Human Geography Report: Climate Change and Agriculture in Punjab

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Added on  2022/12/03

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This report examines the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food production, focusing on the Punjab region. It begins by defining climate change and global warming, exploring their causes, including fossil fuels, deforestation, intensive farming, mining, and overconsumption. The report then details the effects of climate change on biodiversity, oceans, human beings, and weather patterns, emphasizing the increased intensity of droughts, hurricanes, and storms. It concludes by discussing various prevention methods, such as renewable energies, water and energy efficiency, sustainable transport, infrastructure, and forest management, responsible consumption, and recycling. The report highlights the sensitivity of Punjab to climate change and its potential to affect the agricultural sector and the residents of Punjab Ludhiana. The report utilizes sources like scientific journals and books to support the findings and provide a comprehensive overview of the topic.
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HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
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Impacts of climate on Agriculture and Food production
Introduction
Climate change has adverse effects on different resources on earth such as water, which greatly
sustains life on this planet. The changes which takes place in the biodiversity, biosphere and he
natural resources greatly affects the quality of life and human health. Thought the 21st Century,
India Punjab Ludhiana is projected to experience warming above the global level.
Agriculture production greatly depends on the weather and climate change. Any possible
changes in precipitation, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration has very significant
impacts on the growth of crops. The overall effects of climate change on India Punjab
Ludhiana food production is considered to be moderate to high with successful adaptation
and enough irrigation programs.
Climate is constantly changing, and the signal which shows that the changes which are taking
place can be evaluated over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Climate refers to an
integration of complex weather conditions which are averaged over a period of time, which
are usually expressed in terms of both the average of the weather which is expressed by
properties such as radiations, temperatures, wind, atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, rainfall etc.
and distribution or the variation of the given weather properties.
Climate change around the Punjab Ludhiana
Global warming/climate change refers to the gradual increase in the overall temperatures of the
earth's atmosphere which is generally attributed to the greenhouse effects which is as a result of
increased levels of CFCs, Carbon dioxide and other pollutants (Singer, 2018). From the studies
carried out, the Earth has been warming from the South Pole to the North Pole. Since 1906, the
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global mean surface temperature has increased by more than 0.9 degree Celsius (1.6 degrees
Fahrenheit) in the sensitive Polar Regions the average increase is more than 0.9oC.
Causes of climate change
Human activities are the main causes of global warming since the mid-twentieth century, mostly
because of:
i) Fossil fuels
The widespread use of fossil fuel is the main cause of global warming, This is because as gas,
coal, and oil burn carbon dioxide is produced which is the most essential greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere. Also in the process of burning this fossil fuels, nitrous oxide is produced (Hawken,
2016).
ii) Deforestation
Due to the global population increase, human beings have been forced to clear some of the
forested areas to create room for agriculture and other human activities such as industrialization.
The exploitation of forests has a great impact on climate change. Trees are known to control the
climate through the absorption of Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
iii) Intensive farming
Intensive farming is another cause of global warming, the utilization protection fertilizers, and
products together with the ever increasing number of livestock. The wastes of sheep and cattle
contain methane, the agricultural fertilizers generate nitrous oxide emissions (Victor, 2015).
iv) Mining
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In the modern world, many nations greatly depend on metallurgical industries and mining.
Minerals and metals are in most cases the raw materials used in the manufacturing,
transportation and manufacturing industries. From the extraction of the minerals to delivery and
marketing of the mineral and metals, this accounts for almost 5% of all the greenhouse gases
which are emitted.
v) Overconsumption
Overconsumption of resources also plays Avery important role in global warming.
Overconsumption leads to overexploitation of natural resources such as forests which
accumulation of greenhouse gases thus global warming.
The figure below shows the main sources of greenhouse gases.
Fig 3: sources of greenhouse gases.
The figure below is an illustration of the greenhouse effect.
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Fig 4: Greenhouse effect
Effects of climate change
There are many effects which are associated with global warming and they include;
i) Effects on biodiversity
The gradual increase of the surface temperatures and climate disorders disturbs the overall
ecosystem, whereby it modifies the conditions and leads to the recycling of plant
productions. The overexploitation of resources and climate change is slowly changing the life
habits and migratory cycles of animals (Houghton, 2017).
ii) Effects on oceans
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Ice and permafrost are melting at high rates at the poles due to the gradual increase of surface
temperature, this leads to an increase in the sea level at a faster rate. The high amount of
carbon dioxide which is produced leads to acidification of the water bodies this poses a lot of
danger to the coral reefs and seashells.
iii) Effects on human beings
Global warming has adverse effects on human beings. Climate change and global warming
greatly affect the global economy. Global warming is greatly shaking health, social and
geopolitical balances in different parts of the universe. The Scarcity of resources like energy
and food has greatly given rise to new conflicts in different parts of the world. The rising sea
levels and frequent floods are causing population migration.
iv) Effects on the weather
For many years now, climatologists and meteorologists around the globe have been watching
the effects of global warming on phenomena and the effects are very massive such as there is
the increased intensity of drought and increased number of natural resources such as
hurricanes, wildfires, and storms.
The figure below shows the effects of global warming.
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Climate change prevention
i) Use of renewable energies
Doing away with fossil fuels is one of the ways through which Global warming can be
prevented and controlled, the available alternatives are the use of renewable energies such as
wind, biomass, and soil.
ii) Water and energy efficiency
The production of clean energy is very essential, but reducing the energy consumption of
water and energy by the use of more efficient devices such as LED light bulbs, the innovative
shower system is less costly and at the same time.
iii) Sustainable transport
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Promoting carpooling, electric mobility and public transport can greatly help in the reduction
of carbon dioxide emissions hence reducing the chances of global warming (Letcher, 2013).
iv) Sustainable infrastructure
There is need to construct new low energy buildings and to renovate the existing structures in
order to minimize the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from the buildings as a result of
lighting, hot water systems, and air conditioning systems.
v) Sustainable forest and agriculture management
Promoting better utilization of natural resources by campaigning against massive
deforestation as well as making agricultural greener and more efficient should be given high
priority.
vi) Responsible consumption and recycling
Adopting responsible consumption practice is very essential, be it regarding food, clothing,
cleaning and cosmetic products. Finally, recycling is required to deal with wastes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the effects of global warming poses many threats , one of the main effects of
climate change is the effects on the quantity and quality of water resources and the overall
crop productivity. It can be concluded that the Punjab Ludhiana area is highly sensitive to
climate change. The agricultural sector in Punjab will be the most affected by the climate
change and it will greatly directly affects the residents of Punjab Ludhiana.
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References
Hawken, P. (2016). Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse
Global Warming. London: Penguin Books Limited.
Houghton, J. (2017). Global Warming: The Complete Briefing. London: Cambridge University
Press.
Letcher, T. M. (2013). Managing Global Warming: An Interface of Technology and Human
Issues. Sydney: Elsevier Science.
Singer, S. F. (2018). Unstoppable Global Warming. Chicago: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Victor, D. (2015). Global Warming Gridlock: Creating More Effective Strategies for Protecting
the Planet. Texas: Cambridge University Press.
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