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<ul><li>About 29.32% of the country's geographic area deteriorated between 2011 and 2013. </li><li>India is quickly moving to save its lands by voluntary watershed management program. </li><li>More than 30% of the country's land is facing desertification.</li></ul>India is fast turning into a desert, all thanks to the extreme heat and lack of water. A recent report by <a href="https://www.teriin.org/press-release/india-soon-set-voluntary-targets-combat-land-degradation">TERI says</a> that 29.3% of the country's geographic area deteriorated between 2011 and 2013. It means as much as 147 million hectares of the country's land, which is at high risk. Though a little late, India is quickly moving to save its lands by voluntary watershed management program. "The most effective principle of rainfed and degraded area development is the conservation and efficient use of natural resources. It can best be achieved through watershed development, adopting the ridge-to-valley approach,” <a href="https://www.teriin.org/press-release/india-soon-set-voluntary-targets-combat-land-degradation">said</a> Umakant Prasad, Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development explained, the history of India's watershed development program. As much as 20.4 million hectares of India’s land is being treated and brought under the category of protective variation via watershed development. This <a href="https://www.reference.com/science/many-football-pitches-hectare-c79dcfb34def6acb">land</a> is as large as 140 football fields in size. Still, it is not enough. "As of now, we are planning to go for another 62-63 million hectares of land that needs to be treated," he said. The rapid land degradation Eight states in India are at high risk of facing desertification —Rajasthan, Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh. In these states, around 40-70% of land has already turned into a desert, said <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/reviews/state-of-india-s-environment-2017-in-figures-ebook--57874">a report </a>by State of 'India's Environment report. In 2018, India lost 2.54% of its GDP to land degradation, <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/real-estate/nearly-30-of-indias-land-degraded-will-soon-set-voluntary-target-to-combat-it-environment-min-official-4295361.html">said </a>the report. “As much as 1.8 billion people in the world are going to face absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population will be water-stressed," said United Nations. Even as the efforts have to be intensified, there is little that the government is able to do. An integrated watershed management programme was introduced in 2009. It came under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana soon after Narendra Modi came to power, in 2014. <a href="https://qz.com/india/1656211/indias-neglect-of-water-conservation-raises-spectre-of-drought/">Though the program is functional</a>, its funding fell by 35% in 2015-16, the first year of policy shift. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/A-solar-powered-system-can-turn-salt-water-into-fresh-drinking-water-for-25000-people-per-day-It-could-help-address-the-worlds-looming-water-crisis-/articleshow/70489069.cms">A solar-powered system can turn salt water into fresh drinking water for 25,000 people per day. It could help address the world's looming water crisis</a>. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/five-years-on-india-may-not-even-get-a-chance-to-solve-its-on-going-water-crisis-risking-hundreds-of-millions-of-lives/articleshow/69988627.cms">Five years on, India may not even get a chance to solve its on-going water crisis risking hundreds of millions of lives</a>

India treated land the size of 140 football fields from turning into a desert— but it's not enough

<ul><li>
As many as 100 million people in the country are suffering from the nation-wide water crisis. </li><li>Moreover, 21 major cities are expected to be devoid of groundwater by 2020, says government think tank NITI Aayog. </li></ul> No drops, No rain, nothing. India is suffering from its worst-ever water crisis in history. It has already started affecting hundreds and millions of lives and livelihoods across the country. And, people are craving for water to drink as well. “How will three pots of water be sufficient for an entire family of five,” asks a resident of Chennai — India’s sixth largest city — which ran out of water after all four reservoirs dried up this summer. 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="Chennai: People rush to fill their vessels from a water tanker following acute w..." msid="69988629" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;People rush to fill their vessels from a water tanker following acute water shortage, in Chennai.Photo)(&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>








