Climate Change, Heavy Rainfall, Drastic Flood and Soil Fertility of Crop Lands of Southern Western Ghats India

Abstract

The southern western ghats receive around 360 cm annual rainfall, An increasing trend in heavy or extreme rainfall events can cause events like flood which will have a direct adverse effect on lives and properties on large scale, especially a densely populated state like Kerala. Francis and Gadgil, (2006) reported that there is an increase in the intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall events over the Indian Monsoon region, recently. The meteorological and climate communities have recently focused their attention primarily on the effects of climate change on extreme weather events. Significant repercussions result from an increase in heavy rainfall events on managing disasters like floods, food security, soil characteristics, the availability of fresh water and ground water, as well as India's agricultural planning. Soil nutrient loss is a universal phenomenon worldwide (Kenta, 2019), and how to control and prevent nutrient loss is also a focal point of international research (Jiang 2018) and Ros2020). The main factors affecting soil nutrient loss are rainfall intensity (Yang et al 2020). Nutrient loss is possible as While less soluble nutrients like phosphorus are more likely to be lost with sediments moving in eroding soil and run-off water, soluble nutrients like nitrate and potassium can be lost in run-off and drainage water. The study focused on to determine the rate of nutrient loss during frequent flooding.