• Climate Change and Green Economy

Floods, storms may have cost India $7.6bn last year alone: Report

India may have suffered an economic loss of $4.4 billion last year alone due to storms , and an additional $3.2 billion due to flooding, the World Meteorological Organization said in a report on Monday. India may have suffered an economic loss of $4.4 billion last year alone due to storms , and an additional $3.2 billion due to flooding, the World Meteorological Organization said on Monday. WMO released its State of Climate in Asia 2021 report on Monday which revealed last year alone, weather and water-related hazards caused a total damage of $ 35.6 billion across the continent, affecting nearly 50 million people. The estimates of losses are important because so-called Loss and Damage funding is on the agenda at COP 27 -- the first time it has been on the agenda of a climate conference. Flooding caused the highest economic losses in China ($ 18.4 billion), followed by India ($ 3.2 billion), and Thailand ($ 0.6 billion). Storms also caused significant economic damage, especially in India ($ 4.4 billion), China ($ 3.0 billion), and Japan ($ 2 billion). The report highlightedhow the climate crisis is exacerbating food insecurity and poverty. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Asia-Pacific Disaster Reports 2021 and 2022, referred by WMO in its report, estimate that in Asia, the annual investment in adaptation would need to be highest for China, at $ 188.8 billion, followed by India at $ 46.3 billion, and Japan at $ 26.5 billion. As a percentage of the country’s GDP, the highest cost is estimated for Nepal, at 1.9%, followed by Cambodia at 1.8%, and India at 1.7%. Many glaciers in High Mountain Asia including the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau lost mass rapidly due exceptionally warm and dry conditions in 2021, the report said. “These so-called water towers of the world are vital for freshwater supplies for the most densely populated part of the planet and so glacier retreat has major implications for future generations. Water-related extremes are the most important hazard in Asia.” . During 2020-2021, preliminary data available from glaciers observed in High-Mountain Asia show a clear regional heterogeneity in mass changes. Most glaciers in the High-Mountain Asia region, particularly in the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau, eastern Himalayas and Pamir Alai, suffered intense mass losses as the result of exceptionally warm and dry conditions in 2021, the report said . The glaciological year 2020/2021 is one of the two strongest years of ablation on observation record, close to 2009, it added. In 2021, the largest relative precipitation deficit was observed in West Asia, including, in particular, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Arabian Peninsula. The largest absolute precipitation excesses, with reference to the 1981–2010 climate normal, were observed along the west coasts of India and Myanmar, in the eastern Himalayas and on the North China Plain. Abnormally high annual precipitation totals were also recorded in South and South-East Asia, eastern China and the West Siberian Plain. “The climate indicators and extreme events shown this report and expected increase in precipitation over much of Asia in the future shows just how vital it is to strengthen early warning systems,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a statement. The report, which was produced jointly with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), was presented during the UN climate change negotiations, COP27, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. “It’s critical that COP27 should deliver a strong provision on Loss and Damage funding. It is reparations for damages and will establish the polluters pays principle, which will be deterrence over large polluters,” said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment. Last year, there were a total of more than 100 natural hazard events in Asia, of which 80% were flood and storm events. These resulted in almost 4,000 fatalities, about 80%caused by flooding. Overall, 48.3 million people were directly affected by these hazards, causing total economic damage of US$ 35.6 billion. During the formal opening of UN Climate Conference (COP27)’s Climate Implementation Summit last Monday, UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said the world is on a highway to climate hell as global mean temperature is approaching the 1.5 degree C warming threshold. “Global temperatures keep rising. And our planet is fast approaching tipping points that will make climate chaos irreversible. We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator. The war in Ukraine, conflict in the Sahel, and violence and unrest in so many other places are terrible crises plaguing today’s world. But climate change is on a different timeline, and a different scale,” he had said.

• Director General Office

Mothering Mother Earth

The world should focus more on equality between men and women so that women can break the shackles of society, work hand in hand, and take an active role in the battle against climate change Women make up around 51 per cent of the total world population. Women have actively participated in the fight against climate change. It is seen that in times of crisis, women have responded effectively towards a more sustainable environment. Though the world has modernised, there remains inequality between men and women. The gap must be bridged to involve more women to solve the severe climate change. There are specific reasons why we need to target resources for women climate leaders. As per studies, women are mostly affected by climate change. It is reported that women felt the economic and health impacts more, compared to men. Women living in the poorest countries are vulnerable. The adverse effects of natural disasters are handled by women too. It is also reported that in unequal-gender societies, women die in disasters more than men. In unequal-gendered communities and the world, gender plays a role in which women are susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change. Women look after and take care of the members living in the family, so it is quite natural that the women feel the environmental effects while performing their duties such as gathering food, water, wood, fuel, cleaning, etc. If such women are empowered then they will be able to reverse poverty and give appropriate solutions to reduce climate change. It is seen that women are better leaders than a man in times of crisis. In recent times, it has been seen that many women came out on their own and took steps to join the fight against climate change. This inspires other women too. For example, in Bangladesh, women developed wind and flood-resistant housing foundations for their community. Another example is Nicaragua, where hurricanes are prevalent and are more severe. In Nicaragua, the indigenous women were motivated to create seed banks which are not dependent upon industrialised agriculture. When women are empowered to participate in disaster planning and emergency, women show excellence in unique skill sets. Women have demonstrated excellent leadership qualities during the pandemic. It is reported that the death rate due to Covid-19 was lower in a female-governed state than in a male-controlled. The presence of women in climate conservation resulted in more transparency, compliance, and sustainability. Women can organise better, and sometimes it is seen that women started movements related to the environment. Silent Spring, abook by Rachel Carson inspired generations to take action for the earth, which later led to the foundation of Earth Day and the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency. There are many women conservers and earth influencers. Women have taken the initiative for social and environmental movements. A famous example is Wangari Maathai of Kenya, who created 6,000 tree nurseries to block desertification. This act of her empowered women in her community as well. The Great Green Wall initiative is an outcome of Maathai's work. Studies have shown that the upliftment of women has a lot of benefits for societies. As a result of upliftment, the foundation for a sustainable economy, such as sustainable economy, population stability, education level, and health of children, develops. As per research, the countries where women have high political and social status emit around 12% lower carbon dioxide. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Arden, and her cabinet declared a "Climate Emergency" to make the public sector of the country carbon neutral by 2025. Women can turn knowledge into actions. Indigenous women have vast knowledge and skill, and over 80% of biodiversity lands are within this person who protected the land for generations. They hold such a close affinity to the land they live on that they consider it unique. Indigenous people know traditional knowledge of ecology and spiritual and philosophical approaches to healing the earth and its climate. All these combined can create a healthy and sustainable environment. Women can be economically dynamic if employment and leadership opportunities are increased. In developed countries, women are more likely to recycle products and encourage energy efficiency measures. Women can take more innovative steps if encouraged, and the gender gap is reduced. In short, the world should focus more on equality between men and women so that women can break the shackles of society, work hand in hand, and take an active role in the battle against climate change. There is a link between gender inequality and climate change, as there is a lack of resources. Despite this lack of resources, female-led initiatives are leading. The Paris Climate Agreement today came into existence due to a group of women who envisioned the idea of 'net zero emissions'. Some of the leading women in the battle against climate change are: Christiana Figueres headed the climate-change non-profit for eight years and ultimately took the leadership of the UNFCCC. UNFCCC is the body responsible for international climate change negotiation. Rhiana Gunn Wright is the one who brought a holistic approach at the national level. It is a group of think tanks that tie up with progressive lawmakers. Hilda Heine is the head of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. She is committed to making the Marshall Islands carbon-neutral by 2050. HindouOumarou Ibrahim is an indigenous activist of Chad who has been working relentlessly to bridge the gap. She focuses on the indigenous people's traditional knowledge to make positive climate changes. Tessa Khan of Thailand has been working on behalf of the women's human rights non-profit. Rachel Kyte works for sustainability. She played a significant role in the UN Climate Change Summit. Kate Marvel informs people about climate change in her blogs, tweets, podcasts, etc. Sunita Narain is an environmental policy researcher who has worked in this field since 1982 and has been awarded for her work. Ellen Page, Anne Simpson, Greta Thunberg, KotchakornVoraakhom, Miranda Wang, Katharine Wilkinson, Wu Changhua, etc., are other women leaders who took a front seat in the battle against climate change. Policymakers, investors, and philanthropists must understand that women, too, can play a significant role in making a sustainable environment. Women can play an important role in the fight against climate change.