 A large number of people are now washing utensils in dirty water, to save the clean water for cooking and drinking. There won’t be any relief anytime soon as the southwest monsoon — accounting 80% of India’s rainfall — is late and is expected to be <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/monsoon-to-be-below-normal-over-north-south-india-imd/articleshow/69602283.cms">lower than usual</a> in both north and south India. As many as 100 million people in the country are suffering from the nation-wide water crisis. Moreover, 21 major cities are expected to be devoid of groundwater by 2020, says government think tank NITI Aayog Only some parts of the country have received rainfall — that too almost a week late. Apart from the water crisis, the harsh heatwaves in the country took more than <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/22/india/chennai-india-water-crisis-intl/index.html">137 lives </a>. India’s dwindling water sources worsened the situation. <a href="http://202.159.215.252:83/DocumentUploadRoot/DocumentId_32837/20.06.2019_CWC_Bull.pdf">According to the Central Water Commission</a>, two-thirds water reservoirs in the country are below normal levels. Little Water, No Water — Current status of crisis across the country 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="Women fetch water from an opening made by residents at a dried-up lake in Chennai" msid="69988642" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Women fetch water from an opening made by residents at a dried-up lake in Chennai, India, June 11, 2019. REUTERS/P. Ravikumar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>









 On 2 June 2019, a video of women filling bucket from the water leaked by a water tanker over the road went viral on social media, reported India spend. More than 100 districts across the country are officially affected by drought. Most of the districts (80%) in Karnataka and Maharashtra (72%) are hit by drought and crop failure. As many as 8.2 million farmers are struggling for livelihood. With scarcity comes strife. The state governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra — are now fighting over sharing water resources. Every day, Maharashtra government is sending 6,000 water tankers to 4,920 villages and 10,506 hamlets or settlements (bastis) in drought-hit areas. In the South, the Tamil Nadu government had to sanction Rs 233 crore to initiate emergency water projects. The state capital — Chennai— had to shut down the air conditioning to save as much as 9,000 litres a day. People have to stand in line for hours and they get foul-smelling water that might have been mixed with sewage. Karnataka too was forced to shut schools for a week due to water scarcity. Separately, residents of Bhilwara in Rajasthan have to keep water ‘locked’ in tankers since they depend on drinking water that is supplied once in 10 days. They are worried that it might be stolen! No groundwater by 2020 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="India Water Shortage" msid="69988668" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Indiand stand in queues to fill vessels filled with drinking water from a water tanker in Chennai, capital of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Wednesday, June 19, 2019. Millions of people are turning to water tank trucks in the state as house and hotel taps run dry in an acute water shortage caused by drying lakes and depleted groundwater. Some private companies have asked employees to work from home and several restaurants are closing early and even considering stopping lunch meals if the water scarcity aggravates.Photo/R. Parthibhan)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>









AP New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad are amongst the 21 cities that will run out of groundwater by 2020. This will affect as many as 100 million people, claims a report by NITI Ayog. Furthermore, 40% of India’s population will struggle for drinking water by 2030. With India’s water crisis deepening by the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently created Ministry of Jal Shakti that is going to look after the water resource management. Modi also reiterated his promise to provide piped water to every rural house in India by 2024. However, analysts have claimed that won’t be enough. A UN Human rights report claimed that soon only wealthy people in the world would be able to afford basic necessities in case of a drought, heatwave or famine. Falling rainfall levels in India 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="Chennai: School students offer prayers to rain god seeking rainfall following th..." msid="69988705" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;School students offer prayers to rain god seeking rainfall following the severe water crisis, in Chennai.Photo) (&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>










 The Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) reported that 43.4% areas in the country are under drought as of 30 May 2019. A delayed monsoon is among the primary reasons for the current crisis. In the last five years, 2017 was the only year when India did not experience drought, reported India spend. Both South west monsoon and North-east monsoon were lower than usual. Last year, India Meteorological Department said that the ‘post-monsoon’ rainfall — responsible for 10-20% of the India’s monsoon — was lower by 44%. And the pre-monsoon rainfall was the lowest it saw in the last 65 years. Experts fear that India is soon going to witness Day Zero if no action is taken on time.

