Context

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its recently released report noted that Indian economy grew by 6.7% in 2023 and is expected to expand by 6.5% in 2024.

• UNCTAD’s flagship report ‘2024 Financing for Sustainable Development Report: Financing for Development at a Crossroads’ was recently launched.
• The report highlights the major financing challenges lying at the heart of the current sustainable development crisis.

Key Highlights of the UNCTAD Report

The following are key highlights on the Indian economy included in the UNCTAD report

Status of Indian Economy:

• Strong Investment: The report highlights that investment in South Asia, particularly in India  remains strong and India maintains its position as one of the fastest-growing major economies.
• India as Manufacturing base: The report highlights a significant trend of multinational companies setting up manufacturing in India to diversify their supply chains away from China, which is expected to boost Indian exports.
• Impact on Imports: Setting up manufacturing bases in India would moderate the prices of commodities and would benefit India’s import bill.

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Monetary and Fiscal Policy:

• Interest Rates: UNCTAD report mentioned that the Reserve Bank of India is likely to maintain current interest rates in the near term.
• Public Spending: While public consumption spending is restrained, this is offset by robust public investment, which is driving India’s economic expansion.

Regional Status:

• Southern Asia: Economic growth in Southern Asia is more subdued compared to India. Countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are under IMF programs that require strict monetary and fiscal policies, impacting low-income households the most.

Global Economic Outlook:

• Growth Projections: Global growth is projected at 2.6% for 2024, slightly slower than 2.7% in 2023. This makes 2024 the third consecutive year in which the global economy will grow slower than before the pandemic when the average rate for 2015–2019 was 3.2%.
• Stability in Major Economies: Major economies, such as China, India, Indonesia, the Russian Federation, the United States, among others – escaped the financial crisis predicted earlier in the year, helping the global economy to grow at a modest rate of 2.7%.
• China’s Economic Challenges: The report warns of economic challenges for China which includes uncertainties in external markets, a struggling housing market, an under-performing labor market and weak consumer spending. 
  • Its economic growth is expected to grow 4.9% in 2024

Policy Concerns:

• Focus on Inflation: Current policy discussions are centered on inflation, with hopes that monetary easing might address broader economic issues.
• Neglected Issues: There is a growing concern that issues like trade disruptions, climate change, low growth, under-investment, and inequalities are not being adequately addressed.

About the UNCTD – United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 

• It is a permanent intergovernmental body and the leading institution of UN dealing with trade and development,
• Established: By the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Objective: It aims to maximize the benefits of globalization and liberalization while reducing the costs to the weaker economies.
  • UNCTAD’s work focuses on four main areas: trade and development, investment and enterprise, technology and innovation, and macroeconomics and development policies.
  • It supports vulnerable economies by helping them integrate beneficially into the global economy.
  • UNCTAD also focuses on improving the competitiveness and economic diversification of these economies.
• Reports published by the UN Trade and Development
  • Trade and Development Report
  • World Investment Report
  • The Least Developed Countries Report

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Context

Recently, the Russian peacekeepers have begun withdrawing from Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Russian Peacekeepers Started withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian troops had begun leaving positions held as part of a Russia-brokered 2020 ceasefire between Baku (Capital of Azerbaijan) and Yerevan (Capital of Armenia).

• Russia had deployed a 2,000-strong peacekeeping force as part of a deal to end a bloody six-week offensive in 2020 that saw Azerbaijani forces seize regions of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas.
• Last September, Baku took over the territory in a lightning one-day offensive that triggered a refugee crisis. Almost the entire local population of around 100,000 ethnic Armenians left for Armenia, fearing reprisals and repression.

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About Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is a mountainous region at the southern end of the Karabakh mountain range, within Azerbaijan.

• Recognition: The territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but was home to a majority Armenian population and controlled by pro-Yerevan separatists for nearly three decades. 
  • They have their own government which is close to Armenia but not officially recognised by Armenia or any other country.
• Significance: Several gas and oil pipelines across the Caucasus (the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea) to Turkey and Europe are built by the energy-rich Azerbaijan.

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Context

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court ordered the release of Jaffar Ahmad Parray, who was detained under the state’s Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA).

