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All 10 glaciers in J&K melting fast, need ‘continuous monitoring’

SRINAGAR: More alarming evidence has come to fore that Jammu and Kashmir is sitting on an imminent climatic disaster. The bad news has come both from a central government report as well as from the well-known Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSW). According to the CSE report, all the 10 glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir are among the 39 glaciers in India that have been found to be at high risk. As per the report, these glaciers are melting fast, with 40 percent increase in their water levels recorded in the last decade. “They need to be monitored closely to avoid any disasters,” the report warns. The Monitoring of Glacial Lakes & Water Bodies in the Himalayan Region report by the Department of Water Resources, Government of India, has also recommended that “these Glacial lakes & water bodies require continuous monitoring in order to avoid any future disaster.” So, what can this change in glacier conditions do to life on earth? Researchers have found that it can first land and fill up the space that creates glacial lakes. Second, it can cause floods beyond control of existing infrastructure. An example of this was witnessed in February this year, when a piece of a glacier broke off high in Uttarakhand’s Himalayas, causing a deadly flash flood that smashed through a hydroelectric power plant. It destroyed many homes, too. Two persons from JK, including a Kashmir-based engineer, died in the incident in which more than 70 people lost their lives. In another report, the CSE has shown what climatic disasters have already done to people. Its State of India’s Environment Report 2021 says that 39 lakh people in India were displaced in 2020 due to climate disasters and conflicts and violence related to the environment. Most of the displacements occurred due to major climate disasters like avalanches and landslides, which frequently happen in Jammu and Kashmir. “India is also prone to other sudden and slow-onset hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, storm surges and droughts,” the report says. On average, around 3.73 million people a year were displaced between 2008 and 2020, the majority by flooding during the monsoon, the report mentioned.

COVID-19 puts no brakes on India's zeal to fight climate change, but not all steps are emission-free

