ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY

MALAPPURAM CENTRE,
KERALA

Environmental law
End term Examination

TOPIC- Study of Biodiversity with Respect to Climate Change

and the Causes of Recent Heat Wave in INDIA

SUBMITTED To SUBMITTED By

Dr.Absar Ibn Ahsan Sadhvi Singh

Assistant Professor 18ball33 , GK7930

 Table of content

S.no TOPIC Pg no.

1 Introduction to 3
biodiversity and
climate changes
2 Climate change 3
3 Vulnerability of 4
biodiversity to the
empacts of climate
change
4 Link between 4
biodiversity and
climate changes
5 Effect of 5
biodiversity on
Climate change’
6 Is climate change 6
responsible for
heat wave in india
7 How are heatwave 7
defined
8 Heat wave and 7
climate change
Commonly 8 to 10
proposed
adaptation
strategies for
biodiversity
conservation
given climate
change
9 Biodiversity and 11
its Conservation
Methods

10 Summarisation of 12
Strategies for
Biodiversity
Conservation
12. Conclusion 15
13 . Bibliography 16
 INTRODUCTION TO BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE
CHANGE

Impacts of climate change pose fundamental challenges for current approaches to biodiversity
conservation. Changing temperature and precipitation regimes will interact with existing drivers such
as habitat loss to influence species distributions despite their protection within reserve boundaries. In
this report we summarize a suite of current adaptation proposals for conservation, and highlight some
key issues to be resolved.

Changing temperature and precipitation regimes are expected to interact with other drivers to impact
a range of biological processes and influence species distributions In the past 5 years a growing
body of empirical evidence has documented climate-change-attributed changes in processes,
including phenology net primary productionand species interactions Changes in species distributions
have also been observed in both above-ground and below-ground communitiesThis situation poses
fundamental challenges to existing approaches for biodiversity conservation because targets (for
example, species) are currently managed within spatially and temporally static reserves . As a result
of changing species distributions, some populations and species will no longer be viable in reserves
created for their protection. Additionally, altered disturbance regimes may enhance the ability of
invasive species to colonize reserves more easily .
Thus, a central unresolved question in conservation biology is: how can we manage for biodiversity
objectives in an era of accelerated climate change?

CLIMATE CHANGE
In the atmosphere, gases such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone, and methane act like the glass
roof of a greenhouse by trapping heat and warming the planet. These gases are called greenhouse
gases. The natural levels of these gases are being supplemented by emissions resulting from human
activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, farming activities and land-use changes. As a result, the
Earth’s surface and lower atmosphere are warming, and this rise in temperature is accompanied by
many other changes.
Rising levels of greenhouse gases are already changing the climate. According to the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I (WGI) Fourth Assessment
Report, from 1850 to 2005, the average global temperature increased by about 0.76ºC and global
mean sea level rose by 12 to 22 cm during the last century. These changes are affecting the entire
world, from low-lying islands in the tropics to the vast polar regions.
Climate change predictions are not encouraging; according to the IPCC WGI Fourth Assessment
Report, a further increase in temperatures of 1.4°C to 5.8°C by 2100 is projected. Predicted impacts
associated with such temperature increase include: a further rise in global mean sea level, changes in
precipitation patterns, and more people at risk from dangerous “vector-borne diseases” such as
malaria.

Vulnerability of biodiversity to the impacts of climate change

The present global biota has been affected by fluctuating Pleistocene (last 1.8 million years)
concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, temperature, precipitation, and has coped through
evolutionary changes, and the adoption of natural adaptive strategies. Such climate changes,
however, occurred over an extended period of time in a landscape that was not as fragmented as it is
today and with little or no additional pressure from human activities. Habitat fragmentation has
confined many species to relatively small areas within their previous ranges, resulting in reduced
genetic variability. Warming beyond the ceiling of temperatures reached during the Pleistocene will
stress ecosystems and their biodiversity far beyond the levels imposed by the global climatic change
that occurred in the recent evolutionary past.
Current rates and magnitude of species extinction far exceed normal background rates. Human
activities have already resulted in the loss of biodiversity and thus may have affected goods and
services crucial for human well-being. The rate and magnitude of climate change induced by
increased greenhouse gases emissions has and will continue to affect biodiversity either directly or in
combination with other drivers of change.

