Rising sea,killing heat… study gives a scary picture

The report titled,“Climate Variability and Climate Change: District-Level Scoping Study for Gujarat”, has been prepared with the assistance of Union Ministry of Forest and Environment.

It says the temperature will rise by 2-4 degree Celsius in Ahmedabad,Vadodara and Valsad while in other districts,it will shoot up by 2-3 degrees Celsius. The report says Ahmedabad will face exceptional rise in energy consumption due to increased temperature and will be hit by floods and vector-borne diseases.

Coastal districts like Surat,Bharuch,Bhavnagar,Jamnagar,Kheda,Anand,Rajkot and Valsad will face sea coast erosion,ecological damage,loss of saltpans,frequent crop failures etc.

Kutch will face more frequent cyclones and floods while Mehsana and Patan will face serious changes in crop pattern,the report warns.

It says the number of days when temperature will cross 45 degree Celsius will increase in the coming decades.

The report says the government will need to reconsider the present industrial setup,ports and urban planning in coastal areas.

In its conclusion,the report notes that “population density in coastal areas of the state is low but is increasing fast with new ports,saltpans and other industries activities,something which needs to be considered in new planning”.

“Many of the intertidal areas will submerge permanently due to sea-level rise in the next two-three decades. Serious rethinking is necessary for coastal area development,” it says.