An integrated perspective is essential as social and environmental problems can no longer be addressed in isolation
The Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for 2020, titled The Next Frontier – Human Development and the Anthropocene proposed a planetary pressure-adjusted Human Development Index (HDI). Ever since the UNDP calculated the HDI driven by Mahbub-ul-Haq’s vision and expressed by Amartya Sen in 1990, there have been adjustments such as the inequality-adjusted HDI. In addition, several other indices such as the Gender Development Index, the Gender Inequality Index and the Multidimensional Poverty Index were calculated to mark the issues that have attracted the attention of policy makers.
human induced change
Environment is an issue that is now recognized as an essential component to measure human development. In 2009, the Stockholm Resilience Center’s J. The concept of planetary boundaries was introduced by a group of scientists from around the world led by Rockstrom. This was to highlight that human-induced environmental change can irreversibly destabilize long-term dynamics. Earth system, thereby disrupting the planet’s life-support system. Both global and local evidence indicates that biodiversity loss, climate change, land system/land-use change, disruption of biogeochemical cycles, and lack of freshwater availability are a threat and increase society’s vulnerability. . The Planetary Pressure Adjusted HDI, or PHDI, aims to inform society at large about the risks involved in continuing existing practices in our resource use and environmental management, and the retarding impact of sustained environmental stress on development.
Impact on country’s ranking
When planetary pressures were adjusted for, the world average of HDI decreased from 0.737 to 0.683 in 2019. This adjustment has been made taking into account per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (production), and per capita material footprint. The average per capita global CO2 emissions (production) is 4.6 tonnes and the per capita material footprint is 12.3 tonnes.
With the adjustment of planetary pressures, the global rankings of many countries were changed to positive and negative connotations. Switzerland is the only country in the group of countries with high human development whose world rank has not changed with adjustment for planetary pressure, although the HDI value of 0.955 has decreased to 0.825 after the necessary adjustments. Of the 66 very high human development countries, 30 countries reported a drop in rank values from minus 1 for Germany and from Montenegro to minus 131 for Luxembourg. It brings out briefly the nature of planetary pressure generated by developed countries and indirectly indicates their responsibility in countering the situation.
In the case of India, the average per capita CO2 emissions (production) and physical footprint are 2.0 tonnes and 4.6 tonnes respectively with a pH of 0.626 against an HDI of 0.645. India gained eight points (ranked 131st under HDI and 123rd rank under PhD) in the global rankings, and its per capita carbon emissions (production) and materials footprint are well below the global average.
Challenges in India, SDGs
Nevertheless, India’s use of natural resources is far from efficient, environmental problems are increasing, and attacks on nature are ongoing with little concern about its repercussions – as is evident from the many ongoing and proposed projects. . Also, 27.9% of the people under the Multidimensional Poverty Index in India range from 1.10% in Kerala to 52.50% in Bihar, and a large section of them are directly dependent on natural resources for their sustenance. Kerala has an exemplary achievement in human development, with an HDI value of 0.775, well above the all-India average. However, there are several challenges on the environmental front that require concerted action; Otherwise, the benefits of human development cannot be sustained.
The twin challenges of eradicating poverty and protecting the environment were first mentioned by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in her 1972 lecture during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, which still remains unaddressed. Fifty years have passed. There is a slight change in the scenario. In fact, the situation is much more complicated now.
Since the Stockholm conference was held, there have been several summits and initiatives by the United Nations, the latest being the adoption of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a specific target to be completed by 2030. The SDGs have acquired a high priority in the context. About the issue of climate change and its impact on society. Human-induced climate change has emerged as an important issue of global discourse. The Sixth Assessment Report (AR 6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021 called for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 °C and strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change. Sustainable development, and poverty alleviation efforts. This was ratified at the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 in Glasgow in 2021.
‘No poverty’ and ‘zero hunger’ are the first and second SDGs. According to NITI Aayog (2020-21), out of 100 marks prescribed for the grade of achiever, India scored 60 (performer grade, score 50-64) without poverty and 47 (aspirant grade, score 0-49) for zero hunger. ) scored. , with wide state-level variations. India’s score in the SDGs of 8, 9, and 12 (‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’; ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ and ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’, respectively) – believed to be under planetary pressure are – 61 (performers), 55 (performers) and 74 (front runners), respectively.
better awareness now
There are wide gaps in the management of the environment. The Chipko movement in Uttarakhand (1973) and the Silent Valley movement in Kerala (late 1970s) are the most well-known modern mass movements for environmental protection in India, which inspired many other environmental movements during the last five decades. After this, there is now widespread awareness about the environment and several initiatives at both the government and community level.
However, standalone environmental protection actions are not sufficient to navigate the Anthropocene (the informal unit of geologic time to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity began to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems). Did”). It is now well established that Earth system processes, including social processes, have interdependencies, and that their relationships are non-linear and dialectical. Therefore, the central challenge is to incorporate human development into ecosystems, including social and economic systems, and to build the biosphere on a systematic approach to nature-based solutions that keep people at the core.
local level participation
It is now necessary to consider people and the planet as a part of an interconnected socio-ecosystem. Social and environmental problems can no longer be addressed in isolation; An integrated approach is essential. This can be visualized and resolved at the local level, for which there are constitutional provisions in India in the form of 73rd and 74th amendments.
Notable advances in Earth system science and sustainability research, along with the enabling technology of remote sensing and geographic information systems, have helped document and explain the impact of human activities at the grassroots level and lead to new interdisciplinary research involving the natural and social sciences. work is encouraged. They also provide insight on how to reduce these effects and improve lives. What is needed is a reorientation of the planning process, adoption of a decentralized approach, a plan for proper institutional arrangements, and steps to enable political decisions.
Sreekumar Chattopadhyay is a geographer, National Fellow of Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT), Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and author of the recently published book, YesGeography of Kerala
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