Flooded By Climate Change: Will India Sink Or Swim? | Insight | Full Episode
Summary
TLDRIndia, the world's second most populous nation, is grappling with the devastating impacts of climate change, including severe heat waves, droughts, and floods. The monsoon season's intense rainfall has led to widespread flooding, claiming lives and displacing thousands. Experts link the worsening situation to global warming, with climate patterns disrupting agriculture and livelihoods. The country's efforts to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability are under scrutiny, as the poor bear the brunt of these extreme weather events. The script calls for global cooperation to combat climate change and protect vulnerable populations.
Takeaways
- 🌍 India is experiencing extreme weather events such as severe heat waves, droughts, heavy rain, and floods, which are attributed to climate change.
- 💧 Increased rainfall and water levels in rivers have led to devastating floods, causing loss of life, displacement, and destruction of livelihoods.
- 🌡️ Climate change and global warming are believed to be exacerbating the situation, with more intense and prolonged rainfall events overwhelming river and drainage capacities.
- 🌪️ The monsoon season in India, which normally brings necessary rain, has been disrupted, leading to long periods of drought followed by sudden intense rain.
- 🏭 The impact of climate change is evident across India, from Assam in the Himalayas to Mumbai on the western coast, affecting both rural and urban areas.
- 🏠 The poor and marginalized are disproportionately affected by these natural disasters, often losing their homes, farmland, and means of subsistence.
- 📉 Economic costs and human casualties from extreme weather events are significant, with an estimated 5,600 deaths annually, a figure that may be an underestimation.
- 🌊 Floods are a recurrent phenomenon in India, causing significant economic losses, and climate change is intensifying their frequency and severity.
- 🛣️ Unplanned urbanization and destruction of natural barriers like wetlands and mangroves have worsened the impact of flooding in cities like Mumbai.
- 🌳 The government and citizens must work together to address climate change, focusing on sustainable development and environmental conservation.
- 🌿 India has made commitments to the Paris Climate Accord and is taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but challenges remain in balancing economic growth with environmental protection.
Q & A
What are the major climate challenges India is currently facing?
-India is experiencing severe heat waves, droughts, heavy rains, and floods. These extreme weather events are linked to climate change and are causing significant damage to lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.
How is the increased rainfall affecting India's rivers and people?
-The very high rainfall is causing rivers to overflow their banks, leading to floods that have resulted in the loss of lives, displacement of thousands, and destruction of homes and livelihoods.
What is the impact of climate change on India's monsoon season?
-Climate change has disrupted the monsoon season, leading to long spells of drought followed by intense rainfall within a short period. This has exacerbated flooding and affected agricultural patterns.
How does climate change affect the frequency and intensity of floods in India?
-Climate change is causing more extreme rainfall events, leading to sudden flooding. The nature of flooding is changing, with newer areas being affected each year and the extent of flooding increasing.
What are the economic and humanitarian consequences of the floods in India?
-The floods have caused significant economic damage, with millions of hectares of cropland submerged and assets destroyed. They have also led to humanitarian disasters, with thousands losing their lives and many more rendered homeless.
How is the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the situation in India?
-The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the challenges India is facing, with the country dealing with a surge in infections while also grappling with the aftermath of floods and economic disruptions.
What measures has the Indian government taken to mitigate the impact of floods?
-The government has built dams, barrages, levees, and embankments to control water flow. However, experts suggest that these measures are limited and that a more sustainable approach is needed.
What role does urbanization play in the flooding issues in cities like Mumbai?
-Unplanned urbanization and destruction of natural barriers like wetlands and mangroves have led to increased flooding in cities like Mumbai. The city's drainage system is also overwhelmed, contributing to the severity of the floods.
How is climate change affecting the frequency and intensity of cyclones in India?
-While the number of cyclones may not have changed significantly, their intensity has increased due to climate change. This has led to more severe impacts on coastal regions.
What steps is India taking to meet its commitments under the Paris Climate Accord?
-India is ramping up its alternative energy sector, installing solar power, and working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The country is committed to keeping the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.
