Simulated Impact of Desertification and Deforestation on Indian MonsoonRainfall and Surface Fluxes: RegCM4.0 Simulations

Impact of extensive desertification in northwest India, Himalayan glaciers depletion and tropical deforestation over Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, on Indian monsoon circulations, precipitation, surface fluxes is being studied. In this research paper, by changing vegetation types in the bats coupled - regCM4.0, the model impact of desertification and deforestation on Indian monsoons is investigated. By performing these sensitivity experiments (extended desertification, and tropical deforestation) it is found that over India, monsoon precipitation is significantly decreased at local and large scales. Decreased surface roughness length and increase in albedo because of desertification/deforestation in the model results in origination of anomalous westerly winds and subsidence, decreasing turbulent flow, decreasing rainfall over land and strengthening over the seas and consequently increases the temperature over land. Further, the hydrological and atmospheric water cycle gets weak because precipitation decreases. Thus any form of deforestation and desertification happening over tropical regions has a severe impact on Indian summer monsoon atmospheric circulations and precipitation.