Climate change has remained as big a challenge for India as it for the other countries of the world. The problem gets even more complex in the case of India as it progresses on the path of development, taking giant strides to emerge as the next superpower to reckon with, on the global map.
The situation is eerily similar to Ladakh, which is also ascending on the path of progress, after becoming a union territory. Ladakh has for long remained at the centre stage of the environmental challenges and crisis faced by the nations the world over. Its fragile climate and unique geographical conditions make the region more vulnerable to the climate change than any other part of the country.
The United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals aim to transform our world, calling for action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity. India is critical in determining the success of the Sustainable Development Goals, globally.
Being the most populous country in the world, the sustainable development of one-sixth of humanity of the world will be of great consequence to the world and our beautiful planet. It will be a world of fewer challenges and greater hope, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had noted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015. NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier think tank, has been coordinating the SDGs, mapping schemes related to the SDGs and their targets, and identifying lead and supporting ministries for each target. In addition, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has been leading discussions for developing national indicators for the SDGs.
State governments are key to India’s progress on the SDGs as they are best placed to ‘put people first’ and to ensuring that ‘no one is left behind’. A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, and colleagues, however, says that heat waves made more likely by climate change may impede India’s progress towards its sustainable development goals.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Climate, evaluated India’s heat index (HI) with its climate vulnerability index (CVI), a composite index using various indicators to account for socioeconomic, livelihood, and biophysical factors. The team accessed a publicly available dataset on state-level climate vulnerability indicators from the Indian Government’s National Data & Analytics Platform to classify severity categories.
They then compared India’s progress in SDG over 20 years (2001–2021) with extreme weather-related mortality from 2001–2021. The researchers found that heat waves have weakened SDG progress more than previously estimated and that current assessment metrics may not sufficiently capture the nuances of India’s vulnerabilities to climate change impacts. For instance, in estimating HI, the study shows that nearly 90 per cent of the country is in danger zone from heat wave impacts.
According to the CVI, about 20 per cent of the country is highly vulnerable to climate change. Similar effects were observed for the national capital, where HI estimates show almost all of Delhi is threatened by severe heat wave impacts, which is not reflected in its recent state action plan for climate change, the researchers said. Heat waves are getting more intense in India and climate change is the biggest reason behind that. If this impact is not addressed immediately, India can slow its progress towards sustainable development goals.
