by Bengaluru, India (AP) – Every year from June to September a number of heavy rains, which are known as monsoons, sweep the heat, irrigate the farms of the country and fill its rivers.
With increasing global warmth, however, the rain becomes more unpredictable and intensive and creates the conditions for fatal floods. Almost 1,300 people died of heavy rain and floods in India during 2024. This year, this year, in the South Asian region, which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives and Nepal.
Climate experts say that the high temperatures and the heavy rain also contribute to melting glaciers in the Berghemalaya region and cause catastrophic floods and landslides.
The monsoon time becomes more dangerous
The South Asian region traditionally had two monsoons. It usually takes from June to September because the rain moves south to the northeast. The other moves in the opposite direction from around October to December.
But with more planet warming gases in the air, the rain now only follows loose of this pattern. This is because the warmer air can keep more moisture from the Indian ocean and this rain is then unloaded at once. This means that the MONSUN is interrupted with intensive flood and drying monines instead of staying through the rain.
“We are experiencing a clear climate change of the monsoon patterns across South Asia,” said Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune and author of several climate reports from the United Nations.
Traditionally, people in India and neighboring countries excitedly expected the monsoon rain, which would finally mean the end of the summer heat. However, the settings change when the disasters increase in rainy times.
“The frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events are increasing, often overwhelming drainage infrastructure in urban areas and triggers fall floods,” said Koll.
Higher temperatures and longer drought time also make agriculture more difficult in South Asia, said climate experts.
“More than 60% of people in South Asia are dependent on agriculture, and almost all of them depend on the monsoon rain,” said Finu Shreshta, a climate scientist at Kathmandu, the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal.
Mountain regions see more glacier lakes floating
In a report by Shreshta from 2023 it was found that glaciers melt into the Hindu Kush and Himalaya Mountain Ranges with unprecedented installments. The study showed that at least 200 of the more than 2,000 glacier lakes in the region are exposed to the risk of abundance, which can cause catastrophic damage. Heavy monsoon rain can tighten the problem.
“Many mountain areas tend to have more warming than the global average, which means that more glaciers melt,” said Miriam Jackson, Glaciologist at the International Cryosphere climate.
A Lake Glacier overflow in October 2023 in the Indian state of Sikkim triggered floods, in which 55 people and damage bridged, buildings and construction under construction killed.
Strong rainfall and increasing heat lead to snow and ice avalanches, rocks and other events that the lakes can trigger for injury or overflow, said Shreshta.
“Even small glacier lakes are breaking and causing damage,” she said.
Early warning systems and long -term planning can help
The installation of early warning systems and the structure in less risky areas can help to reduce damage caused by heavy rainfall, according to climate experts.
“If you know that a flood comes, people can get to a higher soil, and there could be a kind of standard early warning system along a river that sends a siren,” said Jackson and added that social media and messaging applications can help people spread warnings downstream.
Koll, the scientist based in Pune, said that rapid urbanization, shrinking meadows and loss of natural drainage also worsen the damage due to heavy rainfall. Koll said that most of the government’s reaction is currently coming to disasters and that there is a lack of long -term planning.
“In the future monsoon, extreme rains are forecast alongside sporadic water shortages. Therefore, we need proactive, long -term strategies that combine science, politics and commitment of the community,” he said.
However, Jackson said that the biggest problem is to try to reduce the emissions of planeted heating gases because the adaptation of extreme weather gives limits.
“If we continue with the business and have the same emissions as usual, the world will be getting warmer and more intense rain and flooding. At some point we could go beyond the limits of adaptation,” she said.
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