Links between biodiversity and climate change

There is ample evidence that climate change affects biodiversity. According to the Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment, climate change is likely to become one of the most significant drivers of
biodiversity loss by the end of the century. Climate change is already forcing biodiversity to adapt
either through shifting habitat, changing life cycles, or the development of new physical traits.
Conserving natural terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and restoring degraded ecosystems
(including their genetic and species diversity) is essential for the overall goals of both the
Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change because ecosystems play a key role in the global carbon cycle and in adapting to climate
change, while also providing a wide range of ecosystem services that are essential for human well-
being and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Biodiversity can support efforts to reduce the negative effects of climate change. Conserved or
restored habitats can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus helping to address climate
change by storing carbon (for example, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation). Moreover, conserving in-tact ecosystems, such as mangroves, for example, can help
reduce the disastrous impacts of climate change such as flooding and storm surges.
 Effect Of Biodiversity On Climate Cahnge
The threat posed by climate change to biodiversity is expected to increase, yet thriving ecosystems
also have the capacity to help reduce the impacts of climate change.

If current rates of warming continue, by 2030 global temperatures could increase by more than 1.5°C
(2.7°F) compared to before the industrial revolution. A major impact of climate change on
biodiversity is the increase in the intensity and frequency of fires, storms or periods of drought. In
Australia at the end of 2019 and start of 2020, 97,000km2 of forest and surrounding habitats were
destroyed by intense fires that are now known to have been made worse by climate change. This
adds to the threat to biodiversity which has already been placed under stress by other human
activities. It is thought that the number of threatened species in the area may have increased by 14%
as a result of the fires.

Rising global temperatures also have the potential to alter ecosystems over longer periods by
changing what can grow and live within them. There is already evidence to suggest that reductions in
water vapour in the atmosphere since the 1990s has resulted in 59% of vegetated areas showing
pronounced browning and reduced growth rates worldwide.

Rising temperatures in the oceans affect marine organisms. Corals are particularly vulnerable to
rising temperatures and ocean acidification can make it harder for shellfish and corals in the upper
ocean to form shells and hard skeletons. We have also seen changes in occurrence of marine algae
blooms.
Despite the threats posed by climate change to biodiversity, we also know that natural habitats play
an important role in regulating climate and can help to absorb and store carbon. Mangroves are
significant sinks for carbon and the Amazon is one of the most biologically diverse places on the
planet and is an enormous store of carbon – up to 100 billion tons, although a recent study has
suggested the Amazon may now be emitting more carbon than it absorbs. Safeguarding these natural
carbon sinks from further damage is an important part of limiting climate change.

IS CLIMATE CHANGE RRESPONSIBLE FOR HEAT WAVES IN

INDIA
The heat-trapping consequences of global warming imply that climate extremes such as heatwaves
are expected to rise in frequency. Instances of extreme rainfall, as well as longer rainless spells are
expected, according to assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The main reason for the scorching heat in the northern parts of the country is lack of rainfall.
Usually, periods of high temperature are punctuated by periodic episodes of rain but this was largely
absent during March and April. Ironically, April also saw maximum instances of extreme rainfall
since 2018 though it was concentrated in the south and north-eastern India. The rain-bearing western
disturbances originate because of temperature gradients between the northernmost parts of the globe
and the latitudes passing through West Asia. Weaker gradients mean weaker rains. This March and
April, cooler than normal conditions in the Pacific Ocean failed to aid rainfall in north India.

HOW ARE HEATWAVES DEFINED?

A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is over 40 degree Celsius and at least 4.5
notches above normal. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal temperature is
more than 6.4 degrees, according to the IMD. Based on absolute recorded temperatures, a heatwave
is declared when an area logs a maximum temperature of 45 degree Celsius. A severe heatwave is
declared if the maximum temperature crosses 47 degrees.

HEAT WAVE AND CLIMATE CHANGES

A deadly heat wave is building across India and new analysis by climate scientists has directly
connected the heat wave with climate change. Temperatures are forecast to rise at New Delhi at 44-
45°C while some parts of northern India could reach 46°C. The public health experts have warned
that extreme heat so early in the year is particularly dangerous.
A new analysis by Dr Mariam Zachariah and Dr Friederike Otto of Imperial College London has
found that the heat that hit India earlier this month is already much more common as a result of
higher global temperatures caused by human activities.
Dr Mariam Zachariah, Research Associate at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, said,
“The recent high temperatures in India were made more likely by climate change. Before human
activities increased global temperatures, we would have seen the heat that hit India earlier this month
around once in 50 years. But now it is a much more common event — we can expect such high
temperatures once in every four years. And until net emissions are halted, it will continue to become
even more common.”
Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at the Grantham Institute, said, “India’s
current heat wave has been made hotter by climate change that is the result of human activities like
burning coal and other fossil fuels. This is now the case for every heat wave, everywhere in the
world. Until net greenhouse gas emissions end, heat waves in India and elsewhere will continue to
become hotter and more dangerous.”
The forecast temperatures are similar to those seen in the deadly heat waves that hit India and
Pakistan in May/June 2015, which killed at least 4,500 people. In the deadly June 2015 heat wave,
New Delhi airport reached 44.6°C, while the hottest temperatures in India were seen in Jharsuguda,
Odisha at 49.4°C.
India has already suffered the hottest March in 122 years of weather data, and parts of the country
are seeing wheat yields drop 10-35% in part due to the unseasonal heat — as they try to make up the
shortfall caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some experts in India are also stressing the need
for actions to help people survive the climate change-driven extreme heat
Abhiyant Tiwari, programme manager, Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management, said: “While
taking mitigation measures is a must to limit future warming, the extreme, frequent, and long-lasting
spells of heat waves are no more a future risk. It is already here.”
 Commonly Proposed adaptation strategies for Biodiversity
Conservation given climate change:

