DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (JULY 12, 2022)

THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1.UN POPULATION REPORT 2022: A LOOK AT THE TRENDS, PROJECTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

THE CONTEXT: According to the 2022 edition of the United Nations’ World Population Prospects (WPP), India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in 2023. It also projected the world’s population to reach 8 billion on November 15, 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

What is the World Population Prospects?

  • The Population Division of the UN has been publishing the WPP in a biennial cycle since 1951. Each revision of the WPP provides a historical time series of population indicators starting in 1950. It does so by taking into account newly released national data to revise estimates of past trends in fertility, mortality or international migration.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT

The world population will pass 8 billion at the end of 2022

  • Since 1975 the world has been adding another billion people every 12 years.
  • It passed its last milestone – 7 billion in 2011. And, by the end of 2022, it will pass another one: there will be 8 billion people in the world.
  • While this rate of absolute growth is similar to previous decades, the growth rate continues to fall. Since 2019, the global population growth rate has fallen below 1%.
  • That’s less than half its peak rate of growth – of 2.3% – in the 1960s.
  • As global fertility rates continue to fall (see below), this rate will continue to fall.

The UN estimates around 15 million excess deaths in 2020 and 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic

  • The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on global population and migration trends.
  • We know that the confirmed death toll from COVID-19 is likely to significantly underestimate the true number of deaths because of limited testing. One way to get a better estimate of the total mortality impact of the pandemic is to look at excess mortality data. We can look at the total number of deaths and compare this to the number we expect to occur in a non-pandemic year.
  • In its latest population dataset, the UN estimates that in 2020, there were approximately 5 million excess deaths. In 2021, this figure was 10 million.
  • This estimate of 15 million excess deaths over 2020 and 2021 is in line with estimates from other organizations. The Economist put its central estimate of excess deaths at 17.6 million. The World Health Organization, which is a UN organization, estimated 14.9 million excess deaths.
  • These death figures are highly uncertain. But what’s clear is that the number of confirmed deaths – which was just 5.4 million by the end of 2021 – captures just a fraction of the true impact of the pandemic.

The global population is projected to peak at around 10.4 billion in 2086

The world population has increased rapidly over the last century.  When will it come to an end?

  • Previous versions of the UN World Population Prospects showed a significant slowdown in population growth, with very slow growth – almost reaching a plateau – by the end of the century. In its previous release, it projected that the world population would be around 10.88 billion in 2100 and would not yet have peaked.
  • In this new release, the UN projects that the global population will peak before the end of the century – in 2086 at just over 10.4 billion people.1
  • There are several reasons for this earlier, and lower, peak. One is that the UN expects fertility rates to fall more quickly in low-income countries compared to previous revisions. It also expects less of a ‘rebound’ in fertility rates across high-income countries in the second half of the century.

The global fertility rate has continued to decline to 2.3 births per woman

  • A key determinant of the global population rate is the average number of children that women have over their lifetime – the ‘fertility rate’.
  • Fertility rates have fallen rapidly across the world in recent decades. In 1950, the average woman gave birth around 5 times. Since then, fertility rates have more than halved. In 2021, this global figure was 2.3 births per woman.
  • If you switch to the map tab in the interactive chart you see that most people in the world now live in countries where fertility rates are at – or below – the ‘replacement level’. This is the level at which populations would stabilize or shrink over the long-term. The UN reports that two-thirds of people live in countries where the fertility rate is below 2.1 births per woman. In some high-income countries such as South Korea, Japan, Spain, or Italy, it is as low as 1.3 births per woman.

Next year India is expected to take over from China as the world’s most populous country

  • China has been the world’s most populous country for decades. It is now home to more than 1.4 billion people. However, its population growth rate has fallen significantly following a rapid drop in its fertility rate over the 1970s and 80s.
  • The fertility rate in India has also fallen substantially in recent decades – from 5.7 births per woman in 1950 to just 2 births per woman today. However, the rate of this decline has been slower.
  • Because of this, India will very soon overtake China as the most populous country in the world. The UN expects this to happen in 2023.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2.WHAT IS THE NORD STREAM 1 GAS LINK, WHY ITS SHUTDOWN HAS EUROPE ON EDGE

