Crop damage on 2 lakh+ hectares in West Bengal between January & September

KOLKATA: Bengal faced extreme weather events on 86% days in the first nine months of 2024 - or nearly 236 days out of the 274 days between Jan 1 and Sept 30, causing 64 deaths and crop damage across 2,00,900 hectares, according to the annual 'state of extreme weather report' released by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) on Friday.
This was three percentage points more than the 83% extreme weather days in the same period last year, a result of the intensifying effects of climate change.

The crop damage caused by the extreme weather events - heatwaves, cyclones, lightning, heavy rain, floods and landslides - in Bengal was India's fourth highest, after Maharashtra, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
India, as a whole, saw extreme weather on 93% - or 255 - days, in which over 3,238 people were killed.
Sunita Narain, the director-general of CSE, said these "record-breaking statistics" reflected the impact of climate change. "Events that used to occur once every century are now happening every five years or even less," she said.
"This frequency is overwhelming the most vulnerable populations, the ones who lack the resources to adapt to this relentless cycle of loss and damage."
Experts call for change in approach
Richard Mahapatra, the report's research director, said the CSE report revealed not only the frequency of extreme weather events but also the cumulative and far-reaching damage they cause.
Rajit Sengupta of CSE, one of the writers of this report, said: "While heatwaves claimed 210 lives, the data does not reflect the extended health impacts of prolonged high temperatures on the wellbeing of people in north India, including farmers and labourers, who endured intense heat with little means of relief. Similarly, the toll of severe cold snaps and frost on crop losses is not captured, highlighting the need for robust compensation systems for weather-induced losses. Without this support, farmers are pushed into debt, exacerbating their marginalisation and poverty."
CSE researchers pointed out that the report highlighted a critical shift that is needed in our approach to extreme events - from disaster response to risk reduction and resilience-building.
Flood management, for example, requires more than plans on paper; it calls for the strategic development of drainage and water recharge systems, along with expanded green spaces and forests to act as natural water reservoirs in preparation for future storms.
The report also emphasises the need for climate reparations from high-emission countries responsible for much of the damage. Climate models are clear: extreme weather events are set to become more frequent and severe.