In the context of that reality, understanding the journey of someone like Jadav Payeng is essential. Belonging to a ‘mising’ tribal community of Assam, in the late 1970s he realised that nature around him was changing and on its way hurting objects of its own creation. The island of Majuli of where he’s a resident has faced the brunt of climate change first hand, yearly floods and erosion affecting not only human life and property but the rich flora and fauna and causing the island to shrink over time.

In the summer of ’79, he was deeply affected by the sight of hundreds of snakes washed up dead on the riverbed, he couldn’t imagine a similar fate for any other living being and decided to do something about it. On the sand bar, which didn’t even qualify for Government’s green initiatives owing to lesser levels of fertility, he started by planting bamboo trees, as it could sustain the harsh conditions.

He has lost count of the number of trees he has planted in more than four decades since then, estimates running up to ‘hundreds of thousands’ had shocked even the forest department. Jadav Payeng didn’t seek any permission to plant a forest, he had carried on with the ‘mising tribes’ tradition of honouring nature’. The dense groves that are a fully functional forest ecosystem today, sprawling over 550 hectares, is commonly known as the Molai forest, named after him. His dedication, he hopes has been able to set an example of what an individual can do to change the environment. Commenting on the size of his project, the ‘self-styled naturalist’ said, “It’s not as if I did it all alone. You plant one or two trees, and they have to seed. And once they seed, the wind knows how to plant them, the birds here know how to sow them, cows know, elephants know, even the Brahmaputra river knows. The entire ecosystem knows.”

In 2010, a Jorhat based freelance journalist and wildlife photographer Jintu Kalita wrote about Jadav Payeng, in an Assamese Newspaper, the very first news piece on him that brought him to the limelight. It has led to hundreds of stories and news articles, books and chapters on him as well as numerous documentaries on his work. In a public function arranged by School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, Payeng was named ‘the Forest Man of India’ by the then Vice-Chancellor of the Institute.

In 2015, he was honoured with the Padma Shri and has received honorary doctorates from numerous universities since then. People from around the globe visit Molai Forest today, to see more than 120 species of migratory birds and Elephants, Tigers and Rhinos that visit from the Kaziranga National Park and a slew of other flora and fauna that call the forest home, some even native to the river basin.

Jadav Payeng is grateful for the honour and accolades, which come quite often these days, at the same time worried about this newfound fame which along with everything, brings poachers and smugglers to the forest. As the forest expands, he is concerned if he alone can continue to look after it and hopes the recognition he has found would actually help direct governments and organisations towards the cause.

In a 2013 documentary, titled ‘Forest Man’, by William D McMaster, he talks about the expansion of his reforestation project to the entire island of Majuli. To make it more economically viable and help with the development of its population, Payeng proposes the idea of planting Coconut trees which would reap monetary benefits and its stronghold over the land help against erosion. While Payeng’s plans haven’t yet received official status, the state government has been positive towards the expansion project and has recommended the island several times for UNESCO heritage site status, without much success. The due recognition could help spearhead campaigns that would essentially speed up the reclamation and reforestation project along with its protection.

The islanders, who in the past had termed our forest man insane, weren’t always supportive of his project. They are still fearful of the vastness and concerned if it would ever have negative impacts upon them. Jadav Payeng has been able to uphold a staunch protest to all such claims while making people aware that humans and our collective action causes more threat to the environment than they could ever cause. He would rather sacrifice himself than letting someone harm the forest.

Fame hasn’t changed his life on the island. He still lives in a traditional ‘chang ghar’ along with his family of four, gets up early every day, rides a boat to reach his forest, tends to the plants and replants new seeds and weeds out poisonous varieties, the process has gotten easier but he continues with the same dedication that started him on his journey some 40 years ago. He takes good care of his health, drinks a medicinal concoction of herbs collected from the forest itself, every day. He is brave, fearless and determined to do better for our environment till his last breath. When asked about climate change, he suggests humans to learn and teach the art of loving nature as much as we love ourselves, no other trick would ever compare to what we could achieve by treating nature right, the way it ought to be.

For this generation of youth, very much including me, whose war cry to heed to the climate crisis and help heal the earth has been louder than ever, Jadav Payeng’s journey and efforts to singlehandedly do better by our environment will always be heroic. In the power play of our world, biggest of our democracies either has done too little to reverse the climate crisis or shy away from accepting this theory of accelerated disaster in the interest of their ruthless capitalisation and material desires. Multinational organisations and NGOs haven’t necessarily been successful in changing the dialogue.

Understanding through Payeng, his lesson of ‘aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) and approach towards natures dilemma is truly empowering. To rely on government entities then is a big mistake, time for starting on a journey of corrective measures to heal our earth is now. Resources could be limited and the path could be difficult, but we all have to commit to restoring our home, our common heritage.

The ‘hero’ culture of our times, especially in countries like India, has often been problematic. Having said that, we need to start celebrating heroes like Jadav Payeng who has single-handedly stood up against privilege, against economic resourcefulness to understand the human impact on the environment, to reverse centuries of ignorance towards our better half, nature. Keeping someone like Payeng in our conscience will motivate and help gear up the fight against human actions that affect nature. Nature will always be unpredictable in its ways, either by love or war, but if we ethically and morally oblige ourselves to take care of it, nature would inadvertently look after us. Jadav Payeng’s fruit of labour and dedication has already led the way, we just needn’t falter away.

REFERENCES

GHOSH, AMITAV, THE GREAT DERANGEMENT: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE UNTHINKABLE, PENGUIN BOOKS, INDIA, 2016.

MCCARTHY, JULIE (2017), A LIFETIME OF PLANTING TREES ON A REMOTE RIVER ISLAND: MEET INDIA’S FOREST MAN, npr.org

KANNADASAN, AKILA (2019), MEET JADAV PAYENG, INDIA’S FOREST MAN, WHO CREATED 550 HECTARES OF FOREST SINGLE-HANDEDLY, www.thehindu.com

MCMASTER D, WILLIAM (2014), FOREST MAN (documentary), YouTube

Featured Image: Jitu Kalita

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Despite knowing the advantages and the need for renewable energy why are we still heavily dependent on fossil fuels? It’s because, despite all the advantages offered by renewable energy, there are several challenges to expanding their usage. The problems range from issues of accessibility, lack of technological know-how and financial risks, to the various domestic and international game of power and politics.

