അപ്പൂപ്പന്‍ താടി

-അപ്പൂപ്പന്‍ താടിയില്‍ ഉപ്പിട്ട് കാച്ചുന്ന ചെപ്പടിവിദ്യ കാണാം...കുടമാറ്റം കാണാം... പലകൂട്ടം കൂടാം...


“ മോള് അപ്പൂപ്പന്‍ താടി കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ ?“

“ അതിന് അപ്പൂപ്പന് താടീല്ലല്ലോ ! “

“ അതല്ല മോളേ, പറന്നു നടക്കുന്ന അപ്പൂപ്പന്‍ താടി കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ ? “

“ ഈ അച്ഛനൊന്നും അറീല്ല, അപ്പൂപ്പന്റെ താടി എങ്ങന്യാ പറന്ന് നടക്ക്വാ ?“


അപ്പൂപ്പന്‍ താടി കാണാത്ത, മുത്തശ്ശിക്കഥകള്‍ കേള്‍ക്കാത്ത പുതുതലമുറയ്ക്കായി ഇതാ ഒരപ്പൂപ്പന്‍ താടി.

TRIAL:

TRIAL:

The proceedings in the court were quite unexpected today. 

I was slightly hopeful but never thought verdict could be so favorable.

The reason is the one who attended the case from prosecution side was a 30-35 years experienced leading advocate.

My senior was out of station for another prestigious case in the Supreme Court and that was the only reason why I could appear for this case. Would anyone expect to win the case in such a scenario?

I managed to cross all the witnesses produced by the prosecution & prove their statements are false and can't be trusted in the given circumstances. Prosecution failed to defend them. It was detrimental.

In addition, I could successfully challenge the sections invoked by the prosecution viz., IPC Section 300, Section 307, Section 340, Section 362, Section 375.

As a young ‘up and coming’ lawyer, everyone in the firm was congratulating me for winning my first big case today.

....And all day long, all I could think about is, how I used a technicality in the law to help a murderer walk away, a free man...!

മൃഗയ:

മൃഗയ:

അതിരാവിലെയുള്ള നടത്തത്തില്‍ പതിവുള്ളതാണത്.

എല്ലിന്‍ കഷ്ണത്തിന്‍റെ രൂപമുള്ള 'ഡോഗ് ബിസ്കറ്റ്‌' ന്‍റെ ഒരു പായ്ക്കറ്റ് കയ്യിലുണ്ടാവും. കൃഷ്ണ ചംഗ നായിക്‌ മാര്‍ഗിനു കുറുകെയുള്ള പാം ബീച്ച് റോഡിനടുത്തുള്ള ഗ്രൌണ്ടിലാണ് നടത്തം.അവിടേക്ക് നടന്നു, നടന്ന് പെട്രോള്‍ പമ്പിനു മുന്നിലുള്ള കടയുടെ അടുത്ത് എത്തുമ്പോഴേക്കും നായ്ക്കള്‍ വാലാട്ടിക്കൊണ്ട് ചുറ്റും കൂടും.ചിലത് മുന്‍കാലുകള്‍ ഉയര്‍ത്തി നൃത്തം വെയ്ക്കും.

പത്തു പന്ത്രണ്ടു നായ്ക്കളുണ്ടാവും. ആട്ടിയകറ്റപ്പെടുന്നവര്‍... ചോദിക്കാനും പറയാനും ആരുമില്ലാത്തവര്‍...റോഡില്‍ പെറ്റുവീഴുകയും
റോഡില്‍ തന്നെ ചത്തുവീഴുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവര്‍...! (മനുഷ്യന് പുല്ലു വിലയുള്ള ഈ മഹാനഗരത്തില്‍ തെരുവു നായ്ക്കളെ ആര് ശ്രദ്ധിക്കാന്‍..?)

ബിസ്കറ്റ്‌ പായ്ക്കറ്റ് പൊട്ടിച്ചു വിതറും. ഓരോ എല്ലിന്‍ കഷണം കടിച്ചെടുക്കുമ്പോഴും നന്ദി പൂര്‍വ്വമുള്ള ഒരു നോട്ടം...  പിന്നെ ഒരോട്ടമാണ്, കൂട്ടത്തില്‍ ചില ചെറു ബാല്യക്കാര്‍...