Balancing development, economy and controlling carbon emissions is like walking on a razor edge for a country like India, but India will have to keep fighting climate change challenges for its own people and for the world at large As this copy was being written on Wednesday (9 June, 2020), Mumbai was reeling under a spectacularly drenched monsoon debut for this year with Santacruz recording 164.8 mm and Colaba registering 32.2 mm of rains till 4 pm respectively. Amid the promising signs of a bountiful monsoon, however, there are harsh realities that the country increasingly cannot ignore. "Heavy rain events have increased threefold since 1950, but total precipitation is declining: a billion people in India currently face severe water scarcity for at least one month of the year," said an ODI working paper The costs of climate change in India authored by Angela Picciariello, Sarah Colenbrander, Amir Bazaz and Rathin Roy. The ODI working paper goes on to say, "Rainfall is expected to continue declining, and both snowfall and glaciers in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya are diminishing. Consequently, the flow of water in the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers is projected to fall by 8.4 percent, 17.6 percent and 19.6 percent, respectively, by mid-century, compared to the turn of the millennium.... If it slips below a critical value, the circulation of the summer monsoon may collapse. Such a catastrophic climatic shift would massively increase water scarcity and reduce agricultural output across India." Climate conundrum "India is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, and people live on marginal lands or in coastal and delataic cities where they are at greater risk. Floods, regional droughts, cyclones, and earthquakes affect millions of Indians," said a commissioned research report India: The Impact of Climate Change to 2030 by the National Intelligence Council of the US government. However, it will be wrong to say that India is sitting idle on the climate front. "There are both external and domestic dimensions to India’s Climate Change policy which has been articulated through two key documents. One is the National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC) adopted on 30 June, 2008. The other is India’s Intended Nationally Determined Commitments (INDC) submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 2 October, 2015," former foreign secretary Shyam Saran wrote in a piece India’s Climate Change Policy: Towards a Better Future. The NAPCC outlines eight national missions on climate change. They are: (1) National Solar Mission (2) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (3) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (4) National Water Mission (5) National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system (6) National Mission for a Green India (7) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (8) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change The NAPCC shows intent on cushioning the impact of climate change and India did not allow its mission to derail because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, India has allocated at least $35.37 billion of its fiscal stimulus package to clean energy, including renewables (especially solar power) and energy efficiency. Still, more public support has gone to green transport, afforestation and other spending consistent with low-carbon development," the ODI working paper said. While this is a welcome spirit, there were other steps as well that were relatively regressive that were taken during the pandemic period. "Yet, as of April 2021, $29.02 billion had also been allocated in ways that encourage high-carbon production and consumption. For example, funding has been provided for a new coal-fired thermal power plant in Bihar and to purchase new equipment for coal production," the working paper said. Independent scientific analysis Climate Action Tracker (CAT) rates India's Intended Nationally Determined Commitments (INDC) target as “2°C compatible” signalling the country's climate commitment in 2030 to be a fair share of global effort based on its responsibility and capability, but still short of the Paris Agreement. "While no new coal power stations have been built in 2020, the government is encouraging more coal mining and increased coal production which is not consistent with a green recovery. India needs to develop a just transition strategy to phase out coal for power generation before 2040," said a CAT observation on India. Although keeping coal out of the picture is an ideal situation for meeting emission targets, in reality, it is a near-impossible option even by the government's own admission. "Everyone wants quality, uninterrupted power; but no one wants a power plant in their neighbourhood. Farmers and green activists oppose coal and nuclear power plants as being polluting and taking away useful cultivable land. But, coal and nuclear plants are inevitable, since solar, wind and other renewables cannot supply dependable power," Dr CBS Venkataramana, additional secretary, Department of Atomic Energy said in his presentation India’s Energy Challenges. Nevertheless, India has many laws and statutory bodies that help the country in cutting down carbon emissions in various aspects. Laws and guidelines like the Electricity Act, 2005; Tariff Policy, 2003; Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006; New and Renewable Energy Policy, 2005; Rural Electrification Policy, 2006; Energy Conservation Act, 2001; Biodiesel Purchase Policy; Energy Conservation Building Code, 2006; Bachat Lamp Yojana and 50,000 MW Hydroelectric Initiative, 2003, are among such initiatives. Then there are statutory bodies like the National Clean Development Mechanism Authority and Designated National Authority. On the international front, India's initiative resulted in a common statement at the first Conference of the Parties that became the basis for the Berlin Mandate. Agony in economy Climate change is an ongoing cycle and without our actual realisation, the lives of human beings are getting affected in a big way. The day-to-day weather behaviour that we witness can actually have long-term impacts challenging not only our physical survivability but also crunching the economy. "Climate change is already slowing the pace of poverty reduction and increasing inequality in India. The districts that have warmed the fastest have seen GDP grow on average 56 percent less than those that have warmed the slowest. Without rapid global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, rising average temperatures may actually reverse the development gains of recent decades," the ODI working paper said. "At the lower end of the spectrum, predictions show that climate change could reduce India’s GDP by around 2.6 percent by 2100 even if the global temperature increase is held below 2°C; however, this rises by up to 13.4 percent in a 4°C scenario." Unbelievably, the working paper, citing Nixon 2020, claimed that had it not been for the current costs of global warming, India’s GDP would have currently posted around 25 percent higher. However, it also leaves a grim warning that "with 3°C of warming, it will be 90 percent lower in 2100 than it would have been without climate change." Balancing development, economy and controlling carbon emissions is like walking on a razor edge for a country like India. "Developing countries have only recently set out on the path of industrialisation. That is the reason why their per capita emissions are still comparatively low. Under these circumstances, any limit on CO2 emissions amounts to a limit on economic growth," said a UNDP paper Climate Change: Perspectives from India authored by Sunita Narain, Prodipto Ghosh, NC Saxena, Jyoti Parikh and Preeti Soni. Consequently, the international negotiations under the UNFCCC, also known as the Kyoto Protocol, "aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere have turned into a tug of war with rich countries unwilling to ‘compromise their lifestyles’ and poor countries unwilling to accept a premature cap on their right to basic development". The math is very simple. Economic development is still calculated by per capita CO2 emissions. The funding for renewable energy sources is also far from easy from generating. "India has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, which needs an additional $100 billion in financing. The figure is estimated to increase to $450 billion by 2030, according to a United States-based think tank Climate Policy Initiative. Project financing in India is expensive. Interest rates are much higher compared to developed economies. While large companies and conglomerates find it easier to raise funds because of the size of their balance sheets but it is incredibly challenging for smaller developers to borrow," said a Mercom India paper. According to Global Change Data Lab, 2021, India is not responsible for rising temperatures because despite being home to 17.8 percent of the world’s population, the country accounts for only 3.2 percent of cumulative emissions. Yet, there is no reprieve to its economy. "The economic costs associated with more frequent and severe heatwaves in India’s cities, changing rainfall patterns and accelerated snow and glacier melt, which are contributing to both flooding and water shortages, and steadily rising sea levels on India’s long coastline, which are exacerbating the impacts of storm surge and tropical cyclones," said the ODI working paper. A living hell Diverse geography and climate patterns, make India a vulnerable theatre for the ill-effects of climate change to unfold. "Climate change, adding to existing problems of the agricultural system, may worsen conditions for the large poor segment of the population enough to severely tax the economic and industrial resources of the central and state governments," said a commissioned research report India: The Impact of Climate Change to 2030 by the National Intelligence Council of the US government. In a rather grim observation, it further said, "Where adaptive capacity is low, the potential is greater for impacts to result in displaced people; deaths and damage from heat, floods, and storms; and conflicts over natural resources and assets." India has a huge poor population and insulating from the impact of climate change is a daunting task. "It should be kept in mind that the most vulnerable to climate change are the poor in India. Unfortunately, their assets and livelihoods are tied to climate-sensitive factors of production. Therefore, greater political and bureaucratic attention is needed to diversify their livelihoods and reduce their vulnerability," said NC Saxena in his piece for UNDP, Climate Change and Food Security in India. According to the ODI working paper, India is already experiencing the consequences of 1°C of global warming. "Extreme heatwaves, heavy rainfall, severe flooding, catastrophic storms and rising sea levels are damaging lives, livelihoods and assets across the country. Looking forward, the human and economic costs of climate change will only increase," it said. No easy path ahead India has an unenviable task of charting a middle path that is acceptable both at the domestic and international front. "Greater and imaginative governmental intervention would also need an efficient and professional administration that is tuned to the emerging but uncertain crises caused by global warming and climate change," said Saxena in his article Climate Change and Food Security in India. How difficult are negotiations in the international arena was proved when the then US secretary of state Hillary Clinton through an op-ed article sought to club India and China under one umbrella and make them follow the same carbon emission control benchmark which is otherwise only applicable for only developed countries. However, at times, India also misjudges situations in its enthusiasm to push forward its agenda. "In the zeal to argue its position, India at times even appeared to verge on climate denial, taking the same side as the US, Saudi Arabia and similar others in negotiations.... If India does indeed take on achieving an equitable climate agreement as its main goal, its negotiating stance and related diplomacy would have a very different orientation and purposefulness," wrote D Raghunandan in his piece Rethinking India’s Climate Policy and the Global Negotiations for Oxfam India. There will be successes and drawbacks, strategies wrong and right in the path ahead, but India will have to keep fighting climate change challenges for its own people and for the world at large.