In the face of all this, countries and other organisations need to come together to ensure the availability and accessibility of clean and green energy. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is one such alliance, which can prove to be a major boon for the globe as a whole, and the developing countries in particular.

Background

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation. The alliance was launched by India’s PM Narendra Modi, along with the former President of France, François Hollande in the COP-21 in Paris in 2015. The International Solar Alliance was launched as a coalition of “sunshine countries”. These are solar resource rich countries which lie completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. In 2018, the ISA was opened to all the Member States of the United Nations to join in order to expand the membership beyond the Tropics.

The International Solar Alliance aims to create a “multi-stakeholder ecosystem where sovereign nations, multilateral organizations, industry, policymakers and innovators work in together to promote the common and shared goal of meeting energy demands of a secure & sustainable world”.

Main Objectives of the International Solar Alliance

Conforming to the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance, the main interests and objectives are:

• Address the common key challenges in order to obtain maximum use of solar energy applications and reduce the dependability on traditional non-renewable energy sources.
• To take coordinated action through programmes and activities launched on a voluntary basis, aimed at better harmonization, aggregation of demand, risk and resources, for promoting solar finance, solar technologies, innovation, R&D, capacity building etc.
• Reduce the cost and risk of finance to increase investments in solar energy in member countries by promoting innovative financial mechanisms and mobilizing finance from institutions. Furthermore, the alliance aims to mobilize investments of USD 1 trillion by 2030.
• Facilitate collaborative research and development (R&D) activities in solar energy technologies among member countries. This objective aims to reduce the gap in terms of knowledge and training, especially in developing countries. One of the major projects in this field is supported by the Indian government. The Government of India has been supporting the International Solar Alliance by providing training to master trainers in the field of solar energy through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Scheme. The duration of the training is 21 days and all costs are borne by the Government of India.
• Promote a common cyber platform for networking, cooperation and exchange of ideas among member countries. The alliance has a 24×7 Solar Cyber Centre. There is also the International Solar Alliance Infopedia Portal which is accessible to everyone for information regarding the use and promotion of solar energy.

Through these objectives, the International Solar Alliance aims to achieve international collaboration and sharing of sustainable energy source by 2030.

Geopolitical Significance of the International Solar Alliance

The energy sector in general, and the concentration of oil in particular, plays a major role in the international geopolitical scenario. The power hold of Western Asia and the USA is the perfect example. Thus, a shift towards renewable energy can also reconfigure world politics.

In terms of international politics, organisations like the ISA can play vital roles. Apart from the goal of achieving clean and sustainable energy, the organisation reflects the leadership capacity of India and emphasises on the rise of India as a major player in international politics. Furthermore, having both the developed and developing nations as its members, and providing representation to countries like Fiji and South Sudan, the organisation has the potential to reduce the gap between the global “north” and global “south”.

The possession of oil reserves by the West Asian countries and the USA, as discussed above, gives them a great deal of power which is used to compel or manipulate the domestic matters of many states. The International Solar Alliance’s aim to provide solar energy will ultimately help countries to challenge the monopoly of the current oil-rich nations. The alliance also aims to bring various joint co-operations among member nations, and also with other organisations. Steps like these will strengthen the trans-regional solidarity in the international arena.

Latest Developments

The International Solar Alliance held its Third Assembly virtually in October 2020. India and France were re-elected as the president and co-president respectively. Apart from that, vice presidents were also chosen to represent the four regions of the International Solar Alliance. The meeting also saw discussions about the ongoing projects, new initiatives and programmes, mobilisation of future investments and the various challenges. One major highlight of the assembly was the setting up of ISA CARES in the wake of a global pandemic. This initiative was launched with the objective of deployment of solar energy in the healthcare sector in LDC/SIDS ISA member countries.

Conclusion

The International Solar Alliance is seen as a major foreign policy tool for India. It is also viewed as an attempt to counter China’s One Belt One Road initiative. The organisation as an initiative of India shows a great deal of potential in the present times when there is a growing need to provide clean energy. Another important aspect of the International Solar Alliance is its trans-regional nature. It has members from around the globe. However, the success of ISA will depend on how it tackles the many challenges that the renewable energy sector has faced in the past and how it achieves the vision of “One Sun, One World, One Grid”.

Treaties, friendships and alliances have always been an important part of world history and politics. The ongoing Covid pandemic has taught us the importance of solidarity. In times like these, the International Solar Alliance can manifest into a far greater body, providing not only green energy but also aiding its member countries in times of needs.

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The images of Australian bush fire is still fresh in people’s minds across the world. The tragedy led to a loss of insurmountable flora and fauna. Over 30,000 forest fires were recorded last year in India itself, and most of these forest fires account to human activity. It’s a strange reality where several conventions have taken place from the 1970s, beginning with United Nations conference on the human environment, often known as Stockholm conference, it was for the first time that the world began to take a serious interest in environmental issues at large, however, even after 50 years of the first initiate in the form of Stockholm conference our world is battling with shifts in weather patterns driven by humans since the industrial revolution. Let’s take a look to understand what causes forest fires. 

What causes forest fires?

Forest fire is the most common source of potential damage or hazard to Forests all over the world. They threaten not only the forest but the ecosystem that exists in it they are capable of destroying the balance that exists in the ecology of the forest ( flora and fauna). The gradual deterioration of functional characteristics of leaves due to no rains in summers often leads to flames which are caused by the slightest sparks The Himalayan forests, particularly, Garhwal Himalayas are burning regularly during a previous couple of summers, with colossal loss of vegetation cover of that region.

Do forest fires have only natural causes?

