सीएसई की किस आधार पर करती है विश्लेषण ताप सूचकांक, इसका माप होता है कि जब सापेक्षिक आर्द्रता को हवा के वास्तविक तापमान के साथ जोड़ा जाता है तो मानव शरीर को कितनी गर्मी महसूस होती है। उच्च गर्मी और आर्द्रता का संयोजन मानव शरीर के मुख्य शीतलन तंत्र - पसीने - को प्रभावित कर सकता है।
सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट की स्टडी के मुताबिक 2022 पिछले 12 सालों में सबसे गर्म साल रहा है. इस वर्ष गर्मी का औसत तापमान 31.2°C रहा है. जबकि 2023 में औसत तापमान 28.9°C दर्ज हुआ है. इस साल बेमौसम बारिश ने गर्मी को थोड़ा काबू में रखा है. 2001-10 से पिछले 10 सालों की तुलना करें तो दिल्ली का औसत तापमान कम हुआ लेकिन इसका मतलब ये नहीं कि गर्मी कम हो रही है. बेमौसम बारिशों से नमी में लगातार इजाफा हो रहा है.
Shift in the rainfall pattern due to climate change have led to a rise in Delhi's relative humidity, increasing discomfort even though there has been no signif...
Delhi Weather News: सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एन्वायरमेंट (CSE) की स्टडी में खुलासा हुआ है कि दिल्ली का बढ़ता तापमान जानलेवा होता जा रहा है.
स्वतंत्र विचार मंच ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट’ (सीएसई) के विश्लेषण से पता चलता है कि दिल्ली की सापेक्ष आर्द्रता में वृद्धि के कारण ताप सूचकांक में वृद्धि से शहर में बिजली की मांग बढ़ रही है। ताप सूचकांक, इसका माप होता है कि जब सापेक्षिक आर्द्रता को हवा के वास्तविक तापमान के साथ जोड़ा जाता है तो मानव शरीर को कितनी गर्मी महसूस होती है। उच्च गर्मी और आर्द्रता का संयोजन मानव शरीर के मुख्य शीतलन तंत्र – पसीने – को प्रभावित कर सकता है।
यी दिल्ली, 27 अक्टूबर जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण वर्षा के स्वरूप में बदलाव के चलते दिल्ली की सापेक्ष आर्द्रता में वृद्धि हुई है, जिससे असहजता बढ़ रही है, हालांकि 2011 के बाद से महानगर के परिवेशी तापमान में कोई महत्वपूर्ण बदलाव नहीं हुआ है। यह बात एक नए विश्लेषण से सामने आयी है। स्वतंत्र विचार मंच ‘सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट’ (सीएसई) के विश्लेषण से पता चलता है कि दिल्ली की सापेक्ष आर्द्रता में वृद्धि के कारण ताप सूचकांक में वृद्धि से शहर में बिजली की मांग बढ़ रही है। ताप सूचकांक, इसका माप होता है कि जब सापेक्षिक आर्द्रता को हवा के वास्तविक तापमान के साथ जोड़ा जाता है तो मानव शरीर को कितनी गर्मी महसूस होती है। उच्च गर्मी और आर्द्रता का संयोजन मानव शरीर के मुख्य शीतलन तंत्र - पसीने - को प्रभावित कर सकता है। त्वचा से पसीने का वाष्पीकरण हमारे शरीर को ठंडा करता है। हालांकि, उच्च आर्द्रता का स्तर इस प्राकृतिक शीतलन तंत्र को सीमित करता है। परिणामस्वरूप, लोग ताप तनाव और बीमारी से पीड़ित हो सकते हैं और बहुत कम परिवेशी तापमान पर भी इसके परिणाम घातक हो सकते हैं। 41 डिग्री सेल्सियस का ताप सूचकांक मानव स्वास्थ्य के लिए खतरनाक माना जाता है। सीएसई शोधकर्ताओं का कहना है कि ये स्थानीय रुझान प्रमुख जलवायु वैज्ञानिकों के वैश्विक निकाय ‘इंटरगवर्नमेंटल पैनल ऑन क्लाइमेट चेंज’ (आईपीसीसी) द्वारा की गई टिप्पणियों के अनुरूप हैं। आईपीसीसी की छठी आकलन रिपोर्ट (एआर6 डब्लूजी-आई रिपोर्ट) में कहा गया है कि शहरी केंद्रों में लू बढ़ गई है, जहां हवा का तापमान आसपास के क्षेत्रों की तुलना में कई डिग्री अधिक गर्म हो रहा है, खासकर रात के दौरान। आईपीसीसी ने चेतावनी दी है कि शहरी ताप प्रभाव स्थानीय तापमान में दो डिग्री सेल्सियस की वृद्धि कर सकता है, जिससे शहरों की अनुकूली क्षमता कम हो सकती है और जोखिम बढ़ सकते हैं। सीएसई की कार्यकारी निदेशक (अनुसंधान और पक्षसमर्थन) अनुमिता रॉय चौधरी ने कहा, ‘‘जलवायु परिवर्तन शहर को इतना गर्म और आर्द्र बना रहा है कि यह रातों के दौरान भी पर्याप्त रूप से ठंडा नहीं हो रहा, जिससे गंभीर तापीय बेचैनी बढ़ रही है। इसके परिणामस्वरूप, यांत्रिक शीतलन के व्यापक उपयोग के चलते बिजली की मांग बढ़ रही है।’’ उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘2018 में दिल्ली में वास्तविक समय लोड निगरानी शुरू होने के बाद से 2023 में, मॉनसून अवधि में औसत दैनिक अधिकतम बिजली की मांग सबसे अधिक थी।’’ रिपोर्ट में कहा गया है कि पिछली 10 गर्मियों में परिवेशी औसत तापमान 2001-10 के दशक के औसत तापमान से थोड़ा कम है, लेकिन इसका मतलब यह नहीं है कि दिल्ली ठंडी हो रही है। इसमें कहा गया है कि बारिश के स्वरूप में बदलाव, विशेष रूप से प्री-मानसून अवधि में बेमौसम बारिश के कारण सापेक्षिक आर्द्रता में वृद्धि हुई है, जिससे महानगर का मौसम उमस भरा और अधिक असुविधाजनक हो गया है, हालांकि परिवेशी तापमान में कोई महत्वपूर्ण बदलाव नहीं हुआ है। 2023 में प्री-मानसून मौसम के दौरान, औसत सापेक्ष आर्द्रता 49.1 प्रतिशत थी, जो 2001-10 के औसत से लगभग 21 प्रतिशत अधिक है। सीएसई विश्लेषण से पता चलता है कि मॉनसून के मौसम (जून से सितंबर) के दौरान, औसत सापेक्ष आर्द्रता 73.2 प्रतिशत थी, जो 2001-10 के औसत से 14 प्रतिशत अधिक है।