L’Inde compte désormais plus d’ouvriers agricoles que d’agriculteurs. Depuis 2017, les mobilisations des agriculteurs ne font que croître

Par la rédaction de Down to Earth Depuis 2017, les protestations des agriculteurs en Inde ont été multipliées par cinq. De 34 protestations majeures à travers 15 Etats en 2017, le nombre est maintenant passé à 165 protestations à travers 22 Etats et territoires de l’Union, selon le groupe de réflexion Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), basé à New Delhi. Chaque jour, plus de 28 ouvriers agricoles et cultivateurs se suicident dans le pays. En 2019, il y a eu 5 957 suicides d’agriculteurs, ainsi que 4 324 ouvriers agricoles supplémentaires qui sont morts par suicide. Aujourd’hui, l’Inde compte plus d’ouvriers agricoles que d’agriculteurs dans 52 % des districts du pays. La population des ouvriers agricoles a dépassé celle des agriculteurs et des exploitants. Le Bihar, le Kerala et Puducherry comptent plus d’ouvriers agricoles que d’agriculteurs dans tous leurs districts. Ces statistiques, publiées par le CSE à l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de l’environnement, montrent une chose: l’Inde est assise sur une énorme bombe à retardement de crise et d’inquiétude agraires, et la montre tourne. La publication, intitulée State of India’s Environment in Figures 2021, est un recueil annuel de données et de statistiques sur les questions clés de l’environnement et du développement. Sunita Narain, directrice générale du CSE, a déclaré: «Les chiffres ont un effet dramatique, surtout lorsqu’ils vous donnent une tendance, à savoir si les choses s’améliorent ou se dégradent. C’est encore plus puissant lorsque vous pouvez utiliser la tendance pour comprendre la crise, le défi et l’opportunité.» «C’est d’autant plus évident quand on voit l’état des registres fonciers et leur entretien dans le pays», a déclaré Richard Mahapatra, rédacteur en chef de Down To Earth. «Notre analyse montre que dans 14 Etats indiens on a assisté à une détérioration de la qualité de leurs registres fonciers.» Selon Sunita Narain: «A une époque où la qualité des données dont nous disposons est généralement médiocre – elles sont soit manquantes, soit indisponibles publiquement, soit de qualité douteuse – une collection comme celle-ci peut être immensément utile, en particulier pour les journalistes. L’amélioration de la qualité des données n’est possible que si nous les utilisons à des fins politiques». Elle a cité le cas de la pandémie de Covid-19: «Considérez simplement combien nous avons souffert au cours de l’année écoulée parce que nous ne disposions pas de données suffisantes ou précises sur les tests, ou le nombre de décès, ou les enquêtes sérologiques, ou le séquençage génomique des variants. Dans chaque cas, les données auraient été (et sont) essentielles à l’élaboration des politiques.» Elle ajoute que la collecte de données est importante. Mais il est tout aussi important que des ensembles entiers de données soient partagés et travaillés afin qu’ils puissent être critiqués et, grâce à ce processus, utilisés et améliorés, a-t-elle ajouté. (Article publié sur le site du bimensuel DownToEarth en date du 8 juin 2021; traduction rédaction A l’Encontre)

