The study from World Weather Attribution found that the rainfall leading to the devastating landslides in Kerala was 10 percent heavier due to human-caused climate change, highlighting how global warming directly influences extreme weather events. This substantial downpour not only exacerbated the existing saturation of soils but also marked the third highest single-day rainfall recorded for India, leading to a humanitarian crisis that reaffirms the vulnerability of regions like Kerala to climate-driven disasters.
Maja Vahlberg, a climate risk consultant at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, emphasizes that the increase in rainfall driven by climate change poses a future threat, potentially escalating the frequency of landslides in areas already susceptible to such disasters. The aftermath in northern Kerala illustrates the complex challenges faced as humanitarian needs grow in a world marked by increasing temperatures and extreme weather events, making mitigation efforts paramount for vulnerable regions.
Dave Petley reported on the alarming trend of increasing fatal landslide events globally, noting a stark rise in fatalities this July alone. With July seeing 95 recorded landslide events responsible for over 1,167 deaths, the situation continues to worsen annually. He correlates this rise in landslides with exceptionally high global surface temperatures and the corresponding increase in heavy rainfall instances that overwhelm local climates, suggesting a need for urgent attention to both climate action and disaster preparedness.
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