India And Bangladesh Get Devastated by Floods
For those looking for evidence that climate change is here, just look at the devastation caused by floods in India and Bangladesh. Over the past week, heavy monsoon rains have caused major flooding across the two countries.
At the time of this post, the death toll is 114 people. It has caused serious damage to the communities that have been devasted like knocking over telephone poles, power lines, roads, and even bridges. This has made relief efforts extremely challenging.
In total, 4.8 million people have been impacted by these floods in India and another 6 million people in Bangladesh. This has also forced schools in the area to close down, and even cancel tests, which is another blow to a struggling education system.
What’s happening in these countries is exactly what reports from the UN have stated.
Climate Change Is To Blame
Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that highlighted the changes that could be expected in Asia.
In it, heatwaves and humidity would become more intense and occur more frequently. And that’s exactly what has been happening. Across 16 states of India, there have been 280 heatwaves just this year!
The report also stated that the monsoon season will produce more rain than normal due to the higher temperatures. For those unaware, warmer air is able to hold more moisture. Thus, when it rains, there is a lot more of it.
Once again, this week is a clear demonstration of increased precipitation.
And generally speaking, the situation will only get worse as global emissions are likely to continue to rise. This will continue to make extreme weather events more likely and more intense than ever.
Ironically, India is still one of the main users of coal even though it is one of the countries that will suffer the most. It has constantly dealt with high levels of air pollution as a direct result. This also means that smog has even become a common occurrence.
Perhaps the threat of more flooding will make the country consider transitioning away from coal.
You Can Donate to Aid Relief Efforts for Flood Victims in India and Bangladesh
If you would like to help out the victims, you can donate today. There are a variety of relief efforts you can donate for.
The flashfloods put children at high risk of drowning and lack access to clean drinking water. Many children have been forced to live in shelters and you can help make a difference for them by donating to UNICEF.
UNICEF has already provided 400,000 water purification tablets, which can provide clean water for a week.
In total, the organization is seeking to raise $2.5 million in additional relief funds to provide further support.
Other organizations also have donation options available if you want to help further.
Both governments will also be opening a claims system for residents to provide information about what they lost (homes, livestock, etc.) and will be able to receive aid once the package is ready to go.
Robert has been following and writing about environmental stories for years at GreenGeeks. He believes that highlighting environmentally friendly practices can help promote change in every household.