Master Plan aim: Green Capital, 24x7 economy

In terms of land management, the draft MPD-2041 focuses on reviving old neighbourhoods (unauthorised colonies, urbanised villages), allowing mixed-use development, providing affordable rental and small-format housing. A 24-hour culture and business environment, more green spaces and water bodies, lower pollution emissions, and more accessible housing are among objectives in Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) Master Plan for 2041, a set of guidelines meant to underpin policies for housing, construction, transport, and environment over the next 20 years. The Master Plan of Delhi-2041, at present a draft uploaded online for public comments on Wednesday, has identified a need to improve the city’s economic, creative and cultural opportunities, as well as make it ecologically sustainable while accounting for the projected growth of population to 29.2 million over the next two decades. Delhi’s population as of 2021 is estimated to be 20.6 million, the document said. Work on the 2041 Master Plan began in 2017, and while a top DDA official described it as a “vision to foster a sustainable, liveable and vibrant Delhi by 2041”, citizen groups and experts said the blueprint at present is vague and ambitious, and must instead set a more clear roadmap, particularly in the area of pollution. This plan is for the city’s future for the next two decades. The vision is to foster a sustainable, liveable and vibrant Delhi by 2041. There are several policies and norms that have been introduced to achieve this. Now that it is public domain, we want more and more people to give their feedback on it after which public consultations would be held to finalise the plan,” said DDA vice-chairman Anurag Jain. In terms of land management, the draft MPD-2041 focuses on reviving old neighbourhoods (unauthorised colonies, urbanised villages), allowing mixed-use development, providing affordable rental and small-format housing. A significant proposal is also for DDA to end its role as a real estate developer, and instead take on responsibilities of a “facilitator” and a “regulatory” with the construction and development instead being given to private companies. “A paradigm shift is envisaged in the supply scenario, with the private sector leading the development/redevelopment of housing over the plan period. Public agencies shall play the role of a ‘facilitator’ and ensure ease of doing business, through appropriate regulatory environments,” the document added. On public transit, it seeks to improve walkability and non-motorised transport, while on the ecology, it envisions the development of a green-blue (green spaces and waterfronts) infrastructure for sustainable development. But the sector where some of the major changes are proposed is the city’s economy. MPD-2041 proposes a shift from manufacturing to clean industries such as knowledge and cyber, and a push to foster a “Night-Time Economy” (NTE). “Nodes, precincts or circuits shall be identified for continuing work, cultural activity and entertainment at night to attract tourists and locals,” the plan said. It also added a new section to propose policies that build in “pandemic resilience”. These measures include reducing settlement densities to support the requirement of social distancing during pandemics, creation of multi-facility plots (particularly in dense unplanned areas) that can be temporarily repurposed along with other government facilities to reduce vulnerability to pandemics. MPD-2041 has been drawn up by DDA and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) after wide consultations with experts, residents, traders and other stakeholders last year. The plan will be sent to the Union housing and urban affairs ministry for notification after more public consultations, and DDA expects it to be notified by the end of 2021. The MPD in force was for objectives till 2021. It’s core focus areas were environment, mobility, shelter, trade and commerce. According to DDA officials, some of the key new policies may include the forming of a Green Development Area, which will allow development in green belts and major changes in the development control norms – which could become controversial from an environment protection perspective. Environmentalist Diwan Singh said that the policy will only result in rampant commercial activities in greenbelt villages. “These are the green buffers of the city. What’s left if development is allowed in these villages? Instead provisions should be made that villagers can get revenue eco-system services or eco-friendly activities, etc,” he said. The MPD-2041 also proposes that local bodies and the tourism department identify nightlife circuits (NCs) and permit extended timings for socio-cultural activities. For this, low-frequency public transport should be made available, it adds. “Cities should consciously support night-time economies and active nightlife. On the one hand, it will support numerous economies that can thrive at night, for instance, cultural activities, certain industries, logistics, etc. thereby helping stagger work timings and reduce congestion on roads. This will also substantially increase productive use of city resources by utilising city infrastructure throughout the day, resulting in higher economic output. On the other hand, night life can also provide interesting options for citizens to participate in recreational, cultural and creative activities after standard work hours,” said NIUA director Hitesh Vaidya. Vaidya said the “pandemic has shown that it cannot be business as usual anymore”. “There is a need for the integration of health services with other city infrastructures. There is a need for detailed neighbourhood planning,” he added. The MPD-2041 abandons the provision for Local Area Plans, which was mandated in the MPD-2021, and the DDA now plans to develop layouts that will be more detailed and map all infrastructure. The proposed development of green-blue corridors will focus on improving drains and river waterfronts, and allow regulated development in green belt villages while preserving eco-cultural assets. With dust pollution being one of the major contributors to air pollution, the plan has proposed that infrastructure agencies should prepare a dust management plan and get it approved by competent authorities. Shortage of housing is also a pressing concern that the MPD focuses on. The DDA’s land pooling policy, which was approved in 2018, will make way for development of 1.7-2 million dwelling units in the outskirts of the city. The new Master Plan further pushes for rental housing and small format housing complexes. “This is being done to provide affordable housing to a large section of people. An online portal giving information regarding availability, location, rentals, etc, shall be created,” said an official, who asked not to be named. Like MPD-2021, this plan, too, focuses on congestion pricing in busy business districts, restricting on-street parking, and preparing market management plans in residential and commercial areas. In the transport sector, there is a major thrust on promoting electric mobility, revival of the Ring Rail network, promoting cycling by developing dedicated corridors, and provisions for starting premium bus services on busy routes. With e-commerce business picking up, DDA official quoted above said the authority has identified a need to streamline the freight logistics and distribution network to support this new business model. MPD-2041 also has a detailed plan for monitoring the implementation of the Master Plan. DDA officials said that they have baseline data of all important sectors and to assess progress, three monitoring committees -- Environmental Sustainability Committee, Built Environment Committee and City Vitality Committee – will keep tracking related metrics. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said that this time, DDA has ensured that there is a multi-sector understanding of the environment crisis Delhi is facing. But, she added, the Master Plan could be pushed further by setting tighter deadlines for managing polluting sectors to ensure early and efficient results. “What needs to be appreciated is that environment is not seen as a stand-alone category, each segment of the document, such as transport, industries, water management, links to the overall environmental issue. Finally, we are also recognising the multi-sectoral role in pollution and this will help us tackle this problem better,” Roychowdhury said.