• Industrial Pollution

India ‘committed to clean energy’ but continues to boost coal production

Three days before India’s environment minister boarded a flight to Egypt for this year’s UN climate summit, Cop27, the country’s finance minister was busy with a new announcement. “India needs greater investment in coal production,” said Nirmala Sitharaman at the Delhi launch of India’s biggest ever coalmine auction, where 141 new sites for coalmines will be sold off to the highest bidder. At a time when the world’s future hinges on a dramatic global reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and global leaders are gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh to try to limit the impact of the climate crisis – with decarbonisation on the agenda – the Indian government is continuing on its biggest ever push for domestic coal production, even toying with the idea of producing so much it could become a future coal exporter. This was the sixth, and largest, such auction the Indian government has held since 2020, when it privatised the coal industry. Two-thirds of the 968 sites that are allocated for mines, known as coal blocks, are on untouched land and many sit under India’s most ecologically rich and fragile forests, and rural areas populated by tribal communities that will be destroyed if the new projects go ahead. “The worst part is that in order to open up more coal, the government is allowing mining in dense forested areas. Forests are sinks of carbon dioxide so if you are getting new coal to burn by chopping down forests, it’s a double whammy of environmental disaster,” said Sudiep Shrivastava, a lawyer who has fought back against new coal blocks. In Hasdeo Arand, a dense forested area in the state of Chhattisgarh, where 23 coal blocks have been proposed and seven approved – which would wreak havoc on some of India’s oldest and most biodiverse environments and displace thousands of tribal people – communities have been fighting back against the mines. According to anti-mining activists, opening up coalmines in the area will not only lead to the loss of thousands of hectares of forest land, but also affect the flow of the river, cause pollution and displace many villagers and tribal communities who live off the forests. In October last year, hundreds of villagers from the region marched almost 200 miles on foot from their villages to the state capital, Raipur, to register a protest against the proposed coalmines. On the global stage, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has presented himself as a staunch environmentalist, and speaking at the G20 meeting on Tuesday, Modi said: “India is committed to clean energy and environment.” Yet India has also made no secret of the fact that it will need coal for decades to come, even as it increases its reliance on renewables and moves towards net zero in 2070. It was one of the most dramatic moments at the Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow last year when India, backed by China, made a last-minute intervention to water down the language of the final agreement, changing the commitment to “phase down” rather than “phase out” coal power. Coal currently accounts for 70% of electricity generation in India, while renewables count for only about 12%. At Cop27 this year, the Indian position has been to try to counter the pressure to reduce its continued reliance on coal by pushing for an agreement to phase down all fossil fuels, including gas, which Europe and the US are still heavily dependent on. India’s argument is that it is unfair to single out coal – which is primarily used by developing countries – while other fossil fuels widely used in western countries remain unsanctioned. Speaking on Monday, the environment minister, Bhupender Yadav, who is representing India at Cop27, accused developed nations of “turning back to fossil fuels” as the energy crisis hit. Ashish Fernandes, the chief executive officer of Climate Risk Horizons, which analyses the impact of the climate crisis in India, said: “It’s quite clear because of the west’s failure to live up to its commitments to undertake serious emissions reductions and to meet the promised financing commitments, India is using coal as a bargaining chip. It’s hard to criticise India’s plans for new coal when Europe is looking to build up so much more new gas.” India is already at the forefront of the climate crisis. This year two-thirds of the country suffered months of an unprecedented heatwave that decimated crops and livelihoods. There were extreme weather events on 80% of days this year. Yet the Indian government’s position is that as a fast-developing country, which is the world’s second-largest importer of coal, it is necessary in the name of self-reliance and energy security for the country to take advantage of its own vast domestic coal reserves, said to be the fourth largest in the world. As a historically low emitter of carbon emissions compared with the west, ministers claim it is unfair to penalise such actions. Under plans promoted by Modi, India plans to increase its domestic coal production to a 1bn tonnes a year. In the year since Cop26, the government says the situation has become even more pressing. India’s electricity demand soared post-Covid and foreign coal prices hit record highs because of inflation and the war in Ukraine, costing the government billions of rupees to import what was needed. In April, after the hottest March in 122 years, the country suffered a grave coal shortage and some coal-fired power stations had less than three days supply left, resulting in rolling power cuts. Nivit Yadav, programme director at the environment thinktank Centre for Science and Environment said: “You can’t avoid the fact that India still needs coal and we need to reduce our dependency on imported coal, which is becoming costlier by the day. Long term, we definitely want our reliance on coal to be reduced as much as possible but there is so much conflict around the world, India has to secure its energy.” Yet environmentalists and thinktanks have argued that opening up hundreds of new coalmines across India is both environmentally devastating and unnecessary. Multiple studies have shown that India’s current capacity of coalmines and coal-fired power stations are more than enough to meet India’s growing electricity demand if they operate efficiently. You can’t avoid the fact that India still needs coal The coal shortages that hit in April and May are said not to have been due to a lack of domestic coal, but instead poor planning by power companies, and analysis showed that they could have been avoided if there had been greater investment in renewables. India now produces the world’s cheapest solar power, and prices will continue to fall. “India does not need more coal,” said Fernandes. “There is no financial or energy requirement for new coal construction in India, this is all political.” He emphasised that India’s current coal power generation was “suboptimal”, only currently running at about 60% capacity, and if run properly would be more than enough to meet the electricity demands of a fast-developing nation. On average, India’s coalmines use only two-thirds of the capacity, with some large ones using only 1%, according to analysis by Global Energy Monitor (GEM), calling into question the need to open up more. Fernandes said such huge new investment in coal now meant there was “a real chance that it will undermine the renewable energy industry” by tying India’s electricity sector into a contractual commitment to coal for decades to come, even as renewables are cheaper. Earlier this year, the International Energy Agency said Modi’s coal expansion plans were “difficult to reconcile with India’s evolving energy needs and environmental priorities”. There is also the issue that India’s coal, with its high ash content, is notoriously polluting and inefficient to burn, requiring twice as much to produce the same amount of power as imported coal. It is also difficult to transport. Many coal-powered fire stations are on the coast, specifically built to receive sea shipments of imported coal, and are hundreds of miles away from the central Indian states where many of the coal blocks are located, putting huge pressure on passenger railway lines. Advertisement For environmentalists, one of the greatest concerns is that the push for new coalmines is coming as India’s environmental regulations are being watered down, particularly for power infrastructure projects, while laws around coal “act like an implicit subsidy to coal development”, according to a recent report by the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University. Currently coal blocks are auctioned off before any environmental clearances are done on the area. For the new coalmine in Hasdeo Arand, local people allege the projects have been given all the environmental clearances by the state government without their constitutionally-bound consent and by using fabricated documents. “Once the forest is gone, the people will not only lose their livelihoods but also their heritage, their culture, their religion, because they worship the forests – but their voices have been silenced” said Alok Shukla, an environmental activist who has been at the forefront of the community opposition to the new coal mines in Hasdeo Arand. “Tearing it down will also affect the monsoons as well because it disrupts the whole ecosystem. Tell me, what coal is worth that?” As you’re joining us today from India, we have a small favour to ask. The planet’s future hangs in the balance, and with the Cop27 climate summit taking place in Egypt, there is a small but real chance for meaningful change. With so much at stake, this is the most important summit of its kind. Will global leaders squander this moment, or can they come together, finally, to mobilise? At the Guardian, we are committed to keeping the climate crisis front and centre of our journalism, exposing inaction, reporting on the latest science, and holding the powerful to their promises. We will not stop giving this issue the urgency and attention it demands. We have a huge global team of climate writers around the world and have recently appointed an extreme weather correspondent. Our editorial independence means we are free to write and publish journalism which prioritises the crisis. We have no shareholders and no billionaire owner, just the determination and passion to deliver high-impact global reporting, free from commercial or political influence. And we provide all this for free, for everyone to read. We do this because we believe in information equality. Greater numbers of people can keep track of the global events shaping our world, understand their impact on people and communities, and become inspired to take meaningful action. Millions can benefit from open access to quality, truthful news, regardless of their ability to pay for it.

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Obnoxious, toxic, a ‘silent killer’: The same old saga of winter air quality in Delhi-NCR

