New Delhi, December 03: In a disturbing revelation, the Centre on Thursday announced that of all the countries in the world, it was India which was faced the biggest risks occurring due to climate change and the future of Indian society depended on how we respond to this challenge.
In a key address, coming days before the crucial Copenhagen Summit, the Union Minister for Environment and Forests (Independent charge) Jairam Ramesh said that out of the over 190 countries around the world, India was most vulnerable to negative impacts of climate change.
The minister noted with satisfaction that most MPs had expressed great concern regarding what India was doing about climate change.
“India is the most vulnerable to climate change- not Maldives, not Indonesia. Therefore, forget Copenhagen, we need to work for a solution for ourselves,” Ramesh declared as he went on to inform the Lok Sabha about the policies of the Government as also the impact of climate change.
He said India largely depended on Monsoon for a good mod and a good economic growth and that was being impacted by climate change. He said the glaciers were melting but the reason was not clear- though it undoubtedly would determine India’s water security.
India also had sensitive areas like the Western Ghats, the Northeastern region and islands like Andaman that was a cause of concern. This, apart from deforestation due to mining and other activities had made India the most vulnerable.
The minister rued over the fact that India had not made any investments to scientifically examine the consequences of climate change and that all the data was derived from western studies. This would change now, he said.
–Agencies