There are both man-made and natural reasons as to why the forests are burning around the world during recent times. Natural reasons vary from lightning which sets trees on fires to high atmospheric temperatures and dryness with less or no humidity which lead to favourable circumstances of forest fires. Main reasons range from cigarettes, bidi, lighter or any such item coming in contact with any inflammable material which may be present in the ecosystem. Forest fires increase CO2 levels within the atmosphere, contributing to the atmospheric phenomenon and global climate change. Besides, ashes destroy much of the nutrients and erode the soil, causing flooding and landslides. We can say that causes of forest fires could either be environmental which is beyond our control and human-related which can be controlled or contained. The causes of man-made forest fires are usually – The main causes of man-made forest fires include the following:

1) Agricultural activities like burning grass or stubble.

2) Throwing of burning cigarettes or matches.

3) The lighting of fires in restricted areas.

4) Residential activities like the use of electrical tools that cause sparks and burn of wastes.

5) Short-circuit of power lines passing through forests, among others. 

But how do we prevent forest fires?

Forest fires as we discussed are both dangerous and threatening to both us and the wildlife around us. We live in equilibrium with the wildlife in this world our mere existence is supported by the pillars of the ecosystem that we are a part of so preventing things such as forest fires that threaten the destruction to both flora fauna is our duty. One of the easy ways in which we can prevent it is by complying with the rules and regulations that exist to safeguard our forests Many municipalities have laws governing burning of all kinds including the time of day, time of year, and what substances can be burned, by following these rules we can reduce man-made fires also if we are on a camping trip we can check the weather it is never a good idea to engage in any type of burning if there are high winds. Wind can act as both an accelerant and may spread the hearth. Smoking in the woods may be appealing to the larger section of our society that favours camping trips but we should keep in mind that we have to carefully extinguish any smoking materials that are on us. We must not burn dangerous things like aerosol cans, pressurised containers, glass or aluminium cans, as they could explode, shatter and/or create harmful fumes or dust. Wildfire prevention techniques are often difficult when most of the people do not realise the harm involved. Fireworks and crackers should also never be used unless there is a wide-open space with no flammable materials nearby. Also, ask your local ordinances as many restrict fireworks altogether. We must also follow state laws and city ordinances regarding backyard burn disposal, remove any potentially hazardous material from the surrounding area of your burn before you get started and set up a non-flammable parameter the same way you would with a campfire.

Conclusion 

We are at a turning point in our century, we cannot afford to see our ecosystem get destroyed by anthropogenic causes, what we need to do is, focus on is sustainable development that does not take away the resources of the future generations, we must keep the upkeep of our ecosystem as our top priority and work together as a community and to look after our forests, we must educate our children about the benefits of forests and wildlife and the role it plays to maintain our ecological cycle. At the end of the day, the world is a global village and we cannot look away from it. 

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How has the flood of 2020 affected Assam so far?

The landscape of Assam which often in its glory shows off the green hills and blue skies, the clear waters of the many rivers that flows through it, have been significantly changed if not totally altered by the heavy floods. A number of pictures and videos have surfaced on the internet which provides a gloomy picture of roads leading to a vast sea of water, roads surrounded by water on both sides, people living on the streets in temporary shelters along with their domesticated animals, etc. In the flood-affected districts, most homes have been completely submerged underwater and many others have had water gush into their homes, the water level rising day by day. People have been forced to abandon their ancestral homes and properties, and although this happens every year, it’s never quite easy to move away from one’s properties given the unpredictable nature of the situation. Most of the people have also abandoned their vehicles like motorbikes and cars, as boats have become the principal and only mode of transportation in these areas. In fact, carpenter shops have begun making boats, selling each boat for around 6000 Rs (approx).           

The State Disaster Management Authority has stated that around 2543 villages are completely submerged and more than 1,22,573.16 hectares of crop area has been completely destroyed, snatching away people’s livelihood and inducing a scarcity of food, altogether. Distraught people from such areas have been repeatedly pleading for aid, and while some has come in the form of relief camps, and charity donations, the larger problem of such events occurring every year looms large. 

The situation in Assam still remains grave and is likely to become worse in the following months, as more rain showers are expected to arrive. As of 29^th July 2020, about 107 people have been killed as a result of the disastrous floods that have affected over 50 lakh people (approx.) across all 33 districts. Some districts have been more affected by others, Goalpara has so far been the most affected district closely followed by Morigaon. Diphu, in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam, has also been devastated by floods especially after 28^th July, with water gushing into people’s homes and also the Diphu Medical College, which was only newly constructed. Locals have blamed the situation on the poor drainage system, filling up of wetlands and unplanned road construction. 

The wildlife of the state, which populates the Kaziranga National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary and several such sanctuaries, have been as adversely affected by the ongoing floods. The Kaziranga National park which is known as the largest breeding site of the one-horned rhinoceros (boasting about 2200 population of rhinos) was at a point submerged up to 95% and the inundation still has not completely receded. The Pabitora wildlife sanctuary also continues to remain inundated. While the worst that has come off it is the death of around 225 animals as of yet, that includes 15 of one-horned rhinoceroses, 4 elephants, 1 tiger, and 178 hog deers, the situation for these animals continue to remain grave. As their habitats remain submerged underwater, most of these animals have to flee in search of higher ground. It is almost an annual scenario, as the annual floods constantly bring into threat the habitats of these animals, most of which move into the nearby hills of the Karbi Anglong district crossing the NH-37 Highway. Many animals also stray into nearby villages, looking for food and shelter. For instance, a tiger was seen taking shelter at a nearby house. Many other pictures of animals have sprung up, which shows their miserable and helpless condition. A rhino was seen taking a rest in the highway, while many herds of elephants have frequently been seen crossing roads and looking for food in nearby empty villages. 

What causes Annual Floods?

