climate change essay in gujarati pdf download

• Climate Change Essay in English- जलवायु परिवर्तन पर निबंध 1000 शब्दों में

Climate change is the term used to describe a bad change in the climate and its effects on Earth's living things. Get Climate change essay in English and Hindi in short and long form for students

Table of Contents

The abrupt change in the climate of the earth has given goosebumps to every sane person. One of the most important problems affecting our planet right now is climate change. This phenomenon is mainly attributed towards the Global Warming. The world gets warmer as a result of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide are the main greenhouse gases. So, students are encouraged to know more about it and develop a scientific outlook towards climate change. That is why school ask their students to write an essay on climate change. In this article, we will learn how to write a climate change essay in English and Hindi along with sample examples.

Climate Change Essay

Climate Change Essay: We are currently dealing with a serious problem called climate change, which is caused by urbanization. Changes in climate are mostly caused by human activity. The combustion of fossil fuels for transportation, energy production, and other uses results in the atmospheric emission of copious amounts of greenhouse gases. Because trees collect carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, deforestation also plays a role in climate change. We are all concerned about the issue of climate change, and we are all affected by it. Scientists are still unsure about whether or not climate change is the only factor contributing to global warming. Due to the interconnected nature of the two issues, it can be challenging to distinguish between climate change and global warming. Controlling climate change needs to happen as soon as possible.

Here we, at adda247 are providing 10 lines of essays, short essays, and long essays on climate change.

Climate Change Essay UPSC

Introduction: Climate change is an unprecedented global crisis driven by human activities, primarily greenhouse gas emissions. Its far-reaching impacts threaten ecosystems, economies, and livelihoods worldwide. Urgent action is needed to mitigate its effects and build resilience for a sustainable future.

• Causes of Climate Change: Climate change is primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agriculture. These activities release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, into the atmosphere, trapping heat and leading to global warming.
• Impacts of Climate Change: Climate change has dire consequences, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, loss of biodiversity, disruptions in agricultural patterns, and water scarcity. Vulnerable communities, especially in developing nations, face the brunt of these impacts, exacerbating poverty and migration.
• Mitigation Strategies: Mitigating climate change requires collective efforts from governments, businesses, and individuals. Transitioning to renewable energy sources, promoting energy efficiency, afforestation, and adopting sustainable practices are crucial steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Conclusion: Addressing climate change demands immediate and comprehensive action at the global level. It necessitates international cooperation, innovative policies, and sustainable practices to preserve our planet for future generations. Taking up this challenge is not a choice but an ethical imperative for humanity’s survival.

Climate Change Essay in 10 Lines

• Climate change is a terrible threat to all living things on Earth.
• Since the environment has changed, the traditional meaning of the word “climate” has become meaningless. The timing of weather changes is unpredictable.
• Overuse of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the exploitation of all other natural resources are the main contributors to climate change.
• The effects of climate change are not pleasant; they include rising temperatures, glaciers melting, heavy rainfall, and frequent forest fires.
• Alarmingly, the Earth’s temperature is rising at a rate that, if it keeps going, will cause it to warm by 1 to 5 degrees Celsius within the next ten years.
• Affected negatively by climate change and global warming is agriculture.
• Climate change is significantly influenced by greenhouse gases.
• The ozone layer is decreasing day by day.
• Due to the near extinction of natural resources, we will soon need to switch to sustainable energy sources.
• The end is near if global warming and climate change are not stopped.

Climate Change Essay in 250 Words

Climate change, which is endangering life on Earth, is currently one of the most heavily debated issues worldwide. Climate change is the term used to describe a bad change in the climate and its effects on Earth’s living things. Over the last two million years, Earth’s climate has warmed, and climate change and global warming are to blame. Seasonal shifts are just one of the extreme effects of the unreasonable increase in air temperature. The main causes of global warming, which changes the climate, include deforestation, the use of fossil fuels, and other human activities.

The terrible climate changes brought on by global warming include forest fires, heavy rain, and glacier melting. In order to lead a peaceful and contented existence, we must stop global warming. The exploitation of the already-existing natural resources must stop immediately, and reforestation should be practised. In order for the planet to heal, serious problems like climate change and global warming must be addressed.

Climate Change Essay in 500 words for UPSC

According to the definition of climate, long-term periodic changes in the weather patterns that have been recorded for centuries are referred to as climate. Climate change results from the simultaneous occurrence of various changes on Earth since its creation. Climate change occurs in cycles; it began during a cooler ice age and is now much warmer than it was two million years ago. The Sun, which is the ultimate source of energy and continuously powers the weather system, is responsible for the millions of living things we see on Earth today.

To name a few major changes, the world is currently facing unjustified droughts, unpredictable weather patterns, sudden rains, and snowfall, there is a steady fluctuation in temperatures leading to tragedies like forest fires, and the weather is no longer predictable enough. The changes are unpredictable, and it is becoming more and more difficult to keep track of them. Both positive and negative effects of these changes on human lives are significant.

Since the beginning of evolution, mankind have continuously benefited from nature. This has produced Some of these include the high levels of carbon dioxide in the environment, other dangerous substances in the air and water, and the complete depletion of fossil fuels as a result of frequent use. Constant exploitation of natural resources and a lack of major action to improve the situation finally led to the buildup of hazardous gases in the atmosphere. Climate change also contributes to the ozone layer’s destruction from greenhouse gases.

These changes to the biosphere that humans have brought about are irreversible. All we can do is work to improve the biosphere as a place to live. Because it is expected that, due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, Earth’s temperature would rise steadily over the next days, causing the extinction of life as we know it. The heat that should be emitted is trapped by greenhouse gases.

Essay on Climate Change and Its Impact

Climate change is an alarming global phenomenon that refers to long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns on Earth. It is primarily driven by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agriculture, leading to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. This essay delves into the devastating impact of climate change on the environment, ecosystems, and human societies.

• Environmental Impact: (a) Global Warming: The Earth’s average temperature has been steadily rising, resulting in the melting of polar ice caps and glaciers. This contributes to rising sea levels, leading to coastal erosion and the inundation of low-lying areas, threatening millions of people living in coastal regions.

(b) Extreme Weather Events: Climate change intensifies extreme weather events such as hurricanes, cyclones, floods, and droughts. These events cause widespread destruction, loss of life, and exacerbate food and water scarcity.

