The devastating landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, early on Tuesday have claimed the lives of at least 120 people, with hundreds more feared missing or trapped. Scientists have pointed to climate change as a key contributing factor to the disaster, alongside excessive mining and deforestation in the region. The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Wednesday, anticipating more rainfall over the next two days.
Wayanad, ranked 13th among India’s most landslide-prone districts, has seen a significant loss of forest cover. A 2022 study revealed that 62% of forest cover in Wayanad disappeared between 1950 and 2018. This decline, coupled with the increase in plantation areas, has heightened the risk of landslides. A 2021 study indicated that 56% of landslides occurred in plantation zones.
The impact of climate change is evident in the region’s changing rainfall patterns. S Abhilash, Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), has highlighted the warming of the Arabian Sea as a major contributor to heavy and unpredictable rainfall. Abhilash noted that the southeast Arabian Sea is becoming warmer, leading to instability in the atmosphere above the region, including Kerala. This instability manifests in deep cloud systems, causing intense rainfall over shorter periods, thus increasing the risk of landslides.
Experts have called for stricter environmental regulations and protection of the Wayanad hill ranges. The ‘Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel,’ established by the government under ecologist Madhav Gadgil, recommended declaring the Wayanad hills as an ecologically sensitive zone. This would restrict mining, quarrying, and large-scale development projects in the area, aiming to prevent further environmental damage and mitigate the risk of future disasters.