While it is perhaps impossible to root these annual floods into some concrete causes, the most probable causes seem to be an amalgamation of both natural and man-made factors :

• The river BRAHMAPUTRA: The river brings in a large number of sediments and discharges from Tibet and other regions, and when this silt is deposited in Assam, it leads to erosion and floods, as the state is completely surrounded by hills. 
• HEAVY RAINFALL: The North-eastern region has always received heavy rain showers averaging up to 2480mm to 6350 mm. Some parts, however, witness more frequent and heavier rain showers, like Arunachal Pradesh, parts of Upper Assam, Bhutan, etc, which consequently leads to flowing of water to Lower Assam and the resultant floods. 
• SEISMIC ZONE: Assam is also a seismic zone and therefore, the character of the Brahmaputra remains quite unstable. In fact, the 1950 earthquake in Assam, which was extreme in nature, led to the rising of the riverbed of the Brahmaputra to up to 1.5m. 
• MAN-MADE CAUSES: Further, manmade causes like human inhabitation near the riverbeds, deforestation and construction of seemingly weak embankments that fail to hold the forces of water, all contribute to the annual Assam floods.                              

What can be done? 

As of now, about 500 relief camps and distribution centres have been established by the state authorities, to help the displaced populations.  Donations in the form of food supplies, medicines and medical supplies, and other items of importance have been donated by NGOs, and some voluntary reliefs have also been provided. The government has set up the Chief Minister Relief Fund, for voluntary donations of money to help the aggrieved. Rescue operations have also been conducted, for humans and animals alike. 

Helpful as all this may be, however they still have failed to address some bigger problems. For instance, one of the most important products of need is safe drinking water. Ironical as it may sound, being covered with water all around and still having none to drink, safe drinking water remains one of the most important basic necessities, failing to procure which would even lead to greater health problems. The situation of Flood this year has also been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic, as the norms of social distancing and basic hygiene is difficult to follow under these circumstances. Moreover, most often the flood-affected people have refused to go into the relief camps, as they see a possibility of testing corona positive, living in such cramped spaces with thousands of other people. 

Conclusion

Therefore, while the Assam Flood of 2020 like its predecessors has failed to acquire much importance in the eyes of National media and authorities, it’s severity cannot be neglected. The need of the hour is however not just a temporary solution in the form of faulty and weak embankments that the government has been doing so far, which rather than helping, only accelerate the situation. Many experts on the matter have provided more enduring solutions like a basin-wide approach, flood-pain zoning like in the US, etc. The central government which in it’s 10^th Five Year plan had allocated only a minimum of 22 crores for 10 flood management programmes, still continues to neglect the situation of Assam floods and the same can be said for Indian celebrities, mainstream media houses, etc. It cannot be said, however, that whether the National Media and authorities fail to understand the gravity of the situation, or it’s the age-old story of North-east India’s struggle in getting the same opportunities as the mainland India. 

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According to Ramesh Kumar Pandey, an Uttar Pradesh cadre Indian Forest Service officer, the positive and discernible changes in the population and health of big cats in the country is a result of a combined approach on both verticals – that of policy changes as well as strategic enforcement and security enhancement measures. 

Tracing the Policy Changes 

The most important and significant legislation in India which aims to safeguard the lives of wildlife in the country is the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. It was enacted for the protection of plants and animal species since India had only five designated national parks at the time of its enactment. Among other reforms, the Act established schedules of protected plant and animal species; hunting or harvesting these species was largely outlawed and further in 2002, the Act was amended to make its enforcement further strict in nature. The Act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and plants; and for matters connected therewith. Its enforcement and extension cover the whole of India. It has six schedules that give varying degrees of protection to the various flora and fauna, of which Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide absolute protection to the species as offenses under these are prescribed the highest penalties. 

Up to April 2010, there had been 16 convictions under this act relating to the death of tigers. 

The Amendment of the Wild Life Protection Act not only made the prison sentences and penalties harsher, in case of wildlife crimes, it also mandated for the creation of two additional bodies – the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) at the central level to take upon an international and security-driven approach towards wildlife crimes such as poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade across the nation and its boundaries, as well as establish Project Tiger – an initiative to ensure targeted and method-driven conservation approaches, especially contextualized keeping in mind the Royal Bengal Tiger. 

Further, this initiative was extended to other megafaunal species such as Rhino and Elephants as well. 

Case Study: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh

The two major threats to big cats and in particular tigers in our country are poaching and anthropogenic factors. The latter in turn lead to a plethora of issues and conflicts in most Tiger Reserves and forests of the nation. 

One such conflict is the man-tiger conflict. Man-tiger conflicts are an extreme form of human-wildlife conflict, which occurs for various reasons and has claimed more human lives than attacks by any of the other big cats. A fact to note in the context of tiger attacks in India is the difference between a man-killer and a man-eater tiger, reasons such as starvation, reduced prey base, old age/illness tend to drive a tiger to be a man-eater. Human conflicts with the tiger are the most difficult to manage and incur large losses, the tiger being the flagship species of Indian fauna and a part of the mega-faunal species that include elephants, rhinos and leopards as well. 

Uttar Pradesh ranks eighth amongst the states of India inhabited by the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris) with two hundred plus tigers of varying age categories calling it’s three tiger reserves (Amangarh, Dudhwa and Pilibhit) their abode. On an average, four to five people lose their lives in Man-Tiger encounters in Uttar Pradesh each year The fact that ties these two pieces of statistics together is that although there is a steady yet sure rise in the number of tigers in the tiger reserves of Uttar Pradesh, their unprecedented interaction with humans is also on the rise, highest in any state of the country. Being the most populous state of the country, Uttar Pradesh, with its burgeoning population has provided ample ground for the occurrences of man-tiger conflicts in regions with overlapping populations of human and wildlife. Such cases have become more rampant and in the villages on the fringes of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in the past few years. In 2019, a tiger was even lynched by a group of men due to spite and poor information. 

However, of late, technological approaches have reduced the number of such conflicts in the region. The forest officials have been using technological aids to assess the location, movement and activity of animals, including drones, tracking devices and camera equipment. They have also Establishment an instant response mechanism and modus operandi in place, with inputs from locals, social workers, vets and biologists with adequate funds and gear to deal efficiently with emergencies. 

