UPSC Essentials | Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on rainfall events in the Western Himalayas and carbon emissions (Week 120)

QUESTION 1

The recent heavy rainfall events in the Western Himalayas have highlighted the combined influence of topography and climate change. Discuss how these two factors interplay to exacerbate disasters in hilly regions.

QUESTION 2

Discuss how carbon emissions from major fossil fuels and industry have been linked to the increased frequency and intensity of heatwaves globally.

General points on the structure of the answers for UPSC Mains

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: The recent heavy rainfall events in the Western Himalayas have highlighted the combined influence of topography and climate change. Discuss how these two factors interplay to exacerbate disasters in hilly regions.

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

Introduction:

— Several regions in the western Himalayas have experienced very heavy rainfall over the past few days, triggering landslides in multiple areas and causing rivers to swell to dangerous levels.

— A series of such incidents has occurred in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh over the past month. Extreme rainfall or cloudbursts have led to landslides, mudslides, flash floods, and swollen riverbanks, resulting in large-scale destruction, loss of life, and communication disruptions.

Body:

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

— The monsoon has been quite active this season. The northwestern region of the country has been quite wet, especially in the last month.

— During this time, consecutive rain-bearing low-pressure systems — formed in the Bay of Bengal — have travelled farther north than normal, causing intense rainfall in the region.

— As a result, the northwestern region recorded 34% surplus rainfall in August. For the season (June-September) so far, the region has received more than 30% surplus rainfall. During the first half of September, rainfall has been more than 67% above normal.

— The impact of extreme rainfall varies according to geography. For instance, 300 mm or more of rainfall over 24 hours is not unusual for some places in Goa, Konkan, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, or Meghalaya. However, rainfall of this magnitude is a recipe for disaster in the Himalayas, especially the western Himalayas spanning Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.

— In mountainous regions, favourable conditions can help the air rise swiftly, which leads to the formation of massive clouds with steep heights. These overgrown, rain-bearing clouds can, in turn, cause higher-than-normal precipitation locally over the hilly region. This represents the typical climate pattern of these mountainous areas.

— Over the plains, such intense rainfall can drain out into rivers or locally available water sources. However, in mountainous regions, extreme rainfall can trigger landslides, mudslides and flash floods as the descending rainwater carries along with itself mud, loose soil, gravel, and all materials in its pathway. This happened across Mandi, Kullu, Dharali, Tharali, and Jammu over the past two weeks.

— When major river streams are choked, gushing water and/or mudslides and landslides are forced to enter settlements, cutting through roads and bridges, which can cause larger disasters.

— However, not all cloudburst-like events lead to disasters. Several conditions have to come together to cause disasters. For example, if extreme rainfall occurs on a side of a hill that is not prone to landslides, or if debris does not fall into any river, the results are very different.

Conclusion:

— An emerging and worrisome meteorological observation in recent years has been the southward shifting of large-scale weather systems — in this case, western disturbances. The western disturbances are streams of eastward-propagating wind bands that cause precipitation (rain or snow) along their route. Western disturbances have a pronounced impact on India, particularly northern regions, during the winter months.

— However, the southward shift of western disturbances and their interaction with massive southwest monsoonal systems is adding another layer of complexity to rainfall prediction over the Himalayas.

— Global warming is believed to be the main driver of this shifting trend. Meteorologists warn that extreme rainfall events will become more common in the future, particularly in hilly regions, along with longer periods of dry spells during the season.

(Source: Topography, climate change: Behind the heavy rain in Uttarakhand, Himachal)

Points to Ponder

Read more about landslides

Read about sustainable constructions in the Himalayan region

Related Previous Year Questions

What is the phenomenon of ‘Cloudbursts’? Explain. (2024)

Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats. (2021)

QUESTION 2: Discuss how carbon emissions from major fossil fuels and industry have been linked to the increased frequency and intensity of heatwaves globally.

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

Introduction:

— According to a new study, ‘Systematic attribution of heatwaves to the emissions of carbon majors’, heatwaves have been directly linked to carbon emissions from the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies for the first time.

— The research was carried out by a team of researchers based at different international institutions. It can play a crucial role as evidence in legal battles to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the damage being caused by the climate crisis.

Body:

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

— The study analysed 213 heatwaves that occurred worldwide between 2000 and 2023. It showed that due to global warming, heatwaves between 2000 and 2009 became about 20 times more likely, and about 200 times more likely between 2010 and 2019. Also, out of the 213 heatwaves, 55 were made at least 10,000 times more likely by soaring global temperatures.

— The research also revealed that heatwaves that occurred between 2000 and 2009 were 1.4 degrees Celsius hotter due to global warming, while those that took place between 2010 and 2019 were made 1.7 degrees Celsius warmer.

— These heatwaves have proven to be lethal across the globe. According to a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report, between 2000 and 2019, at least 4,89,000 people died annually from heat, many from climate change-fueled heatwaves.

Link with fossil fuel companies

— To assess the link between carbon emissions from fossil fuel companies and heatwaves, the scientists first looked at the biggest disaster database, EM-DAT, to identify heatwaves  with significant casualties, economic damages and calls for international assistance.

— They then accessed the Carbon Majors Database to understand carbon and methane emissions from 180 of the world’s largest oil, gas, coal, and cement producers.

Conclusion:

— The researchers found that the total emissions from these companies and their products contributed about half of the increase in the intensity of heatwaves since pre-industrial times.

— They also examined the impact of emissions from each carbon major on each heatwave in their analysis. For example, it was found that the emissions linked to Saudi Aramco made 51 heatwaves at least 10,000 times more likely.

(Source: Carbon emissions from fossil fuel companies linked to numerous deadly heatwaves: What a new study says)

Points to Ponder

Read about renewable sources of energy

Read about heatwaves

Related Previous Year Questions

How are climate change and the sea level rise affecting the very existence of many island nations ? Discuss with examples. (2025)

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

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 120)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 119)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 120)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 119)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 119)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 118)

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