With widespread negative effects on health, development and economy, extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves and cyclones are happening more often in India.
An annual report of India’s environment released last week by New Delhi -based Public Interest Research and Advocate Organization, Center for Science and Environment (CSE) shows how the extreme weather affects a large part of India’s population.
The report revealed that around 3,000 people died, 2 million hectares of crops were destroyed, and 80,000 houses were destroyed in extreme weather -related events last year. So it was shown that in 2024, there were extreme weather incidents in India in 88% days.
CSE Director Sunita Narayan told DW that the latest report should be a wake-up call for policy makers.
“This report is important and the thesis emphasizes the immediate need for strong environmental rule, poor health care infrastructure and ambitios climate policies to address interconnected crises,” Narayan said.
Air pollution, heat and floods
Large Indian cities often experience the worst air quality level anywhere in the world.
Since 2021, residents in 13 Indian cities including Delhi have breathed unsafe air every three days, according to reports. According to various studies, life expectancy in Delhi is about eight years less due to air pollution.
Even though the main summer months – April to June – are always hot in India, the temperature has become more extreme in the last decade. The intensity of rain and floods has increased.
About 80% of India’s population lives in the region that is considered unsafe for disasters, which discovered as summer waves or severe floods, the report states.
Abinash Mohini, head of climate change and stability in IPE Global, said, “This report is an uncomfortable truth. India is in the eyes of an ideal storm, where climate chaos, health crisis and development are colliding with small falls.”
Mohanty said that the data found in the report matches the major findings of Ice Global’s study in 2024, which showed that 80% of the districts in India are susceptible to extreme weather events.
“This is more than a statistical alarm, it is a living crisis in real time,” heer said.
Mohan said that India’s development model needs to be “radical rebuild” to adapt to warm temperature, biodiversity loss and water emergency conditions. ,
“The results of inactivity want to be irreversible reality nowadays,” said.
What action can the Government of India take?
Narayan of CSE said that the Government of India can do more to help develop adaptation strategies by investing in data collection.
Narayan said, “The report does not exempt the huge progress that India has made in many areas. What it lies.
“UNSES has clear, credit data, no solution or policies. Our strong arguments are because we need, not less data. We need to be transparent,” Narayan said.
Akshay Deoras, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, told DW that the CSE report should exclude Indian policy makers, industries and citizens out of decent about the impact of climate change.
“Climate flexibility is no longer optional – this is an existence imperative,” Dorus said.
Dorus said that he believes that India should proceed to ground, scalable action through the installation of reactive relief plans and climate rhetoric to climate risk observatories.
“The clock is ticking – and there is no other chance,” Dorus said.
“This report bare the sharp impact of climate change on India. Experiencing extreme weather on such a year in a year is not a statistical temporary temporary temporary – it indicates a shifting baseline,” he said.
This will have complex effects such as crop loss, increasing performance and biodiversity stress.
“Without immediate investment in adaptation, the initial warning system, and a decrease in emissions of greenhouse gases, we are moving towards an unstable climate future for the next generation,” Dorus said.
Edited by: Wesley Rahan
