Geographical analysis

Abstract

Abstract The potential climate changes and possible adverse impacts on the economy and society at large are causing concern. In India, one of the major concerns is the variability of monsoon rainfall and effects on agriculture and water management. The effects of global warming on the Indian subcontinent vary from the submergence of low-lying islands, frequent flooding, coastal degradation and melting of glaciers in the Indian Himalayas. While studying the environment scenarios, it is essential to build up necessary strategies at local level to reduce the adverse impacts especially on agriculture and water management. It may be necessary to adopt improved agriculture practices with resistant seeds, efficient water management etc. It will be a challenging task to counter the effect of climate change through scientific means. INSAT and IRS satellites in early 1980s heralded the era of Space observations. The IRS satellites are providing observations of parameters such as land use/cover, forest, water bodies, crops etc. while INSAT provides quantitative products such as Cloud Motion Vectors (CMVs), Quantitative Precipitation Estimates (QPEs), Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR), Vertical Temperature Profiles (VTPRs), Sea Surface Temperature. Currently INSAT satellites are providing global and regional observations. It carries Very High resolution Radiometer (VHRR) payload which operated in two spectral bands – visible [0.55-0.75 μm] and thermal infrared [10.5-12.5 μm]. The INSAT satellites give every hour weather imageries of the country showing the cloud systems, their movement and potential severe weather events. The paper presents capability of satellites to improve weather forecasts and give valuable inputs to climate models