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Cse In News

Pollution in Delhi: दिल्ली के पर्यावरण मंत्री ने प्रदूषण की स्थिति को लेकर केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्री को लिखा पत्र, रखीं ये सात मांगें दिल्ली में प्रदूषण की स्थिति को देखते हुए पर्यावरण मंत्री गोपाल राय ने केंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्री भूपेंद्र यादव को पत्र लि

नई दिल्ली: राजधानी मेंप्रदूषण का ग्राफ एक बार फिर चढ़ रहा है. आलम यह हैकि दिल्ली, दुनिया के टॉप 10 प्रदूषित शहरों की सूची में छठे स्थान पर आ चुकी है. इसेदेखतेहुए दिल्ली के पर्यावरण मंत्री गोपाल राय नेकेंद्रीय पर्यावरण मंत्री भूपेंद्र यादव को पत्र लिखा है. इसमें उन्होंने कहा हैकि दिल्ली सरकार प्रदूषण की रोकथाम के लिए लगातार काम कर रही है, लेकिन 69 प्रतिशत प्रदूषण अन्य राज्यों के कारण हो रहा है. इसकी रोकथाम के लिए उन्होंनेसात मांगेंकी हैं. आई 30 प्रतिशत कमी: उन्होंने कहा हैकि यदि इन सात बिंदुओं पर काम किया जाए तो दिल्ली समेत पूरे एनसीआर को प्रदूषण सेराहत मिलेगी. पत्र में उन्होंने कहा हैकि राज्य सरकार दिल्ली के नागरिकों को बेहतर पर्यावरण उपलब्ध करानेके लिए तमाम कदम उठा रही है, जिसके परिणामस्वरूप पिछले आठ सालों मेंप्रदूषण में 30 प्रतिशत की कमी आई है. दिल्ली मेंवायुके अच्छे, संतोषजनक और मध्यम श्रेणी के दिनों की संख्या 2016 में 109 से बढ़कर 2023 में 200 हो गई है. चलाए जा रहे कई अभियान: पर्यावरण मंत्री ने कहा कि सर्दी के मौसम मेंदिल्ली मेंवायुप्रदूषण बढ़ जाता है. इसे कम करने के लिए दिल्ली सरकार विंटर एक्शन प्लान के तहत कई कदम उठा रही है. इसमेंबायोडिकंपोजर का छिड़काव, एंटी एं डस्ट कैंपेन, हॉटस्पॉट के लिए विशेष अभियान, एंटी एं ओपन बर्निंग अभियान आदि शामिल हैं. लेकिन जब तक एनसीआर के राज्यों मेंप्रदूषण के कारकों पर रोक नहीं लगेगी, तब तक ये कदम प्रभावशाली नहीं बन पाएंगे एं . प्रदूषण में एनसीआर राज्यों की भागीदारी: पत्र में उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एन एं वायरनमेंट द्वारा जारी की गई रिपोर्ट बताती हैकि दिल्ली के प्रदूषण स्तर का 31 प्रतिशत, दिल्ली के अंदर के स्रोतों का प्रदूषण है, जबकि शेष 69 प्रतिशत प्रदूषण में एनसीआर के राज्यों के स्त्रोतों की भागीदारी है. इस प्रदूषण को कम करनेके लिए हमेंसात बिंदुओं पर संबंधित एनसीआर राज्यों के साथ संयुक्त मीटिंग करके प्रभावी कदम उठानेकी आवश्यकता है. यह सात बिंदु इस प्रकार हैं- यह भी पढ़ें-Pollution In Delhi: बारिश नेधोया दिल्ली-एनसीआर का प्रदूषण, लोगों नेसाफ हवा मेंली सांस गौरतलब हैकि दिल्ली एनसीआर मेंसोमवार रात हुई झमाझम बारिश सेलोगों को प्रदूषण सेराहत मिली है. इसके चलते प्रदूषण संतोषजनक श्रेणी में पहुंच गया है. केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के आंकड़ों के मुताबिक, मंगलवार शाम 4 बजे 1 एनसीआर सेदिल्ली आनेवाले सभी सार्वजनिक परिवहन सीएनजी या इलेक्ट्रिक पर चलाए जाएं.एं एनसीआर में पराली जलाने पर रोक लगाई जाए, जिससे पराली का धुआं दिल्ली एनसीआर की हवा को प्रदूषित न करे. 2 एनसीआर राज्यों मेंकाफी औद्योगिक इकाइयां अभी भी प्रदूषणकारी ईंधन से चल रही हैं, उन्हें तत्काल पाइप्ड प्राकृतिक गैस सेसंचालित करने पर काम किया जाए. 3 4 एनसीआर राज्यों मेंभारी प्रदूषण फैलानेवालेईंट भट्ठों को जिग-जैग तकनीक में बदला जाए. डीजल जनरेटर पर निर्भरता कम करनेके लिए एनसीआर राज्यों के सभी हाउसिंग सोसाइटियों के लिए बिजली सुनिश्चित की जाए. 5 6 एनसीआर राज्यों मेंभी दिल्ली की तरह ही पटाखों पर पूरी तरह सेपाबंदी लगाई जाए. वाहनों को इस्टर्न और वेस्टर्नपेरीफेरल एक्सप्रेसवे पर उनके शुरुआती बिंदु सेही डाइवर्ट करनेके लिए संबंधित राज्य सरकारों को कहा जाए.

