The IPCC released the 2nd part of its 6th assessment report on February 28. It deals with climate change impacts, risks and vulnerabilities, and adaptation measures.
- For the first time, the panel has come out with regional assessments, even focussing on mega-cities, in its report.
Salient Features of IPCC report
- India is one of the most vulnerable countries globally in terms of the population that will be affected by sea-level rise.
- The rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt.
- The report notes that most of the targets that countries have set for themselves are too far in the future to have an impact in the short term at meaningfully reducing the climate impact.
- Climate change has hurt agricultural production, and droughts have been a major driver of food insecurity.
- Droughts ate into over 454 million hectares (ha) of cropland, which forms three-quarters of the global harvested area, during 1983-2009, the report stated. The cumulative production losses corresponded to $166 billion (Rs 12.5 lakh crore).
- Wet bulb temperature: A major point of emphasis of the report, particularly for South Asia, is the trend in the ‘wet bulb’ temperature — an index of the impact of heat and humidity combined — and its effect on health. Lucknow and Patna, according to one of several studies cited in the report, were among the cities predicted to reach wet-bulb temperatures of 35°C if emissions continued to rise, while Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Mumbai, Indore, and Ahmedabad are ‘at risk’ of reaching wet-bulb temperatures of 32°C-34°C with continued emissions.
- Global sea levels will likely rise 44cm-76cm this century if governments meet their current emission-cutting pledges. But with higher emissions, and if ice sheets collapse more quickly than expected, sea levels could rise as much as 2 metres this century and 5m by 2150.
- By the middle of the century, around 35 million of India’s people could face annual coastal flooding, with 45 million-50 million at risk by the end of the century if emissions are high.
