The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth assessment report (AR6) of working group 1 — ‘The Physical Science Basis’ has reinforced our worst fears about the state of climate. The signs of climate change have been visible for some time now. Extreme events in different parts of the world — heat waves in North America, floods in Europe and Asia, and droughts in Africa — have left a trail of destruction and death, challenging the disaster management systems in place.
Recently, India witnessed two intense cyclones, devastating floods in the states of Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, and extreme temperatures, leading to heat waves. Deaths have also been reported with melting glaciers causing flash floods in the Himalayan region, and landslides in Uttarakhand, lightning strikes and thunderstorms in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