New Delhi: Shifts in the rainfall pattern due to climate change have led to a rise in Delhi’s relative humidity, increasing discomfort even though there has been no significant change in the city’s ambient temperatures since 2011, according to a new analysis. The analysis by the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) underscores that the rise in heat index, due to the increase in Delhi’s relative humidity, is driving the power demand in the city. The heat index, also known as the ‘apparent temperature’ or ‘feels-like temperature’, is a measure of how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. The combination of high heat and humidity can compromise the human body’s main cooling mechanism — sweating. Evaporation of sweat from the skin cools our bodies. However, higher humidity levels limit this natural cooling mechanism. As a result, people can suffer heat stress and illness, and the consequences can even be fatal even at much lower ambient temperatures. A heat index of 41 degrees Celsius is considered dangerous to human health. CSE researchers point out that these local trends are consistent with the observations made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a global body of leading climate scientists. The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6 WG-I) report says hot extremes, including heatwaves, have intensified in urban centres that are experiencing air temperatures several degrees warmer than the surrounding areas, especially during the night. The urban heat island effect can add two degrees Celsius to local warming, reducing the adaptive capacity of cities and increasing risks, the IPCC warns. “Climate change is making the city so hot and humid that it is not cooling down adequately even during nights, adding to severe thermal discomfort. As a result, electricity demand — driven largely by mechanical cooling (especially air-conditioners) — is surging. “In 2023, average daily peak electricity demand in the monsoon period was the highest since real-time load monitoring started in Delhi in 2018,” says Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, CSE. The report said that the ambient average temperature for the last 10 summers is marginally lower than the decadal average for 2001-10, but this does not mean Delhi is getting cooler. Changes in the pattern of rains, especially unseasonal rains in the pre-monsoon period, have led to an increase in relative humidity, which is making the city’s weather muggier and more uncomfortable even though there have been no significant changes in ambient temperatures, it said. During the pre-monsoon season in 2023, the average relative humidity stood at 49.1 per cent, which was about 21 per cent more humid than the 2001-10 average. During the monsoon season (June to September), the average relative humidity was 73.2 per cent, 14 per cent higher than the 2001-10 average, the CSE analysis reveals. Delhi’s power demand is closely linked to outdoor temperature and humidity conditions. The demand is at its minimum when the outdoor heat index is between 17.5-22.5 degrees Celsius (daily mean) during February and October. Every degree increase in the heat index leads to a 140-150 MW increase in power demand in the city, the CSE report says. It highlights that Delhi is consuming more electricity at night due to the changing nature of heat in the city. Night-time power demand has a similar but starker relationship with outdoor temperature and humidity conditions. Night-time demand increases by a staggering 190-200 MW for every degree increase in the outdoor heat index beyond 22.5 degrees Celsius, almost one-third higher than the day rate, the report said.
