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2023: A Year of Climate Extremes and Climate Action in India

In a year defined by escalating climate extremes and remarkable strides towards climate action, 2023 has emerged as a stark reminder of the urgency of the climate crisis and the necessity for decisive action. The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has dubbed 2023 as the hottest year to date, with temperatures soaring to worrisome levels and two days crossing the ominous 2C mark above pre-industrial levels. India’s Climate Challenges India, in particular, bore the brunt of the climate change impact, with extreme weather conditions prevailing for a staggering 235 days between January and September. A report by the Centre for Science and Environment estimated a heavy toll of 2,923 lives, the annihilation of nearly 2 million hectares of crops, and the decimation of over 80,000 homes due to heatwaves, floods, cyclones, and lightning. The frequency and severity of such events are projected to worsen with the intensifying climate crisis. The Oceanic and Agricultural Impact The world’s oceans recorded their highest ever temperature in August, averaging 20.96 degrees Celsius, a clear warning to marine and human ecosystems. India, on the other hand, grappled with its driest August since 1901, a 36 percent rainfall deficit that severely impacted key agricultural states, triggering drought and water shortages. The India Meteorological Department reported an average increase of 2.5 days in the duration of heatwaves over the past 30 years, a trend likely to exacerbate with climate change. Biodiversity Threat and Global Forest Fires A new study in the PLOS ONE journal indicated that up to two million species are at risk of extinction, doubling the UN’s previous estimates. Satellite data revealed that forest fires have intensified globally, burning twice as much tree cover as 20 years ago. India’s rainforests have not been spared, experiencing a dramatic increase in forest fires. India’s Climate Action Initiatives However, India made significant strides towards climate action in 2023. The country’s renewable energy capacity reached 172GW in March, marking a significant increase from 115.94GW in March 2018. India also proposed to host the UN climate conference in 2028 and launched its Green Credit Initiative to address the challenges of a rapidly warming world. The country submitted its third national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, reducing GDP emission intensity by 33% between 2005 and 2019.

Delhi set to see most polluted December in four years: Here’s why

As Delhi’s air quality stood on the brink of the ‘severe’ category on Saturday, the average AQI for December is set to be the worst from 2019 onwards. The average AQI for the month, till December 30, was 346. On Saturday, the 24-hour average AQI at 4 pm was 400, close to the ‘severe’ category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The average AQI for the month is worse than it has been in recent years – in 2022, the average for December was 319, while it was 336 in 2021, 332 in 2020, and 337 in 2019. The last time a higher average was recorded was in 2018 – 360. Inversion and slow winds are normal winter phenomena. The volume of activities — vehicles, industrial activities and waste burning in the entire region – all of this is contributing to the trend, showing us that in the coming year, round-the-year action will have to be scaled up significantly to be able to address this issue. As activities increase, action has to keep pace with that change,” Roychowdhury said. Gufran Beig, founder project-director SAFAR, and chair professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, pointed to another factor that could be keeping pollution levels higher – large-scale circulation patterns. “In general, large-scale circulation patterns have reduced the surface wind speed. Last year, these patterns – the La Nina phenomenon – resulted in an increase in wind speed that dispersed pollutants and brought cleaner-than-usual air to Delhi in December,” he said.

Air quality takes a hit as the year comes to a close on a smog-enveloped Kolkata

A study involving scientists from IIT Delhi and the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata (CNCI) shows that around one in every four persons in the city and its peripheral urban areas suffers from ailments in upper respiratory areas like sneezing, coughing and runny nose. As the year comes to a close on a smog-enveloped city, the combination of viruses and surging PM 2.5 is taking a heavy toll, several environment experts told The Telegraph. PM 2.5, the toxic ultra fine particulate pollutant, can enter the deepest crevices of the lungs and trigger a range of diseases. On Christmas evening, a play in a hall in south Kolkata had an unplanned background noise — constant coughing of the spectators. Ditto in several public places. “The study aimed to explore the effect of short and long-term exposure to PM 2.5 on upper and lower respiratory systems in the urban and rural population near Kolkata (Kolkata). A total of 1,155 people of varying ages were surveyed during 2020-22.… We found a strong association between health exposures and long-term exposure…” states the report — Health Effects of Short and Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure — prepared by environmental organisation Climate Trends involving scientists of IIT Delhi and the CNCI. Air pollution experts of IIT Delhi, who are associated with the study, are being engaged by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board to analyse the air pollution in the state and suggest remedial actions. “Overall, around one-fourth of the sampled people were found to be suffering from upper respiratory symptoms. The statistic is highest among teenagers, (31 per cent), followed by adults (25.5 per cent) and aged population (25 per cent),” said a researcher of the project. “In Kolkata, upper respiratory symptoms were more than lower respiratory symptoms, which strongly suggests the impact of air pollutants. While sneezing was found in 45 per cent of the people surveyed, 30 per cent of the people were found with runny nose and coughing,” said Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends. The report stated that “the air of all the survey locations seem to be highly polluted both in terms of long and short-term exposures”. The Central Pollution Control Board’s data show that the city’s average PM 2.5 concentration rose to 91.7 micrograms between December 22 midnight and December 26 midnight this year. The national day level standard of PM 2.5 is 60 micrograms, while the World Health Organisation’s standard is 15 micrograms. “During this time of the year, the particulate level increases mainly due to the inversion phenomenon and hence the exposure becomes higher. These particulates often act as the carriers to several toxic elements, including the viruses that reach our system and trigger a series of respiratory problems,” explained Anumita Roy Chowdhury, an air pollution expert with the environment think tank Center for Science and Environment (CSE). Dhrubajyoti Chatterjee, vice-chancellor of Sister Nivedita University and a scientist, said the virus load increases during winter, making matters worse. “Many viruses are active during this season but particularly the rhinovirus, within a temperature range of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, triggering common cold and associated respiratory problems,” said Chatterjee.

