CLIMATE CHANGE

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

SARANSH KAHOL DR. SANDEEP DUA

17072035071
 WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE? AND ITS POTENTIAL
IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT ?

Climate Change:
when the Earth's climate gets hotter or colder over time. It's mainly
caused by people burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, which release
gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. This trapped heat makes the
Earth warmer, leading to things like more extreme weather, rising sea
levels, and harm to plants and animals.

THE MAJOR CO₂ SPIKE CAN BE SEEN IN THE INDUSTRIALIZATION PERIOD

H E AT T R A P P E D I N
T H E AT M O S PH E R E
CA U S E S E A RTH ’ S
T E M P E R AT U R E TO
R I S E D R A S T I C A L LY
 INDIAN FLOODS
2019 CLIMATE CHANGE

Cyclone Fani was the strongest storm to make landfall

in India in 20 years.
- Since 1802

REPORT: CAUSES:
The Indian climate change floods in 2019 Intense Rainfall: Exceptionally heavy
were characterized by intense and rainfall, intensified by climate change,
prolonged rainfall during the monsoon led to flooding in multiple states across
season, resulting in widespread flooding India.
across various regions of the country. The Cyclone Fani was fueled by warm ocean
floods affected millions of people, waters and favorable atmospheric
causing loss of life, displacement, conditions, leading to its rapid
infrastructure damage, economic losses, intensification.
and health risks.
Deforestation: Reduced forest cover
contributes to soil erosion and increased
runoff, exacerbating the impact of
rainfall.

Areas affected:
Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar,
and Assam. Cities like Mumbai, Pune,
and Patna were particularly hard hit, with
streets and neighborhoods
submerged under water.
 INDIAN FLOODS
2019 CLIMATE CHANGE

Effects and measures taken by the Government

- Since 1802

EFFECTS: MEASURES:
Loss of Life: 1900 of people lost their Emergency Response: Government
lives due to drowning, landslides, and agencies and relief organizations
collapsing buildings. mobilized emergency response teams to
provide food, shelter, medical aid, and
Displacement: Millions of people were
other essential services to affected
displaced from their homes, seeking
communities.
shelter in relief camps or moving to
higher ground. Rescue and Evacuation: Swift
evacuation efforts were undertaken to
Infrastructure Damage: Roads, bridges,
rescue stranded individuals and relocate
buildings, and agricultural lands were
them to safer areas, minimizing further
severely damaged or destroyed,
loss of life.
disrupting transportation,
communication, and economic activities. Rehabilitation and Reconstruction:
Post-flood rehabilitation programs were
Health Risks: Contaminated water
initiated to rebuild damaged
sources and overcrowded living
infrastructure, restore livelihoods, and
conditions in relief camps increased the
support the recovery of affected
risk of waterborne and vector-borne
communities.
diseases.
 BLACK SUMMER
2019-20 BUSH FIRE AUSTRALIA

Massive bushfire outbreaks in Australia

- Since 1802

OVERVIEW: CAUSES:
The 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, Exceptionally Dry Conditions:
also known as Black Summer, was one Unusually dry weather conditions and a
of the most intense and catastrophic fire lack of soil moisture contributed to the
seasons in Australia's history. It early start and rapid spread of bushfires.
witnessed widespread bushfires, notably Early Fires in Central Queensland:
in the southeast region, characterized by Bushfires in Central Queensland in June
their unusual intensity, size, duration, 2019 initiated an early start to the
and uncontrollable nature. bushfire season, setting the stage for
widespread fires.
Climate Change: Human-induced
climate change played a role in
exacerbating the intensity and frequency
of extreme weather events, including
bushfires.
 BLACK SUMMER
2019-20 BUSH FIRE AUSTRALIA

