Climate change

India still faces significant hurdles in addressing climate change, pollution, and inequality. While India has made significant progress in reducing extreme poverty (Goal 1) and improving infrastructure (Goal 9), it lags behind in areas such as quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), and environmental sustainability (Goals 13, 14, and 15).

In Uttar Pradesh, one of the largest sugarcane-producing states, Red Rot and Top Borer diseases have severely impacted yields. Heavy and untimely rainfall and flooding in certain districts have further worsened the situation, spreading the infections to unaffected crops, reducing both sugarcane production and recovery rates.

The long-term assessment of the CRI 2025, covering data from 1993 to 2022, places India as the sixth most affected country globally due to extreme weather events. Over this period, India reported a staggering loss of 80,000 lives and economic damages amounting to $200 billion.

With the successful completion of more than 68,000 Sarovars ahead of schedule, the government has now launched the second phase of Mission Amrit Sarovar. This phase will emphasise ensuring sustainable water availability and climate resilience, with community participation (Jan Bhagidari) being the core focus.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched several schemes targeting pollution control, afforestation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management.

Global temperatures are likely to reach 2°C by 2045. It is estimated that this will trigger a rise in sea levels by several meters, the melting of polar caps, and irreversible damage to critical ecosystems around the world.

According to Oxfam, the world’s richest 1 per cent are responsible for 15 per cent of global emissions. This class is mostly made up of millionaires, who now total nearly 60 million globally and are projected to grow in number to over 65 million by 2028

The program is being implemented through convergence with the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), which is providing financial support for the initiative.