Draft Master Plan lists measures to save ‘green and blue’ assets

The draft of the plan document, prepared by the Delhi Development Authority, was put in the public domain on Wednesday for suggestions. Once approved, the plan will provide policy framework for the development of the city till 2041. This time, environmental degradation and mitigating strategies have been put in focus since Delhi has to face alarming levels of air pollution specially in winters each year because of a combination of local, external and weather factors. delhi news Draft Master Plan lists measures to save ‘green and blue’ assets The draft of the plan document, prepared by the Delhi Development Authority, was put in the public domain on Wednesday for suggestions. Once approved, the plan will provide policy framework for the development of the city till 2041. By Soumya Pillai, Hindustan Times, New Delhi UPDATED ON JUN 10, 2021 02:50 AM IST The draft Master Plan of Delhi-2041 envisages building a sustainable infrastructure that will help the national capital curb local sources of pollution such as dust from construction sites and vehicular emissions, as well as redeveloping the city’s ‘green and blue’ assets, referring to the city’s forest and green cover and its water bodies. The draft of the plan document, prepared by the Delhi Development Authority, was put in the public domain on Wednesday for suggestions. Once approved, the plan will provide policy framework for the development of the city till 2041. This time, environmental degradation and mitigating strategies have been put in focus since Delhi has to face alarming levels of air pollution specially in winters each year because of a combination of local, external and weather factors. MORE FROM THIS SECTION At 85, the fully vaccinated Mr Ahuja is secluded within his home in Gurugram’s Ram Nagar. Delhiwale: Landmark shop, down shutters On public transit, it seeks to improve walkability and non-motorised transport, while on the ecology, it envisions the development of a green-blue (green spaces and waterfronts) infrastructure for sustainable development. Master Plan aim: Green Capital, 24x7 economy HT Image DU collects data on students to lost parents to Covid-19 The Meerut police also confirmed Pandey’s arrest from his home, which comes under the territorial jurisdiction of Pallavpuram police station. Member of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party arrested in sexual assault case Besides redevelopment and protection of both forest and green cover as well as the Yamuna and other water bodies, the draft plan envisages building infrastructure in a way that connects people with their natural heritage. “The aim is to provide a comprehensive framework to treat green and blue assets (natural and planned) as green-blue infrastructure to facilitate better continuum and strategies for tackling pollution, for protection and enhancement of natural assets with a public interface, to build new city-level assets such as greenways along natural drains, repurposing underutilised sites and wastelands as green-blue assets, and greening of plots and buildings and introduction to green-blue Factor (GBF) for plan approval,” the draft read. The green-blue plan suggests that to protect the depleting number of trees in Delhi, a tree directory will be prepared by all agencies concerned in their respective areas. The agencies will be tasked with identifying unique tree corridors or precincts, heritage trees, precincts with high carbon storage and sequestration rates, etc. Such trees or tree clusters shall be protected and controlled in terms of planting of indigenous trees and integrated with cultural trails or nature trails. Considering that Delhi is yet to have a tree census, such an initiative is likely to help agencies keep an exact count of the number, location, type and age of the trees in their jurisdiction. This will also help authorities keep track of instances of illegal tree felling. To preserve and improve the conditions of water bodies and their floodplains, the draft plan proposes natural resources to be marked as ‘areas under environmental protection’. These areas will be marked by delineated boundaries and a separate database will be created to monitor their protection and maintenance. Also, it was proposed to restrict development near and on such sites. Saying “Delhi’s history and cultural ethos is closely linked with the Yamuna”, the draft plan lists special initiatives for the rejuvenation of the river and its floodplains. These measures include 300-metre green buffer along the entire edge of the river, developing cycling and walking trails along the embankments, restricting all permanent construction on the floodplain and identifying specific spots for cultural and agricultural activities. Emphasising that curbing air and water pollution in the city will require efforts by several states, the draft plan says that all member NCR states and respective pollution control boards need to follow the regulations and standards laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). In order to control dust, which is the main contributor of particulate matter pollutants in the city’s air, the draft plan proposes that all development projects must follow dust mitigation measures in handling construction material and construction and demolition waste. “A dust management plan will be submitted as per CPCB or any other guidelines. Construction sites shall be monitored regularly by the local bodies to ascertain the implementation,” the draft plan read. Government data quoted in by the DDA stated that local PM2.5 (ultrafine particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) pollution is 26% during summers and 36% during winter. It also underlined the importance of checking pollution of surface water bodies and ground water to be addressed on priority. The draft plan calls for comprehensive strategies for preserving and enhancing streams, drains, lakes and wetlands, ponds and baolis. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the DDA has ensured that there is a multi-sectoral understanding of the environmental crisis that Delhi is facing. However, she said, the master plan could be pushed further by setting tighter deadlines for managing polluting sectors to ensure early and efficient results. “What needs to be appreciated is that environment is not seen as a stand-alone category, each segment of the document, such as transport, industries, water management, links to the overall environmental issue. Finally, we are also recognising separately the various factors that contribute to pollution, and this will help us tackle this problem better,” Roychowdhury said.

‘India Taking Rapid Strides Towards Its Sustainability Goals’

