India Plagued With Extreme Climate Events, But Are We Taking the Right Actions?

Currently, as the west coast of India is still reeling from the fury of the deadly monsoons, over 150 people have already lost their lives in Maharashtra from landslides and floods triggered by the overwhelming rains.

(Photo: The Quint)

Flash floods, two fierce cyclones, heat waves, torrential rains, monsoon floods, landslides – why is India witnessing a series of climate-related calamities this year?

Currently, as the west coast of India is still reeling from the fury of the deadly monsoons, over 150 people have already lost their lives in Maharashtra from landslides and floods triggered by the overwhelming rains.

Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, heavy rain caused a series of landlines in the state. In one such incident that was captured on video, huge rocks and boulders cascaded down a hill towards a bridge that resulted in the death of nine tourists who were travelling by a minibus.

But as some parts of India are dealing with extreme rainfall, others have been facing heatwaves that has become a regular phenomenon in the country with temperatures soaring to new highs year after year.

While a severe heatwave gripped Delhi and the rest of northern India in the beginning of July, even cooler areas, like Ladakh in the Himalayan region, recorded high temperatures and heatwaves.

Earlier in February, a flash flood in the Rishiganga river wiped out a hydel power plant in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district. That event, leading to the loss of more than 200 lives. While experts believe that the floods were caused by a glacial burst, they also blame ecologically damaging development activities for this disaster.

And it's not just India that is dealing with extreme climate events. From Germany to China to Canada to US – countries across the world are seeing unprecedented rainfall, record-breaking scorching temperatures and raging wildfires that were already forewarned by climate experts.

What does that say about the future? Can action still be taken to address global warming?

We speak to Research Director and Adjunct Associate Professor at Bharti Institute of Public Policy and the Indian School of Business Anjal Prakash and Navroz K Dubash, professor at Centre for Policy Research. Tune in!