According to the report published in the Lancet, if global temperatures rise by two °C by 2100, increasing sea levels might put about 60 million Indians at risk from rising sea levels. Amazingly, even if the temperature is only 1.5°C, nearly 80 million people may encounter severe heat.

Another major issue the study expressed is the likelihood of wet bulb temperatures exceeding permissible levels in discrete parts of the country. Wet bulb temperature scans heat and humidity, and exceeding permissible limits may cause serious heat stress for the population.

The “human climate niche,” or the range of temperatures in which human populations have survived for millennia, is condemning to perceiving the existential menace propounded by climate change. As temperatures climb beyond this threshold, India’s population suffers from elevated danger of utmost heat events, which will intensify other environmental stressors. According to the report, India may have some of the world’s highest wet bulb temperatures (WBT). This measure blends heat and humidity to judge the body’s cooling ability. With WBTs gaining permissible levels, outdoor activities and labour will become more threatening, influencing millions of employees and jeopardising the economy.

The analysis also indicates that India is already dealing with a widespread environmental problem. As of 2020, about 1 billion people in India lived in sites where ecosystem services, like clean water and air, were scant to impart a healthy lifestyle.

Water scarcity is an additional major pitfall. According to the report, over 800 million Indians are struck by dangerous surface and groundwater conditions due to exorbitant water extraction for irrigation, damming, and unsustainable practices. This puts tremendous strain on the country’s water resources, making it difficult to meet rising demand.

Additionally, air pollution lead to a significant hazard to India’s people. Over a billion people are put at risk to dangerous PM2.5 particles, giving rise to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. The study also found that air pollution sway climate patterns and may reduce the Indian monsoon, further impacting the country’s agriculture and water resources.

Furthermore, the study upends distress about surfeit nitrogen and phosphorus, chiefly from agricultural runoff, which hampers roughly 60 million and 1 billion people, respectively. These nutrients damage freshwater habitats and cause a variety of health hazards.

Nonetheless, the results highlight that Indians are at risk from rising sea levels and that there is an immediate need for panoramic environmental policies and adaptation techniques to inscribe India’s climate vulnerabilities and cushion its gigantic population from brewing ecological hazards.

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