Dynamics of Climate Change in India -An Analysis

Abstract

According to the United Nations, Climate change refers to long term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns and these shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. Climate change will affect the basic elements of life for people around the world, like access to water, food production, health, and the environment, and also present a range of risks and impacts that are expected to negatively impact our economy. These risks include property loss and damage, infrastructure and service costs, and risks to financial stability. The sectorial and regional analysis around the world economy shows that the impact of climate change spreads across all the sectors and regions, with the biggest negative impact on the health and agricultural sectors. From a national perspective, agriculture, electricity production, energy, human health, and forestry are all directly linked and very vulnerable to impacts from climate change. Climate change has inevitably started altering the climatic dimensions and is now causing substantial damage to the Indian economy. India is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. It has one of the highest densities of economic activity in the world and very large numbers of poor people who rely on the natural resource base for their livelihoods, with a high dependence on rainfall. The negative impact of climate change is unavoidable and will have significant economic, social, and environmental impacts. People will need to adapt in order to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and capitalise on new opportunities. This means taking actions that mitigate the negative effects of climate change while capitalizing on potential new opportunities. The real challenge for developing countries like India is to build a balance between the required growth and ensuring minimal damage to the environment.