MUMBAI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Incessant rainfall seen in India's western state of Maharashtra among other regions in the country could be attributed to climate change, according to a climate change expert.
Speaking to Xinhua New Agency on Tuesday, A. Nambi Appadurai, Director (Climate Resilience Practice), World Resources Institute (WRI India), said, "This year monsoon is characterized by unexpected variability, especially in terms of increased atmospheric moisture levels. The evidence suggests that there is a distinct change in climate patterns over the years."
WRI is a global research organization that works for sustainable cities by improving environment, economic opportunity and human well-being.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the regional distribution of rainfall for the Southern Peninsula has witnessed a 30-percent increase in rainfall for the period between June 1 and July 25 this year than the normal rainfall for this said period.
In the western state of Maharashtra, IMD officials said the July rainfall was 45 percent above normal that had seen several landslides and flooding leading to 192 deaths so far.
"Between 2001 and 2010 there is about a 52-percent increase in cyclonic activities over the Arabian sea. More moisture is brought by cyclones over the Arabian sea resulting in high rainfall. There are also torrential localized cloud bursts observed in the region which accounts for the flooding," Appadurai said.
In 2019, India was ranked as the seventh most climate-affected country according to the Global Climate Risk Index.
There has been a huge increase in terms of disaster-related loss. But one positive aspect is because of the advancement in early warning systems and other available tools, the loss of lives due to extreme events is witnessing a decreasing trend compared to the last decades, he said. Enditem