അന്നും പതിവു തെറ്റിയില്ല...

ചുറ്റും എല്ലാവരും എത്തിയല്ലോ?

ബിസ്കറ്റ്‌ പായ്ക്കറ്റ് പൊട്ടിച്ചു വിതറുന്നതിനിടക്ക് അയാള്‍ ഓര്‍ത്തു...

പണ്ട്, വീടിനടുത്ത് ഒരു നായുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. വീട്ടില്‍ എന്ന് തന്നെ പറയുന്നതാവും കൂടുതല്‍ ശരി.

എന്നും വൈകുന്നേരം അച്ഛന്‍ ജോലി കഴിഞ്ഞു തിരിച്ചു വരുമ്പോള്‍ അവന്‍ അനുഗമിക്കും. എവിടെയായാലും അതിനു മുടക്കമില്ല. പിന്നെ, രാത്രിയില്‍ ഊണ് കഴിയുന്നത് വരെ അക്ഷമനായി കാത്തു കിടക്കും. എല്ലാവരുടെയും പങ്ക് ഓരോ ഉരുള ചോറ് അവനുള്ളതാണ്. അതു കഴിച്ചു കുശാലായി, അവിടെ കിടക്കും. നേരം വെളുക്കുന്നത് വരെ വീടിനു കാവലായി അവനുണ്ടാകും- കൈസര്‍. അതായിരുന്നു വിളിപ്പേര്.

ഒരില അനങ്ങിയാല്‍ എഴുന്നേല്‍ക്കും. ആവശ്യമുണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ കുരയ്ക്കും.വീട്ടുകാരെ ഉണര്‍ത്തും. തന്‍റെ ജോലി കൃത്യമായി അവനറിയാം. അതു കൊണ്ടു തന്നെ അവനെ പരീക്ഷിക്കാന്‍ ആരും ധൈര്യപ്പെട്ടില്ല. ആര് വളര്‍ത്തി, ആര് പേരിട്ടു, ഒന്നും അറിയില്ല. അവനങ്ങനെ വളര്‍ന്നു. പക്ഷെ, എന്നും വീട്ടു മുറ്റത്ത്‌ അവനുണ്ടാകും. സവിശേഷമായ ബുദ്ധിയും, യജമാന സ്നേഹവും സ്വയം നിയന്ത്രണവുമുണ്ടായിരുന്ന അവന് ചങ്ങലയുടെ ആവശ്യമുണ്ടായിരുന്നില്ല. വീട്ടില്‍ നിന്നും ആരെങ്കിലും പുറത്ത് പോകുന്നതും വരുന്നതും അവന്‍റെ അകമ്പടിയോടെ മാത്രം.

-പൂച്ചയും ആട്ടിന്‍ കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളും അവന്‍റെ കളിക്കൂട്ടുകാരായി.

-വിരിഞ്ഞിറങ്ങിയ കോഴിക്കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങളുടെയും തള്ളയുടെയും മേല്‍ അവന്‍റെയൊരു കണ്ണുണ്ടാകും. കാക്കയുടെയും പരുന്തിന്‍റെയും പല പദ്ധതികളും പാളുന്നത് അങ്ങനെയാണ്.

അങ്ങനെയിരിക്കെ, ഒരു മലവെള്ളപ്പൊക്കകാലത്ത് കൈസറിനെ കാണാതായി.

-വല്ലാത്ത  ഒരവസ്ഥയാണത്. ജീവിച്ചിരിപ്പുണ്ടോ എന്നറിയില്ല. പുലര്‍ച്ചെ എന്നും പ്രതീക്ഷയോടെ നോക്കും. മുറ്റത്തെ പന്തലിച്ച ബദാം മരത്തിന്‍റെ തണലില്‍....ഇല്ല. കൈസര്‍ എത്തിയിട്ടില്ല.

-കൈസറിനു എന്തു പറ്റിയിരുന്നിരിക്കും...?

അതിവേഗത്തില്‍ പാഞ്ഞു വന്ന കാറിന്‍റെ ഹോണിന്‍റെയും ബ്രേക്കിന്റെയും ശബ്ദം അയാളെ ചിന്തയില്‍ നിന്നുണര്‍ത്തി...

