EVS

Q.1 What is the Value of Biodiversity and what are hotspots of Biodiversity? Provide examples.

Answer:

Biodiversity is important to humans for many reasons. Ecological life support—

biodiversity provides functioning ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air and water,
pollination of plants, pest control, wastewater treatment and many ecosystem services.
Biodiversity is the variety of life. Most people recognize biodiversity by species—a group
of individual living organisms that can interbreed. Examples of species include blue
whales, white-tailed deer, white pine trees, sunflowers, and microscopic bacteria that can't
even be seen by the naked eye.
IMPACT
The biggest impact of biodiversity is on the environment. Healthy ecosystems help to
maintain the Earth’s natural processes. Soil turnover, water purification, pest control, and
other processes wouldn’t be possible without the species that support them. Overharvesting
and uncontrolled hunting can leave plants and animals in a vulnerable state. Agricultural
crops are so over-cultivated that one invasive insect or disease could wipe out household
staples like bananas and cacao. And entire food webs can collapse with the loss of a single
species. When these collapses occur, nutrition sources become limited, which can then cause
food insecurity—a major problem that would compound the world’s already devastating
hunger crisis. But safeguarding biodiversity can ensure sustenance for generations to come.
Biodiversity also offers society some rarely perceived intrinsic benefits. Recognition of the
beauty of nature is used as a tool in meditation. And many cultures and religions revere the
inherent value of life and build their morals around appreciation of natural diversity. In
addition to philosophical benefits, biodiversity confers tangible economic advantages.
There’s certainly something to be said for the growing marketplace opportunities available to
eco-minded companies. And offering unique vacation spots with wildlife that can’t be found
anywhere else propels tourism. There’s also a fear of missing out on creatures not yet known
to science. And the implications of losing unidentified species to extinction are grim.
Biodiversity conservation, the practice of protecting and preserving the wealth and variety of
species, habitats, ecosystems, and genetic diversity on the planet, is important for our health,
wealth, food, fuel, and services we depend on.
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Biodiversity conservation is vital for economic growth and poverty reduction. Biodiversity is
the shortened form of two words "biological" and "diversity". It refers to all the variety of life
that can be found on Earth (plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms) as well as to the
communities that they form and the habitats in which they live. Biodiversity includes three
main types: diversity within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity)
and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity). Biodiversity conservation protects plant,
animal, microbial and genetic resources for food production, agriculture, and ecosystem
functions such as fertilizing the soil, recycling nutrients, regulating pests and disease,
controlling erosion, and pollinating crops and trees. The most obvious reason for
conservation is to protect wildlife and promote biodiversity. Protecting wildlife and
preserving it for future generations also means that the animals we love don't become a
distant memory. And we can maintain a healthy and functional ecosystem. Some species
cannot survive outside of their own natural habitat without human intervention – such as in
zoos and aquariums. So, the destruction of their natural habitats poses a real threat to their
survival. Furthermore, species that migrate and inhabit more than one natural habitat are also
vulnerable. Preservation of these habitats helps to prevent the entire ecosystem being harmed.
The most obvious reason for conservation is to protect wildlife and promote biodiversity.
Protecting wildlife and preserving it for future generations also means that the animals we
love don't become a distant memory. And we can maintain a healthy and functional
ecosystem. Some species cannot survive outside of their own natural habitat without human
intervention – such as in zoos and aquariums. So the destruction of their natural habitats
poses a real threat to their survival. Furthermore, species that migrate and inhabit more than
one natural habitat are also vulnerable. Preservation of these habitats helps to prevent the
entire ecosystem being harmed. Biodiversity and its conservation are vital environmental
issues of international concern as more and more people around the world begin to realize the
critical importance of biodiversity for survival and well-being on this planet.  According to
the IUCN, the total number of plant and animal species described so far is about 1.5 million
but still many species are yet to discovered and described.
Patterns of Biodiversity
a) Latitudinal gradients- the diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the
world and shows uneven distribution. This distribution pattern is along the latitudinal
gradient in diversity. Species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards
the poles. Tropics harbor more species than temperate or polar areas.Amazonian Rainforest
has the greatest biodiversity on earth. It has more than 40000 species of plants, 1,25,000
species of insects, 300 species of fish, 427 of amphibian and 378 of reptiles, 1300 species of
birds and 427 of mammals. Various hypothesis has been proposed regarding this such as-
a) Speciation is a function of time unlike temperate regions subjected to frequent glaciation in
past, tropical latitudes have remained relatively undisturbed for millions of years and thus had
long evolutionary time for species diversification. 
b) Tropical environments unlike temperate ones are less seasonal and more constant and
predictable which promote niche specialization and lead to a greater species diversity.
c)There is more solar energy available in the tropics which contribute to higher productivity 
this in turn contribute indirectly to greater diversity.

