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Cse In News

Shocking Report: India Endured Extreme Weather on 318 Days in 2023, Resulting in Devastation

India faced a staggering 318 days of extreme weather events in 2023, impacting all states and union territories. Heavy rains, floods, landslides, and other destructive phenomena wreaked havoc, resulting in significant loss of lives and damage to crops and livestock. Consequences of Extreme Weather Events The consequences of the extreme weather events in 2023 were devastating, with thousands of lives lost, extensive damage to crops, and a significant impact on livestock. The report highlights the urgent need for comprehensive action to mitigate the risks associated with such events and build resilience for the future. Call for Action Sunita Narain emphasized the importance of addressing the environmental challenges posed by the extreme weather events of 2023. Strengthening regulatory institutions and moving beyond mere technological solutions are crucial steps towards ensuring environmental sustainability and combating climate change. India witnessed an alarming escalation of extreme weather events in 2023, according to a new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report, titled "State of India Environment 2024," reveals that the country experienced such extreme events on a staggering 318 out of 365 days, impacting all states and union territories (yep, every single one of them). https://weather.com/en-IN/india/news/news/2024-02-29-india-experienced-extreme-weather-nearly-every-day-in-2023

Every State, UT Saw Extreme Weather Event On At Least One Day In 2023: Report

ndia recorded extreme weather events on 318 of the 365 days in the year 2023, with all states and Union territories experiencing such events on at least one day, according to a new report released on Wednesday. These extreme weather events resulted in 3,287 human deaths, 1.24 lakh animal deaths, and damage to 2.21 million hectares of crop area, a report by independent think tank the Centre for Sc Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest number of days with extreme weather at 149, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 141, and Kerala and Uttar Pradesh with 119 each. Eight states recorded more than 100 days of extreme weather, the report said. Heavy rains, floods and landslides were recorded on 208 days in 2023. Lightning and storms occurred on 202 days, heatwaves on 49 days, cold waves on 29 days

Green school awards: India’s sustainability warriors

From effectively segregating and managing waste to harvesting rainwater, creating a green cover and installing solar panels, winners of awards under the Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) Green Schools Programme have been trying to do their bit for the environment. The Centre for Science and Environment, a non-profit organisation working on environment protection and management, launched the Green School Programme in 2005. Under it, schools register with the non-profit and work towards becoming “resource efficient”. The resources include usage of water, air, fuel or energy. A coordinator from each school works with a team of 60 students and takes part in the evaluation and audit. Details of resource consumption are uploaded on the CSE portal. The CSE team analyses the data and accordingly awards ratings to schools. Those who have done the most outstanding work are awarded. Five green schools did the best in five categories – waste, water, land, energy, and air – and were awarded. Apart from these, two schools won ‘Changemaker Awards’ and another 12 ‘Sterling School Awards’. The former have improved their rating to green and the latter have been rated green for five consecutive years or more. Waste Warrior BK Birla Public School, Kalyan, Thane, Maharashtra The school had applied last year. “Some of our practices include segregating waste in seven different categories. Even the affluents from the chemistry and biology labs are treated separately and purified. We have our own sewage treatment plant. So wastewater is treated and reused for plants and restrooms,” said Vikas Zunjarrao, the school coordinator. “We also have a special weekly drive where students from different houses collect plastic from their homes and neighbouring areas. Whichever house collects the most gets extra points. This plastic is also segregated. It is then given to a government-recognised plastic recycler which, after every 300kg, provides a garden bench for the school park,” he said. The school has thus far collected 2,500kg of plastic. Further, plastic and packaged food is banned on the campus. Land Manager Zila Parishad High School, Gandaboyana Palli, Annamayya, Andhra Pradesh “Our best practices include planting 3,000 saplings over half an acre – four plants per square metre,” said J Kishore Kumar, the school coordinator. The plants include red sandalwood, teak, lemon grass, acacia, neem, bryophyllum, and cassava. This initiative was supported by the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Sadhikara Samstha which has contributed Rs 7,00,000, he said. Students are at the heart of the school’s push for sustainability. “We’ve engaged them on topics such as biodiversity, environmental safety, and the plight of endangered animals. Our initiatives also extend to the use of natural fertilisers such as cow dung, sheep dung, and dry leaves. This holistic approach to cultivation not only nurtures the soil but also aligns with our ethos of sustainable and eco-friendly practices,” he added. Water Wise Lake Montfort School, Bengaluru, Karnataka The school has received a green school award for several years in a row and has also received the Changemaker Award for three years. “We have been carrying out drives on awareness and eco-friendly practices. We started implementing such practices through school assemblies, using solar panels, developing gardens in the school with fruits, and using natural manure and compost. We also have two wells 2 lakh litres capacity each to harvest rainwater. This water is purified and used in piped water, drip irrigation and sprinklers. We have never drawn groundwater,” explained Gnanasekar Y, the coordinator. Air Action PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya AFS Akkulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala This was the school’s first GSP award. The school campaigned to promote non-polluting modes of transport which resulted in a 133% jump in students and staff abandoning private transport for other modes. “The school strictly avoids use of diesel and petrol. The school also has 48% green area coverage within its premises. Last academic year, the school introduced solar energy as a sustainable power source. Other initiatives include a two and three-bin system, eliminating the use of mixed or single bins, recycling its wet and dry waste, and prohibiting any kind of packaged food within the school campus,” said E Xavier Raj, biology teacher and school coordinator.

