Northern parts of the country and the Himalayan region will be the worst hit by climate change in India and warming will be greater over land than sea, according to a latest report.

North India, Himalayas to be worst hit by climate change: Report

 

More than 100 million people will die and global economic growth will be cut by 3.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 if the world fails to tackle climate change, a report commissioned by 20 governments reveals. As global average temperatures rise due to greenhouse gas emissions, the effects on the planet, such as melting ice caps, extreme weather, drought and rising sea levels, will threaten populations and livelihoods, said the report conducted by humanitarian organisation DARA.

Climate Change could kill 100 million one million and decimate growth by 2030

 Agricultural scientists across the country are joining hands in a research project to assess the potential of tuber crops like tapioca and yam to withstand climate change. Scientists from 18 States are being equipped to take up the project.

Focus on climate change resilience of tuber crops

 

India Inc is yet to take an active part in conserving biodiversity of the country even though it is engaged in climate change programme, said Braulio F de Souza Dias, the executive secretary, Convention on Biodiversity, Canada. He hoped that the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), scheduled to take place here between October 1 and 19, will help create more awareness among Indian corporate houses on biodiversity.

India Inc Needs to Concentrate on Biodiversity

 

 

 

 

Climate change is already contributing to the deaths of nearly 400,000 people a year and costing the world more than $1.2 trillion, wiping 1.6% annually from global GDP, according to a new study. The impacts are being felt most keenly in developing countries, according to the research, where damage to agricultural production from extreme weather linked to climate change is contributing to deaths from malnutrition, poverty and their associated diseases.

Climate change is already damaging global economy, Report Finds

 

 

Periodic changes in winds 15 to 30 miles high in the stratosphere influence the seas by striking a vulnerable “Achilles heel” in the North Atlantic and changing mile-deep ocean circulation patterns, which in turn affect Earth’s climate.

Changes in Stratosphere Can Alter Ocean Circulation and Affect Global Climate

 

 

With carbon markets at an all time low and prospects of international long-term finance dim, the Planning Commission has suggested reworking the Rs 23,000 crore National Action Plan on climate change. It has reduced the number of missions and refocused them in line with “priorities”.

Plan Panel for Revamping National Action Plan on Climate Change

 

 

The southwest monsoon, which accounts for more than 70 per cent of India’s annual rainfall, is set to withdraw from northern and some western parts of the country in the next 48 hours after bringing bountiful showers since August in a late rally that cheered millions of farmers.

Monsoon set to withdraw from northern parts of western India

 

 

 

Scientists have warned that there is little hope for the survival of coral reefs unless greenhouse gas emissions are curtailed. Global warming and ocean acidification, both driven by human-caused carbon dioxide emissions, pose a major threat to these ecosystems, they said.

Climate Change Casts Shadow Over Coral Reef Survival

 

 

Arctic sea ice has melted to its minimum extent for the year due to climate change, setting a record for the lowest summer cover since satellites began collecting data.
The 2012 extent has fallen to 3.41 million sq km, which is 50 per cent lower than the 1979-2000 average. Arctic sea ice has long been regarded as a sensitive indicator of changes in the climate, NSIDC said in a statement. 

Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks To Lowest Level on Record