THE CONTEXT:The Nord Stream 1, Germany’s main source of gas from Russia, was shut down on July 11,2022 for 10 days of scheduled maintenance work.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • There are growing concerns in European countries that Russia would extend the temporary suspension of gas supplies in retaliation against the current sanctions levelled against Moscow.
  • While there have been attempts to reduce the dependence on Russian gas, Germany, which is Europe’s biggest economy, continues to heavily rely on it. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was completed in September 2021 and would double the flow of direct Russian gas to Germany, was suspended in February, (2022) in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
  • The Nord Stream 1, however, continued to be used, whose flow of gas was slashed by 60% in mid-June by Moscow. Russia had blamed the reduction of supplies on the delayed return of a turbine, which was being serviced by Germany’s Siemens Energy in Canada.

What is Nord Stream 1?

  • Nord Stream 1 is a 1,224 km underwater gas pipeline that runs from Vyborg in northwest Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany via the Baltic Sea. Majority owned by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, the pipeline is the primary route through which its gas enters Germany, as reported by Reuters.
  • It transports 55 billion cubic metres of gas a year, of which most goes directly to Germany, while the rest travels west and southwards through onshore links to other countries and into storage caverns.

Germany is Russia’s biggest European gas consumer, and most of it comes through the Nord Stream Pipeline. Its share of Russian gas supplies was 55% in 2021, and currently lies at 35%.

What are Europe’s alternative sources of energy?

There have been growing concerns that there could be further restrictions to European gas supplies, well beyond the scheduled maintenance that has been imposed. European countries rely on Russian energy for their cold winters, but now believe that Russia could weaponize their dependency as a response to their sanction due to the conflict in Ukraine. If Nord Stream 1 does not resume its supply to Europe, it will not have adequate gas supply by the end of the year.

How has Canada stepped in to help Germany?

  • To assist Berlin’s energy crisis, the Canadian government announced it would circumvent its own sanctions and return a repaired Russian gas turbine to Germany that is required for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.
  • While the Canadian government announced that it would introduce fresh sanctions on Russia’s industrial manufacturing sector, that it was introducing a “time-limited and revocable permit” to allow the return of the key component.

3.EXPLAINED: INTERPOL’S ICSE INITIATIVE ON CHILD SEX ABUSE, NOW JOINED BY THE CBI

THE CONTEXT:India’s Central Bureau of Investigation has joined the Interpol’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) initiative that will allow it to collaborate with investigators in other countries for detecting child sex abuse online and identifying abusers, victims, and crime scenes from audio-visual clips using specialised software.

THE EXPLANATION:

  • India is the 68th country to have access to this database and software. According to Interpol on average, the database helps identify seven child victims everyday globally.

What is Interpol?

  • Interpol is the world’s largest international police organisation with 195 member countries, and is headquartered in Lyon, France. Each member country hosts an Interpol National Central Bureau that connects their national law enforcement to it and in India, the CBI is that nodal agency.
  • Formed in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission, and started calling itself Interpol in 1956.
  • India joined the organisation in 1949, and is one of its oldest members.

What is the ICSE database that the CBI has joined?

The ICSE database uses video and image comparison to analyse Child Sex Exploitation Material (CSEM) and make connections between victims, abusers and places. As of July 2022, over 30,000 victims of child abuse and over 13,000 criminals have been identified by the Interpol using this database and software.

  • “The database avoids duplication of effort and saves precious time by letting investigators know whether a series of images has already been discovered or identified in another country, or whether it has similar features to other images,” said the Interpol.
  • Using the image and video comparison software, the investigators attempt to identify locations of markers visible in a piece of media. This can be through the signage nearby, the kind of artwork, photos on a wall, etc. The detectives in all 68 countries of the grouping can further exchange information across the world.
  • “By analysing the digital, visual and audio content of photographs and videos, victim identification experts can retrieve clues, identify any overlap in cases and combine their efforts to locate victims of child sexual abuse,” the Interpol website said.

What has India done to combat online child sex abuse?