J&K High Court Enforces Rule of Law, Quashes Detention Under Public Safety Act

Preventive Detention of Parray: Parray was placed in preventive detention under orders of the District Magistrate (DM), after the police accused him of being an Over Ground Worker (OGW) for terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Declaration of Parray’s Preventive Detention as Unlawful: The High Court held that Parray’s preventive detention was unlawful and invalidated his detention order.

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Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA)

Section 8(1)(a): It allows the government to detain individuals to prevent them from “acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State or the maintenance of public order. 

• This allows the government to detain individuals who they believe could cause harm in the future, even though they may not have committed any crimes at the time of detention.

Section 8(2): Under this, the DM is empowered to pass an order to detain any person if they are satisfied that the person falls under the condition provided in Section 8(1)(a). 

• The Magistrate must then report the detention order to the government for approval, without which the order will lapse after twelve days. However, it is rare for such approval not to be granted.

Section 10-A: It  states that detention orders cannot be deemed invalid “merely” because the grounds of detention are vague, non-existent, not relevant, not connected with the detained person, or “invalid for any other reasons whatsoever”.

Avenues Available to Persons Detained under the Public Safety Act

Section 13(1): It requires the DM to disclose the grounds for detention to the person detained within five days of issuing the order (although this may be extended to 10 days, in “exceptional circumstances”). 

• It also states that the person detained shall be given “the earliest opportunity” to make a representation against the detention order.

Section 13(2): It states that the DM is not required to disclose facts “which it considers to be against the public interest to disclose.”

Grounds for Quashing the Order by the Court

Detention Grounds of Police Dossier:  Copy of The HC observed that the grounds for detention outlined in Section 8(1)(a) of the act, as documented by the DM, were simply a direct copy of the police dossier. 

• However, this dossier lacked any indication of the petitioner’s involvement in a case registered under any FIR with a Police Station.

Significance of Representation in Preventive Detention Cases: Representation against a preventive detention submitted by a detenu is not meant to be a routine piece of paper for the District Magistrate”.

Demonstration of Application of Mind by DM: He emphasized the necessity for the DM to demonstrate “application of mind” when presented with such a representation. 

• In the present case, the petitioner did not receive assurance that his representation was even explored and was considered by the relevant authority.

Detention Without Criminal Past: He arrived at the conclusion that the police had picked him up and questioned him without filing a criminal case against him or documenting any previous criminal behavior.

Thus, considering the lack of application of mind by the DM and the actions of the police, the root of the petitioner’s preventive detention is illegal and coercive.

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Earlier Instances of Non-application of Mind by the DM

Surinder Singh v. Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir: In this case, the HC quashed a detention order against an alleged “history-sheeter” (someone who has been implicated in multiple chargesheets in the past). 

• It noted that the detention order “is more or less copy-paste of the dossier” sent by the police to the DM.
• The police dossier failed to mention that the detained person had been acquitted or received bail in most of the past cases against him, it held that the detention order “shows the non-application of mind” of the police and the Magistrate, and quashed the order.

Vijay Kumar v State of J&K (1982):  The DM-issued an order of preventive detention against someone who was already in jail and made no note of that fact in the order. 

• The court held that there must be “compelling reasons” for a detention order, the lack of which “clearly exhibits non-application of mind and would result in invalidation of the order”.

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Context

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to fund a study to analyze the number of maternal deaths related to heart diseases and to develop a treatment protocol to prevent future mortality.

ICMR Study On Heart Disease

The ICMR study will be held across 50 centres across India  to be representative of the Indian population with 7 AIIMS also participating.

• Objective: To identify the 10 most common heart diseases in pregnant women and to also develop their treatment protocol that can be accessed in remote rural pockets.
• Budget: The study will cost an estimated 8 crores.

Heart Disease Related Maternal Deaths in India

Metabolic changes due to Pregnancy: As per a Lancet study, the risk of heart failure in a mother increases steadily by 24 weeks, plateaus at 30 weeks and peaks again around delivery with significant cardiovascular changes happening in the mother within the first eight weeks of pregnancy. 