उदयपुर को गैर-प्राप्ति शहर की सूची में शामिल करने के बावजूद वायु प्रदूषण रोकथाम में कोई पहल नहीं

एक तरफ जहाँ उदयपुर अपनी सुंदर झीलों और पहाड़ों के लिए दुनिया भर में मश हूर है, वहीं दूसरी तरफ यहाँ के कोर उधयोग खनिज और मार्बल / ग्रैनिट मीनिंग और प्रोसेसिंग की वजह से देश के प्रमुख वायु प्रदूषित ज़िलों में गिना जाता है। 2019 में हुए राष्ट्रीय स्वच्छ वायु कार्यक्रम (NCAP) सर्वे में गैर-प्राप्ति शहर (नॉन अटेनमेंट) की सूची में शामिल होने के बावजूद प्रदूषण सुधार में कोई काम नहीं किया गया है। मीडिया में आई रेपोर्ट्स के अनुसार इस तरफ 2024 तक कुछ होने की उम्मीद है, जिसको लेकर Road map तयार किया जा रहा है। राज्य के प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड के अनुसार उदयपुर के लगभग 1,207 उधयोगों में से तीन चौथाई (73%) उधयोग प्रदूषणकारी उद्धोयों की सूची में शामिल किए गए हैं और 446 उधयोगों को आशूलोपी उत्सर्जन (Fugitive Emission) में शामिल किया गया है, जिसमे मादरी औधयोगिक क्षेत्र (MIA) और गुडली औद्योगिक क्षेत्र में चल रहे उधयोग सबसे ज़्यादा है। करीब 600 एकड़ में फैला मादरी, उदयपुर ज़िले का सबसे बड़ा औद्योगिक क्षेत्र है, जहां मिनरल ग्राइंडिंग, रसायन/फार्मा, उर्वरक, खाद्य प्रसंस्करण, आसवनी और इंजीनियरिंग एवं निर्माण होता है। गुडली करीब 240 एकड़ क्षेत्र में फैला है और ये खनिज पीसने वाली इकाइयों का प्रमुख केंद्र है। इसके अलावा उमरड़ा, गिरवा के अलावा इसवाल, मावली आदि ऐसे क्षेत्र हैं, जहां होटल और भवन परियोजनाएं संचालित हैं। जहां भी फ्यूजिटिव उत्सर्जन काफी मात्रा में होता है। अध्ययन में ये आया था सामने वर्ष 2021 में सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (CSE) ने राजस्थान के प्रमुख जिलों में औद्योगिक वायु प्रदूषण के आंकलन को लेकर अध्ययन किया था। जिसमें सामने आया कि उदयपुर में उद्योग बड़े पैमाने पर कोयला, लकड़ी या तरल ईंधन का उपयोग कर रहे हैं। ईंधन की खपत करने वाले उद्योग से कणकीय पदार्थ प्रदूषण भार 148 टन प्रतिवर्ष, सल्फर डाइऑक्साइड भार 200 टन प्रतिवर्ष, नाइट्रोजन ऑक्साइड भार 162 टन प्रतिवर्ष सामने आया था। ये है वायु प्रदूषण के प्रमुख कारण - सड़क की मरम्मत नहीं और फुटपाथों की खराब हालत ईंधन आधारित उद्योगों के लिए शहर में पीएनजी आपूर्ति नहीं ब्लैकटॉप वाली सड़क का अभाव औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों में सड़कों को स्थिति असंतोषजनक फुटपाथों पर जमा धूल सड़क की नियमित सफाई (रीको एवं अन्य क्षेत्र) का अभाव प्रमुख वायु प्रदूषणकारी क्षेत्र सीएसइ की 2021 की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार उदयपुर में लगभग 790 वायु प्रदूषणकारी उद्योग थे, जिनमें 353 ईंधन खपत करने वाले उद्योग और 456 फ्यूजिटिव धूल उत्सर्जित करने वाले उद्योग थे । फ्यूजिटिव और ईंधन-आधारित उद्योगों के उत्सर्जन की तुलना करने पर सामने आया कि फ्यूजिटिव उत्सर्जन तुलनात्मक रूप से अधिक है और शहर में वायु प्रदूषण के प्रमुख कारणों में से एक है। हालांकि, कुछ डीजी सेट आधारित उद्योग भी संचालित हैं। जहां तरल ईंधन का उपयोग किया जाता है। जिससे भी वायु प्रदूषण पाया है। मिलकर करना होगा काम उदयपुर के RSPCB के क्षेत्रीय अधिकारी शरद सक्सेना ने कहा की आरएसपीसीबी (RSPCB) और उद्योगों को इस दिशा में मिलकर काम करना होगा। वायु प्रदूषण रोकने के लिए न केवल वायु प्रदूषण नियंत्रण उपकरणों की स्थापना पर्याप्त है, बल्कि हमें प्रदूषण नियंत्रण के प्रति मजबूत मानसिकता का निर्माण करना होगा।