  • India reported over 24 lakh instances of online child sexual abuse from 2017 to 2020, with 80% victims being girls below the age of 14 years, according to Interpol data. More than 60% unidentified victims were prepubescent, including infants and toddlers. Around 65% of unidentified victims were girls, but severe abuse images were more likely to have boys, the Interpol said on its website.
  • In 2019, the CBI set up a special unit called the ‘Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention/Investigation (OCSAE)’, for tracking and monitoring posting, circulation and downloads of CSEM online.
  • In 2019, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a US-based non-profit organisation, had started sharing tip-offs about child sex abuse with Indian agencies. Received by the National Crime Records Bureau, this information was passed on to the states where the incidents took place, to boost detection of those sharing such content.

ADD TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE

INTERPOL Notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

 

THE ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

4.EXPLAINED: CAN GREEN TECHNOLOGY HURT MARINE BIODIVERSITY?

THE CONTEXT:Recently, a new study has flagged emerging threats that could have a major impact on marine biodiversity over the next 5-10 years.

THE EXPLANATION:

The study, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, speaks about the negative impacts of green technology adoption that must not be ignored. A technique called ‘horizon scanning’ was used by a team of 30 multidisciplinary experts to arrive at their conclusions.

Green technology impact

  • With increased public pressure against marine plastic pollution, there has been an attempt to replace fossil fuel-based plastic with biodegradable polymers, such the ‘biodegradable plastic bags’ made of plant starches. However, the researchers claim that these materials do not biodegrade under natural conditions in the ocean and their widespread adoption can cause marine litter as well. Since their long term impact on the environment remains unknown, they can lead to a fresh set of problems.
  • The researchers argue that the growing demand for renewable energy technology, such as lithium batteries for electric cars, also pose a potential threat to marine ecology.
  • Deep sea ‘brine pools’ of more saline water, contain higher concentrations of lithium and could become future sites for extraction. The study finds that these ecosystems support diverse species, many of which are largely undiscovered. A rising demand for lithium-powered electric vehicles could put these environments at risk.

Other challenges

  • Overfishing has already been recognised as an immediate problem, with the WTO calling for the prohibition of subsidies towards those engaging in fishing of overfished stocks.
  • The authors project a greater amount of fishing in deeper sea water, in order to address growing concerns of global food security.
  • There are around 10 billion tonnes of small lanternfishes in the mesopelagic zone (a depth of 200m – 1,000m), which are not fit for human consumption but can be sold as food to fish farms, or be used as fertiliser.
  • However, the large-scale harvesting of mesopelagic fish would cause immense environmental damage, because these species act as an ocean pump and remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Horizon scanning

  • It is a technique which seeks to identify novel but poorly known issues that are likely to become important consequences over the next decade.
  • The researchers of the study argue that this methodology is meant to “primarily act as signposts, putting focus on particular issues and providing support for researchers and practitioners to seek investment in these areas” before they have a major impact.
  • It is also an effective way of assembling experts from diverse subject areas to examine common issues and formulate more comprehensive solutions.
  • The horizon scan method has been previously used to identify issues that are now known to have universal environmental impact. A scan from 2009 gave an early warning about the danger that microplastics (tiny plastic debris smaller than 5 mm) pose to marine environments. Since then, countries such as the US and UK have banned cosmetics from containing microbeads.

VALUE ADDITION:

What are plastic microbeads?

Plastic microbeads are a category of microplastics, which are generally very, very small—and are sometimes even difficult to see. Microbeads also are often wrongly confused with plastic pellets, which are the basic form of plastic raw materials used in manufacturing, and are generally in the shape of a cylinder or disk, and around 2-3 millimeters in size.

THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

5.WHAT IS THE SARFAESI ACT, INVOKED AGAINST TELECOM PROVIDER GTL?

THE CONTEXT:Banks have invoked the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act against telecom infrastructure provider GTL to recover their pending dues.

THE EXPLANATION:

According to report, recovery action has been initiated by IDBI Bank on behalf of lenders, whose total exposure to GTL stood at Rs 7,250 crore as of December 31, 2021.

What is the SARFAESI Act?

  • The SARFAESI Act of 2002 was brought in to guard financial institutions against loan defaulters.
  • To recover their bad debts, the banks under this law can take control of securities pledged against the loan, manage or sell them to recover dues without court intervention.
  • The law is applicable throughout the country and covers all assets, movable or immovable, promised as security to the lender.

