Ecologists warn of ecological impacts in Rajasthan amid El Nino
Source:timesofindia-indiatimes ↗
Why It Matters
Crucial for understanding climate change vulnerabilities, desertification processes, and ecological zones in Rajasthan, directly aligning with RPSC RAS syllabus requirements on regional geography and environment.
Summary
As a super El Nino looms, 188 ecologists have raised alarms regarding the distinct ecological impacts across Rajasthan's diverse landscapes, spanning from the Thar Desert to the Aravalli hills, highlighting vulnerabilities in regional climate, water security, and biodiversity.
Key Points
- Ecologists have warned of varied and severe ecological impacts across Rajasthan, stretching from the Thar Desert to the Aravalli hills, with the looming threat of a super El Nino.
- El Nino phenomena severely influence monsoon patterns, posing challenges for arid and semi-arid ecosystems, agriculture, water availability, and biodiversity in Rajasthan.
- The Aravalli hills and Thar Desert represent two distinct and fragile ecological zones in Rajasthan that are highly vulnerable to climatic anomalies.
Prelims Trap
uniform ecological impact across all regions of Rajasthan
Aspirants often assume El Nino uniformly increases drought severity across all districts, overlooking localized micro-climate variations between the Thar Desert and Aravalli foothills.
Static Concepts Connected
What are the core climatic characteristics and physiographic divisions of Rajasthan?
- Thar Desert:: Arid region covering western Rajasthan with sand dunes, erratic rainfall (<25cm), and extreme diurnal temperatures.
- Aravalli Range:: Pre-Cambrian fold mountains acting as a climatic divide, mineral-rich, and heavily deforested in sections.
- Eastern Plains:: Semi-arid transitional belt (Eastern plains and Hadoti plateau) supporting intensive agriculture and better drainage systems.
Cross-Topic Patterns
Monsoon Anomalies and Groundwater Security
El Nino disruptions in Rajasthan connect directly to groundwater depletion studies and watershed management schemes like Jalamal abhiyan.
Aravalli Ecology and Mining Policy
The ecological fragility of the Aravalli range links climatic threats with ongoing debates on illegal mining and environmental clearances.
El Nino impact on Thar/Aravalli ecology could feature in a multi-statement RPSC geography question on regional climate anomalies.
Linked PYQs · 2
Linked PYQs · 2
- 2018RPSC_PRELIMSGS1
The dust storms occurring in Rajasthan during May-June months are responsible for: (a) Origin of convective currents at some places (b) Aravalli hills are parallel to the southwest winds. (c) Origin of very intense easterly winds
- 2016RPSC_PRELIMSGS1
Consider the following statements: 1. The Aravalli Range prevents the eastward expansion of the Thar Desert. 2. All rivers of Rajasthan originate from the Aravalli Range. 3. The rainfall pattern in Rajasthan is not affected by the Aravalli Range. 4. The Aravalli region is rich in metallic minerals. Choose the correct answer from the codes given below: Code:
