Delhi Workshop and Climate Change
Climate change means something more to me following last weekend. I participated in a workshop in Delhi coordinated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Alliance. Now climate change is tied to faces of those who have survived increasingly frequent cyclones, devastating draughts, floods, and the Asian tsunami.
There were more than 100 workshop participants, including nonprofit organization staff and community representatives from some of the poorest communities of Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Afghanistan, India, and other countries. Their moving stories helped me to better grasp the fragility of our planet and the impact of unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.
Those living in poor communities are most vulnerable to climate change. In India, they live in the coastal fishing communities, on the farmlands that are now barren, and by glacial-fed rivers. In addition to the devastation of their livelihoods, they face increasing risk of diseases associated with heat waves and vector-borne diseases such as malaria. And, there is real concern about decreasing crop yields and the scarcity of fresh water supplies.
One community speaker talked about the impact of climate change on his district. The story has been the same for the last 3 years...Crops were growing well until severe rains washed them away. This year, 70% of the crop was lost. More than 4,000 farmers have committed suicide, 500 in one district alone. The man who spoke came from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, which means food fullness.
The workshop also focused on development strategies that have destroyed natural habitats, dislocating millions of people. According to one estimate, since India’s independence in 1947, more than 300 million members of tribal and rural communities that were dependent on natural resources have been uprooted. Many have moved into urban slums. Others have moved to new lands and are cultivating cash crops that further exploit water resources. Their short term gains come at great long-term cost.
There was a lot to take in at the workshop.
Happy Diwali!
It’s the eve of the Hindu festival of Diwali. Everywhere I look I can see brightly colored lights on homes and buildings throughout the city. Firecrackers are being set off 24 hours a day and fireworks continue until well past midnight. It’s a really happy time and Hindus are in a very festive mood.
There were more than 100 workshop participants, including nonprofit organization staff and community representatives from some of the poorest communities of Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Afghanistan, India, and other countries. Their moving stories helped me to better grasp the fragility of our planet and the impact of unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.
Those living in poor communities are most vulnerable to climate change. In India, they live in the coastal fishing communities, on the farmlands that are now barren, and by glacial-fed rivers. In addition to the devastation of their livelihoods, they face increasing risk of diseases associated with heat waves and vector-borne diseases such as malaria. And, there is real concern about decreasing crop yields and the scarcity of fresh water supplies.
One community speaker talked about the impact of climate change on his district. The story has been the same for the last 3 years...Crops were growing well until severe rains washed them away. This year, 70% of the crop was lost. More than 4,000 farmers have committed suicide, 500 in one district alone. The man who spoke came from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, which means food fullness.
The workshop also focused on development strategies that have destroyed natural habitats, dislocating millions of people. According to one estimate, since India’s independence in 1947, more than 300 million members of tribal and rural communities that were dependent on natural resources have been uprooted. Many have moved into urban slums. Others have moved to new lands and are cultivating cash crops that further exploit water resources. Their short term gains come at great long-term cost.
There was a lot to take in at the workshop.
Happy Diwali!
It’s the eve of the Hindu festival of Diwali. Everywhere I look I can see brightly colored lights on homes and buildings throughout the city. Firecrackers are being set off 24 hours a day and fireworks continue until well past midnight. It’s a really happy time and Hindus are in a very festive mood.
posted by arr at 10:54 PM
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