Aim of the SARFAESI Act:

The SARFAESI Act has two main objectives:

  • Recovering the financial institutions’ and banks’ non-performing assets (NPAs) in a timely and effective manner.
  • Allows financial organisations and banks to sell residential and commercial assets at auction if a borrower defaults on his or her debt.

Why was such a law needed?

  • Before the law was enacted in December 2002, banks and other financial institutions were forced to take a lengthy route to recover their bad debts. The lenders would appeal in civil courts or designated tribunals to get hold of ‘security interests’ to recovery of defaulting loans, which in turn made the recovery slow and added to the growing list of lender’s non-performing assets.

What powers do banks have under the law?

  • The Act comes into play if a borrower defaults on his or her payments for more than six months. The lender then can send a notice to the borrower to clear the dues within 60 days. In case that doesn’t happen, the financial institution has the right to take possession of the secured assets and sell, transfer or manage them.
  • The defaulter, meanwhile, has a recourse to move an appellate authority set up under the law within 30 days of receiving a notice from the lender. According to a 2020 Supreme Court judgment, co-operative banks can also invoke Sarfaesi Act. According to the Finance Ministry, the non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) can initiate recovery in Rs 20 lakh loan default cases.

THE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION AND POLICIES

6.THE NEW GUIDELINES TO PREVENT UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES

THE CONTEXT:Recently, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) announced five guidelines to prevent unfair trade practices and to protect consumer interests regarding the levy of service charges in hotels and restaurants

THE EXPLANATION:

The guidelines are in addition to the Centre’s 2017 guidelines which prohibit the levy of service charges on consumers by hotels and restaurants, and terms the charging for anything other than “the prices displayed on the menu card along with the applicable taxes” without “express consent” of the customer as “unfair trade practices”.

What are the powers of the CCPA?

  • The CCPA has been established to regulate matters related to the violation of the rights of consumers. Under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 2019, the authority was established to regulate violations of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and false or misleading advertisements that are prejudicial to the interest of the public.
  • The CCPA has authority under section 18 of the CPA, 2019 to protect, promote and most importantly enforce the rights of the consumers and prevent violation of their rights under the Act. It also seeks to ensure that no person engages in unfair trade practices. It is also empowered to issue guidelines to enforce the rights of the consumers laid down in the Act.
  • The authority has issued a letter to the Chief Secretaries of the States on service charge imposition, asking them to ensure compliance with the new guidelines on service charges. It has also been said that the State should instruct all the district magistrates to take appropriate action against violations of the guideline.
What is a service charge?

  • A service charge is a tip or a direct transaction between the customer and the restaurant staff, specifically the wait staff. It is a fee collected to pay for services associated with the purchase of a primary product or service. It is collected by hospitality sectors and food and beverage industries as a fee for serving customers.

What do the new guidelines specify?

  • As per the new guidelines, hotels or restaurants are prohibited from levying extra charges automatically or by default in the bill or by any other name. Also, they are not allowed to force service charges, and must clearly inform the consumers that service charges are voluntary, optional, and at their discretion. Most importantly, hotels and restaurants are no longer allowed to restrict entry or services based on the collection of service charges. Furthermore, hotels cannot add service charges to their bills and charge GST on the total.
  • The point here is that any tip, donation, token, gratuity, etc., is no longer permitted to be charged and shall be considered as a separate transaction between the consumer and the staff of the hotel and restaurant. It is entirely up to the consumer to decide whether or not to tip. If a consumer enters a restaurant or orders something, the restaurant policy cannot require them to tip. Therefore, consumers cannot be forced to pay a service charge without having the choice to decide whether they want to do so.

VALUE ADDITION:

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

Composition:

  • It will have a Chief Commissioner as head, and only two other commissioners as members — one of whom will deal with matters relating to goods while the other will look into cases relating to services.
  • The CCPA will have an Investigation Wing that will be headed by a Director General.
  • District Collectors too, will have the power to investigate complaints of violations of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and false or misleading advertisements.

THE PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

QUESTION OF THE DAY

Q. Consider the term “Horizon scanning” recently seen in the news:

a) It is the new thermal body scanning frame developed by IIT Kanpur.

b) It is a technique for negative impacts of green technology adoption.

c) It an automated facial recognition system, recently inaugurated in Indra Gandhi Airport, Delhi.

d) It a small telescope, developed by NASA for detecting the space debris.

