climate change an advantage to Andhra pradesh

Climate change - Andhra Pradesh

After a series of natural calamities that wreaked havoc on the coastal Andhra Pradesh  in the last two years, a major study concluded that Andhra Pradesh  will be a major beneficiary of climate change that will take place in the country in next 20 years.

Commissioned by union environmental and forest ministry, a study titled climate change and India a 4x4 assessment- A-Sector  and regional analysis for 2030 was conducted by Indian net work of climate change assessment which  comprised 120 institutions and over 220 scientists  and report released by ministry recently.

The study focused on four climate sensitive regions of India, namely Himalayan, western Ghats, coastal and north eastern region. The four key sectors  that were taken up were  agriculture,water,natural eco-system and bio-diversity and health. Of these Andhra Pradesh (AP) is slated to be considerably gain in agriculture and health sectors.

As per study, the temperature in 2030 ,in comparison to temperature in 1970 in eastern coastal region will increase by 1.6 degrees Celsius to 2.1 degree Celsius.

By 2030 the number of rainy days in coastal region including A.P. is likely to decrease by 1-5 days while intensity of rain fall is likely to between 1mm to 4 mm for day. With regard to increase in rain fall,eatern coastal region is likely to see an increase of annual rain fall between  0.2 to 4.4 per cent. While study predicted that cyclone disturbances in both coasts will decrease by 2030 it cautioned that they would be more intense.

The warming of climate and increase in precipitation over the next two decades will work to the advantage of Andhra Pradesh by increasing productivity of rice, maize and coconut the major crops of the state coastal region ,the study held. According to the report, the changes in weather are conducive to fertilization in major crops. As per rice yield will increase by 10 per cent thought the coastal region while rise in north Andhra Pradesh  will be less than 5 per cent.

As per as maize crop concerned, the study  predicts that climate change will be adversely affect most 9000 km, long coast of country but benefit most of coastal districts in the state. While changes will lead  to a much higher projected yield loss of irrigated maize between  15 and 50 per cent, yield loss of rain fed-maize will be about 35 per cent.

“In some districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh rain-fed maize yield  are likely to increase to 10 per cent” the study said.

With regard to coconut crop the study predicted a 10 per cent increase in coconut yield in north -coastal Andhra districts, Orissa ,Gujarat Tamilnadu and Karnataka will be adversely  affected by 40 per cent.

For AP an important benefit with regard to climate change is health sector. According to study the rise temperature  over the next decades will become unfavorable for spread of malaria which kills hundreds of people in the state every year. “ southern coastal districts of AP  transmission window for malaria parasites will be only 4-6 months in 2030 in comparison to 7-9 months in the base line scenario of 1970.” the study said, adding that this would mean that the chances getting infected by parasite will be drastically fall in north coastal part which bears the brunt disease every year.