PANJIM: Warning that rising sea levels would affect the State, Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute, Nobel Peace prize winner and Padma Vibhushan said development in the State’s coastal areas needs to be carefully orchestrated and debated. He also said natural resources in their purest form need to be kept so that they are available for generations to come.
He was speaking as the keynote speaker at the first Matanhy Saldanha memorial lecture.
Reminding his audience, where Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’ Souza were also present, he said the average sea rise till 2010 was 19 cms, and if green house gasses are not controlled then we could see a rise of 98 cm…. And this will have a great effect on Goa,” he said. He also warned that every time there is a storm surge due to the rising seas levels, damage would be disproportionate.
Pachauri gave the example of the Netherlands, their dykes and land reclamation and their building up of even bigger dykes on which work is going on at present. He also called for enforcing of laws against CRZ violations saying that those who are violating these rules are taking on a great risk not only for themselves but for those living in those structures within CRZ areas.
“Enforcement is needed,” he said. “Goa is vulnerable to climate change. If we want to pursue we cannot possibly change the environment.”
“We have enjoyed the beautiful landscape of Goa. Surely our children and grandchildren should have the same benefit,” he said pushing for the State to develop a model of sustainable development.
He also called for innovative solutions for mining involving all stakeholders.
Saying that air pollution a problem faced by the State was due to mining and transportation, he called for innovative means by which tourism can be diversified.
Calling Goa’s high level of urbanization both good and bad, he said there has been a rise in social evils, of which some are due to tourism.
“Temperature rise has been 0.85 degrees till now. But by the end of the century it will be 4.8 degrees,” he said. “We have to cut down on emissions of green house gasses,” he said arguing that though all are adapting at present, once you cross the tipping point then adaption will have no effect.
He said the future held heat waves and extreme precipitation of events like for example if it rains heavily in then the rain will become even heavier as time goes by. Or on the other hand there is a drought in some areas, the drought will only get worse.
Saying that we were living in a world of enormous disparity, between rich and poor and had adapted a materialistic lifestyle… abandoned our values, he added that those in position of power are able to amass enormous wealth.