 

ANSWER FOR 11TH JULY 2022

ANSWER: D

EXPLANATION:

Both statements are correct.

  • CAATSA meant to punish countries having deep engagements with Russia, North Korea, and Iran using economic sanctions.
  • India has purchased the S-400 Triumf missile systems, However, the application of CAATSA is not limited to the S-400.



Ethics Through Current Development (12-07-2022)

  1. Vidya and Avidya READ MORE
  2. Ethical stain on Korea’s Asian labour READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Geography (12-07-2022)

  1. India in 2023: The challenge and opportunity of being the most populous country READ MORE
  2. Climate and Us | Climate disasters: India needs an adaptation strategy — now READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (12-07-2022)

  1. India in 2023: The challenge and opportunity of being the most populous country READ MORE
  2. Living in a society that loathes free enquiry READ MORE



Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (12-07-2022)

  1. NITI Aayog’s role in ensuring collaboration between states and centre READ MORE
  2. Affirming the primacy of bail READ MORE
  3. Public Health Act: Biggest test is to make India ready for future pandemics READ MORE



WSDP Bulletin (12-07-2022)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

  1. RBI sets up system to settle trade in rupees READ MORE
  2. Russia’s share of India’s June oil imports surges to record 950,000 bpd READ MORE
  3. India to surpass China as most populous country in a year: UN READ MORE
  4. PM Modi unveils national emblem on new Parliament building READ MORE
  5. Soon AI-based Mandarin translation devices for troops on LAC READ MORE
  6. Only 75mm rainfall in three hours, no cloudburst at Amarnath shrine site: MeT READ MORE
  7. Forest Act: Centre to decriminalise minor offences READ MORE

Main Exam   

GS Paper- 1

  1. India in 2023: The challenge and opportunity of being the most populous country READ MORE
  2. Living in a society that loathes free enquiry READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

  1. NITI Aayog’s role in ensuring collaboration between states and centre READ MORE
  2. Affirming the primacy of bail READ MORE
  3. Public Health Act: Biggest test is to make India ready for future pandemics READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

  1. Why the world needs peace in Ukraine READ MORE
  2. C Raja Mohan writes: India’s new West Asia approach is a welcome break with past diffidence READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  1. The scam faultline is damaging Indian banking READ MORE
  2. Mint Explainer: The deep links between RBI balance sheet and the economy READ MORE
  3. Gaps in estimating gig, platform workers READ MORE
  4. Banking on privatization READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

  1. Climate and Us | Climate disasters: India needs an adaptation strategy — now READ MORE

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

  1. Ecostani | From Amarnath to Noney, IMD has a credibility challenge READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

  1. Vidya and Avidya READ MORE
  2. Ethical stain on Korea’s Asian labour READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

  1. ‘The I2U2 sets the stage for a new and dynamic phase in India’s relations with the Middle East’. Comment.
  2. Achieving income convergence across states must be a policy priority to achieve greater socio-economic cohesion within the country. Discuss how NITI Aayog can play an important role in ensuring collaboration between states and centre?

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

  • There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
  • The world cannot afford the continuation of Ukraine war, and India is in a unique position to help.
  • The Russians and Ukrainians may not be interested in peace, but the rest of the world surely is. We cannot afford the indefinite continuation of this war.
  • Financial fraud can be reduced to a great extent by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor financial transactions.
  • Only establishment of National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. (NARCL) or the ‘bad bank’ is not a real solution for NPA. These measures can help only after a loan is bad but not the process of a loan going bad.
  • India’s participation in the West Asian Quad brings Delhi in line with other major powers– including Europe, China, and Russia – to try and engage all parties in the region.
  • The National Population Policy of 2000 focused on promoting the small family norm. A National Population Policy of 2022 is needed that adds the management of changing size and composition of the Indian population to its agenda.
  • To achieve greater socio-economic cohesion within the country, achieving income convergence across states must be a policy priority.
  • The Supreme Court has suggested a law to smoothen bail processes, but as the apex court observed last year, the real problem appears to be that of mindsets that are set against granting bail. To reform such attitudes might prove a steeper challenge.
  • Ecologically sensitive areas like the Western Ghats, the Western Himalayas, and the Northeast urgently need focused planning.