(c) Disruption of Ecosystems: Climate change disrupts ecosystems and affects biodiversity. Many plant and animal species are facing extinction as they struggle to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

• Impact on Agriculture: Climate change has far-reaching consequences for agriculture and food security. Changing weather patterns and more frequent extreme events disrupt crop production, leading to reduced yields and higher food prices. This affects livelihoods and puts vulnerable communities at risk of hunger and poverty.
• Water Scarcity: Global warming leads to altered precipitation patterns, causing uneven distribution of rainfall. Some regions experience severe droughts, while others face intense floods. The resulting water scarcity affects communities, agriculture, and industries, further exacerbating conflicts over water resources.
• Health Impacts: Climate change influences the spread of diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika, as changing temperatures and rainfall patterns create more favorable conditions for disease vectors. Additionally, extreme heat events can lead to heat-related illnesses and deaths, particularly among vulnerable populations.

The impact of climate change is undeniable and poses a significant threat to our planet’s ecosystems, human societies, and future generations. Urgent and collective action is essential to combat this global crisis. Governments must commit to ambitious emission reduction targets, promote renewable energy, and implement sustainable policies. Individuals can play their part by adopting eco-friendly practices and supporting climate-friendly initiatives. Only by working together can we mitigate the impact of climate change and create a sustainable future for all living beings on Earth.

Climate Change in India Essay

Climate change is a pressing global issue affecting countries worldwide, and India is no exception. As one of the most populous and climate-vulnerable countries, India faces numerous challenges due to changing weather patterns, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events. This essay explores the impact of climate change on India and emphasizes the importance of collective efforts to address this critical issue.

Impact of Climate Change in India:

• Rising Temperatures: India is experiencing a steady increase in average temperatures, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves. These heatwaves have severe consequences for human health, agriculture, and water resources, particularly in densely populated urban areas.
• Erratic Monsoons: Climate change disrupts the monsoon patterns, which are crucial for India’s agricultural productivity. Irregular monsoons lead to droughts or floods, affecting crop yields, food security, and livelihoods of millions of farmers.
• Glacier Melting: Himalayan glaciers, vital sources of water for major Indian rivers, are receding due to global warming. The loss of glacial meltwater impacts downstream communities, reducing water availability and increasing the risk of water scarcity in the future.
• Sea Level Rise: With a long coastline, India is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by the melting of polar ice caps. Coastal erosion, salinization of freshwater sources, and the risk of submergence of low-lying coastal areas pose significant challenges to coastal communities.
• Biodiversity Loss: Climate change threatens India’s rich biodiversity. Rising temperatures and changing habitats lead to the loss of plant and animal species, impacting ecosystems and ecological balance.

Solutions to Address Climate Change in India:

• Renewable Energy: Transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro power, can significantly reduce India’s carbon footprint and dependency on fossil fuels.
• Afforestation and Reforestation: Promoting afforestation and reforestation initiatives can aid in carbon sequestration, enhance forest cover, and protect biodiversity.
• Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Implementing climate-resilient agricultural practices, such as drought-resistant crops, efficient irrigation, and soil conservation techniques, can help farmers adapt to changing weather patterns.
• Water Management: Adopting sustainable water management practices and rainwater harvesting can mitigate the impact of water scarcity and enhance water security.
• Public Awareness and Education: Raising awareness about climate change and its impact is crucial for fostering public support and encouraging individual actions toward sustainability.

Climate change poses a formidable challenge to India’s economic growth, social stability, and environmental integrity. As a responsible global citizen, India must take proactive measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable practices. Collaborative efforts among governments, communities, and individuals are essential to combat climate change, protect vulnerable populations, and secure a sustainable future for the nation and the planet.

Human Impact on Climate Change Essay

Human Impact on Climate Change Introduction

Climate change is one of the most pressing global issues of our time, with far-reaching consequences for the environment, economies, and societies. It is primarily driven by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and the majority of these emissions are the result of human activities. This essay examines the significant human impact on climate change, explores the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to address this critical issue.

Causes of Human Impact on Climate Change

• Burning Fossil Fuels : The combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, for energy production, transportation, and industrial processes, is the largest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This contributes significantly to the greenhouse effect, trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Deforestation : The cutting down of forests for agriculture, urbanization, and logging reduces the Earth’s capacity to absorb CO2. Trees act as carbon sinks, and their removal releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, further exacerbating global warming.
• Agricultural Practices : Modern agriculture, including livestock farming and the use of synthetic fertilizers, releases methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. These gases are potent greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming.
• Industrial Processes : The manufacturing industry emits greenhouse gases through various processes, such as the production of cement, chemicals, and other goods. These emissions are a substantial driver of climate change.

Consequences of Human-Induced Climate Change

• Global Temperature Rise : The Earth’s average temperature has been steadily increasing due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Rising temperatures lead to various adverse effects, including more frequent and severe heatwaves.
• Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels : Higher temperatures cause glaciers and polar ice caps to melt, resulting in rising sea levels. This can lead to coastal flooding, displacement of communities, and loss of valuable land.
• Extreme Weather Events : Climate change is linked to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, floods, and wildfires. These events have devastating impacts on ecosystems and human settlements.
• Ocean Acidification : Increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere also lead to higher levels of CO2 being absorbed by the world’s oceans, causing ocean acidification. This harms marine life, especially coral reefs and shellfish.
• Biodiversity Loss : Climate change disrupts ecosystems and habitats, threatening numerous species with extinction due to altered temperature and precipitation patterns.

Solutions to Mitigate Human-Induced Climate Change

• Transition to Renewable Energy : Moving away from fossil fuels and investing in renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power is crucial to reducing CO2 emissions.
• Reforestation and Sustainable Land Use : Protecting and restoring forests and adopting sustainable land use practices can help sequester carbon and combat deforestation.
• Efficient Transportation : Promoting public transportation, electric vehicles, and cycling can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.
• Green Building Practices : Encouraging energy-efficient construction and retrofitting of existing buildings can reduce emissions from the built environment.
• International Cooperation : Global efforts, like the Paris Agreement, are essential for countries to work together to reduce emissions and limit global temperature rise.
• Individual Action : Encouraging individuals to reduce their carbon footprint through energy conservation, waste reduction, and lifestyle changes can make a significant impact.

