Changes In Climatic Parameters Research Articles

Mutual impacts of changing climate and flexible pavement performance considering resilience and sustainable aspects

Roads play a vital role in transportation systems, and their construction and maintenance expenses are high. Those reasons make crucial the examination of factors that accelerate road deterioration and those factors' negative impacts on societies. Climatic-related elements, especially temperature and precipitation, significantly affect the quality and lifespans of roads. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is causing changes in climate and that the rate of change has accelerated during the past several decades. To assess the impacts of changing climatic parameters on flexible-pavement performance, this study used 32 climate models to evaluate the performance of interstate, primary, and secondary roads across 11 diverse locations with varying traffic and climatic conditions. The study's findings reveal that changing climate exacerbates pavement distresses, leading to reduced pavement lifespans and increased numbers of reconstruction projects, which in turn raise demands for materials and equipment and contribute to higher GHG emissions. The effects of changing climate and changing climate's associated economic and environmental costs make the application of various engineering solutions to enhance pavement resilience essential, as described in this paper, in the absence of comprehensive emissions reduction strategies.

Climatic Suitability for Cocoa Production in Nigeria

Cocoa is one of the major cash crops that contribute more to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria and West Africa as a whole. Its contribution to the economic development of Africa and the world in general cannot be over emphasized. However, it has been discovered that cocoa is susceptible to changes in climatic parameters which has made it difficult to be grown in every part of the country, hence, the need to underscore the areas that are climatically suitable for the production of cocoa in Nigeria. This study was carried out to determine the climatic suitability pattern for the production of cocoa in Nigeria. A series of multi-year climate and crop yield simulations were performed for the present day (1976-2005), Mid-term (2021-2050) and long-term (2071-2100) under RCP 4.5 emission scenario using Fuzzy Logic Method (FLM) in ArcGIS (10.4.1). The results showed that some regions that are climatically suitable for cocoa production in the present day have not been explored. The regions with moderately suitability was projected to decrease the year 2050 while regions with marginally suitable, will increase by the year 2050. The remaining land that are not suitable will also decrease by the year 2050. The very suitable region was projected to increase by the year 2050 and by 2100. Also, a land area suitable and moderately suitable for cocoa production was projected to increase in land mass by the year 2050 and 2100. However, the region with marginally suitability will decrease by 2050 and year 2100. Meanwhile, the area that is not suitable by 2050 will increase by the year 2100. Which means there is a decrease in climatic suitability of cocoa by 2100 as projected.

Impact of Climate Change on Crop and Dairy Farming in Telangana: Agricultural Scientists Perspective

Climate change has comprehensive consequences on agriculture and livestock that will directly impact farmers, the perception of Agricultural scientists concerning climate change regionally is crucial in addressing its negative impacts effectively, thus the study was purposively conducted in the state of Telangana during 2021-2022 in nine major Indian institutes viz., ICRISAT, CRIDA, IIMR, IIOR, NIPHM, PJTSAU, NAARM, NIRD & PR, and MANAGE to assess the perception of Agriculturalscientists on causes of climate change, changes in climatic parameters, and on the impact of climate change on crop and dairy farming, random sampling procedure was followed and the total respondents for the study was 150. Pre-tested and standardized interview schedules were used to obtain data. The study through scientists’ perception identified the most important causes of climate change, the most observed changes in climatic parameters, and, the greatest impact of climate change on crop and dairy farming. The composite index developed using Principal Component Analysis showed that most of the respondents had a medium level of perception. Thus, the perceptions of agricultural scientists should be tapped to their fullest potential by policymakers in framing suitable solutions for adverse climate change impacts.

Monitoring temperature patterns at the selected world heritage sites in Egypt using high resolution WorldClim data

Long term temperature patterns helps in assessing changes in the climatic conditions of an area and climatic changes poses a major challenge to the world heritage sites whether it is natural or cultural. Therefore in this study using maximum and minimum temperature data for the period 1960-2021 downloaded from WorldClim 2.1 calculation of mean temperature is done in QGIS environment for the selected UNESCO world heritage sites of Arab Republic of Egypt. WorldClim 2.1 provides finer resolution gridded data downscaled from Climate Research Unit. Trend analysis using linear regression and Mann-Kendall method and Sen’s Slope estimate is used to understand the patterns of mean temperature at all the selected sites. The study reveals that mean temperature at all the selected sites is increasing but since 1990 the sites which are located geographically in lower Egypt are witnessing rapid increase in mean temperature compared to the sites located in upper Egypt which historically witnessed more temperature due to its geographical milieu. This study can help in stimulating the utility of geospatial data in understanding the changes in climatic parameters in relation to world heritage sites. Moreover it can serve as foundation upon which detailed longitudinal site specific investigation can be done.