 50 WORD TALK

  • New Delhi must be on the alert about China’s calculated cajolery on India’s stance on Ukraine, even as Beijing criticises the US, Quad, Japan and South Korea. By engaging with India and other BRICS countries and claiming to be the global power in the grouping, China intends to dictate terms to India and to retain the territory it has seized because it sees itself as having the economic and military vantage point over India.

Things to Remember:

  • For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
  • Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
  • For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
  • For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
  • Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.



Day-242 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

[WpProQuiz 283]




TOPIC: THE WORLD HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO CARE ABOUT INDIA’S HEAT WAVE

THE CONTEXT: It has been emphasised over and over again – climate change is not a phenomenon of the future. It is the phenomenon of now. Several parts of the country are experiencing record temperatures after long periods of winter, with heatwaves forecast in numerous states. According to the Indian meteorological department (IMD) began keeping statistics, the month of March this year (2022) was the hottest in 122 years. The rainfall deficit in India was as high as 72 per cent, with the deficit reaching 89 per cent in the country’s northwest.

In this article, we analyse what is a Heatwave? IMD Criteria for Heatwave, its impacts and its way forward.

THE BASICS

What is a heatwave?

  • A Heat Wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the North-Western parts of India.
  • Heat Waves typically occur between March and June, and in some rare cases even extend till July. The extreme temperatures and resultant atmospheric conditions adversely affect people living in these regions as they cause physiological stress, sometimes resulting in death.

THE INDIAN METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT (IMD) HAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA FOR HEAT WAVES:

  • Heat Waves need not be considered till the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C for Plains and at least 30°C for Hilly regions.

 Based on Maximum Temperature Department from Normal

  • Heatwave: Departure between 4.5° C to 6.4°C
  • Severe Heatwave: Departure >6.4°C

Based on Maximum Temperature

  • Heatwave: Temperature ≥ 45°C
  • Severe Heatwave: Max. Temperature ≥47°C

Warm Night:

Considered when Maximum Temperature ≥40°C and departures of Minimum Temperature from normal are as follows:

  • Warm Night: Departure between 4.5°C to 6.4°C
  • Very warm Night: Departure ≥6.4°C

INDIA’S SCENARIO

  •  India, along with Bangladesh and Pakistan, recorded the greatest losses to work hours (295 billion hours) due to heat exposure in 2020, according to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change released in 2021.
  • India has become 15% more vulnerable to extremes of heat than in 1990.
  • Indian senior citizens were among the most affected ones due to heatwave exposure.

CLIMATOLOGY OF HEATWAVES

  • The high temperatures start building over central India in April and spread northwards during May. Due to the southwest monsoon onset during June, high temperatures are mostly seen over northwest India.
  • The month of May experiences the maximum number of heat wave days along with maximum spatial coverage.
  • Maximum heat wave events during the summer season are seen over the northwest and plains of north India and also over eastern and central India.
  • The number of heatwave days ranges from 1-to 2 weeks and severe heat-wave days up to 1 week over the heat core zone of the country.

Favourable conditions of Heat Waves

  • A heat wave is formed due to static high pressure in the upper atmosphere.
  • This generates a hot mass of air and traps more heat due to a reduction in convection currents.
  • This air mass accumulated heat and humidity causing abnormally high temperatures.

Human-Led Ecological Changes: The climate change impacts have also become more pronounced due to the fast ecological changes, including deforestation, which has rendered vast areas of land exposed to direct sunlight that was earlier protected by a green cover.

“Large-scale deforestation along the foothills of Himalayas for development purposes has disrupted the ecological balance and contributed to warmer conditions in those places. The situation in cities has worsened due to more dependency on air conditioners and the urban heat island effect which has increased temperatures.