Un nuevo estudio realizado por el Centro para la Ciencia y el Medio Ambiente (CSE) ha revelado que los cambios en los patrones de lluvia causados por el cambio climático han aumentado la humedad relativa de Delhi, lo que ha provocado una mayor incomodidad para sus residentes. Sorprendentemente, no ha habido cambios significativos en las temperaturas ambientales de la ciudad desde 2011. El análisis del CSE revela que el aumento del índice de calor, también conocido como «temperatura aparente» o «temperatura percibida», está generando una mayor demanda de energía en Delhi. El índice de calor tiene en cuenta tanto la temperatura real del aire como la humedad relativa, proporcionando una medida de cuán caliente se siente para el cuerpo humano. Los niveles más altos de humedad dificultan el mecanismo natural de enfriamiento del cuerpo, como la sudoración. Cuando el sudor se evapora de la piel, enfría nuestro cuerpo. Sin embargo, la humedad elevada limita este proceso, lo que resulta en estrés por calor, enfermedades e incluso muertes, incluso a temperaturas ambientales más bajas. Un índice de calor de 41 grados Celsius se considera peligroso para la salud humana. Los investigadores del CSE destacan que estas tendencias locales coinciden con las observaciones realizadas por el Panel Intergubernamental sobre Cambio Climático (IPCC). El Sexto Informe de Evaluación del IPCC advierte que los extremos de calor, incluyendo las olas de calor, se han intensificado en las áreas urbanas con temperaturas varias grados más altas que las regiones circundantes, especialmente por la noche. El efecto de isla de calor urbano puede aumentar el calentamiento local hasta dos grados Celsius, reduciendo la capacidad de adaptación de las ciudades y aumentando los riesgos. Como resultado, la demanda de electricidad en Delhi ha aumentado considerablemente. Anumita Roychowdhury, director ejecutivo de investigación y promoción en el CSE, señala que la ciudad experimenta una gran incomodidad térmica debido al aumento del calor y la humedad, incluso durante la noche. Esta incomodidad impulsa la demanda de electricidad, principalmente de los aires acondicionados. El informe revela que los cambios en los patrones de lluvia, específicamente las lluvias fuera de temporada en el período premonzón, han contribuido al aumento de la humedad relativa, lo que hace que el clima de Delhi sea más húmedo e incómodo. A pesar de no haber cambios significativos en las temperaturas ambientales, los niveles de humedad han aumentado. Durante la temporada de premonzón en 2023, la humedad relativa promedio fue un 21% más alta que el promedio de 2001-2010, y durante la temporada de monzones, fue un 14% más alta. La demanda de energía en Delhi está estrechamente relacionada con las condiciones de temperatura y humedad al aire libre. El informe del CSE destaca que cada aumento de un grado en el índice de calor provoca un aumento de 140-150 MW en la demanda de energía. Curiosamente, Delhi está consumiendo más electricidad por la noche debido a los cambios en los patrones de calor en la ciudad. La demanda de energía durante la noche aumenta aproximadamente en 190-200 MW por cada grado de aumento en el índice de calor al aire libre por encima de 22.5 grados Celsius, significativamente más alta que la tasa diurna. A medida que el cambio climático continúa afectando los patrones climáticos, es imperativo que los responsables de la formulación de políticas y las personas implementen medidas que mitiguen estos riesgos y aborden la creciente demanda de electricidad de manera sostenible
Un nuevo estudio realizado por el Centro para la Ciencia y el Medio Ambiente (CSE) ha revelado que los cambios en los patrones de lluvia causados por el cambio climático han aumentado la humedad relativa de Delhi, lo que ha provocado una mayor incomodidad para sus residentes. Sorprendentemente, no ha habido cambios significativos en las temperaturas ambientales de la ciudad desde 2011. El análisis del CSE revela que el aumento del índice de calor, también conocido como «temperatura aparente» o «temperatura percibida», está generando una mayor demanda de energía en Delhi. El índice de calor tiene en cuenta tanto la temperatura real del aire como la humedad relativa, proporcionando una medida de cuán caliente se siente para el cuerpo humano. Los niveles más altos de humedad dificultan el mecanismo natural de enfriamiento del cuerpo, como la sudoración. Cuando el sudor se evapora de la piel, enfría nuestro cuerpo. Sin embargo, la humedad elevada limita este proceso, lo que resulta en estrés por calor, enfermedades e incluso muertes, incluso a temperaturas ambientales más bajas. Un índice de calor de 41 grados Celsius se considera peligroso para la salud humana. Los investigadores del CSE destacan que estas tendencias locales coinciden con las observaciones realizadas por el Panel Intergubernamental sobre Cambio Climático (IPCC). El Sexto Informe de Evaluación del IPCC advierte que los extremos de calor, incluyendo las olas de calor, se han intensificado en las áreas urbanas con temperaturas varias grados más altas que las regiones circundantes, especialmente por la noche. El efecto de isla de calor urbano puede aumentar el calentamiento local hasta dos grados Celsius, reduciendo la capacidad de adaptación de las ciudades y aumentando los riesgos. Como resultado, la demanda de electricidad en Delhi ha