Gendered vulnerabilities to climate change and farmers’ adaptation responses in Kwara and Nassarawa States, Nigeria

This study examines gender vulnerabilities and responsive strategies to climate change, comparing evidences from Kwara and Nassarawa States in Nigeria. Changes in climate parameters, gender-based perceptions of climate, as well as gender-based response and adaptation practices were assessed in accordance with specific research objectives. A total of 200 participants were surveyed through a mixed method approach using 41 years of climate data. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered equally in the two States and 52 in-depth interviews were conducted within male and female farmers that were 40 years and above age using a purposive sampling method. Results from Nassarawa State showed a downward trend in rainfall and an upward trend in both minimum and maximum temperatures. The farmers perceived climate change differently, with observed changes in climate variables: temperature and precipitation, resulting in extreme floods, drought, and rainfall onset and leading to varying adaptation practices. The study concluded that gender plays a significant role in the adoption of adaptation practices in the agricultural sector and that males often have more access to resources and decision-making power in farming as the heads of households. There is a need for better gender-sensitive approaches to adaptation planning and implementation to ensure that both men and women have equal opportunities to benefit from adaptation options in agriculture.

Wetlands dynamics analysis: a case study of Keoladeo National Park (India), the wintering grounds of West Siberian white crane population

The work is devoted to the study of the dynamics of the wetlands area in the Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur province, Rajasthan, India) over the past decades in connection with changes in climatic parameters to assess the wintering conditions of the endangered West Siberian White Crane population (Leucogeranus (=Grus) leucogeranus Pallas, 1773). The article presents the results of a statistical analysis of the main meteorological parameters (average maximum and minimum temperatures of the surface layer of the atmosphere in 1971–2022, average precipitation per year and from October to March (the wintering period of West Siberian White Crane) in 1958–2021); the results of an analysis of the ratio of areas of different types of habitats according to remote sensing data in 1972–2022; the results of statistical analysis of the volume of water entering the park from the Ajahn Bund reservoir in 1980–2010. During the study period, a significant increase in the average maximum and minimum temperatures of the winter period was revealed, which, along with the absence of a significant trend towards an increase in the average amount of precipitation and an increase in the number of dry years, indicates a warming climate with an increase in its aridity. A statistically significant reduction in the area of habitats suitable for West Siberian White Crane has been established. This indicates a significant decrease in the water level in the Keoladeo wetlands, both due to increased evaporation and a significant reduction in the volume of water entering the park from the reservoir. The results of the study show that in the conditions of observed climate changes, the main regulators of the water level and the state of the ecosystem of the Keoladeo wetlands are agricultural users, whose water consumption increases with increasing aridity of the climate.

Nighttime Lights and Urban Expansion: Illuminating the Correlation between Built-Up Areas of Lagos City and Changes in Climate Parameters

The rapid urbanization of Lagos City has resulted in an expansion of urban and nighttime lights, which, in turn, places a significant burden on natural resources. This burden exacerbates the adverse impacts of changes in climate parameters, underscoring the need for measures to mitigate its effects. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between economic development, population growth, urban expansion, and climate change in Lagos City over two decades. GIS and remote sensing methods were used to process nighttime light, Landsat images, changes in climate parameters, and NDVI data to measure Lagos’ sustainability level. The results show that: (1) between 2000 and 2020, nighttime light coverage grew from 175.53 km2 to 631.16 km2. Lagos’ GDP grew by 88.9%, while the population increased from 13.4 million in 2000 to 26 million in 2019. (2) The built-up areas significantly increased from 13.0% in 2000 to 33.6% in 2020, while vegetation land declined, decreasing from 63.7% in 2000 to 46.4% in 2020. (3) Furthermore, Lagos City has experienced changes in climate parameters, with a decrease in annual rainfall from 2954.81 mm in 2000 to 1348.81 mm in 2020 and an increase in the average maximum temperature from 31.56 °C in 2000 to 31.79 °C in 2020. However, the rapid growth of cities has brought about significant environmental impacts. A strong relationship exists between horizontal urban development and nighttime light, indicating that urban areas encroach on natural landscapes as Lagos grows. Then, there is a relationship between urban development and vegetation and between temperature and vegetation. A compact city planning approach, which prioritizes vertical development and efficient land use to mitigate urban sprawl and preserve green spaces, is recommended.