Enforcement and Curbing Wildlife Crime 

Considering the complications of poaching and the high-risk jobs of forest officials – especially the field workers such as forest watchers and forest guards, Ramesh Pandey introduced a mobile application in his department to phenomenal results. Within a year of its introduction, M-STrIPES, which stands for Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status, has been instrumental in catching 200 poachers in a patrol field that covers 2,50,000 km. 

The model of M-Stripes was developed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 2010. However, it was only in 2018 that it was transformed into a mobile application. “India is home to close to half of the world’s Tiger population, and it was in our hands to protect them,” Pandey says. 

As habitat fragmentation and shrinking of habitat due to construction or other obstructions in the forest area and encroachment in forest lands by the people on the fringes, leading to pressure on the limited available natural resources in our national parks become more rampant by the day, it is essential for our forest communities to come together in collaboration to create sustainable and secure habitats for all. India’s leading two-pronged approach of policy and enforcement has made indelible imprints on the pages of the conservation story, yet we still have a long way to go – from dealing with people’s antagonistic behaviour towards animals to combating notorious wildlife criminals. 

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With the similar objective of promoting investments through transparent and expedient approvals by implementation of an online system, further delegation, rationalization and standardization of the process as part of ease of doing business in March 2020, the environment ministry proposed a draft notification to replace the 2006 EIA. Currently, the notification is at the stage of public comments. This draft raised key concerns among the communities as it primarily provides for a reduction of time period from 30 days to 20 days for the public to submit their responses during a public hearing for any application seeking environmental clearance.

It also requires that the public hearing process be completed in 40 days compared to 45 days under the 2006 notification. In addition to this projects can receive clearance post-facto, i.e. a project operating in violation of the EPA can now apply for clearance and it also increased the discretionary power of state government to waive the process of getting clearance for strategic projects (where it can include long list of projects).

Background of Environment Impact Assessment and Public Hearing

Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.

– Ban Ki-Moon

India issued the country’s first Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification in 1994, under the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA) of 1986. This was later replaced by a modified draft in 2006. In both forms, the EIA performs the important function of assessing and regulating the impact of new projects on the environment and empowers the public to participate in the process of approvals.

The Environmental Impact Assessment report, Environment Management Plan and details of public consultations have to be submitted by the project proponents to the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for appraisal of the project. The 2006 notification made clearance of a four-step procedure with screening, scoping, public consultation, and appraisal as mandatory steps to be followed by project proponents before clearance could be granted. After these four steps have been followed, the recommendation for acceptance or rejection of EC is sent to the regulatory authority, which is the MoEF for category ‘A’ and State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for category B projects. Public consultation is the third step in the process of environmental clearance.

The enactment of this procedure was influenced by series of environmental problems which can be exemplified through the cases such as Bichri village where many villages, agricultural land water of the wells, surface water, cattle, and human beings were badly affected because of the industrial operation in the district of the Udaipur, state of Rajasthan and Tanneries case where public hearing before setting up of the factory was considered as an important measure. In the Samarth Trust Case, the Delhi high court had considered EIAs “a part of participatory justice in which the voice is given to the voiceless and it is like a jan sunwai, where the community is the jury”.

Sustainable Development

It is often argued that the process of environment clearance is leading to piling up of files and delays in projects. Developers complain that the EIA regime dampened the spirit of liberalization, leading to red-tapism and rent-seeking. This is the present state of implementation of existing mechanisms in Kerala, the administration took 1,049 days to clear the construction of the IT park project of M/s L&T Tech Park Ltd, instead of 105 days.

Amidst this, in the case of Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum vs UOI  it is held that companies are vital for the country’s development, but having regard to pollution, the doctrine of ‘Sustainable Development’ must be adopted by them as a balancing concept. If final clearance is granted after taking into account the environmental, social, and health concerns, then it can be said that the government is using this process as a tool to ensure sustainability which implies that the delay in clearance should be encountered while balancing it with the above concerns.

Reduced capacity to clearance and administrative inefficiency in granting clearance was often highlighted right from Sterlite to LG polymers’ case which has shown us the dampening spirit of the government towards already existing environmental laws.

Conclusion

A solution to development should also solve the problem of mounting environmental challenges. Introduction of environmental impact assessment is the hallmark of participatory governance in the country and dilution of this in any way hampers the primary aim of promoting a sustainable environment. Encountering bureaucratic inefficiency would always be a welcoming step but granting discretionary powers to the same authority would always raise concerns among the communities.

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Tourism has emerged as a rapidly flourishing industry in the world as a premise for economic growth, employment and business generation. Travel & Tourism is one of the world’s largest economic sectors, supporting one in 10 jobs (330 million) worldwide, and generating a total of 10.3% of global GDP. The direct and total contribution of travel and tourism to the worldwide GDP in 2019 was US$2892.94B and US$9258.29B respectively.

The inclination is more outstanding betwixt the developing nation. The status of tourism in the South-Pacific-Asian countries in general and India, by and large, can be considered as a classic example.

Travel & Tourism role in India’s growth

In India, Travel and Tourism directly generated US$1.3B and 27,404 jobs in 2019. Taking its wider indirect and induced impacts into account, as of 2019, 4.2M jobs were generated in the tourism sector which was 8.1 per cent of total employment in the country and total contribution US$268.29B in 2019. 

According to the WTTC report, India ranked at 3rd position among 185 countries in terms of travel & tourism’s total contribution to GDP in 2018. International Tourists arrival is expected to reach 30.5M by 2028. Total contribution by the travel and tourism sector to India’s GDP is expected to surge from US$ 234.03B in 2017 to US$ 492.21B in 2028. Total income from the sector in India stood at US$ 28.6B in 2018 and is targeted to reach US$ 50B by 2022.

Tourism and rising concerns

However, with the explosive growth of the sector, the long-term sustainability of tourism as a factor of development is frequently being framed to be questioned, particularly because of its significant adverse effects on the environment, fast consumption of natural resources, socio-cultural etc. The massive growth of the sector over the last decade has become increasingly concerning subject. 

