Coimbatore: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Erik Solheim has said that India is particularly vulnerable to climate change because of its heavy population.
You see the effects of climate change everywhere in the world. But of course, India is particularly vulnerable to climate change because it has a heavy population and the kind of nature of India makes it more vulnerable than most other places, Mr. Solheim said during Y20 talk on climate action.
Youth 20 (Y20) is an official consultation forum for youth from all G20 member countries to be able to dialogue with each other.
The UNEP Executive Director said that India is facing the same environmental issues as the planet at large.
There is massive pollution, in particular in northern Indian cities like Delhi that are very polluted. India is facing climate change and is more vulnerable to climate change than the United States. America and India have been facing the loss of nature, destruction of forest, wiping out of a number of animals, he said.
Mr. Solheim said,
The world has been much warmer than normal for this time of the year, and that’s affecting everyone. But if you take a more global perspective, also, you had the huge flooding last year in Pakistan and huge wildfires in America and Europe. Southern Europe was on fire last summer. China had massive flooding the year before last, and last year they had a drought.
He said that China has gone for 100 per cent electrification, and the need for the globe to go for electric systems to save the environment.
China is the world leader in electric cars. It’s the world leader in solar and wind energy, and there is no doubt about that 25 per cent of one out of every four cars sold in China last year was electric. And nearly all buses in the Chinese cities are now gone electric, which is a major achievement, but others will follow, he said.
He added that many Indian cities are now introducing electric buses.
There are 27 cities in India now introducing metro systems. So you see massive positive developments in India also and in ten years’ time, I think, every new car sold in India will be electric. And you will have charging stations, charging stations everywhere, he added.
Also Read: Study Provides More Evidence Of Climate Change Being Human-Caused
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
