Climate Emergency

Since time immemorial, tigers have killed hundreds of fisherfolk and honey collectors who roam the forests of Sundarbans for a living. While hunting for fish and crabs, fisherfolk often wander into government protected areas for tigers, also known as the core area. No human entry or activity is permitted in these areas. Yet, fisherfolk continue to frequent these areas – for them it is less about daring and more about earning a livelihood in order to feed their families. When a fisherfolk or honey collector is killed by a tiger, government authorities usually refuse compensation to families, asking instead why the person was in the protected area to begin with. What follows is a cycle of trauma, deprivation and stigma for the families. 

In this episode, Urvashi Sarkar, reports if human-wildlife confrontation has increased in recent times and the reasons for it. This episode looks at the close link between the government’s failure to create employment in Sundarbans and the desperation which drives generations of families to the forests for a livelihood. For this Urvashi speaks to Pradeep Chatterjee, convenor of the national platform for small-scale fish workers, and Pushpa Mondal’s husband Arjun Mondal, who was a fisherman.

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In the public imagination, Sundarbans conjures visions of tigers, dense forests and tourism. But not many know, or perhaps care, that this region spread out in West Bengal and adjacent Bangladesh,  is home to over 50 lakh people on the Indian side alone and has its unique history and politics. In this three-part series on the Indian Sundarbans, we look at various factors that are of consequence to this region- recurring climate disasters, human-wildlife conflict and the role of development.

 In the first episode of this series, reporter Urvashi Sarkar talks with Annu Jalais about the geographic, historical and social processes which make up the Sundarbans. We explore myth and legend, the inescapable role of tigers and the fragile ecological balance of this region.

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We all have seen big empty fields with lush green grasses. Those fields are actually called grasslands and they make up a huge chunk of India. Grassland conservation in India is facing a governance crisis due to the lack of proper policies and regulations. The Indian government has not included grasslands in any of its forest policies, and there is no dedicated policy for the management of grasslands. This has resulted in a bias towards forest-centric conservation strategies and a lack of attention towards the ecological and socio-economic importance of grasslands.

But why do grasslands need attention? Who owns these grasslands? What's their deal? Why do they matter? How are they different from forests? And why are they being left out? In this episode, host Sneha Richhariya speaks to Dr. G.D. Muratkar, who's like the "Grass Man of India". He's a botany professor from Maharashtra who's come up with a technique for planting grass and making long fields, or meadows. 

References:

Cabinet approves India’s Updated Nationally Determined Contribution to be communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
‘Foresting’ the grassland: Historical management legacies in forest-grassland mosaics in southern India, and lessons for the conservation of tropical grassy biomes
Mapping the distribution and extent of India’s semi-arid open natural ecosystems
Grassland Habitat in India
NATIONAL FOREST POLICY 1988
Draft National Policy
National Forest Policy Draft 2018 Takes One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Grasslands and desserts
NATIONAL MISSION FOR A GREEN INDIA
Proposal to involve private sector in increasing India’s green cover has environmentalists worried

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Coral reefs are complex ecosystems made up of tiny coral polyps that provide shelter, food, and breeding grounds for a wide variety of marine life. They are incredibly diverse ecosystems, home to an estimated 25% of all marine species, and are essential for human well-being. However, coral reefs are under threat from human activities such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change. In this explainer, host Rakesh Kamal talks about Coral reefs, the impact of climate change on them, and the need to protect them.

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Betel Leaf or “Paan” has been seen across all streets in contemporary India. Paan consumption has continued to be a post-meal ritual for several centuries. Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh is known for cultivating a unique variety of pan called “Desawari”. But extreme weather conditions induced by climate change and rising input costs are making betel cultivation unviable in Mahoba.

In this episode, Sneha Richhariya travels to Mahoba, a city in Uttar Pradesh, known for Desi Pan cultivation, to know why the city which once had a flourishing trade of pan, is now struggling to keep the paan legacy alive. In 2021, Mahoba’s Desawari pan variety was awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, but farmers now fear its extinction. Why? Listen to know more.

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April is when we start to be serious about heat waves in India. But did you know that some sub-nationals like cities, districts and states in India have heat action plans which detail the actions that have to be taken during a heat wave? To talk more about how heat action plans help and about a report that a Delhi-based think tank CPR has produced on heat action plans we talk to Aditya, Associate fellow at CPR and who is one of the authors of the report "How Is India Adapting to Heatwaves?: An Assessment of Heat Action Plans With Insights for Transformative Climate Action"

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Around the world, the impact of climate change – rising temperatures, shifting patterns of rainfall, more frequent and intense extreme weather, and rising sea levels – will affect all types of infrastructure. Ensuring the climate change resilience of infrastructure will help to protect lives and livelihoods. The government is taking numerous measures like heat action plans to tackle impacts of heat waves but are they inclusive?

In this episode, Sneha Richhariya reports on how residents of informal settlements in Delhi are tackling heat waves. We explore how heat waves hit one section of the society more severely, we track who are the most vulnerable and how it impacts the way they live and work and in what ways they seek relief. We answer why does India need to climate-proof its infrastructure? We also look into the human and economic toll of climate related damage due to poorly built infrastructure and finally at the need for accurate climate data. 

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We live in a world of food abundance, yet there is widespread food insecurity. The government policies focus on the production side to increase the physical availability of food. However, the patterns of household consumption and the drivers behind them have been poorly understood. 

In this episode, host Sneha Richhariya speaks to “India’s Rice Warrior”, Dr. Debal Deb, a renowned scientist, ecologist and conservationist, on why we need to protect crop diversity and how monoculture in agriculture can affect India’s food security.

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Winters have gone and we all are gearing up to beat the heat this summer season. Heat wave warnings have already started to scare us all. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned of a warming El Niño event developing in the coming months, which is likely to cause extreme heat waves, making 2023 even hotter than 2022.  But what is El-Nino? Why are we hearing about it more often now? What impact is it likely to cause in India and across the world and what is its relation to climate change? Host Sneha Richhariya explains.

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Buying clothes has never been easier. 80 billion items are manufactured every year. Millions of tonnes of clothes end up in landfills—it’s one of the fastest-growing categories of waste in the world.  E-commerce and fast fashion have made our desires to own clothes for different occasions easier. But what’s the problem? Fast fashion allows consumers to buy more. But they are wearing these garments less often and disposing of at an unprecedented rate. The rise of fast fashion has had devastating consequences. 

In this episode, our reporter Sneha Richhariya tries to understand the magnanimity of the problem. The episode features conversations with Atin Biswas, Programme Director at Centre For Science and Environment, Apla Shrivastava, Associate Professor at National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai, Monika Gera, Founder, One For Blue and Pooravi Chabbra, an instagram influencer

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