwaves is of immediate concern. This includes short term measures like advisories and long-term measures like afforestation which need to be simultaneously acted upon.
One of the measures, other than cutting down on emission, includes ways to help curb growth and development activities which come at the cost of the climate. Works that give precedence to other benefits at the expense of the environment need to be limited. This calls for a shift in urban planning and going away from the usual concrete and glass structures while ensuring the green cover is maintained. These shifts in policy though will only happen with a citizenry that understands what is at stake and puts pressure on the State.
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