When whole ecosystem is conserved, all its biodiversity is also protected. There are two ways
of conservation of biodiversity-
In situ ( on site) conservation– conservationists have identified for maximum protection
certain ‘biodiversity hotspots’ regions with very high levels of species richness and high
degree of endemism, species found in that region and not found anywhere else. There are 34
biodiversity hot spots in the world. These hotspots are also regions of accelerated habitat loss.
India has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries.
Ex situ (off site) conservation– in this method, threatened animals and plants are taken out
from their natural habitat and placed in special setting when they be protected and given
special care . Zoological parks, Botanical Gardens and wildlife safari parks are used for this
purpose. Now gemetes of threatened species can be preserved in viable and fertile condition
for long periods of time using cryopreservation technique. Eggs can be fertilized in vitro and
plants can be propagated using tissue culture methods. The historic convention on Biological
Diversity (The Earth Summit) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992,called upon all nations to take
appropriate measures for conservation of biodiversity and the World Summit on  sustainable
development held in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa, 190 countries pledged their
commitment to achieve by 2010, a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss
at global, regional and local levels.

Biodiversity hotspots are a method to identify those regions of the world where
attention  is needed to address biodiversity loss and to guide investments in
conservation. The idea was  first developed by Norman Myers in 1988 to identify
tropical forest ‘hotspots’ characterized both  by exceptional levels of plant endemism
and serious habitat loss, which he then expanded to a  more global scope. Hot spots
are the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on the earth.
They have maximum number of endemic species.  
Based on these logics and global implication of biodiversity loss, Conservation
International adopted Myers’ hotspots as its institutional blueprint in 1989, and in
1999, the organization undertook an extensive global review which introduced
quantitative thresholds for the designation of biodiversity hotspots.

Some examples are-

Europe and Central Asia 
From the Mediterranean Basin to the Mountains of Central Asia, these four Hotspots
are unique in their diversity. 
North and Central America 
North and Central America play host to thousands of acres of important habitat.
South America 
From Brazil's Cerrado to the Tropical Andes, South America has some of the richest
and most diverse life on Earth. 

Q2. Explain the Concept of Acid Rain?  

Answer:
Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation with
acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere
in wet or dry forms.  This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.  
CAUSES:
Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted into the
atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO2 and NOX react with water,
oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids.  These then mix with water and
other materials before falling to the ground.

While a small portion of the SO2 and NOX that cause acid rain is from natural sources such as
volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels.  The major sources of SO2 and
NOX in the atmosphere are:

 Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity.  Two thirds of SO2 and one fourth of
NOX in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.
  Vehicles and heavy equipment.
 Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.
Winds can blow SO2 and NOX over long distances and across borders making acid rain a
problem for everyone and not just those who live close to these sources. 

HOW IS ACID RAIN MEASURED?

Acidity and alkalinity are measured using a pH scale for which 7.0 is neutral. The lower a
substance's pH (less than 7), the more acidic it is; the higher a substance's pH (greater than 7),
the more alkaline it is. Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6; it is slightly acidic because carbon
dioxide (CO2) dissolves into it forming weak carbonic acid.  Acid rain usually has a pH
between 4.2 and 4.4.
Policymakers, research scientists, ecologists, and modelers rely on the National Atmospheric
Deposition Program’s (NADP) National Trends Network (NTN) for measurements of wet
deposition. The NADP/NTN collects acid rain at more than 250 monitoring sites throughout
the US, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands. Unlike wet deposition, dry
deposition is difficult and expensive to measure. Dry deposition estimates for nitrogen and
sulfur pollutants are provided by the Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET). Air
concentrations are measured by CASTNET at more than 90 locations.

