Will Climate Change Hamper Sustainable Development?

In India, average temperatures have increased by 0.6 degrees Celsius (° C) between 1901-10 and 2009-18, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

- Ankit Singh

This has resulted in warmer cities and frequent heat waves, disrupted rainfall patterns and increased frequency of extreme weather events. This year, the country witnessed heat and drought in parts of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and in the central region of India whereas floods disrupted livelihoods in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar and Maharashtra. Now floods have ravaged parts of Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra.

These extreme climatic conditions have been a recurring phenomenon. Even on a global level, one of the most pressing issues of our time has been climate change. Subhajit Naskar, Assistant Professor in Jadavpur University, informed BE, “Climate change is one of the most intricate problems facing mankind today. The paramount complexity of the problem is ascribed to its deeper global consequences on a vast range of issues impacting the very survival of life on Earth.” India, being one of the most populated countries in the world can face severe challenges due to unchecked climate change.

Effects of climate change