Human activities are undeniably responsible for the rapid and detrimental changes in the Earth’s climate. Climate change poses a grave threat to the planet and its inhabitants, requiring immediate action at the individual, community, national, and international levels. Addressing human impact on climate change is an imperative that demands cooperation, innovation, and a commitment to sustainable practices in all aspects of life. Failure to act now could have catastrophic consequences for the future of our planet.

Paragraph on Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing our planet today. It refers to long-term shifts in global weather patterns and temperatures, primarily driven by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. The consequences of climate change are far-reaching and include rising global temperatures, more frequent and severe weather events, melting ice caps and glaciers, and sea level rise. These changes have significant implications for ecosystems, economies, and human societies. Climate change also exacerbates existing environmental issues, threatens biodiversity, and poses a serious risk to future generations. Addressing this crisis requires collective global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to sustainable energy sources, and adapt to the changes that are already underway. It’s a complex and urgent issue that demands immediate action and a commitment to a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future.

जलवायु परिवर्तन पर निबंध 1000 शब्दों में

जलवायु परिवर्तन, जो पृथ्वी पर जीवन को खतरे में डाल रहा है, वर्तमान में दुनिया भर में सबसे अधिक बहस वाले मुद्दों में से एक है। जलवायु परिवर्तन वह शब्द है जिसका उपयोग जलवायु में खराब परिवर्तन और पृथ्वी पर रहने वाले जीवों पर इसके प्रभावों का वर्णन करने के लिए किया जाता है। पिछले दो मिलियन वर्षों में, पृथ्वी की जलवायु गर्म हो गई है, और जलवायु परिवर्तन और ग्लोबल वार्मिंग इसके लिए जिम्मेदार हैं। मौसमी बदलाव हवा के तापमान में अनुचित वृद्धि के चरम प्रभावों में से एक हैं। ग्लोबल वार्मिंग के मुख्य कारणों में, जो जलवायु को बदलते हैं, वनों की कटाई, जीवाश्म ईंधन के उपयोग और अन्य मानवीय गतिविधियों में शामिल हैं।

ग्लोबल वार्मिंग द्वारा लाए गए भयानक जलवायु परिवर्तनों में जंगल की आग, भारी बारिश और ग्लेशियर का पिघलना शामिल है। शांतिपूर्ण और संतुष्ट अस्तित्व का नेतृत्व करने के लिए, हमें ग्लोबल वार्मिंग को रोकना होगा। पहले से मौजूद प्राकृतिक संसाधनों का दोहन तत्काल बंद होना चाहिए और वनों की कटाई का अभ्यास किया जाना चाहिए। ग्रह को ठीक करने के लिए, जलवायु परिवर्तन और ग्लोबल वार्मिंग जैसी गंभीर समस्याओं का समाधान किया जाना चाहिए।

यूपीएससी के लिए 500 शब्दों में जलवायु परिवर्तन निबंध

जलवायु की परिभाषा के अनुसार, सदियों से दर्ज किए गए मौसम के पैटर्न में दीर्घकालिक आवधिक परिवर्तन को जलवायु कहा जाता है। इसके निर्माण के बाद से पृथ्वी पर विभिन्न परिवर्तनों की एक साथ घटना के परिणामस्वरूप जलवायु परिवर्तन होता है। चक्रों में जलवायु परिवर्तन होता है; यह एक ठंडे हिमयुग के दौरान शुरू हुआ और अब दो मिलियन वर्ष पहले की तुलना में बहुत गर्म है। सूर्य, जो ऊर्जा का अंतिम स्रोत है और लगातार मौसम प्रणाली को शक्ति देता है, आज हम पृथ्वी पर देखे जाने वाले लाखों जीवित चीजों के लिए जिम्मेदार हैं।

कुछ बड़े बदलावों का नाम लेने के लिए, दुनिया वर्तमान में अनुचित सूखे, अप्रत्याशित मौसम के पैटर्न, अचानक बारिश और बर्फबारी का सामना कर रही है, तापमान में लगातार उतार-चढ़ाव हो रहा है जिससे जंगल की आग जैसी त्रासदियों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है, और मौसम अब पर्याप्त अनुमानित नहीं है। परिवर्तन अप्रत्याशित हैं, और उन पर नज़र रखना अधिक कठिन होता जा रहा है। इन परिवर्तनों के सकारात्मक और नकारात्मक दोनों प्रभाव मानव जीवन पर महत्वपूर्ण हैं।

विकास की शुरुआत के बाद से, मानव जाति ने प्रकृति से लगातार लाभ उठाया है। इसने उत्पादन किया है इनमें से कुछ में पर्यावरण में कार्बन डाइऑक्साइड का उच्च स्तर, हवा और पानी में अन्य खतरनाक पदार्थ और बार-बार उपयोग के परिणामस्वरूप जीवाश्म ईंधन की पूर्ण कमी शामिल है। प्राकृतिक संसाधनों के निरंतर दोहन और स्थिति में सुधार के लिए प्रमुख कार्रवाई की कमी के कारण अंततः वातावरण में खतरनाक गैसों का निर्माण हुआ। जलवायु परिवर्तन भी ग्रीनहाउस गैसों से ओजोन परत के विनाश में योगदान देता है।

मानव द्वारा लाए गए जीवमंडल में ये परिवर्तन अपरिवर्तनीय हैं। हम बस इतना कर सकते हैं कि जीवमंडल को रहने की जगह के रूप में बेहतर बनाने के लिए काम करें। क्योंकि यह उम्मीद की जाती है कि, वातावरण में ग्रीनहाउस गैसों के उत्सर्जन में वृद्धि के कारण, अगले दिनों में पृथ्वी का तापमान लगातार बढ़ेगा, जिससे जीवन विलुप्त हो जाएगा जैसा कि हम जानते हैं। उत्सर्जित होने वाली गर्मी ग्रीनहाउस गैसों द्वारा फंस जाती है।

Found this article helpful?

Let’s connect via chat or call our senior expert counselor at +91-9625869989 to learn more about the different streams and options available.  We would love it if we could add some of your insights. If you have a definite goal of scoring the highest marks, then you can resolve your doubts via our app/quizzes and youtube class  assistance ( https://www.youtube.com/c/Adda247School )

Related Post:

• Cow Essay- 10 Lines In English/Hindi For Class 1 & 3
• Teachers Day
• What Is National Income

Sharing is caring!

Q. What are the 3 main effects of climate change?

Ans. Hotter temperatures, More severe storms,  Increased drought.

Q. What is the most cause of climate change?

Ans. Human activity is the main cause of climate change.