Five years on, India may not even get a chance to solve its on-going water crisis risking hundreds of millions of lives

<ul><li>Finance Minister of India, <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> reiterated the need for sustainable water management system in India. </li></ul><ul><li>The government has already identified 1592 block in 256 districts which are facing water crisis and is planning to infuse additional funds. </li></ul><ul><li>India is suffering from its worst-ever water crisis in history. </li></ul>Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated the need for sustainable water management system in India. She said, Constitution of Jal Shakti Mantralaya was a big step in water management-- the ministry will look at water-related issues in a holistic manner and will ensure water supply in every household by 2024. The government has already identified 1592 block in 256 districts which are facing water crisis and is planning to infuse additional funds. India is suffering from its worst-ever water crisis in history. It has already started affecting hundreds and millions of lives and livelihoods across the country. A large number of people are now washing utensils in dirty water, to save the clean water for cooking and drinking. There won’t be any relief anytime soon as the southwest monsoon — accounting 80% of India’s rainfall — is late and is expected to be <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/monsoon-to-be-below-normal-over-north-south-india-imd/articleshow/69602283.cms">lower than usual</a> in both north and south India. As many as 100 million people in the country are suffering from the nation-wide water crisis. Moreover, 21 major cities are expected to be devoid of groundwater by 2020, says government think tank NITI Aayog Only some parts of the country have received rainfall — that too almost a week late. Apart from the water crisis, the harsh heatwaves in the country took more than <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/22/india/chennai-india-water-crisis-intl/index.html">137 lives </a>. India’s dwindling water sources worsened the situation. <a href="http://202.159.215.252:83/DocumentUploadRoot/DocumentId_32837/20.06.2019_CWC_Bull.pdf">According to the Central Water Commission</a>, two-thirds water reservoirs in the country are below normal levels. More than 100 districts across the country are officially affected by drought. Most of the districts (80%) in Karnataka and Maharashtra (72%) are hit by drought and crop failure. As many as 8.2 million farmers are struggling for livelihood. With scarcity comes strife. The state governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra — are now fighting over sharing water resources. Not only this, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad are amongst the 21 cities that will run out of groundwater by 2020. This will affect as many as 100 million people, claims a report by NITI Ayog. Furthermore, 40% of India’s population will struggle for drinking water by 2030. With India’s water crisis deepening by the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently created Ministry of Jal Shakti that is going to look after the water resource management. Modi also reiterated his promise to provide piped water to every rural house in India by 2024. The Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) reported that 43.4% areas in the country are under drought as of 30 May 2019. A delayed monsoon is among the primary reasons for the current crisis.

Every household in India will get water supply by 2024 under the ‘Jal-Jeevan Mission’ says Nirmala Sitharaman

<aside></aside>The Capital of <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> has been plagued with numerous issues — <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhis-summer-of-discontent-anger-killings-over-water/articleshow/64778458.cms">water scarcity</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indiainsider">electricity shortage</a>, possible <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/delhi-metro-services-may-come-to-halt-from-saturday/articleshow/64774238.cms">metro strike</a> — but the most dire of them is its losing battle with pollution. Now, after almost an entire year, the pre-monsoon showers not only brought citizens of <keyword id="66" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi">Delhi</keyword> much-needed respite from the unbearable heat, but it also brought with it clean air. The <keyword id="2071721" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Quality-Index">Air Quality Index</keyword> (AQI) was recorded at 83 today, which is deemed ‘satisfactory’ and things are slated to get better when the actual monsoons arrive on Friday, hopefully. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the last time the air quality was this clean was in August 2017. As far as levels go, an AQI between 0-50 is considered ‘Good’, 51-100 ‘Satisfactory, 101-200 ‘Moderate’, 201-300 ‘Poor’, 301-400 ‘Very Poor’, and 401-500 ‘Severe’. A Central Pollution Control Board official <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/delhi/pre-monsoon-showers-bring-air-quality-to-satisfactory-level-first-time-in-a-year-5238521/">told</a> the Press Trust of India that the winds accompanying the rains managed to clean up the dusty air and he also anticipates that the level may just reach the ‘good’ category. And while Delhi’s collective sigh of relief is perhaps justified, the city in all probability will pivot back to ‘severe’ or even the ‘severe plus’ categories, which has sadly become all too common. Delhi’s pollution levels have been so abysmal this past year that it earned the not-so-coveted spot of being the <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-worlds-most-polluted-megacity-as-beijing-cleans-up-report-1846194">world’s most polluted megacity</a>, according to the World Health Organisation. In fact, there were a number of days last year when the AQI was a staggering <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/delhi-turns-into-a-gas-chamber-as-air-quality-touches-999-the-worst-so-far/304006">999</a>, which is the highest the monitoring machine can read.