aumentado considerablemente. Anumita Roychowdhury, director ejecutivo de investigación y promoción en el CSE, señala que la ciudad experimenta una gran incomodidad térmica debido al aumento del calor y la humedad, incluso durante la noche. Esta incomodidad impulsa la demanda de electricidad, principalmente de los aires acondicionados. El informe revela que los cambios en los patrones de lluvia, específicamente las lluvias fuera de temporada en el período premonzón, han contribuido al aumento de la humedad relativa, lo que hace que el clima de Delhi sea más húmedo e incómodo. A pesar de no haber cambios significativos en las temperaturas ambientales, los niveles de humedad han aumentado. Durante la temporada de premonzón en 2023, la humedad relativa promedio fue un 21% más alta que el promedio de 2001-2010, y durante la temporada de monzones, fue un 14% más alta. La demanda de energía en Delhi está estrechamente relacionada con las condiciones de temperatura y humedad al aire libre. El informe del CSE destaca que cada aumento de un grado en el índice de calor provoca un aumento de 140-150 MW en la demanda de energía. Curiosamente, Delhi está consumiendo más electricidad por la noche debido a los cambios en los patrones de calor en la ciudad. La demanda de energía durante la noche aumenta aproximadamente en 190-200 MW por cada grado de aumento en el índice de calor al aire libre por encima de 22.5 grados Celsius, significativamente más alta que la tasa diurna. A medida que el cambio climático continúa afectando los patrones climáticos, es imperativo que los responsables de la formulación de políticas y las personas implementen medidas que mitiguen estos riesgos y aborden la creciente demanda de electricidad de manera sostenible.
Un nuevo estudio realizado por el Centro de Ciencia y Medio Ambiente (CSE) ha demostrado que los cambios en los patrones de lluvia causados por el cambio climático han incrementado la humedad relativa en Delhi, lo que ha llevado a un aumento de la incomodidad para los residentes. Sorprendentemente, no ha habido cambios significativos en las temperaturas ambientales de la ciudad desde 2011. El análisis del CSE revela que el aumento del índice de calor, también conocido como «temperatura aparente» o «sensación térmica», está generando una mayor demanda de energía eléctrica en Delhi. El índice de calor tiene en cuenta tanto la temperatura del aire como la humedad relativa, proporcionando una medida de lo caliente que se siente para el cuerpo humano. Los niveles más altos de humedad obstaculizan el mecanismo de enfriamiento natural del cuerpo, es decir, la sudoración. Cuando el sudor se evapora de la piel, se enfría nuestro cuerpo. Sin embargo, la humedad elevada limita este proceso, lo que resulta en estrés por calor, enfermedades e incluso muertes, incluso a bajas temperaturas ambientales. Un índice de calor de 41 grados Celsius se considera peligroso para la salud humana. Los investigadores del CSE destacan que estas tendencias locales coinciden con las observaciones realizadas por el Panel Intergubernamental sobre Cambio Climático (IPCC). El Sexto Informe de Evaluación del IPCC advierte que los extremos de calor, incluyendo las olas de calor, se han intensificado en las áreas urbanas con temperaturas varios grados más altas que las regiones circundantes, especialmente durante la noche. El efecto de la isla de calor urbano puede aumentar el calentamiento local hasta en dos grados Celsius, reduciendo la capacidad de adaptación de las ciudades y aumentando los riesgos. Como resultado, la demanda de electricidad en Delhi ha estado aumentando. Anumita Roychowdhury, directora ejecutiva de investigación y defensa en el CSE, señala que la ciudad está experimentando una incomodidad térmica severa debido al aumento del calor y la humedad, incluso durante la noche. Esta incomodidad impulsa la demanda de electricidad, principalmente de los aires acondicionados. El informe revela que los cambios en los patrones de lluvia, específicamente las lluvias fuera de temporada en el periodo previo a la temporada de monzones, han contribuido al aumento de la humedad relativa, haciendo que el clima de Delhi sea más bochornoso e incómodo. A pesar de la falta de cambios significativos en las temperaturas ambientales, los niveles de humedad han aumentado. Durante la temporada previa a los monzones en 2023, la humedad relativa promedio fue un 21% más alta que el promedio de 2001-2010, y durante la temporada de monzones, fue un 14% más alta. La demanda de energía eléctrica en Delhi se correlaciona estrechamente con las condiciones de temperatura y humedad al aire libre. El informe del CSE destaca que cada grado de aumento en el índice de calor se traduce en un aumento de 140-150 MW en la demanda de energía eléctrica. Curiosamente, Delhi está consumiendo más electricidad durante la noche debido a los cambios en los patrones de calor en la ciudad. La demanda de energía eléctrica nocturna aumenta aproximadamente en 190-200 MW por cada grado de aumento en el índice de calor exterior por encima de los 22.5 grados Celsius, cifra significativamente superior a la tasa diurna. A medida que el cambio climático continúa afectando los patrones climáticos, se vuelve imperativo que los responsables políticos y las personas implementen medidas que mitiguen estos riesgos y aborden la creciente demanda de electricidad de manera sostenible.