Godrej & Boyce builds 500 sq ft office in 40 hours using 3D printing technology

Godrej Construction, a subsidiary of Godrej & Boyce, has used 3D Construction Printing technology to build a fully functional office in just 40 hours. The 500 sq ft office, named 'The Cocoon', was constructed using prefabricated modules and sustainable materials, including up to 20% recycled concrete aggregates. The project also incorporated lean construction methods and Building Information Modelling. The company aims to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions for the built environment. Mumbai: Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, said its vertical Godrej Construction reached a milestone and successfully constructed a 500 sq. ft. office and made it fully functional within 40 hours at its greenfield campus at Khalapur. Christened ‘The Cocoon’ due to its curved elliptical design, the office was created in the form of prefabricated modules, using innovative 3D Construction Printing (3DCP) Technology and then assembled it together within a timeframe of 40 hours. Anup Mathew, Senior Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Construction said, “‘The Cocoon’ is a manifestation of our relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries, not just in terms of architectural design, but also in redefining construction timelines. Construction of ‘The Cocoon’ is a good demonstration of an effective team collaboration integrated with good project planning using tools like Building Information Modelling (BIM), Lean Construction methods, and 3D Construction Printing. At Godrej Construction, we are committed to delivering innovative and sustainably designed solutions tailored to the needs of our customers in the built environment.” The project construction included the complete installation of 3D printed modules, civil works, waterproofing, flooring, external and internal painting, electrical works, lighting, AC installation, plumbing, drainage and sanitation fixtures, office furniture, and landscaping in under 40 hours. The office was created using a concrete mix design comprising up to 20% of Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA) sourced from concrete debris recycled at the Godrej & Boyce Recycled Concrete manufacturing facility, at Vikhroli, Mumbai. Speaking to HT, Abhijeet Gawde, Head of Business Development & Marketing, Godrej Construction, said the company has been working exploring the possibilities with 3D Construction Printing Technology for over two years, and had used it to make bus shelters, security pavilions which were deployed at the Vikhroli campus. “The Cocoon was conceived to challenge the timelines in construction and the senior management challenged the team to see how much the construction can be speeded up. So the team started with two months, and planned further to bring it down to a month, 15 days, a week and finally 40 hours,” he said. The team worked with lean construction technology modules and chose the cocoon-shape instead of a rectangular design. “We had the option of making it rectangular and build it with beams and columns, but it would have taken longer. So, we decided to make column-less structure with a curvature, and elliptical design which will look more aesthetic. 3D construction printing technology allows you to make complex designs,” he said. Gawde said globally the 3D construction printing technology is still evolving, and it is used more for designing individual horizontal structures rather than huge multi-storied vertical structures. Godrej Construction has been an early pioneer in adapting sustainable practices and materials and it set up a recycled concrete manufacturing plant in 2016-17. “We have processed nearly 30,000 metric tonnes of construction debris so far. We manufacture and supply paver blocks, solid blocks, AAC blocks, box culverts using recycled concrete aggregates to real estate developers as well as infrastructure companies and projects,” said Gawde adding that the company has supplied over 450 box culverts made with 10% recycled concrete aggregates for big infrastructure projects like the Coastal Road, and its solid blocks and pavers were used in the construction of Mumbai Metro 2A and 7 lines. Gawde said the construction sector contributes to carbon emissions, and using sustainable construction materials will help reduce the carbon footprint. “With increasing urbanisation, and many infrastructure and real estate projects underway, it is the need of the hour to reduce the emissions by using sustainable construction materials. A report by Centre for Science and Environment had said only 1% of construction debris and waste is recycled in India. So, more companies need to step forward and set up recycling plants.”

Environmental degradation and need for strict environmental legislations

The Delhi-NCR region is grappling with a severe degradation of air quality, a predicament exacerbated by a constellation of factors, including plummeting minimum temperatures, the scourge of stubble burning, and a dearth of wind speed. This gloomy cocktail has cast a pall of apocalyptic haze, forcing residents to grapple with respiratory distress. As a result, the region now finds itself in stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan, a stern measure to combat pollution. Even educational institutions have not been immune to the consequences, as schools were temporarily shuttered for two days to safeguard the well-being of students. Delhi tops the list of polluted cities in the world. As the calendar turned to October 2023, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) painted a bleak picture of Delhi's air quality. This year's October air quality was reported to be the worst since 2020, and meteorologists attribute this to a lack of rain. In a nutshell, Indian cities are topping all the other cities in population and in pollution. If we talk about Kashmir particularly, we are grappling with all kinds of pollution such as Air pollution, Water pollution, Noise pollution, Marine pollution, Soil pollution, etc. We are currently in a situation which either can crush us or yes we can be safe but there is an urgent need of legislating laws that could control the environment's degrading problems because only the laws are some instincts that can control human beings to control the environment. Various environmental legislations in India are currently working to control pollution due to various activities. The Stockholm Declaration of 1972 was the first major effort to protect and conserve the human environment at the International level. The states were required to approve legislative mandate to protect and improve the environment in the concerned state. There is an urgent need of an intensive check on these environment-related issues. CSE’s 2023 State of India’s Environment Report says India is slipping on its way to the Goals, India is not upto the mark of targeting SDG`s. If there is a chance to tackle such environmental changes government should come up with the various conventions and such legislations and ideas that could help in totally tackling the situations in which we are currently in. The situation is different in various states, let's suppose one state in India is tackling Air Pollution and other in Marine Pollution there is need of differentiated legislations or amend the previous legislation so that those legislations could hold more and more rigidity and strict laws. If we talk particularly about Kashmir, Kashmir is also going through various environmental crunches just like Air Pollution as The current PM2. 5 concentrations in Jammu and Kashmir is 3.2 times above the recommended limit given by the WHO 24 hrs air quality guidelines value. Water pollution is another major environmental issue in Jammu and Kashmir. The disposal of human and animal waste in water bodies has obstructed their flow and degraded water quality. Shrinking of water bodies is also a concern. In a study by Srinagar’s Directorate of Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing, Dal Lake is estimated to have shrunk from 2,547 hectares in 1971 to 1,620 hectares in 2008. According to a report by Wetland International South Asia (WISA), Wular Lake has shrunk by 45%. The water-holding capacity of the lakes in Kashmir is reducing. Depleting water sources will lead to water shortage and also affect the generation of hydroelectricity. The melting of glaciers is another major concern for environmentalists in Jammu and Kashmir. Satellite data found that more than 1200 glaciers in the Himalayan region were melting at the rate of 35 cm in thickness each year from 2000 to 2012. Glacial melting is affecting the food, water, and energy sectors in the region. The emission of greenhouse gases and the use of fossil fuels have led to increasing temperatures and reduced snow precipitation, resulting in the melting of Himalayan glaciers. Loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction and animal poaching is also a major concern for environmentalists in Jammu and Kashmir. Cutting of trees and depletion of forest cover is threatening the existence of some plant species. There are other various issues like deforestation, Industrialization, human intervention. The increase in these activities has such devastating effects on air quality, human health, climate change and on the environment. Government recently finalised Rs 33 crore Action Plan under NCAP to reduce PM 10 levels by 2025 to improve Air Quality Index in Srinagar District. But air pollution is not only confined to Srinagar so the measures to check it must be taken in other districts of J&K also. There is an urgent need to tighten the environmental legislations in India because we the humans in 21st century are responsible of our environmental conditions and at least we can try to correct the issues of our time. So, there is an emergency need to tighten the legislations in whole of the country particularly in those states where the environmental conditions are too harsh. In today’s world if there is some improvement in environmental degradations the credit goes to the Environmental Activists and Environmental Lawyers who are continuously on the social work to stop the environmental degradations and to inspire the other people towards the environmental activism. In conclusion, it is imperative that existing laws are rigorously reinforced, leaving no room for any violations. There is a pressing need for a responsible executive body to enhance the effectiveness of these laws at the grassroots level. Secondly, there exists a moral obligation on the part of the public to contemplate the future of the upcoming generations. As responsible individuals, our efforts to preserve the environment ensure a secure and problem-free life for our descendants, who have an inherent right to inhabit spaces that allow for freedom and well-being. Beyond our constitutional duties to safeguard the environment, there exists a self-imposed responsibility to contribute to environmental preservation. While an individual may not single-handedly rescue the environment, every effort counts. Encouraging and motivating others to act in the best interest of future generations is a step towards collective responsibility. This environmental crisis is not confined to India alone; it is a global concern. The world's rampant embrace of capitalism and peak industrialization necessitates a critical examination of existing laws related to industries. The current laws, aimed at curbing environmental pollution, lack the necessary vigor and are not being diligently implemented. An urgent review of these loopholes is essential. Failure to educate the public on these matters would be a grave mistake. Education is a crucial tool that can be wielded to address the challenges of environmental degradation.