What is the potential future impact of climate change on Mumbai?
-Studies predict that Mumbai could be at risk of being submerged by 2050 due to rising sea levels and coastal flooding. Immediate steps to protect the environment and restore biodiversity are crucial to prevent this scenario.
Outlines
🌞 Climate Change Impacts in India
India is grappling with the devastating effects of climate change, experiencing severe heat waves, droughts, heavy rains, and floods. The country's second-most populous status is further complicated by the loss of lives, displacement of thousands, and the destruction of livelihoods. The script discusses the increasing intensity of rainfall and its impact on river systems, leading to floods that have claimed over a thousand lives and left many homeless. The narrative also touches on the economic and humanitarian disaster following lockdowns due to COVID-19, and the challenges of balancing economic growth with climate change mitigation.
🌧️ The Changing Nature of Floods in India
This paragraph delves into the changing patterns of rainfall and flooding in India. Scientists link the worsening situation to climate change and global warming, noting that while the total annual rainfall may not have changed significantly, the number of rainy days has decreased, leading to more intense and concentrated rainfall events. This results in sudden flooding, affecting areas not typically prone to such disasters. The monsoon season, crucial for India's agriculture, is also disrupted, with long periods of drought followed by short, intense rainfall periods. The human and economic costs are highlighted, with the poor and marginalized bearing the brunt of these natural disasters.
🏡 Economic Losses and Recurrent Floods
The economic impact of floods in India is underscored in this paragraph, with a focus on the recurrent nature of these disasters and their disproportionate effect on the poor. The narrative discusses the loss of lives, livelihoods, and the economic burden caused by floods, which are estimated to cause 10% of global flood losses. The government's efforts to manage these disasters are highlighted, but the long-term solutions and the need for a more sustainable approach to development are emphasized. The paragraph also touches on the challenges faced by farmers in Assam, whose crops and livelihoods are threatened by annual flooding.
🌊 Floods and Pandemic: A Double Blow
This paragraph describes the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and flooding in India. The script highlights the destruction of crops and the inability to sell livestock due to lack of customers, exacerbating the economic hardships faced by farmers. The government's limited response, in the form of food grain provision, is mentioned, but the overall inadequacy of support is emphasized. The paragraph also discusses the challenges faced by Bihar, a state prone to annual floods, and the impact on the lives and livelihoods of its residents.
🏙️ Mumbai's Struggle with Flooding
The paragraph focuses on Mumbai, India's financial capital, and its increasing vulnerability to severe flooding due to climate change. The city's unplanned growth, destruction of wetlands and mangroves, and inadequate drainage systems are identified as contributing factors to the flooding. The script predicts that parts of Mumbai could be submerged by 2050 due to rising sea levels and coastal flooding. The narrative calls for immediate steps to protect the environment and restore biodiversity to prevent the city from going underwater.
🌳 Environmental Degradation and Urbanization
This paragraph discusses the environmental degradation in Mumbai and its impact on the city's ability to cope with flooding. The destruction of natural barriers like wetlands and mangroves, coupled with poor urban planning, has led to increased flooding. The script highlights the need for a change in mindset towards a more sustainable approach to development, emphasizing the importance of living with nature rather than trying to control it. The paragraph also touches on the challenges faced by fishermen and the broader implications of climate change for the city's future.
🌍 Global Cooperation Needed for Climate Change
The paragraph emphasizes the need for global cooperation in addressing climate change, highlighting that no single nation can tackle the issue alone. The script discusses India's commitment to the Paris Climate Accord and its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for a joint global effort to reduce emissions are underscored. The paragraph also calls for a shift in perspective, prioritizing the environment over economic development at the expense of nature.
🏗️ India's Infrastructure and Climate Resilience
This paragraph explores India's efforts to build infrastructure like dams, barrages, levees, and embankments to manage water flow and mitigate flood risks. However, experts argue that such measures are limited in their effectiveness and that a more sustainable approach is needed. The script discusses the concept of 'sponge cities' that can absorb and slowly release water, allowing for a more harmonious coexistence with nature. The paragraph also touches on the broader challenges of climate change adaptation and the need for a shift in mindset towards prioritizing the environment.