Q. What makes the climate change?

Ans. Burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and farming livestock are increasingly influencing the climate and the earth's temperature. 

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Trending Articles

• CBSE Sample Paper 2025
• NEET Syllabus 2025
• NEET Cut Off 2024

CBSE Board Exam 2025

• CBSE Class 10 Sample Papers  
• CBSE Class 12 Sample Papers  
• CBSE Previous Year Papers  
• CUET Syllabus
• CUET Previous Year paper
• CUET Participating College & Universities
• JEE Mains 2025  
• JEE Main Syllabus 2025  
• NEET State wise Cut off
• NEET Rank Predictor  
• NEET OMR Sheet
• NEET College Predictor

Recent Posts

• My Mother Essay [150-200 Words] in English
• My Best Friend Essay in English 200 Words, Check Composition & Paragraph
• Online Education Essay in English [200-250] Words
• My Dream Essay in English 250-300 Words- Check My Start up Dream Essay
• Unemployment in India Essay in 300 Words [बेरोजगारी पर निबंध]
• My Village Essay in English in 1000 Words
• Social Media Essay in 250 Words, Check Paragraph on Impact of Social Media
• Child Labour Essay in English [150 Words]- Check Its Impact
• My Aim in Life Paragraph and Essay
• Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Essay in English [300 Words]
• My School Essay in English for Classes 1 to 3
• Happy Teachers Day 2024 Quotes and Wishes
• Essay on Independence Day in English
• Green India Mission Essay Writing in English, Get Clean India Green India Essay in 100 words
• Wonder of Science Essay, 200-250 Words for Class 10th
• Essay on My Father, Check My Father Essay in 100, 200, 300, 500 Words
• Summer Vacation Essay in 150, 250, 300 Words, PDF Download
• Save Earth Save Life Essay, Poster, Drawing
• Importance of Education Essay- What is Education Importance in Our Life
• Navratri Essay and Speech in English- 10 Points on Navratri
• Essay on Republic Day in English-गणतंत्र दिवस पर निबंध 1000 शब्दों में
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Essay in English and Hindi
• Christmas Essay in English and Hindi
• बाल दिवस पर हिंदी में निबंध- Bal Diwas Per Nibandh
• Children’s Day Essay, 10 Lines in 200 Words English & Hindi
• Diwali Essay in English- Read Essay on Deepawali
• Discipline Essay for Class 10 in English
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Essay in English 1000 Words- स्वच्छ भारत अभियान पोस्टर
• Women Empowerment Essay in English and Hindi

IMPORTANT EXAMS

Ncert solutions.

• NCERT Class 12
• NCERT Class 11
• NCERT Class 10
• NCERT Class 9

NCERT Books

School syllabus.

• CBSE Class 12
• CBSE Class 11
• CBSE Class 10
• CBSE Class 9
• JEE Mains 2024

Our Other Websites

• Teachers Adda
• Bankers Adda
• Current Affairs
• Adda Bengali
• Engineers Adda
• Adda Marathi
• Adda School

Get all your queries solved in one single place. We at Adda247 school strive each day to provide you the best material across the online education industry. We consider your struggle as our motivation to work each day.

Download Adda247 App

Follow us on

• Responsible Disclosure Program
• Cancellation & Refunds
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy

• My Shodhganga
• Receive email updates
• Edit Profile

Shodhganga : a reservoir of Indian theses @ INFLIBNET

• Shodhganga@INFLIBNET
• Gujarat University
• Department of Botany

Items in Shodhganga are licensed under Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Impact of Climate Change on Water Crisis in Gujarat (India)

• First Online: 02 January 2023

Cite this chapter

• Nairwita Bandyopadhyay   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-8456-6500 7  

Part of the book series: Springer Climate ((SPCL))

636 Accesses

Gujarat, an economically developed state of India, is under severe threat of water scarcity due to rising population, rapid urbanisation, growing water demand and overextraction of its limited groundwater resources. Recurrent droughts have further aggravated the situation as the aquifers are under intense water stress due to inadequate recharge owing to change in meteorological dynamics. With more than 60 million population, the state has already utilised 68% of its groundwater resource, and the trend is ever increasing. Rapid urbanisation, prolific industrialisation and multiple cropping practice have increased the water demand and consumption manifold over the years. At the same time, frequency of heatwaves and intensity of droughts have increased resulting in severe water scarcity. The state suffers from water scarcity every year, particularly during the summer. In the present study, spatiotemporal variations of groundwater recharge and quality have been examined in a GIS environment. Pre- to post-monsoon groundwater storage change in various districts of Gujarat has been analysed to evaluate aquifer recharge. Besides, the impact of meteorological drought on groundwater has been assessed. The study has revealed that water table in Northern Gujarat is falling steadily and has declined by 70 m below ground level (BGL) over the last 30 years. In many parts of the state, the groundwater level has reached 200 m BGL, leading to an irreversible risk of salinisation of aquifers. A significant increase in total dissolved solids (TDS) during droughts have made groundwater unsuitable for drinking, resulting in a different type of water crisis. A correlation analysis between population change and groundwater fluctuation has revealed a direct adverse impact of rising population on groundwater resource. Findings of this study predict that water supply in Gujarat may be in jeopardy in the near future and sustainable use of water and adaptation to climate change is the only way forward.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Impact of Climate Change on Groundwater Resource of India: A Geographical Appraisal

Implication of intensive agriculture on groundwater utilization in Ganga-Ramganga interbasin, India

Climatic Changes Affecting Groundwater Quality in the Semi-Arid Region of Central India with a Special Reference to the Major Cities of Madhya Pradesh: A Short Review

Bandyopadhyay N, Bhuiyan C, Saha AK (2015) Temperature extremes, moisture deficiency and their impacts on dryland agriculture in Gujarat, India. In: Andreu J, Solera A, Paredes-Arquiola J, Haro-Monteagudo D, van Lanen H (eds) Drought: research and science-policy interfacing. CRC Press, Balkema, pp 119–124. ISBN 978-1-138-02779-4

Google Scholar  

Calow R, Macdonald D (eds) (2005) Community Management of Groundwater Resources in Rural India: Research Report. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report CR/05/36N

Calow RC, Robins NS, Macdonald AM, Macdonald DMJ, Gibbs BR, Orpen WRG, Mtembezeka P, Andrews AJ, Appiah SO (2007) Groundwater management in drought –prone- areas of Africa. Int J Water Resour Dev 13(2):241–262

