Evaluating Disaster Preparedness: Climate Change Effects on India

This essay examines the impact of climate change on India and the country's disaster preparedness measures. It highlights the urgent need to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources to mitigate the effects of climate change, which are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of harsh weather conditions. The essay also addresses the challenges in linking climate adaptation plans with risk management strategies at the village level, where awareness and responsibility are lacking. It further points out the institutional and legal framework gaps that hinder effective integration of risk management and climate change adaptations, suggesting that intervention mechanisms should align with risk management procedures. The study references various works emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change for sustainable development and disaster risk reduction in India. Desklib offers more resources for students.

Running head: CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN INDIA 1
Climate Change and Disaster Preparedness in India
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CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN INDIA 2
The most recent climate changes in India reveal that it is the ideal time to stop using
fossil fuels and avoid all the technologies that could alter the climate (Pathak, Pramanik, Kumar,
& Khanna, 2015). Critically, climate change is the most serious environmental challenge facing
not only India but the entire plant today. The earliest action is required to save the ecological
biodiversity and avert all the threat that climate change poses to the habitats of all living
organisms. Essentially, when the ecosystem is altered, the people’s livelihoods are usually
exposed to much danger. An entire energy revolution is required whereby the planet will be
moving from nuclear and fossil generated fuels to renewable energy sources. The effect of
human activity on the environment is much evident in India. Fortunately, the country already has
alternative and proven energy sources that will ensure sustainable development. However, the
shift from non-renewable energy has proved to be rather challenging and could be delayed. This
calls for disaster preparedness if the country is to survive the turbulence occasioned by climate
change.
Primarily, climate change is expected to lead to a rise in both the frequency and intensity
of the harsh weather conditions (Mall, 2015). Additionally, there is much likelihood that climate
change will bring forth new disasters and vulnerabilities with varied socio-economic effects to
the Indians. Particularly, the impact will influence the resilience of the susceptible communities
and the poor which make up a considerable percentage of the Indian population. The increased
processes of land development coupled with rapid industrialization and agricultural practices
increase the risk of climate change. People settled in vulnerable zones are left with no choice but
migrate to alternative areas which are already overpopulated. The hydrological system in India
has been highly modified consequently resulting in the fall of the water table.

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Following the perceived danger of climate change, India has been working tirelessly to
minimize the effects likely to occur (Mukherjee, 2016). Such includes the climate adaptation
plans which have been adopted in the entire Asian continent. However, there are some
controversies surrounding the matter. Even though a change in climate is expected to cause many
natural disasters the links between the adaptation plans and risk management plans are
questionable. At the village levels, populations still perceive climate change as a distant
phenomenon that is unlikely to occur and soon. Other populations still remain unaware of the
grave effects of climate change and are still oblivious to taking their responsibilities in
addressing the issue.
Ideally, climate change appears as a novelty, a new type of challenge, to the firms
responsible for risk management and disaster reduction. These agencies are still jiggling with the
responses needed at different levels. They are yet to determine the most appropriate responses
for smaller and larger geographical areas (Satylkanov, 2018). While climate change is a non-
delocalised occurrence, which will pose a challenge to various administrative structures in
specific areas, the weather impacts vary in magnitude resulting to different impact rates. The
institutional and legal frameworks necessary for the integration of risk management and climate
change adaptations are not in place. This implies that the disaster preparedness in India related to
climate change disasters is faulty. Preferably, the intervention mechanisms should go hand in
hand with the risk management procedures.

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References
Mall, R. (2015). Climate change and disaster management in India: Special reference to water
resources. Earth and Environmental Science, 6, 1-2.
Mukherjee, M. M. (2016). Global Warming and Climate Change. Pacific Journal of, 3(1), 28-34.
Pathak, S., Pramanik, P., Kumar, A., & Khanna, M. (2015). Climate change and water
availability in Indian agriculture: Impacts and adaptation. Indian Journal of Agricultural
Sciences, 84(6), 671-679.
Satylkanov, R. (2018). Ablation of Ice and Snow of Kara-Batkak Glacier and Its Impact on River
Flow. Journal of Climate Change, 4(2), 1-14.