🌱 The Path to a Sustainable Future
The final paragraph discusses the challenges and potential paths for India in achieving a sustainable future amidst climate change. The script highlights the need for a global effort to address climate change and the importance of intergenerational responsibility. The narrative underscores the urgency of the situation, emphasizing that the choices made today will impact future generations. The paragraph concludes with a call for collective action and a commitment to finding a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Climate Change
💡Monsoons
💡Floods
💡Drought
💡Greenhouse Gas Emissions
💡Paris Climate Accord
💡Deforestation
💡Urbanization
💡Heat Waves
💡Sustainable Development
💡Extreme Weather Events
Highlights
India is experiencing severe climate impacts, including heat waves, droughts, heavy rains, and floods, affecting its 1.3 billion people.
Over a thousand people have lost their lives, and tens of thousands have been left homeless due to extreme weather events.
Climate change is linked to worsening flood situations in India, with intense rainfall events overwhelming river and drainage capacities.
The monsoon season in India, typically from June to September, has been disrupted by climate change, leading to droughts and intense rain periods.
India's top weather expert, Anand Sharma, monitors weather patterns and acknowledges the role of climate change in intensifying floods.
The poor and marginalized are disproportionately affected by natural disasters, losing homes, farmland, and facing starvation.
India faces significant economic losses due to floods, with the potential for worsening conditions as climate change continues.
The northeastern state of Assam endures some of the highest rainfall globally, leading to recurrent severe flooding.
Farmer Kalilu Rahman's village was submerged by the Brahmaputra River, highlighting the struggles of farmers during floods.
The state of Bihar is ravaged by annual floods, with major rivers breaching embankments and affecting millions of people.
Climate change's impact is evident across India, from Assam to Bihar and Mumbai, with extreme weather events becoming the norm.
Mumbai, India's financial capital, faces the risk of being submerged by 2050 due to rising sea levels and coastal flooding.
Unplanned urbanization and destruction of natural barriers like wetlands and mangroves exacerbate Mumbai's flooding issues.
India has committed to the Paris Climate Accord, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
The country is taking steps to adapt to climate change, such as building infrastructure to control water flow, though challenges remain.
Sustainable development and a shift in mindset towards living with nature rather than controlling it are crucial for India's future.
Global cooperation is necessary to address climate change, as individual efforts are insufficient to combat this intergenerational issue.
Transcripts
india
is oscillating between severe heat waves
and drought
heavy rain and floods
climate change is now wreaking havoc in
the world's
second most populous nation very high
rainfall and therefore water coming into
the rivers is increasing
more than a thousand people have lost
their lives and tens of thousands
have been rendered homeless it takes
away
livelihoods takes away assets of people
destroys everything that has been built
over years
but are these seasonal phenomena
becoming worse as the years go by
can india mitigate the adverse impact of
climate change
without jeopardizing its economic growth
objectives
and how long can the poor bear the brunt
of the devastation caused by the extreme
weather events
[Music]
[Music]
first covet
then and economic and humanitarian
disaster
that came about following a total and
prolonged lockdown
and now torrential rain and widespread
floods
india a country of 1.3 billion
people is facing dire challenges on
multiple fronts
as it struggles to get a grip on the
soaring covet infection numbers
another calamity is staring the nation
in the face
heavy monsoon rain has caused rivers to
overflow their banks
flooding millions of hectares of
cropland and killing
more than a thousand people so far
tens of thousands of villagers are
submerged rendering
millions homeless
[Music]
the flood situation in india is
absolutely
brutal it's uh we've had floods in
multiple states
recently even in rajasthan in the jesuit
district for example which is actually a
desert
and which is a desert because it's not
got flooded
um and it doesn't have much rainfall
we've had
floods in places like telangana we've
had floods in
andhra we've had floods in maharashtra
gujarat
of course in assam and bihar as we
always do
so even even madhya pradesh so
it's it's really extraordinary how the
deluge has come and swept over
all of india and every every single
territory
even though it's a recurrent phenomenon
in india this year it has been much
worse
it rains so much that there is an
intense rainfall event
which leads to sudden flooding
[Music]
scientists believe that the worsening