As a result, there is now a soaring interest to promote sustainable tourism to maximise its ecological impact and to maximise socio-economic, in general,  privileges at tourist destinations. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) developed the concept of sustainable tourism, in the context of the United Nations sustainable development process, refers to tourist activities “leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems”. 

What is sustainable tourism?

A central idiosyncrasy of sustainable tourism is its ability to associate environmental integrity, social equity and economic prosperity, commonly referred to as the triple bottom line, attributes of sustainability and to function as an incentive for their joint reinforcement.

Sustainable Tourism can provide the comprehensive potential of the tourism sector because it can benefit to design more effective policies and meticulously planned strategies to realize the full social and economic potential of the tourism sector.

Sustainability policies pertaining to the ecological, economic, and socio-cultural regards of sustainable tourism development, and a seemly equipoise must be set up within these three domains to ensure its abiding sustainability. 

Steps towards sustainability

– Follow a systematic approach to make optimal use of natural resources, maintaining essential ecological processes and focus on conservation of natural heritage and biodiversity.

– Honour and be kind to the host communities socio-cultural traditional values, abstain the exploitation of their resources and heritage site, impart to inter-cultural beliefs and focus on giving back to the community through the volunteer work. 

– Enact economic sustainability, aiming for both long-term and immediate profitability goals, fairly disseminate socio-economic gain among the various stakeholders in the supply chain, including the opportunities of employment for the host communities following poverty reduction strategies.

Reasons for sustainable tourism

Sustainable is not sufficient but necessary requirement for the flourishing environment and tourism in the long run. As we have observed, the demand for sustainable tourism is increasing up.

Making eco-friendly choices in tourist accommodation are beneficial for reasons:

1. Creating an added value for the travel places to guests more interested in this issue.
2. Reduction in the costs and consumptions (energy, water and waste in general), the GHG emission.
3. Help to Generate employment in the supply chain and produce skilled labours.
4. Improve the performance and profitability of local tourism businesses.
5. To encourage extensive local participation in community-based tourism.
6. Increase the number of women entrepreneurs in the sector.
7. Offers authenticate experiences.
8. Contribute to poverty alleviation.

and the list of benefits of sustainability goes on.

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Even if you are a non-smoker, you are not forborne as around 6.5 trillion cigarettes are sold around the world each year, which translates to roughly 18 billion cigarettes per day. Those exposed to passive smoke are at higher risks of undergoing from most of the diseases and health complications associated with first-hand smoking. Moreover, exposure to passive smoking is rather more harmful as exhaled smoke contains toxic metals like carcinogens and poisonous gases

Smoking cigarettes affects the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the reproductive system, vision and physical appearance as well.

Respiratory System

When you inbreathe smoke, you are taking in toxin substances like nicotine, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and other 4,000 chemicals that can damage your lungs. Over a period, this damage leads to a variety of problems. Along with the increased risk of infections, people who smoke are at higher risk for chronic irreversible lung conditions. As a result, smoking:

• causes lung diseases, including the majority of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• makes chronic lung diseases severe,
• increases the risk of respiratory infections,
• smoking increases a person’s risk of getting tuberculosis.

Children whose parents smoke are more prone to coughing, wheezing, and asthma attacks than children whose parents don’t. They also tend to have higher rates of pneumonia and bronchitis.

Circulatory System

When you smoke, the poisons from the tar in your cigarettes enter your blood. These poisons in your blood then:

• Make your blood thicker, and increase chances of clot formation
• Increase your blood pressure and heart rate, making your heart work harder than normal
• Narrow your arteries, reducing the amount of oxygen-rich blood circulating to your organs.

Reproduction System

In males, smoke toxins can cause male erectile dysfunction, impotency and decrease in sexual pleasure, as it damages the blood vessels that supply blood to the genital area. It can also damage sperm quality; lower sperm count and sex hormones. According to international health protocols, smoking just two cigarettes a day can lead to a decreased ability to have an erection. According to outlook India, impotence affects over 50 per cent of males above 40, and one of the contributing cause is excessive smoking. 

For women, smoking can reduce fertility. The study estimated that the fertility of smoking women was 28% less than that of non-smokers. One study found that smokers were over three times more likely than non-smokers to have taken more than one year to conceive. Smoking while you are pregnant can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and illness, and it increases the risk of cot death by at least 25%. According to studies, smokers reach menopause about 18 months earlier than a non-smoker. Smoking can also result in sexual dissatisfaction by decreasing lubrication and the ability to attain orgasm.

Smoking effects on Eyesights

Smoking can lead to eye problems, blurred vision and in worst cases vision loss. Studies show smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy and Dry Eye Syndrome.

• Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
  • One way to reduce the risk of developing AMD is by NOT smoking. Smokers are three to four times more likely to develop AMD than nonsmokers. Nonsmokers living with smokers almost double their risk of developing AMD.
• Cataract
  • Heavy smokers (15 cigarettes/day or more) have up to three times the risk of cataract as nonsmokers.
• Glaucoma
  • There is a strong link between smoking and high blood pressure, cataracts and diabetes all of which are risk factors for glaucoma.
• Diabetic Retinopathy
  • Smoking can increase your chances of getting diabetes. It can also make managing diabetes more difficult for those who already have it. Complications of diabetes made worse by smoking include retinopathy, heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, foot problems and many others.
• Dry Eye Syndrome
  • Dry Eye Syndrome is more than twice as likely to impact smokers as non-smokers.

Smoking effects on Integumentary System 

Skin

Smoking untimely ages your skin. Smoking affects the blood vessels and reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your skin. This means that if you smoke, your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull. The toxins in your body also cause cellulite.

Smoke toxins damage collagen and elastin, two major factors of the skin, consequences to sagging & drooping skin, arms, breasts and wrinkles. Smokers are more sensitive to the development of age spots & psoriasis, an unsightly and often uncomfortable skin condition.

