Ram Rattan Sharma
Environmental change, especially climate change, is significantly intensifying and increasing the frequency of natural disasters. The warming of the planet alters earth’s climatic systems, leading to more extreme weather events. These changes affect disasters related to weather and water such as droughts, floods, storms and wildfires.
How environmental change drives Natural Disasters:-The primary mechanism is the increase in global temperatures, which affects the planets energy and water cycles. This leads to a domino effect on various weather patterns and natural hazards.
Droughts and Wildfires:-Higher temperatures increase evaporation, which can lead to more prolonged and intense droughts in many regions. Dry soil and vegetation create a tinder box, making it easier for wildfires to start and spread rapidly. This also lengthens the wildfire season.
Flooding:-The combination of more intense rainfall and rising sea levels contributes to more frequent and severe flooding. Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable as rising sea levels make storm surges more powerful. Heavy precipitation can overwhelm river system spread in land flooding.
Heat waves:-As average global temperatures rise, the frequency and intensity of heat waves increase. These extreme heat events can be deadly causing heat-related illnesses and putting stress on infrastructure.
The Vicious Cycle:-Environmental change and natural disasters can create a feedback loop. For example, wild fires, which are made worse by climate change, release vast amounts of carbon dioxide and other green house gases in to the atmosphere, contributing to further warming and a higher risk of future fires.Similarly, the destruction of costal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs by powerful storms reduces natural protection against future storm surges and erosion.
Environmental Change is not just a driver of natural disasters, it is a fundamental amplifier, making them more frequent more intense and more destructive. The efforts go beyond just a warming climate, encompassing a range of human caused environmental shifts that weaken the planet’s natural defenses.
Climate change:-The primary catalyst Climate change is the most significant factor linking environmental change to disasters. The increase in global average temperatures, driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels, fundamentally alters Earth’s climate system.
Extreme Weather:-A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, , leading to more intense rainfall and severe flooding. This same heat also increases evaporation from land, making droughts longer and more severe, which in turn fuels larger and more frequent wildfires.
Warming Oceans:-The oceans absorb a significant amount of this excess heat, this warming provides more energy for tropical storms, incrasing their wind speed and destructive power. Hurricane and typhoon seasons are becoming more intense, with “once –in a hundred –years” storms happening with alarming frequency.
Sea level rise:-The expansion of warming ocean water and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets are causing global sea levels to rise. This makes costal areas more vulnerable to storm surges and flooding permanently inundating low lying regions.
Environmental degradation and Disaster Risk:-Beyond climate change, human-induced environmental degradation directly increases the risk of certain natural disasters. This involves changes to land and ecosystems that remove natural barriers and increase vulnerability.
Deforestation:-Forests act as natural sponges, absorbing rainwater and anchoring soil with their roots when forests are cleared, this vital function is lost. This leads to increased surface run off, which can trigger severe flooding and landslides. Deforestation also exacerbates droughts by disrupting local rainfall patterns.
Wet land destruction:-Wetlands such as marshes and swamps are crucial for flood control. They act as natural flored plains, storing excess water and releasing it slowly. When wetlands are filled in for development, this buffer is removed, increasing the risk of urban and rural flooding.
Costal Ecosystem Loss:-Costal Ecosystems like mangrove forests and coral reefs are a community’s first line of defense against powerful surges and erosion. When these are destroyed by development or pollution, coastal communities are left exposed and highly vulnerable to the full force of hurricanes and other storms.
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