When acid deposition is washed into lakes and streams, it can cause some to turn acidic. The
Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) Network measures and monitors surface water chemistry at
over 280 sites to provide valuable information on aquatic ecosystem health and how water
bodies respond to changes in acid-causing emissions and acid deposition.

EFFECTS:

 WILDLIFE: The ecological effects of acid rain are most clearly seen in aquatic
environments, such as streams, lakes, and marshes where it can be harmful to fish and
other wildlife. As it flows through the soil, acidic rain water can leach aluminum from
soil clay particles and then flow into streams and lakes. The more acid that is
introduced to the ecosystem, the more aluminum is released.

Some types of plants and animals are able to tolerate acidic waters and moderate
amounts of aluminum. Others, however, are acid-sensitive and will be lost as the pH
declines. Generally, the young of most species are more sensitive to environmental
conditions than adults. At pH 5, most fish eggs cannot hatch. At lower pH levels,
some adult fish die. Some acidic lakes have no fish. Even if a species of fish or animal
can tolerate moderately acidic water, the animals or plants it eats might not. For
example, frogs have a critical pH around 4, but the mayflies they eat are more
sensitive and may not survive pH below 5.5.

 PLANTS AND TREES: Dead or dying trees are a common sight in areas effected by
acid rain. Acid rain leaches aluminum from the soil.  That aluminum may be harmful
to plants as well as animals. Acid rain also removes minerals and nutrients from the
soil that trees need to grow. 

At high elevations, acidic fog and clouds might strip nutrients from trees’ foliage,
leaving them with brown or dead leaves and needles. The trees are then less able to
 absorb sunlight, which makes them weak and less able to withstand freezing
temperatures.

Buffering Capacity

Many forests, streams, and lakes that experience acid rain don’t suffer effects because
the soil in those areas can buffer the acid rain by neutralizing the acidity in the
rainwater flowing through it. This capacity depends on the thickness and composition
of the soil and the type of bedrock underneath it. In areas such as mountainous parts
of the Northeast United States, the soil is thin and lacks the ability to adequately
neutralize the acid in the rain water. As a result, these areas are particularly vulnerable
and the acid and aluminum can accumulate in the soil, streams, or lakes.

Episodic Acidification

Melting snow and heavy rain downpours can result in what is known as episodic
acidification. Lakes that do not normally have a high level of acidity may temporarily
experience effects of acid rain when the melting snow or downpour brings greater
amounts of acidic deposition and the soil can’t buffer it. This short duration of higher
acidity (i.e., lower pH) can result in a short-term stress on the ecosystem where a
variety of organisms or species may be injured or killed.

Nitrogen Pollution

It’s not just the acidity of acid rain that can cause problems. Acid rain also contains
nitrogen, and this can have an impact on some ecosystems. For example, nitrogen
pollution in our coastal waters is partially responsible for declining fish and shellfish
populations in some areas. In addition to agriculture and wastewater, much of the
nitrogen produced by human activity that reaches coastal waters comes from the
atmosphere.

 MATERIALS: Not all acidic deposition is wet. Sometimes dust particles can become
acidic as well, and this is called dry deposition. When acid rain and dry acidic
particles fall to earth, the nitric and sulfuric acid that make the particles acidic can
land on statues, buildings, and other manmade structures, and damage their surfaces.
The acidic particles corrode metal and cause paint and stone to deteriorate more
quickly. They also dirty the surfaces of buildings and other structures such as
monuments.
Q3. Highlight the important aspects related to Climate Change?

Answer:

The earth's climate is changing. Multiple lines of evidence show changes in our weather,
oceans, and ecosystems, such as:

 Changing temperature and precipitation patterns.1 2

 Increases in ocean temperatures, sea level, and acidity.
  Melting of glaciers and sea ice.
 Changes in the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events.
 Shifts in ecosystem characteristics, like the length of the growing season, timing of
flower blooms, and migration of birds.
These changes are due to a buildup of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the warming
of the planet due to the greenhouse effect.

