The South Asia Future Earth Regional Office, the Divecha Centre for Climate Change and the Indian Institute of Science have collaborated to release a revealing report titled “The Future of Earth, 2020”. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of critical environmental issues, with a focused aim on reducing carbon footprint and curbing global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
Key Findings: Identifying Risks and Challenges
Among the major hazards outlined in the report were climate change, extreme weather patterns, loss of biodiversity, food crisis, and water crisis. The document illustrates examples of interrelation between these global risks, noting how extreme heatwaves, for instance, accelerate global warming by releasing large amounts of stored carbon from affected ecosystems, thereby exacerbating water and food crises.
Threats to Biodiversity: Impact and Consequences
The report highlights the declining biodiversity resulting from human activity, which has significantly altered 75% of the planet’s land area. This alteration threatens approximately a quarter of species in assessed plant and animal groups. Cases presented include the world’s last male northern white rhino dying in Kenya in 2018, and the declaration of extinction in the wild of the Brazilian blue parrot, Spix’s Macaw.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Persistent Problem
Despite climate crisis declarations by leaders of over 700 cities, states, and governments, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during 2019 exceeded 415 parts per million (ppm). The five years spanning from 2014 to 2018 were notably the warmest recorded over land and ocean since 1880.
Sociopolitical Trends: Impact on Climate Perception
The emergence of right-wing populism, which feeds on economic decline and growing inequality to stir nationalist sentiments and reject immigrants, is increasing worldwide. This political shift often results in the denial of climate change facts or its impacts, further contributing to the problem.
Digital Platforms and Misinformation
The rise of digital platforms such as social media, search engines, and e-commerce algorithms has enabled the spread of emotionally engaging information over reasoned facts, leading to the propagation of fake news and societal harms like eroding trust in vaccines.
Recommendations for the Future
To reverse these negative trends, innovative approaches to conservation are necessary. Recommendations include addressing societal systems alongside practices and technologies that emit greenhouse gases, bolstering financial resilience in tandem with community resilience, and pragmatically planning for demographic changes to avoid adverse migration impacts.
South Asia Future Earth Regional Office and Its Role
Located in Bangalore, India, the South Asia Future Earth Regional Office is hosted by the Divecha Centre for Climate Change. The office plays a significant role in promoting research on environmental sustainability in the South Asian region. The Divecha Centre for Climate Change, established at the Indian Institute of Science in January 2009, is primarily focused on understanding climate variability, climate change, and its impact on the environment.