India’s capital has breathable air for the first time in 10 months

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The pre-wedding festivities for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant cost many millions of dollars.</li><li>Critics say the big spending highlights the wealth disparity in India, where many live in poverty.</li></ul>The lavish <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ambani-wedding-guests-celebrities-performance-dress-code-party-billionaire-2024-3?r=US&amp;IR=T#the-couple-hosted-a-communal-dinner-for-51-000-people-1">pre-wedding festivities for Anant Ambani,</a> the son of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-rich-mukesh-ambanis-india-2020-1">Asia's richest person,</a> and Radhika Merchant, also the child of a billionaire, made headlines worldwide for their extravagance.But critics say it showed a telling disregard for the struggles of the many millions of Indians living in poverty.Spanning three days, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anant-ambani-mom-nita-worked-hours-months-pre-wedding-reliance-2024-3">pre-nuptial event</a> included a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rihanna-ambani-wedding-performance-india-lazy-pregnant-first-show-years-2024-3">private performance by Rihanna,</a> which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-costs-music-star-rihanna-beyonce-ambani-wedding-performance-2024-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">estimates suggest cost up to $9 million</a>. There was a trail featuring live animals and a nine-page dress code.The mother of the groom-to-be, Nita Ambani, wore a necklace worth valued at some $60 million, which Business Insider noted was perhaps one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nita-ambani-jewelry-at-anant-ambani-pre-wedding-celebration-2024-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">biggest shows of wealth.</a>Almost half of the 1.4 billion people in India live below the median poverty line of $3.65 a day, per the <a target="_blank" href="https://pip.worldbank.org/country-profiles/IND">World Bank,</a> and activists say the ostentatious displays of wealth are an affront to the country's poor.<h3>'It feels unfair'</h3>"There is so much poverty all around," said Shyam Bihari, a Delhi fruit seller and social worker, in a conversation with BI."It feels unfair to see this amount of money being spent on a wedding when so many people are still unable to access basic necessities like food and water," he said.Large swathes of India's population have long grappled with food insecurity and water scarcity.According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wfp.org/countries/india">World Food Programme,</a> a quarter of the world's undernourished people live in India. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wateraid.org/in/stories/the-daily-struggle-for-water-in-bundelkhand#:~:text=India%20is%20home%20to%2063.4,make%20such%20challenges%20more%20acute.">WaterAid says</a> that around 35 million Indians lack access to safe water.Rajni Haldia, a Delhi-based cleaner who earns $25 a month, told BI that she felt "very bad" watching the coverage of the lavish pre-wedding festivities while knowing the extent of poverty in India.Haldia said: "I hope all the rich people who came to India for the wedding are seeing the difference between the rich and poor, and I hope the government can do more to tackle this."Rakhi Tripathi, a peace activist and associate professor at New Delhi's FORE School of Management, told BI that the extravagant celebrations show a "disconnect" between India's elite and the rest of the population.Tripathi pointed out that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/india-allots-142-billion-for-free-grains-to-800-million-people-1.2004794">800 million of India's 1.4 billion population receive monthly food rations</a> of wheat or rice.She said: "In a country like this, when we have such a huge event, spending crores of rupees, yeah, lack of empathy is the correct word."(Crore is an Indian term for 10 million; 1 crore rupees is around $120,000.)Sohini Kar, an associate professor at the London School of Economics, whose work focuses on urban India, told BI she agrees."I certainly think there's a lack of empathy, awareness," she said.(A representative for the Ambanis did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.)Kar also said the festivities were emblematic of the troubling levels of wealth disparity in India.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://bi.slack.com/archives/D06089ABVLM/p1709898345719679">Oxfam International</a>, the top 10% of the Indian population holds 77% of the total national wealth.In the US, the St Louis Fed says <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stlouisfed.org/institute-for-economic-equity/the-state-of-us-wealth-inequality">the figure is 66.6%</a>.The groom-to-be's father, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-rich-mukesh-ambanis-india-2020-1">Mukesh Ambani</a>, has an estimated net worth of $113 billion, making him the richest person in Asia and the 11th richest person globally, per the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/?embedded-checkout=true">Bloomberg Billionaires Index</a>.Kar noted that the family is known in India for its extravagance, and lives in a skyscraper.She said: "Their house itself in Mumbai is a stark reminder of the kind of disparity of wealth, where you can sort of visually see this massive house for one family over the slums around their area."According to Architectural Digest India, the 27-story property cost an estimated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ambani-house-photos-altamount-road-mumbai-spa-parking-amenities-art-2024-3?r=US&amp;IR=T#:~:text=The%20Ambani%20family%20owns%20the,contains%20a%20168%2Dcar%20garage.">$1 billion to build</a>. It towers over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/?embedded-checkout=true">Mumbai's Golibar slum.</a>In 2011, Ratan Tata, another of India's richest men, told <a target="_blank" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Antilla-Mukesh-Ambanis-house-shows-lack-of-empathy-for-poor-Ratan-Tata/articleshow/8506287.cms">The Times of India:</a> "It's sad because this country needs people to allocate some of their enormous wealth to finding ways of mitigating the hardship that people have."The Ambani family does donate to charitable efforts through the Reliance Foundation. That body, founded by Nita and Mukesh Ambani, is one of the largest nonprofits in the country.<div type="image" title="Anant Ambani, son of Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, and Radhika Merchant, daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant, serve traditional Gujarati food to villagers ahead of their pre-wedding celebrations on the outskirts of Jamnagar, Gujarat, India, February 28, 2024." height="2812" width="4251" msid="108333407" hostid="261" sizebytes="852730"></div>The wedding also featured a communal dinner that fed some 51,000 local residents in Gujarat, <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/anant-ambani-radhika-merchants-pre-wedding-celebrations-begin-with-anna-seva/article67898600.ece">The Hindu</a> reported.But, still, Kar suggested that the tens of millions spent on the festivities could have been spent on charitable initiatives, like addressing child malnutrition.She said: "The amount of spending they had on one event could certainly go toward a much larger program for that kind of thing."

