The World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 to raise awareness on positive environmental action to protect nature and planet Earth. The 2015 theme for the say is ‘Sustainable consumption and production’. The slogan for the theme is "Seven Billion Dreams, One Planet; Consume with Care." The theme asks everyone to evaluate his or her consumer habits.
The earth currently is approaching the point where it’s physical and biological systems may not be able to meet human demands for environmental goods and services, threatening the ability of nations to meet their populations’ basic needs for adequate food, clean water, energy, shelter and a healthy environment.
Since the beginning, man has been affected by climate and its influence over the Earth. Many of the Earth’s ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points of depletion or irreversible change, pushed by high population growth and economic development. By 2050, the population is expected to reach 9.6 billion. living well within planetary boundaries is the most promising strategy for ensuring a healthy future. Therefore, sustainable patterns of consumption and production in a world of limited resources are an essential requirement for sustainable development.
The Earth's physical and biological systems such as land, atmosphere and oceans provide humans with goods and services essential for survival and good health. Nowadays, a number of global environmental problems are growing more severe and are beginning to threaten the ability of nations to meet the development goals of a growing population. These environmental problems include climate change, loss of biological diversity, land degradation and desertification, deforestation and forest degradation, pollution, etc. A change in the Earth’s climate would likely to affect biodiversity, change of distribution and productivity of land and forests. Similarly, conversion of forests and other green areas to other types of land cover can increase greenhouse gas emission into the atmosphere and, thus, contribute to climate change, and can reduce biological diversity and affect water resources.
Biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth. It is crucial for the functioning of ecosystems which provide us with products and services without which we cannot live. Oxygen, food, fresh water, fertile soil, medicines, shelter, protection from storms and floods, stable climate and recreation -- all have their source in nature and healthy ecosystems. Our food and energy security strongly depends on biodiversity, which also serves as a safety-net to poor households during times of crisis. The threats to biodiversity could be specified in terms of natural and anthropogenic activities. Out of the numerous threats, human activity is responsible for most of them.
Food security is both directly and indirectly linked with climate change. Any alteration in the climatic parameters such as temperature and humidity which govern crop growth will have a direct impact on quantity of food produced. Besides, catastrophic events like flood and drought which are projected to multiply as a consequence of climate change leading to huge crop loss and leaving large patches of arable land unfit for cultivation and hence threatening food security. On a global level, increasingly unpredictable weather patterns will lead to fall in agricultural production and higher food prices, leading to food insecurity
Biodiversity, climate change and food security are very closely related issues. Agricultural activities which are also responsible for reduction in biodiversity include indiscriminate and massive use of pesticides, fungicides and chemical fertilisers in the crop field. These activities are responsible for extinction of many pests, predators, parasites, birds, butterflies, pollinators and other animals in aquatic ecosystem. Some of these species play an important role in agricultural production by associating them with pollination, improving soil condition, fixing atmospheric nitrogen, improving soil physical properties and decomposition of organic matter. Thus, there is a necessity to use eco-friendly techniques in agriculture and minimise use of pesticides and other chemicals and resorting to organic cultivation, crop rotation to check reduction in biodiversity.
Besides, sustainable consumption and production is highly needed for proper management of natural resources. Sustainable consumption is not necessarily about consuming less; it is about consuming better, i.e., more efficiently with less risk to our health and environment. It recognises that current consumption patterns are drivers for unsustainable production and resource degradation. Sustainable consumption requires a convergence of current consumption patterns and a need for all to consume responsibly. It can be promoted through a mix of policy, economic and voluntary instruments, including formal and informal education.
Sustainable, clean and efficient production of goods and services is central to sustainable development. More emphasis is required on resource efficiency in Government policies, public and private sector management practices, technology choices and investments to deliver more output per unit of input as well as less associated environmental damage.
India is both a major greenhouse gas emitter and a country most vulnerable to projected climate change. India is already experiencing changes in climate and its impacts including water stress, heat waves and drought, severe storms and flooding, and associated negative consequences on agricultural productions. India’s agricultural production and consequently its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) show a strong link with the year-to-year variations of summer, monsoon rainfall. India must work towards achieving a sustainable agricultural system. However, many challenges exist in trying to achieve this goal. The degradation and scarcity of natural resources, pollution resulting from agricultural production, food loss and waste and food safety, both in terms of production and post-harvest handling, are critical issues that must be addressed to achieve sustainable agricultural growth.
Regarding land degradation, it is estimated that nearly half of all land in India suffers from degradation due to various factors, including water and wind erosion, salinity and soil acidity resulting from waterlogging. The majority of this degradation is the result of improper land use practices, including such factors as deforestation, increasing cultivation in areas of low potential or high hazard, improper soil conservation tactics and crop rotation, improper intensification of agro-chemicals like fertiliser and pesticides, and poorly planned irrigation systems.
In Odessa, agriculture holds a predominant position in the State’s economy. About 85 per cent of the State’s population depends on agriculture. Almost 60% of land is devoted to rain-fed agriculture and with water-dependant rice as its main crop. However, agriculture is vulnerable to the vagaries of climate induced by weather changes. Rice production suffers during severe droughts. Further, rice and grain grown in the flood-prone coastal areas are prone to frequent erosion, inundation and other problems such as pest and disease outbreaks due to climate variability. Community mobilisation on sustainable production and consumption for food security is a must. Food security can be attained by improved land and water management, adopting eco-friendly technologies and initiating good agricultural practices in different agro-ecosystems.
Climate is the primary determinant of agricultural productivity which directly impacts on food production across the globe. Agriculture is the most sensitive sector to the climate changes because the climate of a region determines the nature and characteristics of vegetation and crops. Therefore, there is a need to develop a long-term land use plan to ensure food security and climatic resilience.
(Dr Praharaj teaches in the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)