Study Finds Climate Change Made Wayanad Landslides Worse
A recent study by World Weather Attribution (WWA) revealed that the landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, were exacerbated by climate change. The study found that the rainfall on July 30 was about 10% heavier due to human-caused climate change, making it a ‘once in a 50-year event’.
Key Findings
The study was conducted by 24 researchers from various countries, including India, Malaysia, the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It highlighted the need for rigorous assessments of landslide risks and improved early warning systems in northern Kerala to prevent future disasters.
According to the study, climate models indicate a 10% increase in rainfall intensity. If global temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, even heavier one-day rainfall events are expected, with a further 4% increase in intensity.
Contributing Factors
The study pointed out that single-day heavy rainfall events in Kerala are becoming more common due to climate change. Factors like quarrying for building materials and a 62% decrease in forest cover in Wayanad from 1950 to 2018 have increased the area’s vulnerability to landslides during intense rainfall.
Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, stated, ‘The Wayanad landslides are another catastrophic example of climate change playing out in real-time. The extreme burst of rain that dislodged an entire hillside and buried hundreds of people was intensified by human-caused warming.’
Recommendations
The study suggests that minimizing deforestation and quarrying, while improving early warning and evacuation systems, will help protect people in northern Kerala from future landslides and floods. It also emphasizes the need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy to prevent such extreme weather events from becoming more frequent.
Maja Vahlberg, a climate risk consultant at Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, added, ‘As well as moving away from fossil fuels, the world needs to adapt to extreme weather. The rainfall that triggered the landslides occurred in a region of Wayanad that has the highest landslide risk in the state.’
Doubts Revealed
Climate Change -: Climate change means the Earth’s weather is getting warmer and more unpredictable because of pollution and other human activities.
Wayanad -: Wayanad is a district in the state of Kerala, India, known for its beautiful hills and forests.
Landslides -: Landslides happen when rocks and soil slide down a hill or mountain, often caused by heavy rain or earthquakes.
World Weather Attribution -: World Weather Attribution is a group of scientists who study how climate change affects extreme weather events.
Deforestation -: Deforestation means cutting down trees in forests, which can make the land weaker and more likely to slide.
Quarrying -: Quarrying is digging into the ground to take out stones and minerals, which can make the land unstable.
Fossil Fuels -: Fossil fuels are energy sources like coal, oil, and gas that come from ancient plants and animals. They pollute the air when burned.
Renewable Energy -: Renewable energy comes from natural sources like the sun, wind, and water, which don’t run out and are cleaner for the environment.