Saviours Or Sham? Voluntary Carbon Markets In Spotlight In CSE Report

Carbon markets, which have promised much when it comes to mitigating climate change and reducing emissions, have captured headlines in recent weeks as country after country goes in the direction of enabling those. However, a nagging issue is the matter of transparency, and the only clear, visible view that the players in these markets are seeking profits, over everything else. That has brought up issues of fraud, opacity, and worse. The Centre for Science and environment (CSE) has released a report on the markets in India, and the issues they face before being considered credible. The global voluntary carbon market (VCM) sector has exploded in recent years, and India has been an integral part of this boom. The country has become the world’s second-largest source of carbon offsets in the voluntary carbon market. As of June 2023, over 1,400 projects are registered or are under various stages of consideration in the two major crediting programmes — Verra and Gold Standard. Indian projects account for one-fifth of the total carbon credits issued under these two programmes. But this boom brings with it a strong whiff of fraud, finds a new investigative report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth. ‘Discredited: Does the Voluntary Carbon Market Benefit People and Climate in India?’ begins by asking some fundamental questions: does VCM help in the reduction of global GHG emissions? Does it guarantee financial benefits to carbon-sequestering communities and sectors which would otherwise not get financing? With its focus on the supply side of VCM – projects on the ground that are doing the heavy lifting of carbon avoidance or sequestration, while companies abroad buy credits and claim their net zero targets – the CSE-DTE investigation has zeroed in on hundreds of projects in Verra and Gold Standard’s registries and communicated with their developers. The investigation team also visited close to 40 locations in four Indian states for an on-ground assessment, speaking to project developers, farmers, rural households, activists, and local NGOs. The team’s expose is an eye-opener: it shows how there are no rules in this market which is under a shroud of secrecy and opaque at best. They go as far as suggesting that some of these could actually increase carbon emissions! And its not just about India too. It highlights how a report by The Guardian, based on an investigation conducted in association with Die Ziet (German Weekly) and SourceMaterial, on Verra’s rainforest-based credit programme raised a storm in voluntary carbon markets in early 2023. The investigation revealed that over 90 per cent of rainforest offset credits certified by Verra and retired by corporations like Disney, Shell and Gucci were not representing emission reductions and were essentially hot air. The investigation was based on three studies conducted on REDD+ projects. Two of these studies investigated 58 of the 87 Verra approved REDD+ projects. 21 projects were found to have no climate benefit and others were similarly noted to be less efficient “One of the fundamental flaws of voluntary carbon markets is that there is no basis of the price put on a project; at times it is inflated and at times it is so low that the project becomes unviable. It seems that the entire purpose of voluntary carbon markets is to serve the interests of project developers, auditors and all the others who make a cut in this carbon business. The current carbon markets could end up increasing emissions in the world. The buyers of credit—say an airline company that has assured its customers to offset their carbon footprint or a food company that has declared itself net-zero—continue to emit; they even increase their emissions, saying that they have bought credits. But as these credits have been over-estimated or do not really exist, the reductions are notional. This is a double-jeopardy. This is exactly what a climate-risked world does not need” All of this, even as the leading firm in the India market EKI Energy Services, goes through a serious issue of corporate governance in the past year does not help inspire confidence at all. The report proposes multiple steps that need to be taken to clear up the odour around VCMs. Ensure transparency The first, and the obvious step, is to ensure transparency in the markets. The details of the projects should be listed. There should be information about the price that each credit has earned. Pay for real change The second step is to decide once and for all the objective of the markets—voluntary, bilateral or multilateral— and design rules accordingly. If the purpose of the markets is to invest in projects that will lead to reduction in emissions in different parts of the world, then the markets must be based on paying for the real cost of the projects. Consider renewable energy projects, which are critical for making the transition to clean energy in countries of the South. The current voluntary carbon market pays a fraction of the capital cost of these projects in India. At less than 10% of the costs for renewable energy as well as Biogas projects, carbn markets are doing next to nothing to support faster adoption. Share the proceeds The third step to ponder on is who these markets are meant for. Currently, the markets only seems to work in the interest of the project developers and, of course, the paraphernalia of consultants and auditors. This also means that they are ineffective in terms of real emission reduction. The communities get virtually nothing from the proceeds and this means that they also have no stake in the emission reduction programme. Keep it simple The fourth is to accept that the voluntary carbon market also shows how the all the King’s smart men have fallen. Despite spending on verification, auditing and registration, these agencies seem to have got so much wrong. They cannot even calculate the emission reduction of one cookstove—Greenways says its stove reduces 2–4 tonnes of CO2e each year; EKI says the reduction is 5.7 tonnes. We know that this has to do with thermal dynamics of a small household device but there is no way it can be so different, especially as the fuel used is still wood. Countries must account The fifth and the most crucial lesson is that the ownership of trees grown on the land of the tribals in Araku valley has been transferred to a foreign entity. Let’s for a moment forget that these lands are under Schedule V of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits any outsider from diverting the claim of tribals. The fact is that these trees are grown by people on their lands. Under which agreement can any agencies have the right to decide how the tree will now be used—harvested or not. It is the same question when it comes to countries.

NEMC YAJA NA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema.

NEMC YAZINDUA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam

UKAGUZI BINAFSI VIWANDANI NA TAASISI MBALIMBALI NDANI YA MWONGOZO MPYA NEMC

Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam (PICHA ZOTE NA EMMANUEL MBATILO)

NEMC YAZINDUA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam

UKAGUZI BINAFSI VIWANDANI NA TAASISI MBALIMBALI NDANI YA MWONGOZO MPYA NEMC

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, MICHUZI TV Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam

NEMC YAZINDUA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam (PICHA ZOTE NA EMMANUEL MBATILO)