Nails

Smoking tobacco causes brittle, dry, cracked and slow growth of fingernails and toenails. In addition to it they get prone to fungal infection than non-smoker person. Smoking also discolours the skin of the nails.

Hair

Smoking can worsen the natural process of hair thinning, damaged hair follicles & scalp environment. It also increased DHT & head oil secretion. Some research shows that baldness & hair loss is more common in men who smoke; studies from Taiwan show that male-pattern baldness risk increases in Asian men who smoke.

Even exposure of passive smoke can result into mentioned severe conditions in a non-smoker.

• Bladder
• Blood (acute myeloid leukaemia)
• Cervix
• Colon and rectum (colorectal)
• Oesophagus
• Kidney and ureter
• Larynx
• Liver
• Oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)
• Pancreas
• Stomach
• Trachea, bronchus, and lung

Smoking and the environment

Research has found that tobacco cultivation (mostly in rainforest areas) contributes significantly to deforestation and degradation of the environment. The process of cultivating tobacco requires a large number of chemicals and toxic materials which generates a huge amount of wastes such as pesticides and fertilizers. The industrial processing and the burning of cigarettes append a large volume of air pollutants in the atmosphere. In 2015, 1,312,796 pounds of toxic chemicals were reported disposed off, or otherwise released, from tobacco facilities. From the process of cultivation and the industrial process to smoking cigarettes involves the emission of a lot of Green House Gases, a major cause of global warming. 

Cigarettes causing Water Pollution and Adverse Effects on Animals

Soil and land pollution through farming and from cigarette butts. Cigarette filters are produced from cellulose acetate, a plastic which only degrades under severe biological circumstances. In practice, cigarette butts tossed on streets and beaches do not decompose. Since 1980s, cigarette butts have consistently held 30 to 40 per cent of all items collected in annual international coastal and urban clean-ups. Even under optimal conditions, it can take at least nine months for a cigarette butt to degrade. 

Aquatic environment and fishes are particularly affected by the cigarettes in several ways. Fish ingest the cigarette filters resembling fish food which reduces their stomach capacity and thus change in eating habits. Similarly, pets pick it which later leads to dysfunction of their body system. Even humans are not spared if by any chance they consume the affected fish or animal. 

Forest Fire accidents due to smoking

Forest fires started by the burning cigarette butt fire are countless. About 17,000 people worldwide die each year because of fires started by cigarette lighters or discarded burning cigarettes. In terms of property damage, the losses are more than 27 billion US dollars every year. Further, such forest fires are damaging to the environment causing biodiversity loss, habitat loss, air pollution, deforestation and the death of humans and wild animals. A forest fire started by a cigarette butt in the year 1987 in China killed 300 people, left 5,000 other homeless and destroyed approximately 1.3 million hectares of land.

Quitting

While quitting smoking can be challenging but not impossible. There are now more former smokers than current smokers. You can take help of your doctor in planning and medication. Your loved ones can be your mental support in tough times.

Once a person stops smoking, the benefits start concentrating. These include clearer skin, improved oral health, more stable hormone levels, a stronger immune system, and a reduced risk of many types of cancers.

Some other benefits of quitting smoking include:

• After 20 minutes–12 hours: Heart rate and carbon monoxide in the blood drop to normal levels.
• After 1 year: The risk of a heart attack is much lower, as is blood pressure. Coughing and upper respiratory problems begin to improve.
• After 2–5 years: The risk of stroke drops to that of someone who does not smoke, according to the CDC.
• After 5–15 years: The risk of mouth, throat, oesophagus, and bladder cancer is reduced by half.
• After 10 years: The risk of lung cancer and bladder cancer is half that of someone who currently smokes.
• After 15 years: The risk of heart disease is similar to that of someone who never smoked.

Bottom line

So, by far you’ve clearly concluded that smoking kills just not you but the earth. It’s an hour of action now. Take a step against it and inspire others too!

Will You?

References:

• (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/smoking-health-problems
• Medicalnewstoday.com. 2020. 10 Effects Of Smoking Cigarettes. [online] Available at: <https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324644#quitting> [Accessed 1 May 2020].
• Health.ny.gov. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/tobacco_control/docs/smoking_can_lead_to_vision_loss_or_blindness.pdf> [Accessed 1 May 2020].
• Truth Initiative. 2020. Tobacco And The Environment. [online] Available at: <https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/tobacco-and-environment> [Accessed 1 May 2020].
• Conserve Energy Future. 2020. 10 Serious Effects Of Cigarette Smoking On Environment And Human Health – Conserve Energy Future. [online] Available at: <https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/serious-effects-cigarette-smoking-environment-and-human-health.php> [Accessed 1 May 2020].
• Healthline. 2020. 26 Health Effects Of Smoking On Your Body. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/health/smoking/effects-on-body#6> [Accessed 1 May 2020].

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Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of the climate change

From the wide-open green lands to the well-industrialised society, we have come across a long way. It’s the 21st century and in today’s age we, humans, have developed so many appliances to make our life comfortable and easy. Along the way to human evolution and generation, technology and innovation have made our life effortless. We can obviously count them as a sign of progress but one important thing which we can’t ignore over this is the cost we pay for this comfort, environmental degradation.

Glaciers are key indicators of climate change because they exhibit high responsiveness to climate change. Loss of sea ice expedited sea-level rise and longer, more intense heat waves. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which have more than 1,300 scientists and researchers from the US and other countries, predicts a temperature increase of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century. Global climate is predicted to continue to change over this century and beyond. The extent of climate change beyond the next few decades depends primarily on the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted globally. Because anthropogenic warming is superimposed on a naturally changing climate, the temperature rise has not been, and will not be, same or smooth across the country or over time. Average precipitation has increased since 1900, but some areas have had increases greater than the national average, and some areas have had decreases. Projections of future climate suggest that the recent trend towards risen heavy precipitation events will continue. This trend is projected to happen even in regions where total precipitation is expected to decrease, such as the Southwest. Droughts in the Southwest and heat waves everywhere are projected to become more severe, and cold waves less intense everywhere. Summer temperatures are projected to continue increasing, and a reduction of soil moisture, which intensifies heat waves, is projected in summer. The Arctic Ocean is suspected to become ice-free in summer before mid-century. Global sea level has surged by about 8 inches since 1880. It is forecasted to rise another 1 to 4 feet by 2100. This is the result of melting land ice.

