A Significant Population Signal in Iranian Temperature Records

We assembled daily maximum and minimum temperature records for 31 stations throughout Iran over the period 1961–2010. As with many other areas of the world, we found that both the maximum and minimum temperatures were increasing overall with the minimum temperatures increasing twice as fast as the maximum temperatures. We gathered population data for the stations near the beginning and end of the temperature records and found in all seasons and for both the maximum and minimum temperatures the magnitude of population growth positively influenced the temperature trends. However, unlike so many other studies, we found the strongest population growth signal in the winter for the maximum temperatures. We found evidence that this winter-season population-temperature signal is related snow cover. Our results illustrate that any number of processes are involved in explaining trends in historical maximum and minimum temperature records

Climate Change in the Global South: Trends and Spatial Patterns

During the last few decades, research on climate change has increased tremendously mainly due to the increasing awareness of the buildup of greenhouse gases. In this regard, it is imperative to understand the regional level manifestations of climate change for the more densely populated and less-explored, fast-developing regions of the Global South. There remains a great amount of uncertainty for these regions due to limited spatial and temporal spread of climate data. Based on the analysis of long term climate records, the majority of the Global south is extremely vulnerable and under-prepared for the impending impacts of climate change. Some of the specific impacts include decreasing trends in precipitation accompanied by increasing trends in temperatures and extreme weather events. Specifically, some areas, such as small low-lying islands in the Pacific, are more vulnerable to climate change and the impacts resulting from sea level rise. Furthermore, the concentration of population along the coast with limited access to resources and poor infrastructure makes this region more vulnerable. These impacts will be disproportionately burdened on women and girls, due to high gender inequality and their high representation below the poverty line

Impact of lunar cycle on the precipitation in India

Scientists for different regions of the world have indicated the impact of lunar cycle on different climatic parameters including precipitation. In the present study the impact of the lunar cycle on the precipitation in India has been analyzed. Daily precipitation records were assembled for 129 stations spread across the subcontinent for the time period 1910 to 2000. The results of the study indicate a general tendency towards the increased occurrences of precipitation a few days after the full moon in the interiors. The west coast of India showed tendency towards higher precipitation amounts in the ascending phase of the lunar cycle

Spatial patterns of trends in seasonal extreme temperatures in India during 1980–2010

Station level daily maximum and minimum temperature data spread across India were analyzed for trends in seasonal extreme temperature indices. The trends were calculated for the recent period of 1980–2010, when some of the warmest temperatures were recorded at the global scale. The results of the analysis revealed substantial variations in the spatial patterns of the trends. The majority of the study area experienced declining trends in diurnal temperature range during all seasons. However, substantial variations were observed for the different extreme temperature indices. During the first half of the year, which constitutes the drier summer and winter months, a declining trend in extreme maximum and minimum temperature indices were observed over most of peninsular India and the reverse in northern India. The spatial patterns were in general similar for the first half of the year, winter and summer, which constitute the drier months. The spatial patterns can be attributed to both local and regional level processes, such as aerosol levels and land use land cover changes. Keywords: India, Extreme temperatures, Seasonal trends, Monsoo

Spatial patterns of malaria case burden and seasonal precipitation in India during 1995-2013

The majority of malaria cases in Southeast Asia occur in India. It is a major public health problem in India, which accounts for substantial morbidity, mortality, and economic loss. The spatial distribution of malaria widely varies due to geo-ecological diversity, multi-ethnicity, and wide distribution of the different anopheline vectors. The predominant malaria parasites in India for malaria are P. Falciparum (Pf) and P. Vivax (Pv). This study analyzes the spatial patterns of malaria cases, specifically the two dominant malaria vectors, at the regional level and its relation to seasonal precipitation. The results of our study revealed an overall decline in malaria cases in the later years. The spatial spread of malaria cases was more widespread during the normal monsoon years vs drought years, which can be attributed to more conducive environment for mosquitos to breed. The correlation analysis revealed a stronger correlation between malaria case burden and monsoon precipitation. Spatially, the strongest correlation between seasonal and annual precipitation, and malaria case burden were located across the northern plains and northeast India. The results of this research further our understanding of the relationship between seasonal precipitation and malaria case burden at the regional level across India

