Kushalnagar: The earlier May-June-July monsoon in Kodagu has been delayed and rains are occurring only in the month of August-September since the last two years — and continuing this year — due to global warming and where changes to climate are happening, said Dr. T.V. Ramachandra, Coordinator, Energy and Wetlands Research Group (Centre for Ecological Sciences) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bengaluru.
Responding to an e-mail query from Star of Mysore, Dr. Ramachandra, who has done extensive research in Kodagu during the last two years of floods and landslides, said that the global warming and climate change have resulted in the reduction in number of rainy days. The amount of rain — quantum —which is supposed to spread for 35-45 days is coming in 5-10 days, he said. “Deforestation is one of the major causal factor of global warming, which not only increases the emissions (carbon footprint) but also reduces the water retention capability of catchments/ watersheds and also increases the instances of land/ mud slide as the region has become fragile with the loss of soil binding capacity of roots (of trees),” Dr. Ramachandra said.