The extravagant Ambani pre-wedding party was an affront to the millions of Indians in poverty, critics say

<ul><li>Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust and <keyword id="5252225" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="villgro-innovation-foundation" source="Orion">Villgro Innovation Foundation</keyword>, are currently leveraging artificial intelligence to address the threats of water scarcity and flooding across the country.</li><li>These non-profit organisations have recently been selected among 13 local sustainability organisations to receive support from the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund.</li></ul>New Delhi, Two Indian organisations, Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust and Villgro Innovation Foundation, are currently leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), <keyword id="294572" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="machine-learning" source="Orion">Machine Learning</keyword> (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) to address the threats of water scarcity and flooding across the country, <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> has said. These non-profit organisations have recently been selected among 13 local sustainability organisations to receive support from the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund to explore new use-cases for AI, ML and IoT models that can help manage water supply and inundation risks across the country. "<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s population could be susceptible to severe water-related challenges across its vast geographic landscape and many climatic zones, if global temperatures cross the threshold temperature rise of 1.5 degree Celsius, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expects could occur within this decade," said Sanjay Gupta, <keyword id="191922" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="country-head" source="Orion">Country Head</keyword> and Vice President, Google India. The tech giant supported the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund, founded by the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), with a $3 million grant by Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, in partnership with Asian Development Bank. This fund enables local organisations working hard to develop solutions for sustainable practices and combating the effects of climate change across APAC, be it heat waves, rising sea levels or loss of biodiversity. Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust is focused on empowering and equipping women across India to build sustainable and gender-inclusive cities, providing training and technical expertise in construction, technology, and urban governance. With the grant, the organisation aims to develop an AI-enabled model for building climate resilience in Amalner, Maharashtra to serve as an archetype for a small urban town in India. "The project will pioneer the mapping of land use and catchment areas to predict their susceptibility to floods and inundation, which will contribute to protecting natural drainage systems," said Gupta. The grant is supporting Villgro Innovation Foundation's partnership with 'CultYvate' to develop a mobile and browser-based application, IoT sensors, satellite data, and AI/ML models that will provide farmers in India with real-time insights and advice for irrigation management. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/what-are-vishing-scams-that-start-with-a-namaste-and-end-with-monetary-losses/articleshow/99762900.cms">What are ‘vishing scams’ that start with a Namaste and end with monetary losses</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sony-wh-ch720n-headphones-review-featherweight-comfort-and-impressive-sound/articleshow/99911412.cms">Sony WH-CH720N headphones review: Featherweight comfort and impressive sound</a>

