With the world’s second-highest population and a wide-ranging infrastructure system nationwide, India could be greatly impacted by the effects of climate change. Auroop Ganguly, a climate change expert and associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Northeastern University, led the experiential learning program. The group was joined by Jonna Iacono, director of the University Scholar program, and Ganguly’s doctoral student Devashish Kumar. Rose Leopold a student who went on the Dialogue said,
“India would most likely experience extraordinary impacts based on the poverty, large population, and infrastructure issues there,”
The group was able to see firsthand the various ecosystems climate change could impact. The group even visited Bengal tiger natural reserves in Rajasthan and in the Sundarbans, a natural region on India’s eastern border with Bangladesh, which is already experiencing rising sea levels which is not a very good sign for the inhabitants of the area. We can take the example of this year itself where monsoon is not reaching all the corners of the country even now. People are getting exhausted with the scorching heat outside during the daytime.
The first part of the program focused on the science of climate change and on engineering resilience, what could happen in the future, and what populations can do to prevent it. The second part of the Dialogue focused on the policy side of climate change and the steps India and the international community is taking to lessen the impact.
Though there is a serious risk of climate change in the country, people are being made aware to transform and react accordingly by changing their lifestyle. Proper guidance and resources can help nature to be in a stable position. Some steps that could be taken to fight climate change such as cutting emissions, but this may have the most immediate impact on the poorer population. Anything the Government does for the country effects this particular section of people. So, knowledgeable people and efficient ideas should come forward to support the movement of saving the world from climate change.
Sarthak Sinha
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