During the panel discussion, it was unanimously agreed that India has the onerous task of achieving those SDGs especially since greenhouse gases emitted by it is the third largest in the world at 7% of global emissions. India played a prominent role in the formulation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and much of the country’s National Development Agenda is mirrored in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The progress of the world to meet the SDGs largely depends on India’s progress. The SDGs, which are essentially a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. However, with 17 Goals, 169 Targets and 306 National indicators, the SDGs might be difficult to comprehend and defining and measuring success poses a challenge. This was extensively deliberated upon at one of the sessions of an e-summit by BW Businessworld on 5th June, 2021 on World Environment Day (WED). Themed ‘Nurturing the mindset of Sustainability’, the e-session moderated by Jyotsna Sharma, Senior Editor BW Businessworld. During the panel discussion, it was unanimously agreed that India has the onerous task of achieving those SDGs especially since greenhouse gases emitted by it is the third largest in the world at 7% of global emissions. While addressing her session, Miniya Chatterji, Founder and CEO of Sustain Labs Paris opined that about three decades ago, the policy stance from India was that the onus is not on developing countries but on developed countries which have caused the. But now, the discourse that she is hearing from India on international platforms is that India is taking responsibility is we will take measures as well. “If you look at India’s commitment to Paris Agreement and the translation into national policies thenceforth, you see a drastic change. The challenger here lies in the implementation of those national policies and that is where the private sector has to join hands. The one big stumbling block is thermal energy (as) we tend to think it is the private sector, which generates 46% of India’s thermal power. What is most important for corporations today is that it is great that they are now aware and making an effort towards responsible business but now set science-based targets rather than pulling out targets from here and there. When asked to shed some light on the sustainable development goals by Ina Inc., she added, “As corporates are moving towards running sustainable organisations, they can also invest in education to have the next generation of consumers in order to generate the talent that would be feeders for these companies.” It is to be mentioned that Miniya Chatterji’s organisation Sustain Labs Paris is a sustainability incubator that transforms large organisations into becoming social entrepreneurs and therefore more sustainable. She is also the founding director of the Fellowship for Climate Action, an international program based in India for climate change solutions. She led the establishment of 11 COVID hospitals across India within 6 months, by transforming existing vacant buildings. Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), who has been a staunch opponent of diesel engine cars, was also there to air her views on clean energy vehicles. She was of the view that the recovery package doled out in Europe and the constant focus towards electrification despite the ongoing Covid are some of the learning lessons for India. “What we need to learn from global markets like Europe is how to leverage the economic recovery process for the new normal now to work post-pandemic and work for electrification. That is one missed opportunity for India today even though we have the PLI scheme hopefully that will work to some extent. While the scrappage policy was announced, it failed to make this a stimulus package for electrification. More than the policies designed only for the ICE engine, it is the regulations for ICE engines which is going to drive electrification. The combination of a very well-designed incentive policy, strong regulation for ICE engine, and very carefully designed recovery package that works as a fiscal stimulus and economic recovery that is the way to move forward.” Without vehemently opposing Roy Chowdhury’s views, Gautam Sen, an Indian journalist, writer and automotive design consultant and expert, maintained that the government should be technology agnostic and electricity-driven cars may not be the final destination for the automotive industry. While delineating his thoughts, Sen avers, “There is a lot of noise made (about electric vehicles) and the point is how you get there. It is about time government (should be) setting objectives and broader guidelines and (be also) letting consumers and industry decide what is the choice of technology (ICE or Electric). There is a tendency to believe Electric vehicle is the solution. (By claiming) Battery technology is the only way forward is narrowing our options there. There are about billions of cars and half a million two-wheelers which will not be taken off the roads. We can have a punitive tax rate that can discourage polluting vehicles.”

देश के 52 फीसदी जिलों में किसानों से ज्यादा हुए खेतिहर मजदूर, बीते चार सालों में पांच गुना बढ़े किसानों के आंदोलन

देश के 52 फीसदी जिलों में खेतिहर मजदूरों की संख्या किसानों की तुलना में ज्यादा हो गई है। सरकार ने 2017 में किसानों की आय को दोगुना करने का लक्ष्य तय किया लेकिन बीते चार वर्षों में देश में किसानों के आंदोलन पांच गुना बढ़ गए हैं। सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट की सालाना रिपोर्ट ‘स्टेट ऑफ इंडियाज एनवायरनमेंट’ में यह आंकड़े सामने आए हैं। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, 2020 में मौसमी आपदाओं के चलते 39 लाख लोगों को विस्थापित किया गया और 21 बड़ी मौसमी घटनाओं में 1374 लोगों की जान चली गई। रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक बिहार, केरल व पुडुचेरी के सभी जिलों में किसानों की तुलना में खेतिहर मजदूर अधिक हो गए हैं। बिहार के 38 जिलों में कुल 78 फीसदी खेतिहर मजदूर हो गए हैं और केवल 22 फीसदी (2 करोड़ 55 लाख) किसान हैं। झारखंड में 54 फीसदी (14 जिलों) खेतिहर मजदूर व 46 फीसदी (10 जिले) में (83 लाख) किसान हैं। मध्यप्रदेश में 2 करोड़ 20 लाख किसान हैं, यहां 13 जिलों में किसान व 37 जिलों में खेतिहर मजदूर अधिक हैं। पश्चिम बंगाल में भी 33 फीसदी किसान व 67 खेतिहर मजदूर हैं, राज्य के 19 में से केवल 2 जिलों में ही किसानों की संख्या खेतिहर मजदूरों से ज्यादा है। देश में प्रतिदिन 28 किसान या खेतिहर मजदूर आत्महत्या कर रहे हैं, यह संख्या महाराष्ट्र, कर्नाटक, आंध्र प्रदेश व तेलंगाना में सबसे ज्यादा है। 2017 में जब सरकार ने किसान की आय को दोगुना करने का लक्ष्य रखा था, तब देश के 15 राज्यों में 34 बड़े किसान आंदोलन या प्रदर्शन हुए थे, जबकि 2020-21 तक 22 राज्यों में 165 किसान आंदोलन या प्रदर्शन हुए, इनमें से 96 विरोध प्रदर्शन केवल सरकार की आर्थिक व कृषि नीतियों के खिलाफ हुए हैं। सबसे अधिक 19 प्रदर्शन ओडीशा में हुए। रिपोर्ट में यह उल्लेख भी है कि देश की 14 करोड़ हेक्टेयर कृषि भूमि में से केवल दो फीसदी पर ही ऑर्गेनिक खेती होती है। देश में आपदाओं के चलते 39 लाख लोगों को विस्थापन करना पड़ा जो चीन, फिलीपींस व बांग्लादेश के बाद सबसे बड़ी संख्या है। सबसे अधिक लोग भारतीय तटों पर आए समुद्री तूफान से प्रभावित हुए। 1971 से 2020 तक 50 वर्षों के दौरान नवंबर महीने में 38 तूफान आए जबकि मई के महीने 15 तूफान आए।

Swedish Minister appointed Sunita Narain to an international advisory group for action on environment, climate and biodiversity

