Purnamita Dasgupta writes: This calls for an ensemble approach that places contextually appropriate emphasis on tackling climate change impacts and development needs in a world with growing challenges
The footprint of the Covid-19 pandemic across the sectors of the economy has instilled a new reckoning for resilience and sustainability on the economic, social and environmental (ESG) front. The necessity of good ESG practices in business, for instance, is being increasingly felt, while there has been widespread recognition of the benefits of cleaner air and water. Encouraging signals on sustainable development are observed across stakeholders including academia, policymakers and the industrial and consumer segments that put scientific research into practice. Climate change has become a top concern for discussion across the scientific committee.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest report on climate impacts, vulnerability and adaptation last month, which suggests that adaptation to climate impacts in the near to medium term can help communities and ecosystems become resilient against the threats from current and future levels of warming. At the risk of oversimplification, the message seems to be that while a single extreme weather event can erode decades of economic progress for affected communities, the severity of climate impacts can be mediated by adequate preparedness. Ecosystem-based adaptation, for instance, is recommended for taking care of communities and social well-being, while restoring forests, lands and marine ecosystems. The report details the variability in projected climate impacts and the vulnerabilities that can be expected across regions the world over due to differences in the range of warming, geographical location, demographics and the unique biophysical, social and cultural contexts. It is also logical and well-established that the need for climate action on the adaptation front will be a differentiated one, and that cost-effective adaptation depends on a host of enablers on which global partnerships need to deliver. Enablers include international cooperation, inclusive technology, financial flows, knowledge sharing and capacity building, with institutions and innovations to support policy development and on-ground implementation.
The IPCC report presents the latest findings on various aspects of climate science based on an assessment of the available peer-reviewed literature by expert authors on the subject matter. The expansive reports are based on the work of some of the best scientific minds. Expectedly, the reports are designed to be comprehensive and to come up with robust recommendations. In this spirit, it would be fair to mention a few words on the need to highlight the gaps in the literature, acknowledge the uncertainties in climate science and uncover the most effective ways to articulate recommendations that lead to action.
The IPCC has been consistently drawing attention to the lack of adequate science from and on developing countries. These countries have in turn been asking for the inclusion of what is broadly termed as “grey literature” or non-peer-reviewed literature (such as reports and working papers in the public space) in the IPCC process, wherein authors assess available literature to arrive at their recommendations for policymakers. Such “grey” resources are very often supported by respected donor organisations and governments and can be valuable sources of information in contexts where the resources for research and publishing are limited. Sometimes, the priority for national and local governments in developing countries is to allocate available resources and efforts for quicker policy response or urgent implementation. Good science encompasses the formal and the informal, theory and empiricism, the traditional along with the modern. It relies on evolution through acknowledging the gaps and unknowns, the negatives and positives of past knowledge. The understanding of adaptation finance, adaptation costing, and mapping of climate impacts and adaptation needs of communities in geographically remote locations, for instance, could improve with suitable sourcing of information.
Sustainable development, inclusive of climate resilience, calls for an ensemble approach — one that places contextually appropriate emphasis on tackling climate change impacts and development needs in a world with growing challenges. Emerging evidence indicates that developing countries that were well on target towards achieving or even out-performing SDG1 poverty targets may have to work harder to reach their projected pre–Covid levels of achievement. The pathway to be adopted is one of an integrated risk assessment approach, where solutions are interventions that impact the immediate, near and medium-term outcomes for developing economies. Striking the right balance is at any time a choice driven as much by enablers (capabilities, lifestyles and values, financial flows, technical know-how) as by constraints (warming levels, poverty, inequality, lack of health and education).
The pandemic highlighted the need for balance in nature-people relationships, even as it tested the ability of the developing world to be self-reliant in a situation where countries across the world acted to protect their own people and economies. While the SDGs (particularly for poverty alleviation, good health and well-being, jobs) became an anchor for defining recovery in the developing world, it was also evident that a well-prepared society is one that is well equipped to take care of its own. Pursuing the report’s call for climate-resilient development pathways requires follow-up action. Trust and confidence building, that developing countries will see improvements in the enablers for climate action and investments in efforts for overcoming constraints, define the path to success.
Written by Purnamita Dasgupta
The writer is Chair Professor in Environmental Economics, at the Institute of Economic Growth
Source: Indian Express, 1/04/22
