According to BBC News, India is one of the many countries that will suffer greatly due to the impact of climate change. “For one, sea-level rise will have a disastrous impact on the country, given its large coastline, and the number of people who live close to and depend on the sea for their livelihoods.” Another thing is the temperature. India is already notorious for its record-breaking humidity and heat. With Global warming, the climate will definitely become worse. It is quite necessary that the Indian government find a viable solution. Otherwise, it will not only cost them money but also resources and the lives of residents.
“India has one of the largest youth populations in the world, about two-thirds of its population is under the age of 35.” The youth are the country’s secret weapons. That is why *EDF worked with gifted young leaders to set up the Indian Youth Climate Network which is India’s biggest youth system on climate change and has local branches across the country. I think that empowering is an excellent take on this issue. Not only is this more efficient, but it also teaches younger generations about climate change. In 2018, *EDF formally commenced the mission of working with Mahindra, India’s chief manufacturer of service vehicles to meet their pledge to becoming a carbon-neutral company by 2040. Especially, in the transportation sector, India is developing quite rapidly along with its needs for more and more modern vehicles. It is crucial that all of the vehicle manufacturers in India understand and implement the new laws and pledges.
India is also a leading country in the film-making industry. India’s city of Mumbai is like Hollywood, but they call it Bollywood. Throughout, the past years India had used the power of films and movies to educate its citizens about the consequences of a bad environment. The film
“KADVI HAWA” or “Bitter Air” was a film made on the dramatic changes that climate change could bring. In my opinion, India is doing a great job of educating and involving youth. This would hopefully prevent any further climate-related damage to the countries economy.
Though India is taking major steps to prevent further damage, the question on my mind is ‘What about the damage that is already done?’ India has already seen terrible conditions and they recognize how much worse it can get. That is why India has developed a rather ambitious program, which combines fighting climate change and economic development. 290 million Indians live below the poverty line. It would be impossible for them to convert quickly to renewable energy. They would not be able to afford the materials, not have the technology to change. “Since 2009, EDF has been working with Fair Climate Network one of the largest networks of nongovernmental organizations in India, to facilitate low-carbon rural development, educate business and political leaders, and engage local communities.” This would bring the nation to work together, to reduce corruption amongst politicians and encourage locals to participate in making the environment better. While this may seem convincing, I feel that this initiative is rather ambitious. But in a world where climate change is acting fast, we need to act fast too.
Article By: Sarah Masih
*EDF= Environmental Defense Fund
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-45949323
https://www.edf.org/climate/india-development-while-fighting-climate-change
https://www.statista.com/topics/2140/film-industry-in-india/
https://corporatecitizen.in/v4-issue7/bollywood-biz-the-best-movies-on-climate-change.html