Ramp met megadam zet Indiase energietransitie onder druk

De doorbraak van de Teesta III-dam in het noordoosten van India begin deze maand eiste tientallen levens en nog steeds worden er mensen vermist. Dit soort rampen wekt bij steeds meer inwoners twijfels over waterkrachtcentrales, die een grote rol spelen in de klimaatambities van India. Experts denken dat het zaak is om in te zetten op andere vormen van 'schone energie'. "Ik denk dat de ontwikkeling van nieuwe projecten door deze ramp op een achterstand is gezet met ten minste tien jaar", zegt Anand Sankar. Hij werkt als een onafhankelijk onderzoeker van waterkrachtprojecten in het noorden van India. Ambitieuze doelen India is in principe goed op weg om de eigen klimaatdoelen te halen. In 2030 moet 50 procent van de energiemix bestaan uit groene energie en volgens cijfers van het ministerie van Energie is dat nu, met nog ruim zes jaar te gaan, 41 procent. Een van premier Modi's belangrijkste beloftes in 2015 was dat elk Indiaas dorp binnen een paar jaar elektriciteit moest hebben. Voor een groot deel is het gelukt om de infrastructuur daarvoor aan te leggen, maar betrouwbare elektriciteitsvoorziening blijft een uitdaging. Meer dan de helft van de stroom in India komt uit kolencentrales, wat India een van de landen maakt met de hoogste uitstoot van broeikasgassen. De overheid wil die uitstoot naar nul terugbrengen in 2070 en daarvoor zijn meer groene energiebronnen nodig. Voor dat doel zijn waterkrachtcentrales geliefd, zegt Anand Sankar, omdat ze snel leveren. "Het kan op zeer korte termijn een dip in de energielevering opvangen." Hoofdstad New Delhi is bijvoorbeeld voor een belangrijk deel afhankelijk van energie uit waterkrachtcentrales. Bij extreem warme zomerdagen kan de verwachte piek in energiegebruik, onder meer door airco's, snel worden opgevangen. Wat betreft wind- en zonne-energie lukt het India nog niet om overproductie op te slaan voor later gebruik. Bij waterkrachtcentrales zijn de dure batterijen niet nodig, doordat de dam functioneert als een opslag. Tsunami in de bergen Maar er zijn ook minpunten aan de waterkrachtcentrales. Dat kwam aan het licht door onder meer klimaatverandering en een falende regulering van bouwvoorschriften. In de vroege ochtend van woensdag 4 oktober ging het mis. Een gletsjermeer in het noorden van Sikkim brak door. Het water dat daarbij vrijkwam vormde een soort tsunami die zich met krachtige vaart door de bergrivieren naar beneden werkte. Het kwam terecht in het reservoir van de Teesta III-dam, het grootste en meest prestigieuze project in de deelstaat. De dam bleek niet te zijn gebouwd op deze hoeveelheid water. Er waren al langer waarschuwingssignalen dat de dam niet sterk genoeg was, zegt Anand Sankar. Hij wijt het feit dat de dam de kracht van de watermassa niet aankon aan de snelle en goedkope bouw. Bovendien werden er voorafgaand aan de bouw al fouten gemaakt, blijkt nu. Zo werd nooit grondig onderzoek gedaan naar het rivierensysteem rond de Brahmapoetra, een van India's hoofdrivieren waarvan de uitlopers in Sikkim uitkomen op de Teesta III-dam. "Het gaat om een project van 1,6 miljard dollar en er is geen enkele informatie beschikbaar over uitgevoerde controles", zegt Anand Sankar. Windenergie Volgens Sankar zijn verzekeringsmaatschappijen door deze en andere rampen in het verleden voorzichtiger geworden. Ze vragen nu torenhoge bedragen voor het dekken van dit soort grote projecten. Ook Binit Das van het Centre for Science en Environment in New Delhi ziet dat de bouw van megadammen afneemt. "Het ecosysteem van de Himalaya is kwetsbaar en de bouw van dit soort projecten brengt eigenlijk altijd schade toe." Om de klimaatdoelen te halen denkt Das dat de Indiase regering nu moet inzetten op de verdere ontwikkeling van windenergie en elektriciteit opgewekt uit biomassa. "Elektriciteit opgewekt uit water blijft belangrijk voor het stroomnetwerk van India, maar niet tegen elke prijs", zegt Das.

India's stunting future: The growing crisis of child malnutrition

India finds itself relegated to the 111th place among 125 nations in the latest World Hunger Index rankings. Failing to infuse vitality and nourishment into the future generations of our nation would indeed jeopardize the very essence of our country's future. The World Hunger Index (WHI), a stark reflection of our nation's dire circumstances, chronicles this disheartening narrative. In 2020, India held the 94th position on this index, but in the ensuing years, our standing plummeted to 101, then further to 107. Presently, India finds itself relegated to the 111th place among 125 nations in the latest rankings. The disconcerting evaluation on this index amalgamates four vital indicators that together capture the multidimensional nature of hunger— undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. In sharp contrast to this unnerving reality, the central government has contested the findings of the World Hunger Index, labelling it as a "flawed measure of hunger" that fails to accurately depict India's true standing. Yet, the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey of 2016-18 had sounded an ominous warning: the spectre of food scarcity has extended its reach beyond the confines of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The report unequivocally declares that malnutrition among children under the age of five is on the rise, painting a grim portrait of our nation's health. Recent research conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that a staggering 71 percent of Indians grapple with malnutrition, an affliction that claims the lives of 1.7 million individuals annually. Dismissing the Hunger Index becomes an exercise in futility when studies conclusively establish that malnutrition is the cause of death for 68 percent of children suffering from stunted growth below the age of five. Regrettably, numerous mothers in the country are mired in anaemia, and infant malnutrition continues to claim innocent lives. Alarming revelations surfaced in a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, chaired by Dr. Vinay Sahasra Buddhe, as it shed light on the ineffective utilisation of funds allocated for crucial schemes such as Poshan Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).