Article   Google Scholar  

Central Ground Water Board Report (2016). http://cgwb.gov.in/gw_profiles/st_Gujarat.htm

CGIAR (2014). https://wle.cgiar.org/thrive/2014/06/10/when-wells-fail-farmers%E2%80%99-response-groundwater-depletion-india

Dubash NK (ed) (2002) Power politics: equity and environment in electricity reform. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC

GoG (Government of Gujarat) (2005) Socio-economic review. Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Gujarat

Groundwater Resource Development Corporation (2018) Gujarat: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/state-has-guzzled-68-of-groundwater/articleshow/63404908.cms . Accessed on 1/2/2019

Gupte P, Ngar A, Jain PK (2009) Importance of Surface Water Bodies for Groundwater Recharge, Ahmedabad Urban Areas, Gujarat State, India. Conference paper: International Conference on Water Harvesting, Storage and Conservation. (WHSC), 2009

Hirway I (2005) Ensuring drinking water to all: a study in Gujarat. 4th IWMI-TATA annual partners research meet, 1–46pp

International Water Management Institute (IWMI) (2018) IWMI annual report 2017. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, 36p. https://doi.org/10.5337/2018.209

Book   Google Scholar  

Planning Commision (2007) Groundwater management and ownership: Report of the expert group. Government of India, New Delhi

Rao HCH, Ray SK, Subbarao K (1988) Unstable agriculture and droughts: implications for policy. Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi

Shah T, Indu R (2004) Fluorosis in Gujarat: a disaster ahead. International Water Management Institute-Tata Programme Annual Partner’s Meet, Anand

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Geography, Haringhata Mahavidyalaya, University of Kalyani, Nadia District, West Bengal, India

Nairwita Bandyopadhyay

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Department of Geography, Bhatter College, Dantan (Affiliated to Vidyasagar University), Paschim Medinipore, West Bengal, India

Uday Chatterjee

Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, (COOU), Anambra State, Nigeria

Angela Oyilieze Akanwa

Department of Space, Government of India, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Suresh Kumar

K. Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric and Ocean Studies, IIDS, Nehru Science Centre, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

Sudhir Kumar Singh

Department of Geography, Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith, Bankura, West Bengal, India

Abira Dutta Roy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Bandyopadhyay, N. (2022). Impact of Climate Change on Water Crisis in Gujarat (India). In: Chatterjee, U., Akanwa, A.O., Kumar, S., Singh, S.K., Dutta Roy, A. (eds) Ecological Footprints of Climate Change . Springer Climate. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15501-7_8

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15501-7_8

Published : 02 January 2023

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-031-15500-0

Online ISBN : 978-3-031-15501-7

eBook Packages : Earth and Environmental Science Earth and Environmental Science (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• PUBLICATIONS
• PAPERS AND ARTICLES
• BOOKS, BOOK CHAPTERS AND MONOGRAPHS
• CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
• POLICY PAPERS
• POLICY BRIEFS
• OPINION AND EDITORIAL
• MAPS AND DATA

Climate change in Gujarat: A bar towards sustainable development

Stuti Haldar , Indira Dutta | 2016

Climate change in the 21st century has emerged as a burning issue on the global platform. It has profound effects on the lives and stability of ecosystems all across the globe. Gujarat is no exception to the ambush of this perilous phenomenon. It has been noticed that the sea levels are rising, temperatures are shooting up and seasonal cycles have been disrupted frequently due to climate change in Gujarat. On the economic and industrial front Gujarat has emerged as a winning horse among all Indian states. But when we estimate its progress on the scale of sustainable development Gujarat appears to be quite behind. With the growing consciousness of the world towards the global menace of climate change we are now marching from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals. The dynamic state of Gujarat also needs to fasten its seat belts and accelerate swiftly towards the target of Sustainable Development Goals. There is an utmost need for participatory and inclusive efforts to evade the surging ecological, economic and social crisis accruing to global warming. Gujarat today needs institutional reforms and policy reforms that can mitigate the far reaching and harsh blisters of climate change especially on the poorer and vulnerable spectrum of the society. The herculean task of achieving the target Sustainable Development Goals can only be met by Gujarat if we join forces regionally, nationally and globally against the menace of climate change.

Share this entry

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on WhatsApp
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Vk
• Share on Reddit
• Share by Mail

Manipur: Prohibitory orders imposed in three districts as violence escalates

Fiction: A lustful boss, a cheating husband, an unsuitable lover make three women seek one another

Despite provisioning for maternity leave, Indian workplaces are hostile to mothers. Why?

Have the Kolkata rape-murder protests dented Mamata’s women support base?

A pioneer of performance art in India reflects on her decades-long journey

MP Engineer Rashid gets interim bail to campaign for Jammu and Kashmir polls

State, builders claim Mumbai’s salt pans are key to solving housing crisis. Is their plan viable?

‘Tanaav 2’ review: Truncated season leaves us hanging

What members of the queer community suggested at a closed-door government consultation

Why the Congress and AAP failed to forge an alliance in Haryana

Gujarat is battered by heat waves, floods, drought. How are its cities coping?

Rising climate variability is adding to the state’s environmental vulnerabilities..

What does the climate map of Gujarat currently look like?

Southern parts of the state get fewer days of rainfall now. In Surat, for instance, locals say that rainfall patterns over the city began changing about 15 years ago, with the city getting fewer days of rain each year. However, the rainfall is more intense, so Surat floods more often.

In Ahmedabad, 270 km to the north, the mercury topped 50 degrees Celsius last year – the previous high was 47.8 degrees Celsius over 100 years ago, in 1916 . Another 150 km to the north lies Banaskantha , a normally arid region. Here, heavy rains caused flooding this year. To the south-west, in arid Saurashtra, farmers and scientists talk about delayed monsoons, increasingly torrential downpours and increased flooding .

There is little that is surprising here. Across India, climate variability is disrupting the structures of everyday life. In 2015, changing mid-latitude westerlies triggered a whitefly infestation that ruined Punjab’s cotton crop. In Tamil Nadu, rising sea temperatures have affected the fish catch. Inland, towards the town of Sivagangai, a weakening South-West monsoon has contributed to a drop in farm earnings and rising indebtedness. In Bihar, scientists in the agriculture university outside Bhagalpur say that crop yields are falling as heat waves increase in frequency.