It was an encouraging clean air start of October for Delhi. The capital recorded five good AQI days in the first two weeks of October. But the good news ended there. The annual nightmare of poor to severe and very severe air quality in Delhi and adjoining areas soon returned. And with it, the annual nightmare of strict and systematic implementation of the different stages of the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the NCR which had kicked in from September 11th. Air quality had continued to deteriorate before and after the dust and pollution on account of the Diwali crackers had settled down. And all the restrictions under the two stages of air pollution were in force by October 29th, when restrictions under Stage 3 were enforced, implying that almost all the toughest measures were in force. Yet, on November 3rd, before Goldy Malhotra, a former principal of Modern School, Vasant Vihar, drove from her Gurugram residence to her office in Civil Lines, she ensured that her house was “tightly sealed”, because of what she saw outside: virtually zero visibility due to the thick smog that had engulfed the entire area. It was a day when air quality in the NCR turned terrible, making it “extraordinarily difficult to breathe”, as Neha Dayal, an east Delhi student put it. By mid-day, the CAQM ordered implementation of Stage 4 of GRAP in the area stating that “as per the dynamic model and weather/meteorological forecast, the overall air quality over Delhi is likely to be in “Severe+/Severe” (AQI more than 450) category in the next couple of days”. As forecast, AQI rose to 472 the very next day. Everyone in the NCR was literally breathing smoke. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee referred to the forecast and invoked Direction No 66, the action plan under Stage 4 of GRAP. On November 5th morning, the staff at SAFAR (the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, were somewhat relieved when AQI dropped to 431, a bit better than 472 of the previous day, but still in the severe category. No relief from bad air days But huge variations in AQI were noticed in different areas of the NCR. In NOIDA, the fast developing Uttar Pradesh township beyond south Delhi, AQI was 562. While in the Millennium city of Gurugram, home to most big tech companies, AQI was at 539. With fears that AQI could touch an unprecedented 700 in the short run, before it begins to ease. Stage 4 restrictions means all truck traffic into Delhi would be stopped, the only exemption being for trucks carrying essential commodities and providing essential services and CNG trucks. It also meant a ban on using diesel operated medium goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, again exempting those carrying essential commodities or providing essential services. For personal vehicles, it meant a ban of diesel cars in the capital, unless they were BS-VI vehicles or were for essential and emergency services. And all industries, even where PNG infrastructure was not available, had to close down all over the NCR. The directives also banned all construction and demolition activities including in the generally most exempted public projects like highways, roads, flyovers, bridges, power transmission etc. State governments in the NCR as well as the Government of Delhi were asked to decide on allowing public, municipal and private offices to work with 50% working from home. They were also asked to “consider additional emergency measures” that included closure of schools, colleges, other educational institutions, non-emergency commercial activities, and the introduction of odd-even scheme for vehicles on the roads. Band aid measures Similarly, the Central government was asked to decide on permitting work from home for their offices. On November 4th, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that his government was “shutting primary schools till things improve”, and will take a decision on introducing odd-even vehicles. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that half the NCT government staff will work from home, and urged employers in the private sector to follow suit. Effectively, it was almost like the COVID lockdown. With the worst affected being those who were still struggling to recover from the first lockdown. “It has been barely four months since my 6-year-old daughter has actually seen a classroom, classmates and teachers,” said an agitated Delhi resident Radhika Kashyap.. “Now this air pollution closure has interrupted her normal school life. I wish the government would review the holiday time-table so that one vacation is timed with this’ ‘. But not many private offices and traders were willing to let half the staff work from home. “How can my staff work from home?” asked Manish Rajput who runs a small ‘superstore’ in Vasundhara. He employs three boys who deliver groceries to nearby residences, and one salesman while he manages the billing. But there are reports that some companies have retained the hybrid mode in anticipation of Delhi turning into a gas chamber and GRAP being strictly enforced. The rising AQI figures making the air over the capital more and more toxic resulted in the Kejriwal government doing many other things: To reduce the number of cars on the roads, they launched over 500 CNG buses under the “Paryavaran Bus Service” banner. Plans are also underway to stagger market and office timings. By November 5th evening, SAFAR’s website recorded that the overall AQI indicated the “upper end of Very Poor AQI”, attributing 21% of it to stubble burning, but ended on an optimistic note that the AQI was likely to be at the lower end of “Very Poor” or even Poor, on account of a drop in fire counts, unfavourable upper level wind flow, reduction in local emissions and moderate dispersion of pollutants leading to dilution of near surface pollution. All that was however just wordy mumbo jumbo for the residents of the NCR, for SAFAR also urged people to avoid all outdoor activities and to stay put indoors. The advisory also suggested that asthmatics keep their nebulizers handy, indicating that the air they had to breathe was simply not safe. A survey by LocalCircles, a social media website connecting people to their communities, governance, city, causes, neighbourhoods, interest, needs etc found that 13% of NCR residents had left town to escape the toxic air, and that the percentage of families with one or more members having pollution related ailments rose from 70 to 80% within five days. About 80% of the families surveyed had someone experiencing pollution related ailments, and18 % of those surveyed had already visited a doctor. The symptoms included cough, congestion, breathlessness, burning eyes and sore throat. LocalCircles quotes former AIIMS director Randeep Guleria as saying, “You can call air pollution a silent killer”. If residents of Delhi and the NCR continue to gasp for breath and dream of fresh winter air even after implementing all the action plans under GRAP, virtually bringing life and economic activity to a grinding halt, the CAQM and authorities should really be asking themselves – if all this does not work, what next? And will the same cycle be repeated next year? CSE assessment and recommendations Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) says that Delhi has failed to build transportation strategies to scale, and points to their assessment that vehicles are the top polluters in Delhi during the Diwali week, Oct 21st to 26th. A city with 1.4 crore vehicles and generating at least 276 lakh travel trips a day does not have scalable transportation yet to reduce traffic volume. What is needed is public transport augmentation and integration, electrification of fleet, walking and cycling infrastructure, low emissions zones, vehilcle restraint measures like parking caps and pricing and transit -oriented development, says the CSE, adding that there is a “lack of sustainable alternatives blocking effective emergency measures to control vehicle usage during the severe smog episodes in winter”. Even the air emergency measures enforced for the very poor and severe categories of AQI under GRAP do not include action, barring increased parking charges. Says Roychowdhury, “Even though action on transportation is underway, it is too little too late. Sustained and stringent action is needed for mobility transition.

• DTE - Web

Natural Resource Extraction in Ghana Needs Tighter Regulations, Finds Survey

Ghana’s natural resources need to be better regulated to reduce environmental damage, a recent survey has found. Local communities are also deprived of their fair share of benefits of natural resource extraction. Over 60 per cent of Ghanaians believe mining, oil drilling and wood harvesting negatively impact the environment, a survey released November 8, 2022, by research network Afro barometer found. The results were based on interviews by non-profit research and advocacy institute Ghana Center for Democratic Development on behalf of Afrobarometer. The research network provides data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance and quality of life. The government needs to tighten regulation of natural resource extraction, over 85 per cent of the survey participants said.

• Down To Earth

Glacial meltdown leaving Kashmir's farmers bereft of hope

Climate change continues to have an adverse effect in the northern parts of India, especially in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. With temperatures heating up, glaciers and ice sheets around the world and especially above the Kashmir Valley are now in a severe meltdown stage, driving up sea levels, causing floods in some parts and droughts in other parts. Nearly 70 percent of Kashmir’s population is heavily dependent on farming and allied agricultural practices and activities for its survival, and therefore, is naturally in a state of panic and alarm over news of the rapid snow-melt, which could damage their crops hugely. Scientists in India and abroad have been issuing warnings about warming temperatures at regular intervals. In spring this year, we heard about Kashmir’s mustard crops being washed away by flood waters. Now we are hearing news of the rice, corn and bean harvests taking a severe hit because there hasn’t been sufficient natural water to water them. The farming community, according to one report, is extremely upset by the unexpected climatic changes as they have been left with a “Hobson’s Choice”, i.e., who to feed, the family or the livestock? Geo-climatic conditions in India make it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries and therefore, the management of such calamities, when they occur and in its aftermath, become critical both within its borders and across the region. Brighter Kashmir has been giving regular updates about the damaging impact of climate change on the local agriculture sector. In May this year, the daily warned climate change impacting Jammu and Kashmir’s apple yield. In its report then it said that apple production in the valley had been majorly hit due to factors like global warming, climate change, poor irrigation, excessive use of pesticides and unregulated construction activity. It cautioned the UT administration to provide irrigation at short intervals for Kashmir’s apple orchards and to have a rethink about its conservation strategies to improve irrigation by creating more tube wells for water storage, etc. A month earlier, in April, Brighter Kashmir warned of Jammu and Kashmir being on the cusp of an imminent climatic disaster and potential economic crisis. Citing a report of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the daily revealed that of the ten glaciers located in J&K, most of them, if not all, were melting. According to the CSE study, the region’s largest glacier – Kolahoi -- has lost 23 percent of its original area since 1962. To get a better perspective of this worrisome phenomenon, Brighter Kashmir approached Professor Dr Ghulam Jeelani of the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir, who warned all those months back that both the Kolahoi Glacier and the Shafat Glacier were disappearing at a rapid rate because of increased global warming, and that this could make the Kashmir Valley a severe water stressed area. Professor Jeelani was forthright in saying then that, “Glacial melting is definitely affecting the agricultural sector and the horticulture of the region.” He also warned of the danger of thawing permafrost. “When the earth remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, it is called permafrost. When permafrost melts, it can damage and destroy infrastructure like roads, houses and bridges,” he said. The Journal, Nature Geoscience, said in its February 2022 report that glaciers across the world now contain far less ice than previously thought. It said that glaciers have lost roughly 5.4 trillion tons of ice between 2000 and 2019 alone. Agricultural experts are now warning that even a small shift in the snowmelt pattern can create an agricultural crisis in the Valley and by extension affect other sectors of the region’s economy. There is one report that claims that farmers in South Kashmir have lost around 70 percent of their crops this season due to dry spells and floods. Glacial experts like Shakil Ahmad Romshoo claim that the seven glaciers of J&K and Ladakh have been shrinking at an average of five metres per year now, instead of the average one metre per year since 2016. The truth of the matter is that the Himalayas are getting hotter, melting glaciers faster in spring. Flooding is getting more intense because of increased rainfall. In summer, the reverse happens; there isn’t enough water to irrigate the crops because of drought. If temperatures keep rising and "extraordinary glacier melting" becomes the norm, that could threaten food, energy and water security in the entire region. Kashmir's Department of Agriculture is fighting an uphill battle to provide the farming community with up-to-date information about climate swings and immediate help when droughts or floods wipe out crops. The UT administration has also introduced a national crop insurance scheme that compensates farmers for losses caused by extreme weather events. The need of the hour is to upgrade data collection to help Kashmir's farmers reverse this negative climatic trend.