• New reserves and corridors

The most common proposed approach for conservation adaptation is to expand linked networks of
protected areas including migration corridors . These researchers argue that the existing network
does not provide enough area to allow for organisms to respond autonomously to changing climatic
conditions.

The principal purpose of new protected areas is to mitigate the risk of extinction by providing the
potential for species distributions to shift; a secondary contribution is that they may also enhance
micro-evolutionary potential through enhanced population size and diversity. Therefore, corridors
may reduce extinction risk by enabling the passive shifting of some species to new geographic
ranges, and by reinforcing species distributions (in a metapopulation context).

A crucial challenge for this approach is determining where to site corridors and new reserve
areas. The current state-of-the-science is to use species distribution models or bioclimate envelope
models to generate projections of future species’ responses to various climate scenarios . Many view
this information as providing essential insight into the strategic siting of new protected areas At the
same time, myriad uncertainties impact the validity of these projections . Efforts to address these
uncertainties are ongoing , but many uncertainties may remain (or even increase) within decision-
making time frames nonetheless.

Schemes for siting new areas may be more robust to uncertainties by incorporating coarse scale
environmental gradients, such as edaphic and elevational ranges .

• Matrix as buffers
As a complement to protected areas expansion, many researchers highlight the importance of matrix
areas or the wider landscape, as being particularly crucial for biological adaptation in an era of
change .For example, some land uses, such as forestry or agro-forestry (or lower impact marine
activities), may provide a spatial buffer for populations as they respond to climate change and move
outside core reserves. In order for this proposal to be effective, matrix areas must be of sufficient
size, and landowners must be willing to adjust their activities as monitoring indicates . Incentives
may increase the viability of this proposal. The logic of this approach is similar to new protected
areas and corridors: more benign matrix areas may passively facilitate species shifts by promoting
movement across land- and seascapes; they may also reinforce species distributions at fine scales
(around reserves).

• Projections and uncertainties

A key area of future research is to improve our capacity for forecasting species responses to
changing climate – for example, by incorporating biotic interactions in bio-climate models, and
refining species-specific process-based models]. Other areas include the longstanding scientific
challenge of understanding when a given species will become invasive in a given context. Efforts to
reduce the ecological uncertainties just mentioned will represent a key contribution to the literature
on adaptive reserve management.

In addition to ecological uncertainties, there are various parametric and model uncertainties relating
to species distribution models. This includes uncertainties relating to so-called ‘unknown
unknowns’; where key processes are not yet recognized, understood or incorporated into model
structure, or as parameters. Yet such processes may play critical roles in ecosystem dynamics
nonetheless. Moreover, there are uncertainties relating to the climate scenario models that influence
the outputs of envelope models. Lastly, there are critical socio-political uncertainties (in values,
impacts, responses and feedbacks).

Thus, a second key area of future research is the development of conservation approaches that are
robust to uncertainty, recognizing that many of the above uncertainties are irreducible. As ecological
and social systems co-adapt, non-linear dynamics will lead to perpetually surprising outcomes.
Therefore, even with the best scientific research and most comprehensive models, species responses
may surprise us. Indeed, uncertainties may also increase with new research and insights Thus, the
implementation of safe-to-fail adaptive management policies may be as or more important than
efforts to reduce uncertainties.

• Monitoring
In many ways, conservation adaptation requires recognition of what is changing and where (for
example, assisted migration, dynamic reserves). Thus, there is an urgent need for monitoring of
impacts. While existing monitoring programs could be adapted and used for this purpose, programs
specifically targeted to assessing the impacts of climate change would support the most effective
adaptation responses possible under highly uncertain circumstances.