2023: India’s Weather In 8 Charts

A defining aspect of 2023 is the significant shift in rainfall patterns. The late onset of the southwest monsoon triggered heat waves in June. Despite certain regions such as eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and the southern states grappling with an overall rainfall deficit, the monsoon saw a rise in heavy rainfall days compared to 2022. The occurrence of unseasonal rainfall in March, April, and December, primarily attributed to the influence of western disturbances and cyclonic storms, marked a rise in extreme events throughout the year. Central India recorded over thrice the usual rainfall in March, April India experienced extreme weather events on 84 of the 120 days in the first four months of 2023, predominantly thunderstorms and hailstorms, according to a compilation of such events by the Centre for Science and Environment. March and April reported elevated levels of rainfall across the country, with Central India experiencing the most significant deviation from the norm. March 2023 saw the influence of seven Western Disturbances, causing heavy winds and intense rain in the northern and central regions. The weather during March 14-22 was the most severe. In contrast to March 2022, which recorded the highest maximum temperature in March in a century, this year's temperatures exceeded the normal by 0.36 degrees Celsius, due to the rainfall events throughout the nation. The Union and state governments, including Uttar Pradesh, acknowledged the loss to crops, especially wheat, and relaxed procurement norms to help farmers in April 2023. In the month of May, northwestern India recorded the third highest rainfall in the last century. The cyclonic storm Mocha formed over the Bay of Bengal during May 9-15. In addition, eight Western Disturbances affected the weather over the country during this month, triggering large-scale thunderstorms and rainfall activities accompanied by lightning, hail storms, squalls and gusty winds in many parts of Northwest India and central India. They were the main reason for below-normal maximum temperature over the region. Monsoon onset delayed, southern peninsula saw half normal rainfall in June The southwest monsoon set in over south Kerala and south Tamil Nadu on June 8, 2023 against the normal date of June 1. Rainfall over the country as a whole during the monsoon season (June-September) 2023 was 94% of its long-period average (LPA). Northwest India (101% of LPA) and central India (100% of LPA) received normal rainfall, while the remaining two regions (91% of LPA for the southern peninsula, 82% of LPA for northeast India) have received below normal rainfall. In June, most subdivisions in northwest India received excess rainfall, while eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand recorded much lower rainfall. IndiaSpend reported the delay in Kharif sowing due to this, affecting crops like arhar, maize, sunflower, cotton and rice. Of India’s 36 meteorological subdivisions, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, eastern UP, south-interior Karnataka and Kerala received deficient rainfall during the monsoon between June and September. According to studies by India Meteorological Department, in the last 30 years, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Nagaland have shown significant decreasing trends in southwest monsoon rainfall. 42% more ‘very heavy rainfall days’ than in 2022 The 2023 southwest monsoon season witnessed several instances of extreme rainfall. In June, Rajasthan experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall, primarily attributed to the impact of the highly severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy. This cyclone, along with others, significantly affected the fishing community along the coastal areas of Gujarat, as IndiaSpend reported in June 2023. In July, regions such as Konkan and Goa, coastal Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana encountered intense rainfall events, largely influenced by the presence of low-pressure systems. During this month, 420 persons were reported dead, more than 95 were injured, over 55 persons were reported missing and more than 40 livestock perished due to extreme weather events.