• Director General Office

The routine air pollution crisis

The fact is Delhi is also part of the pollution problem - its sources of combustion add to the pollution of neighbouring states and theirs to Delhi Every year around October 20, without fail, there is shock and alarm in my city, Delhi. This is when air pollution peaks — and the pandemonium, name-calling and blame-game begin. We choke and scream, and all hell breaks loose in television studios as anchors demand answers over the noxious haze and politicians find ways to shirk responsibility. Over the past few years, there have been two courses of action, or inaction. One, our city government has commissioned study after study so that the “real” sources of pollution are identified and action is taken. Second, it has insisted that the contribution to pollution is from “outside” — it belongs to another government — which is then promptly denied by this “other” government. And in this way, we keep going around in circles. The fact is — and I repeat myself — we know the sources of pollution, even though the exact contribution of each sector may change with different studies and in different seasons. These are combustion-related emissions from vehicles, factories, diesel generators, power plants and household cooking, and dust from roads, construction sites and others. Remember that dust is not a pollutant, it is toxic because it is coated with emissions from combustion. So the first question that should be asked every winter — indeed every month before the winter sets in — is what steps have been taken to address these combustion-related emissions and what more needs to be done. The second question is about the boundaries of the airshed. There is no doubt that when farmers burn crop residue to clear fields for the next planting season, the winds on certain days carry the pollutants to Delhi and its surrounding areas. If this happens when the weather is adverse (local wind speed is slow or there is moisture in the air), pollution levels rise and the air becomes deadly. Today, as I write this column, I struggle to breathe. Then there are industries that were relocated from the city but are still using coal or other dirty sources of fuel. These industries, now in Delhi’s neighbours, further add to the deadly pollution cocktail. The bottom line is that air pollution knows no boundaries. So this politics of finger-pointing and scoring points will not lead to cooperation or meaningful action. The fact is Delhi is also part of this pollution problem — its sources of combustion add to the pollution of neighbouring states and theirs to Delhi. I write this, hoping that we can put the meaningless debates aside and focus on what really matters — drastic action against every source of pollution. This is where we need the report card. Take vehicles, for instance. Two expressways have been built to divert trucks from Delhi; the congestion charge on truck entry is also working. But all this is not enough. We now need to change the fleet of trucks so that the much cleaner vehicles built using BS6 emission technology come on to roads. This would require a well-financed scrapping programme so that truck owners can be subsidised to make this switch. We need a much-augmented plan to reinvent mobility so that we can move people, not cars. We cannot get clean air with half-baked public transport plans, where a few buses are added all in the name of mobility. We need real change in Delhi and in the rest of the National Capital Region (NCR). Then, of course, comes the use of coal as fuel in industries and power plants. Delhi has shut down its last coal power plant, but, as I said, air pollution knows no boundaries. Thermal power plants in the NCR continue to use coal without improvement in their emission technologies. Delhi has also banned the use of coal in its “legal” industrial areas, but there is more industry working in illegal areas and here enforcement is non-existent. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the NCR and Adjoining Areas — established by the Union government to take steps to mitigate pollution — has directed industries in the NCR to move away from coal to natural gas or biomass. But today, the price of natural gas is prohibitive — the Ukraine war and the demand for gas in rich Europe have made sure that cleaner natural gas is uneconomical to burn in countries like India. This, then, is the other question we need to ask. Will reducing the tax burden on natural gas — currently as high as 50 per cent — make it more feasible? What else can be done to provide cleaner electricity to industries in the region? Farmers burn their straw not because they are cussed but because they do not have alternatives. Today, even when machines exist for in-situ straw management, they often do not have the money to pay for this equipment or time to transport the bales to industries that would use it to substitute coal. Much more needs to be done so that farmers see a value in this straw. This season of despair and air distress will not go away without these hard, decisive, scaled-up and year-long actions. Let’s keep this report card open when we discuss pollution next year — same time.

• Down To Earth

Peristiwa Cuaca Ekstrem Melanda India Hampir Setiap Hari

Jakarta - Hampir setiap hari dalam sembilan bulan pertama tahun ini, India mencatat peristiwa cuaca ekstrem, termasuk gelombang panas, gelombang dingin, angin topan, petir, hujan lebat, banjir, dan tanah longsor. Center for Science and Environment (CSE), organisasi penelitian dan advokasi kepentingan publik di India, mengatakan bencana perubahan iklim lokal terjadi pada 241 dari 273 hari hingga 1 Oktober 2022 dan telah merenggut sedikitnya 2.755 jiwa. Bencana itu juga mempengaruhi sekitar 1,8 juta hektar lahan tanaman, membunuh lebih dari 69.000 ternak, dan menghancurkan 416.667 rumah. Laporan tersebut muncul saat para pemimpin global berkumpul untuk Konferensi Perubahan Iklim PBB (COP27), yang saat ini berlangsung di Sharm El Sheikh, Mesir. "Ini adalah pertanda jelas perubahan iklim. Ini bukan tentang satu peristiwa, tetapi tentang peningkatan frekuensi peristiwa, bahwa apa yang kami lihat sebagai peristiwa ekstrem dalam 100 tahun sekarang telah dikompres menjadi satu dalam lima tahun atau bahkan kurang," kata Direktur Jenderal CSE Sunita Narain kepada DW. Pada COP27 di Mesir, India ingin mendorong untuk memastikan bantuan bagi negara berkembang, termasuk melindungi tenaga kerjanya yang dipekerjakan di industri terkait bahan bakar fosil saat transisi ke sumber energi terbarukan. Selain itu bantuan dana dibutuhkan untuk pembiayaan adaptasi iklim, mitigasi, dan bantuan keuangan untuk kerugian dan kerusakan akibat perubahan iklim. India 'kehilangan hingga 5% dari PDB-nya karena perubahan iklim' India mengalami kerugian pendapatan sebesar US$159 miliar (€158,6 miliar), hampir 5,4% dari produk domestik brutonya, karena panas yang ekstrem pada tahun 2021, menurut Climate Transparency Report (CTR) 2022. Menurut CTR, paparan panas tahun lalu di India menyebabkan hilangnya 167 miliar jam kerja, meningkat 39% dibandingkan dengan 10 tahun terakhir abad ke-20. "Frekuensi dan intensitas peristiwa cuaca ekstrem akan semakin meningkat seiring dengan meningkatnya suhu global," kata Chandra Bhushan, Pendiri dan Direktur International Forum for Environment, Sustainability, & Technology, kepada DW. "India sudah kehilangan 3-5% dari PDB-nya karena perubahan iklim, dan jumlah ini bisa meningkat hingga 10% jika pemanasan tidak dibatasi di bawah 2 derajat Celsius." "Sementara banyak yang sedang dilakukan untuk meningkatkan sistem peringatan dini dan menyediakan penyelamatan dan bantuan, India perlu berinvestasi lebih banyak dalam adaptasi dan ketahanan. Ini akan membutuhkan dukungan global dalam mengelola dampak iklim," tambahnya. Sekitar 80% penduduk India tinggal di daerah yang sangat rentan terhadap bencana ekstrem seperti banjir parah atau gelombang panas. Di dalam negeri, India telah menetapkan target iklim nasional yang ambisius, yang dikenal sebagai Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) dan juga tujuan nol bersih, atau netralitas karbon. Pada COP26 tahun lalu, Perdana Menteri India Narendra Modi berjanji untuk mencapai netralitas karbon pada tahun 2070. Janji pendanaan dan transisi iklim India menginginkan janji USD100 miliar per tahun – janji dana iklim untuk negara berkembang yang dibuat negara-negara industri maju pada COP15 tahun 2009 – untuk dipenuhi sampai 2020. Namun, sudah dua tahun lewat, dana itu belum ada. "Negara-negara maju harus memenuhi target dan kewajiban mereka terhadap pendanaan iklim, yang gagal mereka lakukan," kata Menteri Lingkungan Hidup Bhupender Yadav kepada wartawan menjelang KTT COP27 di Mesir. Dia memimpin delegasi India yang beranggotakan 18 orang di konferensi perubahan iklim PBB itu. Abinash Mohanty, mantan Direktur Center for Environment, Energy, and Climate Change, mengatakan kepada DW "2022 telah menjadi bukti beberapa iklim ekstrem yang lebih keras dan suram di seluruh dunia, dan tidak terkecuali India. Frekuensi dan intensitas ekstrem ini akan melampaui semua ambang batas di masa depan." Dia berpendapat, India harus memastikan bahwa kerja sama regional dan kerja sama Utara-Selatan harus digalang untuk menanggulangi guncangan iklim. Diperlukan solusi sistemik, teknologi, dan keuangan yang didukung oleh bukti berbasis sains, sehingga memberikan akses ke informasi iklim untuk semua.

