UN 75 and Beyond: Sustainable Development Goals About Environment Amidst The COVID-19 Pandemic In India
It has been 75 years since the United Nations was established after the deadly World War II came to an end. The UN has been tirelessly working to bring peace and harmony in all aspects of human life from different parts of the world. There has been a lot of positive impact on the environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sustainability Development Goals(SDGs) are the objectives set by the UN to make the world a better place for both humans and the environment by the year 2030. There are a total of seventeen sustainable development goals established by the UN. All the countries irrespective of their economic strata have come together to follow the sustainability goals. These SDGs recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, equality, and job opportunities while tackling climate change and working to preserve our ocean and forests.
Progress On Sustainable Development Goals Before the COVID-19 Pandemic In India
The UN Sustainable Development Goal Number Seven highlights the importance of clean energy and the importance of renewable sources of energy in the dream of attaining sustainable development. According to the UN, India has been a significant contributor to the global power demand by nearly one-quarter of the total demand. Nearly 84.5% of the Indian population has access to electricity. The Government of India has set an ambitious target of generating 175 GW of generating electricity using renewable sources of energy using wind, hydroelectricity, solar, and biomass. The Government’s initiative of the National Solar Mission has been playing a vital role in bringing a transition in the energy sector from the conventional sources of energy to the non-conventional sources of energy.
The UN Sustainable Development Goal Number Eleven highlights the importance of providing human settlements and urban areas both Eco-friendly as well as human friendly. It must be noted that the world’s cities occupy just 3% of the planet’s land but account for 60–80% of all energy consumption and 75% of the planet’s carbon emissions. Rapid urbanization is exerting pressure on fresh water supplies, sewage, the living environment, and public health. In a country like India, there has been a death of over 1.2 million people due to pollution. Nearly 62 million tones of waste are being generated annually in the cities. The government initiatives like Smart Cities Mission, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation(AMRUT) are working to address the challenge of improving urban spaces. The prime minister’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana aims to achieve housing for all by 2022.
The UN Sustainable Development Goal Number Thirteen highlights the importance of combating climate change which has been a major cause of disrupting economies, weather patterns, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events. It must be noted that if immediate action to combat climate change surface temperature is likely to surpass three-degree Celsius this century. India is the third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide and it is responsible for 6.9% of the global emission. India’s emission GDP has come down by 12% between 2005 to 2010. In October 2015, India committed to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20–25% from its 2005 levels by 2020 and by 33–35% by 2030. India has committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 20–25% by 2020. The Government of India has also adopted a National Action Plan on Climate Change to address this issue directly, as well as a National Mission for Green India. These national schemes are complemented by a host of specific programs on solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitats, water, sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem, and to encourage strategic knowledge for climate change.
The UN Sustainable Development Goal Number Fourteen which describes the importance of the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. Globally, the market value of marine and coastal resources and industries is estimated at USD 3 trillion per year or close to 5% of global GDP. According to the UN report, as much as 40% of the world’s oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats. Across the globe, out of 1,851 species of fishes, 21 per cent of all fish species evaluated were deemed at risk of extinction by the IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature) in 2010, including more than a third of sharks and rays. According to India’s Fifth National Report to the Convention of Biological Diversity 2014, India has a long coastline of about 7,517 km in length which sustains and provides a source of livelihood to over 250 million people. India is the second-largest producer of fish in the world. According to the census report, nearly 13.36% of the Indian population resides in the coastal areas. India has been ranked in the 12th position amongst the top 20 countries that have been responsible for marine pollution. The sea levels at the coast have been rising at a rate of 1.33mm per annum. The Government’s initiative of Sagarmala which is popularly known as the Blue Revolution has been aimed at protecting the coastlines and Indian ports. The National Action Plan For The Conservation Of Aquatic Eco-Systems has been initiated by the government to protect the coastal and marine biodiversity.
The UN Sustainable Development Goal Number Fifteen has been aimed at protecting the terrestrial ecosystem like forests and wildlife along with promoting sustainable development without harming nature. According to the FAO, nearly 18 million acres of forest is being depleted annually. Due to the exploitation of the forests, many animal species and plants are being pushed to the verge of extinction. The persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares. Currently, 2.6 billion people depend directly on agriculture, however, 52% of the land used for agriculture is moderately or severely affected by soil degradation. In India, The annual cost of land degradation is nearly US$15.9 Billion which is nearly 1.3% of the country’s GDP. Despite India has a forest cover of 21%, only 5% of it has been protected. India is home to around 8% of the world’s biodiversity, which includes many species found nowhere else in the world, the country is committed to achieving the Aichi targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity and is also an active participant in the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. The schemes like Protect Tiger and Protect Elephant have been initiated to protect the majestic species of the Indian forests. Government Initiatives like the National Afforestation Programme and a National Programme on the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats are core projects aimed at the conservation of land ecosystems.
Effect Of The COVID-19 Pandemic On The Environment In India
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economic stability and health care infrastructure of many developing countries like India. With Janta Curfew for 21 days imposed by the government on March 22, there was a major restriction of human activities and industrial activities. Due to the lockdown situation in the country, there has been a positive impact on the environment.