Other Factors for heat waves are:

  • Transportation/ Prevalence of hot dry air over a region.
  • Absence of moisture in the upper atmosphere.
  • The sky should be practically cloudless.
  • Large amplitude anti-cyclonic flow over the area.
  • Lack of pre-monsoon showers: Except for the southern peninsula and northeast regions, the weather has remained dry across the rest of the country. Once, in the last week, parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi reported light to moderate rainfall. The lack of pre-monsoon showers has also led to an increase in the overall maximum temperature. Maharashtra recorded 63 per cent deficient rainfall from March 1 to April 26. (2022)

HOW INDIA METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT (IMD) MONITORS THE HEATWAVE?

IMD has a big network of surface observatories covering the entire country to measure various metrological parameters like Temperature, Relative humidity, pressure, wind speed & direction etc. Based on daily maximum temperature station data, climatology of maximum temperature is prepared for the period 1981-2010 to find out the normal maximum temperature of the day for a particular station. Thereafter, IMD declared heat waves over the region as per its definition.

IMPACT OF HEATWAVES

What is the Impact of these Heat Waves?

Mortality and Morbidity: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the Second Part of the AR6 Report flagged that heat extremes are causing human deaths and morbidity.

The increased heat will lead to an increase in diseases like diabetes, circulatory and respiratory conditions, as well as mental health challenges.

HEALTH IMPACTS OF HEAT WAVES

  • The health impacts of Heat Waves typically involve dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. The signs and symptoms are as follows:
  • Heat Cramps:Ederna (swelling) and Syncope (Fainting) are generally accompanied by fever below 39°C i.e.102°F.
  • Heat Exhaustion: Fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and sweating.
  • Heat Stroke: Body temperatures of 40°C i.e. 104°F or more along with delirium, seizures or coma. This is a potentially fatal condition.
  • Crop Damage: The fallout of these heat waves is far more complex – the concurrence of heat and drought events is causing crop production losses and tree mortality.
  • Less Food Production and High Prices: The risks to health and food production will be made more severe from the sudden food production losses exacerbated by heat-induced labour productivity losses.
  • These interacting impacts will increase food prices, reduce household incomes, and lead to malnutrition and climate-related deaths, especially in tropical regions.
  • Heatwave conditions since the middle of March (2022) have caused significant damage to the standing wheat crop, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, all major producers of the staple cereal.
  • Crops in more than 60% of wheat-grown areas, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been hit by heatwaves
  • Labour Productivity Loss: A higher urban population also implies heat-induced labour productivity loss, resulting in economic impacts.
  • Millions of farmers and construction workers could have lost income because on some days it’s just too hot for them to work.
  • Wildfires and Droughts: The Lancet report, 2021 showed that populations of 134 countries experienced an increase in exposure to wildfires with droughts becoming more widespread than ever before.
In the month of April 2022, a massive fire broke out in the Sariska Tiger Reserve – a wildlife sanctuary in the Rajasthan state similar incidents were reported in other Indian states, including Jharkhand and Gujarat, where the Mitiyala sanctuary is known for its Asiatic lion population.
  • Accelerating Global Warming: According to the former IMD DG who led India’s weather department from 2016 to 2019, heatwaves are likely to get stronger with the rapid thinning of the Arctic Sea ice, which is now at its all-time low due to global warming.
  • Will Fuel More Thunderstorms: Intense heating of the land will also fuel more thunderstorms, which is yet another weather extreme that continues to claim hundreds of lives every year. “As temperatures increase, and there are more heatwaves, these long spells will be broken by thunderstorms or dust-storms, which will also get intense and stronger.

STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH HEATWAVES

  • In 2016, the NDMA drew up the first national guidelines for heatwaves titled ‘Preparation of Action Plan–Prevention and Management of Heat Wave’.
  • The National Guidelines on Heat Wave mentions the roles and responsibilities of the central and state government agencies, district administrations, local self-governments, NGOs, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in a matrix format.

Heat Action Plan

Since 2013, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in collaboration with local health departments, has started issuing heat action plans in many parts of the country to forewarn about heatwaves as well as advise action to be taken during such occasions.

India Meteorological Department issues the following colour code impact-based heat warning jointly with National Disaster Management Authority:

IMD issued an Orange alert for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra’s Vidarbha area. For weather alerts, the IMD employs four different colour codes. Green indicates that no action is required, yellow indicates that you should watch and stay informed, orange indicates that you should be prepared, and red indicates that you should take action. Temperatures in portions of northwest India could reach 47 degrees Celsius, according to forecasters.