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• Common Cause: A study of the trial data from 2016 to 2019 in Tamil Nadu has found that valvular heart diseases (conditions in which the heart valves do not function normally) makes up around two-thirds (66.66%) of the heart disease related maternal deaths.
  • Congenital heart diseases (problems of heart structure present by birth) comprised 33 percent of maternal deaths.
• Concern: 
  • Undiagnosed Heart related Issues: As per a study,  60 percent of the women came to know of a heart disease (congenital heart disease) that is diagnosed for the first time during their pregnancy.
  • Societal Stigma: In some cases parents hide the diseased condition  due to problems in getting married. And, when they do get married they face complications sometimes resulting in death.
  • Lack of cardio-obstetrics teams in hospitals: Cardiologists and obstetricians need to work together which often gets ignored because it is managed by two different specialties to bring down maternal deaths caused by heart disease. 

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time period.

• It is the annual number of female deaths from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes) during pregnancy and childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy  per 100,000 live births.
• India MMR Ratio: As per Government data, India reported a MMR of  97 deaths per lakh live births between 2018 and 2020, achieving the target set by The National Health Policy (NHP) 2017 of  MMR in India below 100/lakh live births by 2020.
  • India’s MMR has gone down by 70 per cent, with an MMR of 556 in 1990 to 103 in 2017.
• SDG Target 3.1: To reduce global MMR to less than 70 per 100 000 live births by 2030. 
  • WHO leads the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Interagency Group (MMEIG) composed of WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Division, and the World Bank Group
  • Indian States that have achieved SDG target: Kerala (19), Maharashtra (33), Telangana (43), Andhra Pradesh (45), Tamil Nadu (54), Jharkhand (56), Gujarat (57), Karnataka (69)
• Leading cause of MMR : They are haemorrhage or uncontrolled bleeding (47 per cent), pregnancy-related infection (12 per cent), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (seven per cent).

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Context

Mumbai and Dubai experienced contrasting extreme weather occurrences triggered by an anticyclone.

Extreme Weather Events in Mumbai and Dubai

Heat Wave in Mumbai: The Konkan coast of India, especially the city of Mumbai, has been undergoing a humid heat wave characterized by intense humidity.

• Santa Cruz weather station in the city recorded a maximum temperature of 37.9 degree Celsius (°C) and had a high relative humidity of 55 per cent.
• Heat waves are particularly lethal when high temperatures combine with high humidity, which is commonly referred to as a wet bulb. 
• In such conditions, sweat from the human body isn’t able to evaporate, failing to stabilize the body temperature, which could ultimately cause heat stroke.

Floods in Dubai: Torrential rain accompanied by lightning inundated large areas of the city, causing flooding. 

• Other Emirati cities like Sharjah and Abu Dhabi received excess rainfall with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) receiving its highest rainfall in 75 years, when records began. 
  • Other countries in the region like Oman and parts of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain received excessive rainfall, with 18 people killed in Oman due to flash flooding.
• Reason Behind Extreme Events: Both of these incidents were triggered by a vast anticyclone along with some localized weather phenomena, and further fuelled by general warming and increased moisture levels in the atmosphere.

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About Anticyclone

An anticyclone also known as a high pressure area is an area of high atmospheric pressure where winds blow in a downward sinking motion and in the process, compress and heat up.  This causes dry and hot weather. 

• Direction of Winds: The wind flows clockwise around it in the Northern Hemisphere, and counter-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. 
• Impact: The net result of the anticyclone is a large-scale heat dome with air sinking, compressing and warming. 

Characteristics of Anticyclones: 

• Season: Anticyclones can occur in both winter and summer with varying effects, but both are typified by low wind speeds due to a weak pressure gradient and stable conditions with no cloud.
  • Expanse: Anticyclones can be very large, typically at least 3,000 km wide which is much larger than depressions. 

Weather Condition Associated with Anticyclones

• Clear Skies: Anti-cyclones are associated with clear skies as the sinking air suppresses cloud formation.
• Calm Winds: The winds remain calm and gentle during an anticyclone, and there is almost no formation of clouds because here the air sinks rather than rises.
• Fog and Mist: Anticyclones can cause fog or mist to form, especially in low-lying or highly humid areas.
• Light Winds: Weak pressure gradients associated with anticyclones result in calm or light winds at the surface. 
  • From the high-pressure system’s center, the air tends to diverge outward, creating mild breezes or occasionally stagnant air.
• Blocking Weather pattern: They are generally related to large-scale and elongated heat waves but they also form a blocking pattern which doesn’t let other weather systems pass by and create conditions for extreme weather on their peripheries as well.