How 2 Indian organisations are using AI to fight climate change in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More than 1 billion children are at extreme risk for weather disasters, a <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/105376/file/UNICEF-climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis.pdf">UNICEF report</a> found.</li><li>The majority of these kids live in countries that contribute the least to <keyword id="11949068" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="carbon-emissions" source="Orion">carbon emissions</keyword>. </li></ul>Tahsin Uddin, a 23-year-old climate activist who lives in the southern city of Barisal in Bangladesh, has already lost one family home to coastal flooding and rising sea levels. Within the next few years, he expects his current home to be submerged under water as well.Uddin is just one of the millions of Bangladeshis and others across the globe facing the brutal consequences of the <keyword id="11896310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-crisis" source="Orion">climate crisis</keyword>.By 2050, more than 20 million Bangladeshis will be displaced and nearly 20% of the country's land will be underwater because of rising sea levels, a direct impact of the changing climate, according to the<a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/bangladesh-country-underwater-culture-move"> Natural Resources Defense Council,</a> a nonprofit climate advocacy group.Uddin told Insider the impact of those rising sea levels can be seen throughout the country: "I go to different coastal areas. I saw how much people are suffering. They are trying to survive by drinking salty water. Saline water is very dangerous for their health."While the consequences of <keyword id="11896311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword> are pummeling Bangladesh, it contributes very little to carbon emissions.<div type="image" title="Villagers wade through waist-deep waters to reach their homes in Pratap Nagar that lies in the Shyamnagar region, in Satkhira, Bangladesh on Oct. 5, 2021" height="1333" width="1777" msid="87688716" hostid="261"></div>In 2020, more than <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/264699/worldwide-co2-emissions/">34 billion metric tons of carbon (CO2) were emitted</a> worldwide, but the countries that contributed the least to that total are already facing some of the most significant impacts of the climate crisis.A <a href="https://www.unicef.org/media/105376/file/UNICEF-climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis.pdf">UNICEF report</a> published in August found more than 1 billion children, nearly half the world's kids, lived in places with a high risk of <keyword id="12019615" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="extreme-weather" source="Orion">extreme weather</keyword> events. The 33 countries where the climate crisis poses the most risk to children contributed only 9% of global CO2 emissions, while 70% of emissions were attributed to just 10 countries.A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep20281">2016 study</a> found 20 of the 36 highest-emitting countries were among the least vulnerable to the effects of a warming climate, while 11 of the 17 countries with low or moderate emissions were significantly vulnerable.Some of the countries with low emissions per capita that are at a high risk include Bangladesh, India, Philippines, and multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and South America.They are facing heat waves, water scarcity, coastal flooding, and water-borne disease, among other hazards, which in turn can lead to poor sanitation, lack of food, scarce income, and deteriorating living conditions. Meanwhile, many of the places currently experiencing these effects lack the infrastructure or resources to mitigate them.Experts and climate activists have said that while countries contributing the most need to reduce emissions, poorer countries are in need of immediate funding to address current challenges.<h2>Heat waves have killed thousands in India in recent years</h2>In the summer of 2019, large swaths of India were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/asia/india-heat-wave-deaths.html">scorched by temperatures</a> greater than 113 degrees Fahrenheit for nearly three weeks. In some regions, officials closed local schools. Medical authorities <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/heat-wave-conditions-in-rajasthan-leaves-of-churu-doctors-cancelled-2049388">canceled time off for doctors</a> to ensure hospitals could handle the influx of patients.Four passengers <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-express-passengers-dead-heatwave-uttar-pradesh-jhansi-1546733-2019-06-11">fell ill on board an express train</a> that lacked air conditioning, and died by the time the train reached a station in Jhansi, south of New