India, Pakistan: Most vulnerable to climate change

Extreme climatic conditions are threatening the food security in South Asia with escalated floods and droughts making India and Pakistan the most vulnerable to climate change, cautioned the latest IPCC report released.

If emissions are not dramatically reduced, ‘wet bulb’ temperatures in India, which measure both heat and humidity, will exceed 31 degrees Celsius, which is fatal for humans, according to the paper. Despite the fact that India is one of the South Asian countries with the greatest urban adaptation measures, these plans are hampered by inequitable funding and “priority,” with larger cities receiving more attention.

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Important Points of the report:

• The report was the result of 207 scientists analysing over 34,000 documents. The policymakers’ summary, which summarised the report’s main findings, was negotiated with 65 nations for two weeks before being issued on Monday.
• Before the report’s release, the Indian government sent a delegation to participate in negotiations. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in a statement that India “welcomed” the report’s findings.
• According to the IPCC study, melting glaciers in the Hindu Kush mountain range may improve river water flow temporarily, but this will be short-lived due to a long-term loss in glacier mass.
• Changes in the monsoon will have a negative impact on agriculture and fishery, which account for around 20% of India’s GDP.
• Climate change and human action have damaged 69 per cent of commercially important species in Indian fisheries, according to the report.
• By 2050, the production of rice, wheat, pulses, and coarse grains is expected to plummet by 8.62 per cent, having a “serious” impact on the Indian economy.
• By 2080, the golden apple snail, an invasive alien species, is likely to pose a danger to crop yields.

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