• Down To Earth

Öfgar í veðri orðnar nánast daglegt brauð á Indlandi

Þrumuveður, úrhellisrigningar, aurskriður, flóð, kuldaköst, hitabylgjur, hvirfilbyljir, þurrkar, sandstormar, stórhríð. Á fyrstu níu mánuðum ársins hafa veðuröfgar átt sér stað á Indlandi allt að því daglega. Á nán­ast hverjum degi fyrstu níu mán­uði árs­ins hafa öfga­full veður geisað á Ind­landi. Við erum að tala um hita­bylgj­ur, kulda­köst, hvirf­il­bylji, þrumu- og eld­inga­veð­ur, úrhelli, flóð og aur­skrið­ur. Umhverf­is- og vís­inda­stofnun Ind­lands (CSE) segir í nýút­gef­inni skýrslu sinni að öfgar í veðri hafi átt sér stað 241 dag af fyrstu 273 dögum árs­ins. Á 88 pró­sentum tíma­bils­ins. Stofn­unin segir enn­fremur að vegna þess­ara öfga hafi 2.755 manns týnt lífi, 1,8 millj­ónir hekt­ara rækt­ar­lands orðið fyrir tjóni, um 415 þús­und hús eyði­lagst og tæp­lega 70 þús­und dýr sem ræktuð eru til mann­eldis fall­ið. Sér­fræð­inga­hópur milli­ríkja­nefndar Sam­ein­uðu þjóð­anna um lofts­lags­breyt­ingar (IPCC) skil­greinir veð­ur­öfgar sem atburði sem ger­ast oftar eða á öðrum stöðum og á öðrum tímum en að með­al­tali síð­ustu ára­tugi. Skýrslan sýnir það sem vís­inda­menn svo sem vissu. Að Ind­verjar eru meðal þeirra jarð­ar­búa sem helst eru farnir að finna fyrir ham­förum vegna lofts­lags­breyt­inga. „Þetta er til merkis um lofts­lags­breyt­ing­ar. Þetta snýst ekki um einn atburð heldur aukna tíðni margra atburða – að þær veð­ur­öfgar sem við áður sáum einu sinni á hund­rað árum hafa orðið tíð­ari og verða einu sinni á fimm ára fresti eða oft­ar,“ segir Sunita Nara­in, for­stjóri CSE. Og öfgarnar hafa vissu­lega komið harka­lega niður á efna­hag Ind­lands. Talið er að í fyrra, þegar gríð­ar­legir hitar hrjáðu Ind­verja, hafi um 5,4 pró­sent af lands­fram­leiðsl­unni tap­ast. Einn mæli­kvarði sem bent hefur verið á eru vinnu­stund­ir. Þær voru 167 millj­örðum færri árið 2021, 39 pró­sent­um, en að með­al­tali tíu árin þar á und­an. Sendi­nefnd Ind­verja á lofts­lags­ráð­stefn­unni (COP27) sem nú stendur yfir í Egypta­landi, hafa vakið athygli á þessu og vilja m.a. tryggja að ekki verði gengið of nærri jarð­efna­elds­neyt­is­vinnslu í land­inu sem skapar gríð­ar­lega mörg störf í landi sem er að reyna að brjót­ast út úr fátækt. Stjórn­völd hafa sett sér mark­mið um að draga úr fram­leiðslu og notkun jarð­efna­elds­neytis á sama tíma og byggt verðir verða upp frek­ari inn­viðir fyrir vinnslu og notkun end­ur­nýj­an­legra orku­gjafa. Og öfgarnar hafa vissu­lega komið harka­lega niður á efna­hag Ind­lands. Talið er að í fyrra, þegar gríð­ar­legir hitar hrjáðu Ind­verja, hafi um 5,4 pró­sent af lands­fram­leiðsl­unni tap­ast. Einn mæli­kvarði sem bent hefur verið á eru vinnu­stund­ir. Þær voru 167 millj­örðum færri árið 2021, 39 pró­sent­um, en að með­al­tali tíu árin þar á und­an. Sendi­nefnd Ind­verja á lofts­lags­ráð­stefn­unni (COP27) sem nú stendur yfir í Egypta­landi, hafa vakið athygli á þessu og vilja m.a. tryggja að ekki verði gengið of nærri jarð­efna­elds­neyt­is­vinnslu í land­inu sem skapar gríð­ar­lega mörg störf í landi sem er að reyna að brjót­ast út úr fátækt. Stjórn­völd hafa sett sér mark­mið um að draga úr fram­leiðslu og notkun jarð­efna­elds­neytis á sama tíma og byggt verðir verða upp frek­ari inn­viðir fyrir vinnslu og notkun end­ur­nýj­an­legra orku­gjafa. AUGLÝSING Ind­verjar hafa sett sér metn­að­ar­full og að því er talið er raun­hæf lofts­lags­mark­mið. Þannig hafa stjórn­völd ein­sett sér að ná kolefn­is­hlut­leysi fyrir árið 2070. Þá er stefnt að því að draga úr losun gróð­ur­húsa­loft­teg­unda um 45 pró­sent fyrir árið 2030. Á næstu átta árum er enn­fremur stefnt að því að orka frá end­ur­nýj­an­legum orku­gjöfum verði um 50 pró­sent af allri fram­leiðslu fyrir lok ára­tug­ar­ins. Sér­fræð­ingar benda á að aukin tíðni og ákefð veð­ur­öfga muni halda áfram að aukast með hækk­andi hita­stigi á jörð­inni. Öfgar í veðri eru farnar að bitna á efna­hag Ind­lands og munu halda áfram að gera það í auknum mæli. Þar sem öfgarnar virð­ast vera að skella á af fullum þunga þessi miss­erin er ekki hægt að bíða eftir að aðgerðir til að vinna gegn hlýnun lofts­lags skili árangri. Ind­verjar verði að hafa ítar­legar áætl­anir um hvernig eigi að aðlag­ast breyttu veð­ur­fari. Til þess verk­efnis þurfa þeir stuðn­ing alþjóða sam­fé­lags­ins. Um 80 pró­sent Ind­verja búa á svæðum sem eru við­kvæm fyrir öfgum í veðri, s.s. fyrir flóðum eða hita­bylgj­um. Þróuð hafa verið við­vör­un­ar­kerfi, kerfi sem vara fólk við flóða­hættu og felli­bylj­um, en þau ná ekki enn til allra. Svo er mis­jafnt hvort að fólk hafi yfir höfuð burði til að bregð­ast við slíkum við­vör­un­um. Leita skjóls. Flýja tíma­bund­ið. Sér­fræð­ingar segja að afleið­ingar öfga­veð­urs á Ind­landi í ár eigi enn eftir að koma fram. Bæði sé um áhrif til styttri og lengri tíma að ræða. „Eftir því sem fleiri gögn koma fram í dags­ljósið þá sjáum við að lofts­lags­breyt­ingar eru að eiga sér sífellt hraðar stað og öfga­fullir veð­ur­at­burðir að ger­ast hver ofan í ann­an,“ segir Roxy Mathew Koll, lofts­lags­sér­fræð­ingur við Hita­belt­is­stofn­un­ina á Ind­landi. „Þetta er að ger­ast hraðar en við áttum von á.“ Hún segir Suð­ur­-Asíu vera „tákn­mynd“ lofts­lags­breyt­inga og að í þeim heims­hluta sjá­ist skýr merki um tíð­ari hita­bylgj­ur, flóð, þurrka og felli­bylji. Allt þetta hafi svo áhrif á orku­ör­yggi, aðgang að hreinu vatni og mat­væl­um. AUGLÝSING Aðlögun að lofts­lags­breyt­ingum er rán­dýrt fyr­ir­bæri. Efna­meiri þjóðir hétu því á COP15, lofts­lags­ráð­stefnu Sam­ein­uðu þjóð­anna árið 2009, að fjár­magna slíkt, hétu gríð­ar­legum upp­hæðum í þessi þörfu verk­efni hjá fátæk­ari lönd­um. Löndum sem bera minnsta ábyrgð á lofts­lags­breyt­ingum af manna­völdum en bera hit­ann og þung­ann af afleið­ing­un­um. Stjórn­völd á Ind­landi vilja að ríku löndin standi við þessi lof­orð sem ekki hafa verið efnd, tveimur árum eftir þann frest sem þau fengu. Þau hafa enda lagt áherslu á það á COP27 að þessar bætur fáist – og það sem fyrst. Nýja skýrslan um veð­ur­öfgar árs­ins sýni svart á hvítu hversu brýnt sé að bregð­ast við. Ekki seinna en strax.

