Kuldeep Bhan
Change is essence of evolution, but the change in recent years has been much faster and unforeseen which calls for concern. Climate change and Global Warming attributed to emissions of Green House Gases from human activities is a major threat to our survival and well being constituted a few lines of our Prime Minister’s speech while inaugurating Baglihar Phase II in Ramban Distt. of J&K just a few days back. The United Nations framework convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) mooted at the Earth Summit in 1992 is a landmark agreement of the global community to meet the challenges of climate change. In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol set the targets and time tables for reduction of emissions to implement the convention. Over the years the countries constituting the conference of parties (COP) to the convention had many sessions in different parts of globe and the issues relating to implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto protocol have been deliberated in these sessions. The reports are likely to add urgency to political negotiations in Paris later this month as diplomats from more than 190 countries participate in the UN talks aimed at securing a new Global Climate Treaty. However, there are number of issues concerning mitigation of and adaptation to climate change which remains unresolved.
Since 1950 there has been tremendous increase in population and urbanization. The demand for energy generation has grown at a phenomenal rate with the five fold increase in the requirement of food grain and water use. The burning of fossil fuels has increased nearly four times as also the concomitant carbon emissions with the increase of emissions atmospheric green house gas Conc. (Co2, Oxides of Sulphur, Nitrogen Methane, Halogenated hydro carbons etc.) have continued to increase. According to an assessment doubling of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere or an equivalent increase of a mixture of Green House Gases (GHG’s) can cause 1.5 – 4.50C rise in global temperature with high impacts such as sea level rise, floods, droughts etc.
Average global temperature will rise 10C above industrial levels this year for the first time according to UKs meteorological office. Data from met. Office and the climate research unit at the University of East Angelia shows 2015 Global mean temperature at 1.20C above levels recorded in the period 1850-1900. This means the world has already reached half way point towards the arbitrary threshold of a 20C increase on pre-industrial levels that could result in dangerous Global Warming. The World Metrological Organization has reported that avg. levels of Co2 exceeded 400ppm in the early months of 2015, a rise of 43% over pre-industrial levels.
GHG emissions are the products of complex dynamic systems dictated by socio-economic conditions and technological change. The inter-governmental panel on climate change (IPCC) has developed various scenarios to represent the driving forces and emissions based on available scientific knowledge and underlying uncertainties.The panel has been involved in analysis of technologies and measures to reduce the GHG emissions and to enhance GHG sinks in various sectors including agriculture, energy, forestry, housing industry, transport and waste management. The options and opportunities deserve serious considerations in our pursuit for sustainable development and everyone must show some intolerance towards rising pollution levels and degrading environmental quality. We must see whether the objectives of Rio Summit 1992 and Kyoto Protocol of 1997 which were aimed at bringing down the Global GHG emissions have been achieved or not.
In India the cities are developing fast because of enormous increase in population and inturn rapid urbanization and industrialization. This has caused severe strain on our natural resources which are already limited resulting in congestion and squatter settlement with several million people having no access to the basic amenities including clean air, portable water and healthy living conditions. Among the challenges faced by Urban Planners is the need to ensure ongoing basic human services such as provisions of safe drinking water and sanitation. The under-management of domestic waste water and solid wastes presents a major challenge. The accumulation of wastes both in solid and liquid form is constant and unmanaged and directly contributes to the pollution of air, land and water, the cumulative result is ecological degradation and destruction.
We are already confronted with the environmental and health problems on account of poor shelter and lack of basic amenities and the problem is further aggravated by harmful emissions caused by motor vehicles, industries and domestic combustion of biomass, wastes and fossil fuels. In addition to this adulteration of automobile fuels is a menace which takes its toll both in terms of air quality and the loss in tax revenue. It has been estimate that millions of urban residents in the world breathe air exceeding the WHO air quality everyday across the globe from automobile emissions alone. Many of these toxic air pollutants released in the urban environment contribute directly to climate change in Global warming. The air we breathe and the water we drink directly gets into our blood stream. Hence it is necessary for us to ensure that their quality is not polluted beyond the threshold limit. Once it crosses our tolerance levels different diseases start cropping up leading to serious health effects including damage to the immune system, respiratory, neurological, reproductive and other health problems. Pollutants change the composition of air and water and the magnitude of harm caused by these pollutants depends upon the dispersion and the dilution levels. Researches have proven that the global climate is warming up and according to an assessment methane is 20 times more potent than Co2 as a Green House Gas. In addition to this ozone depletion, degrading ecosystems, depletion of natural resources are the major causes of concern Therefore, we must show strong intolerance towards Environmental Issues threatening our Mother Earth without any delay or deferment for saving this planet from an ecological disaster.
(The author is Divisional Officer State Pollution Control Board Ramban)
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