New Delhi: Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Per Olsson Fridh appointed Sunita Narain – Environmentalist, Writer and Director General of The Centre for Science & Environment & Editor of Down to Earth Magazine – to an international advisory group for action on environment, climate and biodiversity launched in connection with World Environment Day. The purpose of the group, which comprises international experts who provide a deep commitment and knowledge in the field, is to further strengthen the Swedish Government’s efforts to address climate change, halt the loss of biodiversity and the depletion of ecosystems. Strong global action on these issues is necessary for sustainable and equitable development, and to prevent conflicts and new pandemics. Ambassador Klas Molin said: “I am happy that Sunita Narain of Centre for Science and Environment has been appointed to the Minister’s international advisory group for environment, climate and biodiversity. Sunita’s broad and very relevant experience also includes a South Asian perspective with its many challenges.“ Sunita Narain said: “COVID-19 and climate change both teach us that the world is interdependent and we need global cooperation to find solutions that are equitable and transformative. By setting up this advisory group, the Swedish government has once again shown its willingness to engage with diverse voices to find solutions that will work for all. I am delighted to be part of the effort and will look forward to its deliberations.” The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) under Ms Narain’s leadership, was awarded the Stockholm Water Prize in 2005. CSE’s work on rainwater harvesting has shown the many ingenious ways in which people learnt to live with water scarcity. Besides Ms Narain, other members of the group include Ili Nadiah Dzulfakar, climate activist and founder of Klima Action Malaysia; Wanjira Mathai, Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute think tank; Ulrika Modéer, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of the United Nations Development Programme’s Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, former State Secretary at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Olof Skoog, Head of the European Union delegation to the United Nations in New York, Swedish diplomat; and Peter Winsor, Professor of Oceanography and Director of the World Wildlife Fund’s Arctic Programme. The first (informal) meeting of the advisory group is going to be held in early autumn and will be led by Minister Fridh.

Nature didn’t heal… completely

Remember all those pictures on snow-capped mountains, suddenly made visible when the country went under the first Covid lockdown? There was an outpouring of pictures on social media, about how “nature was healing” as humans remained locked in. As it turns out, it wasn’t all blue skies. A recent e-publication by the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based environmental think-tank, “busts the myth” about India’s rivers becoming cleaner during the pandemic.

Swedish Minister appoints environmentalist Sunita Narain to International Advisory Group for Environment, Climate & Biodiversity

Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Per Olsson Fridh appointed Sunita Narain – Environmentalist, Writer and Director General of The Centre for Science & Environment & Editor of Down to Earth Magazine – to an international advisory group for action on environment, climate and biodiversity launched in connection with World Environment Day. The purpose of the group, which comprises international experts who provide a deep commitment and knowledge in the field, is to further strengthen the Swedish Government’s efforts to address climate change, halt the loss of biodiversity and the depletion of ecosystems. Strong global action on these issues is necessary for sustainable and equitable development, and to prevent conflicts and new pandemics. Ambassador Klas Molin said: “I am happy that Sunita Narain of Centre for Science and Environment has been appointed to the Minister’s international advisory group for environment, climate and biodiversity. Sunita’s broad and very relevant experience also includes a South Asian perspective with its many challenges.” Sunita Narain said: “COVID-19 and climate change both teach us that the world is interdependent and we need global cooperation to find solutions that are equitable and transformative. By setting up this advisory group, the Swedish government has once again shown its willingness to engage with diverse voices to find solutions that will work for all. I am delighted to be part of the effort and will look forward to its deliberations.” The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) under Ms Narain’s leadership, was awarded the Stockholm Water Prize in 2005. CSE’s work on rainwater harvesting has shown the many ingenious ways in which people learnt to live with water scarcity. Besides Ms Narain, other members of the group include Ili Nadiah Dzulfakar, climate activist and founder of Klima Action Malaysia; Wanjira Mathai, Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute think tank; Ulrika Modéer, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of the United Nations Development Programme’s Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, former State Secretary at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Olof Skoog, Head of the European Union delegation to the United Nations in New York, Swedish diplomat; and Peter Winsor, Professor of Oceanography and Director of the World Wildlife Fund’s Arctic Programme. The first (informal) meeting of the advisory group is going to be held in early autumn and will be led by Minister Fridh

90% of green cover lost under 4 biodiversity hotspots: CSE

NEW DELHI: India and its neighbours have together lost 90% of their original natural vegetation under their four common biodiversity hotspots with the biggest one — Indo-Burma hotspot — being the worst hit, reporting loss of nearly 95% of natural vegetation from originally estimated area of 2.3 million sq km. The biodiversity loss figures were highlighted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its latest annual statistical compendium on the state of India’s environment, released on World Environment Day last week. Times View Biodiversity is vital to the ecological health and balance of any region. As the American Museum of Natural history says, “It includes not only species we consider rare, threatened, or endangered but also every living thing — from humans to organisms we know little about, such as microbes, fungi, and invertebrates.” An alarming reduction in the area of biodiversity hotspots requires urgent attention from the authorities. Noting that the four biodiversity hotspots have been reduced to less than 10% of their original extent, CSE in its report also flagged that 25 plant species have gone extinct in these hotspots. Besides the Indo-Burma hotspot which includes entire north-eastern India (except Assam), Andaman group of islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and southern China; the other three hotspots in the country are Himalaya (Indian Himalayan region and the areas falling in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar), Western Ghats & Sri Lanka, and Sunda Land (Nicobar Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Philippines). A ‘biodiversity hotspot’ is characterised by exceptional levels of plant endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss. There are 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Their combined areas cover 2.3% of the earth’s land surface. “Each hotspot has already lost at least 70% of its original natural vegetation,” said the Botanical Survey of India. It noted that over 50% of the world’s plant species and 42% of all terrestrial vertebrate species are endemic to the 35 biodiversity hotspots.The CSE’s report has compiled publicly available data from the ‘ecosystem accounts for India’ and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) report on endangered species. It said 12% of 1,212 animal species in India, monitored by the IUCN under its Red List monitors, are endangered. The Indian Himalayan region is one of the areas that has lost most of its natural vegetation

