Changing Climate will lead to extreme winds, tall waves along Indian coast
Recently, Indian scientists have done a study, according to which climate with extreme wind-waves has been predicted in the Indian Ocean region in changing climatic conditions.
According to the study, high waves can be seen in the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea and South Indian Ocean areas in future. Extreme wind-waves will increase the risk of coastal flooding. Also, the effects of coastal flooding will change the structure of the shoreline.
The peak wave height has been observed to exceed about 1 meter over the South Indian Ocean. The maximum increase in wave height of 0.4 m is expected over the areas of North Indian Ocean, Northwest Arabian Sea, Northeast Bay of Bengal and South China Sea.
The predicted changes in winds and waves correspond to changes in sea level pressure and changes in warmer ocean temperatures.
The intensification of waves will have the following effects:
- The risk of floods will increase,
- The composition of the shoreline may be affected.
- Infrastructure will be damaged.
- Saline water can enter the groundwater.
- Crops will be damaged and,
- Human populations can be affected by a variety of socio-economic effects.
These activities can pose a threat to coastal communities in the region. These are already the most vulnerable communities to climate change.
Some of the initiatives taken to promote the ability of India’s coastal communities to adapt to climate change:
- A project is being conducted with the support of United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. It is a project undertaken to restore the ecosystem and promote climate change-friendly livelihood options.
- The Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project funded by the World Bank is being conducted.
Source – The Hindu
