KOCHI: Reduced rain fall, increased atmospheric temperature and flooding due to rising sea level await the Western Ghats and Kerala in the next 20 years.
These predictions form part of a report prepared by the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) on the possible impact of climate change.
If the sea level rises by one metre, 169 sq km of the coastal region surrounding Kochi will be inundated. Since the region covers the backwaters, a lot of inland areas far from the coast but adjacent to the tidal creeks, backwaters and lakes will be inundated. This will cause considerable increase in the total area of inundation, the report said.
The other two regions assessed for a similar impact are Nagapattinam and Paradip. The estimate showed that 4.2 sq km of Nagapattinam and 478 sq km for Paradip will be inundated. Studies have indicated that sea level rise along the Indian coast is to the tune of 1.3 mm a year.
The minimum atmospheric temperature in the Western Ghats region may rise by 2 to 4.5 degree Celsius. The Karnataka part of the ghats will experience minimum increase.
The temperature in the region bordering Kerala is likely to rise by 1 to 3 degree Celsius, the report predicted.
The number of rainy days is likely to decrease along the entire western coast, including in the Western Ghats.
Though productivity of irrigated rice is likely to decrease by 4 per cent in most of the areas of the Western Ghats, those rice fields in southern Karnataka and northern-most districts of Kerala may witness an increase in production.
Coconut yield is projected to increase by up to 30 per cent in the majority of the farmed region.
In the fisheries sector, an increase in catches of oil sardine during the post-southwest monsoon along the Kerala coast has been predicted due to the elevated sea surface temperature, favourable wind and higher chlorophyll concentration during southwest monsoon.
Source: The Hindu,18-11-2010
These predictions form part of a report prepared by the Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) on the possible impact of climate change.
If the sea level rises by one metre, 169 sq km of the coastal region surrounding Kochi will be inundated. Since the region covers the backwaters, a lot of inland areas far from the coast but adjacent to the tidal creeks, backwaters and lakes will be inundated. This will cause considerable increase in the total area of inundation, the report said.
The other two regions assessed for a similar impact are Nagapattinam and Paradip. The estimate showed that 4.2 sq km of Nagapattinam and 478 sq km for Paradip will be inundated. Studies have indicated that sea level rise along the Indian coast is to the tune of 1.3 mm a year.
The minimum atmospheric temperature in the Western Ghats region may rise by 2 to 4.5 degree Celsius. The Karnataka part of the ghats will experience minimum increase.
The temperature in the region bordering Kerala is likely to rise by 1 to 3 degree Celsius, the report predicted.
The number of rainy days is likely to decrease along the entire western coast, including in the Western Ghats.
Though productivity of irrigated rice is likely to decrease by 4 per cent in most of the areas of the Western Ghats, those rice fields in southern Karnataka and northern-most districts of Kerala may witness an increase in production.
Coconut yield is projected to increase by up to 30 per cent in the majority of the farmed region.
In the fisheries sector, an increase in catches of oil sardine during the post-southwest monsoon along the Kerala coast has been predicted due to the elevated sea surface temperature, favourable wind and higher chlorophyll concentration during southwest monsoon.
Source: The Hindu,18-11-2010
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