Calls climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution interconnected faces of deeper crisis; stresses bridging science-policy gap
Srinagar, Sep 17: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday called for redefining development models to make them climate-resilient and inclusive, saying climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are not separate challenges but three interconnected forms of a deeper crisis.
Addressing the valedictory session of a three-day national conference on Environment, Climate and Sustainability: Science, Policy and Pathways at the University of Kashmir, LG Sinha, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said experts from different parts of the country had come together with different areas of specialisation but were leaving with a common language to understand the climate crisis and work together on its solutions.
“Three days ago, when you entered the University of Kashmir campus, you had your respective identities and areas of expertise. Someone may have been an ecologist, someone a hydrologist, a soil expert or a policymaker. But when you leave today, you will carry something more valuable, a common language to understand the present climate change crisis and work together on it,” he said.
LG Sinha said participants had brought different languages, cultures and expertise to the conference, but would return with a shared understanding of the problems and ways to address them, describing this as the true measure of the conference’s success.
He said the three major crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are deeply connected.
“These three crises are not separate. They are not moving on parallel paths. I believe these are three forms of a deeper problem,” the LG said.
He said the natural systems of the Earth are finite and deeply interconnected, while population growth, economic expansion and the continuously increasing demand for food, energy, water and other natural resources are also interconnected.
He added that different government departments often deal separately with issues such as water, forests and climate, and stressed the need to look at these challenges in an integrated manner.
The LG also referred to the need for real-time climate monitoring and said there was a need to understand not only the challenges being faced but also what could happen in the future.
Stressing the need to bridge the gap between science and policy, LG Sinha said, “The sooner we can bridge the distance between what science knows and what policy delivers, the sooner we can address the biggest challenges associated with climate change together.”
He said there was no shortage of data or technological tools to deal with the emerging challenges.
“There is no shortage of data. There is no shortage of technological tools. What is required is greater sensitivity at every level,” he said, calling for all stakeholders to prepare themselves to maintain a balance between the use of natural resources and development.
LG Sinha said technological skills alone were not enough and stressed the need to prepare scientists and researchers who could think beyond the boundaries of their respective subjects.
“We will have to prepare a large number of researchers and scientists who can think beyond the boundaries of their subjects,” he said.
He also said policymakers needed to be prepared to understand scientific knowledge and act according to it.
“We will also have to prepare policymakers who can understand the language of science, listen to it and act accordingly,” LG Sinha said.
Stressing the relationship between development and environmental responsibility, the LG referred to the traditional Indian philosophy reflected in the Prithvi Sukta, under which the Earth is regarded as a mother and humans as her children.
He said this philosophy provides an ethical reminder that development should be based on responsibility towards the Earth.
“Development should establish a relationship with the Earth in which use is accompanied by responsibility, progress is accompanied by conservation, and rights are accompanied by duties,” LG Sinha said.
Speaking about India’s aspiration to become a developed nation, LG Sinha said the meaning of development also needed to be reconsidered in view of the damage caused by natural disasters.
He referred to the destruction of government infrastructure and development assets due to natural disasters in Jammu and Kashmir and across the country, saying such losses required a rethink of conventional development approaches.
“If we want to see India as a developed nation, it should also be clear what development means. We have to redefine it and develop models that are climate-resilient and inclusive,” he said.
LG Sinha said the conference should not merely conclude with the valedictory session but should mark the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation.
“I would want the conclusion of this conference not to be merely the end of a programme, but the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation,” he said.
He added that the dialogue initiated during the three-day conference should reach universities, institutions, the administration, policymaking processes and ultimately the people.
LG Sinha also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday and the efforts towards creating greater awareness about the environment and climate change, mentioning the ongoing Seva Sankalp campaign and its focus on cleanliness and other initiatives.
He urged participants to connect the discussions held during the conference with such initiatives and contribute towards increasing green cover.
The LG expressed hope that the deliberations of the three-day conference would be translated into concrete action and contribute to balancing development with environmental conservation and climate resilience. (KNO)