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Context

A recent study has discovered that the desert formed by the drying Aral Sea has significantly increased dustiness in Central Asia.

• Apart from the Aral Sea, other regions in West and Central Asia have also transformed into ‘dust bowls’.
  • Lake Urmia in Iran and Lake Hamoun on the Iran-Afghanistan border have significantly diminished in size over recent decades. 

About the Aral Sea

It is also known as Orol Dengizi (Uzbek) or Aral Tengizi (Kazakh).

• It was the fourth largest inland lake in Central Asia. 
  • After the 1960s, It dried up  and got converted into desert.
    • Desert name: The Aralkum Desert
    • It is smaller than neighboring deserts: 
      • Karakum (350,000 sq km) in Turkmenistan and
      • Kyzylkum (300,000 sq km) in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
    • Despite its size, the Aralkum Desert is a major human-made dust source worldwide.
• Location of  Aral Sea : It lies across the border between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, extending from the south to the north.
• Climate: The area has a desert-continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. 
• Major rivers: The Amu Darya, known as Oxus in ancient times, and the Syr Darya, also called Jaxartes. 
  • They flowed from the Pamir and Tien Shan mountain ranges, respectively.

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What are the socio-economic impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis?

The key findings of the report shows various socio-economic impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis;

• Increased Desertification: Over the past three decades, the drying of the Aral Sea has caused a 7% rise in dust levels across Central Asia. During the period from 1985 to 2015, emissions of dust from the expanding desert nearly doubled, increasing from 14 to 27 million tonnes.
  • More cooling and heating: The two fold rise in dust emissions over the Aral Sea/Aralkum area has caused more cooling and heating at both the surface and in the air.
  • Dust cools during the day by blocking sunlight and warms at night by releasing heat from the ground. 
    • The overall effect of dust on temperature depends on factors like dust amount, time of day, season, surface brightness, and dust properties.

• Dust storm: The aral sea has become a source of dust storms.
  • Impact of Dust:
    • Deteriorated air qualities: It  can affect air quality in cities hundreds of kilometers away, thus can affect Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan and Asgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.

• • • Change in weather pattern: It can pressure air to go up by up to +0.76 Pascal each month. 
      • It can make the Siberian High stronger in winter and the Central Asian warm low weaker in summer.
    • The dust events are seasonal and occur more in June, September, November, December and March .
• Health problems: Dust-Related Health Issues: The emergence of the Aralkum Desert has resulted in increased dust storms. 
  • • People living nearby have breathing issues from breathing in tiny dust particles.
    • Its dust is more harmful because it carries leftover chemicals from past farming.
  • Waterborne Diseases: The remaining water in the Aral Sea became highly saline and polluted due to which  Waterborne diseases increased, affecting public health.
• Reduced agricultural productivity: The dust can negatively affect agricultural areas downwind from the Aralkum Desert.
• Loss of Livelihoods:
  • Fishing Industry: The fishing industry near the Aral Sea collapsed when the water level dropped. This caused fishing communities to lose their main source of money, which led to poverty and job loss.
  • Agriculture: The diminishing sea size disturbed the usual farming methods. Fields that previously depended on the sea’s water for irrigation became unproductive, affecting crop yields and people’s ways of earning a living.
• Water Conflicts: Irrigation projects diverting rivers caused conflicts among countries sharing the Aral Sea basin (like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan),
  • The issue has worsened geopolitical disputes due to water scarcity.
• Economic Decline:
  • Tourism: The Aral Sea used to attract tourists, but its vanishing hurt tourism earnings, impacting local economies.
  • Trade Routes: The decrease of the sea disturbed old trade paths, impacting trade and connections between countries.

International efforts to address the Aral Sea Crisis

Here are some international efforts to address the Aral Sea crisis:

United Nations Joint Programme:

• A consortium of United Nations agencies, including UNDP, the World Health Organization, UNESCO, the UN Population Fund, and UN Volunteers, collaborates through a joint program called “Sustaining Livelihoods Affected by the Aral Sea Crisis.”
  • Their tireless work aims to improve the lives and livelihoods of those impacted by the crisis

UN General Assembly Resolution:

• The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the Aral Sea region as a “zone of ecological innovations and technologies.”
  • The resolution calls on all member countries to support the region.  
    • It focuses on the role of science and technology in overcoming challenges 
    • It also encourages investment in innovative solutions grounded in local knowledge. 