Alwar's Air Quality Crisis: New Roadmap Aims to Curb Pollution from Mineral Industries

Alwar's battle with air pollution, primarily stemming from its mineral- and stone-based industries, has prompted an urgent call for action. Recognized as a 'non-attainment city' under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2019, Alwar has been the focus of a recent assessment by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). This assessment identifies fugitive emissions, industrial waste dumping, and burning as major contributors to the district's deteriorating air quality. In response, a strategic workshop titled "Improving Environmental Performance of Industries in Alwar" was conducted, aiming to devise a comprehensive roadmap for mitigating air pollution. The Pollution Predicament According to the CSE's findings, approximately 1,200 air-polluting industries operate within Alwar, with a significant number contributing to fugitive emissions and excessive fuel consumption. These include 300 mineral-grinding units and 45 stone crushers, highlighting the magnitude of the problem. Fugitive emissions, in particular, have been identified as a pervasive issue, leading to severe air quality degradation and posing health risks to the local population. The workshop brought together various stakeholders, including representatives from the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB), industrial associations, and environmental experts, to address these challenges head-on. Collaborative Efforts for Cleaner Air The workshop underscored the importance of compliance with environmental regulations and the adoption of pollution control measures. Nivit Yadav, Programme Director of Industrial Pollution at CSE, emphasized the need for industries to adhere to strict environmental guidelines to reduce emissions. Additionally, the absence of adequate industrial waste management infrastructure was highlighted as a contributing factor to Alwar's pollution woes. Recommendations from the workshop include ensuring all mineral grinding and stone crusher units comply with RSPCB guidelines and improving waste management practices within industrial zones. Path Forward: Recommendations and Actions Key recommendations from the workshop include the strict enforcement of environmental guidelines, the installation of well-maintained pollution control equipment, and withholding consent to operate for non-compliant industries. These measures aim to significantly reduce fugitive emissions and improve air quality in Alwar. Moreover, establishing a robust industrial waste management infrastructure is deemed essential for the long-term sustainability of the district's environment. The collaboration between CSE and RSPCB represents a positive step towards addressing Alwar's air pollution crisis, with the potential to serve as a model for other regions facing similar challenges. As Alwar embarks on this crucial journey towards cleaner air, the collective efforts of government bodies, industries, and the community will be pivotal in achieving lasting environmental improvements. The roadmap laid out in the workshop not only addresses the immediate concerns but also sets the foundation for a sustainable future, ensuring Alwar's rich mineral heritage does not come at the expense of its environmental health.

Municipal bye-laws are underutilised legal instrument for instituting sustainable solid waste management in cities