situation is linked to climate change
and global warming
the flood situation is becoming worse
every year
due to intense rainfall that continues
for days
overwhelming the water carrying
capacities of the rivers
and drainage systems the monsoon season
in india
normally stretches from june to
september when winds gather moisture
from the indian ocean arabian sea and
the bay of bengal
and culminate in rain over land
from october to december the winds
reverse direction
but climate change has disrupted the
seasonal cycle
there are now long spells of drought
followed by scanty rainfall
and then intense rain within a short
period
what we have seen now over the past few
years
is that it's not the floods but the
nature of flooding that is changing
and the nature of flooding that is
changing is happening
because you are seeing more extreme
rainfall event
so you are getting massive rain falling
in short durations
which is exacerbating the flooding and
that is why you are beginning to see
newer areas coming under floods
each year and you are beginning to see
the extent of therefore the flooding
also increasing
the impact of climate on india is now
here
if you look over the past few years the
amount of rain
over the year hasn't changed but the
number of days
that it is rainy has dramatically
declined
so when it rains it pours and we have
floods
and then you have many days without rain
so we have droughts
now the same area has got both floods
and droughts
similarly if you look at cyclones the
number of cyclones haven't changed but
the intensity of the cyclones has become
much stronger
than it was earlier the short point is
climate change is here and we are
feeling its impacts on a daily basis
watching the changing weather patterns
intensely is anand sharma
who keeps a close eye on the cloud
formations and wind directions
all over the subcontinent on a daily
basis
he is one of the country's top
weathermen
sharma admits that climate change adds
to the problem of climate variability
leading to floods if you see past 100
years data
around point 0.7 degrees celsius
increase in temperatures for the past
hundred years so there is a global
warming
and scientists are linking that warming
to climate change
that it will change the patterns or
there could be more
intense rain in some area there could be
droughts in other areas
and if there is intense rainfall
especially in
areas which are prone to flooding there
could be
increase in flooding so climate change
is an added pressure
[Music]
the impact of the vagaries of nature is
devastating
from the northeastern state of assam in
the himalayas
to the popular state of bihar in the
plains to the vibrant city of mumbai on
the western coast
climate change is clearly evident all
across the nation
though extreme weather events have an
impact on the whole country
it is the poor and marginalized who
suffer the most from frequent natural
disasters
their houses and farmland are submerged
wiping out their meager incomes and
pushing them
to the brink of starvation and death
apart from the economic costs the human
costs
are incalculable recent study suggests
that every year
around 5 600 people die from extreme
weather events in india
but experts think this number could be
an underestimation
since deaths from droughts are not
included
49 year old rina mudoy is facing extreme
hardships
following devastating floods in the
babetta district of assam this year
rina is living making pots and plates
from clay
to support her ailing husband and two
daughters
and her family spent the night awake
praying for the deluge to stop
but the rain kept falling and the water
kept rising
um
foreign
after daybreak the rain relented for a
while
but the whole village was already
submerged by the nakanda river
which was in spain
making a living from earthen pottery is
an extremely difficult task
even in the best of times but doing so
amid heavy rain and floods is an
impossible
proposition
but
india specifically faces uh huge
losses due to flood you know worldwide
uh
the 10 percent loss due to floods
globally
happens in india and as far as flood
disaster is concerned it is the
most economic loss causing disaster to
the tune of more than 50
losses is due to floods and it is such a
recurrent phenomena
and for centuries it is happening but
there isn't much cure in sight what we
see
is still that the poor people they are
affected the most
they are the ones who lose their lives
they lose their livelihoods
[Music]
rebuilding lives from scratch is a
herculean task for the poi
there's no immediate end to their misery
since scientists believe extreme weather
patterns are becoming more frequent
due to climate change many states are
vulnerable
since major rivers flow through them
according to the national disaster
management authority
more than 40 million hectares or 12
percent of india's total geographical
area are prone to floods
[Music]
more than a million people have so far
been evacuated in 11 states
at least 180 000 houses have been fully
or partially damaged how long will the
poor
face the vagaries of nature what can be
