UNEP report on how climate crisis is impacting displacement, global conflicts, declining health

By Shankar Sharma*

A recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), titled "A Global Foresight Report on Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing," warrants urgent attention from our country’s developmental perspective. The findings, detailed in the report, should be a source of significant concern not only globally but especially for our nation, which has a vast population and limited natural resources.

The UNEP report highlights that the world is now confronting a different reality compared to just ten years ago. While some issues remain unchanged, the rapid pace of transformation—fuelled by technological advancements, frequent natural disasters, and a volatile geopolitical climate—has created a new environment where nations can be destabilized more easily and frequently.

The report points to a "triple planetary crisis" encompassing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, all of which exacerbate ongoing human crises, including territorial conflicts, displacement, and declining health.

This report is crucial for our leaders to consider. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underscored the urgency of addressing these challenges during World Environment Day in June 2024, stating: "The battle to secure the planet's future will be won or lost in the next 18 months." Timely and effective action on climate change is imperative, and India's target for net zero emissions by 2070 has been criticized as woefully inadequate.

The report delivers several key messages that our country must heed:

We may have entered an era of "Polycrisis," characterized by overlapping crises that amplify and synchronize global challenges, including resource competition and social inequities, presenting severe environmental consequences.
Despite efforts to tackle the environmental crisis, degradation continues. Essential factors driving this decline include increased resource extraction and fossil fuel consumption, leading to extreme weather events and biodiversity loss. Projections indicate a potentially catastrophic temperature rise by 2100, compounded by risks such as ancient microbes being released from thawing permafrost.
The growing demand for critical minerals needed for net zero targets—alongside digital transformation—introduces new tensions affecting both planetary health and human wellbeing. This increasing demand could quadruple by 2040, leading to greater pressures on ecosystems and vulnerable communities.
While artificial intelligence presents opportunities for growth, it also poses environmental challenges. Effective governance should incorporate environmental considerations and encourage sustainable practices within the AI sector.
Rising armed conflicts are contributing to environmental degradation that will have long-lasting consequences, including pollution and resource scarcity that disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.
Forced displacement, currently affecting one in every 69 people worldwide, leaves an environmental footprint and strains recovery efforts—significantly affecting public health and sanitation in various nations.
Addressing these shifts requires a new social contract focused on inclusivity, engagement with diverse stakeholders, and redefining success beyond GDP metrics.
Agile and adaptive governance can help accelerate progress on climate and biodiversity targets, allowing for shorter-term goals that adapt to the changing landscape.
To enhance governance, accessible data and knowledge must be integrated, supporting better decision-making and effective responses to environmental changes.
Embracing foresight is critical to making informed decisions that lead to a sustainable future, preventing the repetition of harmful past choices.

Monitoring emerging risks and trends will help harness positive changes and mitigate negative impacts. In light of our country's large population and its vulnerable segments, along with the pressing strain on natural resources—evidenced by deteriorating health indicators due to pollution and declining freshwater sources—urgent discussions are essential regarding the UNEP findings.

With a growing number of high-impact projects requiring land and water resources all sectors, we must critically review these developments and explore alternative approaches. Specifically, in the electric power sector, the proposed expansion of traditional energy sources could have devastating environmental impacts. Plans, such as the proposed addition of nuclear reactors and the expansion of hydro capacity, could exacerbate current environmental challenges.

Therefore, the implications of these choices should be reassessed to prioritize sustainability. It would be a tragedy if officials at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and NITI Aayog are unaware of the alarming UNEP findings and fail to address these pressing concerns with our leadership.

---

*Power & Climate Policy Analyst. This article is based on the author's representation to the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog, New Delhi

Comments

Adani coalmine delayed? Australian senate fails to pass crucial "reform" amendment for project's financial closure

Adanis' Mundra power plant, controversial in Australia By A Representative In what is being described as a new “new hurdle”, the proposed Adani coalmine in the Queensland state of in Australia failed to get the crucial Australian Parliamentary nod, essential for financial closure for one of the biggest coalmining projects in the world. The government lost the Senate vote 35-33, meaning the legislation won't pass until the Senate returns in mid-June.

Paul Newman wasn't just remarkably talented, he was anti-war activist, disdained Hollywood excesses

By Harsh Thakor* On January 26th of this year, we celebrated the birth centenary of Paul Newman, one of the finest actors of his era. His passing on September 26, 2008, after a prolonged battle with lung cancer, was met with an outpouring of tributes and remembrances from artists across the film industry, all sharing their thoughts and memories of the legendary actor.

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Health expert Dr Amitav Banerjee on commercialization of healthcare and neglect of natural immunity

By AK Shiburaj In an interview with me, eminent health expert Dr. Amitav Banerjee has examined the impact of privatization on the healthcare sector, the implications of the World Health Organization (WHO) becoming a commercially driven entity, and the consequences of a pharmaceutical industry prioritizing profit over public health. He argues that an approach ignoring the importance of natural immunity fosters a drug-centric system that undermines the benefits of modern medicine.

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor* Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

Hyderabad seminar rekindles memories of the spark lit 50 years ago by students

By Harsh Thakor* History is something we constantly remember and reflect upon, but certain moments and events bring it back to our memory in a special way. For the Telugu people, and Telangana in particular, the memorial seminar held on February 20–21 was a significant occasion to recall the glorious events, transformations, leaders, and heroes of past struggles. Thousands of students rewrote the history of people's movements in Andhra Pradesh, carrying revolutionary zeal and the spirit of self-sacrifice to levels comparable to the Russian and Chinese Revolutions.

Trust, we (from People to PM and President) did not take a Holy Dip in some Holy Shit!

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava I could see two deeply interlinked aspects between human and water in #MahaKumbh2025. Firstly, the HOPE that a ‘holy dip’ in the River Ganga (colloquially referred as dubki and spiritually as ‘Snan’) will cleanse oneself (especially the sins); and secondly, the TRUST that the water is pure to perform the cleansing alias living the hope. Well, I consider hope to be self-dependent while, trust is a multi-party dependent situation. The focus here is on the trust and I shall write later on hope.

Vadodara citizens urge authorities to adhere to environmental mandates in Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project

By A Representative A coalition of environmental activists, ecologists, and urban planners in Vadodara has issued an urgent appeal to state and municipal authorities, demanding strict compliance with court-mandated guidelines for the upcoming Vishwamitri River rejuvenation project. Scheduled to commence in March 2025, the initiative aims to mitigate flooding and restore the river, but citizens warn that current plans risk violating National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders and jeopardizing the river’s fragile ecosystem, home to endangered species like crocodiles and Indian Softshell Turtles.

Buddhist communities in Michigan protest for Mahabodhi Temple’s return to Buddhist control

By A Representative Buddhist communities in Michigan have staged protests demanding the return of the Mahabodhi Vihara in Gaya, Bihar, India, to full Buddhist control. The Mahabodhi Temple, regarded as the holiest pilgrimage site in Buddhism, is currently managed under the Bodhgaya Temple Act of 1949, which grants a majority of control to non-Buddhists.

Search This Blog