Global warming and climate change
- The Manipur version -

Kelvin Kasar *

One of the greatest challenges for Human beings today is Global warming, due to increase of C02 in the Earth's atmosphere which trap more heat from the sun and the increase the Earth's temperature. Scientists have predicted that within the next 50 years, polar ice would melt more and more as the earth's temperature increases more and more thereby submerging low lying coastal areas, cities and towns.

Netherlands, which lies below the present sea level, would be almost completely under water due to melting of the polar ice : The tragedy is such that millions across the world would be rendered homeless/refugees.

Global warming, not only melt polar ice but bring about climate changes. As the world gets more heated due to the increase of the Earth's temperature, there will be more evaporation from water bodies and also from land surfaces. This (can) result in draught in some areas of the earth where it has never happened before.

As there is more evaporation, there will be more precipitation. Floods will be more devastating. Rainfall will be much more erratic as the evaporated water may be relocated to other areas than usual. Cherapunji is no longer the rainiest place on earth. Rivers that originate from snow capped mountains will have less water flowing in the coming years as the snows are rapidly melted with little or no replacement. Ocean temparature would rise and more cyclones, storms, and tornadoes would occur.

Global warming as the name suggests is a global phenomenon and its effects do not spare even the smallest spot on the corner of the world. The case of Manipur is a remarkable example.

1) The Loktak, the biggest lake in Manipur is dying a slow dead. There can be many factors for the shrinking of its area over the years. Soil erosion and deposition of the same at the lake, Enormous growth of water hyacinth, etc, etc. One very important factor that we and the Government of Manipur overlooked is the effect of Global warming on Loktak Lake. Lake Chad in Africa was one the biggest lakes in the world.

Today, it is reduced to nothing which has been accounted more or less to Global warming. If water bodies around the world can dry up due to Global warming, why can't it be responsible for the slow death of the Loktak Lake in Manipur? Days are getting hotter years after years here in Manipur too.

Naturally there has to be more evaporation and water bodies can dry up. In the mean time, we also received less rainfall over the past few years which mean that the evaporated water is relocated to other areas and precipitates there. Flood season ie during the rainy season have changed and we got big flood a few years back in the monsoon retreating season.

2) Global warming also affects many living organisms. Life cycle of insects and pests is greatly affected by heat. Global warming has produce new dominant insect and pest species. Large scale death of Spruce trees in Alaska has been attributed to the western pine beetle which occupy the new ecological niches created by Global warming.

14 million acres of Spruce trees in Alaska are killed by the western pine beetle. It gives us a hint for the cause of death of Yongchak trees (Perkia) in Manipur. There have been many postulates for the cause of death of yongchak trees in Manipur but I find no satisfactory answer till date.

The most scientific answer lies in the cause of dead of Spruce trees in Alaska. I have no doubt that the death of yongchak trees in Manipur is due to Climate change caused by Global warming. The pest that killed the spruce trees in Alaska is the same pest group that causes the death of yongchak trees in Manipur.

If you cut and split open a recently attacked yongchak tree, you will find beetles in different stages of their life cycle. This particular beetle must have achieved dominance like the western pine beetle.

3) As I have mentioned that Global warming affects insects and pests, mosquitoes have migrated to higher altitude and have adapted there. This poses new health problems. There will be more and more cases of mosquitoes related diseases where never heard of.

The town of Ukhrul does not encounter the menace of mosquitoes 20 years back when I was a young boy then. I never had a mosquito net and never use mosquito repellents. Today, you can find mosquitoes from April to October. This proves that Ukhrul is no more the cold place as it used to be. It is clear Global warming is right HERE and right NOW.

If present trends of Carbon Dioxide (C02) emission in the world continue, then many species on Earth will be at risk in the coming days. Some local concerns in the near future will be the extinction of the famous Shirui lily because their habitat will be destroyed by the rise in temperature of the Shirui hills generated by Global warming.

The same fate for Dzuko lily. But Shirui hills are more vulnerable. If Loktak goes, Sangai goes. Thus their future is Bleak. There will be great shortage of potable water. In the next few generations, he who controls the resources of potable water will be king.

Hydroelectricity will cease to be sustainable as most of our rivers are rain-fed. There is decreasing rate of rainfall; if it continues, then our rivers may not have enough water to generate electricity. Acute problem of water for irrigation may crop up affecting the economy.

Loss of species; for where will the Salamanders of Ukhrul go when the small water bodies dries up? Rise of unwanted dominant species of pest and disease causing organisms.

Finally we may not survive as a species. If all these happen, we should know human beings committed suicide because Global warming and Climate changes are the handiwork of human beings.