Weakening monsoon linked to land use change: IIT study

While changes in monsoon in India are usually linked to atmospheric and oceanic circulation, a study by IIT Bombay has found that weakening monsoon is linked to changes in land use and land cover.

The study has found weakening of Indian monsoon in North-Eastern and NorthCentral India due to large scale changes of land use land cover from forest land to crop land.

Published in Scientific Reports, by Nature Publishing Group (NPG), the work is led by Prof Subimal Ghosh and Mr Supantha Paul from Interdisciplinary Program in Climate Studies, IIT Bombay.

Satellite data revealed large-scale changes of land use land cover (LULC) in India, specifically in terms of the conversion of forest land to crop land, said a press release from IIT-B. Large-scale deforestation has been observed in India when the LULC map for 2000s is compared with that for 1980s, it said further. The changes are visible in terms of significant decrease in the leaf area index, a term used to measure green cover.

“For Indian monsoon, impacts of LULC change is critical and needs to be considered for regional projections and planning,” said Prof. Ghosh.

According to Skymet Weather, the weather system which includes cyclonic and low pressure developing over North West Bengal used to travel in North West direction across West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.

Indo- gangetic plains of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab received good rainfall. However, due to climate and ecological change, these weather systems that originate over North West Bay of Bengal are now travelling in Westward direction across Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. According to Skymet Weather, significant climate change is taking place which is leading to disturbance in ecological system. Urbanisation and industrialisation is also leading to depletion in forest cover.