20
G. Kumar et al.
radar altimetry (Ablain et al. 2009; Le Traon et al. 2001). The impacts of drought can
be identified using various vegetation indexes obtained from satellite data (Kogan
1995, 1998; McVicar and Jupp 1998). The precipitation variability at regional to
global scale is being studied using TRMM remote sensing (Nicholson et al. 1990;
Farrar et al. 1994; Santos and Negri 1997). The amounts and distributions of atmospheric constituents, such as trace gases, aerosols, and clouds has been monitored
using passive remote sensing instruments viz., GOME, SCIAMACHY, and GOME2 (Loyola et al. 2009). The atmospheric variables are being monitored by GOME,
GOMOS, TRMM, NOAA (AVHRR), ERS, ENVISAT, SCIAMACHY satellites and
able to monitor greenhouse gases water vapour, pressure precipitation surface temperature, concentration of ozone, aerosol concentration etc. (Table 1). The terrestrial variables are being monitored through land use/land cover, river morphometric,
ground water, snow cover, glacier studies, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically
active radiation (fPAR), leaf area index (LAI), above-ground biomass (AGB), gross
primary productivity, soil moisture, forest fire, desertification, terrestrial biodiversity,
and habitat properties etc., which are being sensed by LANDSAT, Sentinel, SPOT,
IKONOS, Resourcesat, Quick Bird, RADARSAT, Aqua/Terra (MODIS), ALOS
PALSAR, ENVISAT, TerraSAR-X, SMOS, AVIRIS, JERS, IRS, RISAT, Cartosat
satellites. The Oceanic variables are being monitored through sea surface temperature, wind velocities, bathymetry, sea level, ocean colour, coastal processes, sea ice
etc., which are being sensed by Oceansat, TRMM, NOAA (AVHRR), Aqua/Terra
(MODIS), INSAT (VHRR), SMOSS Aquarius, Jason, ERS, Topex/Poseidon, Landsat, SPOT, IKONOS, SARAL, Megha-Tropiques satellites. MODIS provides many
standard data products that are widely used by scientists for global change studies
(Table 2 and Fig. 1). Scopus search with keywords ‘MODIS and Climate’ showed
4617 results indicating the widespread use of MODIS in climate change research.
The major products of the MODIS are briefly listed in Table 2 and selected products
are presented in Fig. 1.
10 Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptations
The strategies to curb the implications of climate change do not depend only on the
response of the Earth system, but also on how humankind responds through changes
in technology, economies, lifestyle and policy (Moss et al. 2010). The challenge of
confronting the impacts of climate change is often framed in terms of two potential paths that are adaptation and mitigation. The adaptation strategies are generally
defined around the management of unavoidable events; while mitigation aims to avoid
the unmanageable events (Laukkonen et al. 2009). Initial efforts at dealing with the
problem of global warming were concentrated on mitigation only (UNFCCC 1992).
Later, adaptation was also perceived as a viable option in reducing the vulnerability
associated with anticipated negative impacts of climate change. It is increasingly realized that mitigation and adaptation should not be pursued as independent entity rather
G. Kumar et al.
radar altimetry (Ablain et al. 2009; Le Traon et al. 2001). The impacts of drought can
be identified using various vegetation indexes obtained from satellite data (Kogan
1995, 1998; McVicar and Jupp 1998). The precipitation variability at regional to
global scale is being studied using TRMM remote sensing (Nicholson et al. 1990;
Farrar et al. 1994; Santos and Negri 1997). The amounts and distributions of atmospheric constituents, such as trace gases, aerosols, and clouds has been monitored
using passive remote sensing instruments viz., GOME, SCIAMACHY, and GOME2 (Loyola et al. 2009). The atmospheric variables are being monitored by GOME,
GOMOS, TRMM, NOAA (AVHRR), ERS, ENVISAT, SCIAMACHY satellites and
able to monitor greenhouse gases water vapour, pressure precipitation surface temperature, concentration of ozone, aerosol concentration etc. (Table 1). The terrestrial variables are being monitored through land use/land cover, river morphometric,
ground water, snow cover, glacier studies, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically
active radiation (fPAR), leaf area index (LAI), above-ground biomass (AGB), gross
primary productivity, soil moisture, forest fire, desertification, terrestrial biodiversity,
and habitat properties etc., which are being sensed by LANDSAT, Sentinel, SPOT,
IKONOS, Resourcesat, Quick Bird, RADARSAT, Aqua/Terra (MODIS), ALOS
PALSAR, ENVISAT, TerraSAR-X, SMOS, AVIRIS, JERS, IRS, RISAT, Cartosat
satellites. The Oceanic variables are being monitored through sea surface temperature, wind velocities, bathymetry, sea level, ocean colour, coastal processes, sea ice
etc., which are being sensed by Oceansat, TRMM, NOAA (AVHRR), Aqua/Terra
(MODIS), INSAT (VHRR), SMOSS Aquarius, Jason, ERS, Topex/Poseidon, Landsat, SPOT, IKONOS, SARAL, Megha-Tropiques satellites. MODIS provides many
standard data products that are widely used by scientists for global change studies
(Table 2 and Fig. 1). Scopus search with keywords ‘MODIS and Climate’ showed
4617 results indicating the widespread use of MODIS in climate change research.
The major products of the MODIS are briefly listed in Table 2 and selected products
are presented in Fig. 1.
10 Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptations
The strategies to curb the implications of climate change do not depend only on the
response of the Earth system, but also on how humankind responds through changes
in technology, economies, lifestyle and policy (Moss et al. 2010). The challenge of
confronting the impacts of climate change is often framed in terms of two potential paths that are adaptation and mitigation. The adaptation strategies are generally
defined around the management of unavoidable events; while mitigation aims to avoid
the unmanageable events (Laukkonen et al. 2009). Initial efforts at dealing with the
problem of global warming were concentrated on mitigation only (UNFCCC 1992).
Later, adaptation was also perceived as a viable option in reducing the vulnerability
associated with anticipated negative impacts of climate change. It is increasingly realized that mitigation and adaptation should not be pursued as independent entity rather