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By Aayushi Sharma
According to a report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on November 29, India experienced extreme weather events almost every day in the first nine months of 2023. It has led to about 3,000 deaths in the country. India experienced extreme weather conditions on 86% of the days from January to September 2023, making India a climate-vulnerable country.
For several months, it also saw temperatures that broke records, and exceptionally heavy rainfall caused deluges in several parts of the nation. Floods resulted from this, killing people and livestock. This refers to the increased occurrence and severity of severe occurrences that our planet is experiencing due to fast global warming.
Amid the global climate crisis, what India has seen thus far in 2023 is the new abnormal. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction stated in a 2020 study that there has been “a sharp increase (in disasters) over the previous twenty years” on a worldwide scale.
What are the key findings of the report?
In the first nine months of this year, India has had almost daily natural disasters, ranging from intense heat and cold waves, cyclones, and lightning to severe rain, floods, and landslides. 2,923 people have died as a result of these disasters, which have also destroyed over 80,563 dwellings, damaged 1.84 million hectares of cropland, and killed almost 92,519 cattle. The amount of loss and damage estimated here is likely underestimated because neither the data for individual incidents nor the losses of crops or public property are compiled.
The region-specific scenario in India
Madhya Pradesh had the most days with extreme weather events, with an event occurring every other day; however, Bihar had the most number of fatalities, with 642, followed by Himachal Pradesh (365) and Uttar Pradesh (341).
Punjab recorded the greatest number of animal deaths (63,649) and Himachal Pradesh the largest number of damaged dwellings (15,407). Since the start of 2023, Madhya Pradesh has seen extreme weather events on 138 days. Official data show minimal damage to crop areas in spite of this. Nonetheless, reports from the media indicate that the damage hit at least 45,000 hectares of cropland. There could be a disparity because of incomplete reporting of losses and damages.
Season Specific Scenario
February broke all prior records to become the warmest in 122 years, but January was somewhat warmer than average (1981–2010). From 1981 to 2010, there was an unusually high 2.78oC temperature anomaly in Northwest India.
India saw a slight increase in temperature in March, although Northwest India saw an average minimum temperature of 1.34°C higher than typical. Except for the South Peninsula, which had the third-highest average maximum temperature for April with an anomaly of 0.77°C, the nation’s mean temperature remained close to average in April and May. With the South Peninsula reporting its warmest June on record, this June was the sixth warmest on record for the nation. The nation experienced its second-warmest minimum temperature in 122 years in July. Once again, August and September were the warmest on record for the nation. India also saw its driest August in 122 years as well as its sixth driest February in recorded history. In the meantime, Central India and the South Peninsula continued to see exceptionally high levels of precipitation in March, accounting for 206% and 10%, respectively, of the long-term average (1971-2020) rainfall.
Regarding the “nature” of the event, all forms of extreme weather have been witnessed during the last nine months; 711 people have died as a result of storms and lightning that have been documented in all 36 states and Union Territories.
Then, in certain regions of the nation, heavy to extremely heavy rainfall occurs every day throughout the three months of the monsoon, which runs from June to August. This explains why no area has been spared from the damage caused by floods; in Himachal Pradesh, for example, large swathes of the state were swamped, resulting in the loss of lives, houses, and livelihoods.
Comparative Analysis: Extreme weather Events (2022 vs 2023)
During the first nine months of 2023, India saw extreme weather occurrences on 235 out of 273 days, which is marginally fewer than the 241 days reported during the same period in 2022. In spite of this, as opposed to 34 previous years, all 36 states and Union territories were impacted this year.
This pre-monsoon season in India saw an increase in extreme weather occurrences, with 85 days recorded in 2023 compared to 81 days in the previous year.
From 2,431 in 2022 to 2,594 in 2023, there is an increase in the number of fatalities linked to extreme weather occurrences.
References:
https://www.cseindia.org/india-2023-extreme-weather-events-11973
