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Climate Change and Sustainability

Gopal Kumar Jain

Programme Coordinator

Youth Programmes, CEE

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What role do you think this small creature plays on this big earth?

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Insects have a bad reputation!

Pests: Because they compete with us for food;

Infections: Spread diseases

The only good bug is a dead bug!

…. But, a large proportion of plant species (including several trees) depend on insects to pollinate (propagate)

Loss of insect species will mean loss of plants, thus loss of food for humans!

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Many insects, such as praying mantis eat other insects (pests!)—pest control

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There are many such relationships exist all around us

And

Are the basis of human survival as well!

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Why We are in a mess?

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Natural resources are not distributed evenly

Forests, fossil fuels, energy resources, water ….

Not even humans!

In a closed loop, humans depend on natural systems

They are both the source as well as sink for all activities

Humans have far over-stretched the ‘resilient’ and ‘self-regulating’ capacity of such systems

Earth’s carrying capacity for human population is over stretched

Adverse impacts of activities

Invention of several ‘non-biodegradable’ substances

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Generation Decomposition

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Generation

No Decomposition

No Cycling

Withdrawal only

No depositing

Depositing undesirable assets

May lead to an explosion soon

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Many Dimensions of Development

• Improved environmental status

• Increase in real income per capita

• Opportunity to have a satisfying livelihood

• A fairer distribution of income

• Improvement in health and nutritional status

• Improvement in education status

• Access to resources

• Assurance of basic human rights

• Participation in decision making processes

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environment

economy society

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Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is development that meets the

needs of the present without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their own needs. Our Common Future - Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987

More definitions are provided

Main concepts:

‘Needs’ … Development should satisfy the basic needs of people

‘Equity’ …. Development means that the basic needs of all people

should be met; not just in the present, but also in the future

‘Ecosystem durability’