Impact of Climate Change on the Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activity of Mentha pulegium L.

A central position in Moroccan ethnobotany is held by the Mentha genus, serving as a vital reference for aromatic and medicinal plants within the Lamiaceae family. The profound importance of Mentha species in the daily lives of Moroccans is recognized, and the primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation on the primary and secondary metabolites of Mentha pulegium under the following climatic conditions: sample 1, cultivated under standard temperature and precipitation conditions during the first year; sample 2, subjected to an 8 °C temperature increase and a 25% reduction in water supply; and sample 3, exposed to a 12 °C temperature rise and a 50% decrease in water availability. Phytochemical screening results reveal a progressive decline in primary metabolites from sample 1 to sample 3 due to the increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation. Conversely, a distinct trend is observed in secondary metabolites and the yield of essential oil, increasing from sample 1 to sample 2 as the temperature rises and precipitation decreases. Remarkably, in sample 3, the yield of essential oil decreases as climatic conditions further deteriorate. Additionally, GC analysis demonstrates that modifications in the chemical compositions of essential oils occur because of the disruption of climatic parameters, particularly in the major compounds. Similarly, changes in climatic parameters significantly influence antioxidant activity, with sample 2 exhibiting the highest activity, as reflected by an IC50 value (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) of 14,874.04 μg/mL, followed by the third sample at 8488.43 μg/mL, whereas the first sample exhibits the lowest activity at 4505.02 μg/mL. In summary, the complex relationship between climatic factors and the chemical composition of Mentha pulegium is highlighted by our experiment, emphasizing its implications for medicinal properties within an ecological context.

The Effect of Climate Change on the Hydropower Potential in the Kunhar River Watershed, Pakistan

Climate change plays a vital role in the hydrology of any river basin, which may have multidimensional consequences. There is a need to conduct climate change impact assessment studies with updated models and scenarios. This study aimed to assess the impact of climate change on the streamflow and hydropower in Pakistan’s Kunhar River basin. Three general circulation models (GCMs), under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios (SSPs 2–45 and 5–85), the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, and the flow duration curve were used to project the change in climatic parameters, streamflow, and hydropower potential, respectively. The findings indicated that in the 2080s, the precipitation, maximum, and minimum temperatures are projected to increase by 10%, 2.0 °C, and 3.0 °C under the SSP 2–45 scenario and are projected to increase by 8%, 3.7 °C, and 4.4 °C under the SSP 5–85 scenario, respectively. The annual streamflow may increase by 15 to 11%, and the seasonal fluctuations are more likely to be dominant compared with the annual fluctuations. The hydropower potential will probably increase by 24 to 16% under the SSP 2–45 and 5–85 scenarios in the 2080s. However, seasonal changes in streamflow and hydropower may impact the hydropower plant operation in the basin. The Kunhar River’s hydrology may change from snow-fed to a rainfall–runoff river.

Responses of wildfire-induced global black carbon pollution and radiative forcing to climate change

The impacts of climate change on wildfires have been studied extensively. Along with declining emissions from fossil fuel combustion due to anthropogenic emission control, black carbon (BC) released from wildfires is expected to contribute a more significant portion to its atmospheric burden. However, from a global perspective, little is known about the BC burden and radiative forcing caused by wildfires. Here, we report the results from the long-term wildfire-induced BC concentration and direct radiative forcing (DRF) from 1981 to 2010 globally simulated by an Earth System Model using an updated wildfire BC emission inventory. We show that wildfire-induced BC concentration and DRF varied significantly spatially and temporarily, with the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, attributable to its highest level of wildfire BC emission worldwide. The temporal trends of near-surface air temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration and their association with wildfire-induced BC concentration are explored using the multidimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition. A statistically significant relation between changes in climate parameters and wildfire-induced BC concentration was found for 53% of the land grid cells, explaining on average 33% of the concentration variations. The result suggests that the wildfire-induced BC DRF, with an increasing trend, would be an important contributor to climate change, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Occurrences of wildfires in the Amazon Basin respond most strongly to climate change and play an increasingly important role in changing the global climate.