India’s Methane Emissions Challenge: Addressing The Data Gap In The Oil & Gas Sector

Mumbai: Countries across the globe are underestimating methane emissions, studies show. The gap in methane emissions estimates in the oil and gas sector is being recognised globally; the industry’s emissions are underestimated by 25-40%. India, which is currently the world's fourth largest methane emitter, uses the Tier 1 methodology for estimating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which is the least reliable approach, suggesting significant inaccuracies in the emissions estimates from energy and industrial sectors. Chasing Methane: Emission Spikes is IndiaSpend’s latest effort to bridge this data gap. The dashboard, developed in collaboration with Respirer Living Sciences, aims to track and identify high emission events around oil and gas facilities in India using satellite data. Methane concentration from the Copernicus Sentinel 5-p satellite is collected and analysed to detect higher-than-normal methane levels in the vicinity of oil and gas reservoirs. Such high emission events, often undetected and responsible for a disproportionate share of greenhouse gas emissions, pose a significant threat to our environment and climate goals. Over 20 years, methane would trap about 80 times as much heat as the same amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). Research estimates that 25% of today’s warming is driven by methane from human activities. Reducing methane emissions represents an important opportunity to slow down the rate of warming in the short term and help bridge the emissions gap between current trajectories and those consistent with the 2°C or 1.5°C temperature goals. Leveraging high-resolution data from satellites, our project employs advanced algorithms to identify these elusive emission spikes. This not only sheds light on a critical environmental challenge but also equips stakeholders with invaluable insights to drive proactive measures towards a more sustainable and methane-conscious future. Ground-level leak detection and fence-line monitoring of methane concentrations would show a more complete picture of emissions. Methane emissions in the oil & gas sector In India, the agriculture sector is responsible for more than 60% of methane emissions. But the cost burden of methane reduction cannot be placed on India's largely small and marginal farmers. The threat to farmer's livelihoods was among the reasons cited by India for not signing up to the global methane emissions reduction pledge to target 30% reduction in global methane emissions from 2020 levels by 2030, at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow. Additionally, no Indian oil and gas companies have partnered with the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), an initiative under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), to monitor methane emissions. According to the Greenhouse Gas Platform (GHG-Platform India)--a collaborative initiative by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a New-Delhi-based public policy think-tank, and the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a Bengaluru-based sustainability think-tank, among other organisations--about 13% of methane emissions are from the energy sector, which includes coal, and oil and gas. Nearly two-thirds of this is from fugitive emissions, while the rest is from combustion of fuel (see chart below). Methane that is released because of a combination of design choices in equipment, operational practices and equipment failures or leaks is categorised as fugitive emission. It is the intentional or unintentional release of gas during the extraction, processing and delivery of fossil fuels to the point of final use. This includes equipment leaks, evaporation and flashing losses, venting, flaring, incineration and accidental releases (e.g. pipeline dig-ins, well blow-outs and spills). The OGMP 2.0, the oil and gas reporting and mitigation programme of the UNEP, describes the framework for measuring, reporting and tracking methane emissions. Data reported by over 100 companies across 60 countries is compiled and studied by International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) to understand the nature of methane emissions. The 2022 report used data collected from different sources or segments in the process of extraction, processing and delivery of oil and gas across oil and gas companies in the world. It collates and analyses methane emitted from upstream, midstream and downstream sources. ‘Upstream’ refers to the industry segment that explores and produces oil and fossil gas, including assets such as reserves, drilling rigs and production facilities. ‘Midstream’ refers to assets such as pipelines, storage tanks and transportation vessels that transport and store crude oil and fossil gas before they are refined and processed. Refineries and retail outlets are ‘downstream’ assets that transform crude oil and fossil gas into finished products. The data reported at the source level show that a small number of large emissions have a disproportionate contribution to total emissions. That is, emissions are not uniform across different sources. Recent scientific literature has referred to this subset of high emission sites as the ‘fat tail’ of the emissions distribution. If these small numbers of high emitting sources can be identified and mitigated, it can quickly and dramatically reduce methane emissions. IndiaSpend reported in August 2022 that, for methane emissions, the oil and gas sector is low-hanging fruit in efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. How India calculates methane emissions Globally, methane emissions are usually not measured, but are estimated based on assumed or measured leak rates and production rates. India uses the Tier 1 methodology, defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This estimation uses the net amount of gas and oil extracted along with the global emission factor for methane to calculate the amount of methane released. Tier 1 uses an IPCC default value of emission factor, and hence does not account for regional factors such as the source of fuel. Tier 2 uses country-specific emission factors that are based on either measurements by country-level monitoring systems or IPCC Tier 2 emission factors. Tier 3, which is the most demanding in terms of complexity and data requirements, includes models and inventory management systems tailored to address national circumstances, as is deemed most reliable. IndiaSpend reached out to the MoEFCC regarding the plans to update the methodology for estimating methane emissions. We will update this story when we receive a response. Underestimation and data gaps in India The quantity and composition of fugitive emissions are generally subject to significant uncertainty. An initiative by India’s major oil exploration and production company, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), has tried to estimate such leaks at four locations. The results from this study showed that there are significant variations amongst the contributions of various stages of fugitive emissions (fugitives, venting, flaring) in different projects, which necessitates field-level measurements. “Implementing measures for more accurate emissions data on ground will be challenging since there are no standards prescribed for measuring methane emissions,” says Dhanasekaran Ramachandran, who retired as the Deputy Director at the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in September 2022. He explains that the instruments used on site are flammable detectors or explosive detectors, and these cannot be used for monitoring and tracking methane emissions. “Leaks will happen, it is a part of the process and is inevitable. We must have gadgets or regulators must imbibe these methods at the time of installation itself. The Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) detectors are to prevent explosions and protect the plant, not the vicinity or environment.” India’s ambient air quality standards are restricted to 12 parameters, and do not include methane. “The law is the weakest point,” says Dhanasekharan, “Measuring 12 parameters is environmental compliance legally and monitoring methane is not included. When there is no law, it becomes an authorisation to pollute.” Moreover, the latest reports submitted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) do not include data after 2016. The Biennial Update Report which details emissions across sectors was submitted in 2015, 2018 and the latest one in 2021. Even though the latest report was submitted three years ago, the data are seven years old. “Emissions don’t vary hugely between 1-3 years, but having a seven-year gap is certainly a problem,” says Avantika Goswami, a climate policy researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based nonprofit.. “In that period there has been an increase in population, transport, vehicles and energy demand.” Using data from satellites for identifying high-emission sources Accurately estimating overall emissions requires understanding the frequency and magnitude of emissions across a wide range of sites, rather than monitoring emissions from a few sites, according to UNEP. Effective approaches need to recognise the random and unpredictable nature of the distribution of “super emitters” events from fugitive emissions and should characterise the entire emission distribution, the UNEP says. In this context, satellites are capable of emission detection and monitoring at different scales, from local to global, and over long periods of time. A growing array of satellites are gathering methane data globally. Some provide a global overview, while others map emissions from particular facilities, referred to as point sources. The point-source mappers can identify methane plumes from specific individual sources, but can only detect relatively high concentrations, and have a narrower field of vision. Use of atmospheric observations, either at the surface, airborne or from satellites, have proven effective in correcting emission factors and in revising sectoral methane emissions in multiple geographies. This has provided opportunities for identifying specific sources and mitigation opportunities. A recent study found that methane emissions from the oil and gas supply chain in the United States are underestimated by roughly 60%, when compared to empirically-based, top-down estimates. Similarly, satellite-based estimates of total methane emissions in Mexico are 45% higher than emissions presented in the inventory, with emissions from the oil and gas sector being 100% higher. Methane emission spikes in Indian oil and gas reservoirs The Chasing Methane: Emission Spikes dashboard shows over 700 days of high emission events across 21 oil and gas refineries in the country in the last two years, until October 11, 2023. The methane tracking initiative by Kayrros, a France-based private company, identified 155 “super-emitting” methane leak events in India in 2022, including waste sites and industrial sources, as reported by The Guardian in March 2023. These emission spikes around oil and gas reservoirs could be low-hanging fruit for reducing overall methane emissions in the country. Over one-third of these high spike events have been observed in three locations--the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in Vizag, the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRLP) refinery in Mangaloreand Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) refinery in Manali. In October 2022, the National Green Tribunal found that methane emissions were not being monitored in the HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam. For several years, the refinery has been responsible for emitting smoke, causing unpleasant odours, and polluting the water. IndiaSpend has reached out to these refineries regarding the strategies employed for monitoring methane emissions within their facilities, as well as their efforts aimed at mitigating methane emissions. We will update this story when we receive a response. “At some point we have to develop a better, more systematic method of domestically monitoring our emissions. We are seeing a global satellite monitoring effort to identify emission spikes in the world; our leaks will come under the international radar,” warns Goswami.