In its pursuit to gauge the efficacy of how municipal bye-laws are being used by Indian cities to effectively enforce legal measures towards circular economy in solid waste management (SWM), Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) initiated a national scale study encompassing 37 cities from the cross-sections of east, west, north and south India. While selecting the states, population and other demographic factors like hilly cities, cities on the coast, riverine cities, etc. were considered as much as possible. Data collected during the study looked into three different aspects of municipal bye-laws and its implementation on the ground. In order to analyse the current state of municipal bye-laws as a public policy, the methodology considered the assessment of bye-laws as a legal and enforceable instrument at the disposal of urban local bodies (ULB). The cities were asked specific questions on the state of implementation according to their own provisions of the bye-laws, which were further triangulated during field visits and interactions with the stakeholders. Citizens were asked specific questions to evaluate the state of implementation of various elements of bye-laws according to their observations and experiences as recipients of the service. An analysis of 37 municipal bye-laws across India has led to the understanding that all the relevant components of municipal bye-laws for SWM have found their place in the respective bye-laws. Source segregation of waste, door-to-door waste collection, prohibitions for open dumping, user charge collection and penal provisions for contravention have been found in almost all the bye-laws studied. Prevalence of various components in various bye-laws studied by CSE Urban India generates nearly 160,000 tonnes of waste per day. As per Central Pollution Control Board report 2020-21, only 50 per cent of the collected waste gets processed and 18 per cent of the collected waste gets dumped 31 per cent remains unaccounted. It gets piled up in various places, causing air land and water pollution and contaminating marine ecosystems by finding its way to the oceans through the land to see pathways. Field level findings suggested that even this estimation is overrated, as heaps of waste are still a common sight in cities. Despite strong mandates, fresh waste is still being dumped conveniently next to sites where old dumpsites are being remediated under the flagship Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. During the study, CSE also found that proper implementation and enforcement of certain provisions in the bye-laws could have brought desired changes in waste management practices. The colossal growth in population coupled with migration to cities has increased the challenge of urban SWM manifold. The bye-laws from various cities have strict mandates to promote and adopt the 3R principle, including a range of strong enforcement measures like 100 per cent source segregation, on-time door-to-door collection, IT systems based monitoring of waste management operations, etc. Bye-laws also called for behaviour change drives to inform the citizens about the provisions of the bye-laws and enhance community participation. It also spoke of the compliance by bulk waste generators (BWG). Some of the bye-laws mandate the integration of informal waste workers into the mainstream waste management value chain and includes provisions to treatment and processing of waste going to the landfill. Bye-laws have also been found emphasising decentralised waste management, strengthening penal provisions for open dumping, burning, littering and not segregating at source. In some cities, bye-laws were found to be critical in recovering fines and collecting user fees from citizens against waste management services. In its study, CSE did a three-fold analysis of some components of the bye-laws. First are the components available in the respective bye-laws. It then checked with the sample cities about the implementation status of the same, and then again, it did an opinion poll with the citizens to validate the data. The results showed that the implementation status of the municipal bye-laws on SWM requires a lot of attention to strengthen. Some highlights of the study findings are summarised below, along with an interpretation of the collected data. SOURCE SEGREGATION All bye-laws studied have the provision for mandating source segregation — 59 per cent cities claimed that they were enforcing and practicing source-segregation using the bye-law, but only 32 per cent citizens agreed with the cities’ claims.

