Far-sightedness in environmental conservation need of the hour

With increasing instances of natural calamities over the past few decades, the governments and citizens need to adopt a far-sighted approach towards conserving the environment, or else there may not be a world for the future generations to inhabit.

Hyderabad: If we save nature, it will save our lives. However, by destroying the environment, we are unleashing catastrophes. Climate change has proved this fact over the past few decades.

The series of natural disasters are a result of reckless industrialization and man’s indifference to environmental conservation. A new study mirrors the impact of climate change on India. The Center for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed shocking statistics about climate refugees in India. India accounts for one out of every five environmental migrations worldwide resulting from floods, cyclones or droughts. 50 lakh cases of climate migrations have been so far recorded in India.

In 2019, natural disasters killed 1,357 people. Though Cyclone Nisarga struck India’s west coast, the storm passed without significant damage. But the Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan wreaked havoc in West Bengal and Odisha.

Between 1990 and 2016, India lost 235 square kilometers of land to coastal erosion. The study by CSE noted that global warming and habitat destruction are the major causes of climate tragedies in India.

The study even mentioned alarming rates of deforestation in the country. Receding forest covers in 280 districts nationwide and severe water crisis in 5 major river basins are the warning bells of environmental disruption. Further, they point towards immediate action.

The World Bank estimated that by 2050, there would be 14 crore climate refugees in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America alone. Rising carbon emissions have already led to water pollution, contagious diseases, food scarcity and unprecedented natural disasters.

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In every event of a flood or cyclone, people living in India’s coastal and backwater areas are bearing the brunt. Every year, 17 crore Indians face the wrath of natural disasters. Even official studies have revealed that the majority of Indian states are no longer safe from natural calamities.

While disaster preparedness is of paramount importance, it is equally important to minimize environmental degradation in the first place. Humanity may go extinct if this decades long destruction of nature continues any longer.

Cyclones over the Arabian Sea have been on the rise over the past few years. Increasing incidences of heat storms, Amazon rainforest fires, crop-devastating locust swarms are all the consequences of climate change.

It takes around 7,500 liters of water to make a single pair of jeans, equivalent to the amount of water the average person drinks over a period of one year. Not just the water and forests, every natural resource must be discerningly used. If the governments and citizens lack far-sightedness in conserving the environment, there may not be a world for the future generations to inhabit.

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