• Implementation
So far, the adaptation proposals outlined above have focussed primarily on biological dimensions.
This effort has provided a critical foundation, but land-use decisions, including reserves, are social
decisions made in the context specific places. Therefore, a key area of future research is to identify
through applied case studies the factors that determine the relative receptivity or resistance of
communities to new and additional conservation measures. This effort will provide crucial insights
by which conservationists can foster socially sustainable conservation action.

• Changing norms and expectations for reserve management:

To date, core protected areas have been managed with a preferred minimum intervention (with
exceptions for active management including controlled burns, programs to limit grazers, and efforts
to minimize the impacts and distributions of invasive species, for example). Proposals for more
widespread intervention, including assisted colonization, raise many unanswered questions. When do
we intervene and to what extent? To what extent and under what circumstances are we willing to
sacrifice the persistence of one species to save another? Who decides? And by what decision
process? Addressing these questions, including latent and even more controversial proposals for
conservation triage , will be a key challenge moving forward.

Ultimately, one of the biggest challenges to fostering biological adaptation may be a willingness
across stakeholders, scientists and managers to re-calibrate existing expectations of nature and
reserves in responding to an era of global change.

Biodiversity and its Conservation Methods

Biodiversity refers to the variability of life on earth. It can be
conserved in the following ways:
• In-situ Conservation
• Ex-situ Conservation

❖ In-situ Conservation
In-situ conservation of biodiversity is the conservation of species within their natural habitat. In this
method, the natural ecosystem is maintained and protected.

The in-situ conservation has several advantages. Following are the important advantages of in-situ
conservation:

It is a cost-effective and convenient method of conserving biodiversity.

A large number of living organisms can be conserved simultaneously.
Since the organisms are in a natural ecosystem, they can evolve better and can easily adjust to
different environmental conditions.
Certain protected areas where in-situ conservation takes place include national parks, wildlife
sanctuaries and biosphere reserves.

• National Parks
These are small reserves maintained by the government. Its boundaries are well demarcated and
human activities such as grazing, forestry, habitat and cultivation are prohibited. For eg., Kanha
National Park, Bandipur National Park.

• Wildlife Sanctuaries
These are the regions where only wild animals are found. Human activities such as timber
harvesting, cultivation, collection of woods and other forest products are allowed here as long as they
do not interfere with the conservation project. Also, tourists visit these places for recreation.

• Biosphere Reserves
Biosphere reserves are multi-purpose protected areas where the wildlife, traditional lifestyle of the
inhabitants and domesticated plants and animals are protected. Tourist and research activities are
permitted here.

Ex-situ Conservation
Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity involves the breeding and maintenance of endangered species in
artificial ecosystems such as zoos, nurseries, botanical gardens, gene banks, etc. There is less
competition for food, water and space among the organisms.

Ex-situ conservation has the following advantages:

The animals are provided with a longer time and breeding activity.
The species bred in captivity can be reintroduced in the wild.
Genetic techniques can be used for the preservation of endangered species.
Also Read: Difference between a wildlife sanctuary and national park

Summarisation of Strategies for Biodiversity Conservation

Following are the important strategies for biodiversity conservation:
• All the varieties of food, timber plants, livestock, microbes and agricultural animals should
be conserved.
• All the economically important organisms should be identified and conserved.
• Unique ecosystems should be preserved first.
• The resources should be utilized efficiently.
• Poaching and hunting of wild animals should be prevented.
• The reserves and protected areas should be developed carefully.
• The levels of pollutants should be reduced in the environment.
• Deforestation should be strictly prohibited.
• Environmental laws should be followed strictly.
• The useful and endangered species of plants and animals should be conserved in their nature
as well as artificial habitats.
• Public awareness should be created regarding biodiversity conservation and its importance.
 CONCLUSION

Conservation, restoration, and management of biodiversity and natural resources can improve their
resilience and help countries and communities respond to climate variability and long-term climate
change, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Ecosystem-based adaptation and climate
mitigation actions like land use planning and sustainable forest management can also help conserve
biodiverse ecosystems.

Similarly, agroforestry, rangeland restoration, and reforestation can heal and rebuild degraded
landscapes, ultimately reducing both emissions and habitat fragmentation. The diversification of
natural resource livelihoods and the reduction of non-climate threats to biodiversity, such as
overexploitation, can also limit harmful impacts and improve ecosystems’ ability to adapt to a
changing climate. Addressing climate impacts on biodiversity can improve development outcomes
by strengthening the ecosystem services on which people rely.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• www. Ncbi. Nlm.nih.gov

• www.cliamte link .org
• royal society publication .org
• www.cbd.int
• www. Reasearch gate .net .com