Thermal Regime of Permafrost on the Western Yamal Under Climate Warming

Climate change observed in the Arctic affects all components of the natural environment, including the state of permafrost. The purpose of this study is to quantify the response of permafrost in various landscapes to changing climatic parameters. The results of long-term field observations (1978-2021) of the thermal regime of permafrost on the Western Yamal are presented. Along with the increase in mean annual air temperatures, the mean annual ground temperature over the past 43 years has increased by 1.5-2.2°C. The maximum increase of permafrost temperature values is observed on flat and polygonal tundra, the minimum increase is typical for flooded lake basins. A decrease in the annual permafrost temperature amplitude was revealed. That is caused by a rapid increase in the air temperature of the cold period, an increase in the snow thickness and an increase in soil moisture in the active layer. The shrinking in ground temperature amplitude at a depth of 5 m is 0.5-3.6°C. A trend of reducing depth of zero annual amplitude from 12-18 m (1980) to 13-16 m (2021) has been revealed.

Perceptions, trends and adaptation to climate change in Yala wetland, Kenya

Purpose Tropical wetland ecosystems are threatened by climate change but also play a key role in its mitigation and adaptation through management of land use and other drivers. Local-level assessments are needed to support evidence-based wetland management in the face of climate change. This study aims to examine the local communities’ knowledge and perception of climate change in Yala wetland, Kenya, and compare them with observed data on climate trends. Such comparisons are useful to inform context-specific climate change adaptation actions. Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed methods approach that combined analysis of climate data with perceptions from the local community. Gridded data on temperature and rainfall for the period from 1981 to 2018 were compared with data on climate change perceptions from semi-structured questionnaires with 286 key informants and community members. Findings Majority of the respondents had observed changes in climate parameters – severe drought (88.5%), increased frequency of floods (86.0%) and irregular onset and termination of rains (90.9%) in the past 20 years. The perceptions corresponded with climate trends that showed a significant increasing trend in the short rains and the average maximum temperature, high incidence of very wet years and variability in onset and termination of rainfall between 1981 and 2018. Gender, age and education had little influence on knowledge and awareness of climate change, except for frequency of floods and self-reported understanding of climate change. The community perceived the wetland to be important for climate change adaptation, particularly the provision of resources such as grazing grounds during drought. Research limitations/implications The study faced challenges of low sample size, use of gridded climate data and reproducibility in other contexts. The results of this study apply to local communities in a tropical wetland in Western Kenya, which has a bi-modal pattern of rainfall. The sample of the study was regional and may therefore not be representative of the whole of Kenya, which has diverse socioeconomic and ecological contexts. Potential problems have been identified with the use of gridded data (for example, regional biases in models), although their usefulness in data scarce contexts is well established. Moreover, the sample size has been found to be a less important factor in research of highly complex socio-ecological systems where there is an attempt to bridge natural and social sciences. Practical implications This study addresses the paucity of studies on climate change trends in papyrus wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa and the role of local knowledge and perceptions in influencing the management of such wetlands. Perceptions largely influence local stakeholders’ decisions, and a study that compares perceptions vs “reality” provides evidence for engagement with the stakeholders in managing these highly vulnerable ecosystems. The study showed that the local community’s perceptions corresponded with the climate record and that adaptation measures are already ongoing in the area. Originality/value This study presents a case for the understanding of community perceptions and knowledge of climate change in a tropical wetland under threat from climate change and land use change, to inform management under a changing climate.

Vegetation dynamics and its driving factors in agro-climatic zones of Upper Bhima Sub-basin, Western India

Climate change is a key threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. The impacts of climate change on vegetation must be evaluated to control the sustainability of the ecosystem. Precipitation and temperature are the most important climatic parameters affecting vegetation growth. It is important to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of vegetation under changing climatic parameters to envisage the response to the regional ecosystem. In this study, variation of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index over five different agro-climatic zones in the Upper Bhima Sub-basin from 2003 to 2013 was analyzed to find the effect of climatic and hydrological variables on vegetation dynamics. The correlation analysis has been performed by using the Pearson correlation method and Geographical Detector Model. Taylor diagrams are generated to highlight the variation in the correlation values of NDVI with other variables. Results show that precipitation and temperature are key parameters for the growth of the vegetation, but Western Ghat Zone shows contradictory results. To identify the reasons behind contradictory results in the Western Ghat Zone, hydrological parameters such as soil moisture, terrestrial water storage and groundwater levels are analyzed. NDVI shows a positive correlation with precipitation in Water Scarcity Zone, and Assured Rainfall Zone with correlation values 0.37, and 0.462 respectively, but, in the Western Ghat Zone, NDVI has a negative correlation (− 0.38) though more than average precipitation occurs in that region. The result of the Geographical Detector Model reveals that the terrestrial water storage and precipitation are dominant factors affecting vegetation in WGZ and WSZ, respectively.