AI transforms meteorology in India for better weather forecasts

India is experimenting with AI to develop climate models, enhancing weather predictions. This is a crucial step as the country faces increasing torrential rains, floods, and droughts, according to a senior weather official. In recent years, global warming has intensified weather system conflicts, leading to rising numbers of extreme weather events in India. The independent Centre for Science and Environment reports that these events have caused nearly 3,000 fatalities in 2023 alone. Globally, weather agencies are increasingly focusing on AI for its potential to reduce costs and enhance prediction efficiency. The Met Office in Britain has said that AI could ‘revolutionize’ weather forecasting, and a recent Google-funded model has demonstrated superior performance to traditional methods. IBM unveils five trends for AI it predicts will shape businesses in 2024. IBM: THE FIVE TRENDS IN AI FOR 2024 Aaron Raj | 20 December, 2023 The critical role of accurate forecasts in India, and the use of AI Accurate weather forecasts are vital for India, home to 1.4 billion people, many of whom live in poverty. Being the world’s second-largest producer of critical crops such as rice, wheat, and sugar, the stakes are particularly high. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) currently relies on mathematical models run on supercomputers for its forecasts. The integration of AI with an expanded observation network is expected to produce higher-quality forecasts at a reduced cost. K.S. Hosalikar, the head of climate research and services at IMD, told Reuters that the department is developing AI-based climate models and advisories intending to enhance forecasting accuracy. The IMD has already implemented AI to generate public alerts for heatwaves and malaria-related diseases. Hosalikar mentioned plans to expand weather observatories to the village level, enabling more detailed data collection for improved forecasting. Recently, the Indian government expressed its intention to blend AI with traditional forecasting models and is establishing a center dedicated to exploring this approach through workshops and conferences. Saurabh Rathore, an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, highlighted the cost-effectiveness of AI models. Unlike traditional methods, these models don’t require the expense of running supercomputers and can be operated from high-quality desktop computers. However, experts emphasize the need for better data to fully leverage AI’s capabilities. Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, explained that spatially and temporally high-resolution data is essential for AI models to effectively enhance the location-specific accuracy of existing forecasts.

This Nigerian waste tyre recycling company is a great example of circular practices

As the world talks about circular economy, the second largest and second most populous continent Africa is also paving its way towards circularity through different initiatives taken by different stakeholders in various countries. One such case is an organisation named FREEE Recycle located in Nigeria, one of Africa’s most populous countries. The recycling organisation was incorporated in Nigeria in 2018. It is a good case study from the continent, wherein scrap tyres are recycled for waste management in Nigeria. Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment interacted with Ifedolapo Runsewe, managing director at FREEE Recycle Ltd to understand the process of sourcing, processing and cost economics related to operation of the facility. FREEE Recycle has two waste tyre sourcing model or strategies: 1. Purchase of waste tyres from registered aggregators / vendors, who source waste tyres from vulcanisers or pick them up from landfills. The model has created a business around the collection value chain, whereby the vulcanisers have additional source of income and the suppliers and aggregators have a new source of revenue. . Sourcing of waste tyres through FREEE’s Extended Consumer Responsibility (ECR) initiative. This programme encourages corporate organisations that are consumers of tyres through the use of their official vehicles, such as pool cars, executive cars, trucks, etc to responsibly see to end of life of the waste tyres they generate. The organisations channel the waste tyres to FREEE to be recycled into eco-friendly products and thus ensure those tyres are responsibly and sustainably treated. FREEE Recycle currently processes and recycles approximately 360,000 tyres per year to extract crumb rubber, fibres, and metals. Rubber pavers, rubber tiles, rubber mats, marine fenders, door mats, flip-flops, keyholders, yoga mats, kerbs, insulation rolls and other products are made from crumb rubber. Financial model On average, FREEE Recycle purchases waste tyres for around 20 cents per tyre as a starting consideration. To complete the processing, a majority of the cost goes into taking care of powering the facility and equipment, purchasing consumables, staff cost and other overheads. FREEE generally carries out periodic maintenance on equipment at given intervals. In situations where there are mechanical faults or breakdowns, they have to rely on importing spare parts. However, this is slowly changing as there are more local original equipment manufacturers that can produce spare parts to meet specific requirements. As part of FREEE Recycles’ expansion plan, the organisation is going to venture into other waste and recyclables such as steel, PET bottles, paper, bottles, etc. They have just commenced one steel smelting line, where scrap metal is recycled, including extracted metal from the waste tyres into ingots. Power costs, inflation and exchange rate have been major limitations and challenges that FREEE Recycle is facing during its operations. More such organisations are the need of the hour if the world has to move from a linear to a circular economy. As informed to CSE by the COO of the organisation, FREEE at present is employing more than 350 staff, including full time, direct or indirect agents etc. Through its operation till now, FREEE has prevented more than 8,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, with its operations aligned with about 12 United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals. We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/waste/this-nigerian-waste-tyre-recycling-company-is-a-great-example-of-circular-practices-93567

