Page 10 - The Indian EYE 111023

OPINION NOVEMBER 10, 2023 | The Indian Eye 10

Monsoon and Climate

Change Threat in the Indian

Ocean Region

MANORANJAN SRIVASTAVA Figure 1: Monthly Dipole Mode Index (DMI) from January 1979 to December 2019.
Source: “Meet ENSO’s Neighbour, the Indian Ocean Dipole”, Climate.gov, 27 February 2020
he Indian Ocean, the world’s
third largest, is warming at
Ta faster rate than the other ty, generate employment, build sus- ocean ecosystem”. Amongst the Sus- low-lying areas of nations losing their
oceans, due to increased anthropo- tainable economic models, alleviate tainable Development Goals (SDGs) land areas. The situation in the Indi-
genic activities. This is leading to sea poverty, renewable energy source which form the core of United Na- an Ocean is going to be exacerbated
level rise and increase in frequen- and fight climate change. The Blue tions 2030 Agenda for Sustainable by the existing events like ENSO and
cy and intensity of extreme weath- Economy is estimated to be of more Development and has been adopted re-awakening of an ancient climate
er events as well as impacting key than a US$ 1.5 trillion per year glob- by all UN member states in 2015, the pattern, the Indian Ocean El-Nino
weather events like the monsoon in ally and is likely to double to US$ 3 SDG 14, “Life Below Water” is ex- due to the global warming which is
the Indian sub-continent. Despite trillion by 2030 as per the Organisa- plicitly dedicated to the oceans while fast approaching the tipping point.
geo-strategic contestation, collabora- tion for Economic Cooperation and many other such as SDG 7, “Afford- Different oceans are known to
tion in climate change studies can be Development (OECD). The OECD able and Clean Energy” are intrinsi- exhibit different meteorological phe-
non-contentious and has the poten- even considers oceans to be the next cally linked to the oceans. nomenon. The Indian and Pacific
tial to bring all the vulnerable nations great economic frontier. The Indian Ocean is warming at Oceans are no exception to this. The
in the Indian Ocean Region together The World Bank has defined the a faster rate than the other oceans. driving of the global scale phenom-
for a common cause. Blue Economy as the “Sustainable The warming is leading to sea level enon such as El-Nino Southern Os-
The concept of Blue Economy use of ocean resources for econom- rise and increase in frequency and cillation (ENSO) due to significant
has gained traction worldwide due to ic growth, improved livelihoods, and intensity of extreme weather events, basin-wide Sea Surface Temperature
its potential to provide food securi- jobs while preserving the health of causing devastating floods and Continued on next page... >>

www.TheIndianEYE.com