The first five states Scroll.in’s Ear To The Ground project reported from – Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Bihar – were not doing much to adapt to, or mitigate the effects of, such climatic changes.

What about Gujarat?

Environmental vulnerabilities

Till the early 2000s, Gujarat had a very different sense of its environmental vulnerabilities.

In 1998, a super cyclone had ripped through the port city of Kandla. Three years later, a quake reduced Bhuj to rubble. In response, Gujarat conducted a hazard and vulnerability analysis.

GK Bhat, the founder of Taru, an environmental consultancy based in Ahmedabad, said that the major environmental risks the study flagged were drought, flood, cyclone and earthquakes. Of these, the greatest exposure was to drought, he said.

Since then, Gujarat has tried hard to drought-proof itself. Apart from building check dams to boost groundwater levels, it kicked off two large water management programmes – both feeding off the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The first was Sujlam Suflam – a canal that moves surplus Narmada waters (what is left during the monsoons after statutory allocations to all states) to North Gujarat. This canal was left unlined hoping it would recharge groundwater levels along its route. The second was Sauni Yojana – a network of pipelines that takes Narmada water to Saurashtra.

But now, rising climate variability is adding to the state’s environmental vulnerabilities.

Gujarat claims to have taken climate variability more seriously than other states. As Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi wrote a book on climate change. Gujarat was the first state in India to set up a department for climate change. Its cities are developing plans that seek to adapt or mitigate the worst fallout of climatic stress. While Ahmedabad has a roadmap to handle heat waves, Surat has a similar blueprint to tackle floods.

How far do the state’s efforts help Gujarat adapt to – and mitigate – the fallouts of a changing climate? Scroll.in’s Ear To The Ground project decided to take a closer look. Given that Gujarat is one of India’s most urbanised states, we studied urban planning to see how well adaptation and mitigation are being mainstreamed into the planning and implementation processes in the state.

But first, how exactly does climate variability affect cities?

Cities and climate trends

Climate variability affects cities in two ways essentially. The first is in the form of extreme weather like heavy rain or floods. And the second, in slower, subtler ways, like gradual increases in temperature or an increase in the sea level.

Think of the first as a shock. The second, as a stress. Gujarat is seeing both. Its cities saw heavy downpours during the 2017 monsoon. At the same time, temperature patterns are changing, said Saswat Bandopadhyay, faculty member in the department of planning at Ahmedabad’s CEPT University. In Ahmedabad, for instance, the difference between daytime and night-time temperature has reduced. “At one time, even if the mercury went up to 45 degrees Celsius, nights were pleasant and temperatures came down to [between] 25 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius,” he said. But now, he added, “They come down just half as much – to [between] 32 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius.”

Shocks and stresses come with different challenges for a city.

The first comes with cascading fallouts, said Bhat. He cited the example of especially heavy rainfall. Its first fallout is not flooding but traffic jams, he said. During these events, cities start shutting down. “Cities depend on networks – a flow of milk, a flow of food, cash for ATMs,” said Bhat. “As one urban system fails, it incapacitates the others. And cities see a progressive network failure.”

Bhat drew an analogy with a living system. “These [urban failures] are not independent failures,” he said. “But multi-organ failure. Every failing organ incapacitates the rest – reaching social unrest and epidemics in its higher reaches.”

Rising temperatures, on the other hand, trigger a spiral. For instance, when night brings no relief from high temperatures, as in Ahmedabad, many people cannot sleep without the use of air-conditioners . But these expel hot air, which heats the city up further.

How do urban planners respond to such challenges? One part of the response lies in zoning. Bandopadhyay said each city needs natural spaces that absorb environmental shocks. If a city is vulnerable to floods, it needs to create spaces where the water can collect and get absorbed. If high temperatures are a problem, ensuring sufficient green cover is one way to cool the city down.

He referred to the climate mitigation efforts of Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. “They created a very detailed assessment of surface temperatures and then looked at the level of surface greening needed to manage that,” he said.

He added that its planners also asked other questions, like the building material that should be used in the region. “They modelled wind patterns because city layouts [like tall buildings] would influence those.”

So far, urban India has not done much to mitigate the effects of climate variability . Instead of using building materials suitable for our climate, a lot of modern construction in India relies on inappropriate construction materials. Several malls and office buildings, for instance, are clad in glass panels, which absorb heat and drive up cooling costs.

Similarly, most Indian cities have a low tree cover and more hard surfaces. “Most of our plots are concretised to maximise built-up space,” said Bandopadhyay. “The land outside is also paved over and tarred. There is very little open area for water absorption.”

The fallout? As Bengaluru found recently, even after heavy rains, there is little groundwater recharge. At the same time, lakes, which recharge groundwater, are being killed through real estate development. Little thought is given to water supply. When water scarcities loom, urban areas source water from increasingly lenghty distances. Government efforts often ignore the poor, forcing them into private water markets.

In peri-urban areas, something else is awry. Take any city, said Bhat, and you will find that the panchayat president has given permission for even five-to-seven-storey buildings to be constructed in villages that fall outside municipal boundaries. “When the municipal corporation expands its limits, it finds these strange places where buildings are standing – but there are no roads, water supply or sewage,” he said. “The whole place works only on groundwater.”

As climate change becomes a reality, all this needs to change.

Rajkot’s response

To understand how Gujarat is factoring changing climate trends into urban planning, this correspondent visited Rajkot.

Rajkot, the fourth-biggest city in Gujarat after Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat, is located close to the centre of Saurashtra. The city is urbanising rapidly as people, drawn by both its industrial and service economy as well as Gujarat’s weakening rural economy, flock here. It is also a water-scarce city. Its second revised draft development plan (2031) says: “[Rajkot Municipal Corporation] is able to supply only 20 minutes of water daily as against the benchmark of 24 hours.”

A closer look at the city’s work on preparing for climate change shows a mixed picture.

On some fronts, Rajkot is doing well. To make the city more energy-efficient, Rajkot’s Municipal Corporation has made solar heaters mandatory. Rainwater harvesting is mandatory too. These efforts, however, are undercut by other decisions. As it expands, Rajkot is leaving very little room for environmental sinks like green zones. As a city grows, it should leave about 30% of its surface area for green zones and environmental sinks, said Mahesh Rajasekar, a former environmental consultant with Taru. “What holds true for a nation also holds true at a smaller, ward level.”