Weakened Forest, Biodiversity Laws Impact India’s Environment In 2023

Two new environmental credit programmes were introduced but two old conservation laws were weakened for forests and local communities. The state of India’s environment in 2023, explained 2023 became the year India weakened protections around its forests by amending the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act and also those around biodiversity, through the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act. Prime Minister Narendra Modi even co-hosted the high-level event on Green Credits Programme at the global climate conference, COP28, in Dubai recently, inviting all nations to become a part of the international version of the Indian programme. However, those too are contentious. While the government did bring in a trading system for carbon credits and introduced green credits for supposedly environmentally beneficial actions, these two programmes are facing criticism from experts over the lack of clarity and methodology, and whether they will have robust verification standards. The weakened forest law threatens to open swathes of forest land for non-forest use, while the weakened biodiversity law threatens to leave out guardians of traditional knowledge of Indian biodiversity from access-benefit sharing. As the year comes to a close, a look at how India’s environment policy fared in 2023. Large tracts of forests lose protection The Indian government changed the landmark law that governs its forests with the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act this year. It was passed by Parliament in the monsoon session. The Act amended the erstwhile Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, to make it applicable to only certain types of land. These include land notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, or in government records after the 1980 Act came into effect. The amended Act will not, however, be applicable for land converted to non-forest use before December 12, 1996. It also exempts from the purview of the Act land within 100 km of India’s border on the ground that it is needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation. The amendment excludes land recorded as forest before October 25, 1980, but not notified as a forest, and land that changed from forest-use to non-forest-use before December 12, 1996. The exemptions will impact at least 197,159 square kilometres (sq km) of forests--equivalent to three times the size of Sri Lanka (65,610 sq km)--as noted in an IndiaSpend analysis from August 2023. These forests--nearly 28% of India’s forest cover--lie outside of the Recorded Forest Area (RFA), and will lose protection under the new amendment. The enactment of the new law led to protests by experts, environmentalists and activists, who say that apart from the amendment’s negative environmental implications, it will also violate the rights of forest-dwelling tribes, granted to them under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006. The FRA asks that local communities grant permission for diversion of forest land through their gram sabhas. Many of the proposed amendments adversely affect Scheduled Tribes and ‘other Traditional Forest Dwellers’, because if the land falls outside the scope of the FCA, it effectively eliminates the requirement of obtaining consent from the gram sabha for diversion of that land. Who benefits from biodiversity? The environment ministry, in December 2021, had introduced a Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill to amend the 2002 Biological Diversity Act which sought to achieve the following: i. Reduce the pressure on wild medicinal plants by encouraging cultivation of medicinal plants; ii. Encourage Indian systems of medicine, iii. Facilitate fast-tracking of research, patent application process, transfer of research results while utilising the biological resources available in India, iv. Decriminalise certain provisions v. Bring more foreign investments in the chain of biological resources, including research, patent and commercial utilisation, without compromising national interest. The Bill also exempts users of codified traditional knowledge and AYUSH practitioners from sharing benefits with local communities. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on July 25 and in the Rajya Sabha on August 1. However, there are concerns over unchecked commercialisation as, per the new Act, users of codified traditional knowledge and Ayush practitioners are not required to share the benefits arising out of the use of biological resources with local communities, who are the traditional holders of this knowledge. Earlier, offences were punishable with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine, or both. The Act decriminalises the offences and makes them punishable with a range of monetary penalties between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, and in case of continuing contravention, there may be an additional penalty of up to Rs 1 crore. The Act adds that an adjudicating officer will hold an inquiry and decide the penalty. Experts argue that the new law does not make it clear how much penalty to levy for what offense. Also, since the Act changed the adjudicating authority from a Judge to a government official, and deemed that the penalty decisions will be based on an inquiry instead of a judgment, “the question is whether it is appropriate to confer such discretion to government officials”, legislative research organisation PRS said in its note on the Bill. Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh, too, made some of these points. After the Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha, he referred to it as “most retrograde” and one where “ease of doing business” takes precedence over “protection, preservation and regeneration”. Emit, trade, compensate carbon India’s total greenhouse gas national emissions have increased by 4.56% with respect to 2016, and by 115.42% since 1994. India plans to develop the Indian Carbon Market (ICM) where a national framework will be established to decarbonise the Indian economy by pricing the greenhouse gas emissions through trading of the carbon credit certificates. “A well-designed, competitive carbon market mechanism would enable the reduction of GHG emissions at the least cost, both at the level of entity, as well as the overall sector and drive faster adoption of clean technologies, in a growing economy like India,” the government believes. It hopes that by accelerating the transition to a low carbon economy, the ICM will facilitate India’s climate goal of reducing the emissions intensity of the economy by 45% by 2030, as against 2005 levels. It notified a carbon credit trading scheme in June 2023 wherein the Ministry of Power will identify sectors and obligated entities (companies) to be covered under the compliance mechanism. They will be given targets for reducing emissions. If an entity meets and exceeds those targets, it will be issued carbon credit certificates which can then be traded in the aforementioned carbon markets. The obligated entities that did not achieve their targeted reduction will have to meet their shortfall by purchasing the same. While these may be compliance credits, India already is a participant to one of the world’s largest voluntary carbon credits markets (private markets with no oversight) in the world. One-fifth of the globally-issued voluntary credits originate in Indian projects. However globally, the model of voluntary carbon credits has been controversial and marked by incidents of fraud and greenwashing, as has been noted by the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment’s October 2023 report. Trishant Dev, author of the report and programme officer at CSE, said, “Carbon offsets are here to stay but the Indian compliance carbon markets and carbon trading will have several challenges to start with. How will you verify projects that claim to have reduced emissions intensity? The role of third-party verification agencies has been questioned in the case of voluntary markets already. Verification has been ineffective in a way.” Proving ‘additionality’ (which means the initiative is unique and, in its absence, emission reduction would not have happened) will be another challenge, said Dev, as companies might claim credits for what the communities were already doing. For the Green Good On similar lines as the carbon credits trading programme, India announced a Green Credit Programme earlier this year to encourage water conservation and afforestation. The program identifies eight specific activities, encompassing tree plantation, water conservation, sustainable agriculture, waste management, air pollution reduction, mangrove conservation and restoration, Eco Mark (a government scheme for identifying environmentally friendly products), and sustainable building and infrastructure. Each activity is subject to predefined thresholds and benchmarks. In simple words, the GCP encourages individuals, industries, and local bodies to undertake environmentally beneficial activities and generate green credits. Distinctive units are assigned to specific environmental activities, and they can be traded on a domestic market platform. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, together with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE, co-hosted the high-level event on ‘Green Credits Programme’ at COP-28, on December 1 in Dubai. They invited all nations to join this Initiative. During the event, a web platform, which would serve as a repository of policies and best practices that incentivise environment-friendly actions, was also launched. This initiative aims to facilitate global collaboration in planning, implementation and monitoring of environmentally positive actions through programs or mechanisms like green credits. India is the only country registered on the web platform as of now. Dev of CSE has doubts about the Green Credit Programme, even though he said he would like to wait for more information on it to be released to understand its potential. “For example, how will you develop methodologies to compare these very different environmental actions?,” Dev asked. “How will you measure their impact? Who do you sell green credits to? There is very little material on GCP right now, so it is difficult to tell how it goes.” While this was met with questions and protests, in separate moves, the government also brought in two new programmes that are supposed to benefit India’s environment and help it achieve one of its climate goals.

Worst December in half a decade! Why Delhi’s air quality should concern everyone

The Director of the Center for Science and Environment, said that the combination of cold weather and fog has been preventing PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles from rising above ground level. Delhi is once again experiencing a severe air quality crisis, as evidenced by a troubling Air Quality Index of 377 on December 26, 2023. The AQI trend throughout December has been worrying, starting at 372 at the start of the month and steadily climbing ever since. On December 23, the city reached its worst December AQI in the last five years at 450. While the following day, it fell to 411, it was nonetheless a concerning figure. The increased pollution combined with unfavourable weather conditions and dense fog led to significantly reduced visibility in various areas, especially on December 24. Speaking to India Today, Anumita Roy Choudhary, Director of the Center for Science and Environment, said that the combination of cold weather and fog has been preventing PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles from rising above ground level. December 2023 has been substantially worse in terms of air quality compared to previous years. It has also deviated from the average of the last five years. On December 1, the average AQI (from 2018 to 2022) was 332, significantly lower than 372 in 2023. This trend continued throughout the month, consistently surpassing the corresponding five-year averages.

