India Among 11 Countries ‘Highly Vulnerable’ In Dealing With Climate Change
China and India are the first and fourth-largest emitters respectively, the report stated
Mumbai: In a first-ever US intel report on climate, India and Pakistan among 11 countries are identified as “Select Countries of Concern” and ‘highly vulnerable’ in their ability to deal with the changing environmental and societal scenario due to climate change.
The unprecedented US National Intelligence Estimate on climate change suggests that India and China will play an important role in determining the trajectory of temperature rise. On other hand, it also said that western countries are reducing their emissions.
The report reads, “China and India… are the first and fourth-largest emitters, respectively, and both are growing their total and per capita emissions, whereas the US and EU – as the second and third largest – are declining.”
It, however, adds that both China and India are incorporating more renewable and low-carbon sources into their energy mix.
The report goes on to identify 11 nations, including India and Pakistan, as ‘Select Countries of Concern’. It also warned that they are likely to face warming temperatures, more extreme weather, disruption to ocean patterns which will affect their energy, food, water, and health security.
The situation will worsen in the 11 countries as more frequent and intense cyclones are likely to contaminate water sources and increase vector populations and the diseases they transmit adds the report.
With a clear reference to India and Pakistan, the intelligence report says that transboundary tensions are likely to increase over the shared surface and groundwater basins as increased weather variability trigger new water insecurities.
It also noted that Pakistan relies on downstream surface water from glacier-fed rivers originating from India for its irrigation, and depends on information from India on river flows to provide advanced warning to evacuate villages and prepare for flooding.
The report has been released ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow.
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