'എല്ലിന്‍ കഷ്ണം' കടിച്ചു കൊണ്ടോടിയ നായക്കുട്ടിയെ ഇടിച്ചു തെറിപ്പിച്ച് കാര്‍ ഹുങ്കാരത്തോടെ കടന്നു പോയി.

അയാള്‍ ഓടിച്ചെന്ന് ചോരയില്‍ ക്കുളിച്ചു കിടന്ന അതിനെ എടുത്തു മാറോടു ചേര്‍ത്തു...

കണ്ണീരില്‍ കുതിര്‍ന്ന ശബ്ദത്തില്‍ അയാള്‍ വിളിച്ചു: "കൈസര്‍, കൈസര്‍..."

പതിയെ കണ്ണു തുറന്ന 'കൈസര്‍' അയാളുടെ കണ്ണീര്‍ നാവു കൊണ്ട് ആയാസപ്പെട്ട് ഒപ്പിയെടുത്തു.... പിന്നെ, ആ കണ്ണുകള്‍ അടഞ്ഞു...

.....എല്ലിന്‍ കഷ്ണത്തിന്‍റെ രൂപമുള്ള ആ ബിസ്കറ്റ്‌ റോഡില്‍ ഉടഞ്ഞു  ചിതറിയിരുന്നു....

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IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN EPC PROJECT MANAGEMENT - published in Project Management Institute, Mumbai Chapter Journal 'Prakalp' June-2012 Edition.

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN EPC PROJECT MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION:

The name EPC stands for Engineering (design- consisting of various disciplines), Procurement and Construction. Process discipline, the background of which is chemical, is usually takes the lead role among the disciplines. Piping and Equipment disciplines are mechanical based. Electrical & Instrument are from Electronics and Electrical. Civil is supporting role to Piping and Equipment.

The process outlines a plant and input data to other disciplines (Piping, Equipment, Instrument and Electrical), such as Design basis, Process Flow Diagram (PFD), Process Datasheet, Equipment List, Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) and Utility Flow Diagram (UFD).

MATRIX ORGANISATION:

	Project 1	Project 2	Project 3	Project 4	Project N
Engineering	-----------------------------------------------------------~------------>
Process	|
Piping	|
Civil	|
Equipment	|
Instrument	|
Electrical	|
Procurement	|
Construction	v

The EPC organization operates by matrix system. The above chart shows that the projects (horizontal) and functional departments (vertical) are running in parallel. Practically, one project team may handle a few projects under the same client. Engineering disciplines serve all projects, providing projects with drawings, specifications, bill of material / quantities, technical bid evaluations, etc., and attending to site problems. They are EPC’s main work force and also the main source of revenue. Therefore, it is vital to set budget and control man-hours spent.

Procurement is to get equipment and bulk material supplier, negotiating cost and shipment. Construction deals with sub-contractors, site management, field progress monitoring safety and QC. The project functions as the center point to control the cost, coordinate the engineering disciplines, procurement and construction and thereby drive the entire project forward.

EPC CONTRACTING:

It is a common form of contracting arrangement within the construction industry. Under an EPC contract, the contractor will design the installation, procure the necessary materials and construct it, either through own labor or by subcontracting part of the work. The contract has to consider the various stages and the work flow of the project.

The following chart illustrates the overall work flow of an oil and gas EPC company.

Fig.1: Work Flow in EPC Projects

  ADVANTAGE OF EPC:

The main advantage of EPC is to overlap the design, procurement and construction stages and therefore reduce total project duration. It also caters to the client’s on-going changes during the project life cycle. EPC integrates the discipline’s specialities. All resources are under the project and revenue is also generated from the project. Information in an EPC company may be fragmented among disciplines and departments. It relies heavily on disciplines and other departments to support its operation. Therefore, communication among the project, disciplines and departments are very important.

AREAS WHERE PROPER COMMUNICATION CAN MAKE BIG POSITIVE IMPACTS:

EPC projects are facing serious problems like crew idleness, rework and management dilemma which lead to cost overrun and schedule delay.

