Prof NH Ravindranath former Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru delivered the 5th Mahesh Buch Remembrance Lecture on ‘Global and national efforts to address climate change’ on Monday, which was organized by NCHSE and Friends of Environment and RMNH, Bhopal.
Programme started with paying tributes to late MN Buch. Ram Prasad, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Govt.of Madhya Pradesh chaired the session.
By addressing the gathering Ravindranath told that climate change is one of the biggest environmental and developmental challenges, facing human society and natural ecosystems. Earth has already warmed by 1.1 to 1.2 degree centigrade. Addressing climate change requires stabilizing global mean warming to below 1.5 degree centigrade by reducing green house gas or carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 40 percent by 2030 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by around mid century. Climate change has reached the public debate, mass media and political decision makers at national and global level, though not yet at state and district level. India submitted its National Determined Contributions, describing the voluntary commitment, to reduce Green House Gas emissions and promote adaptation to climate change. India has committed to take its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW and will meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030. By 2030 carbon intensity of its economy will also be reduced by more than 45 percent. By the year 2070, India will achieve the target of net zero.
Further he said these are challenging goals and targets to be achieved, but also do not include any target for adaptation to climate risks for hundreds of millions of vulnerable Indians. Some progress has been made on installing Solar Energy based power generation systems and reducing carbon intensity of GDP. Other target under NDC are yet to be pursued. Now there are these additional targets announced by India in Glasgow. More importantly the bigger change is the adverse impacts of ongoing and projected climate change, especially extreme events such as droughts, floods, heat stress, cold flooding and cyclones etc. These extremes will impact hundreds of millions, food production, health, water availability, biodiversity, fishers etc. Current policies, programmes and action plans are inadequate to reduce the loss in damage suffered currently or projected to be exposed to in the coming years for hundreds of millions.
He concluded the lecture by saying that there are many more environmental challenges facing India, even without climate change, such a land degradation, ground water decline, loss soil productivity, air and water pollution, spread of vector borne diseases and loss of biodiversity. Climate change will exacerbate these environmental challenges and problems. So very serious transformational strategy beyond the National and State Climate Action Plans and Missions are needed by involving; State Government's, Municipal Corporations, Research Community, Corporates, Mass Media, Civil Society and Citizens.
Chairing the session, former PCCF of Madhya Pradesh Dr Ram Prasad stressed upon local action and participation of people in reducing climate change impact. He said that we have to adopt an environmental friendly consumption pattern and protect trees to allow them to absorb Carbon dioxide, one of major cause of global warming and climate change. He stressed upon change in working plan of ForestDepartment to give importance to ever green trees over other. He said that water conservation and plantation are necessary as an adaptation method to counter act impact of climate change.