Ahmedabad (The Hawk): Urban areas will be severely impacted by climate change; hot days will become more frequent, and Gujarat's rainfall will increase. According to a report, municipal corporations must enhance forestation in places like Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Surat while simultaneously reining in the use of chemicals.
According to a report published earlier this year, the Gujarat government has created an action plan for combating climate change for the districts of Ahmedabad and Rajkot in collaboration with the Vasudha Foundation and other organisations.
According to the report's conclusions, "Since 2005, emissions from the energy sector have climbed by 71.32 percent, those from the water sector have increased by 7.06 percent, and emissions from the greenhouse gas sector have increased by 78%. By 2030, emissions are anticipated to increase by 96% under the status quo."
Rini Dutt, the primary author of the action plan study, and others have underlined that the impact of climate change is anticipated to result in an increase in rainfall of 8 to 17% in Ahmedabad and 10 to 12% in Rajkot. In Ahmedabad and Rajkot, there will be more rainy days in July and August.
According to the report, both cities will see more heat in the next years. Recent years have seen a 10% increase in warm days in Rajkot and an 8–10% increase in warm days in Ahmedabad.
According to Dutt and Manjusha Mukherjee's projection, the number of warm days will rise by 53% in Rajkot and 45% in Ahmedabad during the next few years. The number of cold days will decline in both cities.
In Ahmedabad district, which makes only 4% of the state's population, urban regions are home to up to 84 percent of the people. As a result, the built-up area has dramatically increased, from 140 sq km in 1990 to 212 sq km in 2017. Forest and agricultural land are being devoured by the growing urban region.
Due to climate change, Ahmedabad will have more rainy days in July and August while experiencing hotter summers. The average maximum temperature in 2030 is predicted to be 41.8 degrees Celsius in May, 40.2 degrees Celsius in April, and 36.8 degrees Celsius in March.
Experts have advised Ahmedabad district to expand its forest cover to 7% over the next ten years in order to avoid 8.47 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Currently, the district has 1.62 percent of its land covered in forest.
The district administrations and municipal corporations in Ahmedabad/Rajkot must reuse 100% of home waste water after proper treatment in both urban and rural areas if they are to face the climate challenges.
Sewage Treatment Plants experts have recommended switching from anaerobic to purely aerobic water treatment methods (STPs).
The paper also recommended moving toward vertical urban expansion, which will allow for more people per square metre while simultaneously preventing the loss of open space and agricultural land.
(Inputs from Agencies)