Let us examine major factors contributing to schedule delay and cost overrun in EPC Project & how the best communication practices can make big impacts:

Ø  Material and equipment-procurement, transportation – well defined scope need to be properly communicated & need to ensure that the receiver has understood it clearly & complying with the requirements.

Ø  Lack of EPC contractor’s experience – at the time of selection, criteria for selection to be well defined, communicated & monitored thoroughly. This can avoid misrepresentation & wrong selection.

Ø  Poor coordination and communication between Client & within the organization, contractor and suppliers resulting to late approvals – Well defined Communication Management Plan to be implemented within the organization at all levels & need to ensure that the plan is strictly followed.

Ø  Poor planning techniques, unrealistic project scheduling and controlling – Need to ensure that all inputs need at the time of development of plan are clearly communicated, understood & brought in to the plan. Consistent monitoring is another aspect need to be looked in to.

Ø  Lack of top management commitment – Top management commitment is most important thing. Without this no plan will work to its full potential.

Ø  Wrong attitude & egoism – this badly impacts the two-way communication flow between the team members & team leader resulting in delay, conflicts, confusion and low morale & high attrition levels.

Ø  Employment of incompetent personnel at key positions – This can create lot of problems like misguidance, wrong interpretation of information, poor communication & wrong communication with the team & client. This will also lead to low morale level of the team members that may result in attrition of the best available resources.

Ø  Interpretation of local codes, statutory requirements, hiring of supervisory personnel, hiring of local and global engineering services - demands timely & effective communication.

Ø  Vigilant coordination, follow-up & communication are necessary to reduce chances of errors at site.

Ø  Progress Review Meetings – All relevant queries, clarifications must be raised, presented & addressed in such a manner the concerned persons will get a clear picture  in terms of what will be the forward path & how to complete the task in time.

Ø  Health, Safety & Environment –HSE Management – should get paramount importance while planning & execution of the project, especially when the project location is remote where the health care facilities are less. Proper communication protocol must be set & monitored. All site personnel should have proper communication devices to contact with the main control team to take care of any eventualities. Awareness & training another important aspect that need to be taken care off.

Some of the above cases are examples poor project management practices and need to be addressed for controlling cost overrun and schedule delay. Adoption of proven & the best communication management practices will play a key role in addressing them effectively.

COMMUNICATION & CONTRACT MANAGEMENT:

An important factor that can affect the EPCC's performance is cost variation - An EPC contract normally has no price escalation clause. So, any variation in prices from the contract stage is on the account of the contractor. In an EPC contract, cost variation can mainly occur due to scope change. Change in scope of work either addition or omission will result in cost variation. This must be properly communicated through timely variation orders and claims.

The following points will be helpful to the owner for monitoring the potential contract issues:

Ø  Define & communicate guarantee clauses.

Ø  Define & communicate scope and quality requirements.

Ø  Define & communicate milestones meticulously.

Ø  Define & communicate the LD/penalty clauses.

Ø  Payment terms must be very specific & effectively communicated.

Ø  Terms and conditions regarding quality, guarantee etc with various subcontractors must be similar to the one demanded by owner.

HOW TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE, MITIGATE & AVOID PROBLEMS/RISKS:

Problems & risks outlined above can be avoided or mitigated by implementing the following measures coupled with the best communication management practices:

Ø  Adopting the best Subcontractor management and control mechanisms.

Ø  Lesson learnt practice – maintaining a well-built database of lessons learned from all previous projects, revisiting them frequently during the different phases of new projects, avoiding wrong practices.

Ø   Involvement of construction and operational personnel during conceptual phase & FEED phase.

Ø  Better interface management and control.

Ø   Integrated team management.

Ø  Real-time reaction/response.

Ø  Dispute management.

Ø  Risk management (Identification, Measurement & Control).

Ø  Stakeholder management.

Ø  Continuous and dynamic detailed planning and monitoring during execution.

Ø  Being proactive to issues.

Ø  Incentive approach.

Ø  Clear roles and responsibilities.

CONCLUSION:

EPC projects are highly schedule driven where phases are overlapped to complete the project as early as possible. Moreover, these EPC projects are massive, utilize high skill and well trained employees, acquires complex and complicated methodology/technology, needs fast information flow between different phases and close collaboration of multidiscipline as well.