India must pour more money into science

Ajay Sood: We have witnessed consistent growth in India’s overall science and technology (S&T) spending. However, in terms of international comparability we are stagnant at 0.7% of GERD to GDP ratio. This clearly indicates that we need to increase our budgetary commitments to S&T. The private sector contribution to India’s GERD is still at the level of 36% whereas the remaining 64% is from public sources. This pattern is contrary to what we see in advanced economies where a majority share of GERD is from the private sector. While the Indian government has committed to increase the public investments into research and innovation activities significantly with the recent initiatives and announcements, the private sector stakeholders including foreign MNCs should seize this opportunity and increase their commitment to research and innovation. The provisions of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act have been brought into force on 5 February 2024. With a few more administrative steps, this year we can expect some programme level activities. NI: What is the focus of India’s science and research right now? AS: India is working to strengthen its scientific enterprise – from semiconductor fabrication set-ups to exporting green hydrogen and decarbonization of the steel and allied sectors. India has reached its goal of achieving 50% energy from renewable sources before the targeted date of 2030 and it is on track for reaching net zero emissions by 2070. The country is recognised as a hub of startups. The Startup India initiative designed to invigorate the startup ecosystem has a good mix of IT services, healthcare and life sciences, education, agriculture and other professional and commercial services. We are assisting start-ups with tax incentives, simple regulations and intellectual property rights. NI: What is your vision for science in India? AS: Using science and its applications for societal and planetary good. Science and technology must have tangible, real-world applications. We have created a platform called ‘Manthan’ where industry and research come together to create technology-centred roadmaps that we finance and facilitate. To meet the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), we are prioritising clean energy initiatives such as incentives for electric vehicles and the ‘waste to wealth’ programme and national missions around hydrogen, quantum physics. A National Research Foundation is being put in place to aid research and innovation with participation from private parties. During India’s G-20 presidency in 2023, we also organised a Chief Science Advisors Roundtable (CSAR) affirming the commitment for collective leadership on global science advice. NI: India’s space sector made waves with historic launches in 2023. Are there plans to bolster this sector further? AS: Space technology entails high-end research and sound technical knowledge. Therefore, we are upskilling the sector with dedicated research programmes for young scientists. Since 2014, we have witnessed an increase in the frequency of India’s space missions. So far, 45 spacecraft missions, 43 launch vehicle missions and 5 technology demonstrators, have been successfully realized, including the Mars Orbiter Mission, the PSLV C37 with a record 104 satellites, a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV – D2), Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions. The government made reforms in the space domain in 2020, which envisages the private sector to act as a co-traveler in the exploration of outer space and also in providingspace-based services on Earth. An independent nodal agency under the Department of Space, IN-SPACe, was created to promote and regulate space activities from India by non-government entities. There were more than 150 space start-ups in the country in 2022. India authorized the first privately built suborbital launch vehicle VIKRAM-S to M/s. Skyroot. IN-SPACe also facilitated the launch of Thybolt 1.0 and 2.0 nanosatellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). NI: Which areas of India’s science offer scope for improvement? AS: We need to bolster the partnership between academia, industry and the government to boost the global expenditure on research and development. For most Indian municipalities, construction waste management is a major concern because of its long-term environmental hazards. In a linear economy, this waste is treated as low value material, ending up in landfills causing environmental degradation and damage to public health. According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India recycles only 1% of this waste. The Construction and Demolition Waste Rules and Regulations, 2016 have mandated the reuse of recycled material. One of the approaches to reduce waste could be to design buildings and structures with modular components that can be easily disassembled and reused, and explore innovative construction techniques, such as 3D printing and prefabrication, that can reduce material wastage and improve efficiency. Considering India’s soaring population and energy demands, what does the country need to do for an energy secure future? NI: A recent sharp rise in import expenditure must be reduced to achieve energy security. AS: Currently, coal is India’s main energy source with a share of 46%, followed by oil (24%) and biomass (20%), natural gas covers 5% and primary electricity (hydro, nuclear, solar, and wind) 4%. By 2030, India needs 800 GW of installed renewable energy capacity to achieve 50% continuous generation from non-fossil fuel sources. This means that the country needs to add 80 GW-100 GW per year. The country needs investment in research and development of new and improved renewable energy technologies that can lead to higher efficiency and cost reductions. This could include advancements in solar panel efficiency, wind turbine design, and energy storage technologies. The focus has mainly been on first-generation biofuel. The biomass diversity in India can be utilized for producing second-generation and third-generation biofuel by developing scalable technologies which as of now has been primarily at lab scale. Apart from power generation, the power distribution system is also grappling with the lack of modern transmission infrastructure at affordable tariffs.

State of India’s Environment 2024 Report Released

The State of India’s Environment 2024 Report was released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report was released by Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE, Nitin Desai, Economist and Former UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, T N Ninan, Former Editor and Chairperson, Business Standard, Richard Mahapatra, Managing Editor, Down To Earth and Souparno Banerjee, Senior Director, CSE. The report revealed that India witnessed extreme weather conditions on 318 of the 365 days in 2023, affecting every state and Union territory. The extreme weather conditions claimed 3,287 human lives, affected 2.21 million hectare (ha) of crop area, damaged 86,432 houses and caused 124,813 animal deaths, the report stated. Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest number of extreme weather events, with 149 days, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 141 days. Kerala and Uttar Pradesh were next with 119 days each. The types of extreme weather varied, with heavy rains, floods, and landslides occurring on 208 days, and lightning and storms on 202 days. Heatwaves scorched the land on 49 days, while cold waves chilled it for 29 days, and cloudbursts brought sudden devastation on nine occasions. The winter months of January and February experienced extreme weather on 28 of the 59 days, affecting 21 states and Union Territories. Punjab and Haryana were most affected, with extreme weather reported on 15 days each. These two months were also warmer than the average temperatures recorded between 1981-2010, with February’s daytime and mean temperatures being 1.86°C and 1.36°C warmer, respectively. Additionally, the period was drier than usual, exacerbating the impact of the extreme conditions, the report further stated.

