A study by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP)—a Bangalore-based think tank—on the climate of eastern India underscores the need for climate risk mapping and climate action. The study ‘District-Level Changes in Climate: Historical Climate and Climate Change Projections for the Eastern States of India’ projects changes in temperature and rainfall patterns in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal—the eastern states of India—over the next three decades compared to the historical period (1990–2019). It analysed two representative scenarios: moderate emissions (RCP 4.5) and high emissions (RCP 8.5).
The climate projections indicate that conditions will become worse in the eastern Indian states, which are flood-prone. Given that droughts have also been witnessed by these states in the past, it is imperative to integrate climate information into planning and decision-making so as to climate-proof the districts of eastern India from floods and droughts. Cohesive planning that is cognizant of changes in climate will not only climate-proof investments but also buffer loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure from extreme climate events.
Read the full report here.