The rise in global climate change over the years has become a most concerning issue for us to deal with and the industries, gadgets and vehicles we rely on so much are the prime causes of this deterioration. We cannot completely stop ourselves to recourse them which is also not an ideal approach but we can control the misuse and prevent the severe changes in the environment and that’s what we are trying to achieve with the discussed and calculated measures taken over a long period of climate negotiations.

A brief history of climate negotiations:

• In 1979, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) had organised the First World Climate Conference to evaluate existing knowledge of how higher meteorological greenhouse emitting gas concentration levels could drive an increase in average temperature. The Conference didn’t turn out any well because, from a political viewpoint, anthropogenic climate change was in those days mainly deemed as a theoretical possibility, incompletely supported by scientific proofs and surrounded by relatively large uncertainties.

• In 1992, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted and opened for signatures in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to stabilize “greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would deter dangerous interference with the climate system.

• The first Conference of the Parties (COP 1) to the UNFCCC was held in Berlin, Germany towards a protocol with quantified emission reduction targets to be achieved within a certain timeframe. 

• 1997—  the process resulted in the formation of the Kyoto Protocol at COP 3, in Kyoto, Japan. The Protocol proposed legally binding emissions targets for developed country Parties for the six major GHGs, which are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Nevertheless, negotiations towards the Kyoto Protocol had been slow. 

• 2005— COP 11 were held in Montreal, Canada. This conference was the first to take place after the long-pending Kyoto Protocol took force. The parties discussed issues such as “transfer of technologies, development and various financial and budget-related issues, the opposing effects of climate change on developing and least developed countries, comprising guidelines to the Global Environment Facility (GEF).” 

• 2007—  parties agreed to an action plan to assign GHG mitigation actions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 at COP 13 held in Bali.

• 2009—  Developed nations pledged $100 billion for climate aid to developing countries.

• 2011— Parties agreed to the enhanced Action which is a structure to build a new international emissions abatement protocol at COP 17 was held in Durban, South Africa. The EU also agreed to stretch their Kyoto Protocol targets, which were scheduled to expire at the end of 2012, into a 2nd duty period from 2013-2017. 

• 2012— COP 18 was held in Doha, Qatar. Parties failed to set a roadmap to provide $100B per year by 2020 for developing countries to support climate change adaptation, as agreed upon at COP 15 in Copenhagen. The concept of “loss and damage” was introduced as developed countries promised to help developing countries and small island nations pay for the losses and damages from climate change that they are already experiencing.

• On 12 December 2015, Parties to the UNFCCC reached a historical agreement at COP 21 in Paris. The Paris Agreement was focussed to encourage the global acknowledgement to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to try efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

• In December 2017, One Planet Summit Results in Finance Commitments world leaders gather in Paris to illustrate how billions of dollars could be shifted towards a low-carbon future. Financial flows are crucial for countries’ national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement.

Impact of coronavirus on the environment:

Apart from the negative part, coronavirus has some positive effects on the environment. One of the main impacts of the coronavirus outbreak is a significant drop in air pollution which has been noted in many parts of the world. Many countries around the world have implemented lockdown and quarantine to slow down the spread of the virus and due to this flights have cancelled, many regions have experienced a drop in air pollution and fewer greenhouse gases being emitted and air quality have improved significantly and the earth’s ozone layer is also recovering. Slowing economic activities also bring down emissions as countries ordered closedown of schools, factories, industries and emissions are expected to fall. A study by specialist outlet Carbon Brief discovered that in China, GHG emissions have fallen by around 25%.  A drop in air pollution was first observed by NASA in China’s Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak began in December 2019, Marshall Burke, a researcher at Stanford University, calculated the improvements in air quality recorded in China may have saved the lives of 4,000 children under 5 years old and 73,000 adults over 70. 

India’s capital is one of the world’s most polluted cities, but its skies have turned blue and many people can see the Himalaya Mountains for the first time. Another surprising impact on the atmosphere from the coronavirus has been observed in Venice, Italy. With tourists numbers declined because of the virus, the waters in Venice’s canals are cleaner than they have been, so much so, in fact, that fish can be seen once again in the canals. One example is New York. Researchers have discovered that there has been a 5- to 10% fall in air pollutants like carbon dioxide in New York. Methane emissions have also dropped significantly. And a similar effect has been seen in northern Italy as well. All this is an unexpected upside of the coronavirus crisis that has proved global air quality can be dramatically improved – and fast. The change has been created by lockdowns that have grounded flights and shut factories. But environmentalists warn it could be temporary. 

Conclusion

Using the information from published research and news websites I’ve tried to conclude what climate change may lead to if not treated properly. The unprecedented change in climate has already affected the environment in the most severe ways and will keep continuing which is quite known to everyone, if we individually don’t adapt to essential changes in our lifestyle then the situation will go further worse only and the future doesn’t look brighter for the upcoming generation because nature knows its ways to control and prevent detoriation of environment.

References:

1. Alessi, M., & Gaast, W. van der. (n.d.). Climate Policy Info Hub. Retrieved from https://climatepolicyinfohub.eu/history-un-climate-negotiations-part-1-1980s-2010
2. The Effects of Climate Change. (2019, September 30). Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
3. Piccirilli Dorsey, Inc. (n.d.). Timeline of Major UN Climate Negotiations. Retrieved from https://www.eesi.org/policy/international
4. What is the Paris Agreement? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/what-is-the-paris-agreement
5. Alkozay, M. (2020, April 2). Coronavirus Impact on Environment. Retrieved from https://www.khaama.com/coronavirus-impact-on-environment-8760986/

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