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Pollution has reduced rainfall in south Asia

May cause increase in desert areas

Twentieth century was Pakistan s wettest

Less precipitation over fewer days in Orissa

Intense rainfall often leads to floods and landslides in the Himalayan region even with rainfall amounts that are considered comparatively moderate over the plains; for example, ‘cloudbursts’, which are devastating convective phenomena producing sudden high-intensity rainfall (∼10 cm per hour) over a small area. Early prediction and warning of such severe local weather systems is crucial to mitigate societal impact arising from the accompanying flash floods. We examine a cloudburst event in the Himalayan region at Shillagarh village in the early hours of 16 July 2003.

For over a decade, Orissa has been teetering from one extreme weather condition to another: from heatwaves to cyclones, drought to floods. The state has been declared
disaster-affected for 95 of the last 105 years. Why is this happening? Is it the result of global warming and climate change? Richard Mahapatra, who has been awarded the

This paper has three parts: 

Being an integral effect of sub-seasonal rain spells over the season, the seasonal mean south Asian monsoon (SAM) rainfall could be affected by change in the length of the rainy season (LRS). An objective definition of the duration of the SAM season has, however, been lacking.

Water is important for economic development, and many parts of India already face issues of water scarcity. This study predicts that intensity of rainfall will increase under climate change. Issues such as water scarcity may also become more prevalent.

South Asian emissions of fossil fuel SO2 and black carbon increased

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