But Rajkot’s old city has a green cover of about 2%, and its periphery does not fare any better.

A town planner who has worked in both the Rajkot Municipal Corporation and the Rajkot Urban Development Authority, who did not want to be identified, explained why this was the case. He said that as a planner, he can take 30% to 40% of a land-owner’s land for a public purpose. “Half of that will go into roads,” he said. “Some more will go into civic infrastructure. The rest goes into parks and gardens. You will not have as much green zone as desired.”

Or take water. Rajkot currently needs about 270 million litres of water every day. Of this, it gets about 125 million litres from local reservoirs and it draws about 155 million litres to 165 million litres from the Narmada. “Our total supply is 300 MLD [million litres a day],” said senior municipal corporation official. “What we use is 270 MLD. We have a small buffer.”

That will change with the city’s expansion. By 2031, the town’s water demand will be 400 million litres a day, he said. Where will this water come from?

“Ask about water supply and officials say they will get it from the Narmada,” said Bandopadhyay. But that is easier said than done. The water from the Sauni network of pipelines comes with its own uncertainties.

Said the municipal official: “I have full reliability from my local reservoirs. But Sauni will not be 100% reliable. Like us, all corporations are planning till 2045. and making their own [water] drawal plans.”

That is not all. Water from the Sauni project is expensive. “The cost of my water from Aji and Nyari [rivers] is Rs 2 to Rs 3 per kilolitre,” said the municipal corporation official. “The cost of the water from the Sauni [project] is Rs 12 to Rs 15 [per kilolitre].”

The water from the Sauni is so expensive due to the cost of energy used to transport it. It has to be pumped uphill from near sea level – where the Narmada reservoir is – to Saurashtra whose topography is like an inverted bowl.

There is the option of seawater. But desalination is even costlier. And so, the corporation is focusing on water recycling and reuse. But there is a problem even there – the lack of funds. To expand water coverage, the municipal corporation needs Rs 1,761 crores. But it does not have the money for this.

“Octroi was abolished in 2005,” said the municipal corporation official explaining how the corporation’s financial condition has weakened. “In 2007, property tax was done away with.” He said that some of the corporation’s losses were recouped due to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission but the advantage of octroi and property tax was their untied nature. “Every city could choose how to use that money,” he said. “In contrast, these grants are tied funds.”

To make up the shortfall in revenue, the corporation is now applying for grants like the Centre’s Smart City programme and Amrut (the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in a new avatar). But these grants are limited and come with caveats.

Said the municipal officer: “What we got from Amrut is Rs 293 crores. From Smart City, Rs 250 crores. Also, this money is only for capital expenses. How do I pay for operations and maintenance?”

These are puzzling contradictions. If Rajkot was not serious about fighting climate variability, it would not have taken the steps it did. At the same time, if it is alive to the risk of a changing climate, why is it not creating sustainable cities?

The answer may lie in analysing how Gujarat’s Urban Development Authorities function.

This is the first part of a two-part series.

• Ear to the Ground

Dispatches from the states

• Climate change
• climate vulnerability

• डाउन टू अर्थ
• Print Edition

• Agriculture
• Data Centre
• Young Environmentalist
• Newsletters

Climate change in India: Gujarat faces problem of plenty

Fifty five-year Khan Mohammed Abdarman is a proud Maldhari, one of India’s oldest pastoral communities that has lived a nomadic life in Gujarat’s arid Banni grassland for over 500 years. But in 2007, he decided to do the unthinkable—to settle down and do farming. “The decision was difficult, but it had to be taken as I was unable to feed my cattle, who we consider our family members,” says Abdarman, who today grows guar and jowar in 20 hectares. He says it was the only way he could adapt to the sudden increase in rainfall in the arid grassland, which is home to more than 40,000 Maldharis.

He explains that the increase in rainfall meant the grassland got taken over by Prosopis juliflora, an invasive species that was introduced in the area in the 1950s. The species, locally called gando baval, literally, the crazy growing tree, today covers almost 55 per cent of the grassland, spanning over 2,500 sq km. This has led to an acute shortage of fodder. Interestingly, the rains made the arid region conducive to farming.

“Traditionally, the region received rainfall every four years. Starting 2000, it has been raining almost every year,” says Pankaj Joshi, executive director of local non-profit Sehjeevan. Ovee Thorat, researcher with Bengaluru-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environ- ment (ATREE), says the last long dry spell in the region was seen between 1970 and 1980. Data with the Bhuj Metrological Observatory shows that the area today receives 1.4 times more rainfall than the average in 1991-2000.

While changing rain pattern sets the stage for agriculture, other factors pushed the Maldharis to bring the land under plough. “Around 2008, the forest department started to cut plots in the reserve to stop ingress of saline water from the neighbouring salt mash of Rann of Kachchh. The community viewed the move as a way to lay claim on the grassland over which they have traditional ownership,” says Thorat. The fear was further fuelled because the state government is yet to give community forest rights (CFR) to the Maldharis under the Forest Rights Act 2006, he says. The community, in 2012, filed for 47 CFR claims. Today, farming is being carried out in over 17,000 ha, which is roughly 7 per cent of the reserve.

The sudden surge in farming has divided the community. In May this year, Banni Breeders Association, a local organisation of Maldharis working to conserve the grassland, filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal against rampant farming. On July 11, the tribunal told the forest and revenue department to stop all agricultural activity in the grassland.

“We have been rearing cattle for generations. That is what we do. In the past five or six years, farming has become rampant. This is not good for community as we are not like the settled agriculturists,” says Salam Hasham Halepotra of Hodko village. He owns around 100 buffaloes. He says from being an area where resources was communally owned, people are staking individual claim on the grassland by converting those into agricultural lands. Last year, Misriyara panchayat in eastern Banni region asked the district collector to intervene and through a public meeting made the encroachers stop farming. “To save the farmlands, they started digging trenches around the field where our buffaloes would often fall and die. Our estimate is that the community was losing over 200 animals every year due to the trenches. So we had to stop it,” says Bhuddha Hazi Khamisha, sarpanch of the panchayat.

Farming is destroying not only the community, but also the ecology of the grassland. “Banni’s landscape, like any other ecologically sensitive area, has reached here through a long process of successive natural changes. Agriculture will tip the balance and reduce the nature’s ability to restore the land. Once ploughed, the soil is exposed to erosion due to the sea breeze. Over the time, only the lower alkaline soil layers will be left. Then nothing will grow here,” warns Joshi.

