The collapsing of structure at Delhi Airport is yet one example which draws our attention towards the unpreparedness of India for extreme weather. As the intensity and frequency of heat and floods increase and cities expand mindlessly, the lack of preparedness to address the extreme weather events comes to light.
In the past few years, floods ravaged even those cities which had not seen flooding in the past. The similar case goes on with the present monsoon season. Not only were the monsoons delayed this year but also have been causing rampant damage once they have struck. Even as the world is under an evident danger of climate change, India cannot be left behind in facing the consequences. India has not left behind in facing the consequences. Moreso, the climate change and the changes that are needed to be made by the government and the higher authorities has never come in the political agenda. It has never been a part of the political agenda.
No one is willing to connect the dots between the promises of employment, electricity and a booming economy to the ongoing and impending threats of climate change which includes disasters. Indian structures, be it airport, houses, offices are not prepared for or are not prepared or under prepared for extreme weather conditions.
On one hand where lives are affected by extreme destruction of the structures due to climate disasters that happens due to extreme weather. The losses that are caused to the agriculture cannot be unseen. As per a report by Down to Earth, over US 7 billion loss in agriculture in India is expected by 2030. Sorghum yield will reduce by 2 to 14% by 2020.
There will be large reductions in wheat yield in Indo-Gangetic Plain and substantial increase in the heat stress for rice affecting yield in the country. Climate change will slow down economic growth and make poverty reduction more difficult, further erode food security. As per the World Weather Attribution Group, which is an international team of fleeting climate scientists, the incident of extreme temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in April, which affected billions of people across Asia were intensified and made more probable by human induced climate change.