done to help relieve their pain and
suffering
[Music]
the north eastern state of assam is
known for its natural beauty
and the famous asam tea
located along the brahmaputra and the
barak river valleys in the himalayas
it's also a region known to endure some
of the highest rainfall in the world
with the warm moist winds from the bayer
bengal
converging on a narrow zone along the
mountains
the rainfall and flood situation in the
state is showing no signs of improving
over the years
this year has been no exception with
thousands of villages flooded
and tens and thousands of villages
rendered homeless
around 140 people have so far died in
the floods in the state
with more than 56 000 homes partially or
completely
damaged more than 265
000 hectares of cropland have been
submerged destroying the means of
livelihood of tens of thousands of
farmers
fifty-five-year-old farmer kalilu rahman
couldn't save his crops as the swirling
waters of the brahmaputra river
submerged his village in june and july
is
farmers like rahman have learned to live
with the usual vagaries of nature
they know what to do when the rains
begin
moving the cattle to higher ground or
building higher platforms
but this year's rain and the flood were
different
there was no warning as the rain poured
and the floods
engulfed his village
[Music]
the floods dealt a double blow during
the coveted pandemic
firstly raman's crops were destroyed in
the floods
and he can't even sell whatever he has
such as cattle
to make a living since there are no
customers
[Music]
foreign
rahman was hoping that the government
would step in to alleviate their
suffering
but the government provided some food
grain that was not enough
i
the eastern state of bihar is in the
gangetic plains
but it's also ravaged by floods every
year
since several major rivers flow through
the state
including the ganges the kosi
and the bhagmati being one of the most
populous states with more than 100
million people
bihar finds itself mostly at sea when
the mighty rivers breach their
embankments
during the monsoon more than 8.5 million
people have been affected in the state
this year
with around a thousand villagers reeling
from the consequences of heavy rain
32 year old porter abdul ahab received a
frantic call from his wife
as water levels in his village in
zamasti pour
district began to rise abdul was then
far away in gorakpur
but he knew he had to somehow reach
foreign
foreign
abdul reached his village around eight
in the evening
he saw water had already reached his
doorsteps
and was rising steadily
foreign
foreign
foreign
the rising water level was not the only
danger that abdul and his family faced
the water brought in snakes and leeches
that threatened their lives
some
the small plot where abdul had planted
rice samplings
was submerged as well
in bihar farmers have lost their
standing their crops
completely they've lost their land
completely and what makes it really
complex is
that no longer is the kosi um
depositing silt in their farms it's
actually
putting in sand which means that the
land is getting
less and less fertile so they've lost
not only crop but also fertility
hundreds and thousands of homes have
been lost livestock has been lost
and we're looking at some smaller
numbers of debts but
overall massive massive entry of these
people
who are flood affected back into poverty
see bihar plus even
many more people get affected this year
also 85 lakh people have got affected
there
though the live lost as compared to
assam has been less it's 27
uh but uh the disruptions are massive
and
uh the worst part is at it it's showing
an increasing trend
because for the last few years it has
been a yearly feature
every year it is happening and there is
no end inside no respite is seen
and you know as the state government's
efforts in being
you know making embankments and all they
are sometimes even proving uh
counterproductive
in terms of their prolonging the floods
the flood waters are not even receding
because of the embankments and all
the scale of the humanitarian crisis is
so huge that both the state
and federal governments are at their
wit's end
they're also completely overstretched
amid a raging
pandemic in both states i'm sure
governments are doing what they can
governments today are completely
overworked overstretched fatigued
we have to understand that this crisis
as i said has come on top of that other
mult you know pandemic that they are
already dealing with and it's the same
civil public services that are being
called out whether it's called out for
the pandemic or for floods
but i'm sure governments will do what
they can but the larger question that we
ask have to ask is
do we have the right strategy that
governments can employ
so that next year the flood is not so
bad otherwise we are on
a constant fire fighting effort and this
year the fire fighting of floods is even
worse
because we have covet to deal with at
the same time
there's no doubt that the dates are
working very hard they've set up these
you know these relief camps in bihar
they're giving out
