Assam has been in the crosshair of natures fury from time immemorial. The state falls in seismic zone V making it prone to moderate to high-intensity Earthquakes. Floods in the state are nearly annual events. In the post-independence period, in the years 1954, 1962, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1988, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2019, 2020 and 2022, floods caused much devastation and havoc. The frequency has increased in the last two decades and the state incurs a loss of more than INR 200 crore every year due to this disaster.
In 2022, Assam was ravaged by the first wave of flood due to extensive pre-monsoon showers in May, killing scores of people. In the month of December 2022, a freakish hailstorm covered Moran town in the upper Assam region in a layer of white sheets. Uncharacteristically blistering summers and short winters are now a norm in the state. Another atypical drift is the fluctuating character of weather within the same monsoon period. Rain falls in rapid bursts, bringing moderate to extreme flooding, in different geographical regions of the state; this is then followed by long periods of dry spells creating a drought-like situation. These extremities are a result of a wider global phenomenon- https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change.
In the list of Indias most vulnerable 25 districts to climate change, 15 are in Assam with Karinganj at the top. Climate change projections in the state indicate an increase of about 2 degrees Celsius by 2050 with extreme events of rainfall up by more than 35% with respect to the baseline period of 1971-2000. On the other end of the spectrum, drought weeks will rise by 75% for the same baseline. These extremities of temperature and rainfall along with the emergence of new pests and diseases will reduce the food crop productivity in a predominantly rural state along with yields of Cash Crops like tea, fish, milk and bamboo. With less than 30% area in the state under assured Irrigation, persistent dry spells due to climate change may have multiple ramifications including food insecurity and distress Migration.