Tanu Balasubramanian
Consultant India@75 Foundation
Title: The Climate Action for India (The current Problems and proposed solutions for the climate change in India)
Biography
Biography: Tanu Balasubramanian
Abstract
India is one of the most climatically diverse countries in the world. India hosts six major climatic subtypes, ranging from arid deserts in the west, alpine tundra and glaciers in the north, and humid tropical regions supporting rainforests in the southwest and the island territories. The current problem is that 25% of India is turning into a desert. In the next 15 years, we may have only half the water we need for our survival. For Example, the river Ganga is one of the most endangered water body in the world. Each person’s average water requirement is 1.1 million liters a year. Climate change is expected to cause worse floods and droughts within the next 25-50 years. During the monsoon, rivers will flood. The rest of the year, drought will follow. The proposed solution could be that the revitalization of dying rivers is possible through riverside afforestation. India is the first country in the world to make corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandatory, following an amendment to the Companies Act, 2013 in April 2014. Businesses can invest their profits in areas such as education, environment, renewable energy, poverty alleviation, etc. as part of any CSR compliance. India’s population consists of more than 65% of youth and the need of the hour is to institutionalize volunteerism in India which is over and above the CSR mandate. And, the ‘real change-makers’ are our children and they could play a significant role in changing the behavior of the elderly by demonstrating responsible behavior towards the climatic changes and global warming.