Climate Change - India's Perspective

I've recently thought quite a bit about climate change and global warming - in Costa Rica, sea turtle eggs are dying because of the heat and drought; in the Arctic Svalbard, polar bears are losing valuable hunting ground because multi-year sea ice has failed to form. And now, here in India, we're learning about the devastating impact of climate change on the people, particularly those who make a living based on what happens with the weather.

We met with Dr. Ajay Raghav, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change here in India. He explained how the problem of climate change is actually different for developed vs. developing countries. Because countries like India were still under colonial rule during the industrial revolution, they missed out on development in the 18^th century and are only now going through development - that's where their priorities need to be. Climate change also makes a bigger impact on developing countries because it affects the livelihood of poor people, i.e. farmers and fishermen. In contrast, citizens of developing countries are more impacted by lifestyle. In developing countries, climate change is often about survival. 

Dr. Raghav told us a story about Earth Hour - the global pledge to turn off all electricity for one hour, as a pledge to combat climate change. He went to some areas of India to spread the word, and their response was, "uh, we only get electricity for two hours a day. Why would we shut it off for an hour?"

India’s role in international talks focus on the adaptations needed to deal with the impact of climate change. These impacts include an increase in heat deaths, a longer dengue season, and the need for different crop varietals. For rural Indians, unpredictable monsoons mean lost crops. Seasonal extremes are amplified. India is committed to reducing emissions intensity (as opposed to emissions) – ie; emissions divided by GDP. They pledge to have 40% of their energy from non-fossil fuels. But India hopes that developed countries realize that the burden cannot be completely placed on developing countries; their goals must align with their circumstance. Countries with more resources to help need to step up - for example, developing countries must have free access to technology, much of which is already available.

India seems to be much more progressive in their overall attitude towards climate change; their problems lie not with their desire to change, but with their ability to implement the changes that they want. The national government has created several working groups and task forces, and national missions cover issues such as solar, water, and sustainable agriculture. In addition, every state in India has an action plan on climate change. Overall, it seems as though India – despite its developing status – has done much more to alleviate the problem of global warming than we have in the United States.