Climate change: A challenge for India

India is a developing country with a population of more than 1.2 billion which is growing at rate of approximately 2.4% per annum. Nearly 69% of total population is rural and nearly 60% of total population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities. More than 60% of the total agriculture is rain dependent and monsoons are responsible for most of the rains in India. India has Himalayan Mountains, deserts and arid areas, flood prone regions and a long coastline of more than 5500 km. Thus the country has to address various climate issues in different zones.

With an economy that is growing at 6-8% and increase urbanization, the demand for electricity is going to increase many folds. Presently 59% of total electricity is produced by burning coal. Burning of coal is largest contributor for carbon dioxide emissions in the country. Hydel power just account for 17% of total electricity generation. Any shortfall in the power supply is met by diesel generator sets which further add to carbon dioxide emissions. Transportation is second largest source of green house gases (GHG) emission. With increased urbanization, transportation is going to pose a major challenge. It is estimated that by year 2020, transportation will be responsible for 1450-1620 million tonnes of  carbondioxide equivalent emissions. Burning of biomass, agricultural waste, tilling of land, methane emissions from livestock are the other major sources of GHG emission in the country.

These emissions have resulted in shift in observed climate pattern. Climate has been warming and there is decline in monsoon rainfalls. Frequency of heavy rainfall events have increased and these are often followed by long dry spells resulting into water stress. All this has led to over exploitation of ground water further aggravating the situation. Agricultural productivity has been affected due to increased surface temperature and water stress. Wheat production has taken a major hit. Productivity of rice and horticulture produce has also been hit due to change in climate. The zone of temperate horticulture has also shifted to higher altitudes. In 1987 and 2002-03, droughts affected almost half of the country resulting into huge fall in crop production. This has led to decrease in food security and increase in food inflation which is leading to increased malnutrition cases. Forest cover, which is an important source for carbon sequestering, is decreasing. According to India state of forest report 2011, 21.05% of total land is under forest and we have lost 367 square kilometers of forest in last two years. On the other hand warming has been causing retreating of glaciers. Coastal flooding in cities like Mumbai has also become a regular phenomenon. Rapid and unplanned urbanization has further increased the risk of sea water intrusion. It seems as if we are sitting on a bomb.

Government of India has realized the importance of assessing and addressing climate change. Indian Network of Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) comprising of more than 120 research institutions was set up in 2010 to carry out scientific studies. States have prepared state action plans for climate change. Policies have been frames to make India a low carbon economy. National Action Plan on Climate change has been created which includes 8 sub-missions which are as follows:

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 Himalayan Ecosystem

6.      National Mission for Green India

7.      National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture

8.      National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.

India has also created a clean technology fund that is being used to bringing cleaner low carbon technologies and reducing carbon emissions. More and more investment is being done in urban areas for improving transportation facilities. Metro and bus rapid transport corridors are few of the measures that may be seen on the ground. Emission standards for motor vehicles have been introduced. More and more standards for controlling industrial wastes have been introduced. In case of Agriculture, more and more stress is being laid on diversification and introduction of climate resistant crops. Indo-swizz collaboration on biotechnology is one such platform which is working on introduction of climate resistant technologies in the agricultural field. Solar power is being promoted by giving subsidies on solar products. Standards for electrical efficiency have been introduced. Most of these developments have been quite new and their impacts will be realized after a considerable time only.

Government is doing whatever it can do to address this problem. There is greater need to educate masses about this threat and seek their contribution for adaptation as well as mitigation measures. As is clear from discussion that production of electricity from coal is biggest contributor to carbon emissions in India, so saving electricity and using it efficiently may result in lower emission. Small steps like switch off light when it is not required may result in bigger impact at national level. People should invest in energy efficient appliances. Using public transport rather than private vehicle will also help in lowering emissions besides saving foreign exchange on oil imports. Smaller distance should be covered by bicycles or by walking. Planting of trees, judicial use of paper and water and rain water harvesting can have significant positive impact on our climate.

Let us inculcate these habits in our day to day life so that we could promise a better future for younger generation.


REFERENCES:

1. The World Bank, 2012, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4 degree C warmer world must be avoided  
2. Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF). 2011, CLEAN TECHNOLOGY FUND INVESTMENT PLAN FOR INDIA
3. Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF). 2010, INDIA: TAKING ON CLIMATE CHANGE
4. Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF). 2009, Climate Change and India: Towards Preparation of a Comprehensive Climate Change Assessment
5. Indian Network of Climate Change Assessment, 2010, CLIMATE CHANGE AND INDIA: A 4X4 ASSESSMENT: A SECTORAL AND REGIONAL ANALYSIS FOR 2030S : EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Health Is Wealth So Plan Your Investments

Recently during a health check up in my office it was found that more than 50 percent of my team members were unfit. The only test that was done was BMI calculation. Figures would have been even more startling if blood pressure and sugar check had been included in health check-up. With all advancement in sciences quality of our life has improved but proportion of people actually enjoying that is a matter of research. Staying fit has become a big challenge these days. Most of us are on medications for one ailment or another. On top of that mental health is something that is not visible upfront but is eating away our health in a big way at least in metro cities. Balancing home and work life for working couples with curtailed weekends is a challenge and often source of continuous stress. It is clear that lifestyle diseases like cardio-vascular diseases and diabetes are on rise and are going to be a major challenge in near future. If health is wealth then why are we becoming poorer day by day?

If we compare modern times with older days then we will find that our lifestyle has become more sedentary. Machines have replaced human efforts and tasks are done with toggling of buttons. Remote controls have played a catalytic role in making us lazier. In metro cities, even the built-in environment is more vehicle friendly rather than pedestrians or cyclist friendly. Parks and playgrounds have been converted to concrete jungles. But that doesn’t mean that we have no options left. Taking stairs rather than lift or walking to a colleague’s desk rather than calling him/her on intercom are few small steps that we can take towards a healthier life. If you feel that your schedule is packed enough to leave any time for physical workout then you should consider the fact that many leaders including former US presidents squeezed time, trained and nailed distances which were as long as 26.2 miles. So adjust your time, have a modest beginning and be determined enough not to look back from there. You are the most important person in your life, so make sure you give at least 30 minutes in 24 hours to yourself. Take it an investment which is going to pay huge dividends.

Complement your workout routine with change in food habits. Faster life has increased the proportion of fast food in our diet. Cut down on high calorie food items like wafers and other fried stuff. Try to replace processed food items with fresh fruits and vegetable. Make salad an integral part of your daily diet. Keep your body well hydrated and consume water at regular intervals. You’ll become what you’ll eat so make sure that you eat healthy.

Our body is reflection of our mind and thus it is necessary to keep our mind stress-free. Social networks play an important role in emotional ventilation. Joint families are conspicuous by their absence in modern society. Even in nuclear families couples hardly get time to interact properly during weekdays. So it is necessary to make new social ties where we can divert our minds from the daily glut. Developing a hobby and participate in activities with your interest group is an effective way of rejuvenating yourself. You may take help of social media like facebook for identifying such interest groups and locating the events of your interest. Weekend schedule should be something more interesting than munching popcorns in multiplexes.

So when are we changing ourselves for good? If the answer is ‘tomorrow’ then it will remain ‘tomorrow’ even after a day and that ‘tomorrow’ will never come. The best time to start is now. So get set go. Wish you a happy and healthier life.