Nature in peril

Context: The steady dilution of environmental scrutiny in recent times will result in immediate problems like worsening air quality and resource deterioration. A holistic approach to economic growth should include environmental care.   

Challenges to Environmental Conservation in India:

• Facts: India ranked 168 out of 180 in the Yale University’s Environment Performance Index 2020. 

• Dilution of laws: 

• The EIA puts projects into two categories:
• Category A: Subjected to scrutiny and approval by the Central Government;
• Category B: where the responsibility rests with the state governments.

• The provisions of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification of 2006 provides discretion to the states in deciding the criteria for placing projects in two categories:

• Category B1: which require prior scrutiny;
• Category B2: that only requires a filing of impact assessment.

• The recent revision includes a proposal to give post-facto approval to projects that evaded and violated EIA guidelines.
• False perception about Environment:  being a hindrance to growth. 
• Growth is not just expansion in the availability of produced goods and services.
• An increase in wealth also includes human capital and natural capital.
• Public Consultation Avoided: Affected people have not been able to represent themselves amidst pandemic which has led to the domination of bureaucratic procedures.

• For E.g. transformation of the National Wildlife Board into a bureaucrat-dominated rubber stamp that has approved practically all industrial projects.
• The Forest Conservation Act has been bypassed to allow railway lines and other projects through protected areas.

• Businesses seeking quick profits: Environmental scrutiny is being bypassed since many businesses look for short term profit generation ignoring long term sustainability.

Environment and its true relationship with Economics: Pointed by Green National Account’s in India: A Framework, a report prepared under National Statistical Commission.

• Economic evaluation based on a conception of good: without a conception of the good we wouldn’t know what data we should seek to study.

• Comprehensive notion of wealth includes:

• Reproducible capital: or manufactured capital: roads, ports, buildings and equipment.

• Human capital: population size and composition, health and education.

• Natural Capital: Ecosystems, land, and subsoil resources.

• Present Discounted Value (PDV) of the flow of social profits is positive only when there is an increase in wealth.
• Leaving the forest unmolested would be to invest in it.

Way Forward: 

• Fostering businesses having long term sustainable vision: Taking environment, not as a hindrance but facilitator to economic development:

• • • Any rational business has a long-term vision of its viability and conserving resources minimize their adverse impact on the environment and businesses too.
    • This will lead to businesses being more sensitive to environmental challenges rather than short term election-oriented government.

• Prakriti Rakshati Rakshita: Nature can protect us from the risks of adverse weather because of climate change only if we protect it.