Climate Change in India
India, like many of its neighbouring countries in South Asia, is especially vulnerable to climate change. The effects of climate change on the environment and people of India include: flooding, sea level rises, heat waves, extreme weather events, poverty, crop failure, and forced migration.
Colonial Environments
India was part of the British Empire up until independence in 1947. The British believed that the Indian climate made it rich in natural resources. But the British worried that the climate in India was extreme and hard to predict.
Extreme Weather in Colonial India
The River Ganges frequently floods. Floods often occur following a tropical cyclone or the monsoon rains. Major flooding occurred in Bengal, British India in 1856, 1871, 1885, 1892, 1899, 1902, 1906, 1918, and 1922. Crop failure and famine followed the 1902 and 1906 floods, whilst over 7,000 houses were destroyed in the 1918 floods.
Causes and Effects of Flooding in Colonial India
Floods were primarily caused by natural factors (such as increased rainfall). However, the effects were made worse by human factors (such as colonialism). Colonialism increased the demand for fertile land, resulting in deforestation. Colonialism also caused more people to live in crowded urban environments near the sea or river, whilst colonial infrastructure, such as railways and embankments, disrupted the natural flow of flood waters.
Climate Change After Independence
India gained independence from the British Empire in 1947. Since 1947, Indian geographers and climate scientists have played an important role in understanding and managing climate change. In 2020, major flooding in India caused $88.5 billion of damage and killed over 5,000 people.
