There is mounting evidence that Asia and the Pacific are undergoing weather patterns more extreme than previously experienced, attributable to the effects of global climate change. Reduction of the impact of climate change is gaining importance in the international agenda.

 

Asia-Pacific fighting climate change  

After the devastating floods of 2006-07, climate change and its effect on the city have become major issues for Surat. In 2008-09, the US-based Rockefeller Foundation identified Surat as one of the cities for its study on the effects of climate change and developing strategies required to tackle them. When Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) was formed, Surat happened to be one of the 10 partners.

 

Surat leads in adopting climate change resistant strategies 

The prestigious California-based Pacific Institute climate research group has launched an investigation of its president and founder, Peter Gleick, after he admitted fraudulently obtaining documents from global warming skeptics challenging his work.

 

Renowned US climate scientist comes under fire 

Climate change is altering the face of the Himalayas, devastating farming communities and making Mount Everest increasingly treacherous to climb, some of the world’s top mountaineers have warned. 

Climate change is one of the major present-day priorities. Business houses have begun to acknowledge the phenomenon. They are concerned about climate change, and the systemic and sector-specific risks associated with it. 

India’s economy is growing at a blistering pace, and while that is increasing welfare for millions, it’s also raising some alarming public health red flags.Respiratory pediatrician S.K. Kabra has busy Saturdays. His outpatient waiting area at this New Delhi hospital teems with parents whose children complain of breathing difficulties.

The government is mulling a law to banIndian airlines from participating in the European Union’s stringent carbon tax scheme. India is considering its first retaliatory steps in the wake of 26 key nations’ decision – including Russia and China -during a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday to confront the EU for unilaterally imposing carbon taxes on all flights landing or flying out of the eurozone.

The main reason for the rapid drop in green cover in Andhra Pradesh seems to be hidden in the Forest Survey of India’s (FSI) latest data on forest fires. As per FSI, the state has witnessed 506 forest fires in the last 51 days alone, which is almost five times more than any other state in India. In fact, on February 20 itself, there were as many as 169 fires reported across AP mainly from Khammam, Mahbubnagar and Adilabad.

 

Sri Sri Academy on Tuesday celebrated its second Founder’s Day by organizing the annual exhibition, Prithvi Prayas – II, which focused on environmental concern. Dr Nirupam Bajpai, director of Columbia Global Centers and senior development advisor at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, New York, graced the occasion as the chief guest and inaugurated the two-day programme. He also delivered a speech on “Sustainable Development in India – How can we grow and develop in the midst of climate change”, explaining how every individual can contribute towards fighting global warming and climate change.

As India turns its focus on skill development to make good on the demographic dividend, it would do well to take into account the priorities identified by the Foresight Process of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Among the top priorities is retooling the global workforce for a green economy.

 

India would do well in retooling its workforce for a green economy