This case study on the analysis of heat stress in Delhi was written by Avikal Somvanshi and Sharanjeet Kaur. It was published by the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based public interest research and advocacy organization, on October 26, 2023. Recent scientific studies have shown that rising temperatures have serious adverse impacts on urban areas and that there is a need for city-specific heat wave management plans. However, most existing emergency action plans do not consider several factors that affect temperatures in urban areas, the study notes. This report looks into weather conditions in summer (March to August) which are impacted by not just daytime temperatures, but also nighttime temperatures, humidity, surface heat absorption, land surface temperature, changing land-use and electricity consumption. The research is based on a statistical analysis of temperature and humidity levels in Delhi since 2001. On the basis of this analysis, the study recommends having a heat action plan for Delhi that focuses on reducing the accumulation of waste heat, that is, heat produced as a byproduct of machines at work. The 36-page study contains three sections: Introduction (Section 1); Key Findings (Section 2); and Way Forward (Section 3).
GURGAON: The city's air quality index deteriorated but remained in the 'moderate' category at 190 on Wednesday, a day after Dussehra. It was 158 the day before. gurgaon pollution The air quality on the day after Dussehra was dirtier than last year but better than 2021. Dussehra was celebrated on October 6 last year, and the city's AQI the next day was 73 (satisfactory), according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. In 2021, the AQI on October 16, the day after Dussehra, was 308 (poor). Experts said this time, Dussehra fell in the last week of October - unlike the month's first week last year - and was as a result more polluted, as the meteorological conditions helped pollutants from burning of effigies as well as stubble gather closer to the lower atmosphere. Track the pollution level in your city Three out of the city's four air monitoring stations - Gwalpahari (162), Teri Gram (188) and Vikas Sadan (129) recorded 'moderate' AQI on Wednesday, while it was 'poor' at Sector 51 (281). Dispersion of pollutants is slower this year due to meteorological conditions, experts said. "Pollutant levels have increased as wind direction has changed in the last days of October, due to which particulate matter from stubble burning is reaching NCR. As a result, we have a dirtier AQI post Dussehra. Local emissions were also higher this year, so the AQI is in the higher level of 'moderate'," said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at Centre for Science and Environment. Every winter, air quality in Delhi-NCR plummets to dangerous levels as the region gets blanketed under toxic haze due to a combination of cold and still weather conditions, and local emissions like garbage burning. This season, a total of 871 stubble burning incidents were reported in Haryana between September 15 and October 25. The city's minimum temperature was 16.7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, while the maximum was 30.9 degrees. Mercury is likely to fall in the coming days as northwesterly winds from the mountains may bring in cold winds, which are expected to result in further trapping of pollutants. Meanwhile in Delhi, the AQI was 220 on Tuesday, which deteriorated slightly to 243 on Wednesday. Though firecrackers were burnt at some places despite a ban in place, the air quality did not touch the 'very poor' category.
CUTS International organised a roundtable dialogue on ‘Electrifying the Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicle Industry’ in Jaipur. Various researchers and industry experts gathered to address the need for electrifying the medium and heavy duty vehicle industry. The roundtable dialogue was attended by Dr. Deb Mukherji, Adviser, Omega Seiki Mobility, Anshuman Gothwal, Co-founder and Director, CEEP; Harsimran Kaur, Associate Researcher, ICCT; Ramakrishnan, Independent Consultant and Researcher; Abhishek Kumar, Founding Director, Indicc; Neha Sakka, Junior Engineer, JVVNL; Himanshu Tyagi, Senior Research Analyst, WRI; Rohit Garg, Programme Officer, Centre for Science and Environment; Dhwaj, Researcher, Indicc. “Freight vehicles returning empty after offloading the goods reduces the efficiency of the freight sector, a key concern towards the transition towards electric mobility”, said Dr. Deb Mukherji. Anshuman Gothwal expressed concerns about the absence of standard protocols in the EV industry, especially regarding safety and capacity building. The regulatory perspective of the transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) and the need for innovation within original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to facilitate the transition to EVs were discussed by Harsimran Kaur. Ramakrishnan stressed the need to address the significant carbon emissions originating from heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) and medium-duty vehicles (MDVs), which collectively contribute to a staggering 40 percent of the total pollution, despite constituting a mere 2 percent of vehicles on the roads. Speaking at the roundtable dialogue, Abhishek Kumar raised concerns about diminishing tax revenue and proposed three policy domains for consideration: vehicle optimisation, employment preservation, and skill development. Neha Sakka emphasised the need for standardisation in EV charging infrastructure and proposed a Rajasthan Portal to bridge information gaps. Himanshu Tyagi spoke on timely upgrades in charging infrastructure for HDVs and MDVs, highlighting the importance of energy-efficient policies. Rohit Garg discussed challenges in scaling up battery research and Dhwaj identified drawbacks in battery-based EVs, including low energy density, battery disposal issues, and longer charging times compared to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs).
