The Bangalore International
Centre (BIC) hosted a talk by Dr R K Pachauri, Director
General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),
New Delhi and Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) on 24 May 2007. Hon'ble Justice M N Venkatachalaiah,
Former Chief Justice of India presided over the session.
After the introduction and welcome by the Director
of BIC, Dr Pachauri started his talk by introducing
the IPCC, which was established in 1988 by the World
Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment
Programme to provide a clear, balanced assessment of
the state of scientific understanding of climate change.
The IPCC’s fourth, and latest, Assessment Report
finds that global mean temperatures are rising faster
with time, and notes that eleven of the last twelve
years have been the warmest since thermometer records
began in 1850. Dr Pachauri pointed out that the warmth
of the last half century has been unusual in at least
the last 1300 years. It has been manifested in other
changes such as melting of glaciers and ice caps, and
sea level rise.
A key finding is that hot days, heat waves, and heavy
rainfall events are very likely to become more frequent.
Even a small temperature rise of 1.5-2.5 degree Celcius
could put 20% - 30% of plants and animals at high risk
of extinction. Crop production in the low latitudes
could decline. Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected
to increase flooding and affect water resources in the
next two to three decades. Diarrhoea and cholera are
projected to become more serious concerns in parts of
Asia. Millions more are likely to be flooded every year
due to sea-level rise by the 2080s. Heavily-populated
mega-delta regions in South, East and Southeast Asia,
are projected to be at the greatest risk due to increased
flooding from the sea and from rivers. Thus, by adversely
affecting freshwater availability, agriculture, natural
ecosystems, human health, and coastal settlements, climate
change could impede nations’ abilities to achieve
sustainable development.
However, Dr Pachauri said that there are clear ways
to avoid this doomsday scenario. For instance, the number
of people at risk of coastal flooding can be reducing
through judicious coastal planning. Apart from hard
technological measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
changes in lifestyles can also contribute to climate
change mitigation. And the costs of reducing GHG emissions
are assessed at less than 3% of global GDP in 2030.
In the ensuing discussion, Dr Pachauri touched upon
the equity aspects of climate change, policy and legislative
changes needed at the international level, and win-win
measures for India to reduce GHG emissions, like public
transport, green buildings, efficient lighting, reduction
of power sector losses, and energy pricing. He concluded
by quoting Mahatma Gandhi who said, “Be the change
you want to see in the world”.
Hon. Justice Venkatachalaiah, in his observations,
underscored the need to take individual as well as collective
action to face the challenges posed by global warming
and praised the efforts of those who are trying to work
out a consensual global approach in this respect. There
was a lively interactive session in which there was
a general agreement that the time to act is NOW.
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