Andaman and Nicobar Islands Climate Change Impacts

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The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, nestled in the Bay of Bengal, are known for their picturesque landscape, rich biodiversity, and unique ecosystems.

The abundant resources form the backbone of the islands’ economy, and local communities’ livelihoods primarily depend on tourism and fisheries.

The island ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, beaches, and seagrass beds, play a pivotal role in sustaining these economic activities. However, the islands face a growing threat due to climate change and extreme weather events that endanger their key sectors, vital infrastructures, and coastal ecosystems.

AandN2 — Post-disaster damages of Cyclone Lehar (2013) in South Andaman Island (Photo by Dr. Yuvaraj)

AandN1 — Post-disaster damages of Cyclone Lehar (2013) in South Andaman Island (Photo by Dr. Yuvaraj)

Climate extremes and island ecosystems

Climate change vulnerability has become more evident in recent years with the increase of extreme climate events such as cyclones, intense rainfall, floods, droughts, and heat waves.

The Climate indices of the last three decades show a decrease in the number of wet days and an increase in maximum rainfall by five consecutive days.

The average maximum temperature and the number of heat days have also increased. This indicates a further increase in extreme climate events such as drought, heat waves, and cyclones.

Climate risks and impacts on communities

Climatic events directly impact tourism by limiting tourists’ visiting period, thereby reducing commercial activities like scuba diving, trekking, kayaking, etc. The local communities’ livelihoods are also impacted, resulting in a decrease in sales of local handicrafts.

Additionally, there is an increase in water and power supply demand, damage to the tourism recreation structures, and disruption in the road transportation and ferry services. Moreover, frequent cyclones and floods damage the coastal ecosystems, causing beach erosion, sand over reefs, and coral bleaching. In the long term, this can reduce tourist visits to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Climate change alters the aquatic ecosystem, disrupting the fish, mollusk, and crab populations. The decline in the ecosystem of mangroves, coral reefs, and sea grass directly impacts the fisheries sector by causing stress on local economies.

The islands face a growing threat due to climate change and extreme weather events that endanger their key sectors, vital infrastructures, and coastal ecosystems

Photo by Nabil Naidu on Unsplash

Critical infrastructure

The high exposure of Andaman and Nicobar Islands calls for resilient infrastructures to adapt, prepare, and recover from potential losses and damages.

Efforts are underway to enhance resilience in the power, transport, water supply, and drainage sectors. A few examples are shifting from traditional fuel generators to solar panels for power generation.

However, the efficiency of solar panels is challenged by the region’s cloud cover and frequent rainy days.

This also calls for alternative green energy like windmills and tide-generated energy. Other initiatives to ensure resilience are climate-resilient engineering, design, preparedness for transportation services, and strategic water harvesting and drainage methods for water services.

Integrated development planning for critical infrastructure starts with climate adaptation and resilience building.

Need for integrated development planning

To address the multifaceted challenges posed by climate disasters, there is a need for integrated development planning prioritizing critical aspects like managing risks of local communities, whose livelihoods are intricately linked to the island’s exposure.

Furthermore, implementing climate-resilient practices in these sectors can enhance coping capacity with the present and future climate variations. This will balance economic growth with integrated resilience building to ensure sustainable development.

Dr. E. Yuvaraj is Assistant Professor at the Department of Coastal Disaster Management, Pondicherry University, Port Blair

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Climate Change’s Impact on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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homolata

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