meals the heart has been flooded for
decades
you know but the reason we don't have
these kinds of
deaths is because we have a whole
process to you know
reduce that that doesn't reduce miseries
overall it reduces loss of life
people still lose everything they have
and
you know on an annual basis but they
have made
all these efforts but you know all these
efforts are really about mitigating
something that could be reduced in
impact
and could have perhaps even with
long-term
um governance and where the focus on the
root causes
it could have even been dramatically
reduced
it's not just the villagers that are
bearing the brunt of climate change and
natural disasters
india's financial capital mumbai home to
20 million people
is now facing massive flooding every
year
will large parts of mumbai go underwater
in a few decades
as some scientists have predicted
[Music]
mumbai india's commercial capital
a vibrant densely populated city of 20
million
mumbai has bored the brunt of massive
flooding caused by relentless storms and
heavy downpours
the rainfall is said to be the heaviest
since 2005
and reached new areas which had never
experienced it before
according to a recent study mumbai is at
risk of being submerged by 2050.
the study predicts that climate change
has contributed to rising sea levels
and coastal flooding will likely be far
greater than ever before
for people in mumbai the gloomy
prediction comes as no surprise
since they are already paying a heavy
price with severe flooding
every year
there is absolutely no doubt that mumbai
is a victim of climate change
i wish it were only climate change and i
wish we knew what to do
to make sure that the worst impacts of
climate change and flooding could be
avoided
[Music]
originally built on a series of islands
the city has always struggled to
accommodate
millions of people who are drawn by its
industries
trading hubs and its port
unplanned and unchecked growth that
followed has led to the destruction of
wetlands and mangroves
that once acted as a natural barrier
against
nature's extreme events
bombay city that lives right on the
coast
and we've had our fair share of floods
from 2005 to july onward
we've been having floods every year
sometimes more sometimes less
but the reasons for this are not very
difficult to
to a certain we filled up our wetlands
we have destroyed almost all our natural
drainages and at this moment in time we
have built up
to the extent where the flood waters and
the storm drains that used to
allow water to exit those storm drains
are choked with plastic garbage
if you look at cities like mumbai and
chennai which are on the coast
we have the additional problem of high
tides
and if there is a strong rainfall event
which occurs at the same time as the
high tide
then the water is nowhere to go just
stands there so
urbanization population growth
in areas which were flood plains and
high rainfall and high tides together
lead to the kind of problems that we
have in mumbai
climate change is the root cause but
then you have a drainage system you have
2
000 brains above ground and some 400
underground and these haven't been
desilted these haven't been modernized
as the city has increased you've also
had a huge amount of deforestation again
in bombay i'm talking
off bombay precisely as an example i
mean the
ra forest is an iconic example of how
your the metro just cut off 2 000 trees
on top of that the mangroves are just
being 15
or so have anyway been lost although
that number is contested
but you're cutting off further things
because of
the navi mumbai airport the navy mumbai
airport and other kinds of
infrastructure
so basically the only natural barriers
you have
to protect you you are doing away with
them so
we're talking of a combination of
climate change and
extraordinarily poor planning and
extraordinary per
urban uh you know planning that
kind of makes these you know freak
events much much more
severe
restaurant owner rakesh gupta is a
witness to the city's unplanned growth
over the years
64 old gupta's restaurant has been
closed for months
following the lockdown but he faced
double jeopardy this year when his home
in the low-lying area in the eastern
suburb of chamber
turned into a virtual pond during heavy
showers in august gupta knows he and his
neighbors are paying a heavy price
for the unplanned growth and destruction
of the city's biodiversity
number of population
when the heavy downpour started in july
gupta and his family sat on their bed
keeping a close eye on the rising water
foreign
foreign
can't leave his home when the rain and
high tides come
and they happen quite often when the
fishing village is flooded
35 year old patel and other fishermen
depend on the sea
as their main source of income
they go out to fish mostly along the
coastline at the break of dawn
and come back around noon they again go
out to fish in the late afternoon
but the regular flooding in the village
has disrupted their lives
and livelihoods
the plight of those living near the sea
has been highlighted in a new study
that says almost 3 million people living
