by Bengaluru, India (AP) – Every year from June to September a series of heavy rainfall that is known as monsoons by the Indian subcontinent, which offeres lighting of heat, the farms of the country irrigger and supplement his rivers.
As the global heat increases, however, the rain becomes irregular and intense, creating the conditions for fatal floods. Almost 1,300 people died in India in 2024 due to heavy rain and floods. Hundreds of rain-related deaths have already taken place this year in the South Asian region, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives and Nepal.
Climate experts say that the high temperatures and heavy rainfall also contribute to the melting of glaciers in the mountainous Himalayas region, which causes catastrophic floods and landslides.
Monsoon season becomes more dangerous
The South Asian region has traditionally had two monsoon seasons. People usually last from June to September, with rain to the southwest to the northeast. The other, from approximately October to December, moves in the opposite direction.
But with more planet -warming gases in the air, the rain now only follows this pattern. This is because the warmer air can contain more moisture from the Indian Ocean, and that rain tends to be dumped in one go. It means that the monsoon is interrupted by intense floods and dry spells, instead of long -term rain.
“We are witnessing a clear climatic shift in monsoon patterns in South Asia,” said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune and author of various climate reports from the United Nations.
Traditionally, people in India and neighboring countries were excited about the monsoon rains, which would ultimately mean the end of the summer heat. But the attitudes change as the disasters increases during the rainy seasons.
“The frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events is increasing, often overwhelming drainage infrastructure in urban areas and activating flash floods,” said Koll.
Higher temperatures and longer periods of drought also make agriculture more difficult in South Asia, said climate experts.
“More than 60% of people in South Asia depend on agriculture, and almost all depend on the rainfall of the monsoon,” said Finu Shreshta, a climate scientist at Kathmandu, Nepal located International Center for Integrated Mountain Development.
Mountain areas see more icy lakes overflow
A report from 2023 from the organization of Shreshta showed that glaciers melt at unprecedented rates in the Hindu Kush and Himalayan Mountain Ranges. The study showed that at least 200 of the more than 2,000 glacial lakes in the region run the risk of overflowing, which can cause downstream catastrophic damage. Heavy monsoon rains can aggravate the problem.
“Many of the mountain areas tend to have more warming than the global average, resulting in more glaciers,” said Miriam Jackson, glaciologist at the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative.
A survivor of October 2023 in the Indian state of Sikkim caused floods in which 55 people and damaged bridges, buildings and a hydroel vichtdam were killed that was under construction.
Heavy rainfall and increasing heat lead to snow and ice avalanches, rockfalls and other events that the lakes can cause to break or overflow, Shreshta said.
“Even small ice creams are now violated and cause damage,” she said.
Early warning systems and long -term planning can help
Installing early warning systems and building in less risky areas can help reduce damage due to heavy rainfall, say climate experts.
“If you know that there will be a flood, people can get higher terrain and there may be a kind of standard early warning system along a river that emits a siren,” Jackson said, adding that social media and messaging applications can help people distribute warnings to those who are downstream.
Koll, the pune -based scientist, said that rapid urbanization, shrinking floodplains and loss of natural drainage also worse damage due to heavy rainfall. Koll said that most of the government’s response is currently coming after disasters, and there is a lack of long -term planning.
“In the future monsoon, extreme rains are expected to further intensify, in addition to sporadic water shortages. That is why we need proactive, long -term strategies that combine science, policy and community involvement,” he said.
However, Jackson said that the biggest problem is to try to reduce the emissions of planet -warming gases because there are limits to adapt to extreme weather.
“If we continue with, you know, things as usual, and we have the same kind of emissions, then the world will continue to get warmer and there will be intense rain and floods. At some point we can go beyond the limits of adjustment,” she said.
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