Despite improved air quality, Delhi remains the most polluted Indian city

On October 7, air quality in the national capital plunged to the ‘poor’ category. Some parts of Delhi also recorded an AQI of above 300, which is categorised as ‘severe’. This comes after a recent report by Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences put Delhi on top of the list of 10 most polluted cities in the country from October 2022 to September 2023. The report, based on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, states that though Delhi’s air quality has improved marginally, it remained the most polluted city with a PM2.5 concentration of 100.1 micrograms/cubic metre (μg/m3). This is more than thrice the government’s ‘good’ level and 20 times the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) safe limit. From October 1, 2023, a revised version of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a government air pollution control programme, has come into force in Delhi and 24 nearby districts, collectively known as the National Capital Region (NCR). The region has several places which frequently top in Indian and global air pollution rankings. Delhi saw a four per cent improvement in air quality over the previous year with average PM 2.5 levels between Oct 2021 – Sept 2022 at 103.9 μg/m3 compared to 100 μg/m3 in Oct 2022 – Sept 2023 period. “The PM 2.5 numbers over the past few years have shown improvement. It has come down from the usual 135 μg/m3 five years ago. But compared to last year it has shown only marginal improvement,” says Ronak Sutaria, founder and CEO, Respirer Living Sciences. However, Delhi still remains at the top of the most polluted cities’ list, he adds. “Indeed, the PM 2.5 level has reduced but justifying it with numbers doesn’t really work. The new reports clearly point out that Delhi is still India’s most polluted city. There have been good interventions but the major issue with most of them is they work for GRAP and not round the year,” says Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmentalist and founding member of Warrior Moms — a collective of mothers from all over India fighting for children’s right to breathe clean air. Earlier, on September 29, while announcing the Winter Action Plan, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed a 30% reduction in air pollution in Delhi. “In 2014, PM2.5 (one of the chief pollutants) used to be 149, today it is 103. In 2014, PM10 used to be 324, today it is 223; there is about a 30% reduction in air pollution,” he said while addressing the press conference. Has the pollution level gone down? 10 oldest stations of Delhi are Anand Vihar, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport T3, IHBAS, Mandir Marg, DU North Campus, NSIT Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram and Shadipur. 37 station average includes all the Delhi stations except Lodhi Road IITM, Chandni Chowk IITM and East Arjun Nagar. Seasonal average is based on the mean of monthly averages. Winter season is defined as October to February. SOURCE: CSE ANALYSIS OF CPCB REALTIME DATA According to Air Quality Tracker Initiative 2023 report by Centre for Science & Environment (CSE), Delhi’s seasonal air quality for winter (Oct 1 to Feb 28) used to hover around 180-190 µg/m3 before pandemic and for last three winters it has come down to 150-160 µg/m3. Still dangerous Despite this improvement, the seasonal average is still over 150% above the 24-hour standard and almost 4-times the annual standard. This trend is consistent with the long-term trend in Delhi’s peak pollution level during winter. What has worked for Delhi? “The interventions especially like the introduction of EV (Electric Vehicles) take care of a percentage of the problem. Typically, transportation emissions and vehicular emissions are considered to contribute 25-30% to Delhi’s pollution,” explains Sutaria. In the last few years, Delhi has shifted major polluting industries in the NCR region. One part of the problem is that the cities on the periphery of Delhi still lack regulation and the enforcement is not adequate at all. So, pollution from all these regions is why the air quality is still not good in Delhi, he explains. “The government is constructing flyovers, wider roads but still not adequately focusing on the sustainable ways of commuting like walking or cycling. These need to be taken into consideration if we want our children to breathe clean air,” adds Kandhari. Also, we need better enforcement of waste management rules as open burning is still a major contributor, she adds. When asked about what should be the focus, Sutaria said, “Transportation emissions and vehicular emissions. The big challenge, however, is the industrial emission and construction dust which has not been adequately addressed.” The Indo-Gangetic plain air pollution is a big worry. The report highlights seven cities in the top 10 from Delhi-NCR and Bihar, both part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Patna, though in second place at 99.7 μg/m3, saw a 24% deterioration in air quality over the previous year. “The analysis reflects improvement in the Indo-Gangetic Plain cities over the last few years. However, considering the enormous pollution load, these cities continue to experience the highest PM levels in the country,” says Aarti Khosla, Director, Climate Trends.

Explained: Why Delhi’s 2023 Winter Action Plan Doesn’t Work