Effects and measures

- Since 1802

MEASURES:
Emergency Response: States of
emergency were declared across affected
regions, mobilizing firefighting
resources and facilitating evacuations.
International Assistance: Countries
like Canada, New Zealand, Singapore,
and the United States provided
firefighting personnel, equipment, and
logistical support to combat the fires.
EFFECTS:
Extensive Area Burnt: An estimated 24.3
Relief Efforts: Donations from the
million hectares (243,000 square
public, international organizations, and
kilometers) of land were burnt across
celebrities contributed to relief efforts
various parts of Australia, resulting in
for victims and wildlife recovery.
significant environmental damage.
Convoy shipments of essential supplies
were sent to affected areas. Loss of Life and Property: The fires
destroyed over 3,000 buildings, including
2,779 homes, and claimed the lives of at
least 34 people. The toll on wildlife was
immense, with reports suggesting billions
of terrestrial vertebrates, including
endangered species, were affected.
Economic Impact: The economic losses
from property damage, disrupted tourism,
and reduced agricultural productivity were
estimated to be between A$78–88 billion,
making it Australia's costliest natural
disaster.
 DEATH VALLEY
2021 WESTERN HEAT WAVES

Severe heat waves detected in western areas.

- Since 1802

OVERVIEW:
The 2021 Western North America
heatwave was an extreme weather
event that impacted several regions
across Western North America from
late June to mid-July 2021. It was
characterized by record-breaking
temperatures and widespread heat-
related impacts.

CAUSES:
Exceptionally Strong Ridge: The
heatwave was caused by an
exceptionally strong ridge of high
pressure centered over the affected
areas, which was linked to the effects of
climate change.
Climate Change: Anthropogenic
climate change significantly increased
the likelihood and severity of the
heatwave, making it a 1000-year REHABILITATION CAMPS IN USA
weather event, approximately 150 times
more likely to occur.
 DEATH VALLEY
2021 WESTERN HEAT WAVES

Effects of the heat waves

- Since 1802

EFFECTS:
Record-Breaking Temperatures: The Human Toll: The death toll
heatwave resulted in some of the highest exceeded 1,400 people, with the
temperatures ever recorded in the region, majority of deaths reported in
including the highest temperature ever western Canada, primarily due to
measured in Canada at 49.6°C (121.3°F). heat exposure.
Extensive Wildfires: The extreme heat
sparked numerous wildfires, some of which
grew to hundreds of square kilometers in
size, leading to widespread destruction of
forests, property, and infrastructure.
Infrastructure Damage: The intense heat
damaged road and rail infrastructure, forced
business closures, disrupted cultural events,
and melted snowcaps, leading to flooding in
some areas.
Agricultural Impact: Agriculture across
the region suffered extensive damage, with
crop yields decreasing by one-third in the
worst-affected areas and the loss of at least
651,000 farm animals.
Economic Costs: The heatwave caused at
least $8.9 billion in damages in the USA
alone, with significant economic losses
incurred due to property damage, disrupted
tourism, and agricultural impacts.
 DEATH VALLEY
2021 WESTERN HEAT WAVES

Measures taken to prevent the damage

- Since 1802

MEASURES:
State of Emergency Proclamation:
Governor Gavin Newsom's declaration of
a State of Emergency enables temporary
actions to bolster energy production and
reduce demand, addressing the strain on
the energy grid.
Flex Alert Implementation: The issuance
of Flex Alerts by the California
Independent System Operator urges
residents to conserve electricity during
peak hours (4 p.m. to 9 p.m.), mitigating
grid pressure and minimizing the risk of
outages.
Increase in Clean Energy Production:
Significant efforts have been made to
accelerate the transition to clean energy,
resulting in approximately 4,000
megawatts of additional clean energy on
the grid since July 2020.
Emergency Measures: Emergency Public Awareness and Safety Initiatives:
measures, including the establishment of a Robust public outreach campaigns educate
Strategic Energy Reserve and the Californians about heat-related risks and
deployment of additional generators, safety measures, emphasizing the
provide an extra 2,000 megawatts to importance of adjusting thermostat settings,
address emergency energy demands. conserving energy, and accessing cooling
centers during extreme heat events.
 DUBAI FLOODS
2024 HEAVY RAINFALL

Heavy rainfall in Dubai breaks 75-years record

- Since 1802

OVERVIEW:
A significant storm struck the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman,
resulting in unprecedented levels of
rainfall that led to widespread flooding
and disruption. The event occurred in
April and caught many residents by
surprise due to the region's typical dry
desert climate.

