Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
5. The alarming rate of sea level rise can have varied yet devastating effects on the coastal states. Examine the vulnerability of India to global warming induced sea level rise. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
Close to 700 million people worldwide live along the coast and there continue to be plans to expand coastal cities. Therefore, understanding the risks involved from climate change and sea level rise in the 21st and 22nd centuries is crucial.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the impact of seal level rise on coastal states and examine India’s vulnerability to it.
Directive word:
Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving statistic regarding the rise of sea level due to global warming.
Body:
In the first part, write about how rise in sea level impacts the coastal states in various ways – Shoreline erosion and degradation, Amplified storm surges, Permanent inundation, and Saltwater intrusion etc.
Examine how the above will make India vulnerable in various aspects such as employment, land, community livelihood, infrastructure etc.
Suggest measures for adaptation to sea level rise.
Conclusion:
Conclude with a way forward to mitigate the impact of global warming – the major cause of sea level rise.
