On 22nd November, Vivekananda International Foundation organized a Vimarsh on ‘Climate Change and India’s Energy Choices’ by Ambassador Dinkar Srivastava, IFS (Retd)- Former Ambassador of Iran, Czech Republic and Libya & Distinguished Fellow, VIF. Introductory remarks were given by Dr Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, in which he introduced the speaker and gave his brief point of view on COP26.
The concern for climate change has spurred an intense debate on energy transition to a low carbon economy. Climate change is an existential problem facing humanity. While the developed world has contributed most to global warming, its consequences will be felt by all countries. The worst affected will be those least equipped to deal with it. Vivekananda International Foundation has undertaken a study of energy choices available to India keeping in mind our development perspective.
On 17th August, 2021, Vivekananda International Foundation organized a book discussion on ‘Indus Basin Uninterrupted- A History and Politics from Alexander to Nehru’ By Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha. The opening remarks were given by Dr Arvind Gupta, Director VIF, in which he described the book as a ‘truly fascinating story of the Indus water river basin’. He also applauded the author for going back into the history and starting from the time of Alexander bringing the readers to the time of 1960 when India and Pakistan signed a treaty called the Indus Water Treaty.
A serious water crisis plagued the city of Cape Town in early 2018 to the point that it was on the verge of becoming the first modern global city to run out of water. However, the city never reached to that point because of the strict measures introduced by the central as well as the local authorities of the city and the efforts put in by the people of the city also known as Capetonians. This urban water crisis can be described to be unique in nature because of several reasons which has been discussed in the paper.
Human-induced climate change has led to unprecedented changes in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Similarly, the Himalayan and its surrounding mountain ranges, also known as the ‘Third Pole’ is experiencing drastic changes due to global warming. These mountain ranges are the source of some of the most important rivers in Asia. They provide fresh water for millions of people living in the countries that form a part of these mountain ranges, including India.
We all have heard of climate change and its impact now and of future time and again. So much so, that it has now become the new normal. But it doesn’t really get the mind space that it needs, for various reasons. Then comes a book like Jeff Nesbit's This Is the Way World Ends, which places you to face the reality of this phenomenon, and hits you in the face.
Vimarsha–the series of public lectures on contemporary national importance hosted every month by the VIF--was held on 28 July 2016 with well-known Ganga Activist Dr. Onkar Mittal and Environmentalist Dr. Hishmi Jamil Husain giving a broad overview of the proposed waterways on river Ganga and its implications both for ecology and development. A large number of Delhiites including public luminaries and enthusiasts, among others, turned up for the event braving incessant rains leading to traffic snarls in most parts of Delhi, a pointer to the popularity of Vimarsha among Delhi’s intelligentsia.
Ms Cleo Paskal, well known strategic analyst on maritime affairs, delivered a talk on 'The global climate changes and the resultant strategic challenges to maritime interests of India' at the VIF on January 17. During the talk, Paskal also highlighted the growing presence of China in the Pacific Ocean and the developments in India’s neighbourhood. Former Assam Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh, Lt Gen (Retd) N S Malik and Brig (Retd) R B Sharma also spoke on the occasion. K G Suresh, Senior Fellow and Editor, VIF, summed up the deliberations.
A seminar was held at VIF on April 10, 2010 on “The Great Himalayan Watershed: Water Issues Impacting India- Perspectives and Challenges”. The seminar was organized in association with The Foundation for Non-violent Action. Speakers at the seminar were Claude Arpi, a French author and journalist, Ashok Jaitly, Distinguished Fellow and Director, Water Resources Division, TERI and Abhinaba Chakravarti of Pragya, an NGO. The aspects of regional water and environmental issues were discussed. Claude Arpi highlighted the issue of the impact of the Chinese proposal to divert the Brahmaputra river.
(Talk delivered by Shyam Saran, former foreign Secretary and till recently Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change at VIF on 19 March 2010)