• Director General Office

COP27: Only together can we win

It's a nightmare moment for climate change activists like me as we head for the next conference of parties (COP27) — this time being organised in the coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. The rich world, which has to act decisively to cut fossil fuel emissions and to finance transitions in the rest of the world, is going through its own economic crisis. Energy prices are high; this winter, it will be tough for households to stay warm. Climate change sceptics and the fossil fuel industry are close to taking a victory lap as they whip up public opinion against the needed energy transition — out of fossil fuel and into cleaner sources. The rich countries are already moving towards reinvestment in fossil fuels, although they say this is temporary and that they will go back to meeting their commitments to decarbonise. It's going to be a hard winter and beyond. This is when every region has experienced the pain of extreme weather disasters — from floods to heatwaves, and from forest fires to the changing intensity and frequency of cyclones and hurricanes. We are seeing a glimpse of what awaits us as temperatures increase further — from the 1.1°C rise now since the pre-industrial era. It is the revenge-of-nature moment that we have brought on ourselves by years of procrastination. The world has refused, again and again, to accept the basic principles that must guide action on climate change. First, climate change is a global problem and it requires cooperation between all nations. Second, it needs rules that are fair and just, for the poor and the rich alike. Third, science is clear that humans are responsible for the global temperature rise and that this increase will lead to more and more variable and extreme weather events, much like what we are seeing now. Four, it is possible to estimate each country's responsibility for the stock of emissions already in the atmosphere — the historical cumulative emissions that have "forced" climate change impacts. And fifth, countries that have not yet contributed to the emissions will do so in the future, simply because the world has reneged on the need to make global rules that would apply fairly to all. This is not a tragedy of the commons. It is a monumental failure of collective leadership. Our failure. At COP27, we have an opportunity to repair this terrible mess we are in — not all of it, but at least to restore a semblance of trust. The world can do this by putting on the table the issue of loss and damage — the negotiations on the need to pay for damages that the countries of the South are experiencing because of climate change issue of loss and damage is not new — the demand for this goes back to the time when the climate agreement was in the making in the 1990s. But it has been sidelined, openly rejected and dismissed. It made its way into the Paris Agreement only after the affected and vulnerable countries accepted that loss and damage would not become a basis for any "liability or compensation". This is when environmental jurisprudence demands that the polluters should pay. This global politics, where the rules are made by the rich and for the rich, as it would seem, needs to be addressed in the face of the catastrophic events that are breaking the backs of countries, making their people even more vulnerable to future shocks and forcing them to migrate out of homes that they call their own. We cannot just call these events new normal and turn the page. This is why loss and damage must be on the table — not to be pushed away with another puny promise of a fund that never materialises but to be accepted as a legitimate demand of countries that need reparations for damages they are enduring. But this negotiation must be based on the agreement enshrined in the climate convention — that cumulative emissions of countries must be the basis of their responsibility to act. The numbers on the emissions — and which countries have appropriated the carbon budget of the world — are known and cannot be dismissed. This has to be the basis of who will be liable to pay compensation for the loss and damage. Given that the gentlemen-negotiators do not like to call a spade a spade, they can choose to avoid all the references to liability or compensation, but they must not erase the principle of why and who in the world must take this action. The world must also go back to rule-based decisions and not base its decision on the whims and fancies of the powerful. I am saying this because facts show that China — part of the Group of developing countries — is now yesterday's US. Its annual emissions are double of what the US, the second highest (but historically largest), emits. By 2030, China will equalise its emissions on a per capita basis with the US and also its share of the already depleted carbon budget. This is why we need rules for all — what was proposed in 1992 and what the world has shunned and shirked. Had the US agreed to emission reductions based on its contribution, the same would have been applied to others — including China. But now, it's free for all. This is not the regime that the world needs for loss and damage. There is enough evidence that while countries could have worked to reduce climate impacts, say, through better flood and drainage planning, the scale and ferocity of the extreme events are unprecedented and devastating. So, this climate nightmare moment can turn into a dream only if the world that gathers in Egypt has the courage to act differently and to realise that in this only one Earth of ours, we are interdependent. (Writer is Director General of CSE and editor of Down To Earth, an environmentalist who pushes for changes in policies, practices and mindsets; https://www.downtoearth.org.in/)

• Sustainable Habitat

Delhi Earthquake: एक हफ्ते में दूसरी बार भूकंप से दहला दिल्ली, प्रशासनिक अनदेखी से आ सकती है बड़ी तबाही

दिल्ली-एनसीआर में शनिवार शाम को एक हफ्ते में लगातार दूसरी बार तेज झटके के भूकंप ने लोगों को दहशत में डाल दिया है। भूकंप के लिहाजा से दिल्ली-एनसीआर सिस्मिक जोन चार में है। इसलिए भूकंप का खतरा ज्यादा है। ऐसे में किसी भी वक्त भूकंप के तेज झटके आने की संभावना बनी हुई है। इसके बावजूद प्रशासन इसे लेकर बहुत ज्यादा गंभीर नहीं है। यही वजह है कि न तो भूकंपरोधी इमारतें बनाने पर ध्यान दिया जा रहा है और न पुरानी इमारतों की मजबूती सुनिश्चित करने के कारगर कदम उठाए जाते हैं। हाई कोर्ट के आदेश पर करीब दो साल पहले दिल्ली में नगर निगम ने नियोजित इलाकों में कराए गए सर्वे में 30 साल और उससे पुरानी करीब 96 प्रतिशत बहुमंजिली इमारतों का ढांचा भूकंप झेल पाने के अनुकूल नहीं पाया गया था। फिर भी अभी तक भवनों की मजबूती सुनिश्चित करने के लिए ज्यादा काम नहीं हुआ। वहीं अनधिकृत कालोनियों में भवनों के निर्माण में किसी दिशा निर्देश का पालन नहीं होता। प्रशासन की यह अनदेखी भारी पड़ सकता है और बड़ा भूकंप आने पर बड़ी तबाही हो सकती है। दिल्ली में 1799 अनधिकृत कालोनियां और बड़ी संख्या में लालडोरा क्षेत्र है। अनधिकृत कालोनियों में ही करी 40 लाख से अधिक आबादी रहती है लेकिन यहां निर्माण कार्य के लिए कोई मानक तय नहीं हैं। इन अनधिकृत कालोनियों में लोगों की जिंदगी भगवन भरोसे हैं। वोट बैंक की राजनीति के कारण इस अनियोजित बसावट को रोकने के लिए कोई ठोस कदम नहीं उठाया जा रहा है। अधिवक्ता अर्पित भार्गव के अनुसार राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में इमारतों को भूकंप रोधी और उनकी मजबूती सुनिश्चित करने के लिए दिल्ली हाइकोर्ट के आदेश पर 2019 में एक एक्शन प्लान बना था। इसके तहत दो वर्षों में सभी ऊंची इमारतों और अगले तीन वर्ष में सभी इमारतों की ढांचागत मजबूती सुनिश्चित करने को कहा गया था, लेकिन यह कार्य 10 प्रतिशत भी नहीं हुआ है।सेंटर फार साइंस एंड एन्वायरनमेंट (सीएसई) में सस्टेनेबल हैबिटेट प्रोग्राम के निदेशक रजनीश सरीन ने कहा कि भूंकप रोधी निर्माण प्रणाली के अनुसार क्षेत्र भूकंप के लिहाज से जिस सिस्मिक जोन में होता है, उससे एक जोन अधिक ध्यान में रखकर भवन के ढांचे का निर्माण किया जाता है। यह मानक नियोजित इलाकों के भवनों व हाईराइज भवनों के लिए होता है। भूकंप की तीव्रता उसे झेल पाने के भवन की ढांचागत क्षमता से अधिक होने पर बड़ी तबाही आ सकती है। रखरखाव का अभाव बन सकता है तबाही का कारण उन्होंने कहा कि राष्ट्रीय राजधानी में बार-बार भूकंप आने की समस्या के मद्देनजर 30 साल और उससे अधिक पुराने भवनों के ढांचे को प्रमाणित कराने के लिए वर्ष 2020 में सर्वे हुआ था। इसका मकसद यह देखना था कि बहुमंजिली इमारतें भूकंप के लिहाज से कितनी सुरक्षित हैं। यह सर्वे लैब टेस्ट पर आधारित कम और आंख से भवन का ढांचा देखकर सर्वे अधिक किया गया। भवन के ढांचे की मजबूती का पता लगाने के निर्माण सामग्री और सरिया का सैंपल लैब में भेजकर जांच की जाती है ढांचा कितना मजबूत है। सर्वे में यह प्रक्रिया कम अपनाई गई। इसके अलावा तीन दशक में निर्माण की तकनीक बदल गई और अब दिल्ली एनसीआर में हाईराइज भवन बन रहे हैं। समय के साथ उन हाईराइज भवनों का रखरखाव प्रभावित होता है। बिल्डर कुछ सालों बाद रखरखाव की जिम्मेदारी आरडब्ल्यूए को सौंप देते हैं, जिसमें तकनीकी विशेषज्ञ शामिल नहीं होते। इसलिए रखरखाव व मरम्मत कार्य मानकों के अनुरूप नहीं होता। राजधानी के इन क्षेत्रों में है ज्यादा खतरा पृथ्वी विज्ञान मंत्रालय की रिपोर्ट के अनुसार पूर्वी दिल्ली, लुटियंस दिल्ली, सरिता विहार, पश्चिम विहार, वजीराबाद, करोलबाग, जनकपुरी भूकंप की दृष्टि से ज्यादा असुरक्षित है। छतरपुर, नारायणा, वसंत कुंज जैसे इलाके ज्यादा सुरक्षित हैं। राजधानी की पुरानी इमारतें 5 से 5.5 तीव्रता का भूकंप सह सकती हैं। दिल्ली में बनी नई इमारतें बनी हैं 6.6 तीव्रता के भूकंप को झेल सकती हैं।

