Greenpeace predicts the risk of destructive climate change

A recent study by an NGO, Greenpeace ‘Blue Alert – Climate Migrants in South Asia: Estimates and Solutions’ estimates that 125 million people could be displaced in South East Asia by 2100 if global temperatures will rise by 4-5 °C.

The study headed by Dr Sudhir Chella Rajan, a professor of Humanities at IIT Madras cautioned mass migration will take place if temperature increases due to climate change which in turn will be responsible for rising sea levels, and droughts associated with shrinking water supplies and changes to the Monsoon season.

Dr Rajuan said, “India should seek policy options that are proactive in terms of developing international strategies to reduce the risk of destructive climate change. We cannot wait for the inevitable to happen and hope to adapt to it.”

Greenpeace International climate and energy campaigner, Stephanie Tunmore said, “This is yet more evidence of the humanitarian disaster that will unfold if we fail to be guided by the science of climate change and act to reduce our emissions. It is also further confirmation that climate change will hit the poorest nations, where people are most vulnerable, first and hardest”.

Since long climatic change has become a subject of political debate but nothing concrete has been accomplished in this regards. The new report is alarming as it projects that a major part of Mumbai will be swallowed by sea including Gateway of India; Parsi Gymkhana at Marine Drive, parts of Bandra-Kurla Complex, Juhu aerodrome, parts of Essel World and Mira road-Bhayander. The report put low elevation coastal zone (less than 10 meters above average sea level) at higher risk.

However, many scientists and experts opined that the report has been exaggerated a lot and disapproved the prediction.

But Greenpeace organisation’s activist have taken the onus to raise awareness among people about the impacts of climate change which will give rise to extreme weather phenomenon from water crisis to change in agricultural yield.

Even though government does not put its belief in the report it has become necessary that every citizen should participate in sharing the burden of climatic changes through various methods of energy conservation.

However, the change of weather phenomenon has become evident in our daily lives; there are reports that if emissions of greenhouse gases go unchecked the temperature will soar and will prove catastrophic. Reportedly, Temperatures already rose by about 0.7 Celsius in the 20th century.