The Greenhouse Effect:

The earth's temperature depends on the balance between energy entering and leaving the
planet’s system. When sunlight reaches the earth’s surface, it can either be reflected back into
space or absorbed by the earth. Incoming energy that is absorbed by the earth warms the
planet. Once absorbed, the planet releases some of the energy back into the atmosphere as
heat (also called infrared radiation). Solar energy that is reflected back to space does not
warm the earth.

Certain gases in the atmosphere absorb energy, slowing or preventing the loss of heat to
space. Those gases are known as “greenhouse gases.” They act like a blanket, making the
earth warmer than it would otherwise be. This process, commonly known as the “greenhouse
effect,” is natural and necessary to support life. However, the recent buildup of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere from human activities has changed the earth's climate and resulted in
dangerous effects to human health and welfare and to ecosystems.

Most of the warming since 1950 has been caused by human emissions of greenhouse

gases.4 Greenhouse gases come from a variety of human activities, including burning fossil
fuels for heat and energy, clearing forests, fertilizing crops, storing waste in landfills, raising
livestock, and producing some kinds of industrial products.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to recent climate change. Carbon
dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels, solid waste, trees, and other
biological materials, and as a result of certain chemical reactions, such as cement
manufacturing. Carbon dioxide is absorbed and emitted naturally as part of the carbon cycle,
through plant and animal respiration, volcanic eruptions, and ocean-atmosphere exchange.

Methane

Both natural and human activities produce methane. For example, natural wetlands,
agricultural activities, and fossil fuel extraction and transport all emit methane.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide is produced mainly through agricultural activities and natural biological
processes. Fossil fuel burning and industrial processes also create nitrous oxide.

F-Gases
Chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and
sulfur hexafluoride, together called F-gases, are often used in coolants, foaming agents, fire
extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, and aerosol propellants.

CLIMATE FEEDBACK:

Climate feedbacks are natural processes that respond to global warming by offsetting or
further increasing change in the climate system. Feedbacks that offset the change in climate
are called negative feedbacks. Feedbacks that amplify changes are called positive feedbacks.

Water vapor appears to cause the most important positive feedback. As the earth warms, the
rate of evaporation and the amount of water vapor in the air both increase. Because water
vapor is a greenhouse gas, this leads to further warming.

The melting of Arctic sea ice is another example of a positive climate feedback. As

temperatures rise, sea ice retreats. The loss of ice exposes the underlying sea surface, which is
darker and absorbs more sunlight than ice, increasing the total amount of warming.
Less snow cover during warm winters has a similar effect.
Clouds can have both warming and cooling effects on climate. They cool the planet by
reflecting sunlight during the day, and they warm the planet by slowing the escape of heat to
space (this is most apparent at night, as cloudy nights are usually warmer than clear nights).

Climate change can lead to changes in the coverage, altitude, and reflectivity of clouds. These
changes can then either amplify (positive feedback) or dampen (negative feedback) the
original change. The net effect of these changes is likely an amplifying, or positive, feedback
due mainly to increasing altitude of high clouds in the tropics, which makes them better able
to trap heat, and reductions in coverage of lower-level clouds in the mid-latitudes, which
reduces the amount of sunlight they reflect. The magnitude of this feedback is uncertain due
to the complex nature of cloud/climate interactions.

Some changes (such as droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall) are happening faster than
scientists previously assessed. In fact, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) — the United Nations body established to assess the science related to
climate change — modern humans have never before seen the observed changes in our global
climate, and some of these changes are irreversible over the next hundreds to thousands of
years.

Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for many
decades, mainly due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.

The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment report, published in 2021, found that human emissions of heat-
trapping gases have already warmed the climate by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees
Celsius) since pre-Industrial times (starting in 1750).1 The global average temperature is
expected to reach or exceed 1.5 degrees C (about 3 degrees F) within the next few decades.
These changes will affect all regions of Earth.
The severity of effects caused by climate change will depend on the path of future human
activities. More greenhouse gas emissions will lead to more climate extremes and widespread
damaging effects across our planet. However, those future effects depend on the total amount
of carbon dioxide we emit. So, if we can reduce emissions, we may avoid some of the worst
effects.

