Climate Change and Temporal Analysis of Temperature and Rainfall Variability in Kerala
Keywords:
Climate Change, drought, environmental degradation, Hot waves, Rainfall,Abstract
Growing temperatures are having a broader effect on environmental resources including forests and ground cover, which increases the frequency and intensity of natural disasters and degrades the environment more broadly. Due to a combination of factors including geography, land-use change, urbanization, development activities, and the state's high population density, Kerala is one of the Indian states experiencing a severe change in climate. Kerala has an average of 3,000 mm of rainfall each year, yet the risk of drought is still very real. In 2017, the state was hit by a drought. Summer droughts typically occur in central Kerala (Palakkad) from February to May. By 2050, it is expected that the average temperature in Kerala's atmosphere will have risen by 2 degrees Celsius. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the changes in the State's climate and precipitation over the preceding thirty years. Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad are the two districts included in the study regions. The study employed primarily secondary data approaches, which were sourced from the state's meteorological department. Mapping software like ArcGIS, ERDAS, and QGIS helped in the production of the maps. Furthermore, location-related and other pertinent data related to the research region were obtained by using Google Earth, Google Maps, and other comparable programs. The findings indicate a rise in the frequency of hot days and heat waves in all of Palakkad's terrestrial zones. The past ten years have been difficult for the people living in the Palakkad area because of the rising temperatures; some have even suffered from serious sunburns. Due to changes in the global climate, the rate of rainfall during the monsoon season varies from district to district in the state. In the Thiruvananthapuram district, the amount of rainfall has been declining over the previous ten years, resulting in a severe drought. Both local and regional levels need to address these problems.