Recently, the AAP government came out with a 15-point winter action plan to curb air pollution in Delhi. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remarked that there had been considerable improvements over the past 8 years, but the situation is far from ideal. Similar to the plan released for 2022, the current year’s winter action plan aims at reducing dust pollution from construction, vehicular pollution and smoke from stubble burning. These are some of the highlights of the 15 Point Winter Action Plan: It comprises spraying of PUSA bio decomposer, monitoring of construction dust, deployment of anti-dust machines, water sprinkling and anti-smog machines. PUC certificates of cars will be checked to discourage petrol cars over 15 years old from running on the roads. Open waste burning will be banned, and monitoring teams have been formed. Industries will use non-polluting fuel, and a central green war room has been set up to coordinate progress. There will be a complete ban on firecrackers, and GRAP will be implemented in case the situation gets worse. Citizens can lodge their complaints on the Green Delhi App, and the government will run public awareness campaigns in addition to planting 1 crore trees. A study by Swiss firm IQAir termed Delhi as the fourth most polluted city on the planet in 2022. PM2.5 levels in Delhi were 92.6 micrograms per cubic metre, a whopping 18 times the safe limit prescribed by the WHO. The Energy Policy Institute concluded that the people of Delhi are on track to lose 11.9 years of their lives if the current levels of pollution continue. Delhi has seen its air quality worsen over the years due to exponential vehicular growth, unregulated industrial and construction activities and overpopulation. In winter, the situation worsens due to dense and dry cold air trapping pollutants. A Focus on Vehicular Emissions A 2021 analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment showed that vehicles are the biggest contributor to particulate pollution among the local sources in Delhi. Real-time share of vehicular emissions increased to more than 50 per cent during the early phase of winter 2021. Hence, the government, as part of its 15-point plan, has announced that “90 Delhi roads with excessive traffic will be identified and alternative routes provided, with promotional and awareness campaigns conducted.” At first glance, the measure seems reasonable. Vehicles cause 40% more pollution when in traffic than in smooth movement. However, at a closer look, this measure merely affirms the car dependency of Delhi. Instead of attacking the root cause of air pollution, the government accepts vehicular usage as natural and aims to ensure unrestricted travel. A car, whether in traffic or at high speed, will cause pollution no matter what. In a city with 1.32 crore registered vehicles, there is no pathway to reduce air pollution unless we reduce the number of cars. Building flyovers and widening roads are all short-term solutions to increase vehicular speed; these are not measures to reduce air pollution. A better way to reduce vehicular emissions would be to invest in an integrated quality public transport system. The government lauded its efforts to introduce 800 electric buses in its fleet and has promised to induct 8000 buses by 2025. As I wrote in my previous story on DTC, electric buses are projected to save 4.67 lakh tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. However, delays in the tendering process can torpedo this goal. Investments in Delhi Metro and DTC, including higher service frequency, quality infrastructure and better connectivity, can and will reduce air pollution in Delhi. The Menace of Stubble Burning Apart from local sources such as vehicles and industries, air pollution in Delhi in winter is also caused by the smoke from stubble burning. In a perfect storm of bad luck for Delhi NCR, stubble burning occurs when the monsoon winds retreat. Farmers of Haryana and Punjab set fire to the paddy stubble (stem left over after harvesting) during the months of October- November. This is cheap and provides them with an easy way to clear the fields before the next crop is sown. However, all the smoke is carried towards Delhi NCR and entrapped by the cold air above, resulting in many days of severe smog blanketing the environment. As the Supreme Court has remarked, this gas chamber-like situation harms plants, animals and humans alike. The Delhi government, in its winter action plan, has pledged to distribute free PUSA bio-decomposer in 5,000 acres of both basmati and non-basmati agricultural land. This is a commendable step as this new innovation not only prevents smoke but provides free manure to farmers. However, we must remember that Punjab is the main source of stubble burning. The State has so far witnessed 656 farm fire incidents, up by around 63% against the corresponding period of the previous year. The AAP government in Delhi could have earlier put off blame by arguing that the Punjab Government was non-cooperative, but since March 2022, both Punjab and Delhi have been led by the Aam Aadmi Party. What, then, explains the lack of coordination between these two governments? In the winter action plan, Kejriwal urged fellow states to reduce pollution in Delhi by allowing CNG-based vehicles, transitioning industries to PNG, transforming brick kilns, and banning firecrackers. However, he missed the main source of dangerous spikes of air pollution in Delhi: stubble burning in Punjab. Stubble burning has been banned in Punjab since the 1980s but remains unenforced due to the powerful farmer voting bloc. Farmers say they want to stop burning stubble but have no cheaper alternative. One and a half years should have been enough to devise a multi-dimensional strategy to understand farmers’ perspectives, invest in financial incentives, technical assistance, and a long-term approach towards diversification. As a report titled “Beyond Stubble Burning” pointed out, “Effective crop residue management schemes were introduced, but farmers face challenges with implementation. Insufficient horsepower of tractors, limited usage periods, machine malfunctions, and low productivity contribute to traditional methods and crop burning. Standardised rental rates and comprehensive support are needed for successful implementation.” As we have seen, the winter action plan delivers an incomplete response to the big sources of pollution, such as vehicles and stubble burning. This is not an isolated problem but one we see throughout the action plan. There is something structurally wrong within the plan that prevents it from realising its potential, as we’ll see in the next part. This story has been written as part of the My City Writers’ Training Program.