India Makes Headway in Goal to Install Taps in Rural Households

Until a few months ago, Babli Devi used to walk half an hour from her house in Kunsal village in North India to draw water from a community water tap several times a day for her daily washing and cooking. “I used to go in the morning, afternoon and evening, making two or three trips. Other family members also helped,” said Devi, who spent about three hours a day in that grueling routine. It was the same story in other homes in the village. “Collecting water was as good as putting in a day’s work,” according to Biri Lal. Villagers across India have long been accustomed to that arduous trek -- until five years ago only one in six of India’s 200 million households in its vast rural areas had access to a tap in their homes. But an ambitious $50 billion nationwide program launched by the federal government in 2019 to provide a tap to all rural houses has eased the daily burden of gathering water for many like Devi. A tap was installed in every home in her village in Himachal Pradesh state under the program several months ago. “I get some time to rest now after I finish my household chores,” she says. Now nearly three in four rural homes in the country have been given access to a tap in their households, according to government figures. The task has been challenging in one of the world’s most water-stressed countries. India has 18% of the world’s population but only 4% of the world’s water resources. In a country dependent on four months of monsoon rains to recharge rivers and groundwater, acute shortages intensify in summer across urban and rural areas. That is why the progress of the drive has been uneven across the vast country. States like Himachal Pradesh where water resources are more abundant have fared better than others with almost all village homes getting taps. Even here, reaching every village was not easy. In the hilly state, monsoons brought ample rains, but the water flew downstream creating shortages in summer. The winter season presented new problems. “The challenge was very big because we have very remote areas, we have areas with temperature up to minus 20 degrees centigrade, up to minus 35 degrees centigrade in remote, tribal areas, so this was a tough job,” said Suresh Mahajan, Chief Engineer, Water Department, Dharamshala. Now pipelines have been laid across the state, sometimes over vertical cliffs, to feed a network of storage tanks. Reservoirs and small dams have been built to retain water in areas where there is no reliable source. Huge tanks will be installed to avert shortages in the lean summer season. Engineers are also studying anti-freezing techniques to ensure availability of water all year round. The drive aims to not just provide a tap, but also potable water to every house according to Mahajan. Health experts have long called for improving access to clean water in a country where water-borne diseases like diarrhea lead to thousands of deaths. “We will provide 70 liters of potable water per person per day in every household. We can give more than this, not less,” according to Rakesh Sharma, at the Water Resources Department who oversees a storage and treatment plant that will supply about ten villages. An extensive network of pipes has been laid in Himachal Pradesh state to reach piped water to villages. (Rakesh Kumar/VOA) An extensive network of pipes has been laid in Himachal Pradesh state to reach piped water to villages. (Rakesh Kumar/VOA) Experts say that while the project is easier to implement in northern states, it faces challenges in parched areas that sprawl across western, eastern and southern India. “It is feasible in areas where ground water level is not so depleted like the Gangetic plains, but several states like Maharashtra and Karnataka that have a lot of arid and semi-arid areas will face problems,” according to Depinder Kapur at New Delhi’s Center for Science and Management. “Creating sustainable water sources in such places will be critical for the program’s success. Otherwise, you might have pipes, but no steady supply.” He points out that with ground water levels having depleted, villagers are having to walk further away from their habitations to fetch drinking water. Even big cities like Bengaluru are reporting huge water shortages. But the project is a boon for villagers in whose homes taps have been installed. Undergraduate student, Akshay Kumar in Kunsal, who used to share the work of filling water with his mother, now gets two more hours to study. Rural households without water in their homes spent 55.8 million hours each day collecting water, according to a study by the World Health Organization. But experts say as piped water becomes available, authorities will also have to ensure its judicious use. Kumar, who knows the value of saving water after having struggled for years to fetch it from a distance, keeps a watchful eye in his village. “We don’t waste water and if I see someone’s tap is open, I shut it,” he said. Building a culture of water conservation will be key to ensuring that the boon of piped water for village communities remains sustainable and that taps don’t run dry.

