Yes, climate change is real, and it is happening!
However, there is a widespread belief that every disaster or calamity is linked to climate change.
Many of them are, in fact, due to rapid urbanization, inadequate infrastructure, and excessive human interference with nature.
Here are some environmental issues that may not be directly related to climate change:
- Urban floods (e.g., inadequate drainage systems in cities leading to flooding)
- Artificial rain (e.g., cloud seeding techniques used for agricultural purposes)
- Deforestation causing landslides (e.g., removal of trees destabilizing soil on hillsides)
- Urban heat island effect (e.g., cities become hotter due to urban development)
- Habitat degradation causes wildlife displacement (e.g., destroying forests for development).
- Groundwater depletion (e.g., excessive pumping for agriculture or urban consumption)
- Earthquakes (Geological phenomenon that is not directly affected by climate change or human activities)
While the Dubai floods may be linked to climate change, it is important to note that the rains could have been exacerbated by cloud seeding—a procedure in which chemicals are put into clouds to increase precipitation—which Dubai has been practicing since 2002.
Given Dubai’s high level of urbanization, the lack of sufficient green spaces to absorb moisture, along with insufficient drainage infrastructure to handle such heavy rainfall, likely contributed to the severity of the flooding.
Similarly, cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi experience a significant challenges with urban floods, underscoring the broader issue.
The crux of the matter is to thoroughly examine the causes of disasters while taking into account a variety of other factors, rather than seeing them exclusively through the lens of climate change!
Page Credits: Rajdeep Pandey