India can set a global example by implementing green governance. In the process, it can overcome the plethora of inter-connected ecological catastrophes that confront the country as it races ahead in economic growth
Whether it was the Bharatiya Janata Party convincingly winning the national election some months ago or the Aam Aadmi Party registering an impressive success recently in Delhi, the common factor that powered these thumping victories is the tremendous faith and hope that the people imposed on these parties to deliver.
The AAP especially has highlighted populist measures based on free water and discounted electricity bills to find a foothold in an election-weary Delhi electorate. These parties, backed by an immense mandate, can bring about tremendous improvement to the life of a common man, including the provision of a clean environment.
The quality of environment has progressively deteriorated, with Delhi and other parts of the country reeling under extreme pollution related problems. According to a recent report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, India’s air pollution burden is cutting short 660 million lives by about three years, as people live in pollution levels that are well above the World Health Organization norms for safe air quality. At this juncture, it is critical for the political leadership at various levels to jettison populist policies focussed at enriching vote-banks and concentrate on arresting worsening environmental conditions.
Every citizen has a right to clean environment in the best interests of larger community health; Green governance delivers this. Green governance can be an effective initiative to introduce and expedite policies that can be implemented on a day-to-day basis in order to retrieve the precious ecological balance. Across the world, the developed countries have already realised the significance of green governance and have incorporated the same at the policy level in order to achieve broad objectives of lessening global warming and retaining the temperatures to a below two degree Celsius increase in this century.
In order for India to identify with this informed set of nations, the Indian political establishment's engagement with matters concerning environment and its conservation needs to be far deeper and meaningful. This involvement with conserving environment can begin by introducing green governance principles, especially into the economy.
This can help get a grip on the sliding environmental conditions by allowing a more proactive role for reversing the course of carbon-based economic activities. In addition, these principles can also enable redrawing of developmental initiatives in consultations and coordination of national and local Government bodies.
The Union and State Government coordination is also crucial for logging early successes in the efforts to implement green governance initiatives. To realise this, the local institutions need to be strengthened through capacity building and increasing their awareness on contemporary environmental issues. These steps will help ensure harmony between people and nature and encourage biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods.
Green governance accords utmost importance to natural resources and ensures that society has equal access and right to these resources. This plays a vital role in preserving them and enabling their judicious use. Green governance also helps in responding to the way humans relate to the natural environment. It opens the door to a new set of solutions by proposing a compelling new synthesis of environmental protection based on broader notions of economics and human rights and on commons-based governance.
India can set a global example by implementing green governance and, in the process, overcoming the plethora of inter-connected ecological catastrophes confronting the country. In order to achieve greater impact, the Government must evolve a hybrid of green governance that is driven by green technology and facilitated in an environment of aggressive economic reforms. Effectively implemented green governance will encourage people to move from anthropo-centrism to bio-centrism, and to develop qualitative and healthy relationship with nature.
India has eulogised a resource-hungry economic structure and a civic polity that supports material development. This has harmed the environment. As a part of green governance, India can hope to achieve a clean, healthy and ecologically balanced environment that is based on respect for nature, sufficiency, interdependence, shared responsibility and fairness among all human beings. This in turn will translate to transparency and accountability in all activities affecting the integrity of the environment.
The people have given their mandate; Governments, whether at the Centre or States, must deliver. What could be a better beginning than delivering the environment from its current ongoing deterioration!