Editorial of the Day (21 Dec): Climate Change needs an updated lexicon

Context: South Tamil Nadu drowns in record rainfall, highlighting the dangers of shifting baselines in understanding and responding to climate change

Concerns Regarding Climate Change

• Shifting baselines: Defining a “devastating” event is constantly changing, making it difficult to accurately assess the impact of climate change because of comparing current events to recent experiences, rather than to a longer-term historical baseline. This can lead to underestimating the true extent of the problem.
• Limited vocabulary: Official definitions of terms like “extremely heavy rainfall” (In India, ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall is defined as more than 204.4 mm in 24 hours.) or “heatwave” may not capture the full range of impacts, particularly in the context of localised events. This can lead to confusion and inadequate response.
• Focus on official metrics: The focus on official metrics, such as rainfall amounts or heatwave definitions, to assess the impact of climate change fail to capture the human toll of extreme weather events, and can lead to underestimating the true cost of these events.

We’re now on WhatsApp. Click to Join

Way forward

• Calls for region-specific official terminology that aligns with local legislation and societal experiences.
• Stress on creating updated terminologies for novel climatic phenomena to facilitate clear communication and international collaboration.
• Recognition of the impact on human lives when characterising ‘disaster,’ factoring in issues with health documentation and reaction to calamities.

Sharing is caring!