Rising Carbon Dioxide Levels Put India At 5-10 Times Normal Flood Risk

According to a recent study, the risk of extreme floods or storms could double every 13 years at the rate carbon-dioxide concentrations are building up in the atmosphere.

Ice caps melt and oceans warm and expand due to the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.

The report, Impacts of Carbon Dioxide Emissions on Global Intense Hydro-meteorological Disasters appears in the January issue of Climate, Disaster and Development Journal.

The number of intense “hydro-meteorological” disasters could increase by 5.4% annually for an “average” country facing annually nearly one “extreme disaster” India faces 5-10 times as many extreme events as the average country.

Only in 2019 India saw three major floods in Karnataka, Kerala and Bihar with 312 recorded deaths collectively between the three States.

The sea level has risen globally by around 15 cm during the 20th century and is currently rising more than twice as fast – 3.6 mm per year – and accelerating.

(Courtesy: https://www.thehindu.com/)