UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on Pollution in urban areas and floods (Week 71)

QUESTION 2

Discuss the relationship between climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding events worldwide. Evaluate the socio-economic impacts of such flooding, particularly in vulnerable regions.

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

QUESTION 1: Critically analyse the limitations of technological solutions such as smog towers and cloud seeding in addressing air pollution in urban areas.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— The air quality in Delhi slipped into the ‘poor’ category (AQI 200-300) for the first time since mid-June, signalling the imminent arrival of North India’s bad air season.

— The Delhi government announced a 21-point Winter Action Plan, including using drones to monitor pollution hotspots, deploying anti-smog guns, and exploring the possibility of creating artificial rain.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The post-monsoon months bring stagnant air and a meteorological pattern known as temperature inversion, which happens when a layer of warm air traps cooler air close to the ground.

— This stops pollutants from ascending and dispersing, allowing fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and other air pollutants to reach dangerously high levels. Although smog becomes more visible and severe in the winter, poor air quality is a year-round, national issue that necessitates ongoing and comprehensive intervention.

— Multiple, overlapping sources contribute to India’s air pollution crisis. Year-round sources include biomass burning for cooking, rubbish disposal, vehicle emissions, and industrial activities, as well as episodic occurrences like farm stubble burning and festival firecrackers.

— Meteorological circumstances such as temperature inversion and low wind speeds during the post-monsoon and winter months trap pollutants near the surface, worsening the problem, especially in the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Limitations of these technological solution

— Among the superficial solutions such as smog towers, water guns, and odd-even road sharing, cloud seeding has emerged as the next “silver bullet”. This approach, which includes spreading chemicals to cause rainfall, has gained popularity as a means of temporarily clearing the air. However, cloud seeding is more concerned with making an impression than with addressing the underlying issue.

— Aside from its limited impact, cloud seeding presents significant environmental and ethical problems. The water vapour consumed in the process would have naturally precipitated elsewhere, potentially depriving other areas of rainfall. This deliberate manipulation of weather patterns has the potential to cause droughts in regions that would otherwise get rainfall.

— Another problematic option being investigated is the use of smog towers, which are intended to operate as enormous air purifiers, cleaning the surrounding air. While these structures serve as obvious symbols of activity, their effectiveness is limited to the immediate neighbourhood, leaving the larger cityscape unaffected. Furthermore, the energy necessary to operate these towers might add to pollution, potentially making them ineffective.

Conclusion:

— Both cloud seeding and smog towers divert attention away from the genuine, science-based solutions required to address air pollution at its source.

— Air pollution is a complex, multi-sectoral issue that necessitates a coordinated response from several government agencies. Effective collaboration across organisations responsible for transportation, industry, agriculture, and urban planning is critical to ensuring policy alignment.

— For example, combating crop stubble-burning in rural areas necessitates collaboration among farmers, agricultural officials, and environmental authorities. A fundamental requirement is to increase capacity and develop critical thinking among all stakeholders.

(Source: Why smog towers, cloud seeding won’t save us from air pollution by Shahzad Gani)

Points to Ponder

What are the solutions for stubble burning?

What is the Air Quality Index and its parameters?

Science behind the cloud seeding

Related Previous Year Question

Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the three megacities of the country but the air pollution is a much more serious problem in Delhi as compared to the other two. Why is this so? (2015)

QUESTION 2: Discuss the relationship between climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of flooding events worldwide. Evaluate the socio-economic impacts of such flooding, particularly in vulnerable regions.

Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers.

Introduction:

— Climate change influences the frequency of heavy downpours during storms and unexpected outbursts by altering complicated atmospheric and weather processes.

— Thousands of people have been forced to abandon their homes due to severe floods in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania.

— This summer, hundreds of people were forced to relocate from southern Germany. The United Arab Emirates and Oman saw their heaviest rainfall since records began. Deluges in Kenya killed many people and caused landslides, while floods in Brazil devastated an area the size of the United Kingdom and displaced over 500,000 people.

— Coastal flooding is mostly caused by winds and high tides, while river, groundwater, and flash flooding are all related to severe rainfall. Rising global temperatures, due to the usage of fossil fuels, are increasing the frequency and severity of rainfall throughout the majority of the world.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— Greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere behave as a blanket, trapping heat and raising global temperatures. This causes faster evaporation of water on land and at sea, so when it rains, there is more water to release. And when a large amount of rain falls on Earth in a short period of time, it can cause flooding.

— With each 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature, the ability of air to store moisture increases by 7%. Since the pre-industrial era, global air temperatures have risen by approximately 1.3 degrees Celsius.

— Temperature rises can cause more precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow, making high-altitude areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

Impact of floods

— Flooding, among the most widespread natural disasters, is often devastating. Rushing currents can sweep away loved ones, critical infrastructure, wildlife and fertile soil, leaving behind grief and crippling economic damage as the water recedes.

— Since 2000, the proportion of persons exposed to floods is thought to have increased by 24%. Today, 1.8 billion people, or little less than a quarter of the world’s population, are directly exposed to one-in-100-year floods, a term used to characterise a flood that is expected to be equalled or exceeded once per century.

— In Europe, Germany has the most population at risk of floods, followed by France and the Netherlands. In 2023, one-third of the continent’s river network had floods over the ‘high’ flood threshold, with 16% above the “severe” level.

— According to one study, the number of individuals living in places with a very high flood risk has increased by 122% since 1985. This trend is believed to be driven by rapid urbanisation, particularly in middle- and low-income countries, with cities often located beside waterways.

Conclusion:

— According to calculations by the Joint Research Centre, the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, if no adaptation measures are implemented and temperatures rise to 3 degrees Celsius by 2100, floods could cause €48 billion in damage per year and triple the number of Europeans exposed to flooding.

(Source: How is climate change impacting flooding around the world?)

Points to Ponder

Why is there frequent flooding in urban areas?

How river linking can help flood and drought-hit regions?

Related Previous Year Questions

Discuss the consequence of Climate change on the food security in tropical countries. (2023)

The interlinking of rivers can provide viable solutions to the multi-dimensional inter-related problems of droughts, floods, and interrupted navigation. Critically examine. (2020)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 69)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 70)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 70)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 71)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 71)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 70)

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