Almost all major river basins in Africa have become the epicentres for conflicts over the last 20 years, and agricultural yields on the continent could drop by up to 50 percent in the coming years owing to the drying up of ‘traditional’ water sources, thanks in part to effects climate change and degradation of the environment, the inaugural edition of the State of Africa’s Environment Report 2023 released in Nairobi finds. At the same time, environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity affect the continent the most, with a loss of 4 million hectares of forest cover each year, double the global average rate. This, in part, has contributed to over 50 million people migrating from the degraded areas of sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa and Europe by 2020, according to the report compiled by India’s Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released in Nairobi on October 13, 2023. It finds that all the critical water basins on the continent were experiencing distress and turbulence due to, among other reasons, unsustainable use of resources besides climate, becoming hotspots for competition over water. The basins include Lake Chad, shared by Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger, the river Nile shared by Egypt, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia; Lake Victoria, Shared by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania; and the river Niger used by communities in Niger, Mali and Nigeria. Also on the list is the river Congo basin, a joint resource used by Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, and the Lake Malawi basin shared by Tanzania and Malawi. Also on the list is the Lake Turkana basin in Kenya and Ethiopia. Examples show that the Lake Chad basin disputes started in 1980, and the water body has diminished by 90 percent since the 1960s due to overuse and climate change effects. “For years, the lake has supported drinking water, irrigation, fishing, livestock and economic activity for over 30 million people; it is vital for indigenous, pastoral and farming communities in one of the world’s poorest countries. However, climate change has fueled massive environmental and humanitarian crises in the region,” the report notes. It notes that international actors and regional governments have long ignored the interplay between climate change, community violence and the forced displacement of civilians. “Conflict between herders and farmers have become common as livelihoods are lost, and families dependent on the lake are migrating to other areas in search of water,” the report says. “In the Congo basin, disputes started in 1960. The basin witnesses multifaceted crises, including forced displacement, violent conflicts, political instability, and climate change impacts,” it concludes. On the other hand, it traces conflicts in the Niger basin to 1980, blaming climate change for disagreements over “damage to farmland and restricted access to water, while in the Nile, disagreements began around 2011 stemming from the construction of the Grand Renaissance dam by Ethiopia, which Egypt fears will impact water flow. Conflicts over Lake Turkana resources are fairly recent, traced to 2016 when it was observed that with 90 percent of its water from the Omo River in Ethiopia, rising temperatures and reduced rainfall have contributed to the lake’s ‘retreat’ into Kenya. To survive, the Ethiopian herder tribes began following the water, resulting in inter-tribal conflict with their Kenyan counterparts. The construction of Ethiopia’s Gilgel Gibe III Dam on the river worsened matters. It notes that in 2020, between 75 and 250 million people on the continent were projected to be “exposed to increased water stress” due to climate change, warning that in some countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could drop up to 50 percent due to drying up of traditional water sources including lakes, rivers, and wells. “How Africa manages its water resources will define how water-secure the world would be. Africa’s aquifers hold 0.66 million KM3 of water. This is more than 100 times the annual renewable freshwater resources stored in dams and rivers.” Take Ethiopia, for instance. Known as the continent’s water tower, the country is confronting huge challenges of disappearing lakes and rivers, it explains. Africa, the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent, hosts a quarter of the planet’s animal and plant species, but the species extinction and general biodiversity loss rate in the continent are higher than in the rest of the world. As a result, total deaths from extreme weather, climate or water stress in the world in the last 50 years, 35 percent of them were in Africa. Predictably, Africa will account for 40 percent of the world’s migration due to climate change. “While the Global South will bear the maximum burden of internal migration, the reasons might vary from region to region, depending on climate change-related issues like water scarcity or rising sea levels. However, water scarcity will be the main driving force of the total migration, the report explains. Citing the example of chimpanzees, the SOE 2023 reports that there are only 1.050 million to 2.050 million of the species on the continent, limited to Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon, with populations having disappeared in Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin, and Togo. On the brighter side, it says that African countries have some pioneering conservation models that, among other things, put communities at the centre of conservation efforts, noting that if Africa protects its biodiversity, the whole world will also gain. Protected areas in Africa, if sustainably used, can eradicate poverty and bring peace, it asserts. South Africa will be worst impacted by extreme weather events, making some areas inhospitable because of weather events, where already people are being forced to migrate within their own countries or regions in search of more hospitable and better living conditions, said Sunita Narain, CSE Director General. Explaining the rationale behind the report, Narain said: “We can read and get the immediate story today, but often we do not get the big picture. The report will help us get that big picture. It will enable us to understand the different aspects of the environment by putting together a comprehensive picture that makes the links clearer between the environment and development. Environment and development are two sides of the same coin.” She added that the report, produced with input from scientists and Africa-based journalists, also helped people appreciate the link between development and the environment. According to Mamo Boru Mamo, director of Kenya’s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), the issues raised in the report are important and pertinent to the environment in Africa. Among other things, the SOE 2023 had captured the plight of East Africa’s agro-pastoral communities whose migration from arid and semi-arid areas of Africa to urban centres and out of the continent has risen over the recent years, thanks in part to accelerated degradation of the environment. “The continent has a collective responsibility to manage the environment sustainably while giving direction on the position Africa should take in the upcoming UN’s COP28 in Dubai,” he said. Citing the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), “Provisional State of the Global Climate 2022”, it finds that in East Africa, rainfall has been below average for four consecutive wet seasons, the most extended sequence in 40 years. The region recorded five consecutive deficit rainy seasons by the end of 2022, with the rainy season of March to May 2022 being the driest in over 70 years for Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, partly due to the destruction of the environment and climate change. Overall, the report confirms that the climate crisis in Africa was an existential problem facing millions of people who have endured the wrath of nature for years. Over 100 journalists, researchers and experts from across Africa have contributed to the preparation of this annual publication.
