Greening the country: Talk is cheap

It’s winter, but the ice in the Atlantic continues to melt at an ever-accelerating rate, shrinking to its lowest extent in the past 40 years. Ice is ice, whether floating on the oceans or frozen on the mountain top. Another new study, looking at glacier melting in high mountains like the Himalayas, warns us that flash floods caused by melting glacial lakes place three million Indians at risk. In comparison, the flood that swept through Chamoli in Uttarakhand a couple of years back, leaving a swathe of destruction in its wake, seems like a gentle nudge -- just a trailer of a dire future.

India has committed to a number of initiatives to combat climate change. The first meeting of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group of the G20 countries, a landmark event, was held in Bengaluru this week. At the event, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change declared that India would phase out the noxious practice of ‘greening’ by raising plantations of monoculture exotic species. This is a practice that ecologists have spoken against for many years – far from promoting biodiversity, it can ruin the ecology of habitats like grasslands, deserts and wetlands. Yet, we still rush ahead with targets to plant millions of trees – many industrialists and corporate groups have also now followed suit.

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The Environment Ministry has now committed to following a new approach, of ecological restoration. This is undoubtedly the right path forward. But will our budget commitment match the stated intent? India’s recent national budget allocates Rs 3,079 crore to the ministry.

Two additional initiatives, Amrit Dharohar and MISHTI, have also been launched to protect and restore wetland and mangrove habitats – ecosystems that provide a key buffer against coastal and riverine flooding, though there is still lack of clarity about the budget allocated to these important initiatives. They are normally funded by the MNREGS programme, but the budget allocation for MNREGS has been pared down.

In island environments like Lakshadweep and the Andamans, where some of the populations at greatest risk of coastal flooding are located, plans are being made to increase the tourist footfall, by opening up the beaches and lagoons for coastal ‘development’ – risking the future of the precariously poised coastal coral reefs and habitats by replacing them with roads and sit-outs, accompanied by concrete buildings and paved floors -- all for short-term economic gain.

The National Coastal Management Programme has an allocation of just Rs 12.5 crore, an indication of the relative lack of financial muscle needed to support our urgent requirements for shoring up coastal resilience of sea-facing communities. The National Climate Change Action Plan, the National Adaptation Plan, and the National Mission on Himalayan Studies, which received Rs 138 crore last year, have no money allocated this year. The recent discussion about the alarming state of Joshimath in Uttarakhand is no anomaly – several other hill towns in the Himalayas are facing similar issues, which require urgent research-driven action.

Similarly, while the strong focus on green energy is excellent – and much needed for climate change mitigation – the most vulnerable communities in India are already facing the impacts of climate change, and they need an investment in adaptation strategies that can help them cope with climate emergencies like storms, landslides, floods and forest fires. This requires a systematic investment in ecosystem restoration, not only by planting trees but by regenerating habitats, especially in critical and endangered areas.

Of course, all of this discussion seems a bit pointless in Namma Bengaluru, where plans are afoot to destroy over a thousand trees, making way for a flyover on Sankey Road, the redevelopment of Yeshwanthpur and KR Puram railway stations, and the expansion of the suburban railway. When budget priorities are lopsided, environmental catastrophe seems to be burnt into our future.

(The Azim Premji University Prof prides herself on barking up all trees, right and wrong.)