The Impacts of Enso, PDO, and Local SSTS on Winter Precipitation in India

Monthly precipitation data are assembled to analyze the impact of global teleconnections, namely ENSO, PDO, and local sea surface temperatures (SSTs) on winter rainfall across the Indian subcontinent, from 1925 to 1998. Canonical correlation analysis reveals one statistically significant vector for the precipitation occurring over the subcontinent and one for the predictor variables. The results of the analysis indicated a negative relationship between winter precipitation and both ENSO and PDO indices. Most of peninsular India's precipitation, extending into the central plateau region, exhibited a negative correlation with SSTs around the mainland, with the eastern part of the Arabian Sea and adjacent Indian Ocean exhibiting a relatively higher negative correlation. Precipitation in the northeastern part of the country exhibits a positive correlation with the local SSTs. The overall variance explained by the selected set of predictor variables accounts for 12.07% of the total variance in winter precipitation taking place across India. The results of the study will be useful for greater efficiency in the forecasting of winter precipitation

The Role of the North Atlantic Oscillation in Shaping Regional-Scale Peak Seasonal Precipitation across the Indian Subcontinent

Abstract The present study focuses on the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in shaping the regional-level precipitation during the peak months of the two main rainy seasons over the Indian subcontinent. Monthly precipitation data from 1871 to 2005 were collected for 30 homogenous regions across the subcontinent. Regression analysis was used to analyze the strength of the relationship between NAO on regional-level precipitation patterns. The results of the study showed distinct spatial variations in the response of regional-level rainfall to the monthly NAO index. There were greater variations in the strength of the regression coefficients for peak monsoon rainfall (PMR) compared to the peak winter rainfall (PWR) season. During the latter half of the year, the association between PMR and the NAO index was predominantly negative. In general, the role of NAO was more pronounced across most of the regions in the peninsular India

Resilient and Sustainable Cities

With the majority of the world population projected to live in urban areas, cities are experiencing rapid rates of urbanization and population increase. Most of the projected increase in urban population is concentrated in Asia and Africa which have relatively lower levels of resilience. The majority of the larger cities are also located in low-lying coastal areas, which are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise. One of the main reasons for the increase in urban population in the Global South stems from over-population and crowding in the rural areas. This results in the seasonal or permanent migration of mostly younger males to urban areas in search of employment and better living conditions. The consequence is even more overcrowding in the big cities, exerting pressure on the already thinly stretched resources and infrastructure in these cities. As a result, most of the migrants end up living in slums with the bare amenities, unhygienic conditions, and hot spots of crime. There has been an increasing number of media reports of crime on women and girls in many of the larger cities in the Global South often attributed to young unemployed men who have migrated to the cities in the search of jobs. In addition, cities are also experiencing higher levels of air pollution and detrimental effects associated with urban heat island effect

Spatial variations in the diurnal patterns of winter precipitation in India

The present study focuses on spatial patterns of diurnal variability in winter precipitation across the Indian subcontinent. Hourly precipitation data during the months of January and February from 1980 to 2002 were procured for 80 stations spread across the subcontinent. The methodology consisted of calculation of the first harmonics by harmonic analysis for three variables that included frequency, total amount, and intensity of precipitation events. There were substantial variations in the strength of the diurnal cycle prevailing over the subcontinent, with most of the peninsular region and eastern part of the northern Gangetic Plain showing relatively stronger diurnal cycles. The variance explained by the first harmonic was significant at the 90% confidence level for larger parts of the peninsular region and northern plains. The weakest patterns were observed in the interior of the continent over central India. The times of maximum for hourly frequency, total amount, and intensity of precipitation were predominantly during the latter half of the 24–hour period, during late evening hours to just before sunrise hours. This was due to the enhanced warm front lifting during the late night to early morning hours as a result of nighttime inversions in the warm sector. Further, along the foothills of the Himalayas, the times of maximum were observed during predawn hours just before sunrise, caused by the downslope movement of katabatic winds and their convergence with the cyclonic storms in the low-lying areas, leading to enhanced precipitation. Along the west coast, the times of maxima were also concentrated in the midnight to early-morning hours due to the convergence of inland moving seas breeze fronts with the northeast trades