Science, Effects & Mitigation Strategies

WE ARE ALL WITNESS to the increased frequency of 'extreme weather events' (EWEs) over the last few years. Flash floods, cloud bursts, cyclones and droughts regularly make screaming headlines in newspapers, on television and social media.

- Krishan Kalra

All of us feel alarmed, express sympathy with the victims, even participate in campaigns to raise money and materials for them. Some more energetic ones even travel to the affected and help feed the hungry, give them medicines and clothes.

National and state 'disaster relief outfits have become better organised and are able to restrict the number of lives lost to a bare minimum. All too soon, we forget the incidents, go back to our work and it is once again 'business as usual'. What happened in Uttarakhand, Kashmir, Chennai, Mumbai, Kerala and in Odisha is still fresh in our collective memory. This year 30 August brought frightening reports on social media: "Bangalore comes to a halt; schools and colleges shut, government declares a holiday while all agencies come to grips with the unprecedented floods following incessant rains that lashed the city, IMD issues yellow alert" etc.

Bangalore, as we are all aware, is now literally the showcase city of the country. Almost all 'Fortune 500' companies, as well as many leading domestic ones have set up their tech centres or R&D labs here. The city draws probably more attention than even Delhi as far as business is concerned.

Imagine the collective loss of man hours spent by people in reaching their work places or in food and other supplies reaching them on time or missed flights, trains etc. Unfortunately, such EWEs are becoming all too frequent. And, it is not only in India.

There are well publicised international cases of extreme heat in Europe, freak snowfall in Dubai and devastating floods in Manhattan. The EWEs monster doesn't differentiate between rich and poor nations! Rising sea levels have already claimed many low lying islands and areas near the oceans. Countries like the Maldives face being totally submerged. Parts of Bangladesh are not far behind. Thankfully, almost everyone now admits that:

(a) there is climate change