The Earth’s climate is changing and the global climate is projected to continue to change over
this century and beyond. The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades will
depend primarily on the amount of greenhouse (heat-trapping) gases emitted globally and on
the remaining uncertainty in the sensitivity of the Earth’s climate to those emissions. With
significant reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), global annual averaged
temperature rise could be limited to 2°C or less. However, without major reductions in these
emissions, the increase in annual average global temperatures, relative to preindustrial times,
could reach 5°C or more by the end of this century.
The global climate continues to change rapidly compared to the pace of the natural variations
in climate that have occurred throughout Earth’s history. Trends in globally averaged
temperature, sea level rise, upper-ocean heat content, land-based ice melt, arctic sea ice,
depth of seasonal permafrost thaw, and other climate variables provide consistent evidence of
a warming planet. These observed trends are robust and confirmed by multiple, independent
research groups around the world.

OPEN BOOK TEST

Q4. What are the Urban Problems that are related  to Energy? How do they affect Sustainable
Development? 

Answer:

Urban center use enormous quantities of energy. In the past, urban housing required
relatively smaller amounts of energy than we use at present. Traditional housing in India
required very little temperature adjustments as the material used, such as wood and bricks,
handled temperature changes better than the current concrete, glass and steel of ultra-modern
building.
Cities are the main centres of economic growth, trade, education, innovations and
employment. Until recently a big majority of human population lived in rural areas and their
economic activities cantered on agriculture, cattle, rearing, fishing, hunting or some cottage
industry.

It was some two hundred years ago with the dawn of industrial era the cities showed rapid
development. Now about 50% of the world population lives in urban areas and- there is
increasing movement of rural folk to cities in search of employment.

The urban growth is so fast that it is becoming difficult to accommodate all the industrial,
commercial and residential facilities within a limited municipal boundary. As a result there is
spreading of the cities into the sub-urban or rural areas too, this phenomenon is known as
“urban sprawl”.

In developing countries too urban growth is very fast and in most of the cases it is
uncontrollable and unplanned growth. In contrast to the rural set up, the urban set up is
densely populated, consumes a lot of energy and materials and generates a lot of waste.

Energy use is closely related to development in industry, transport, communication,

commercial, household and agricultural activities. The energy requirement of urban
population is much higher than that of rural ones. This is because urban people have a higher
standard of life and their lifestyle demands more energy inputs in every sphere of life.

In urban areas the need of energy is increasing by leaps and bounds. Moreover, countries use
energy in an uneven manner in the world. In developed countries the amount of energy used
is much more compared to developing countries.

Industrialised developed countries use energy for these purposes:

(i) Residential and commercial

(ii) Industrial

(iii) Transportation.

The two sources of energy are renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Optimal usage
shall be the ideal mode for energy conservation. For an integrated management system we
should have renewable energy as well as non-renewable energy sources.

At local level, biomass energy tapping, use of solar cooker, solar water heaters and solar
photovoltaic cells must be encouraged. This shall be utilised besides the conventional energy
from fossil fuels, hydel, thermal and nuclear power resources.

Due to high population density and high energy demanding activities, the urban problems
related to energy are much more magnified as compared to rural population.

There are several hurdles that play havoc in energy conservation. They are:
(i) Lack of awareness

(ii) Attitude

(iii) Lack of technical knowledge

(iv) Market distortion

(v) Capital shortages.

Regardless of the level of economic development, it is essential to realize sustainable growth

of the economies in order to maintain a world order, and restrictions on energy supply which
may hinder a sustainable economic development should be avoided at all costs. At the same
time, however, inefficient final energy consumption which may result in aggravation of the
global environmental problems should not be allowed.

