Findings of govt’s report on climate change are ominous

Mitigatory policies and broader official interventions must be devised

The Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region — India’s first-ever report on climate change by scientific institutions under the government — bears grave tidings. In comparison to the last few decades, India’s average temperature by the end of this century is projected to rise by a shocking 4.4 degrees celsius; the nation is also set to experience more severe cyclones and droughts and a much higher frequency of heat waves. This would have ominous implications for the nation's ecosystems, putting great stress on the fragile ecological balance, substantially reducing agricultural output and freshwater resources and causing serious damage to public infrastructure.

The challenge for India is now manifold. Not only must it work on a war footing to devise mitigatory, inclusive policy and modernise infrastructure to become climate-resilient but it must also widen the scope of its interventions to address the contentious issue of climate justice. For example, climate refugees are not recognised under most international laws, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. This renders them ineligible for protection under Indian and global legal frameworks.

Addressing the rights and needs of such displaced populations — rehabilitation, education, jobs — should be integral to India’s model for managing the imminent climate crisis. However, India cannot meet its domestic needs without international cooperation. It must take a position of leadership on behalf of the developing world to demand equitable distribution of funds and the transfer of technology from insular, affluent economies.