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Comprehensive Program of Measures:

• In 2018, the Presidents of Central Asian countries convened in Turkmenistan and established the Comprehensive Program of Measures to Mitigate the Consequences of the Aral Disaster and the Development of the Aral Sea Region.
  • This program addresses water conservation, ecological protection, and coordinated efforts among Central Asian nations
• In October 2019, the United Nations team in Uzbekistan helped the government arrange a major conference. 
• Two primary financing instruments:
  • The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, created by neighboring countries, deals with economic, social, or humanitarian issues. 
  • The UN Trust Fund, with multiple partners, focuses on human security.

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Context

Mount Ruang erupted several times in Indonesia’s outermost region forcing hundreds to evacuate.

• The alert level for the volcano, which has a peak of 725 metres above sea level, was raised from three to four, the highest possible level in the four-tiered system.

About Mount Ruang

Mount Ruang is a stratovolcano located in the North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia prone to regular volcanic activity.

• Stratovolcanoes are conical and relatively steep-sided due to the formation of viscous, sticky lava that does not flow easily. 
• Stratovolcanoes often produce explosive eruptions due to gas build-up in the magma.

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Indonesia

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation which experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

• Ring of Fire is an arc where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Pacific Ring of Fire/Circum-Pacific Belt

The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt is a string of hundreds of volcanoes and earthquake-sites which runs along the Pacific Ocean. 

• It is a semicircle or horse shoe in shape and stretches nearly 40,250 kilometers. 

• Plate Convergence in the Ring of Fire: The Ring of Fire traces the meeting points of numerous tectonic plates, including the Eurasian, North American, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Caribbean, Nazca, Antarctic, Indian, Australian, Philippine, and other smaller plates, which all encircle the large Pacific Plate.
• It runs through 15 more countries including the USA, Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Guatemala, Russia, Chile, Peru, and the Philippines.

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Context

The social media platform X (formerly Twitter) withheld four posts by the political parties on takedown requests by the Election Commission of India (EC).

X has Removed posts for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC)

Violation of MCC: According to the EC, the posts in question violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), and that X had a responsibility to remove these posts as it had agreed to the ‘Voluntary Code of Ethics for social media platforms’.

• Rules cited by EC for Orders to Remove Posts: The EC cited provisions of the MCC against criticism of political parties and candidates based on unverified allegations, and criticism of their private lives.
  • The EC also cited its March 1 advisory, in which it had warned political parties to follow the MCC and maintain decorum during the Lok Sabha campaign.

Emergence of Voluntary Code of Ethics for Social Media Platforms

• Amendments to RPA,1951: In January 2019, a committee led by Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha proposed amendments to the Representation of People Act (RPA), 1951.
  • These amendments aimed to cover social media posts during the 48-hour period before polling, during which traditional campaigning is prohibited.
  • RPA 1951 governs the conduct of Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. 

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• Presentation of Code of Ethics to the EC: In March 2019, the Internet and Mobile Association of India, in collaboration with social media platforms, presented a code of ethics to the Election Commission. 
  • This code, initially introduced after the Lok Sabha elections, was subsequently extended to all future elections.

Voluntary Code of Ethics

• About: Under this, the social media platforms will voluntarily undertake information, education and communication campaigns to spread awareness about elections, including about electoral laws.
• Provision for Grievance Redressal: The social media platforms created a high-priority dedicated grievance redressal channel for taking action on the cases reported by the EC. 
• Timely Processing of Legal Orders by the EC: Valid legal orders of the EC would be acknowledged and/or processed within three hours for violations reported under Section 126 of the RPA, 1951, and other valid legal requests would be acted upon “expeditiously”.
  • Section 126 refers to the curbs on campaigning in the 48 hours preceding polling. 
  • During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, around 900 posts were taken down by the social media platforms upon the EC’s request.

