India

Rivers, as waterways

NGT issues notices for non-compliance: States and Centre criticised for failing to clean polluted river stretches

Villagers in Rajasthan restore grasslands to save the endangered Great Indian bustard

Whether the world and India need an energy transition is no longer in question. Rather, the question is how to achieve it, and how soon. The answer to both of those questions could depend on how India gets the manufacturing and supply chain story right, as it will be not just India that benefits, but the world stands to gain as well.

India is dealing with a growing water stress crisis brought on by things like climate change, population growth, pollution, and changes in land use. Currently, there are about 1400 cubic metres of water available per person, but by 2050, that number is predicted to fall to 1200 cubic metres. Already, a large portion of India is deemed to be water-stressed.

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), warns of the introduction of more than 37,000 invasive alien species due to human activities to marine, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems globally.

The Ganges and Narmada rivers, in particular, have been severely degraded as a result of India's reliance on dams for irrigation and hydropower. Despite decades of significant environmental movements opposed to dams, they largely failed because they couldn't stop the work already in progress.

Domestic wastewater, in particular greywater, significantly contributes to the composition of all wastewater. It is becoming more widely accepted that greywater, as opposed to blackwater, is a valuable resource rather than just waste.

Bengaluru citizens work together to save their lakes