Socio-Economic and Eco-Biological Dimensions in Resource Use …
5
ecological balance in the flow of material and energy (ICIMOD 2010). A recent study
has ranked the north eastern state of Assam to be the most vulnerable, followed by
Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh
and Sikkim (NMSHE and SDC 2019).
In India, more than 57% people are dependent on agriculture and forestry sectors
for their livelihood. In 2017, a parliamentary committee in its report submitted to
India’s Agriculture Ministry noted that extreme weather events are costing the country annually USD 9–10 billion, and is likely to impact agricultural productivity with
increasing severity from 2020 to the end of the century (Mohan 2017). According to
a 2018 UN report, India suffered a massive loss of USD 79.5 billion due to extreme
weather events in the past 20 years (The Hindu 2018). A World Bank report published in 2018 warned that with possible 1–2% rise in annual average temperature,
the living standards of nearly half of India’s population will be lowered by 2050 costing up to 2.8% of the country’s GDP (World Bank 2018). According to last year’s
IPCC report, the impact of climatic variations could be distressing for India both
socially and politically particularly because of its large population and magnitude
of inequality and poverty. The estimated rise in global temperatures could affect the
underprivileged and vulnerable populations through food insecurity, income loss,
adverse health impacts, population displacements etc. (Awasthi 2018). A recently
published Stanford study reported that between 1961 and 2010 global warming has
caused the Indian economy to be 31% smaller than it would otherwise have been, and
the shrinkage in wealth per person in the world’s poorest countries has been 17–30%
(Economic Times 2019). A 2019 report by the International Labour Organization
projected India to incur a loss of 5.8% working hours in 2030 due to global warming,
particularly affecting agriculture and construction sectors, which is equivalent to a
productivity loss of 34 million full-time jobs (The Hindu 2019).
There is a probable link between increased variability in Indian monsoon rains
and natural disasters. Uneven increase in temperature has been associated with driving more energy into local, regional and sub-continental climate systems thereby
amplifying climate alterations and frequency as well as severity of extreme weather
events. Human encroachment and heavy siltation in river beds and other water bodies have exacerbated the flood risks (Mishra 2014). Studies suggest noted rise in
frequency and extent of landslides in India, particularly in the Himalayas and the
Nilgiris (Sati et al. 2011; Ganapathy and Hada 2012). During June 2013, thousands of people were drowned, dozens of bridges tore apart, miles of paved roads
swept away and herds of livestock carried off in one of the most disastrous floods
in recent memory in the Himalayan settlement of Kedarnath. Researchers believe
that melting of glaciers and shifting of storm tracks have played major roles behind
this calamity apart from commonly reported causes, such as poorly built homes,
and unregulated development along the river (Grossman 2015). During November–
December 2015, an extreme pluvial flooding, following a heavy and unusual rainfall,
occurred in Chennai and its surroundings and caused severe damages to the properties, infrastructure, livelihood, health and environment besides taking away hundreds
of precious lives. Researchers found a relation between the onset of the atmospheric
weather change and the swarms of 8th to 9th November 2015 in the Indian Ocean
5
ecological balance in the flow of material and energy (ICIMOD 2010). A recent study
has ranked the north eastern state of Assam to be the most vulnerable, followed by
Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh
and Sikkim (NMSHE and SDC 2019).
In India, more than 57% people are dependent on agriculture and forestry sectors
for their livelihood. In 2017, a parliamentary committee in its report submitted to
India’s Agriculture Ministry noted that extreme weather events are costing the country annually USD 9–10 billion, and is likely to impact agricultural productivity with
increasing severity from 2020 to the end of the century (Mohan 2017). According to
a 2018 UN report, India suffered a massive loss of USD 79.5 billion due to extreme
weather events in the past 20 years (The Hindu 2018). A World Bank report published in 2018 warned that with possible 1–2% rise in annual average temperature,
the living standards of nearly half of India’s population will be lowered by 2050 costing up to 2.8% of the country’s GDP (World Bank 2018). According to last year’s
IPCC report, the impact of climatic variations could be distressing for India both
socially and politically particularly because of its large population and magnitude
of inequality and poverty. The estimated rise in global temperatures could affect the
underprivileged and vulnerable populations through food insecurity, income loss,
adverse health impacts, population displacements etc. (Awasthi 2018). A recently
published Stanford study reported that between 1961 and 2010 global warming has
caused the Indian economy to be 31% smaller than it would otherwise have been, and
the shrinkage in wealth per person in the world’s poorest countries has been 17–30%
(Economic Times 2019). A 2019 report by the International Labour Organization
projected India to incur a loss of 5.8% working hours in 2030 due to global warming,
particularly affecting agriculture and construction sectors, which is equivalent to a
productivity loss of 34 million full-time jobs (The Hindu 2019).
There is a probable link between increased variability in Indian monsoon rains
and natural disasters. Uneven increase in temperature has been associated with driving more energy into local, regional and sub-continental climate systems thereby
amplifying climate alterations and frequency as well as severity of extreme weather
events. Human encroachment and heavy siltation in river beds and other water bodies have exacerbated the flood risks (Mishra 2014). Studies suggest noted rise in
frequency and extent of landslides in India, particularly in the Himalayas and the
Nilgiris (Sati et al. 2011; Ganapathy and Hada 2012). During June 2013, thousands of people were drowned, dozens of bridges tore apart, miles of paved roads
swept away and herds of livestock carried off in one of the most disastrous floods
in recent memory in the Himalayan settlement of Kedarnath. Researchers believe
that melting of glaciers and shifting of storm tracks have played major roles behind
this calamity apart from commonly reported causes, such as poorly built homes,
and unregulated development along the river (Grossman 2015). During November–
December 2015, an extreme pluvial flooding, following a heavy and unusual rainfall,
occurred in Chennai and its surroundings and caused severe damages to the properties, infrastructure, livelihood, health and environment besides taking away hundreds
of precious lives. Researchers found a relation between the onset of the atmospheric
weather change and the swarms of 8th to 9th November 2015 in the Indian Ocean