Urbanization and Changing Cropping Patterns Are Also Contributing To Temperature Rise

The rise in temperature in any location is a combination of effects that are local in origin such as deforestation and urbanization and those that are forced externally as part of global or regional changes. 

Odisha has recorded an increase of about 0.3 degree Celsius in the mean temperature over three decades (1981-2010).

Temperature rise (a) and Percentage of temperature rise (b) during 2001-2010 due to LULC changes over Odisha

The temperature in big cities is greater than in smaller cities. The mean temperature rise in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, which have seen high urbanization in the past three decades, has been 40 and 50 percent respectively in three decades.

Other cities where temperature increase has been recorded are Angul, Dhenkanal and Jajapur.

Regions having largest land use and land cover induced warming coincided with those regions where cropping patterns are altered.

Rabi crop cultivation has increased by 97 percent in Odisha between 2004 and 2010. There has been a decrease in Kharif crops, reflecting agricultural diversification and changing cropping patterns.

Mostly a shift from kharif to rabi has led to warming of up to 30 percent.

The study was done by researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology at Bhubaneswar and Kharagpur, along with those from Southampton University.

This is a ‘India Science Wire’story; edited by Clean-Future Team