Urban problems related to energy impact sustainable development in a major way. The
environmental problems directly related to energy production and consumption include
air pollution, climate change, water pollution, thermal pollution, and solid waste
disposal. The emission of air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion is the major cause of
urban air pollution. Burning fossil fuels is also the main contributor to the emission of
grenhouse gases. Diverse water pollution problems are associated with energy usage.
One problem is oil spills. In all petroleum-handling operations, there is a finite
probability of spilling oil either on the earth or in a body of water. Coal mining can also
pollute water. Changes in groundwater flow produced by mining operations often bring
otherwise unpolluted waters into contact with certain mineral materials which are
leached from the soil and produce an acid mine drainage. Solid waste is also a by-
product of some forms of energy usage. Coal mining requires the removal of large
quantities of earth as well as coal.
The environmental impact of energy storage technologies depends very much upon the
particular technology. Large plants such as pumped storage hydropower stations involve
major civil structures that can cause a large amount of local disruption, particularly during
construction. Smaller installations such as flywheels or super-capacitors have much less
physical impact. The materials used in the construction of some storage systems can be an
area for concern, particularly with battery systems that use toxic metals or other exotic
ingredients. The immediate environmental impact of a storage system must be balanced
against the wider benefits that any storage plant can offer. Energy storage provides a way of
exploiting renewable energy sources more fully, reducing the carbon emissions and making
electricity more sustainable. They also improve grid stability and grid reliability that can be
vital for the health of some modern technologies.

The scientific consensus on global warming and climate change is that it is caused

by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the majority of which comes from burning fossil
fuels with deforestation and some agricultural practices being also major contributors. A
2013 study showed that two thirds of the industrial greenhouse gas emissions are due to the
fossil-fuel (and cement) production of just ninety companies around the world (between 1751
and 2010, with half emitted since 1986).
Although there is a highly publicized denial of climate change, the vast majority of scientists
working in climatology accept that it is due to human activity. The IPCC report Climate
Change 2007: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability predicts that climate
change will cause shortages of food and water and increased risk of flooding that will affect
billions of people, particularly those living in poverty.
One measurement of greenhouse gas related and other Externality comparisons between
energy sources can be found in the ExternE project by the Paul Scherrer Institute and
the University of Stuttgart which was funded by the European Commission. According to that
study, hydroelectric electricity produces the lowest CO2 emissions, wind produces the
second-lowest, nuclear energy produces the third-lowest and solar photovoltaic produces the
fourth-lowest.
The health and environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land
use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and
the use of its products. In addition to atmospheric pollution, coal burning produces hundreds
of millions of tons of solid waste products annually, including fly ash, bottom ash, and flue-
gas desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy
metals. Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of carbon dioxide in
Earth's atmosphere.

Q2. What are the best practices with respect  to Sustainability in the Indian scenario? Provide
Examples.
Answer:

India is home to one-sixth of the world's people and it has the densest population. It also has
the second-largest population after China, which it will surpass in less than a decade if
current trends continue.
India is a country full of diversity and contradictions.
While per-capita emissions are amongst the lowest in the world, it is also the third biggest
generator of emissions. Despite being the third largest economy in the world, India also has
the largest number of people living below the international poverty line. Because of this sheer
size and rapid growth, sustainability is a challenge.
In spite of these challenges, India is a conscious aspirant. It has shown leadership in
combating climate change and meeting the Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), as is
reflected in many of its developmental schemes.
This commitment was acknowledged by the world in July,2017 at the UN’s High Level
Political Forum, as it presented the Voluntary National Review Report on Implementation of
Sustainable Development Goals.