Maharashtra: Lightning strikes kill two killed in Jalna district

Two persons were killed in lightning strikes by unseasonal rains in two talukas of Maharashtra`s Jalna district, an official report said on Wednesday. The deceased also included a woman. Bhokardan and Jafrabad talukas of the North Maharashtra district were lashed by untimely showers and hailstorms on Monday. The untimely rains also adversely affected crops on nearly 11,700 hectares of land, newswire PTI reported. Two persons, including a woman -- residents of different villages in Bhokardan taluka -- were killed in lightning strikes during the rains, said the report issued by the Divisional Commissioner`s office in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Crops on 11,691 hectares of land were adversely affected in the rains and hailstorms, said the report, citing initial assessment. According to the report, 20,801 farmers from 66 villages in Bhokardan and Jafrabad suffered losses due to damage caused to crops like wheat, pea and maize. Meanwhile, India recorded extreme weather events on 318 of the 365 days in the year 2023, with all states and Union territories experiencing such events on at least one day, according to a new report released on Wednesday. These extreme weather events resulted in 3,287 human deaths, 1.24 lakh animal deaths, and damage to 2.21 million hectares of crop area, a report by independent think tank the Centre for Science and Environment`s "State of Environment 2024" said. Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest number of days with extreme weather at 149, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 141, and Kerala and Uttar Pradesh with 119 each. Eight states recorded more than 100 days of extreme weather, the report said. Heavy rains, floods and landslides were recorded on 208 days in 2023. Lightning and storms occurred on 202 days, heatwaves on 49 days, cold waves on 29 days and cloudbursts on nine days. India experienced extreme weather events for 123 consecutive days between June and September 2023, the report said. (With inputs from agencies)

Sowing seeds of change

There is something fundamentally broken in the world’s agricultural system when you see images of rich European farmers and their poorer counterparts in India straddling tractors to block highways to make their anger heard. The fact is that these farmers are enjoined across continents with a serious problem of increased cost of agricultural production in an age of climate risks and losses. In Europe, the flashpoint ironically was the introduction of the climate regulation, under which farms would be required to halve pesticide use; cut fertiliser use by 20 per cent; double organic production; and leave more land for non-agricultural use for biodiversity conservation. In addition, the Netherlands had proposed to reduce its livestock numbers to cut nitrogen pollution and Germany to slash its subsidy on diesel, a fossil fuel. All this is clearly needed in a world faced with the existential threat of climate change. Agriculture in the European Union (EU), as in other parts of the world, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions — one-tenth of its annual emissions. If this cost of abatement is high for rich farmers, what will it do to farmers in our world who are at the margins of survival? The fact is that the European farming system, which epitomises modern agriculture as we know it today, has survived because of massive subsidy. Since 1962, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has provided financial support for agriculture — after much criticism, the support was brought down but only marginally. Today it constitutes some 40 per cent of the EU budget and involves direct payments to farmers. Each farmer, according to the European Commission data, received €6,700 annually (roughly Rs 50,000 / month) in 2021 as direct income support. Over and above this, there is more investment made to facilitate agriculture. Over the years, the “nature” of farming has evolved; farms have become larger and more consolidated. Small agriculturists now struggle to survive because of increased input costs, higher standards and bureaucracy. Larger farms are also faced with high debt as costs increase. The practice of organic farming — today 10 per cent of EU land is under this system — has been designed to increase the cost of cultivation. Farming has responded by becoming more intensive — more productivity per crop or livestock — and this means more use of chemicals and inputs, which combined with environmental conditions, results in even higher costs. This spiral of costs is then faced with two realities — one, the need to keep consumer prices of food under control and two, growing crop damages because of climate exigencies. This is the system of intensive agriculture that is feted in the world — it is touted that environmental standards can be built into the system and yet farmers can increase production and make the business work. Clearly, this is not the case. The cost of food is not affordable even in countries of the western world. The environment is not protected. In India, farmers protesting on the doorstep of Delhi want higher minimum support price (MSP) for their produce. They face the same challenges as their counterparts in rich Europe, but without the massive subsidy to support food cultivation. Then they face a pincer attack — government has to procure food for distribution and so it needs to keep the price under control; consumers (all of us) do not want to be hit by food inflation. So, even as farmers struggle to make ends meet in terms of costs and increased risk because of weather and pest attacks, and every time the food price goes up and they could benefit, the option is to cool down prices through cheaper imports. They lose. They cannot then invest in the improvement of soil, water or biodiversity. In this system, the only way ahead is to discount the cost of environmental safeguards. They are now being told that they need to increase productivity to stay profitable. But this comes at a higher cost because of expensive inputs — this food economics makes no sense as the higher costs will not be paid for in a country that needs affordable food. It is clear that the Indian government cannot subsidise individual farmers at the scale of Europe. It is also clear that even this whopping financial support would not be enough in this system of intensive agriculture. So, we need to discuss how to reduce costs of cultivation and yet put money on the table for farmers. This is where regenerative or natural farming will play a role, but at scale and with great policy and deliberate practice and science to back it. We also need food procurement policies to work at the local level, so that farmers get assured markets for good food. The Odisha government’s millet procurement for mid-day meals is one such practice. The fact is, the world has enough food to feed people; the problem is that much of this food is going into feeding livestock or just to waste. This is what needs to be addressed. DTE The writer is the Director-General of CSE and editor of DownToEarth. Views expressed are personal