मौसम के अनुमान सुधारने के लिए एआई इस्तेमाल करेगा भारत

भारत में मौसम के पूर्वानुमानों की सटीकता बढ़ाने के लिए आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस के इस्तेमाल को बढ़ाए जाने की कोशिशें हो रही हैं. मौसम विभाग के एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी ने बताया कि ऐसी तकनीकों का परीक्षण किया जा रहा है जिनके जरिए एआई आधारित क्लाइमेट मॉडल बनाए जा सकें जो भारी बारिश, बाढ़ और सूखे जैसी कुदरती आपदाओं के बेहतर और ज्यादा सटीक पूर्वानुमान दे सकें. ग्लोबल वॉर्मिंग के कारण बाकी दुनिया की तरह भारत में भी हाल के सालों में मौसम के उतार-चढ़ाव में बहुत ज्यादा बदलाव देखने को मिले हैं. इससे मौसमी आपदाओं की बारंबारता और सघनता भी बढ़ी है और वे ज्यादा घातक हुए हैं. सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट के अनुमान के मुताबिक इस साल मौसमी आपदाओं में 3,000 से ज्यादा लोगों की जान गई है. पूरी दुनिया में एआई पर ध्यान दुनियाभर में मौसम विभाग आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस पर ध्यान दे रही हैं जो ना सिर्फ लागत में कमी कर सकती है बल्कि रफ्तार भी सुधार सकती है. ब्रिटेन के मौसम विभाग के मुताबिक आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस का इस्तेमाल मौसम के पूर्वानुमान में क्रांतिकारी बदलाव ला सकता है. ऐसी कई मिसाल वैज्ञानिकों के सामने हैं. मसलन हाल ही में गूगल के दिए धन से तैयार किया गया मौसम के पूर्वानुमान जाहिर करने वाला एक मॉडल अब तक के पारपंरिक मॉडलों से कहीं ज्यादा सफल साबित हुआ. भारत में मौसम के पूर्वानुमान में सटीकता और ज्यादा अहमियत रखती है क्योंकि यहां बड़े पैमाने पर आबादी कृषि पर निर्भर है. भारत चावल, गेहूं और चीनी जैसे मूलभूत उत्पादों का दुनिया का दूसरा सबसे बड़ा उत्पादक है और देश ग्लोबल वॉर्मिंग के खतरे झेलने वालों की सूची में बहुत अग्रिम पंक्ति में है. इंडियन इंस्टिट्यूट फॉर ट्रोपिकल मीटिरियोलॉजी में जलवायु वैज्ञानिक पार्थसारथी मुखोपाध्याय कहते हैं कि एआई का फायदा उठाने के लिए बेहतर डेटा की जरूरत होगी. भारतीय मौसम विभाग सुपर कंप्यूटरों का इस्तेमाल करता है और गणितीय मॉडलों के आधार पर पूर्वानुमान जारी करता है. वैज्ञानिकों का मानना है कि एआई के प्रयोग से पर्यवेक्षण के नेटवर्क का विस्तार किया जा सकता है जिससे कम लागत पर ज्यादा अच्छी गुणवत्ता वाला डेटा मिल सकेगा. पूर्वानुमानों में सुधार भारतीय मौसम विभाग में क्लाइमेट रिसर्च के प्रमुख केएस होजालीकर कहते हैं कि विभाग को उम्मीद है कि जो एआई-आधारित क्लामेट मॉडल वे तैयार कर रहे हैं उनसे पूर्वानुमानों में सुधार होगा. होजालीकर बताते हैं कि विभाग ने लोगों के लिए चेतावनियां जारी करने के लिए एआई का इस्तेमाल किया है. ये चेतावनियां हीटवेव से लेकर मलेरिया जैसी बीमारी तक विभिन्न आपदाओं के लिए जारी की गई हैं. अब विभाग की कोशिश है कि गांव के स्तर पर डेटा उपलब्ध कराने वाली वेधशालाओं में एआई का इस्तेमाल किया जाए ताकि वहां से पूर्वानुमान के लिए उच्च गुणवत्ता वाला डेटा मिले. आईआईटी दिल्ली में असिस्टेंट प्रोफेसर सौरभ राठौर कहते हैं कि एआई के इस्तेमाल के और भी कई फायदे हैं. वह बताते हैं, "एआई-आधारित मॉडल को चलाने के लिए आपको सुपर कंप्यूटर की जरूरत नहीं है. इसे आप किसी अच्छे डेस्कटॉप पर भी चला सकते हैं.” वीके/एए (रॉयटर्स)

What are carbon markets?

