JOIN USThe issue of climate change has hit home like never before. And Bengaluru too is bearing the brunt of it.
“This year in April and May, I travelled to all corners of India, from rural Rajasthan to interior Tamil Nadu, and I can say that Bangalore still remained one of the hottest places I was in. I was shocked at this rapid deterioration of Bangalore's local climate,” says Aarti Mohan, co-founder and head of Knowledge at Sattva.
Liza Rego, a professional, adds, “I come from a perpetually hot and humid place so Bengaluru was like a dream come true. However, in the last couple of years, the weather has become increasingly unpleasant and unpredictable. The speed with which the temperatures keep fluctuating is definitely taking a toll on my health.”The signs are visible and ominous. The fish kill in Ulsoor Lake, for example. Though a number of factors contributed to this phenomenon, unprecedented high temperatures played a major part in promoting the reduction of dissolved oxygen levels in the water, which led to the fish kill. And it has become an almost annual occurrence in Bengaluru’s dying lakes.
“The El Nino phenomenon had an influence on the weather this time but still we can’t discount the worrying effects of climate change,” says Professor Govindasamy Bala of the Divecha Centre for Climate Change, IISc. “There has been a rapid increase in pre-monsoon temperatures over the years and it has severely impacted the health of the people.”
What lies ahead is worse. Remember the time the water ran out while you were taking a bath? It could become much more frequent now. With water wars starting to break out among neighbouring states and the rates of bottled water sky rocketing, the future looks bleak. Also, climate-related impact on water resources can undermine the 2 dominant forms of power generation in India — hydro and thermal.
Unseasonal rainfall is another concern. Crop failure lead to an increase in the prices of pulses and vegetables, and this situation is likely to be repeated frequently now.
“Hotter summers, colder winters, sporadic monsoons- we have all felt the effects of climate change,” says Ankush Agrawal, a professional. “Scientists and experts may be divided in their opinions but our daily lives have been impacted. We need to realise the value of our resources. Globally, governments have to promote a more sustainable way of living among their people. The time for blame games is past and decisive action is needed now,” he says.
“Start with being more energy efficient with home appliances, switch to reusables, carpool or take public transport when you can, harvest rain water, compost your organic everyday waste, don’t waste food — all this will save a lot in terms of green house gas emissions,” says Aarti. “We have devised 2 methods to combat this,” says Professor Bala. “One is the ‘green roof method’ which aims to increase green cover of cities with methods like setting up roof top gardens. The other is ‘cool roof method’ which involves using light coloured material for roofs and pavements because such surfaces will then reflect more sunlight than absorbing it.”