IPCC Report 2022 and its warnings for India.

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report serves as a warning for climate change across the world. The annual report by United Nations, asks to take immediate actions before it gets too late, warning the delay might see some irreversible changes in the environment. 

The report has a warning for South Asian countries. India has recently seen extreme climate conditions like heavy rain in Chennai, cyclone amphan in Odisa and drought. The IPCC report further warns India of the upcoming climate crisis in its report. It further warns that the Indian Economy might see a reduction of two per cent by 2050 due to climate change. 

Ground Water; India is one of the largest consumers and dependent on groundwater. The report points out that growing over-dependence on the use of groundwater has contaminated water with the mixing of arsenic, iron and sulphur. The report says that by 2050 more than 40% of India would face a shortage of water. Water scarcity may be more severe in urban areas, where there is a dense population. 

Rising temperature; The IPCC report points to the rising temperatures in the following years. The report brings out that, India could face a shortage of water with the drying of rivers coming from the Himalayas. This shortage is expected to cause a strain on the production of major crops like wheat and rice. The report warns that a shortage of vital crops may aggravate the problem of malnutrition. 

Fear of submersion of Coastal Indian States;  The IPCC reports warns about the submersion of coastal states of India like Mumbai, Chennai due to rising sea level. The report also highlights the problem of migration arising due to this. The report identifies Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai as a hotspot of migration in the country. 

Difficulties for women and the poor;  The report highlights that the poor would have to bear the brunt of sudden climate change. The report says: while the problem is due to action of those who are already rich or getting richer, the ordeal of climate change would have to be borne by mainly poor. 

The report argues that women would have to face difficulties in fetching water from different sources. The report asks governments to take immediate action possibly in this decade. So that this problem could be solved before it spirals into a catastrophe. 

The report further emphasises that, while many of the problems related to climate are due to actions of developed countries, in extreme weather conditions the poor and developing countries would have to bear its brunt. 

The IPCC warning comes at a time when the world economy has been shocked by Corona Pandemic. Countries across the world are expecting its revival – hence it is being speculated that the report may not get the heed and attention it should be.

Further, the Russian invasion of Ukraine followed by rising fuel prices and sanctions have shifted the focus. The world now expects the developing countries to take lead, show the way to developing countries in Climate change. 

In this context, it is worth highlighting the concept of sustainable development which says” We have not inherited this planet from our elders but have borrowed it from our children”.