• Down To Earth

India's Climate Battle

Extreme weather events have claimed nearly 3,000 lives in India just this year alone. The Centre for Science and Environment released its report on the impact of the climate crisis on the country just days ahead of the COP27 summit. Smita Sharma has the details. #climatedisasters #india #cop27

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Awaiting a paradigm shift

The 27th Conference of Parties (COP27), being held in Egypt, is a golden opportunity for countries to clear the logjam in the path of climate action. Global collaboration is undoubtedly the keyword when it comes to tackling the magnitude of climatic threats we have been facing presently. COP27 is markedly different from the previous versions due to certain reasons. Firstly, it has come at a time when climatic aberrations are approaching a saturation point of sorts. Secondly, it is being held in Africa — a continent which remains the worst sufferer of climate disasters that are taking a heavy toll on lives and livelihoods. Proportional and parallel to the intensification of climatic aberrations, debates and discussions, too, have reached the peak — without much action though. The theme of COP27 — 'Together for Implementation' — is aptly reflective of the prevailing circumstances. While the first keyword signifies the much-needed global cooperation, the second a fatigue from inactive discussions. As is known, the world today stands divided on the climate action front — the rich world is pushing developing countries to enhance climate action and wean them away from the use of non-renewable sources of energy while the developing world is demanding appropriate streamlining of climate finance. India, as a leader of developing countries, has come to the centre-stage of the climate action deliberations. At the COP27, right from the beginning, it has held the crux of entire deliberations — climate finance — to the forefront. With a largely suitable setting at the COP27, whether India will be able to break the ice is a critical question. But the focus is right. Until now, the loud talks around climate action have led to a faulty perception that a lot is being done in this regard while, in reality, very little action has materialised. Idea is abstract, and not sufficient in itself. It has to be backed by concrete action. And action at large scale is not possible without appropriate finances. Amid mutual blame games between the developed and the developing world, lack of climate finance is the real curse. As an acknowledgement of their responsibility for overexploiting natural resources to the planet's detriment, the developed countries at COP15 in Copenhagen (2009) had decided to jointly mobilise USD 100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries tackle the effects of climate change. Despite heavy talks, this promise remained largely a promise. As per a report by the Centre for Science and Environment, the climate finance flow has increased since the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 but still remains substantially low. In 2015, the overall flow was USD 44.6 billion, and rose to USD 80.4 billion in 2019 and USD 83.3 billion in 2020. This was still below the USD 100 billion promise. If it were USD 100 billion a year, would a significant part of the problem be solved? Certainly not. A standing committee on finance has estimated that USD 6-11 trillion are required till 2030 to meet the targets set by developing countries in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Essentially, the annual USD 100 billion funding flow has by and large become obsolete. Developing countries' insistence upon it is only symbolic. It is against this background that the developing world is pushing for the new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG) — a brand new climate finance target that may run in trillions. An Indian delegation at the meeting averred that the "ambitious goal set down by the developing countries requires substantive enhancement in climate finance from the floor of USD 100 billion per year". The nature of this financing should be "long-term, concessional, and climate-specific with equitable allocation between adaptation and mitigation projects." Transparency is the key word making the rounds. It is reassuring to see that climate deliberations are heading towards a paradigm shift. It remains to be seen how far the developing countries will succeed in bringing about a positive change on the climate action front.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

प्रमो द जो शी का लेख : कौ न देगा दुनि या बचाने की कीमत

भा रत सहि त वि का सशी ल देश, अमी र देशों पर नए वि त्ती य-लक्ष्य पर सहमत हो ने के लि ए दबा व डा ल रहे हैं। सेंटर फॉ र सा इंस एंडएं एनवा यरनमेंट द्वा रा प्रका शि त फैक्टशी ट के अनुसा र 2020 में, वि कसि त देशों ने 83.3 अरब डॉ लर जुटा ए। यह रा शि 2019 में 80.4 अरब डॉ लर थी । 100 अरब डॉ लर का वा दा 2023 तक पूरा हो ने की आशा नहीं है। मि स्र में, एकत्र हुए देश 2024 के लि ए और बड़े वि त्ती य-लक्ष्य तय करना चा हते हैं। ज़ा हि र है कि क्ला इमेट-फा इनेंस और क्षति की भरपा ई के लि ए अमी र देशों पर दबा व बढ़ने लगा है, पर जि तनी देर हो गी , उतनी ला गत बढ़ती जा एगी । मि स्र के शर्म-अल-शेख में 6 नवंबर से शुरू हुए संयुक्त रा ष्ट्र के कॉ न्फ्रेंस ऑफ द पा र्टी ज (कॉ प-27) सम्मेलन में जलवा यु परि वर्तन से वैश्वि क चिं ता एं जुड़ी हैं। जलवा यु परि वर्तन के दुष्प्रभा वों से लड़ने के लि ए संयुक्त रा ष्ट्र का यह सबसे बड़ा सा ला ना का र्यक्रम है। इस वैश्वि क-वा र्ता के केंद्र में एक तरफ जहरी ली गैसों के बढ़ते जा रहे उत्सर्जन की चिं ता है, तो दूसरी तरफ आने वा ले वक्त में परि स्थि ति यों को बेहतर बना ने की का र्य-यो जना । इन सबसे ऊपर है पैसा और इंसा फ। गरी ब देश, अमी र देशों से जहर-मुक्त भवि ष्य की ओर जा ने के लि ए आर्थि क-सहा यता मां ग रहे हैं। वे उस नुकसा न की भरपा ई भी चा हते हैं जो वैश्वि क ता पमा न में बढ़ो तरी के का रण हो रहा है, जि समें उनका को ई हा थ नहीं है। पि छले पौ ने दो सौ सा ल के औद्यो गी करण के का रण वा ता वरण में जो जहरी ली गैसें गई थीं , वे अभी मौ जूद हैं।

• Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility

Farm fires and Delhi's pollution: Stop villainising the farmer

It is not as if Punjab farmers don't know how harmful it is to put fire to paddy stubbles. They know their families are the first ones to be smothered by pollution. How come they seem helpless then? Soon after the newspaper headlines screamed '38 per cent pollution in New Delhi region due to straw burning', the daggers were out. At every TV debate that followed, the panellists, including doctors, lawyers and experts, were up in arms against farmers, blaming them for the thick layer of the pungent smog that engulfs the capital city. ADVERTISEMENT Ads by Why is no action being taken against farmers, a panellist asked? Why has no FIR been filed against them, asked another. Even newspaper editorials wanted FIRs to be filed against the perpetrators. One can understand why the panellists were furious, but to call farmers criminals and demand the Punjab Pollution Control Board to take them into custody is unbecoming of the educated and elite. Such indignant behaviour is not only a reflection of their own ignorance, but also a clever way of deflecting attention from their own behaviour and responsibility. The day Delhi reported 'severe' pollution, strangely Punjab had 'moderate' air quality. Even on days when stubble burning increases to exceptionally high levels, the fact that Delhi itself is responsible for 62 per cent of the pollution load is glossed over. In October, a study by the Centre for Science & Environment said 14 million vehicles in Delhi were responsible for 51 per cent of the air pollution. Of this, while it is easy to restrict the entry of diesel trucks, the fact that the growing numbers of SUV cars, which are globally known to produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the aviation industry, has never been questioned. SUV cars are the second-worst polluters globally, the first being the power sector. Although Delhi’s air quality worsens during the time of paddy harvest in the north-western region, the pollution levels remain high across the year. So much so that 15 years ago, even sitar maestro Ravi Shankar said driving in the city was like driving through a 'gas chamber'. In these 15 years, the air pollution load has only increased. It is not as if Punjab farmers don't know how harmful it is to put fire to paddy stubbles. They know their families are the first ones to be smothered by pollution. They are aware that burning crop residues destroys valuable soil nutrients as well. But knowing all the devastating impacts, how come they seem helpless? Punjab is the food granary. The intensive cropping pattern -- paddy, followed by wheat -- leaves a short window of two weeks, wherein farmers have to harvest the standing crop, take it to mandis and then undertake the wheat-sowing operations. With the state producing nearly 200 lakh tonnes of paddy straw every harvest season, its disposal becomes a problem. There are not many biomass power units that can absorb the huge biomass that is produced. The decomposer solution too has failed as it takes much longer for the stubbles to degrade in the soil. Given that paddy stubbles contain silica, it isn't suitable as fodder either. Burning of paddy straw, thus, is the easiest way out. Over the years, Punjab has been provided with 1.05 lakh machines for in-situ management, at 50 per cent subsidy for farmers and 80 per cent for cooperatives and aggregators. Machines like Happy seeder, Super seeder, Straw reaper, Chopper, Rotavator etc. are required to effectively manage stubbles. It also needs a tractor with a higher horsepower to operate the machines. Since these machines are used for not more than three weeks in a year, Punjab is staring at another problem in the years to come -- fast turning into a junkyard for machines. Already, the state is overloaded with tractors -- five lakh against the required one lakh. News reports say, given the high fuel cost, farmers prefer not to use these machines. With the average farm income being less than that of a chaprasi, and with Punjab farmers carrying a cumulative debt of Rs 1 lakh crore, they realise that these machines eat into their meagre profits. For years now, farmers have been demanding an incentive of Rs 3,000 per acre or enhancing the paddy Minimum Support Price by Rs 200 per quintal to enable them to manage the stubbles. If only the Centre had earlier provided for an adequate incentive package, the monumental health and environmental consequences arising from farm fires could have been avoided. Denial of an incentive all these years is primarily the reason for the failure to douse stubble-burning. Instead of coercing the farmers with legal action, the effort should be to understand their compulsions and help them overcome the crisis.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