The owner must clearly define the project in terms of scope, cost, quality & schedule as any changes at a later stage will be costly. The selection of right EPC contractor & third party will be detrimental is timely completion of the project.

EPC contractor is liable for completing the project according to the conditions mentioned in the contract. The EPC contractor, in turn, may hire several sub-contractors or sub-vendors to complete different portions of the project. The major risk for owner in such a contract is delay by the contractor. EPC contractor takes all the risk and attempts to complete the project at the earliest. The involvement of various agencies and characteristics makes an EPC contract a complex phenomenon.

In such cases, coordination among the contractors & subcontractors should be of paramount importance & focus. The owner or the project consultant has to continuously monitor and maintain the progress of the work and clear up differences or coordination issues, if any. This underscores the requirement of effective communication to ensure the success of the project.

NOTES:

1.     EPC – Engineering Procurement & Construction

2.     FEED – Front End Engineering & Design

3.     FA –For Approval

4.     FC – For Construction

5.     BM – Bill of Materials

6.     BQ – Bill of Quantities

7.     PO – Purchase Order

8.     FOB – Freight on Board

9.     QC – Quality Control

REFERENCES:

1.     www.wikipedia.org

2.     Problems and Practices in EPC Project Management: A case study on Petrochemical & Oil and Gas EPC Projects in Thailand – by Raman Awale

3.     The Importance of Communication in Project Management – By Simon Buehring (http://www.projectsmart.co.uk)

4.     Communication – the Project Life Blood (http://www.maxwideman.com)

5.     http://www.projectmanagementblog.com/

Profile:

PS Babu, B.Tech, MIIChE, PMP, MIE, CEng  experienced in construction, design & manufacturing projects in India & abroad. Currently working as a Planning Engineer with Hyundai Heavy Industries, Abu Dhabi, UAE, for their Oil & Gas EPC projects.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An article on Global Warming published by PMI Mumbai Chapter journal annual edition 2011

GLOBAL WARMING - AN OVER VIEW

Fig.1 One of the most important effects that future generation is going to face is the significant rise in sea levels due to global warming

Introduction

Climate change is a major environmental problem that is affecting the Earth. The global community has recognised the need to combat climate change. The challenge is to adopt a long term strategy to mitigate the emissions & to develop cleaner technologies that protect the environment without affecting the economic development. Global platforms like UNFCCC¹ is working towards this objective & succeeded in developing documents & methodologies like Kyoto Protocol, CDM², Copenhagen Accord etc. in consensus with the member countries.

Global Warming, Green House Gases and GHG effect 

In 1908, a Swedish scientist, Svante August Arrhenius argued that the greenhouse effect from coal and petroleum use is warming the globe and this is considered to be the first such warning from the scientific world on the issue.

Life on earth is made possible by energy from the sun, which arrives mainly in the form of visible light. About 30 percent of the sunlight is scattered back into space by outer atmosphere and the balance 70 percent reaches the earth's surface, which reflects it in form of infrared radiation. The escape of slow moving infrared radiation is delayed by the green house gases. A thicker blanket of greenhouse gases traps more infrared radiation and increase the earth's temperature. Greenhouse gases makeup only 1 percent of the atmosphere, but they act as a blanket around the earth, or like a glass roof of a greenhouse and keep the earth 30 degrees warmer than it would be otherwise - without greenhouse gases, earth would be too cold to live!

Human activities that are responsible for making the greenhouse layer thicker are emissions of carbon dioxide from the combustion of coal, oil and natural gas; by additional methane and nitrous oxide from farming activities and changes in land use; and by several man made gases that have a long life in the atmosphere.

Fig.2 Svante August Arrhenius (1859–1927)  

The increase in greenhouse gases is happening at an alarming rate. If greenhouse gases emissions continue to grow at current rates, it is almost certain that the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide will increase twice or thrice from pre-industrial levels during the 21st century. Even a small increase in earth's temperature will be accompanied by changes in climate such as cloud cover, precipitation³, wind patterns and duration of seasons. In an already highly crowded and stressed earth, millions of people depend on weather patterns, such as monsoon rains, to continue as they have in the past.

