Aligning economic and environmental concerns

We have been reading about Cape Town’s problems with its water supply. But closer home, Karnataka is the second arid state in India after Rajasthan, despite its larger coastal belt which encounters south west monsoon within 15 days of its arrival in India. Its metropolis Bengaluru has been predicted to go water-less in next few years, as per the current state. As per the Niti Aayog’s composite water index, only three states – Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh – had scored over 65 on a scale of 100 for their water resource management mechanism. 

As if this was not enough and I also chanced upon a report released at the World Economic Forum at Davos on environmental index which ranks India in the bottom few countries, influenced by poor performance in in the Environmental Health policy objective.

Ironically, India is one of the largest growing economies in the world and also the second most populated nation in the world. We will need far more resources than we contain to sustain the population of 1.2 billion people. We are also underway implementing some big developmental projects to provide means of living to the people. But, the pace at which the human population is growing, I am afraid that we are depleting resources by consuming disproportionately and only negating the developmental benefits.

Such a situation is far more alarming than it appears.

It is one of the primary duties of the authorities to provide clean air and water to the people of this country. How will we achieve our growth without the young and healthy population?

We are staring at a very tough future. We have somewhere missed the plot that environmental and economic concerns are not isolated from each other. We are not valuing and taking enough care of the available resources. Our rivers are running dry and oceans have become garbage dump. Forests are chopped down and habitats are destroyed. The lack of strict adherence of laws relating to sustainability has damaged the river water and affected the biodiversity.

Global warming has caused grave effects due to climate change. Sea levels are rising and glaciers are retreating. South Africa, for instance, should have long woken up the risk of water crisis. Countries with a long coastal belt face the fear of chronic flooding. This is a wakeup call for all of us!

To add to the atrocities, we have been dumping plastics waste everywhere. The menace of plastic is visible to everyone. It is sad to see developed countries pillaging resources and doing less to mitigate greenhouse gas emission. There is paucity of seriousness and legislation. Yes, there are sporadic initiatives to cut down carbon footprint through tree plantation and other initiatives. There are campaigns to ban plastics. But are these enough? Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev launched a nationwide campaign to save our rivers by planting trees on the banks. Such initiatives need our thumping support because the environmental disaster has hit all of us in some way. Governments can’t be always held responsible. Citizens have to unite to take corrective measures. We on our part have pledged to plant 1 million trees in the next five years, of which we have already planted 0.4 million trees.

According to the the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable energy will need to provide 65% of the world’s energy in 2050 if we have to limit the global warming to 2 degree Celsius. The world is still heavily dependent on non-renewable sources. How will we achieve this?

Years of neglect and destruction of ecology can’t be undone but we can take small measures to conserve resources, lest we will endanger social and economic security of the future generation. Nature has weathered millions of severe seasons. But we can’t. More than the policymakers, people need to think and evaluate their consumption pattern. Several villages in the hinterland have becomes water-sufficient by water harvesting through easy techniques. Water, for an agricultural driven economy like India, is an essential commodity. We must take cues from these communities.

Our choices from here on must be hard and well thought of. We need to remember that the packaged items we buy will someday be disposed of. How soon can it get back into the ecosystem without damaging the nature – is what we have to think and promote their usage.

Let’s not condemn the future generation to environmental poverty. Real sustainable developments happen by creating the right mix of social economic policies with environmental concerns. Renewable energy is the answer to the future. A badly managed development can have far reaching consequences, hence, outreach programmes will need to be decided in close collaboration with experienced partners.

Several small but diligent steps will need to be taken to ensure a bigger impact. In this context, I applaud the government of Maharashtra for their steps to curb plastic consumption. It is the first big state in India to undertake this long due exercise. I hope other states will also follow suit soon.

At Allcargo, we have shunned plastics completely in our office premises. We have taken drastic steps to reduce paper consumption. Least that we can do is to ensure these steps do not become redundant and, we succeed in changing people's mindset.

Try living a day without electricity and water, you may stop taking the resources for granted.