Internal climate migration to shoot up, study reveals

Last year, hundreds of residents living around Lakes Bogoria and Baringo were compelled to relocate to nearby urban centres to evade losses associated with rising lake water levels. For many, this marked an unfamiliar and distressing experience. Regrettably, some families never returned home out of fear. Though some communities believe this was a one-off, a new report shows such migrations, often referred to as climate-induced migration, are going to increase in the next few decades not only in Kenya but across the African content. “Africa will be worst impacted by extreme weather events, making some areas not hospitable. Because of the weather events, many people are being forced to migrate within own countries or regions in search of more hospitable and sustainable living conditions,” Sunita Narain from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said. The State of Africa’s Environment Report 2023 by CSE, India-based think tank in Africa’s internal migrations because of climate change-related issues will go up to 40 per cent in sub-Saharan African countries by 2070. “While the Global South will bear the maximum burden of internal migration, the reasons might vary from region to region, depending on various 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. In June 2022, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDM) reported that in Africa, hundreds of thousands of people had been internally displaced due to climate change-related issues. Though it will be difficult to predict future migration patterns, according to the report, a warming world holds the key to unleashing the next wave of human migration, heading into the future. The reason is for over 6,000 years, humans have restricted their habitat settlements to an annual average temperature of -11 to 15ºC or climate niche. But in a warming world, if emissions go unabated, this range could rise to 19 per cent of the Earth’s surface, affecting three billion of the projected nine billion people, by 2070. Currently, as of 2020 only 0.8 per cent of the world’s land surface experience annual temperature of more than 29°C or over. But with global warming, 19 per cent of the earth’s surface is going to experience at least 29°C or more annual mean temperature by 2070, affecting three billion people and driving climate migration. “In a warming world “climate suitability” would stretch to even the sparsely populated Arctic regions of the world. This expansion of the climate niche threshold could trigger the next wave of migration for people looking to locate to more temperate regions,” the report adds. Speaking during the release of the report, Sunita Narain from CSE revealed that in Africa, the region stretching from Senegal in the West to Somalia in the East will be the hardest hit if emissions are not reduced. Niger will also be affected and will be experiencing 238 days of temperature hovering over 35°C, followed by Mali which will be experiencing 231 days, and Sudan with 223 days. Tanzania and Uganda are also expected to see the highest number of internal climate migrants reaching 16.6 million and 12 million respectively according to another report by the World Bank. “We are beginning to see increased migration because people are learning that they cannot cope with the impact of climate change-related issues as well as cannot sustain their livelihoods in their current locations. Natural disasters are also displacing communities temporarily or permanently,” she says. According to her, many climate-induced migrants in Africa are moving to urban areas, leading to rapid urbanisation. This, in turn, is placing pressure on cities and their infrastructure, as they may not be adequately prepared for an influx of people. Besides fueling migration, the report reveals that mid to long-term effects of climate change are also expected to drag down the Gross Domestic Product of most African nations by two to five per cent annually by 2030. According to Mamo Boru Mamo, the National Environment Management Authority Director General, internal migration is being fuelled by the receding water points. According to him, water points are receding because of prolonged droughts, decreasing water tables, and shrinking of water bodies like rivers and lakes. Boru adds that when water sources recede, communities that rely on them for drinking, agriculture, and other essential needs are compelled to migrate in search of areas with more reliable access to water resources where they can continue to meet their basic needs and secure a better future.