The Linkages between Climate Change and Biodiversity: A Case Study of Hamirpur District in Himachal Pradesh, India
Year: 2014
Type: preprint
Abstract: Climates have changed and are still constantly changing at all scales, from local to global, and over varying time-spans. There have been, however, surges of change over time which meteorologists and earth scientists are continually trying to clarify and explain. Global climatic change due to increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases has dominated the environmental agenda since the mid 1980s. There is no doubt that over the last 100 years or so, human action has significantly increased the atmospheric concentrations of several gases that are closely related to global temperature. It seems likely that these increased concentrations, which are said to continue to rise in the near future, are already affecting global climate, but our poor knowledge and understanding of the workings of the global heat balance make the current and future situation uncertain. Since the atmosphere is intimately linked to the workings of the biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere, the projected changes in climate will have significant effects on all aspects of the natural world in which we live. Therefore there is no bigger challenge in the world today than how we respond to the scientific evidence that our climate is warming - for which the human race is responsible. On the other side, Biodiversity is the key indicator of a healthy planet and healthy society. Forests support ecosystem services which, in turn, support mankind, proving food, shelter and medicines for the people who live in and near them. Such a precious resource should be guarded jealously, but that is simply not happening. The global warming destroys plants and species we have barely discovered, robbing mankind of potential medicines. It also causes hardship for many of those people who rely on these wonderful natural resources. The demands placed on the world’s forests are great and growing. Losses of biodiversity have now become widespread and current rates are potentially catastrophic for species and habitat integrity. However, the impacts of climate change are most seriously felt in the Himalayan regions because latter belong to the most vulnerable ecosystems and lives of the people are closely entangled with the natural recourse base, as 90% of the population is dependent on agriculture and animal husbandry. Any change in the natural resources of the region due to climate change will have far reaching repercussions. Himachal Pradesh faces an urgent need to adapt to certain measures for the expected impacts of this global phenomenon. The environment has thus become a focused issue in the state. A multidisciplinary approach at the government, societal and individual level is required to nullify the effects of climate change. The state government is moving ahead on the path of development with utmost care to ensure that in no way the environment of the state is disturbed by the developmental activities. The state government has taken many initiatives to protect the environment. Keeping environment protection at the top most of the government developmental agenda, the hilly state Himachal Pradesh is poised to emerge as the first carbon neutral state not only in India but also in the Asia subcontinent. Thus Climate change is thus not just an environmental issue but is also an economic issue, a social issue, a security issue and, above all, a moral issue. There are also many challenges faced by the people living in and around the forests. Like striking a balance between biodiversity protection and their sustainable use, while increasing the share of benefits, also poses major challenges. Measures like adoption of new bio diverse habitats to ensure that they cope with human impact, climate change and alien species invasion can be useful. The present study is an attempt to co-relate the linkages between Climate Change and Biodiversity. The study basically tries to concentrate on the spatial and temporal aspects of Climate in Himachal Pradesh. It tries to analyze the status of biodiversity in the state and focuses on the relationship between Climate Change and Biodiversity. The study highlights the impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity as well as the importance of biodiversity in reducing climate change. Thereafter it discusses various policy measures and management techniques to delimit and minimize the issue for a secure sustainable environment in future. This is the focus of the paper.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Anuradha Maurya
Institution: University of Delhi
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDGs: Climate action, Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W40750101