Transcript Impact on Eco-Systems

Disaster?
Or Catastrophe?
Forest Eco System
•Resource rich areas inhabited by resource poor people
•Sustainable livelihood of these communities is under threat due
to indiscriminate resource depletion.
 effects of mining in local habitats
 commercialisation of agriculture and impact on vegetation in
the long run (particularly fertilisers and pesticides)
 effects of deforestation on environment
 depletion of groundwater resources
•Role that indigenous communities have played in conserving
forests needs to be recognised.
Coastal Zones
•Simulation models show an increase in frequencies of
tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal particularly intense
events are projected during the post-monsoon period
•Sea level rise is projected to displace populations in
coastal zones, increase flooding in low-lying coastal areas,
loss of crop yields from inundation and salinization.
7500 km coast line
Vulnerable areas along the
Indian Coast due to SLR
Coastal Eco System
• Threat of displacement due to sea level rise
• Threat of intensification of disasters:
• Effects on the marine life and plant/crop life:
• Seawater being polluted by toxic chemical waste discharged
from industries
 Accumulation of carbon dioxide destroys the natural food
chains and fisheries in the Bay
 Acquaculture poses major threat to mangroves of the dying
out of phyto plankton which are said to absorb carbon
dioxide floating on the surface.
 The dying out of phyto plankton which are said to absorb
carbon dioxide floating on the surface.
Climate Change and Mountainous region
Basic manifestations
• Increasing number of glacier retreats. incidents of landslides,
river regimes and floods increase; in in time due to global
warming if glaciers disappear, the rivers will dry upnd entire
flora and fauna of about 500 million people will be affected.
• Impact of overexploitation of resources on local climate and
ecology:
Loss of bio-diversity esp rare species of medicinal plants,
Stress on traditional agriculture,
Increase in natural disasters which are climate induced:
earthquakes, landslides and avalanches, floods and droughts
Arid region
Once resource rich areas now have become arid.
• Rainfall has decreased over time in the arid regions thus
affecting crop production.
• Reduced production has resulted in over exploitation of land
resources and has further exacerbated the depletion of forests.
Forest fires have increased,
Increase in bald hills and denuded areas,
Accelerated soil erosion, gullies,
Sand casting of agricultural land in lower reaches,
Siltation of the traditional water harvesting structures
Urban Areas
 Two basic sources affecting climate changes are:
 Effluents from Industries.
 Emissions from the automobiles.
 Major threat to local populations is related to health:
 Air mobility has increased dramatically in the last decade due to
an increasing middle class
Underlying Concerns
• Inter-linkage between exploitation of natural resources, climate
change and poverty
• Unmet development needs of the poor conflict with the
aspirations of the rich
• Share of Non-conventional energy in energy consumption is
very low
• CDM Projects have little relevance with sustainable
development from the macro and micro perspective
• Climate Change negotiations are disappointing
Key Vulnerable River Basins
Acute physical water scarce
conditions
Constant water scarcities and
shortage
Seasonal / regular water
stressed conditions
Rare water shortages
Agriculture
•Decrease in yield of crops as temperature increases in different
parts of India - For example a a 2°C increase in mean air
temperature, rice yields could decrease by about 0.75
ton/hectare in the high yield areas and by about 0.06
ton/hectare in the low yield coastal regions.
•Major impacts of climate change will be on rain fed crops (other
than rice and wheat), which account for nearly 60% of cropland
area. In India poorest farmers practice rain fed agriculture.
•The loss in farm-level net revenue will range between 9 and
25% for a temperature rise of 2-3.5°C.
Health
Malaria is likely to persist in many states and new regions at
hogher latitudes may become malaria-prone
The duration of the malaria transmission windows is likely to
widen in northern and western states and shorten in southern
states.
Endemic
regions of
malaria
Regions likely
to be affected
by malaria in
2050s