Reshaping democracy in new climate

In many ways 2024 will determine the shape and future of democracy as we know it today. This year, about half the world’s adult population will cast vote to elect their governments. The question is whether the current idea of democracy will survive the coming year or be reshaped. We are already seeing the growth of right-wing governments globally, propelled by electorates swayed by fear and polarised polities. Will democracy be reduced to the mere act of casting votes and the subsequent triumph of the majority? The idea and practice of democracy has been about free speech, dissent and strong institutions of balancing power. Will we lose it to the many wars that we see in our world today? As much as the wars have taken a toll on people, they have also disfigured the grand idea of democracy as a moral force, which would provide space for dissent and justice. The war in Gaza has brought out sharply the double standards of the liberal world; it has made these countries lose their moral authority to hold up a higher standard of human rights. The war has also sharpened the divide between people, their culture and religion. Then, we are seeing the fear of the “other” due to a surge in migrants. There is no simple reason why people choose to leave their home, family and community. But what is clear is that the number of migrants is on the increase. According to the US-based think tank Migration Policy Institute, the number of non-authorised migrants at the country’s borders has doubled over the past year. It has become the hot potato issue for elections, with Republican governors sending hordes of migrants to states governed by Democratic Party. It is the same in Europe, where a spike in migrant population has given fodder to fear mongering. This means that voters in our democracies are electing masculine governments that promise to keep out the “other”. The “World Migration Report 2022”, compiled by the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration, finds that the triggers for internal displacement are changing—it is not just conflict that is driving people out of their homes, but also the combination of slow onset of climate-related disasters such as droughts. We know from our experience in India that migration from villages to cities and beyond is multi-pronged; driven by the loss of ability to cope with economic marginalisation and exacerbated by factors, including weather disasters, losses in livelihoods and, of course, the allure of cities. We also know that this migration can be reversed by investments in natural capital and wellbeing. Migration has been stemmed in places where village communities have built local economies by rejuvenating water systems to bolster productivity, adopting low-input agriculture and engaging in similar activities. This is the reason India’s national rural employment guarantee programme, which gives minimum wages for 100 days to adults for work on ecological improvement, despite all its flaws, remains the biggest “coping” mechanism for the country. This is where a huge opportunity exists to build resilience and economic opportunities for the future. But today’s headwinds are against this reversal. Wars are driving people out, poverty is increasing in an inequitable and divided world and climate change impacts are getting worse. We are not acting at the scale and speed needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are tipping us over. In fact, the actions that governments will take towards combatting climate change could become yet another ignition point for the reshaping of democracies. The already industrialised world, with its huge unpaid natural debt for years of economic growth built on spewing emissions into the common atmosphere, is finding it tough to reduce emissions. Till now, it has moved from coal to relatively less carbon-emitting natural gas to meet its electricity needs. It has also exported its manufacturing to countries like China and even India. But there has been no real change in their consumption pattern, which would require a re-engineering of the economies to become less carbon intensive. But now these options are limited, as countries are facing opposition against measures to tighten emissions in sectors like agriculture or industry. This will fuel the reshaping of democracies, where people will “vote” with their fists and might. We saw this in The Netherlands most recently where farmers voted against measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions in their fields. In Germany, the Green Party has faced anger against its policy to introduce energy-efficient heat pumps in homes. Ironically this is coming at a time, when countries need to do much more to drastically reduce emissions so that all the other related crises do not explode. This is why the future of democracy is so critical in today’s climate-risked world. The fact is that action against climate change is not possible without equity. This necessitates the commitment to democratic principles of pluralism, inclusion and a voice for the voiceless. (Writer is Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Editor of Down To Earth magazine. She is an environmentalist who pushes for changes in policies, practices and mindsets)