A senior official of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) associated with parking management said that the civic body would need approval from the House of councillors Authorities in the Capital are yet to increase parking fees, a key element of Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) that came into force on Saturday. Stage 2 of the anti-pollution plan allows civic agencies to charge motorists more for public parking to curb the use of private vehicles as air quality in the region worsens. A senior official of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) associated with parking management said that the civic body would need approval from the House of councillors to hike the parking fee. The official added that undertaking measures under Stage 2 assumes a sense of urgency when the air quality deteriorates, but that an actual change in parking norms requires layers of execution on the ground. “These are only the early stages of the pollution season setting in and the directions are under consideration. We cannot directly increase the parking charges across the city. This is a policy decision that needs approval from the House of councillors. We are planning to put forward a preamble in this regard in the meeting on Friday. The problem is that the air quality keeps on fluctuating while these decisions need several steps for execution on the ground,” the official said while clarifying that the quantum of the hike has also not been decided yet. Parking fee hikes are a fraught issue in the national capital, and rates have been unchanged in the city since November 2017, when MCD put in place a four-times increase under Grap. The hike remained in effect for just seven days — between November 9 and 16 — but led to a muddle of chaos, officials said, after which it was never enforced again. A senior official associated with the parking services in the corporation said that the four-fold hike was “found to be unproductive” as people started parking outside designated areas to avoid paying, defeating the purpose behind the hike. While issuing the rate-hike withdrawal order in 2017, the erstwhile South MCD said that as a result of the rate-hike, “chaotic traffic conditions had occurred and traffic jams were reported from many areas, though a considerable portion of the authorised parking areas remained vacant.” In an order setting in motion Stage 2 of Grap, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on October 21 said that “to prevent further deterioration of the air quality, the subcommittee has decided that all actions as envisaged under Stage II of the Grap be implemented in right earnest by all the agencies concerned in the NCR, with immediate effect” which includes “enhance parking fees to discourage private transport.” However, the federal anti-air pollution agency did not detail the quantum of the parking fee hike in its order. Under the current parking fee slab, four-wheelers are charged ₹20 per hour with a maximum of ₹100 per day while two-wheelers are charged ₹10 per hour. MCD operates 403 parking lots across the city out of which 390 are surface parking sites while 13 are multilevel parking sites. Meanwhile, the civic body is also exploring checking pollution under control (PUC) certificates at its parking facilities to aid the anti-pollution drive, a second senior municipal official said. “The vehicles with non-valid PUC may be barred from parking at the facilities. The suggestion was floated in the recent pollution control measures review meeting and it is under active consideration,” a second official said. Experts said that a hike in public parking fees can only be effective if it is coupled with enforcement to prevent people from parking in non-designated areas. “For instance, if someone is moving from Dwarka to CP, the parking fee should be much higher in Connaught Place so that people can be encouraged to adopt public transport,” said Amit Bhatt, International Council on Clean Transportation managing director (India), said, the parking fee hike can only be effective if it is. Anumita Roychowdhury, the executive director, Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment who has worked on the parking policy for Delhi said that by now the notified Parking rules and Parking Management Area Plans should have been implemented in all municipal wards in Delhi. “Without the enforcement of area-wide rules for demarcated legal parking areas, variable parking pricing and penalty for illegal parking, only hiking parking rates in selected commercial areas will not be effective. Parking needs to happen only in legally demarcated parking areas of a ward with stringent penalties for illegal parking. Only this can reduce demand for parking, usage of personal vehicles and reduce emissions,” she said. HT reached out to MCD which did not respond to queries seeking comments.