“The wind velocity during summer is very high in Banni. If the land is ploughed, the high rate of top soil erosion will lead to desertification,” says Vijay Kumar, director, Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology.

(This article was first published in Down To Earth's October 16-31 print edition under the headline 'On a losing streak')

(This is the fifth article in a six-part series on climate change in India. Read the first  here , second  here , third  here  and fourth here )

Related Stories

Climate Change: Evidence and Causes: Update 2020 (2020)

Chapter: conclusion, c onclusion.

This document explains that there are well-understood physical mechanisms by which changes in the amounts of greenhouse gases cause climate changes. It discusses the evidence that the concentrations of these gases in the atmosphere have increased and are still increasing rapidly, that climate change is occurring, and that most of the recent change is almost certainly due to emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activities. Further climate change is inevitable; if emissions of greenhouse gases continue unabated, future changes will substantially exceed those that have occurred so far. There remains a range of estimates of the magnitude and regional expression of future change, but increases in the extremes of climate that can adversely affect natural ecosystems and human activities and infrastructure are expected.

Citizens and governments can choose among several options (or a mixture of those options) in response to this information: they can change their pattern of energy production and usage in order to limit emissions of greenhouse gases and hence the magnitude of climate changes; they can wait for changes to occur and accept the losses, damage, and suffering that arise; they can adapt to actual and expected changes as much as possible; or they can seek as yet unproven “geoengineering” solutions to counteract some of the climate changes that would otherwise occur. Each of these options has risks, attractions and costs, and what is actually done may be a mixture of these different options. Different nations and communities will vary in their vulnerability and their capacity to adapt. There is an important debate to be had about choices among these options, to decide what is best for each group or nation, and most importantly for the global population as a whole. The options have to be discussed at a global scale because in many cases those communities that are most vulnerable control few of the emissions, either past or future. Our description of the science of climate change, with both its facts and its uncertainties, is offered as a basis to inform that policy debate.

A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following individuals served as the primary writing team for the 2014 and 2020 editions of this document:

• Eric Wolff FRS, (UK lead), University of Cambridge
• Inez Fung (NAS, US lead), University of California, Berkeley
• Brian Hoskins FRS, Grantham Institute for Climate Change
• John F.B. Mitchell FRS, UK Met Office
• Tim Palmer FRS, University of Oxford
• Benjamin Santer (NAS), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• John Shepherd FRS, University of Southampton
• Keith Shine FRS, University of Reading.
• Susan Solomon (NAS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Kevin Trenberth, National Center for Atmospheric Research
• John Walsh, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
• Don Wuebbles, University of Illinois

Staff support for the 2020 revision was provided by Richard Walker, Amanda Purcell, Nancy Huddleston, and Michael Hudson. We offer special thanks to Rebecca Lindsey and NOAA Climate.gov for providing data and figure updates.

The following individuals served as reviewers of the 2014 document in accordance with procedures approved by the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences:

• Richard Alley (NAS), Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University
• Alec Broers FRS, Former President of the Royal Academy of Engineering
• Harry Elderfield FRS, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge
• Joanna Haigh FRS, Professor of Atmospheric Physics, Imperial College London
• Isaac Held (NAS), NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
• John Kutzbach (NAS), Center for Climatic Research, University of Wisconsin
• Jerry Meehl, Senior Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research
• John Pendry FRS, Imperial College London
• John Pyle FRS, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge
• Gavin Schmidt, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Emily Shuckburgh, British Antarctic Survey
• Gabrielle Walker, Journalist
• Andrew Watson FRS, University of East Anglia

The Support for the 2014 Edition was provided by NAS Endowment Funds. We offer sincere thanks to the Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Endowment for NAS Missions for supporting the production of this 2020 Edition.

F OR FURTHER READING

For more detailed discussion of the topics addressed in this document (including references to the underlying original research), see:

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2019: Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate [ https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc ]
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), 2019: Negative Emissions Technologies and Reliable Sequestration: A Research Agenda [ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25259 ]
• Royal Society, 2018: Greenhouse gas removal [ https://raeng.org.uk/greenhousegasremoval ]
• U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), 2018: Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States [ https://nca2018.globalchange.gov ]
• IPCC, 2018: Global Warming of 1.5°C [ https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15 ]
• USGCRP, 2017: Fourth National Climate Assessment Volume I: Climate Science Special Reports [ https://science2017.globalchange.gov ]
• NASEM, 2016: Attribution of Extreme Weather Events in the Context of Climate Change [ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/21852 ]
• IPCC, 2013: Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) Working Group 1. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis [ https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1 ]
• NRC, 2013: Abrupt Impacts of Climate Change: Anticipating Surprises [ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/18373 ]
• NRC, 2011: Climate Stabilization Targets: Emissions, Concentrations, and Impacts Over Decades to Millennia [ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12877 ]
• Royal Society 2010: Climate Change: A Summary of the Science [ https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/publications/2010/climate-change-summary-science ]
• NRC, 2010: America’s Climate Choices: Advancing the Science of Climate Change [ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12782 ]

Much of the original data underlying the scientific findings discussed here are available at:

• https://data.ucar.edu/
• https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu
• https://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu
• https://ess-dive.lbl.gov/
• https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/
• https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/
• http://scrippsco2.ucsd.edu
• http://hahana.soest.hawaii.edu/hot/

Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. It is now more certain than ever, based on many lines of evidence, that humans are changing Earth's climate. The Royal Society and the US National Academy of Sciences, with their similar missions to promote the use of science to benefit society and to inform critical policy debates, produced the original Climate Change: Evidence and Causes in 2014. It was written and reviewed by a UK-US team of leading climate scientists. This new edition, prepared by the same author team, has been updated with the most recent climate data and scientific analyses, all of which reinforce our understanding of human-caused climate change.

Scientific information is a vital component for society to make informed decisions about how to reduce the magnitude of climate change and how to adapt to its impacts. This booklet serves as a key reference document for decision makers, policy makers, educators, and others seeking authoritative answers about the current state of climate-change science.

READ FREE ONLINE

Welcome to OpenBook!

You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

Show this book's table of contents , where you can jump to any chapter by name.

...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

Switch between the Original Pages , where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter .

Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

View our suggested citation for this chapter.

Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

Get Email Updates

Do you enjoy reading reports from the Academies online for free ? Sign up for email notifications and we'll let you know about new publications in your areas of interest when they're released.