6 Real Climate Shocks India Faced This Year

India is facing a range of climate change impacts, including extreme heat, water stress, and increased risks of climate-related diseases. Extreme weather events and related impacts are becoming increasingly common, leading to loss of life and property. The climate clock has changed across the region with summers lasting for extended periods, rainfall events becoming erratic and winters shrinking dramatically.

Here are the 6 real climate shocks India faced this year:

Snowless winter

The year started with a shocker as Gulmarg, a picturesque tourist town in Kashmir, witnessed a snowless winter. The entire valley experienced warmer temperatures, leading to a conspicuous absence of snow from the major tourist attractions, impacting tourist footfall numbers.

While snow levels fluctuate each year, scientists say climate change is driving erratic rainfall and shifting weather patterns in the region. Beyond the collapse of the tourism industry, the direct impact of subsequent water shortage threatens to change the agriculture habits in the region.

Snow melt usually helps refresh the rivers, and changing weather patterns have already altered farming practices, heightening problems of water shortages and the risk of forest fires.

Himachal Pradesh's monsoon disaster

Monsoon season spelt disaster for Himachal Pradesh, as flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides led to a total of 109 deaths, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

The SDMA also reported extensive damage to public utilities and private property, with total monetary losses exceeding Rs 883 crore. Moreover, 1,228 cattle and 21,500 poultry birds have perished during the season.

Northeast floods and landslides

India's northeast region was once again severely impacted by floods and landslides this year. Over half a million people were affected across the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, and Sikkim. More than 800 landslides have been reported in the region, with Mizoram accounting for over half of them.

Floods are an annual event in this part of the country, but this year's events once again highlighted that developing rapid infrastructure can come with a cost. Flood mitigation and disaster risk reduction need to be at the forefront of any major infrastructure drive in an ecologically and geomorphologically vulnerable region like the Northeast.

El Nino and La Nina

India's rainfall patterns are becoming increasingly irregular due to climate change. As per meteorological experts, phenomena like El Nino (warmer phase) and La Nina (colder phase) are going to gain stronger momentum, resulting in an abrupt surge in climate extremes like floods, cyclones, storm surges and extreme heat.

Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Manipur are witnessing the double whammy of heat stress and extreme rainfall, with more than 80 per cent of the districts projected to be impacted by this by 2030.

Heat stress

The majority of India experienced an intense heatwave this year, continuing the recent trend where summer settles in as early as February and lingers deep into November. A study released by IPE Global and Esri India last month found that Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Surat, Hyderabad, Patna and Bhubaneswar are projected to witness a two-fold increase in heatwave days.

"Analysis suggests that around 72 per cent of the tier-I & tier-II cities are going to witness an increased occurrences of heat stress and extreme rainfall events, accompanied with storm surges, lightning and hailstorms," said Abinash Mohanty, the lead author of the study.

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Pollution

As per the World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, published in March, Delhi remains the most polluted capital city globally, while India ranks the fifth most polluted country.

The report said India saw a seven per cent decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023. Yet, six of the world's 10 most polluted cities are in India.