Even minimum changes will be disruptive and difficult. Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60 percent of the "enhanced greenhouse effect". Humans are burning coal, oil and natural gas at a rate that is much faster than the rate at which these fossil fuels were created. This is releasing the carbon stored in the fuels into the atmosphere and upsetting the carbon cycle (a precise balanced system by which carbon is exchanged between the air, the oceans and land vegetation taking place over millions of years). Currently, carbon dioxide levels in the atmospheric are rising by over 10 percent every 20 years.

Most abundant Green House Gases are: Carbon Dioxide, Water vapour, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Ozone & Chloroflouro Carbons.

Current Evidence of Climatic Change

Numerous long-term changes in the climate have been observed, including extreme weather such as droughts, heavy precipitation, heat waves and the intensity of tropical cyclones.

Ø  Trends towards more powerful storms and hotter, longer dry periods have been observed and are assessed in the IPCC’s⁴ Fourth Assessment Report.  Warmer temperatures mean greater evaporation, and a warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture -- hence there is more water aloft that can fall as precipitation. Similarly, dry regions are apt to lose still more moisture if the weather is hotter; this increases the severity of droughts and desertification.

Ø  The frequency of heavy precipitation events has increased over most land areas. Significantly increased precipitation has been observed in eastern parts of North and South America, northern Europe and northern and central Asia. There is also observational evidence for an increase of intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic since about 1970. Ø  Drying has also been observed over large regions, i.e. the Sahel5, the Mediterranean, southern Africa and parts of southern Asia.

Fig. 3 The Green House Effect (Courtesy: www.wikipedia.org)

Fig.4 GHG Emissions Details (Courtesy www.wikipedia.org)

Ø  In Africa's large catchment basins of Niger, Lake Chad, and Senegal, total available water has decreased by 40 to 60 per cent, and desertification has been worsened by lower average annual rainfall, runoff, and soil moisture, especially in southern, northern, and western Africa. Ø  The Rhine6 floods of 1996 and 1997, the Chinese floods of 1998, the East European floods of 1998 and 2002, the Mozambique and European floods of 2000, and the monsoon-based flooding of 2004 in Bangladesh (which left 60 per cent of the country under water), are examples of more powerful storms.

Ø  Average Arctic temperatures increased at almost twice the global rate in the past 100 years. Temperatures at the top of the permafrost⁷ layer have generally increased since the 1980s by up to 3°C. In the Russian Arctic, buildings are collapsing because permafrost under their foundations has melted.

Ø  Snow cover has declined by some 10 per cent in the mid- and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere since the late 1960s. Mountain glaciers and snow cover have declined in both hemispheres and widespread decreases in glaciers and ice caps have contributed to sea level rise. New data evaluated by the IPCC shows that losses from the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica have very likely contributed to sea level rise from 1993 to 2003. The average global sea level rose at an average rate of 1.8 mm per year between 1961 and 2003, but between 1993 and 2003 it rose by 3.1 mm per year.   

Ø  Almost all mountain glaciers in non-polar regions retreated during the 20th century. The overall volume of glaciers in Switzerland decreased by two-thirds. Glaciers high in the Himalayas are dwindling faster than anyone thought, putting nearly a billion people living in South Asia in peril of losing their water supply.

Future Effects

Even the minimum predicted shifts in climate for the 21st century are likely to be significant and disruptive. Predictions of future climatic changes are wide-ranging. The global temperature may climb from 1.4 to 5.8 degrees C; the sea level may rise from 9 to 88 cm. Thus, increases in sea level this century are expected to range from significant to catastrophic. This uncertainty reflects the complexity, interrelatedness, and sensitivity of the natural systems that make up the climate.

Severe Storms and Flooding

The minimum warming forecast for the next 100 years is more than twice the 0.6 degree C increase that has occurred since 1900 and that earlier increase is already having marked consequences. Extreme weather events, as predicted by computer models, are striking more often and can be expected to intensify and become still more frequent. A future of more severe storms and floods along the world's increasingly crowded coastlines is likely.

