India and Future Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development is something which many countries across the world are aiming to achieve. In theory, development that is sustainable and not damaging to the planet is very possible. Of course though, in reality there are a lot of politics and challenges involved. In India’s case there are many sustainability issues which must be addressed or will hamper the countries future development.
Poverty:
Poverty is an everyday sight in India but something which must be addressed or it will negatively affect the country’s future sustainability. Poverty in India is widespread with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate 42% of the Indian population fall below the international poverty line. Although this is a major increase on the figure of 87% in 1980 it is still a shocking statistic. Many of the country’s poor live in the slum areas or ‘bastis’ of the major cities. These bastis lack even basic amenities such as proper sewerage or running water. Therefore India’s poverty has led to huge levels of disease amongst its population. Diseases such as cholera and typhoid are commonplace in slum areas. A lack of proper healthcare means that many inhabitants of India’s slums die before they are 30. If India is to become a truly developed country it must develop a form of social welfare scheme, this means that at current poverty levels close to 240 million people would be availing of welfare benefits. This is a figure which is simply not viable, therefore if India is to sustain development into the future it must do something to lower poverty levels.
The Environment and Pollution:
The environment is something which every country must strive to sustain, however for a country as large as India this can be a major problem, not only in dealing with atmospheric pollution but also the damage that is being done to India’s natural landscape as we speak. Air pollution and carbon emissions have become a major cause for concern in India as it has become industrialized. Although India is low on the carbon emissions scale compared to countries such as America its carbon levels are still very high and steadily increasing. India is emitting 1.17 tonnes of co2 per person per year and this is an ever-increasing figure. Most of these carbon emissions are coming from factories and industry, however a large portion is coming from the country’s waste as it degrades in landfill. Recycling (or a lack of) is a major issue in India and if the government does not set up some sort of recycling initiative it could lose colossal amounts of money storing waste in landfill and also cause irreparable damage to the environment. Air pollution is becoming a major problem in many of India’s cities. A good example of this is the city of Hyderabad where air pollution levels have reached alarming rates. Even the cities zoological park has recorded levels of Respiratory Suspended Particular Matter (RSPM) as being 68 micro grams per metre cubed, a level well above the recommended rate for such an eco-sensitive zone. These huge levels of air pollution are down to the fact that India still burns huge amounts of fossil fuels such as coal. Although the country is attempting to develop green energy sources it still has to burn huge amounts of fossil fuels to cope with an ever-increasing demand for energy. This coupled with the fact that India’s main fossil fuel is coal (a very high polluter) means that air pollution levels will probably continue to increase. However there have been some encouraging signs in recent years as the government and legislators have begun a major drive to invest in clean technology and recycling facilities so as to avail of the economic benefits from the Kyoto Protocol.
Sustainable Development is something which many countries across the world are aiming to achieve. In theory, development that is sustainable and not damaging to the planet is very possible. Of course though, in reality there are a lot of politics and challenges involved. In India’s case there are many sustainability issues which must be addressed or will hamper the countries future development.
Poverty:
Poverty is an everyday sight in India but something which must be addressed or it will negatively affect the country’s future sustainability. Poverty in India is widespread with the nation estimated to have a third of the world's poor. According to a 2005 World Bank estimate 42% of the Indian population fall below the international poverty line. Although this is a major increase on the figure of 87% in 1980 it is still a shocking statistic. Many of the country’s poor live in the slum areas or ‘bastis’ of the major cities. These bastis lack even basic amenities such as proper sewerage or running water. Therefore India’s poverty has led to huge levels of disease amongst its population. Diseases such as cholera and typhoid are commonplace in slum areas. A lack of proper healthcare means that many inhabitants of India’s slums die before they are 30. If India is to become a truly developed country it must develop a form of social welfare scheme, this means that at current poverty levels close to 240 million people would be availing of welfare benefits. This is a figure which is simply not viable, therefore if India is to sustain development into the future it must do something to lower poverty levels.
The environment is something which every country must strive to sustain, however for a country as large as India this can be a major problem, not only in dealing with atmospheric pollution but also the damage that is being done to India’s natural landscape as we speak. Air pollution and carbon emissions have become a major cause for concern in India as it has become industrialized. Although India is low on the carbon emissions scale compared to countries such as America its carbon levels are still very high and steadily increasing. India is emitting 1.17 tonnes of co2 per person per year and this is an ever-increasing figure. Most of these carbon emissions are coming from factories and industry, however a large portion is coming from the country’s waste as it degrades in landfill. Recycling (or a lack of) is a major issue in India and if the government does not set up some sort of recycling initiative it could lose colossal amounts of money storing waste in landfill and also cause irreparable damage to the environment. Air pollution is becoming a major problem in many of India’s cities. A good example of this is the city of Hyderabad where air pollution levels have reached alarming rates. Even the cities zoological park has recorded levels of Respiratory Suspended Particular Matter (RSPM) as being 68 micro grams per metre cubed, a level well above the recommended rate for such an eco-sensitive zone. These huge levels of air pollution are down to the fact that India still burns huge amounts of fossil fuels such as coal. Although the country is attempting to develop green energy sources it still has to burn huge amounts of fossil fuels to cope with an ever-increasing demand for energy. This coupled with the fact that India’s main fossil fuel is coal (a very high polluter) means that air pollution levels will probably continue to increase. However there have been some encouraging signs in recent years as the government and legislators have begun a major drive to invest in clean technology and recycling facilities so as to avail of the economic benefits from the Kyoto Protocol.
Water:
There are two main sustainability issues associated with water in India.
India has huge problems with water pollution. Most of India’s water pollution is as a result of industry and poor sewerage in urban areas. In city slums, rivers are used as open sewers and garbage dumps for things such as human waste and animal carcasses, these rivers are then used to bathe and even drink from, resulting in huge levels of disease. The river Ganges is considered to be one of the world’s dirtiest rivers and still an estimated 2million people bathe in its waters everyday due to Hindi beliefs and culture. E.Coli infections are common amongst people who visit the Ganges and due to its religious significance levels of infection will most likely remain. Some sources even say that India’s water pollution problem is so bad that 70% of available water in India is contaminated. Indian officials must act to create sewerage treatment plants in order to reverse the country’s unprecedented levels of water pollution.
Another Sustainability issue which India faces in the future is the problem of water availability. India’s rapidly growing population is putting an increasing strain on India’s water supply. This is highlighted by the fact that according to World Watch Institute, Indian demand for water in urban areas is expected to triple by 2025. Another big problem is that actual water reserves look set to deteriorate due to global warming. 80% of India’s water comes from the Himalayas, either from rainwater or melting glaciers. If current projections are correct global warming will melt many of the Himalayan glaciers away by 2030 and this would result in the level of many of India’s main rivers dropping further pushing water demand .
So this is all about the future of india.
No comments:
Post a Comment