Due to the lockdown imposed, there has been a significant dip in the pollution levels measured across the country. Metropolitan cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai have seen their average Air Quality Index(AQI) within the two-digit limit. According to SK Satheesh, Centre for Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore said that there has been a drop of 50–60 % in the concentration of the Particulate Matter in the air in the southern regions of India and nearly 75% drop in the regions of Bihar, Delhi, Indo-Gangetic Plains, West Bengal, etc. According to the World Air Quality, the average concentration of PM 2.5 in New Delhi came down by 71 per cent for a week in March. Nitrogen Dioxide, a pollutant, has also witnessed a decline of 71 per cent. Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bangalore have also recorded a fall in these air pollutants. Another example of cleaner air was seen when, on April 3rd, residents of Jalandhar, a city in Punjab state, woke up to a view of the Dhauladhar mountain range, a rare feat in normal times, considering the distance between the two places- lying nearly 213 kilometres apart from each other and have not been visible from the city in recent memory.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a boon to the river Ganga and many other water bodies in the country. Before the lockdown, It is estimated that every day, almost 40 million litres of wastewater enters rivers and other water bodies; only 37 per cent is adequately treated. Within 10 days of the lockdown being imposed, the river Ganga started showing signs of improvement. According to the real-time water monitoring data of the CPCB, out of the 36 monitoring units placed at various points of the Ganga river, the water quality around 27 points was found suitable for bathing and propagation of wildlife and fisheries. On April 4, at Varanasi’s Nagwa Nala, the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) values were found to have increased to 6.8 milligram/litre against 3.8 mg/l on March 6, showcasing an extraordinary improvement of 79 per cent in DO values. The pH of the Ganga river was recorded between 6 to 9 on April 19th,2020. In a rare sighting, fishes can be seen near the Varanasi ghat steps. This seems to have happened because of absence or crowds and clean water. The major reason for the cleaner water has been attributed to the COVID-19 lockdown which restricted industries from functioning.
According to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the quality of water in Cauvery and tributaries like Kabini, Hemavati, Shimsha and Lakshmanathirtha is back to what it used to be decades ago. According to reports, elderly people on the banks of the river in Karnataka say they have not seen the river in this clear form in several decades. With industrial units not working due to the shutdown and effluents not flowing into the river, the Cauvery is breathing free again. This essentially means is that the river is asking to be given a chance to survive, healthily.
With all the industries shut during the COVID-19 pandemic, the power consumption fell by 15 to 26% in different parts of the country. This has also reduced the emissions of carbon dioxide from thermal power plants. According to an international study published in the UK-based journal National Climate Change, there has been a 26% dip in the carbon emissions in April 2020 as compared to April 2019.
According to the Forest Department of Odisha, over 70,000 Olive Ridley sea turtles had arrived at the beaches during the lockdown. Before the lockdown, these turtles used to be disturbed due to the tourists who visit the beaches. Due to the strict implementation of the 21-day strict lockdown, these turtles were resting with harmony and stay undisturbed at these beaches.
There has been a surge in the population of birds and butterflies during the lockdown period. During the 21-day lockdown, the car honks, sound of industrial machinery and engine revving had been replaced by the chirping of the birds in the dawn and dusk. According to Khudsar, who is also the scientist-in-charge at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP), the lack of noise pollution and cleaner air during the 21-day lockdown had helped the birds to express themselves. The 21-day lockdown period can be credited as a good time for the birds.
Positive Impact of COVID-19 on the Environment
Can this positive impact on the Environment due to COVID-19 be sustained in the long run in India?
Many of the environmentalists in the country feel that the COVID-19 is a short term recovery phase for the environment. Sustaining this positive impact, in the long run, would be quite difficult when the effect of COVID-19 ceases down. When the pandemic is over, all the industries would be back in full swing to recover their losses. The carbon emissions and other pollution which were reduced during the pandemic would be back to the values to the normal values before the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Conclusion
In the long run, we can continue with the positive impact on the environment can be sustained by following some ideas as follows:
(a) Citizen Initiative
The Citizens understand the repercussions of their choices of luxury on the environment.
(b) Support Environment based Educational Courses
Environment based courses must be made popular in various parts of the country. These courses are very rare and only found in top technical and non-technical institutes, Awareness regarding such courses on newer domain must be made available to the public .
( c ) Supporting Research and Development in various new avenues of Sustainable Energy and Development
The Government and the Private Sectors must be ready to support innovative ideas with finacial and technical support fot sustainable energy and development from the youngsters from various domains of academic background. The Government must look beyond the existing non-conventional energy sources like wind, solar, hydro and biogas to nuclear, tidal and ocean energy. The country must try taking inspiration from the European countries like Denmark, Norway, Iceland and so on for implementing policies on sustainable development and energy.
(d) The Involvement of the Public, Environmental Experts and Corporate Stakeholders at various levels of the democracy to be a part of the policymaking
Environmental policies must be implemented by the government after involving the Public, Environmental and Corporate stakeholders at various levels of the democracy. The involvement of the public is very important as they are the ones who are going to practice the policy. The environmental Experts give the policy a scientific edge. The corporate stakeholders would give an economic edge to the policy. This would make the environmental policy a truly sustainable development policy.
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