Difference between revisions of "India"

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[[File:India flag.gif|thumb| Indian Flag|300px]]
= Affects of Climate Change on India =
= Affects of Climate Change on India =
 
[[File:India topo.jpg|thumb| Indian Topography |300px]]
== Agriculture ==
== Agriculture ==
- Agriculture and rural society would face maximum disruptions. India would possibly need a second Green Revolution. Considering a range of equilibrium climate change scenarios which project a temperature rise of 2.5oC to 4.9oC for India, it is estimated that:<br>
- Agriculture and rural society would face maximum disruptions. India would possibly need a second Green Revolution. Considering a range of equilibrium climate change scenarios which project a temperature rise of 2.5oC to 4.9oC for India, it is estimated that:<br>
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== Sea Level Rise ==
== Sea Level Rise ==
- Flooding of coastal areas and an estimated  displacement of 10 million people living in Indian coasts<br>
- Flooding of coastal areas and an estimated  displacement of about 20-60 million people living in Indian coasts<br>
- About 35% of Bangladesh would be submerged with 1m rise in sea level causing many millions to seek refuge in India.<br>
- About 35% of Bangladesh would be submerged with 1m rise in sea level causing many millions to seek refuge in India.<br>
Mass migration within India & from Bangladesh/Srilanka towards Indian mainland would cause severe congestion which Indian cities are ill-equipped to manage.<br>
Mass migration within India & from Bangladesh/Srilanka towards Indian mainland would cause severe congestion which Indian cities are ill-equipped to manage.<br>
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= Indian Perspective, Policies & Stand  =
= Indian Perspective, Policies & Priorities =




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- India feels: better to negotiate on technology than on reduction targets <br>
- India feels: better to negotiate on technology than on reduction targets <br>
- India is looking for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.<br>
- Due to meagre uranium reserves, India depends not only for technology but also fuel for advancement of its nuclear power plants.<br>
- India has massive reserves of Thorium and spends considerable amounts of money on R&D to use thorium for power generation. It has technological expertise on reactors using thorium for power.<br>


== India: A Unique Situation ==
== India: A Unique Situation ==
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==India's perspective on Copenhagen ==
==India's perspective on Copenhagen ==
shift away from growth patterns based on fossil fuel use requires massive resources, both financial and technological. The more rapid the shift, the greater the scale of resources required. The crucial question, therefore, is: Who will pay?
India accounts for 5% of the current global GHG emissions. Even if this was reduced to zero, it would hardly have any effect on averting climate change. Unless other countries those responsible for much higher levels of emissions, such as the U.S. and China, with 20% each, were to achieve much more drastic reductions, the threat to India from Climate Change would remain undiminished. The glaciers would still melt and there would still be more frequent droughts or unseasonal rain. The Indian islands and low-lying coastal plains, would still get submerged due to sea-level rise.


The argument at the multilateral negotiations is about something quite different. The issue is about burden-sharing relating to a global issue, subject to positive and negative external economies.
India sees this as a classic external economy dilemma: what I invest cannot be directly related to the outcome. It is equally possible that I benefit from what others invest in, since I stand to enjoy a global public good being created. Therefore, in dealing with cross-cutting, global issues such as Climate Change, it becomes necessary to align the external economies being generated with a burden-sharing arrangement that makes economic sense to the countries participating in the multilateral regime.


Let me explain this a little further. India accounts for 4% of the current global GHG emissions. Supposing we were, by some miracle, able to reduce this to zero. Unless other countries, in particular, those responsible for much higher levels of emissions, such as the U.S. and China, with 20% each, were to achieve much more drastic reductions, the threat to India from Climate Change would remain undiminished. Our glaciers would still melt. There would still be more frequent droughts or unseasonal rain. Our islands and low-lying coastal plains, would still get submerged due to sea-level rise. Here is a classic external economy dilemma: what I invest cannot be directly related to the outcome. It is equally possible that I benefit from what others invest in, since I stand to enjoy a global public good being created. Therefore, in dealing with cross-cutting, global issues such as Climate Change, it becomes necessary to align the external economies being generated with a burden-sharing arrangement that makes economic sense to the countries participating in the multilateral regime.
India feels that nothing that China said or did at Copenhagen represented any noteworthy change in its stand on Climate issues and yet it was projected as the villain which stood in the way of a meaningful outcome. India believes, this had to do less with Climate Change and more with the disappointed expectations of the US and the .


