Search

This document is an editorial that focuses on the importance of addressing climate change in urban environments and the role of cities in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. It emphasizes the need for adaptation strategies and highlights the interdependence between urban ecosystems and climate change. The document includes several articles that provide facts and figures on the changing climate and its impacts on the environment, society, finance, and health. These articles discuss various topics related to urbanization, climate change, and sustainable cities, such as the impact of urbanization on nighttime surface urban heat islands, the environmental effects of single-use plastic water bottles in hotels, the role of urban ecosystems in mitigating climate change, the challenges of smart city development, and the vulnerability of developing nations to climate change. The papers stress the importance of sustainable and resilient strategies to address these issues and promote the well-being of urban environments. [Extracted from the article]

The present study focuses on residential areas of Delhi to identify the elevated levels of ambient PM10 and PM2.5 due to biomass burning followed by the coloring activity in the Holi festival celebrated at the end of the winter season. This study also focuses on the health risk assessment and mortality among different age groups due to the change in particulate matter levels during the Holi festival in Delhi, India. Secondary data of particulate matters have been procured from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune for the period of the pre-, during, and post-Holi period for the year 2018-2020 at four selected residential locations in Delhi, India. The health impacts of particle inhalation were quantified using the AirQ + models. The results indicated the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 rise about 3-4 times higher during the Holi festival than on normal days, resulting in health risks and causing an excess number of mortality and Asthma cases in Delhi. Such cases were also found to be higher in 2018, followed by 2019 and 2020 at all the selected locations in Delhi. The study linked the increasing particulate levels in the Holi festival with the increased health risk through short-term exposure of the population. The excess number of cases (ENCs) of mortality, all causes of mortality among adults (age > 30 years) associated with short-term exposure to particulate were also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global concern of the current century. Its rapid escalation and ever-increasing intensity have been felt worldwide, leading to dramatic impacts globally. The aftermath of climate change in India has brought about a profound transformation in India's environmental, socio-economic, and urban landscapes. In 2019, India ranked seventh, among the most affected countries by extreme weather events caused due to changing climate. This impact was evident in terms of both, the human toll with 2,267 lives lost, and the economic damage, which accounted for 66,182 million US$ Purchasing power parities (PPPs). Over the recent years, India has experienced a significant increase in the number and frequency of extreme weather events, causing vulnerable communities. The country experienced severe air pollution problems in several metropolitan cities and was highlighted in the list of the world's most polluted cities. Additionally, India has become the most populous nation globally, boasting a population of 1.4 billion people, equating to ~18% of the global population, and experiencing an increased rate of consumption of natural resources. Owing to the country's current scenario, various climate mitigation strategies, including nature-based solutions, must be implemented to reduce such impacts and support India's target of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This review tries to have a holistic understanding of the effects of climate change on different sectors to identify India's challenges in achieving SDG 13 and SDG 11. Finally, it also highlighted the future recommendations for climate change-related research from an Indian perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study deals with the impact of firework activities on the variation of carbonaceous aerosols in Foggy days during in and around Diwali period vs. background period at three different sites, segregated on the basis of land-use pattern viz. JNU (dense vegetative), VN (residential) and AN (industrial) in Delhi, India. The average Organic Carbon, OC (99.24 μg/m3) and Elemental Carbon, EC (24.31 μg/m3) concentrations were found to be highest at VN, depicts the high influence of firework activities during Diwali and other significant sources like vehicular and commercial activities. OC/EC values generally fall in the range of 3.27 - 3.67 at all the sites during Diwali and Post Diwali, which indicates the formation of SOA. During Post Diwali, OC and EC concentrations showed a drastic decline at the day as compared to night, may be due to scavenging by the fog of carbonaceous aerosol particles resided after emission from fireworks only in morning hours. POC, Char and Soot percentage found to be high at JNU. This study is first of its kind to identify the nature of carbonaceous aerosols during foggy days that studied with respect to in and around firework activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time simultaneous measurements of rainwater and PM10 chemistry were carried out at Delhi during the year 2016–17 in order to assess the levels of carbonaceous species and their wet scavenging during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons at Delhi. The PM10 samples were collected Before Rain (BR), During Rain (DR) and After Rain (AR) events, while rainwater samples collected on an event basis. The ambient OC levels were always higher than the levels of EC during both monsoon and non-monsoon seasons in ambient aerosol as well as in rainwater. On an average, during rain (DR) 30% of OC aerosols and 28.2% of EC aerosols removed via wet scavenging process. In after rain (AR), 26.2% OC and 1.8% EC aerosols further decreased in comparison to DR samples due to the presence of OC and EC free air parcel. Overall it observed that the OC concentration significantly lowered from BR to DR and AR. However, EC concentrations in AR were found to be higher than DR samples indicating their build-up after the rains. The Scavenging Ratios (SRs) of OC and rain intensity had a significant positive correlation, whereas the SRs of EC showed a weak correlation with rain intensity. The SRs of EC were significantly higher during non-monsoon as compared to monsoon season. Such characteristics can be explained based on the particles size, source and the hygroscopicity of both types of carbonaceous aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]