within a kilometer from the city's
coastline
are under severe threat for flooding
storm surges
and rise in sea levels the study
also predicts multiple hazards hitting
the city's coast in the coming years
with increasing intensity due to climate
change
the yearly flooding has made the sinking
city scenario all the more real
the city continues to grow at a frantic
pace
at the cost of its environment
experts believe that large parts of
mumbai will be submerged in future
if immediate steps are not taken to
protect its environment
and restore its biodiversity
it it'll go under water because the
water has no place
else to escape and it does not get
filled into the aquifers the way it
should
our wetlands are being so rapidly
reclaimed to put up tall buildings we
are blocking all the drainages
so as far as mumbai is concerned at one
level
we have the green land ice shelf that's
going to be melting the arctic is
melting our glaciers are melting the
water is going into the sea
the sea levels will rise then mumbai is
facing a situation where without rain
just at high tide we are beginning to
see coastal flooding
now i shudder to think what will happen
if we have a sea surge and a cyclone at
the same time
the last time the last cyclone hit us it
was at low tide
if it was at high tide we probably might
have lost 200 400 500 lives i don't know
but we are mismanaging our drainages we
are mismanaging
the forests and the the system that
actually refills our aquifers
and uh we're completely
making sure that the wetlands into which
all the water would gather
uh are now flat lands we're making a
swimming pool for ourselves
despite the looming disaster experts
believe that the government on its own
cannot restore the balance between
nature and development
they argue the task should be shared by
both the government
and the citizens to save the city from
going underwater
i don't think that decision makers have
fully comprehended what the impact of
climate change rising seas cyclones
could be
mumbai doesn't have a disaster plan and
apart from that
i really do feel that the citizens are
equally to blame because we are
voting for people who are doing the
wrong thing
and we need to be able to convey to
those people who are politicians
bureaucrats
businessmen that look we want you to do
the right thing for us on the long term
solutions won't happen overnight
climate change is a global phenomenon
and unless
all nations make a joint effort to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
our planet will continue to see extreme
events
endangering the lives and livelihoods of
hundreds of millions
across the world india has committed
itself to meeting the paris climate
accord targets
at reducing greenhouse gas emissions
but will these targets be enough for
india to mitigate the impact
of natural disasters in the country
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industrial revolution population growth
rapid urbanization and massive
deforestation
factors which have contributed to the
earth's rapidly changing global climate
and extreme weather events and the
situation
is expected to worsen if nothing is done
to address it
india one of the country's worst hit by
the adverse effects of climate change
is also home to one third of the world's
1.2 billion people
who are living in poverty as a
developing nation
it needs to grow the economy because
that's the only way to help the poor and
vulnerable
lift themselves up from their current
state
and rapid industrialization is seen as a
natural step for the nation
to make that leap forward it's not
surprising then
that india is now the world's third
largest emitter of greenhouse gases
after china and the us and it now has to
play its part
in cutting down the nation's high carbon
footprint
while not jeopardizing its economic
growth prospects
we need to find out which are the
sectors which are
contributing more to greenhouse gases
and thereby contributing to warming and
change
so we need to identify those sectors
and act and find out efficient
and those technologies which has
low carbon footprint
indian prime minister narendra modi has
vowed that india will go above and
beyond
the 2015 paris accord on combating
climate change
the accord aims to keep global
temperature rise this century below
2 degrees celsius and aims to limit the
temperature increase
even further to 1.5 degrees celsius
it also aims to limit the amount of
greenhouse gas emissions
to the same levels that trees soil
and oceans can absorb naturally
as it ramps up the country's alternative
energy sector
india installed 7.3 gigawatt of solar
power last year
strengthening its position as the third
largest solar market in the world
can india meet the goals it has set for
itself
very ambitious pledges at paris
in fact the climate transparency group
says
that india is the only g20 country whose
pledges
are on track to take the world towards 2
degrees centigrade
increase over earlier temperatures no
other country in the world no other g20
country in the world has as ambitious
pledges
compared to its own use of uh
