Climate change, natural disasters and hazards risks

Climate change, natural disasters and hazards risks
Climate change and natural disasters pose a key challenge to sustainable development. Different ecological and climatic zones in India have made it differentially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. These impacts range from changes in temperature, precipitation and humidity to increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events like floods, droughts and cyclones. Changes in climatic conditions can have serious implications on agricultural production agriculture dependent livelihoods and food. Freshwater availability is also at risk due to potential glacial melt and changes in river flows along the Himalayan range.
Vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters also has a strong linkage with poverty and has the potential to create multiple stresses over the stresses that already exist. It is, therefore imperative that the country adopts measures aimed at building resilience to such risks. The most important measure of adaptation is development itself and acceleration of inclusive growth is the key to combat expected adversities.
Biodiversity related challenges
India is a mega diverse country, with about eight oercent of the world’s biodiversity, high percentage of endemic floral and faunal specials, and four biodiversity hotspots. This biodiversity is under severe threat both within and outside the protected area (PA) network, due to the loss and/or fragmentation of its habitat to competing uses. The global struggle against poverty and hunger cannot be won without enhanced conservation, and sustainable natural resource management. The Biodiversity Act of 2002 provides for access and benefit sharing related to traditional knowledge and biodiversity. India has taken a number of proactive measures related to biodiversity conservation. Since 1991, the government has committed funds, particularly in the field of PA management, for eco-development (integrated conservation and development), along with site specific package comprising measures for conserving biodiversity through local community development. There have been some successful examples of the eco-development programme like the Periyar Tiger Reserve. In recognition of the need to protect the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot, the Moet set up a Panel in 2010 to study its ecological status and recommend improvements. The Panel has recently submitted its report.
Conclusion

Energy Security

Energy Security 
In addition to the above mentioned resource and environmental concerns, high energy needs pose serious challenges. In order to attain its developmental goals, India meeds to grow at a fast pace for which energy remains an integral input. Rapid urbanization, industriazation, rising incomes and the growing use of energy intensive products are driving India’s demand for energy. Lack of access to modern energy services and its implications for human well-being mean that energy supplies need to grow to reach the unserved population. In India, 35.5% of the population still lives without access to electricity.
Addressing growth and energy poverty could have significant implications for energy supplies. Though there are significant coal reserves they are mostly located in environmentally sensitive areas and are inferior in quality.

E-waste

E-waste is a collective terminology for the entire stream of electronic equipment, such as TVs, refrigerators, telephones, air conditioners, computers and mobile phone that has reached its end of life (EOL) for its current user, such devices are generally considered toxic when disassembled or incinerated and are typically targeted for hazardous disposal or are slated for recovery and reuse. As a result, the e-waste industry is emerging with markets that need to be assessed for growth potential.
Resource security Water, land and food security 
Demand for water for multiple uses has been increasing. This is especially so in agriculture for irrigation, industry and for domestic consumption. India is witnessing a decline in per capita availability of water over the past few decades. Population increase, rising incomes and industrial growth has also resulted in decrease of water availability per capita. Water availability on a per capita cubic meter basis is estimated to decline from 1730 to 1240 in case of India.

Water Quality / Increase in solid waste and e-waste

Water Quality
Urbanization and development activities, land degradation, and inadequate infrastructure for wastewater disposal are major reasons that lead to rapid deterioration in water quality in the majority of rivers, streams, and lakes in India. According to CPCB during 2005-06, of 115 sewage treatment plants in major Indian States 35% continued to discharge polluted water beyond the stipulated norms. Inter-sectoral impacts may also arise when industrial effluents flow directly to agricultural land, affecting soil and groundwater while possible contaminating drinking water wells.
Apart from the above seawater intrusion into freshwater aquifers in coastal regions impact freshwater availability and usage. Surface water sources like rivers and lakes face a greater danger of biological contamination due to high pollution loads.
Increase in solid waste and e-waste
One key challenge is the rapidly increasing amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Indian cities. The annual estimates from various studies suggest that MSW generation in India ranges between 40 MT and 55 MT. Along with the increase in waste generation there is also change in the composition of waste generation. Plastic waste is a growing environmental concern.

Making growth inclusive / Infrastructure shortages

Making growth inclusive
A major concern of policy –makers is that despite the significant acceleration in growth in the period since the Earth Summit, the benefits of economic growth have eluded large disadvantaged sections of the population. Much of the growth has occurred in the industrial and service sector, with the agricultural sector being stagnant. Some of the poorer states, with large sections of their population in the agricultural sector have shown low growth rates resulting in increasing regional disparities. Inter-personal, inter-regional as well as inter-community inequalities have been on the rise. The states with developed markets and good physical and social infrastructure have grown at a much faster rate than the others. In twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-2017), the Planning Commission’s focus has been on instilling ‘inclusive growth.’
Infrastructure shortages
India has infrastructure shortages, a consequence of its economic growth outstripping infrastructure availability. This has impeded investment flow and constrained economic growth in the country. For ensuring sustainability of the growth process, it is imperative that infrastructure constraints are removed particularly in energy, roads, ports, airports and urban rural infrastructure. While in some areas, such as roads and airports, it has been possible to have the private sector participate in infrastructure investment; in many other areas the progress has been slow. Many new projects, and improved cargo handing at ports have been initiated, but there continues to be a massive gap. Public private partnerships (PPP) to execute infrastructure projects will be essential in the years to come. Projected investment required for infrastructure development during the twelfth Plan period (2012-2017) is INR 40.99 trillion; half of this is expected to come from the private sector.
Environmental quality concerns