Climate change is no longer a future concern—it is visibly affecting every country today. Since the beginning of 2025, its effects on India have become starkly evident. These include unseasonal snowfall in hill states, the early onset of heatwaves in southern regions, a shortening spring season, and unusually early and heavy rainfall, among other phenomena.
In the north-western and north-eastern parts of the country, winter and snowfall typically occur during January and February. However, this year, like in many other parts of the world, January turned out to be the second warmest on record, and February the warmest ever. Due to above-average temperatures, snowfall did not occur in many hill states. In some areas, rainfall was 60 to 99 per cent below normal. Surprisingly, on the last day of February, all the hill states received heavy snowfall. In March—when these regions typically enjoy the colourful bloom of spring—they remained covered in a white blanket of snow. This marked the first major climate event of 2025.
One severe snowstorm in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand struck with such intensity that it swept away 55 labourers of the Border Roads Organisation along with the iron containers they were living in. Tragically, 8 labourers lost their lives, and the remaining 47 were rescued after a strenuous operation.
The second major climate change event was recorded in southern India, which usually experiences mild weather in January and February. This year, however, the first heatwave was reported as early as February 25 in the Konkan region on the west coast. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a heatwave is declared when the temperature is 5°C above average, or when it exceeds 30°C in hilly regions, 37°C in coastal areas, or 40°C in the plains. By the second week of March, temperatures in parts of Central Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Kutch, Vidarbha, Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh had crossed 40°C, clearly signalling the intensifying grip of climate change.
Due to these extreme cold and hot weather conditions, the spring season has vanished from some regions—marking the third significant shift in India's climate. In addition, hilly states experienced unusually heavy rainfall in April, typical of the monsoon season in June and July. This led to several incidents of landslides in Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim, marking the fourth major climatic event of the year.
These changing climate patterns have also led to a rise in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. In April, strong winds destroyed hundreds of acres of ripe wheat crops in Punjab and Haryana. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, lightning strikes claimed the lives of more than 100 people.
On April 1st, the IMD issued a weather forecast for April to June, predicting above-average temperatures in 15 states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, northern Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. These regions typically experience heatwaves lasting 4 to 7 days, but this year they could persist for 10 to 11 days. In the north-western and north-eastern hilly regions, as well as in Kerala and Karnataka, heavy rainfall, landslides, and mudslides are also anticipated.
All the above-mentioned events and forecasts are closely linked to climate change. While heatwaves and heavy rainfall are not new to any country, their earlier onset, increased frequency, and greater severity are direct consequences of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly outlined the major risks India could face from climate-induced disasters in its Fifth (2014) and Sixth (2021–2022) Assessment Reports. These reports emphasized that India, compared to many other countries, would be more adversely affected.
One reason why India is particularly vulnerable to climate change is its geographical location combined with its model of economic development. The Himalayas, to the north, are the highest and youngest mountain range in the world, while India is flanked by the sea on three sides in the south. Due to rising global average temperatures, Himalayan glaciers are melting rapidly, leading to a significant increase in the size of glacial lakes. Between 2011 and 2024, the size of 67 glacial lakes in India—mainly in Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh—increased by 40 per cent. These lakes now pose a growing risk of bursting.
The potential consequences were demonstrated in 2023, when the Lhonak glacial lake in Sikkim burst. Over 200 people died, around 80,000 were severely affected, and a dam along with all the bridges over the Teesta River were washed away. Such glacial bursts and melting can lead to devastating floods in the plains, which in turn can destroy crops and trigger food insecurity.
In 2013, a cloudburst in Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) caused catastrophic flooding, killing thousands of residents and pilgrims, and leaving hundreds of thousands stranded. In mountainous areas, climate change has brought intense rainfall that triggers landslides and mudslides, disrupting life and infrastructure. While some landslides are natural, large-scale landslides are largely a result of the economic development model being pursued. To boost tourism, governments have promoted infrastructure such as four-lane highways, ropeways, and helipads, often ignoring environmental regulations. This has led to deforestation and excavation of hills, increasing the likelihood of landslides, land subsidence, and cloudbursts.
In southern India, surrounded on three sides by the sea, sea-related disasters are becoming more frequent and intense. Since March 2023, sea surface temperatures globally have remained above average. This has contributed to the early arrival of heatwaves and a rise in their frequency along coastal regions. Rising sea levels, more frequent cyclones, and marine heatwaves are all tied to warming seas. Nearly 40 per cent of India’s population lives in coastal areas, whose homes and agricultural lands are at risk of submergence. This will create enormous challenges for rehabilitation and disaster management.
Kerala and Karnataka also lie in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. In 2011, the Gadgil Committee, constituted by the central government, recommended that 87.5 per cent of the Western Ghats be declared ecologically sensitive, proposing 52 restrictions on development. However, both central and state governments rejected the report. Since then, unregulated development has continued, and ordinary people bear the consequences through increasingly frequent natural disasters. The 2024 tragedy in Wayanad, Kerala, stands as stark evidence.
Therefore, the central and state governments must develop region-specific plans based on geographical realities. In hilly regions, road widths should match the local carrying capacity. In the south, especially in the Western Ghats, development should follow the Gadgil Committee's recommendations. Additionally, India must take serious steps to raise forest cover to 33 per cent.
---
*Former Professor, Department of Geography, Punjabi University, Patiala
Comments