and emissions of ghg gases
which take it on the two degree path
yes we are well on track to meet it the
challenge in the paris targets is that
we are
we've been so severely hit by covet i
mean so many of our resources have gone
just to fight covet in different ways at
different levels
so we might we might find that
challenging but
um i mean there is a chance that we meet
it
there's a high chance so i'm not a
pessimist i'm an optimist about the
paris targets but i believe that
the paris targets alone might not be
enough for our country
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india is one of the most climate
vulnerable nations on the planet
a land of varying topography and
climatic zones
it routinely suffers from extreme heat
and drought
to severe rains and floods
according to the global climate risk
index
it ranked among the top 10 affected
countries in 2018
to reduce the risks india has taken
major steps to deal with the natural
disaster
it routinely faces
for example the government has built
dams
barrages levees and embankments to
control the flow of water
but experts believe such measures are of
limited use
since a river in spain easily breaches
such fortifications
one of the things that we have learned
over the years not only as far as floods
are concerned but in many many areas
you need to live with nature not
control nature many cities in the world
have tried to control rivers and floods
by building embankments by channeling
reverse through
but whenever there is an excess flow and
excess flow happens
then it overflows into the city this is
as much true of cities in france and
germany as it is of cities in india
on the other hand making cities
such that they can take in the larger
amount of water and slowly release it
the so-called spawn city
is a alternative which allows us to
live with nature rather than fight
nature the entire
approach till now has been to build
dikes and embankments to
to to somehow you know it's the same
approach
of conquering nature that i am going to
find a way that i will put i will hold
the river down
because the river must not flow against
my wishes
so it's a very masculine approach
towards river management
but it has failed and what we are not
realizing
is that we are not going to be able to
succeed to be able to
conquer nature to be able to
to to control the river we should be
finding ways
of being able to let the river water
provide the bounty that it can
without the destruction the government
would require
to mitigate the and adapt to climate
change
if you really want to address these
floods because we are always going to
have these freak weather
in events now so first of all
i think we really have to put the
environment on priority
not the currently we think of it as a
nuisance that's coming in the way of
building a highway but we have to change
that and we have to understand that this
is our barrier
so i think we need a complete shift in
perspective
the mindset is changing there are
greater awareness
and commitment today to find a
sustainable development path
but the change is not quick enough to
make any difference
to the lives of people such as farmer
kali raman in assam
when flood water rises all they can do
is to watch as it destroys everything
that they hold dear
right before their eyes no one has come
to their rescue
especially now when the government is
too preoccupied with the challenge of
containing the spread of the pandemic
which has ravaged the lives of so many
of its residents
foreign
foreign
climate change threatens to push
hundreds of millions into poverty
increasing the vulnerability to climate
impacts
it has already led global temperatures
to rise about one degree celsius
above pre-industrial levels but it's
often the poor and the most
vulnerable who have had to take the
brunt of nature's fury
the path india chooses to achieve a
sustainable future
will impact not only the country but the
whole world
as well can india chart a new course
for a nation that's struggling to deal
with the challenges of climate change
and achieve a higher growth rate
despite the uncertainties and risks many
believe
the country can still do much more to
make this planet
a better place to live in future
i don't think india can ever deal with
it on its own i think you know
whether it's covet whether it's climate
change
we need global cooperation and i think
one of the biggest lessons that we've
learned today
is that the world is not acting as one
the world is acting as separate
and that is why we are losing the battle
on kovit and we are certainly losing the
battle
on climate change and climate change is
reminding us very firmly that we are
doing this
is the ultimate adventurer of all time
it's called intergenerational climate
it's
the adventure that we are embarking on
now is
intergenerational colonization we
will not be remembered well by our
children
and their children and this is not a
matter of ethics
this is a matter of pure survival
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you
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