Code of Ethics

• Core Ethical Values: These are a set of guidelines containing core ethical values, principles and ideals of the organization. 
• Values as Guidelines for Decision-Making: These are referred to as values, which behave like the Constitution with general principles to guide behaviour, outlining a set of principles that affect decision-making.
  • It would include the principles of integrity, impartiality, commitment to public service, accountability, devotion to duty, exemplary behaviour etc.
• Minimum Conduct Standards: It defines the minimum requirements for conduct and behavioural expectations instead of specific activities.
• Distinguish Between Right and Wrong: Code of ethics helps members in understanding what is right or wrong and these codes are disclosed publicly.

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Context

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed investments in India’s Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs).

Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) in India

• Refers: These are a kind of government debt that specifically funds projects attempting to accelerate India’s transition to a low carbon economy.
• High Adoption: Central banks and governments the world over are encouraging financial institutions to embrace greeniums to hasten the transition to a greener future.
  • However, SGrBs yield lower interest than conventional G-Secs, and the amount foregone by a bank by investing in them is called a greenium. 
• Issued Earlier in India: The RBI had issued SGrBs worth ₹16,000 crore in two tranches in January and February last year with maturities in 2028 and 2033. 
• Classification under Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Moreover, these green Government -Securities (G-Secs) were classified under the SLR.
  • SLR is a liquidity rate fixed by the RBI that financial institutions must maintain with themselves before they lend to their customers.

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Sovereign Green Bonds Significance

• Widens the Capital Pool: Allowing FIIs to invest in India’s green projects widens the pool of capital available to fund the country’s ambitious 2070 net zero goals, ensuring 50% of India’s energy comes from non-fossil fuel based sources and to reduce the carbon intensity of the nation’s economy by 45% (pledged by Indian PM at COP26 in Glasgow 2021).
• Diversification & Regulatory Support: Climate finance experts believe that India would gain from allowing FIIs in green G-Secs as FIIs are also looking to diversify their pool of green investments, as there is considerable regulatory support particularly in developed countries, making India’s green bonds an attractive investment opportunity.
  • Example: India has successfully addressed greenwashing fears with the Sovereign Green Bonds Framework in late 2022.

Green Taxonomy Framework in India

• Announcement to Issue SGrBs in Budget: In the 2022-23 Union Budget, the Indian Finance Minister announced the government’s decision to issue SGrBs to accelerate funding government projects such as harnessing offshore wind, grid-scale solar power production, or encouraging the transition to battery operated Electric Vehicles (EVs). 
• Aim: To prevent greenwashing and ensure transparency and receiving validation from Norway-based Cicero.
• • Rating by Cicero: Cicero rated India’s framework as “green medium” with a score of “good governance”.
    • It would be crucial to identify new green projects with credible audit trails and high impact to optimally deploy the proceeds, especially ones that have received limited private capital like Distributed Renewable Energy and clean energy transition finance for MSMEs.”

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Context

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alerts regarding heatwaves for various parts of India.

IMD Heatwaves Update

• Heatwave alerts have begun from February itself, as various parts of the northeast and western India have already reported appreciably warming even before the start of summer.
• The IMD has also predicted an increase in the maximum temperature and the frequency of heatwave conditions in the forthcoming days over eastern and southern India.

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About Heatwaves

• Heatwaves: Heatwaves are extended periods of excessively high temperatures that can have severe implications on human health, environment, and the economy. India being a tropical country is particularly vulnerable to heatwave conditions.
• Declaration of Heatwaves: According to IMD, the definition of a heatwave depends on the physiography of regions. Following criteria for Heat Wave declarations have been provided:
  • Heat wave declaration is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches 
    • at least 40°C or more for Plains, 
    • 37°C or more for coastal stations and 
    • at least 30°C or more for Hilly regions. 
  • A heatwave’s severity is determined by its departure from normal temperature
    • Normal Heatwave: When the departure from Normal is by 4.5-6.4 degrees Celsius and 
    • Severe Heatwave: When the departure from Normal is greater than 6.4 degrees Celsius
  • Based on Actual Maximum Temperature (for plains only):
    • Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature 45°C
    • Severe Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature 47°C
  • The IMD considers the criteria of “departure from normal temperature” and “actual maximum temperature”, only when at least two stations in a meteorological subdivision report such a high maximum or when at least one station has recorded a corresponding departure from the normal for at least two consecutive days.

Status of Heatwaves In India

• World Bank report in November warned that by 2030, over 160-200 million people across India could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually.
• The IMD forecast for hot weather has said most of India, barring parts of the east and the northeast and some pockets in the northwest, will experience above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures. 

