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Climate Resilient Economy - A Need Of The Hour! - Dr. Jagdish Chandra Rout

Jagdish-Chandra

It is said that Mother Nature is replete with a bounty of our needs and necessities, but punishes us severely when she is audaciously and relentlessly pranked upon and pestered by the damn-care attitude of ours (ironically irrational/whimsical beings).

  

As an outrageous outcome, the ongoing 21st century has been pounding on us with a myriad of unwarranted encounters and challenges. The glaring instances and cases in point are the current apocalyptic pandemic Coronavirus and Climate Change as well as Global Warming.

Because of the far-reaching consequences and a heavy toll dangling like the sword of Damocles, we all need to gear up and tighten up our belts on time so that the unforeseen nightmarish bleak future does not lurk in our faces and we could put up a brave face to wage a triumphant war against the impending ravages of time before we succumb to it like the mighty dinosaurs.

It is pertinent to note that the Covid-19 situation has been adversely affecting our economy since last year (2020) till date due to total and partial lockdowns/shutdowns as well as the stringent restrictions being imposed.

Accordingly, our country has been toiling hard to cope up with the unprecedented and grim situation along with the other countries worldwide. Ways and means are being evolved to keep pace with the go of the world in a bid to survive and sustain before we whine, whimper and meet with a premature demise in a mammoth manner.

Following the recent release of AR6 (sixth assessment report) by the intergovernmental panel on climate change and its predictions on the South Asian regions, under which comes our very own Indian sub-continent, intolerable heatwaves during the summers and humidity during the monsoons are on the cards. Needless to mention about the shocking scenario of erratic/incessant heavy downpour, cloudbursts, floods, thunderstorm, lightning and unpredictable tsunami.

Besides, the rate of rainfall is very much likely to get enhanced as the sea levels are continuously rising owing to the constant depletion in the glaciers. The grave matter of concerns is the steady decline in the glaciers of Antarctica due to the alarming global warming.

As per reports, the World Bank has already identified the hotspot states to be severely impacted by the imminent climate change challenges in India. While Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the central region have emerged as the most vulnerable states, the desert state of Rajasthan in the western region, Uttar Pradesh in the northern region and Maharashtra in the south-western region of Indian sub-continent also follow the suit. These states are feared to be getting immensely impacted by the socio-economic decline expected to be thrust on them by the climatic challenges.

Not only the five states mentioned here, but also all other states and union territories (UTs) of our Indian peninsula (landmass bordered by sea on three sides) are also vulnerable to the catastrophic challenges to be caused by the climate change.

Experts lay stress that preventive steps and preparedness ought to be ramped up from now on at a steady pace, especially for the socio-economically weaker regions of India.

Apart from the macro level plannings and preparedness, it would be rather wiser to have the implementations at the micro level in true letter and spirit with the full-fledged active participation by the grassroots level beneficiaries.

Experts also claim that the half-baked healthcare preparedness or sheer negligence as well as myopic approach to the first wave of Covid-19 in India boomeranged for which the second wave took a heavy toll on us. Had there been adequate healthcare facilities with umpteen beds and oxygen units put in place during the interregnum period of the two phases of the pandemic, lots of precious lives could have been saved.

Covid situation is an eye-opener-cum-friend, guide and philosopher prompting us to translate our mere lipservice into sturdy actions and deeds well in advance in a well-calibrated manner.

The alarm bell of climate change challenges is repeatedly being clanged and alerted by Mother Nature for a wake- up call warning to mend our wayward ways of tinkering with the mighty divine creation. Turning a Nelson’s eye to it and if at all it falls on our deaf ears, the writing on the wall is Doomsday.

It is high time our nation and its constituents should brace up for the fatal fate, because, “A stitch in time saves nine,” or else there would be no use of “Crying over spilt milk.”

Written by Dr. Jagdish Chandra Rout.e world.