Carbon markets put a price on carbon and facilitate its trade to incentivise emissions reduction by offering financial rewards. In India, currently, a government-regulated carbon market is still being developed. There exists a voluntary carbon market where domestic projects or entities participate in international crediting programs. Critics contend that carbon trading enables high income countries to avoid reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing sufficient credits to maintain their high-pollution status quo. For countries to meet the target of keeping global warming within 2°C and ideally below 1.5°C, greenhouse gases need to be reduced, by at least 43%, by 2030. One way to encourage countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions is by putting a price on carbon and incentivising emissions reduction by offering financial rewards. This is done through tracking and trading of carbon, just as a commodity, which makes up the carbon market. Discussions surrounding carbon markets have been prevalent during and after COP28, drawing interest as a potential solution to environmental challenges. Carbon markets have usually been in a grey area over reasons such as disagreements over what emissions to consider, challenges in validating and verifying bilateral carbon credit trading and the complexities involved in establishing a universally regulated market. Parties at COP28 tried but did not reach a consensus on the terms and conditions of the global carbon market. What are carbon markets? How do they work? Carbon markets, also known as emissions trading mechanisms, are essentially tools to put a price on carbon emissions, enabling trade in carbon credits or carbon offsets. A carbon credit is a generic term for a tradeable certificate or permit representing the right to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide (usually 1 metric ton) or an equivalent amount of different greenhouse gases. It is, in a sense, the basic trading unit for carbon markets. Countries or governments set carbon allowances or caps based on their targets for reducing emissions. Entities that reduce their emissions, below these set limits, can sell their surplus ‘allowance’ as carbon credits to those exceeding their emission limits. For example, when an organisation undertakes activities that remove carbon from the atmosphere, such as afforestation, its efforts then have the potential to be quantified as carbon offsets that can then be traded with other entities in the market. India is the world’s second-largest supplier of carbon offsets. Trishant Dev, Programme Officer at the New Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and author of Discredited: The Voluntary Carbon Market in India says, “Understanding the intricacies of carbon markets is key in the context of global efforts to combat climate change. These markets are not just theoretical constructs but have practical implications, especially for countries like India, which are grappling with the dual challenge of sustaining economic growth and reducing emissions.” Talking about the future of global carbon trading, Dev says, “The United Nations international carbon market, as envisioned in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, has yet to begin, while multilateral negotiations over how the inter-country carbon market would function continue. Countries would be able to offset their emissions under the proposed market by purchasing credits created by greenhouse gas-reduction programmes in other countries. Previously, developing countries, particularly India, China, and Brazil, benefited considerably from a similar carbon market under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in 1997. India has registered 1,703 CDM projects, the second most in the world. The 2015 Paris Agreement, however, altered the global landscape by requiring even emerging countries to set carbon reduction targets”. What are the types of carbon markets? Currently, there are two primary types of carbon markets: compliance and voluntary. Compliance markets are largely government-regulated systems established to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A well-known example is the cap-and-trade principle, which is widely implemented in the European Union (EU). In this model, a limit or ‘cap’ is set on the total GHGs that can be emitted over a certain period. If any entity emits more than its allowance, it must buy additional allowances through either official auctions or from those who have surplus allowances, thus incentivising emission reduction. In this system, the carbon price is determined by market dynamics based on the supply and demand of emission allowances. These markets essentially encourage reduced energy consumption and a shift towards cleaner energy sources. The structured nature of these government-regulated trading schemes, which outline a clear path for tightening emission limits and reducing the availability of allowances, incentivises companies to innovate and invest in cost-effective low-carbon technologies.

India Uses Power of Artificial Intelligence in Weather Forecasting Amid Extreme Weather Events

India is boosting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve its weather forecasting capabilities. The move comes as the country is experiencing an increase in extreme weather occurrences such as torrential rains, floods, and droughts. Extreme Weather Events in India Global warming has caused more intense confrontations of weather systems in India in recent years, increasing extreme weather events that have killed over 3,000 people this year, according to the independent Centre for Science and Environment. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), which is in charge of delivering critical weather forecasts for the country of 1.4 billion people, is leading the charge. The IMD presently relies on supercomputer-run mathematical models, but incorporating AI into a larger observation network could provide higher-quality forecast data at a lesser cost. K.S. Hosalikar, head of Climate Research and Services at IMD, said that the department has effectively used AI to give public notifications for heatwaves and diseases such as malaria. The next phase is to increase the number of weather observatories that offer data at the village level, potentially providing higher-resolution data for more accurate forecasting. The government also announced that it intends to develop weather and climate forecasts by mixing artificial intelligence into traditional models and that it has established a center to test the notion through workshops and conferences. "An AI model doesn't require the high cost involved in running a supercomputer - you can even run it out of a good quality desktop," said Saurabh Rathore, an assistant professor at Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi. Future Of AI in Weather Forecasting Weather forecasting agencies throughout the world are focusing on AI, which may reduce costs and improve speed, and which the Met Office claims might "revolutionize" weather forecasting, with a recent Google-funded model outperforming traditional approaches. Experts warn, however, that the success of AI in weather forecasting is strongly reliant on the availability of high-resolution data. "Without having high-resolution data in space and time, no AI model for location-specific magnification of existing model forecasts is feasible," said Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. As India grapples with the difficulties of climate change, the use of artificial intelligence in weather forecasting appears to be a critical step toward enhancing precision, cost-effectiveness, and overall resilience in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. NASA and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) announced at the recent COP28 that an AI tool named Watsonx.ai would be offered on the open-source AI platform Hugging Space. Watsonx.ai will assist users in monitoring the Earth from orbit, measuring past environmental changes and providing forecasts for the future. IBM said that when this type of generative AI is employed in weather forecasting in the future, it may be feasible to better predict hurricanes, droughts, and other severe weather events. This may elucidate the precise manner in which environmental changes, such as melting ice at the poles, may affect our daily lives. The technology could also be used in businesses, such as assisting disaster response teams in preparing for fires that affect residential housing or assisting supply chain logistics organizations in better understanding macro-weather patterns.

India Counts Cost of Disasters in Himalayas Amid Infrastructure Push and Climate Change