Causes of Heatwaves

• Global Warming: It has led to an average increase in temperature of 0.8 degrees Celsius over the past century, exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heatwaves. 

• Urban Heat Island Effect: Urban areas, with their dense construction and concrete surfaces, retain more heat than rural areas, amplifying local temperatures during heatwaves.
• Reduction of frequency of Pre-Monsoon Showers: The period leading up to the monsoon season usually sees some rainfall, which helps to moderate temperatures. However, reduced rainfall before the monsoon season leaves the ground dry, increasing local temperatures and setting the stage for heatwaves.
• El Niño Effect: It is a climatic event characterized by the warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and altered wind patterns, which can reduce monsoon rainfall in India and contribute to hotter conditions.
• High Atmospheric Pressure Systems: It can lock heat close to the ground by preventing hot air from rising and dispersing. This prevents heat dissipation through cloud formation and rain, leading to increased surface temperatures.
• Urbanization: Unplanned expansion of urban spaces accentuates the heat island effect, as natural landscapes that cool the environment are replaced with heat-retaining materials like asphalt and concrete.

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Impacts of Heatwaves

• Health Impact: Heatwaves dramatically hinder the body’s temperature regulation, leading to severe health issues like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia.
  • A 2019 analysis from the Tata Centre for Development and the University of Chicago predicts that by 2100, more than 1.5 million people per year may pass away from heat-related deaths brought on by climate change.
• Water Stress: Heatwaves intensify water scarcity by drying up reservoirs and reducing water availability for agriculture and domestic use. This scarcity can lead to conflicts over water resources, affect irrigation practices, and impact industries that depend on water.
• Increased Energy Demands: The demand for electricity surges as people seek cooling solutions, straining power grids and increasing the risk of blackouts. This disrupts economic activities and affects the vulnerable populations the most.
• Economic Impacts: Heatwaves reduce the number of workable days, impacting the livelihoods of farmers and daily wage workers. It also decreases agricultural yields, as witnessed in significant losses in wheat production in states like Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Impact on Livestock: Increased temperatures lead to heat stress in livestock, significantly reducing productivity such as milk output in dairy farming.
• • According to Cornell Researchers, milk outputs in India’s arid and semi-arid dairy regions are expected to drop by 25% by 2100 compared to 2005 levels.
• Impact on Food Security: Heat and resulting drought conditions lead to crop losses which result in food insecurity. These conditions are expected to raise food prices, lower incomes, and increase rates of malnutrition and climate-related mortality.
• Impact on Workers: Workers in sectors like agriculture and construction face increased risks from heatwaves. These impacts are exacerbated for the poorer sections due to increased vulnerability.
  • The International Labour Organisation estimates that working hours lost due to heat stress would increase to 5.8 percent of working hours by 2030, or an equivalent of 34 million jobs.
• Heat Dome:  It is a type of high-pressure system that forms over a large area in the atmosphere, and causes extremely hot and dry weather conditions. The system traps hot air and prevents it from flowing to rise and cool.

Heat Action Plans to Tackle Heatwaves

• Background: Heat Action Plans (HAP) was first developed in the country in 2010, by Ahmedabad’s municipality in partnership with the Indian Institute of Public Health and American academies, in response to more than 800 deaths in the city due to heat waves.
• About: Heat Action Plans (HAPs) are India’s primary policy response to economically damaging and life threatening heat waves. 
• Objective: It aims to decrease the impact of heatwaves and prescribes a variety of preparatory activities, disaster responses, and post-heatwave response measures across state, district, and city government departments.
• Focus: It focuses on creating an early warning system, increasing the capacity of healthcare professionals and promoting adaptive measures in workplaces and creating awareness 
• Current Status: The National Disaster Management Authority and IMD are working with 23 States to develop HAPs. 
  • There is no centralized database on HAPs, but at least 23 HAPs exist at the State and city level, with a few States, such as Odisha and Maharashtra, laying out district-level HAPs.