India is one of the least wasteful economies. It has frequently been acknowledged by
stakeholders for its cooperation and efforts to promote climate change mitigation, and
environmental sustainability; this has been through policy measures, dialogue facilitation
between nations, and taking decisive steps, especially after India emerged as a key player in
shaping the Paris Agreement, along with adopting energy-efficiency measures.
Sustainability has always been a core component of Indian culture. Its philosophy and values
have underscored a sustainable way of life.
For example, the yogic principle of aparigraha, which is a virtue of being non-attached to
materialistic possessions, keeping only what is necessary at a certain stage of life. Humans
and nature share a harmonious relationship, which goes as far as a reverence for various flora
and fauna. This has aided biodiversity conservation efforts.
A great example is of the Bishnoi community in the Jodhpur region, Rajasthan, for whom the
protection of wildlife is part of their faith. Yoga and Ayurveda are perhaps among the most
well-known ways of holistic Indian living.
Sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and psyches still continue to be part of the
lifestyle and culture. India has both a culture of hoarding (in case something might come in
useful), and thriftiness (re-use and hand-me-downs). It is not an uncommon sight in an Indian
household to witness an old cloth being used as a duster.
Things which have absolutely no value, such as old newspapers and books, or utensils, can be
easily sold off to a scrap dealers to be re-used or re-cycled. Bucket baths, sun- drying clothes,
and hand-washing dishes are other widespread, sustainable practices. Culturally, there is also
an aversion to wasting food.
Rural communities, which constituted about 70% of the Indian population as of 2011, live
close to nature and continue to live a simple and frugal lifestyle .
Greendex is an international report on sustainable living. The study compiled by National
Geographic and Globescan measures the way consumers are responding to environmental
concerns. The scores measure housing, transport, food and goods. India occupies a top spot
on this index among 18 contenders, which also include China and the US. In particular, India
received high scores in housing, transportation and food choices.

These results show that Indian consumers are most conscious about their environmental
footprint and are making the most sustainable choices.
However, as the economy develops and grows further, socio-economic trends are shifting.
The country's achievements so far in no way negate the environmental concerns it still faces.
India and the world have a long and challenging way to go in dealing with environmental
problems, and learning to live together in sustainable communities. We need to realize that
development is more than economic, and sustainable development is a collective
responsibility.
India does seem to have taken a lead. As a global family and village, we should come
together to learn from each other, and good lessons can be drawn and implemented from both
ancient wisdom, and scientific fact.
As the fastest growing major economy of the world, today, India is uniquely placed to deliver
on its commitments to inclusive and sustainable development. Externally the country has
played a key role in shaping the SDGs and ensuring the balance among its three pillars -
economic, social and environmental. Internally, it has launched many programs to make
progress towards these goals. Notwithstanding its scarce financial resources due to relatively
low per-capita income, large population and vast geographical expanse, India is committed to
achieving within a short period such ambitious goals as universal rural electrification, road
and digital connectivity for all, massive expansions of clean and renewable energy, sanitation
and housing for all and universal elementary school education.
To remain globally competitive, Indian industries have been becoming increasingly energy
efficient, taking advantage of technological advancements and innovations. Higher
industrial energy efficiency is responsible for India’s success in relative decoupling of
growth from emissions — achieving growth without a corresponding expansion of its
carbon footprint across all sectors (residential, agriculture, transport, industry and power).
Emissions are certainly rising due to growing economic activity, but structural changes and
alterations in industries’ energy intensity have neutralised a major part of emission growth.

Sustainable agriculture practices

India has incorporated several sustainable agricultural practices, such as nutrient use
efficiency (NUE), system of rice intensification (SRI) or sustainable intensification, and
climate smart agriculture (CSA), that have wide economic, social, environmental and
climate impacts. SDG benefits due to these practices have been tracked in four broad
categories — social, representing SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5 and 10; environmental, representing
SDGs 6, 12, 13, 14 and 15; economic, representing SDGs 7, 8, 9 and 11; and capacity and
institution development, representing SDGs 16 and 17.

The way forward

The developing countries have large informal sectors and a huge burden of poverty, and
need accelerated, yet sustainable, development in the current carbon-constrained
environment. India’s success in growing at a quick pace while keeping per capita emissions
low despite its large population is a potential model for replication for the developing
world.

India can share many best practices through its economic and developmental diplomacy
within the SDG framework. Its developmental model — a combination of economic actors
and institutions, market links, government funding, private investment, foreign direct
investment and multilateral funding — is much like the ones followed in many fast-
growing South Asian and African countries (and differ vastly from the ones followed by the
OECD, China, South Korea and Singapore)), making its experiences more valuable. India
must share technical know-how and societal practices (vegetarianism, using public
transport) that has enabled it to remain a low-carbon country (on a per capita carbon
accounting basis).