Download Impact of Climate Change on Health and Adaptation

Impact of Climate Change
on Health and Adaptation
Strategies in Mountainous
Areas of Kashmir
Prof. Rais Akhtar
INTRODUCTION:
• Kashmir Mountainous region is known for its amazing beauty. Its
beautiful Dal Lake and Gulmarg and Pahalgam tourist spots, is
blessed with rich terrestrial and aquatic biological wealth of years,
changing environmental conditions, mostly of anthropogenic origin,
have increasingly threatened the existence of biodiversity of various
habitats.
• The relatively hospitable mountain regions are under pressure from
human settlement-use of cement and iron in the construction of
buildings and commercial cultivation have led to degradation and
adverse effects on water supply Human Encroachment in mountain
regions has reduced vegetation cover, which has increased soil
moisture evaporation, erosion, and siltation with adverse effects on
water quality and other resources
Lost Season in Kashmir:• The most discernible impact of the climate changes in
the Kashmir has been felt in the change of seasons.
• For more than a decade now Kashmir has not
experienced a 20-30 days long season called TSONTHa situation that occurred for centuries between the end of
snow winter and spring.
• Tsonth was essentially a rainy season that started
roughly from 1st march and ends in the first week of April
(torrential rains, followed by bright sun shine, melted
away the icicles and heaps of snow produced lot of slush
on ground. The days were cold but pleasant
Kashmir Temperature Rise:
Mean Monthly Max. and Min. Temperature
Max. C
Min. C
Srinagar
30.8 July
-2.5 January
Jammu
40.9 June
8.3 January
Srinagar
32.4 July
-5.4 January.
Jammu
41.7 June
6.3 January.
(1901-1950)
(1979-1996)
Use of Cement and Iron during (1973-74 and 1996-97 in Jammu &
Kashmir.
1973-74
1996-97
Cement (000quintals)
949.0
4564.2
Iron (000 quintals)
699.0
1143.0
Adaptation:• It has rightly been said “the effects of climate change experienced to
be greatest in the developing world especially in countries reliant on
primary production as a major source of income”.(IPCC WG II)
• Adaptative capacity of human system in Kashmir is low due to lack
of economic resources and technology Vulnerability is high due to
heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture, imported food items, frequent
droughts, floods and poverty (especially in rural areas); the urban
areas of Kashmir are more likely to adapt.
• Adaptation suggests that humans are either unwilling or unable to
collectively change their behaviour to a sufficient level to mitigate
stress due to human –induced climate change, and that resources
should be focused on “hardening” the impacted system so that they
might better be able to withstand the increased stress due to climate
change. Successful adaptation requires:
• Technological advances
• Institutional arrangements.
• Availability of financing
• Exchange of information
• The efficient and effectiveness of adaptation strategies will depend
on the availability of financial resources, technology transfer and
cultural, educational, managerial, institutional, legal and regulatory
practices, both domestic and international.
• Some system and geographic locations have better adaptive
capacity than others. The vulnerability to change increases as the
adaptive capacity decreases. The level of economic and institutional
resources in a community or region influences the capability for
adaptation. Less developed countries, more likely to be lacking such
resources, are more vulnerable to negative impacts of climate
change.
Source: Assessment of impacts of climate change, E.S.Takle.
Increased Temperature:
• Early melting of snow during warm winter period
when much water is not required. No water
conservation facility.
• Drought during summer.
• Impact on agriculture
• Contaminated water.
• Decline in respiratory diseases.
• Decline in the use of kangri.
1. Water
• Glacier will melt, Glofs cause flash floods. A decrease in
water supplies in some regions. More landslides and
infrastructure damage. Severel droughts in some regions
2. Agriculture
• Higher carbon dioxide levels and water temperature may
increase grain yield in some regions.
• Rice yielding may decline.
•
Warmer water will threaten fish farms
• Irregular monsoon pattern will delay rice planting.
4. Health:
• Health related illness as well as Cholera
• Water borne diseases will increase
• Malaria may increase.
5. Adaptation:
• Migration and resettlement.
• Community based disaster preparedness land use/ farming
practices will change
• Cropping pattern will change
• Early warning system for disaster forecasting.
Source: Based on climate change , land, use transition and human
health in the Himalayas, on ICIMOD perspective by M. Eriksson and
Jiachu xu.
Climate Variability:
• Increased Temperature
• Adaptation Strategies (Individual level)
• Primary Prevention: Changing health behavior
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Drinking water frequently
Use of electronic fans/air conditioners.
Housing design changing
Cross ventilation
Large windows
Use of bed net increased
Use of insecticides increased.
Water storage capacity increased.
Use of electric blankets
Insalation of the house.
Decline in Kangri use
Decline in HAMMAM provision
Adaptation Strategies (Community level)
• Spending time in gardens (particularly during weekends)
• Shift of kitchen on the first floor of the house
• Tube wells being installed
• Increased availability.
• Consumption of soft drinks etc.
Adaptation Strategies (Government level)
• Change in office working hours.
• Strengthening water supply
• Strengthening health care infrastructure
Government Measures
Secondary Prevention
• Disease surveillance (very poor)
Tertiary Prevention
• Health care measures (Grossly inadequate and
inequalities persists)
• Incidence of Disease (First and Second Ranking
2000-01)
Name of the District:
• Srinagar (Mountainous)
• First Rank - Acute Respiratory infection -
1,98,820
• Second Rank- Acute Diarrhoeal disease -
57765
• Kathua(Plains)
• First Rank -
Viral fever
-
46,027
• Second Rank -
Acute Diarrhoeal
-
38,050
Adaptation Policy Framework (APF):
At a more operational level, there are at least five important
objectives:
Increasing the robustness of infrastructure design and long-term investments;
Increasing the flexibility and resilience of managed natural systems and social
systems;
Enhancing the adaptation of vulnerable natural system;
Reversing trends that increase vulnerability (also termed maladaptation); and
Improving social awareness and preparedness for future climate change.
More emphasis should be placed on No. 1 and 5.
Source: - Adaptation Policy Framework: Final Draft