• Components of Heat Action Plans:

• • Regional Heat Profile: It provides an overview of the region’s climatic conditions by documenting past heatwave occurrences, trends in summer maximum temperatures, and land surface temperatures.
  • Vulnerability Assessment: It also maps out regions requiring immediate attention, prioritizing resource allocation and targeted interventions to those most vulnerable, such as the elderly, children, and outdoor workers.
  • Mitigation Recommendations: HAP provides strategies to reduce heatwave impacts, such as urban greening, water distribution improvements, and infrastructure modifications to reflect heat.
  • Response Plan: HAP outlines specific actions to be taken before, during, and after a heatwave. It includes activating emergency cooling centers, distributing hydration kits, and other health safety measures to protect the population.
  • Roles and Responsibilities: HAP delineates the roles for various governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the disaster management authority, health services, labor department, and police.

Recommendations of Heat Action Plans

• Forecasting and Early Warning Systems: HAPs recommend utilizing meteorological forecasts to provide early warnings to the public and authorities.
• Public Education and Awareness Campaigns: It also recommends educating the public about the risks of heatwaves through widespread information campaigns.
• Establishment of Heat Shelters and Cooling Centres: To offer immediate relief during extreme heat events, HAPs suggest setting up dedicated heat shelters and cooling centers. 
• Access to Clean Drinking Water: HAPs suggest installation of water dispensers in public areas and the distribution of water bottles during high-temperature periods.
• Healthcare System Preparedness: HAPs recommend hospitals to be equipped with essential supplies and well-trained healthcare workers, to handle the surge in patients suffering from heat-related illnesses effectively.
• Sustainable Urbanization Practices: HAPs also suggest long-term measures such as adopting urban planning strategies that promote tree planting, using heat-resistant building materials to reduce urban heat island effect, and using cool roofing technologies to reduce solar absorption, thereby decreasing indoor temperatures. 
• Coordinated Response Efforts: HAPs push for effective coordination among stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare providers, community organizations, and emergency services.

Challenges of Heat Action Plans

• Local Context Limitations: Current HAPs use national thresholds to define heatwaves, which do not adequately reflect the diverse climatic, geographic, and urban conditions across regions. 
  • Ex. Many cities have been reeling under extreme temperatures, although no heatwave has been declared.
• Inconsistent Methods: The vulnerability assessments within HAPs are often inconsistent, leading to ineffective strategies that may not comprehensively address the actual risks.
• Vulnerable Populations: While HAPs aim to protect vulnerable groups, the interventions often do not account for the varied needs of different communities, especially in relation to local demographic and socio-economic factors.
  • Centre For Policy Research’s critical review of heat action plans at the city, district and state levels across 18 states found lack of clarity about the implementation of the HAPs.
• Siloed Approach of HAPs: HAPs typically operate in isolation with limited financial support resulting in reduced effectiveness of the measures.
• Inadequate Legal Foundations: Most of the HAPs lack a robust legal authority, which undermines their implementation and compliance. Additionally, there is no consistent mechanism for updating HAPs based on new data or successful outcomes.
• Lack of Focused Planning: While HAPs mention long-term measures, they are limited to building infrastructure (especially cool roofs), with a cursory mention of green and blue spaces. 
• Resource Allocation: The success of HAPs can vary widely based on local government priorities and available resources. There is a crucial need for dedicated funding and collaborative financial planning to support comprehensive heat action.

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Way Forward to Mitigate Heatwaves Risk

• Comprehensive Climate Risk Assessments: There is a need to develop a full-fledged climate risk assessment framework that can accurately identify areas at risk of heatwaves and evaluate the exposure of people and assets.
• Development of Modified Heat Index: There is a need to create a multidimensional heat index that takes into account factors beyond temperature, such as humidity and the urban heat island effect. 
  • This index should reflect regional and local variations in climate, demography, and infrastructure to tailor HAPs more effectively to specific needs.
• Financial Strategization for Efficient Resource Allocation: There is a need for secure dedicated funding for the implementation of HAPs through setting up financial mechanisms in collaboration with state authorities, civil society organizations, and worker unions.
• Integration with Urban Planning and Resilience: Link HAPs with broader urban resilience and climate adaptation strategies to pool resources more effectively. 
• Incorporation of Nature-Based Solutions: There is a need to focus on integrating nature-based solutions such as strategic placement of green spaces and the development of blue infrastructure into HAPs to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat.
• Accountability and Transparency: Create an online national repository of HAPs that is regularly updated and tailored to regional needs to improve transparency and accountability in heatwave management.

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