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Modi faces significant climate challenges in third term
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reelected for a third term, must address major climate-related challenges exacerbating the country’s political and economic issues.
In short:
- India’s recent election occurred during a severe heatwave, causing heat-related deaths among poll workers and voters.
- Farmers, vital to India's economy, continue to protest due to climate change impacting agriculture and government policies.
- Despite commitments to renewable energy, India’s dependence on coal remains strong, driving up emissions.
Key quote:
“Definitely, increasing extreme weather events (floods, heat waves, storms) are the most important climate challenge facing the government.”
— M. Rajeevan, vice chancellor at Atria University
Why this matters:
India’s vulnerability to climate change threatens the livelihoods of its vast rural population and complicates efforts to maintain economic stability and growth. Modi's administration has previously made strides in promoting renewable energy, particularly solar power, and has set ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions. However, the scale and urgency of the climate crisis require more robust policies and effective implementation.
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Climate change in India: A growing environmental crisis
As torrential rains cause flash floods and landslides in India, the country grapples with an environmental crisis. The heavy rain comes after an unbearable heat wave. Murali Krishnan writes from New Delhi for Deutsche Welle (DW).
In a nutshell:
India is a country of extremes. Extreme topography from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean. Extreme heat this past June that drove temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) and caused no end of misery, most especially among those without the means to cool themselves. Now comes extreme rainfall—monsoons on steroids—bringing landslides and flash floods, death and destruction, ruination, extreme misery.
Key quote:
"South Asia has become the poster child of climate change. The entire region, not just India, is witnessing a clear trend in rising heat waves, floods, landslides, droughts and cyclones. This is already affecting the food, water and energy security of the region."
Big picture:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long been criticized for his fierce protection of India's coal industry, going so far as to unleash tax raids on coal critics. Modi's climate policy and has generally favored a relaxed timeline for winding down greenhouse gas emissions, vowing to reach net zero a comfortable 50 years from now without offering a realistic plan for getting there. Meanwhile, the latest UN assessment differs starkly from the current priorities of the Modi government and warns of imminent catastrophe without drastic emissions cuts before 2030.
Read the full story from Deutsche Welle (DW).
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Climate change in India: A growing environmental crisis
As torrential rains cause flash floods and landslides in India, the country grapples with an environmental crisis. The heavy rain comes after an unbearable heat wave.
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Photo by Ivan Bandura on Unsplash
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