Biodiversity loss: India has lost 90% of area under four biodiversity hotspots, 25 species extinct, finds study

In India, 1,212 animal species are monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its Red List. Biodiversity in India: Over 90% of the area under the biodiversity hotspots in India have been lost. India has four biodiversity hotspots and 90% of this area has been lost, according to the Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) new report entitled ‘State of India’s Environment in Figures 2021’. As per the data compiled in the report, the Indo-Burma hotspot is the worst affected and has lost 95% of its vegetation area, going from 23.73 lakh sq km to 1.18 lakh sq km. Another worrying aspect is that in these four hotspots, 25 species have also become extinct. n India, 1,212 animal species are monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its Red List, and over 12% of these species – 148 – are endangered. Among the endangered species are 69 mammals, 23 reptiles as well as 56 amphibians. A key issue that has put fires at risk is the forest fires, which have been quite high since the beginning of the year, the report said. Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh are among the 16 states that have witnessed an increase in this aspect. By May 1 this year, as many as 4.33 lakh forest fires had been recorded, even though the season for forest fires still had another month remaining. To put this in perspective, 2016 was the hottest year on record and India’s annual temperature that year rose 0.71 degrees Celsius above normal. That year, the country witnessed 5.41 lakh forest fires, the maximum recorded in the decade. What adds to the worry is that this year, the weather has been unusually warm, and last monsoon had seen 8.7% surplus rainfall leaving the weather adequately humid for forest fires to spread. Not only that but 14 states or UTs in the country have also registered a drop in carbon retention services or carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration refers to the long term removal or capturing of carbon from the atmosphere to control or mitigate global warming, and this is done naturally using biological, physical and chemical processes. A decline in these services means a decline in the capturing of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Keeping such services in place is important to minimise the impact of human activities on the environment.

India has lost 90% area under its biodiversity hotspots: CSE

Bathinda: India has lost 90% of the area under its four biodiversity hotspots. The Indo-Burma hotspot is the worst hit as the extent of vegetation in the region has been reduced from 23,73,057 sq km to a mere 1,18,653 sq km, a loss of 95%, says the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its annual report. It also said that 25 species have gone extinct in these hotspots. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List monitors 1,212 animal species in India. The IUCN says over 12% of them are endangered. Out of the 148 endangered species, 69 are mammals, 56 amphibians and 23 reptiles. CSE director general Sunita Narain said: “Data collection is important—it is part of the art of governance — but it is equally important that entire data sets are shared and worked upon so that they can be critiqued and improved.” India’s forests could certainly use a better understanding of the crisis they are facing, says Richard Mahapatra, managing editor of Down To Earth. “At a time when we are witnessing an alarming fall in the timber and non-timber forest produce services in Indian forests climatic cycles are combining with other factors to result in a dramatic rise in forest fire alerts. We must learn to connect the dots.” The CSE report says 16 states have witnessed a significant rise in number of forest fire alerts. “India has seen a drastic rise in forest fires since the start of 2021. As of May 1, the number of fire alerts recorded by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is 4,33,581. This is quite a jump, even though the official forest fire season of the country is from February to June. The year 2016, the hottest on record when India’s annual temperature rose 0.71 degree C over the annual average, saw 5,41,135 forest fires.”

90% of green cover lost under 4 biodiversity hotspots: CSE

NEW DELHI: India and its neighbours have together lost 90% of their original natural vegetation under their four common biodiversity hotspots with the biggest one — Indo-Burma hotspot — being the worst hit, reporting loss of nearly 95% of natural vegetation from originally estimated area of 2.3 million sq km. The biodiversity loss figures were highlighted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its latest annual statistical compendium on the state of India’s environment, released on World Environment Day last week. Noting that the four biodiversity hotspots have been reduced to less than 10% of their original extent, CSE in its report also flagged that 25 plant species have gone extinct in these hotspots. Besides the Indo-Burma hotspot which includes entire north-eastern India (except Assam), Andaman group of islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and southern China; the other three hotspots in the country are Himalaya (Indian Himalayan region and the areas falling in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar), Western Ghats & Sri Lanka, and Sunda Land (Nicobar Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Philippines). A ‘biodiversity hotspot’ is characterised by exceptional levels of plant endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss. There are 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Their combined areas cover 2.3% of the earth’s land surface. “Each hotspot has already lost at least 70% of its original natural vegetation,” said the Botanical Survey of India. It noted that over 50% of the world’s plant species and 42% of all terrestrial vertebrate species are endemic to the 35 biodiversity hotspots.The CSE’s report has compiled publicly available data from the ‘ecosystem accounts for India’ and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) report on endangered species. It said 12% of 1,212 animal species in India, monitored by the IUCN under its Red List monitors, are endangered. The Indian Himalayan region is one of the areas that has lost most of its natural vegetation

The Politics Of The Environment With Sunita Narain

Even as India has been working towards curbing the use of single-use plastic, replacing it entirely is a herculean task. And, while it was believed that the problem is being solved with plastic being recycled, it’s a misunderstanding, says Narain. The notion of ‘recyclable plastic’ created by the food processing industry and the lack of actionable data and information on plastic waste management is holding us back from knowing the inconvenient truth behind recyclable plastic, according to Narain. Watch the video to know more.