Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Where does India stand on the metrics of climate miseries and emissions?

Even we cannot count the disasters one faced in 2021 and there had been plenty to classify those as dangers to human lives, happiness, stability and growth while these challenges did not only make us weak.

It is through these hurdles, we have learnt to be determined and even resolute to work on the perils of climate change. But with increasing vulnerabilities, especially in India, will the human race be able to utilize the best of their capabilities?

Because according to a new report by Christian Aid, disparaging weather events in 2021, purely associated with the climate change, have brought misery to millions of people around the world.

In the report, experts highlighted 10 extreme events which have cost more than $1.5 billion worth damage in the world.

However, it does not mean that every disaster or extreme weather event can be attributed to climate change as its source, although the researchers have attempted to understand the connections.

A few years back and anyone world have doubted the very existence of climate change and the impacts it has caused so far.

But in the recent times, it has been ascertained well enough how every possible event in the world is now “made more and more intense” by anthropogenic activities and human induced climate change.

“The proportion of intense tropical cyclones, average peak tropical cyclone wind speeds, and peak wind speeds of the most intense tropical cyclones will increase on the global scale with increasing global warming,” the study has explained.

The first part of Sixth Assessment report published by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in August 2021, has also indicated how humans have aggravated climate change directly, and this has been worsening the impacts.

COP26 was expected to change the way the world Nations operated in regards with Climate change.

Alas, the platform became a mere object of fight amongst the developing and the Industrialized Nations for an appropriate funding to adapt and mitigate climate change.

“Although it was good to see the issue of loss and damage become a major issue at COP26, it was bitterly disappointing to leave without a fund set up to actually help people who are suffering permanent losses from climate change”, as per a Climate Justice Adviser.

From cyclone, floods, landslides etc. to the increasing temperatures, increasing morbidities and mortalities, human activities have penetrated into every sphere.

But the year passed, with unaccountable losses and the planet being closer to a bigger catastrophe in future.

Nevertheless, 2021 proved to be a landmark year for India in terms of climate action.

The country appeared and proved resolute in terms of its dedication to limit the increasing global temperatures. Despite being a developing country struggling for growth after the Pandemic, India declared itself to reach Net-zero emissions by 2070.

Even before the start of a milestone year i.e. 2022, it dared to move swiftly towards its renewable energy targets, curbing the dirtier forms of energy without jeopardizing the power needs of a growing nation.

One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG) and International Solar Alliance (ISA) are already fostering a bigger change in the world and can be attributed to India’s greater efforts. It calls for distributing solar energy across the planet much justifiably, so that developing nations are not devoid of such benefits.

‘Plastic Hackathon 2021’ was even launched to deal with additional plastic waste.

But any of these cannot underpin the challenge India has put forth ahead of the World Institutions. It has been selectively questioning, promoting and supporting the projects or decisions made out as best options for survival of the planet.

The self-proclaimed leader has denied to amend its own laws to carve out using coal from the country. It has agreed to ‘phase down’ with prospering Renewables and not ‘phase out’ as desired.

It even criticized a bigger deal under the climate agreement prepared for COP26.

Not only on international fora, India as a country together had to battle against negative changes embedded in terms of ‘amendments’, for instance, the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) conundrum or the controversial Forest Conservation Act (FCA) or its indiscriminate stubble burning laws influenced by Elections.

While we doubt the very steps this country takes to strive, we know that a new year provides another opportunity to begin, to witness change and search for better alternatives.

There is no one in the world that’s is not hazy with smoke or not fails once or twice but it is never too late to trust oneself again. India can still learn more in 2022 and be the face of change with emboldened attempts.

By Alaina Ali Beg

I am a lover of all arts and therefore can dream myself in all places where the World takes me. I am an avid animal lover and firmly believes that Nature is the true sorcerer.

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