რეგიონული ტურიზმის განვითარების პერსპექტივები კლიმატის ცვლილების ფონზე

The tourism sector of Georgia has great potential. The development of the regional tourism industry has become especially relevant in the last period. For the development of regional tourism, it is necessary to define the marketing strategy of the country, through which the market opportunities of this or that field are revealed. Climate change in each of these regions, based on the analysis of recent climate data and future scenarios, creates different perspectives for long-term tourism planning. In conclusion, it can be said, that in order to assess the impact of climate change on the tourist-recreational potential of the area, it is necessary to quantitatively evaluate the expected changes in climatic parameters in the future. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will increase global temperatures, However, it is less known what specific manifestations this will lead to on a regional scale. For this purpose, global and regional climate models were used.

Vulnerability of Farmers to Climate Change in Central Dry Zone of Karnataka

Changing climatic parameters will have a huge effect on life and nature. Climate change will be best viewed through the increase in temperature, melting of ice and rapid rise in sea level. Such changes causes severe problems to human beings and other forms of life. Vulnerability to climate change is intimately related to poverty, as the poor are least able to respond to climatic stimuli. Further, certain regions of the world are more harshly affected by the effects of climate change than others. With this background the present study was carried out know the vulnerability of farmers to climate change in the Central Dry Zone of Karnataka with exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity as the dimensions. The study was conducted in the Central Dry Zone (Zone - IV) of Karnataka, India. Tiptur and Chiknayakanahalli taluks from Tumakuru district, Kadur from Chikmagalore district, Arsikere from Hassan district and Challakere from Chitradurga district were selected purposively for the study. The data was collected from 150 respondents. To exposure of farmers to climate change, rainfall and temperature were selected and the majority of farmers were severely exposed (0.822) and sensitive (0.894) to climate change with lower adaptive capacity (0.576) between the year 2013-2017. It shows that, 0.186, 0.226, 0.224, 0.220 and 0.241 was the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) of Arsikere, Kadur, Tiptur, Chiknayakanahalli and Challakere taluk, respectively. The overall CVI value of all taluks was 0.218. As per the result, all taluks were severely vulnerable to climate change.

The influence of the climate of the urbanized territory and the main parameters of building

The article deals with the peculiarities of the organization of the urbanized territory, the influence of the territory on changes in climatic parameters, the protection of buildings from negative weather phenomena and the extension of the service life, the influence of anthropogenic and natural nature.
 The research method is the main problem of construction in urbanized areas – protection and improvement of the environment, increasing the service life of buildings and structures. An urbanized area can have a significant impact on changing climatic parameters, in particular on increasing air temperature and higher humidity. This is influenced by various factors, such as intensive construction, traffic flows, emissions of harmful substances, use of air conditioners and other devices. One of the important aspects of the urbanized area is to ensure its effective protection from negative weather phenomena. Buildings located in urban areas often experience significant damage from natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, winds, and other weather phenomena. One of the possible solutions is the introduction of new construction technologies that provide a high level of protection of buildings against these phenomena. These aspects are the main part of the design and planning work at all stages of the design and operation of the city territory. This is a problem of increasing the effectiveness of forecasting the consequences of climate change for the natural environment and society. The biggest issue in the study and prediction of climate change is the question of the causes that cause these changes.
 Conducted studies have shown that modern construction standards, with the allocation of insufficient attention to the natural and climatic influence on construction and structures. Usually uses typical construction projects throughout the country. Thus, the emergence of a research issue necessitated the structuring of the main climatic indicators that have an impact on the urbanized area. Based on this, a method of balancing the negative impact of climatic parameters is proposed.
 The use of architectural and climatic analysis from architectural climatology makes it possible to balance climatic conditions at the design stage with the help of architectural and urban planning and engineering solutions.

Modern Aspects of Studying The Phyllophagous Insects Role in Forest Communities

This paper presents a review of publications on the relationship between the phyllophagous insects and the forest communities in the current ecological situation, when ongoing climate changes, manifested primarily in an increase in the air temperature and a change in the precipitation amount and distribution, affect all processes in natural communities. Changes in the ranges of many plants and animals species are observed – moving up northwards and up in altitude. The spring phenophases come earlier, the autumn ones come later, the vegetation period lengthens and the terrestrial plants biomass increases. Such phenomena, together with changes in climatic parameters, affect herbivorous animals, which include insects with various food specialisations and different life cycles. As before, despite the growing number of observations in different parts of the Earth, there remains a lot of uncertainty about how individual plant and insect species and their functional groups function under the changing external conditions. It is emphasized that it is necessary to continue long-term studies in specific natural conditions in order to more accurately determine the reaction of the interactions’ participants to local climate changes and understand what the forestry strategy should be in the current and the predicted future situation.

