Effect on human health
It is clear that climate change is touching human lives and our health in myriad ways.
As the World Health Organisation says, “Climate change threatens the essential ingredients of good health — clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter — and has the potential to undermine decades of progress in global health.”
WHO estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 2,50,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone.
The direct costs to health are estimated to be between $2 and 4 billion per year by 2030.
Regions with weak health infrastructure — mostly in developing countries — will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond
Need to consider climate change in EIAs
It is in this context that we record a significant public interest litigation that was filed in the Madras High Court last week.
The point made is that there is no climate change component in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) — a clearance that is mandatory for large-scale construction or development projects.
When one does an assessment of the impact of climate change, it is necessary to scope out the consequences of its presence, starting from day one, when construction begins, until the end of that factory’s life.
This will also include the carbon footprint, emissions of greenhouse gases, and impact on the health of nearby communities.
It would also be necessary to prepare an Environmental Management Plan to mitigate the impact.
This should be submitted as a document to the government for evaluation before a decision is taken to grant clearance
Several nations have already enacted legislation to prepare for and prevent, to the extent possible, the ills of climate change.
These include the Bahamas, France, Chile, the United States, China, and Australia.
This will also include the carbon footprint, emissions of greenhouse gases, and impact on the health of nearby communities.
It would also be necessary to prepare an Environmental Management Plan to mitigate the impact.
This should be submitted as a document to the government for evaluation before a decision is taken to grant clearance
Several nations have already enacted legislation to prepare for and prevent, to the extent possible, the ills of climate change.
These include the Bahamas, France, Chile, the United States, China, and Australia.
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