Development for Resilience—People and Governance

In 2008, India launched its National Action Plan on Climate Change in response to the finance minister's budget speech. The budget speech promoted responsible climate actions in the nation’s interest despite Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, focusing on clean technology, fuel regulations, solar energy, gas usage, carbon trading, greenfield cities, and more. The NAPCC featured eight National Missions as key components addressing climate change, energy efficiency, and natural resource conservation. India has bolstered its global climate justice efforts in the past 16 years through technology, information, programs, and funding sources, advancing its negotiation stance, including a new Climate Finance Taxonomy announced in 2024. This initiative, introduced by the finance minister, aims to channel investments towards activities aligned with India’s climate goals and resilience needs by clarifying climate risks and building resilience by guiding economic activities. These ad...

Achieving inclusive and responsive disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate resilience in a world characterized by various inequalities necessitates a comprehensive understanding of natural and human factors. Throughout my nearly two decades of professional engagement, I have observed a prevailing hesitation among the professionals and practitioners in International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), governmental bodies, and the United Nations (UN) agencies in certain countries to take progressive action subsequent to recognizing the impact of intersectional vulnerabilities. Discussions often miss underlying inequalities related to gender, age, disability, caste, ethnicity, race, and religion. Entities and individuals focus on technology, finance, and policies, avoiding entrenched norms and practices. They exhibit incompetence or resistance to challenging entrenched norms and practices, often leading to a lack of genuine engagement with ...

First published on 09/10/2017; Updated 02/10/2024 The Sundarbans are more than just an exotic landscape; they contain untold human misery, endangered flora and fauna, and climate impacts. People there strive to survive amidst risky adjustments, apathy, and encounters with wildlife. The transition to crab/shrimp farms shows the struggle for livelihood, education, and safety. Sustainable options, policy support, and public services are vital for the Sundarbans' conservation. The Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, spans India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal delta, where the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers converge. The breathtaking Sundarbans are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are home to the Sundri tree and are renowned for their Tiger Reserve. Many visitors desire to explore the Tiger Reserve and Biosphere Reserve. The road journey through Satkhira district, Bangladesh, was rough due to numerous potholes. Various organizations and governments ...

According to the UNOCHA, more than 30 million people have been affected in India by unprecedented floods, 8 million in Bangladesh, and 1.7 million in Nepal, bringing the total to around 40 million people (South Asia: Flooding—Humanitarian Snapshot, as of 01 September 2017). Floods have wreaked havoc in the states of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal this year, with high casualties. 514 deaths were recorded in Bihar, followed by 254 in West Bengal, 101 in Uttar Pradesh, and 74 in Assam (ibid). The death toll and disaster-related news itself continue to receive less media attention. Government and aid agencies swung into action to respond with critical lifesaving assistance to those sheltered by the Government relief camps. This is how humanitarian response or disaster response typically works globally. Floods, for instance, are annual occurrences in states like Assam and Bihar. India has spatial data for hazard assessment through remote sensing and GIS mapping. The ...