The world has a right and a shared responsibility to secure antibiotics globally so that it can continue to be effective On October 18, 2023, global experts at a webinar organised by Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) discussed the challenges and possibilities around antibiotics or any aspect of antimicrobial resistance becoming a global public good. The webinar was the third The Antibiotic Webinars series being conducted to discuss the antibiotic pipeline and access crisis. Earlier in July this year, CSE had published an assessment on the ongoing crisis in Down To Earth. The pipeline of new antibiotics continues to be weak and there is a need for critical reforms to stimulate the antibiotic innovation ecosystem for a sustainable and equitable antibiotic access, according to a CSE assessment published in July 2023 in Down To Earth. This also included the possibility of considering antibiotics as a ‘global public good’ so that they are treated differently from other drugs in terms of resource and development and access. Key experts who spoke at the webinar included Gavin Yamey, director, Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, the United States; Anna Sjöblom, director, ReAct Europe, Sweden; Kerri Elgar, senior policy analyst, Development Co-operation Directorate, OECD, France; Franck Berthe, The Pandemic Fund Secretariat, Washington DC, US; Rohit Malpani, senior advisor, GARDP. It was moderated by Amit Khurana, director, Sustainable Food Systems programme, CSE. The concept of global public goods was discussed at length during the webinar. It is not new, but presently there is a renewed interest in this concept. This is because of the wide array of emerging trans-national health challenges, which, if not acted upon timely, will not only cost lives but also adversely impact the economy. There is a need for international collective action for health to address these challenges. While the cost of investing in these actions could be large, the return on investment is quite high. Discussions and debate around global public goods is also gaining momentum. The conventional definition of global public goods is narrow and has its own challenges. Commonly a global public good is understood as being non-rival (if one person consumes it, this does not reduce its availability to others) and non-excludable (no one can be denied access). But this definition does not capture the full array of health actions that are collectively required to address wider supra-national health challenges. More definitional clarity is needed. There are alternative ways to look at how global public goods can be defined. This includes, for instance, the concept of common goods. As per the World Health Organization, ‘common goods for health’ are public goods or have large social externalities and thus will not arise through market forces alone. Therefore, they require both public financing and public action. This concept has emerged based on the observed failures (surveillance, leadership, advocacy) exposed by Ebola, SARS, Zika and other communicable diseases as well as by other health and environmental risk factors. Another concept is ‘global functions’, which capture the broad array of activities critical in preparing for and responding to transnational challenges. These include supplying global public goods, managing cross border externalities (such as AMR response) and exercising leadership. ANTIBIOTICS AS PUBLIC GOOD & INVESTMENTS In terms of funding, there has been an increased amount of spending over time on health through development budgets, in particular infectious diseases. It is difficult to measure flows going to AMR. This is more so in case of low- and middle-income countries, which are most impacted with respect to health challenges. Subsequently expenditure on national government priorities has dropped. It is also imperative to know the use and mobilisation of domestic resources, such as in areas like pandemic prevention and preparedness, AMR and One Health. Antibiotics do not fit the conventional definition of global public goods. But there could be different dimensions or characteristics which could fit. This can include patents for an antibiotic shared in an open patent pool, AMR containment, aspects linked to antibiotics such as supply, appropriate use, registration, affordability and presentation. Awareness, surveillance, wash and IPC could also be framed as global public goods. Existing financing models like the push and pull incentives have limitations when looked at from a global public good perspective. Pull incentives like subscription models operational in the United Kingdom or being planned in the US, for instance, may not work in LMICs unless effective mechanisms are developed that enable these countries to pay. Antibiotics will otherwise remain as only a regional good or a national public good. It will also not drive innovation. Even if subscription mechanisms developed in different countries are applied globally, the priorities that would guide developers would be those countries who can pay the most. Another pull mechanism which could be linked to creation of global public goods effectively is a prize (such as a “milestone prize” during clinical development or an end-stage prize / market exclusivity reward for a product when it comes to market). But this can happen provided the right conditions are in place such as a company willing to give up its intellectual property in exchange for a prize, affordability is ensured and supply is enough. Push incentive like GARD-P face concerns such as whether companies and public sector are willing to share or license their compounds to GARDP to take forward its development, what is the territory provided in case license is available, is the product developed in the right presentation that is required in LMICs. There are also challenges associated with considering antibiotics as global public goods. It is therefore important to look at AMR containment issues more holistically and address aspects like access to clean water, infection prevention, appropriate antimicrobial use in agriculture which is linked to better human and sustainable development. Similarly, an AMR lens on investments in areas such as water and sanitation, livestock and agriculture, healthcare systems and strengthening public health systems needs to be applied. Putting too much emphasis on the antibiotics-global public good linkages can have limitations like ‘tragedy of the commons’ and ‘free rider problem’. The world’s people have a shared responsibility to secure this resource globally so that it can continue to be effective. It is also a right as people should have access to it when needed. Global collaborative action and global governance is crucial for addressing cross border threats such as AMR. This could be expedited through measures like a binding agreement, putting more accountability on government, and strengthening existing AMR governance models. In addition, compulsory financing at the country level can also be explored. This could involve innovative financing mechanisms such as global taxes, along the lines of the airline tax which have earlier helped Unitaid generate resources for global health. 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. 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