Wayanad landslides: Is climate change the prime trigger? Experts blame forest cover loss, excessive mining, and…

Climate change has been identified as a vital trigger for the devastating Wayanad landslides in Kerala early on Tuesday, which left as many as 120 people dead. Hundreds are feared missing or trapped.

According to scientists, the Kerala landslides could be attributed to excessive mining and loss of forest cover in the region and the impact of climate change. The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Wednesday, predicting more rain over the coming two days.

Also read: Wayanad landslides: Death toll climbs over 120; orange alert issued in Kerala. 10 points to know

Wayanad ranked 13th among the most landslide-prone districts in India. Out of the 30 most landslide-prone districts, ten were in Kerala, according to the landslide atlas released by the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) National Remote Sensing Centre in 2023.

Also read: Wayanad landslide: Kerala govt announces 2-day mourning; top official warns ‘situation very grave’; death toll at 84

The landslides in Kerala occur due to a host of triggers, including:

Loss of green cover

Kerala landslides occurred mainly in plantation areas, according to a 2021 study. Per the study, 56 per cent of landslides took place in plantation areas. According to a 2022 study, 62 per cent of forest cover disappeared in regions that are in Wayanad district now, between 1950 and 2018. Until the 1950s, 85 per cent of the total area of Wayanad was under forest cover, according to International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Also read: Wayanad landslide news: Death toll rises to 80; Navy deployed to assist in rescue operations | 10 updates

Climate change

Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), S Abhilash, noted that the warming of the Arabian Sea is one cause of the extremely heavy and unpredictable rain patterns in the state.

“Our research found that the southeast Arabian Sea is becoming warmer, causing the atmosphere above this region, including Kerala, to become thermodynamically unstable,” PTI quoted S Abhilash as saying.

The trend of deep cloud systems has been observed since the 2019 Kerala floods, Abhilash said. The cloud systems formed due to the warming of the Arabian Sea cause extremely heavy spells of rain in shorter periods of time. This increases the risk of landslides.

Environmental neglect and mining

Wayanad hill ranges should be declared ecologically sensitive, according to the ‘Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel’ set up by the government under ecologist Madhav Gadgil. The panel noted that the most vulnerable and sensitive sections needed to be monitored and protected from rampant commercial activity.

It was recommended that mining, quarrying, new thermal power plants, hydropower projects, and large-scale wind energy projects be banned in the area considered an ecologically sensitive zone 1.