THE WAY FORWARD:

Adopting A More Sensitive Approach: The impact of such excessive heat needs to be understood from the point of view of common people — daily labourers; farmers; traders; fishermen etc.

  • Beyond numbers and graphs that capture the impact of the climate crisis, the human experience of living in oppressive heat needs to be understood by policymakers and measures should be taken accordingly.

Cooling Shelters: The government should come out with a policy to deal with the suffering and disability caused by heat extremes in different parts of the country.

  • Water kiosks, staggered outdoor work hours, and cool roofs for buildings and homes are certain things that should be put in place immediately.

Passive Cooling to Reduce Urban Heat Islands: Passive cooling technology, a widely-used strategy to create naturally ventilated buildings, can be a vital alternative to address the urban heat island for residential and commercial buildings.

  • The IPCC report cites ancient Indian building designs that have used this technology, which could be adapted to modern facilities in the context of global warming.

Action Plans Similar to Ahmedabad: As per the IPCC Report, Ahmedabad has shown a way to combat heat extremes by heat-proofing buildings.

  • After the heat action plan was implemented in 2013 in Ahmedabad, heat-related mortality was reduced by 30% to 40% over the years. Similar plans like that of Ahmedabad can be implemented in vulnerable regions.

CASE STUDY

  • Ahmedabad’s 2013 Plan was the first heat action plan and early warning system in South Asia. This is the 6th iteration, for 2019. The Action Plan establishes key strategies for immediate and longer-term action to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat on the city’s most vulnerable populations.
  • The process involved identifying vulnerable populations and the causes of their higher risk, developing strategies and coordinated responses, and activating heat alerts.

The key pillars of the action plan are:

  • Building public awareness and community outreach.
  • Initiating an early warning system and inter-agency coordination.
  • Capacity-building among health care professionals.
  • Reducing heat exposure and promoting adaptive measures, such as the Ahmedabad Cool Roofs Program.

THE CONCLUSION:Increased exposure to heatwaves needs a policy response, nationally and globally. Long-term measures should be taken to address the issue in the wake of global warming and climate change. Afforestation drives to increase green cover. A further reduction in the share of coal in the energy mix through sustained support for renewable energy, particularly solar photovoltaic, must form the cornerstone of national policy.

 ADD TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE

During the intense heatwave in Delhi, when the mercury surpassed 35 degrees Celsius even at night, discussions on the growing number of urban heat islands in the Capital have once again come to the fore. According to experts,“The combination of high day and night-time temperatures is dangerous as it seriously impacts the blood circulation and other bodily functions of people, especially the elderly”.

As the house becomes hot and is unable to cool down by midnight, it starts acting as a heat trap. In such a situation, the body gets heated overall and the heart starts pumping more blood to fight dehydration if adequate water intake is not maintained. If one’s heart is already weak, it may fail and the person may die due to cardiac failure induced due to heatwaves.”

Heat-related deaths: Data on ‘Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India’ released by the National Crime Records Bureau show over the years heatstrokes have become the second leading cause of death from a natural force in India, with 11,555 people being killed in 2011 to 2020 due to the condition.

Growing heat island effect: An image captured by NASA on May 5, 2022 showed how night-time temperatures in Delhi and adjoining villages were above 35 degrees Celsius, peaking at about 39 degrees Celsius, while the rural fields nearby had cooled to around 15 degrees Celsius by then.

The World Weather Attribution network, which analysed the heat patterns in India from March-April, found that the probability of long-duration heatwaves had increased by 30 times due to human-induced climate changes.

Mitigative approach: One way of countering the growing impact of urban heat islands is ‘green infrastructure’ that includes cool roofs or painting house roofs in a light colour to reflect heat and using sustainable cooling mechanisms. Promoting urban forestry and green transport can also help cut down heat emissions.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

  1. What are heat waves? What are the favourable conditions for Heat waves and Suggest measures to create a buffer against high temperatures?
  2. What are Urban Heat Islands? Discuss its causes and impacts in the context of the urban landscape.
  3. What are the criteria for declaring Heat waves in India? Discuss the different colour codes employed by IMD for heatwave warning.