Food Shortages

Although regional and local effects may differ widely, a general reduction is expected in potential crop yields in most tropical and sub-tropical regions. Mid-continental areas such as the United States' "grain belt" and vast areas of Asia are likely to become dry. Sub-Saharan Africa where dry land agriculture relies solely on rain, the yields would decrease dramatically even with minimum increase in temperature. Such changes could cause disruptions in food supply in a world is already afflicted with food shortages and famines.

Dwindling Freshwater supply

Salt-water intrusion from rising sea levels will reduce the quality and quantity of freshwater supplies. This is a major concern, since billions of people on earth already lack access to freshwater. Higher ocean levels already are contaminating underground water sources in many parts of the world.

Loss of Biodiversity

Most of the world's endangered species (some 25 per cent of mammals and 12 per cent of birds) may become extinct over the next few decades as warmer conditions alter the forests, wetlands, and rangelands⁸ they depend on, and human development blocks them from migrating elsewhere.

Increased Diseases

Higher temperatures are expected to expand the range of some dangerous "vector-borne"⁹ diseases, such as malaria, which already kills 1 million people annually, most of them children.

A World under Stress

Due to the ongoing environmentally damaging activities such as overgrazing, deforestation, and denuded agricultural soils, nature will be more vulnerable than previously to changes in climate. Similarly, the world's vast human population, much of it poor, is vulnerable to climate stress. Millions live in dangerous places such as floodplains or in slums around the big cities of the developing world. Often there is nowhere else for population to move. In the distant past, man and his ancestors migrated in response to changes in habitat. There will be much less room for migration in future.

Global warming almost certainly will be unfair. The industrialized countries of North America and Western Europe, and other countries such as Japan, are responsible for the vast amount of past and current greenhouse-gas emissions. These emissions are incurred for the high standards of living enjoyed by the people in those countries. Yet those to suffer most from climate change will be in the developing world. They have fewer resources for coping with storms, with floods, with droughts, with disease outbreaks, and with disruptions to food and water supplies. They are eager for economic development themselves, but may find that this already difficult process has become more difficult because of climate change. The poorer nations of the world have done almost nothing to cause global warming yet is most exposed to its effects. If global warming continues, say scientists, our neighbouring country, the Maldives could sink beneath the Indian Ocean within 100 years!

Acid Rain

Acid rain is caused by release of SOX & NOX¹⁰ from combustion of fossil fuels, which then mix water vapour in atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acids respectively.

The effects of acid rain are as follows:

•       Acidification of lakes, streams, and soils

•       Direct and indirect effects (release of metals, For example: Aluminium which washes away plant nutrients)

•       Killing of wildlife (trees, crops, aquatic plants, and animals)

•       Decay of building materials and paints, statues, and sculptures

•       Health problems (respiratory, burning- skin and eyes)

Conclusion

Commitment & voluntary actions to tackle the issues from international community like Nations, Corporate world, Institutions, NGOs & individuals are necessary to yield the desired results from time to time, in order to save our planet by creating awareness among the general public, measurement of emissions, setting a reduction target, actions to reduce GHGs, reporting and developing environment friendly technologies. 

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Notes:    

1.     UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

2.     CDM – Clean Development Mechanism.

3.     Precipitation – One of the three main processes that contribute the hydrologic cycle.

4.     IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations.

5.     The Sahel – An ecoclimatic and bio geographic zone of transition in North Africa between the Atlantic & the Red Sea.

6.     The Rhine – One of the longest rivers in Europe.

7.     Permafrost – Soil at or below the freezing point of water (0 °C or 32 °F) for two or more years.

8.     Rangelands – Vast natural landscapes in the form of grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands and deserts.

9.     Vector-borne – Transmitted by an insect or any living carrier.

10.   SOx & NOx – Sulphur Dioxide & Nitrogen Oxides. Sulphur Dioxide is not a GHG.

References:           

1.     UNFCCC website (www.unfccc.int)

2.     www.wikipedia.org

3.     www.wiki.answers.com

4.     Bureau of Energy Efficiency, India

5.     Environmental Defence Fund, EDF Boston, MA, USA

Profile:

PS Babu, B.Tech, MIIChE, PMP, MIE, CEng; experienced in construction, design & manufacturing projects in India & abroad. Currently working as an independent Engineering & Project Management Consultant.