In his latest work, 'Climate Change in India: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities,' Colonel CP Muthanna champions a profound truth: the pursuit of environmental protection is not an adversary to progress; rather, it is the very cornerstone of sustained economic development and stability. This assertion, simple yet revolutionary, shatters the long-held juxtaposition of environmental safeguarding and economic growth, positioning Col. Muthanna's work as a critical discourse on the subject. This analytical tome elucidates the multifaceted nature of climate change and its far-reaching repercussions, arguing for its inclusion in academic curricula to foster a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
Col. Muthanna's thesis extends beyond merely presenting the climate change quandary. He catalogues the daunting threats posed by climate change, the formidable challenges it presents for the Indian government, and importantly, the golden opportunities it affords India to rise as a global vanguard in this arena.
Col. Muthanna's initial focus is on the insensitivity to climate change displayed in the country's ongoing infrastructure projects. By scrutinizing initiatives like the Sagar Mala project, the tourism expansion in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, and the River-Interlinking project, Col. Muthanna builds a cogent argument for a comprehensive reevaluation of their existing frameworks. Drawing upon a rich tapestry of data, historical precedents, and rigorous research, he exposes their lack of accommodation for the climate's shifting dynamics and proposes a reimagining of their architecture to ensure climate resilience, not their outright abolition.
In subsequent sections, Col. Muthanna explores the dire implications of rising sea levels for Indian territories, including possible land submersion, and the requisite countermeasures the government must deploy in anticipation of this imminent reality.
Col. Muthanna extends the climate change conversation beyond the well-trodden path of its environmental impact, spotlighting its effect on self-sustaining economic programs like Make-In-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. He supplements this with a case study from Karnataka’s Kodagu district, where haphazard development and urbanization have engendered floods, landslides, loss of agricultural lands, augmented human-animal conflicts, and degradation of food-producing regions.
Col. Muthanna's strategic vision encompasses the regional geopolitics of South and Southeast Asia, particularly concerning the Himalayas and the Mekong Basin, vital eco-regions affecting numerous countries. He advocates for India's leadership in crafting regional cooperation for climate stabilization. Failure to address the climate threat could result in large-scale loss of life, resources, and mass migrations from these regions.
In a daring proposition, Col. Muthanna revisits his 2009 proposition to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the HIMEK Alliance, urging India and the IUCN Asian Regional Office (IUCN ARO) to establish a global standard for safeguarding eco-regions from climate change's detrimental effects. The urgency of such strategies, he argues, cannot wait for the long-term objectives of global treaties like the Paris accord, Kyoto Protocol, and Bali Declaration.
With a distinguished career in the Indian Army until 1996, Col. Muthanna's environmental advocacy began in earnest with the establishment of the Environment and Health Foundation (EHF) in 1998. His work in the field earned him the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam award from the Karnataka government in 2006.
'Climate Change in India: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities' is a mirror to Col. Muthanna's thorough understanding and thoughtful analysis of climate change, making it an indispensable read for those eager to comprehend the magnitude of this defining challenge of our era.
The book can be ordered the book on Amazon by clicking on the following link: Climate Change in India: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities
For more defence related content, follow us on Twitter: @MVictoryIndia and Facebook: @MissionVictoryIndia
