According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) report, global warming is expected to cause a rise in the population of insects worldwide. Insects’ physiology and metabolism are regulated by temperature, so an increase in temperature boosts their metabolic rates, leading to higher physiological activity. To survive, insects will need to eat more, causing herbivorous insects to consume more and grow faster. Consequently, certain insect populations are predicted to have increased growth rates, as they reproduce more due to their fast growth. This multiplication will ultimately result in more crop damage.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) does not possess centralized data on the diseases that may spread due to the increased insect population. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) provides agro-meteorological advisories via the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) program to benefit the farming community across India. Currently, these advisories are created every Tuesday and Friday for nearly 700 agriculturally important districts and 3,100 blocks by 130 Agro-Meteorological Field Units (AMFUs) and 199 District Agro-Meteorological Units (DAMUs). They also include information on pests and diseases that affect agriculture. Additionally, Pest-Weather calendars are created for each crop as reference tools.
Efforts to curb global warming have been ongoing worldwide, with various methods being employed. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), under this ministry, issues forecasts and warnings concerning severe weather events, such as heat waves, across different spatial and temporal scales, and shares them with the public and disaster management authorities to initiate necessary mitigation measures.
As an initiative, IMD issues a Seasonal Outlook for temperatures during April, May, and June in the last week of March for planning purposes. This outlook also highlights the expected scenario of heat waves during the period. The Seasonal Outlook is followed by the Extended Range Outlook, issued every Thursday for the next two weeks. Additionally, forecasts and colour-coded warnings for severe weather, including heat wave warnings, are issued daily for the next five days, with an outlook for another two days.
As an adaptive measure, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in collaboration with local health departments, has been implementing a Heat Action Plan in many parts of the country since 2013 to provide advance warning to people about heat waves and advise on necessary actions during such situations. The Heat Action Plan, which is being implemented in 23 states in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is a comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat events. The plan outlines both immediate and longer-term actions to increase preparedness, information sharing, and response coordination to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations.
