Need of the hour: to have past, future equity……Mike Pandey
The world has failed to meet the goals adopted by 193 countries in 2002 to halt further loss of biodiversity by 2010. From royalty to the ordinary man, we all need the environment to survive. The basicsair, water and foodare irreplaceable. It is time to stop the plunder and remember that you cannot eat diamonds or mountains of gold to survive.
Development and the environment need not be contradictory and can be complementary. There is need for us to pause for a moment and take stock and understand the earth’s limitations. A little understanding, foresight and vision can help us restore and maintain the equilibrium.
India is facing multiple challenges, in addition to a burgeoning population and diminishing resources. Loss of prime forests and land use change are some of the immediate and urgent concerns. Economic development and environmental management need to be seen as the two sides of the same coin. Without adequate environmental protection, development will be undermined, unsustainable and short-lived. The economic downturn has affected us all in more ways than one. When there is a correction in the stock market, there also has to be a correction within ourselves to resurrect the environmental damage caused by us, because in the end everything is intricately linked and there is no escape route to extinction. If we have to survive in a healthy world, we need to introspect. Right now we are living on just borrowed time. Tragically, we dont understand loss unless its personal. We mourn for the loss of dear ones, but hardly notice when a species is lost to poaching. We are simply overlooking the fact that we are in the same food chain as the other life forms and our survival, too, is linked to their very fate.
I am not against development and perfectly understand the need for healthy living and prosperity for one and all. But it need not be at the cost of the environment that all of us need to survive. I also understand that there is something called social responsibility and corporate social responsibility. These are tools for giving back. But have we? Have we done enough to pay back what we have taken or plundered from nature or is it yet another empty promise? Only now there is a glimmer of corporate interest. Some corporates have taken the first steps. The mini steps taken by a few are far from what is needed. A greater collective effort is needed if we want a change from the current path, if we want a future. Meanwhile, we need to put our house in order. No country or government can succeed alone. It has to be a nationwide peoples movement a community effort. If citizens unite, it will give nature a chance to bounce back. Nature is resilient. All it needs is a fighting chance. This can be possible only through a scientific and professional approach. The need is for sustainable development decisions, political will, commitment and most importantly transparency, accountability and administrative ability.
Our united effort alone can help us change ourselves and secure our future.
Mike Pandey is a filmmaker and conservationist.