India has witnessed the warmest years in the last fifteen years due to climate change, according to a data released by the Centre for Science and Environment.
An analysis which looks at temperature trends in the country, both annual and seasonal, from 1901 till 2017, has found that the country has been getting warmer continuously, consistently and rapidly.
Citing the data, CSE Director General Sunita Narain expressed concern over US President Donald Trump pulling his country out of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
"With the US exiting the Paris Agreement, controlling emissions and temperature is now a tougher task for the world. With the increasing temperature, we are moving towards a disaster and we appeal to the global community to come together and take strong actions," Narain said in a Facebook live while releasing the data.
"India is warming and warming rapidly. The implications of this fundamental fact are serious for economic, social and ecological well-being of the country.
"We are experiencing frequent extreme weather events, and our weather is becoming unpredictable. Losses due to extreme weather events are mounting and it is our poor who are suffering the pains of climate change," said Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General, CSE.
According to the report, the annual mean temperature in India has increased by about 1.2 degrees Celsius since the beginning of the 20th century.
"Annual mean temperature in India has rapidly increased since 1995. At this rate of increase, it will breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark within the next two decades. 1.5 degrees is the aspirational target set under the Paris Agreement," the report said.
13 out of the 15 warmest years were during the past 15 years (2002-2016). The last decade (2001-2010/ 2007-2016) was also the warmest on record, the report revealed.
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