Analysis of the Effects of Climate Change on Cotton Production in Maharashtra State of India Using Statistical Model and GIS Mapping

Cotton is a prominent cash crop cultivated for fiber, edible oil and oil cake. A global environmental issue, like climate change, alters weather parameters necessary for the healthy growth and development of cotton plants, affecting fiber quality and economic yield. The study aims to illustrate the evidence of climate change in Maharashtra and assess its impact on the production of cotton in this region. The study was conducted in the state of Maharashtra, India. Geographic information system (GIS)-based models were created based on the vector data (geopolitical boundaries of the state of Maharashtra and its districts) and the corresponding raster attributes (meteorological data) to examine the changes in the patterns of distribution of temperature, rainfall and severity of drought (Standardized Precipitation Index-SPI) over the study period (1990 to 2015). Further, a statistical multiple linear regression model was developed using district-wise data on yield and climatic parameters obtained from International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to estimate the relationship between the dependent variable (yield of cotton) and the independent variables (annual rainfall and annual mean temperature). GIS modeling and mapping provide evidence of changes in the spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature. Although the regression analysis seems weak, it is acceptable for natural systems because natural systems are complex and often highly variable, making it difficult to create a perfect model. The multiple linear regression model shows that such changes in climatic parameters have a significant negative impact on the economic yield of cotton.

Climate change, its impact on crop production, challenges, and possible solutions

Climate change poses serious threats to agriculture and food security, and extreme weather events have reduced crop productivity worldwide. Future projections predict that the average global temperature will rise by 2.0 to 6.4 °C and the increase in sea level will be 59 cm by the end of 21st century. The unprecedented rise in temperature has led to an increase in the incidence of heat waves, droughts, floods, and irregular patterns of precipitation. These changes have a dramatic impact on prevailing agricultural cropping systems, productivity, and food security of people regionally and globally. The change in climatic parameters have substantial effects on weeds, diseases, insect, and pests in different ways, and can result in an increase of their geographical distribution, number of generations, and survival during winter. Thus, to sustain the crop production on the eve of climate change is the main challenge. Therefore, adaptation measures are prerequisites to reduce the effects of climatic changes on production of agricultural crops. In this review, a brief insight has been given in the impact of climate change on agriculture and, the future challenges of climate change on the production of crops. In addition, integrated approaches, or recent developments for the improvement of crops such as breeding, transgenic approaches to biotechnology, and functional genomics, agronomic practices, cultivation of climate resilient crops, and nanotechnology for abiotic stress such as drought stress, temperature, heat, and salinity tolerance have also been discussed.

Stable Isotopic Analysis of Long-whiskered Catfish (Sperata aor) Otoliths for Characterization of their Habitat and Relationship with Water Temperature in the Ganges River

Background: Spatial variability of stable isotope ratios in water from River Ganges is preserved in aragonite or calcite present in otoliths and formed at equilibrium with ambient water. This technique is used for a set of long-whiskered catfish aragonite otoliths from four different locations along the course of the River Ganges Methods: Acid digestion of otolith and the analysis of δ13C and δ18O in these carbonates using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer allowed the distinction of fish habitat and provided an idea about environmental conditions of water along the Ganges River. Results: The δ18O signature of otolith carbonate revealed a distinct compositional trend denoting glacial water input in the upstream segment of the Ganges, close to the water reservoir at Narora. However, the δ13C values remained constant, suggesting similar bicarbonate composition and food intake along the stream length. The δ18O signature in otolith from Varanasi was unexpectedly lighter and showed a tendency of the catfish population to migrate upstream segment of the river. The fish from the Narora location showed the lowest δ18O values, denoting the signature of water derived from the melting of a glacier. The heavier δ18O values were seen in the population from Kanpur. The upstream migration of fish population is indicated from the δ18O values of a fish otolith from Varanasi and Bhagalpur. The Varanasi location shows aberration in δ18O signature in otoliths, and this exists because this catfish moves to other places to avoid anthropogenic stress at this location Conclusion: The δ18O of otolith carbonate covaries with average environmental temperature recorded at the individual location and serves as an important thermometric measurement for marking environmental conditions and stress in changing climatic parameters along the stream length of River Ganges and its tributaries.