A headline in an international news publication screamed “climate change whips up floods, fire and ice”. According to the report, climate change has been blamed for floods that have killed thousands and left millions homeless from Pakistan to China to North Korea, fires and a heat wave in Russia that have left 5000 dead and disrupted global food markets, and a severe tropical storm threatening Bermuda. The same report states that in Greenland, a giant ice island four times the size of Manhattan - about 225 square kilometres - has broken off the Petermann Glacier. It is the largest chunk of ice to calve in the Arctic since 1962. In India as well, more than 150 have died and hundreds missing after flash floods struck Leh in Jammu & Kashmir. This act of Mother Nature which has led to devastation across the globe should now hopefully draw the attention and concern of our global leaders. With growing evidence of climate change and the consequences as seen in the natural disasters taking place things could only get worse unless we act quickly. There have been several summit meetings for the last twenty years or so but no concrete agreement has come till now. While every country argues its position or justifies its so called ‘national interest’, the situation on the ground is worsening as we are seeing. We are witnessing every year some form of natural calamity. From tsunami, hurricane, typhoons, drought, flash floods, landslides, forest fires we have seen every imaginable disaster in the last decade or so.
Besides the need to urgently act on climate change mitigation, every country including local communities and governments must be prepared to deal with disasters so that its impact is minimized. Natural disasters can neither be fully predicted nor can it be stopped. In such a predicament the most sensible thing to do would be to remain in a state of preparedness. What has been our governments doing to prepare people for such disaster like floods, landslides, earthquake, disease outbreaks etc. Also what do our elected representatives have to say on preventing future disasters? Can someone in authority please let the public know on the State’s preparedness to deal with an impending outbreak of disease or a devastating natural calamity? What about the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), which is headed by none other than the Chief Minister with elected representatives as members? There is a need to fix responsibility so that a semblance of preparedness is put into place. It has already been written in these columns on the need to institutionalize Disaster Management within the State Government machinery besides inculcating a culture of preparedness and prevention in Nagaland. As for contributing towards climate change mitigation, Nagas must embark on local conservation efforts. This means preserving what is left of the forests, protection of wildlife and plant species, sustainable development, preservation and rehabilitation of our rivers and water sources etc. If we act locally in whatever small way possible it will help contribute to the global mitigation effort on climate change. There is a simple lesson to be learnt from the recent natural disasters. Firstly, we must be prepared to deal with disasters. Secondly, we must start to put serious effort in fighting climate change.