CAUSES:
Normal Weather System: Experts
attribute the unprecedented rainfall to a
combination of factors, including a low-
pressure system in the upper atmosphere
and surface-level low pressure. These
conditions, exacerbated by the contrast
between warm ground temperatures and
cooler upper atmosphere temperatures,
created ideal conditions for a powerful
thunderstorm.
Climate Change: While the storm's
immediate cause was a normal weather
system, experts suggest that climate
change likely intensified its impact.
Rising global temperatures have led to
ARTIFICIAL TECHNIQUES COULD ALSO RESULT more extreme weather events worldwide,
IN ENCOURAGING CLIMATE-DISASTER
including intense rainfall.
 DUBAI FLOODS
2024 HEAVY RAINFALL

Effects and measures taken for prevention

- Since 1802

EFFECTS: MEASURES:
Record Rainfall and Flooding: The Emergency Proclamation: UAE declared
storm brought a deluge of rain, causing a State of Emergency to increase energy
highways to flood, houses to be production and reduce demand temporarily.
inundated, and traffic to grind to a halt.
Total shutdown of services and everything Preventive Actions: Residents were urged
to reduce electricity consumption during
Fatalities and Damage: At least 20 peak hours to prevent power outages. Flex
people lost their lives in Oman, while Alert was issued.
another fatality was reported in the UAE.
Damage to infrastructure, including power Mitigating Emissions: Measures were
outages, disruptions to flights, and taken to mitigate increased emissions
submerged roads. resulting from emergency energy
production.
Disruption of Daily Life: The inundation
of homes, closure of public facilities, and Climate Adaptation: Long-term strategies
gridlocked traffic disrupted daily life for are recognized as necessary, including
residents. investing in infrastructure to improve
drainage systems and mitigate the effects
of future extreme weather events.
 Delhi smog
2019 DELHI AIR POLLUTION

Delhi facing massive air pollution attack

- Since 1802

OVERVIEW:
An article titled "Poison in the air:
Declining air quality in India" published
in Lung India discusses the severe air
pollution in the Indian capital, Delhi,
during the winter of November 2017. It
highlights the magnitude of the pollution,
its health and environmental hazards,
and measures to mitigate its impact.

CAUSES:
The root causes of air pollution in Delhi
include industrial emissions, vehicular
pollution, burning of crop residues in
neighboring states, construction activities,
and low investment in public transport
infrastructure.
Seasonal factors such as slow winds and
cool temperatures exacerbate pollution
levels, with pollution spiking after Diwali
due to firecracker emissions.

Resulted in: The severe pollution led to

the cancellation/diversion of trains, delays
in flights, and even the abandonment of a
cricket test match due to poor visibility
conditions.
 DELHI SMOG
2019 DELHI AIR POLLUTION

Effects and measures

- Since 1802

EFFECTS:
Delhi experienced alarming levels of fine
particulate matter (PM2.5) during this
period, with levels reaching as high as 710
μg/m3 on November 7, 2017, and an Air
Quality Index (AQI) of 999, well above
the hazardous category.
Public health experts likened the pollution
levels to smoking 50 cigarettes a day and
declared a public health emergency.
Health problems included respiratory
illnesses, reduced lung function, and
increased incidence of cancers, with long-
MEASURES:
term effects on children's health.
Guidelines issued by the National Disaster
Management Authority recommend
avoiding outdoor activities, staying
indoors, using air purifiers, and practicing
ride-sharing and carpooling.
Other measures include the closure of
thermal power plants and brick kilns,
enhancement of parking fees, promotion of
green electricity, and the use of
environmentally friendly fuels.
Innovative solutions such as the installation
of Smog Free Towers, similar to those in
China, are also proposed to purify the air
and combat pollution effectively.