भारत चाहता है नया जलवायु वित्त लक्ष्य

विकासशील देशों को अपने महत्वाकांक्षी लक्ष्यों को पूरा करने के लिए प्रति वर्ष 100 अरब डॉलर के स्तर से जलवायु वित्त में "पर्याप्त वृद्धि" की आवश्यकता होती है और समृद्ध देशों को संसाधनों की गतिशीलता का नेतृत्व करने की आवश्यकता होती है, भारत ने चल रहे संयुक्त राष्ट्र जलवायु शिखर सम्मेलन सीओपी 27 में जोर दिया है। विकासशील देशों को अपने महत्वाकांक्षी लक्ष्यों को पूरा करने के लिए प्रति वर्ष 100 अरब डॉलर के स्तर से जलवायु वित्त में "पर्याप्त वृद्धि" की आवश्यकता होती है और समृद्ध देशों को संसाधनों की गतिशीलता का नेतृत्व करने की आवश्यकता होती है, भारत ने चल रहे संयुक्त राष्ट्र जलवायु शिखर सम्मेलन सीओपी 27 में जोर दिया है। 2009 में कोपेनहेगन में COP15 में, विकसित देशों ने जलवायु परिवर्तन के प्रभावों से निपटने में विकासशील देशों की मदद करने के लिए 2020 तक प्रति वर्ष 100 बिलियन डॉलर संयुक्त रूप से जुटाने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध किया था। हालाँकि, अमीर देश इस वित्त को देने में बार-बार विफल रहे हैं। भारत सहित विकासशील देश, अमीर देशों को एक नए वैश्विक जलवायु वित्त लक्ष्य के लिए सहमत होने के लिए प्रेरित कर रहे हैं - जिसे जलवायु वित्त (एनसीक्यूजी) पर नए सामूहिक मात्रात्मक लक्ष्य के रूप में भी जाना जाता है - जिसे वे कहते हैं कि इसे संबोधित करने और अनुकूलित करने की लागत के रूप में खरबों में होना चाहिए। जलवायु परिवर्तन बढ़ा है। बुधवार को COP27 में NCQG पर एक उच्च-स्तरीय मंत्रिस्तरीय संवाद में, भारत ने इस बात पर प्रकाश डाला कि राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर निर्धारित योगदान (NDC) के लक्ष्यों को पूरा करने के लिए जलवायु कार्यों के लिए विकसित देशों से वित्तीय, तकनीकी और क्षमता-निर्माण समर्थन की आवश्यकता है, जो लोग घटनाक्रम से अवगत हैं। . इंटरगवर्नमेंटल पैनल ऑन क्लाइमेट चेंज (आईपीसीसी) के काम का हवाला देते हुए, भारत ने कहा कि समृद्ध देश वातावरण में कार्बन स्टॉक में प्रमुख योगदानकर्ता हैं, जो स्पष्ट रूप से यूएनएफसीसीसी और इसके पेरिस समझौते के मूल सिद्धांतों के महत्व को अंतर्निहित करते हैं - इक्विटी और सामान्य लेकिन विभेदित जिम्मेदारियां और संबंधित क्षमताएं (सीबीडीआर-आरसी)। सीबीडीआर-आरसी जलवायु परिवर्तन को संबोधित करने में अलग-अलग देशों की विभिन्न क्षमताओं और अलग-अलग जिम्मेदारियों को स्वीकार करता है। "इस तरह, सम्मेलन और उसके पेरिस समझौते के प्रावधानों और सिद्धांतों को एनसीक्यूजी की चर्चा और परिणामों का मार्गदर्शन करना चाहिए ताकि एक समान परिणाम सुनिश्चित हो सके जो विकासशील देशों में जलवायु कार्रवाई को सक्षम बनाता है।" "विकासशील देशों द्वारा निर्धारित महत्वाकांक्षी लक्ष्य के लिए प्रति वर्ष 100 अरब डॉलर के न्यूनतम स्तर से जलवायु वित्त में पर्याप्त वृद्धि की आवश्यकता है। भारतीय प्रतिनिधिमंडल ने बैठक के दौरान कहा, संसाधनों को जुटाने के लिए विकसित देशों के नेतृत्व की जरूरत है और अनुकूलन और शमन परियोजनाओं के बीच समान आवंटन के साथ दीर्घकालिक, रियायती और जलवायु-विशिष्ट होना चाहिए। इसमें कहा गया है, "200 9 में विकसित देशों द्वारा 100 अरब डॉलर की प्रतिबद्धता न केवल जरूरतों के पैमाने को देखते हुए थी, बल्कि अभी तक हासिल नहीं की गई है।" आर्थिक सहयोग और विकास संगठन (ओईसीडी) के आंकड़ों के मुताबिक, अमीर देशों से मिलकर एक अंतर सरकारी निकाय, विकसित देशों ने 2013 में 52.5 अरब डॉलर जुटाए। 2015 में 44.6 अरब डॉलर तक गिरने के बाद, वित्त प्रवाह में लगातार वृद्धि हुई है। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट द्वारा प्रकाशित एक फैक्ट शीट के अनुसार, 2020 में, विकसित देशों ने 83.3 बिलियन डॉलर जुटाए, जो 2019 में 80.4 बिलियन डॉलर से अधिक है। वित्त पर स्थायी समिति ने अनुमान लगाया है कि विकासशील देशों द्वारा अपने एनडीसी और अन्य संचार में निर्धारित लक्ष्यों को पूरा करने के लिए 2030 तक $ 6 ट्रिलियन से $ 11 ट्रिलियन की सीमा के संसाधनों की आवश्यकता है, जिसमें आवश्यकता निर्धारण रिपोर्ट भी शामिल है। एनडीसी वैश्विक तापमान वृद्धि को दो डिग्री सेल्सियस से नीचे, अधिमानतः 1.5 डिग्री सेल्सियस तक सीमित करने की राष्ट्रीय योजना है। भारतीय पक्ष ने कहा, "स्पष्ट रूप से, जलवायु वित्त की आवश्यकता तब भी बहुत अधिक है, जब अनुमानों ने पूरी तरह से पहचानी गई जरूरतों को पूरा नहीं किया है, खासकर अनुकूलन के लिए।" इस साल के सम्मेलन में, 6 से 18 नवंबर तक मिस्र के समुद्र तटीय सैरगाह शर्म अल-शेख में आयोजित किया जा रहा है, विकसित देशों से विकासशील देशों को अपनी जलवायु योजनाओं को और तेज करने के लिए प्रेरित करने की उम्मीद है। दूसरी ओर, विकासशील देश जलवायु परिवर्तन और परिणामी आपदाओं से निपटने के लिए आवश्यक वित्त और प्रौद्योगिकी प्रदान करने के लिए अमीर देशों से प्रतिबद्धता चाहते हैं। भारतीय प्रतिनिधिमंडल ने इस बात पर प्रकाश डाला कि जलवायु कार्रवाई के लिए बाजार दर पर वित्त की पहुंच से विकासशील देशों के वित्त पर काफी दबाव पड़ेगा। "आगे बढ़ते हुए, यदि महत्वाकांक्षी जलवायु लक्ष्यों को प्राप्त करना है, तो इन्हें विकासशील देशों द्वारा वित्तीय संसाधनों तक महत्वाकांक्षी, उपयुक्त और उचित पहुंच द्वारा परिलक्षित इरादों द्वारा समर्थित होने की आवश्यकता है। इसमें कहा गया है, "एनसीक्यूजी को इनमें से प्रत्येक आधार पर काम करने की जरूरत है और इस तरह विकासशील देशों द्वारा प्रभावी कार्रवाई को सक्षम बनाया जाना चाहिए।" भारत ने जोर देकर कहा कि यह जरूरी है कि तकनीकी विशेषज्ञ संवाद संसाधन जुटाने की मात्रा और गुणवत्ता पर ध्यान केंद्रित करें। "जबकि निजी क्षेत्र एक पूरक भूमिका निभा सकता है, विकसित देशों पर विभिन्न स्रोतों से जुटाने में नेतृत्व करने की प्रतिबद्धता है। विकसित देशों द्वारा लाए जाने वाले सार्वजनिक संसाधनों की सीमा जलवायु प्रवाह को निर्धारित करने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाएगी। इसलिए, अकेले निजी वित्त पर ध्यान केंद्रित करना हतोत्साहित करने वाला है, "यह कहा।