Lila Devi’s family built a new home after their house in Khanyara village in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh collapsed when intense rains lashed the Himalayan mountains this summer. They moved to lower slopes where they own a patch of land – they had to sell a part of it to fund the new home. They hope they will be safer if a flash flood inundates their village again, but memory of the torrent of water and debris that coursed down the hill still haunts them. “We keep praying to God that this never happens again. Does anyone want to abandon their home?” said Devi. Her brother-in-law is equally apprehensive. “I am frightened to even venture up the hill because I witnessed the deluge with my own eyes,” said Ramel Singh. They were among thousands impacted by a series of unprecedented disasters that ravaged India’s Himalayan region this year. The devastation has raised questions whether large-scale infrastructure development along with the impact of climate change is making the mountains more disaster-prone. In Joshimath town, hundreds of people were evacuated from houses that developed huge cracks when land began sinking in January. In the monsoons, heavy rains unleashed landslides and floods that swept away roads and buildings in several towns and villages. In October, a glacial lake in Sikkim state overflowed, flooding many villages. Last month, 41 men were trapped in an under-construction road tunnel for 17 days. In recent years, India has fast-tracked construction of highways, hydroelectric dams, bridges and rail lines in the Himalayan mountains. Environmentalists point out that hillsides are being blasted, tunnels drilled and trees cut at a time when global warming is bringing more intense bursts of rain and causing glaciers to melt. “Climate change is a force multiplier. These projects when they were planned had not taken climate change into account,” said Anjal Prakash, a research director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. “What if 250 millimeters of rain falls in just two days which is the order of the day now in the Himalayas? That means the road infrastructure, the tunnel infrastructure must adhere to these new realities, the new normal that we have. Development is needed in the Indian Himalayas – home to 50 million people. Dams ramp up clean energy and light villages, while roads cater to an ever-growing influx of tourists, boost local economies and create livelihoods. Highway construction is also a vital strategic project – India is accelerating road construction to ferry troops and military equipment to India’s tense border with China where tens of thousands of soldiers remain deployed for a fourth year. But local communities fear that the infrastructure push is destabilizing the mountains. In Joshimath town, where homes developed cracks, some residents said that the rampant construction had caused the land to sink. Joshimath resident, Vikesh Sikri, who runs a hotel close by, said while schools and roads are necessary, more caution is necessary. “Tinkering too much with the mountains will make them loose and crack or damage hillsides,” he said. Last month the spotlight turned on a flagship project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government – a 900-kilometer all-weather network of roads being built to improve connectivity to four Hindu pilgrim sites in the Himalayas. The 41 men who were trapped in a road tunnel before being rescued had been working on the project. Some environmental groups had raised questions about the viability of the two-lane road that will wind through high mountains. “The road will go through some areas about which we have limited understanding,” according to Rajneesh Sareen, Program Director of the Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Program at New Delhi’s Center for Science and Environment. “The variation in environment within just two to three kilometers in the mountains can be huge. Detailed studies have not been done in some of these areas, so how do we assess the likely impact of construction?” Environmentalists say there is no time to lose in switching to more sustainable development in mountain ranges that are warming faster than other parts of the planet. “Climate change is striking us very fast. The window of opportunity is only 10 to 15 years. If we don’t put our act together, we will have a much bleaker future,” according to Prakash. The climate crisis that the Himalayas are facing also got attention at the Cop28 climate summit held in Dubai earlier this month. “It is deeply shocking to learn how fast the Himalayan glaciers are melting. And deeply distressing to hear first-hand from local communities about the terrible impact on their lives,” United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said. His comments followed a visit he made to Nepal last month. In India, those who have seen their mountain homes collapse, like Lila Devi's family, are apprehensive. “I worry that our new home might get flooded. People say that might happen when the rains come,” said Swarna Devi in Khanyara village. Echoing her concerns, her father-in-law, Ramel Singh, pointed to the mountains around. “This is where we want to stay because these hills have been our home for generations.”

India Counts Cost of Disasters in Himalayas Amid Infrastructure Push and Climate Change

NEW DELHI — Lila Devi’s family built a new home after their house in Khanyara village in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh collapsed when intense rains lashed the Himalayan mountains this summer. They moved to lower slopes where they own a patch of land – they had to sell a part of it to fund the new home. They hope they will be safer if a flash flood inundates their village again, but memory of the torrent of water and debris that coursed down the hill still haunts them. “We keep praying to God that this never happens again. Does anyone want to abandon their home?” said Devi. Her brother-in-law is equally apprehensive. “I am frightened to even venture up the hill because I witnessed the deluge with my own eyes,” said Ramel Singh. They were among thousands impacted by a series of unprecedented disasters that ravaged India’s Himalayan region this year. The devastation has raised questions whether large-scale infrastructure development along with the impact of climate change is making the mountains more disaster-prone. In Joshimath town, hundreds of people were evacuated from houses that developed huge cracks when land began sinking in January. In the monsoons, heavy rains unleashed landslides and floods that swept away roads and buildings in several towns and villages. In October, a glacial lake in Sikkim state overflowed, flooding many villages. Last month, 41 men were trapped in an under-construction road tunnel for 17 days. In recent years, India has fast-tracked construction of highways, hydroelectric dams, bridges and rail lines in the Himalayan mountains. Environmentalists point out that hillsides are being blasted, tunnels drilled and trees cut at a time when global warming is bringing more intense bursts of rain and causing glaciers to melt. “Climate change is a force multiplier. These projects when they were planned had not taken climate change into account,” said Anjal Prakash, a research director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. “What if 250 millimeters of rain falls in just two days which is the order of the day now in the Himalayas? That means the road infrastructure, the tunnel infrastructure must adhere to these new realities, the new normal that we have. Development is needed in the Indian Himalayas – home to 50 million people. Dams ramp up clean energy and light villages, while roads cater to an ever-growing influx of tourists, boost local economies and create livelihoods. Highway construction is also a vital strategic project – India is accelerating road construction to ferry troops and military equipment to India’s tense border with China where tens of thousands of soldiers remain deployed for a fourth year. But local communities fear that the infrastructure push is destabilizing the mountains. In Joshimath town, where homes developed cracks, some residents said that the rampant construction had caused the land to sink. Joshimath resident, Vikesh Sikri, who runs a hotel close by, said while schools and roads are necessary, more caution is necessary. “Tinkering too much with the mountains will make them loose and crack or damage hillsides,” he said. Last month the spotlight turned on a flagship project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government – a 900-kilometer all-weather network of roads being built to improve connectivity to four Hindu pilgrim sites in the Himalayas. The 41 men who were trapped in a road tunnel before being rescued had been working on the project. Some environmental groups had raised questions about the viability of the two-lane road that will wind through high mountains. “The road will go through some areas about which we have limited understanding,” according to Rajneesh Sareen, Program Director of the Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Program at New Delhi’s Center for Science and Environment. “The variation in environment within just two to three kilometers in the mountains can be huge. Detailed studies have not been done in some of these areas, so how do we assess the likely impact of construction?” Environmentalists say there is no time to lose in switching to more sustainable development in mountain ranges that are warming faster than other parts of the planet. “Climate change is striking us very fast. The window of opportunity is only 10 to 15 years. If we don’t put our act together, we will have a much bleaker future,” according to Prakash. The climate crisis that the Himalayas are facing also got attention at the Cop28 climate summit held in Dubai earlier this month. “It is deeply shocking to learn how fast the Himalayan glaciers are melting. And deeply distressing to hear first-hand from local communities about the terrible impact on their lives,” United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said. His comments followed a visit he made to Nepal last month. In India, those who have seen their mountain homes collapse, like Lila Devi's family, are apprehensive. “I worry that our new home might get flooded. People say that might happen when the rains come,” said Swarna Devi in Khanyara village. Echoing her concerns, her father-in-law, Ramel Singh, pointed to the mountains around. “This is where we want to stay because these hills have been our home for generations.”