Nagpur: While extreme floods have been concerning the country, killing a large number of people, scientific analysis has revealed that there has been a six-fold increase in the frequency of extreme flood events in the last 50 years.
More than 10.23 million people in the state continue to be exposed to disaster events.
The latest analysis conducted by experts from the council on energy, the environment and water (CEEW) was revealed that the main hotspots of extreme floods were Mumbai District, Thane and Ratnagiri.
“Mumbai has witnessed a three-fold increase in the frequency of extreme flood events in the last 50 years.
In the past decade, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Solapur and Satara districts also witnessed an increase in the frequency of storm waves, often intensifying in cyclones,” the analysis was stated.
According to experts, climate vulnerable countries such as Maharashtra need to accelerate the climate examination of infrastructure, industry and critical society.
“Countries on the east and west coast witness the impact of compounding climate risk and damage to ecosystems,” said Climate Expert Abinash Mohanty.
Mohanty, who also led the program in the CEE, added, “Restoring natural ecosystems such as mangrove forests, forests and wetlands can reduce microclimatic changes that cause an increase in dry mantras and desertification, and acting as shock absorbers on other extreme events such as floods and cyclones.
“This analysis also highlights the vulnerability of Goa, which sees a four-fold increase in storm waves and cyclone events in the last 50 years.
“While North Goa is more exposed to coastal floods rather than South Goa, the two parts are exposed to a surge in storms and cyclones.
The frequency of storm and cyclone waves is slightly higher in northern cave compared to southern covers in the past two decades,” said, adding that the events related to typhoon Others included sea level rise, heavy rainfall, storm also increased six-folding in the state since 2005.
In mitigation measures that require hours, Mohanty said that the state can protect the livelihood and infrastructure better by conducting climate risk assessment micro.
“This can be done by using climate risk atlas and by issuing impact-based public warnings and forming an integrated emergency response framework to overcome the effects of consideration of extreme events and recovery of assistance and reconstruction,” he added.
Toi has reported the previous day that India is one of five countries in the world which shows a high increase in the population exposed to severe floods.
More than 5,000 people have been killed and around 70 lakh displaced between 2003-2018 in the country because of extreme weather events.