Nothing that China said or did at Copenhagen represented any noteworthy change in its stand on Climate issues and yet it was projected as the villain which stood in the way of a meaningful outcome. Why was this the case? Again, in my view, this had to do less with Climate Change and more with the disappointed expectations of the US and the European Union that China would be forthcoming on Yuan exchange rate adjustment,
It appears to Indian negotiators that there was no willingness on the part of the , nor there was any offer either technology or financial resources to enable India to scale up its own ambitious efforts to deal with Climate Change. Therefore, India maintains that if it is being in any case tarred with the same brush as China was, does it not make sense for us to work with China


India to scale up its own ambitious efforts to deal with Climate Change. If we were being in any case tarred with the same brush as China was, does it not make sense for us to work with China?
= Mechanics Within India =
[[File:Systems India.JPG|800px|thumb|centre|The Indian System]]


= Facts And Figures =  
= Facts And Figures =  
- Population: around 1.121 billion people in 2006 (2nd biggest worldwide)<br>


- Area (coastal districts ) approx 379,610 Km2, <br>
- Area (coastal districts ) approx 379,610 Km2, <br>
- Based on world bank estimates, number of poor people living under $1.25 day was about 456 million in 2005.<br>
- A 1m Sea Level Rise  would displace approx 7.1 million people, about 5,764 Km2 of land are will be lost, 4200 km of road<br>
- A 1m Sea Level Rise  would displace approx 7.1 million people, about 5,764 Km2 of land are will be lost, 4200 km of road<br>
- Sea level rise would be highest along Gulf of Kutchh/ coast of West Bengal <br>
- Sea level rise would be highest along Gulf of Kutchh/ coast of West Bengal <br>
- 8% of world's estimated coal reserves are in India <br>
- 8% of world's estimated coal reserves are in India <br>
- 67% of world's estimated thorium reserves are in India <br>
- 67% of world's estimated thorium reserves are in India <br>
- Total Energy Consumption in India (2001E): 12.8 quadrillion Btu* (3.2% of world total energy consumption) <br>
- Energy-Related Carbon Emissions (2001E): 251.3 million metric tons of carbon (3.8% of world total carbon emissions) <br>
- Per Capita Energy Consumption (2001E): 12.6 million Btu (vs U.S. value of 341.8 million Btu) <br>
- Sectoral Share of Energy Consumption (1998E): Industrial (41.0%), Transportation (9.5%), Residential (47.3%), Commercial (2.2%) <br>
- Sectoral Share of Carbon Emissions (1998E): Industrial (67.3%), Transportation (15.6%), Residential (13.7%), Commercial (3.3%) <br>
- Fuel Share of Energy Consumption (2001E): Coal (50.9%), Oil (34.4%), Natural Gas (6.5%) <br>
- Fuel Share of Carbon Emissions (2001E): Coal (64.5%), Oil (30.3%), Natural Gas (5.2%)<br>


= Resources =  
= Resources =  
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13. http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/docs/weo2009/climate_change_excerpt.pdf<br>
13. http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/docs/weo2009/climate_change_excerpt.pdf<br>
14. http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/reports_and_publications/statistical_energy_review_2008/STAGING/local_assets/2010_downloads/statistical_review_of_world_energy_full_report_2010.pdf<br>
14. http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/reports_and_publications/statistical_energy_review_2008/STAGING/local_assets/2010_downloads/statistical_review_of_world_energy_full_report_2010.pdf<br>
15. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/India/Full.html<br>
16. http://www.earthtrendsdelivered.org/energy_consumption_by_sector_in_2007_china_usa_india_japan_russia_eu-27<br>
17. http://www.indianchild.com/india_environmental_overview.htm<br>
18. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf23.html<br>
19. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/India-to-become-worlds-fastest-growing-economy-by-2013-15-Morgan-Stanley/articleshow/6322333.cms<br>
= Last Updated By =
- Rachit Tayal

Latest revision as of 10:50, 2 September 2010