Delhi."Shortly after we left Agra, the heat became unbearable and some people started complaining of breathing problems and uneasiness. Before we could get some help, they collapsed," a passenger told <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-express-passengers-dead-heatwave-uttar-pradesh-jhansi-1546733-2019-06-11">India Today</a>.By the end of that summer heat wave, <a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/65-indians-exposed-to-heatwaves-in-may-june-2019-july-2019-was-indias-hottest-ever/">more than 200 people had died</a>. The heat wave of 2015 was far worse, with extreme heat causing the deaths of more than 2,000 people. In the past decade, more than 6,000 people in India have died as a result of excessive heat, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/asia/india-heat-wave-deaths.html">according to government data</a>.<div type="image" title="In this Thursday, May 30, 2019, file photo, children returning from school walk through a dried pond on a hot summer day on the outskirts of Jammu, India. Many parts of India are experiencing extreme heat conditions." height="3723" width="4964" msid="87688718" hostid="261"></div>"Climate change is leading to more frequent, more intense, and longer heat waves around the world," said Olga Wilhelmi, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, adding that the link has been well-documented.An estimated 820 million children, more than a third of kids worldwide, are highly exposed to heat waves, according to the UNICEF report."Extreme heat is probably one of the least appreciated weather hazards, but it's actually one of the more deadly weather hazards in the US and worldwide," Wilhelmi said. "Studies show that in the US, somewhere on average between 600 and 1,800 people die from extreme heat every year, but we don't usually read about that in the news."Health complications of extreme heat can vary from dehydration to heatstroke. Heat waves can also exacerbate cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Groups at a higher risk include older people, children, people with pre-existing conditions, and those who are lower-income and do not have access to air conditioning.Heat waves can also shut down electric grids when they don't have the capacity to handle the increased demand for air conditioning.<h2>Lack of water leads to poverty and hunger </h2>Water scarcity, the lack of adequate access to clean water, is another way people are feeling the climate crisis.While scarcity can be due to institutional failures to deliver water, in many instances it's due to dwindling water sources or growing populations that need more water. More than a third of kids worldwide, 920 million are currently highly exposed to water scarcity. This issue affects kids in various parts of the world including parts of India, South America, Australia, and the Middle East. For example, while parts of India are at extreme risk of scarcity, the country only contributed to 3.14% of overall emissions in 2019. <div type="image" title="Tonchuiwon Tinphei, 34, right, and her sister-in-law Chirmi carry water in baskets and walk home on the eve of World Water Day in Shangshak village, in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, Saturday, March 21, 2020." height="1333" width="1778" msid="87688720" hostid="261"></div>Greg Pierce, the co-director of the Water Resources Group: Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, told Insider the biggest effect could be felt in rural areas. Pierce said rural areas tend to be poorer and have one water source. Residents are usually already walking long distances to get to that water which may not always be clean. Water isn't just needed for drinking, but for producing and selling agriculture. Water is very much tied to livelihoods. "The scarcity issue makes it harder to do agriculture, which is what most rural populations rely on for livelihoods. So, there's a hunger, inability to grow food and inability to earn any money," Pierce told Insider. "That lack of water leads directly to people starving and that is going to become a lot more common, unfortunately again, in many parts of the world."When those resources dry up, residents would be forced to travel even further or move, further straining resources. While many parts of India are dealing with water scarcity, other regions are also experiencing flooding, Pierce said. However, the flooding comes with other complications and doesn't counter the consequences of water scarcity. <h2>Coastal flooding, which destroys property and resources, is already taking a heavy toll in Bangladesh</h2>In Uddin's home of Bangladesh, rising seas and extreme precipitation have inundated communities with flooding in recent years.The village of Bonnotola, once home to more than 2,000 people, has less than 500 residents left, as the flooding and salt water-tainted soil destroyed many people's homes and livelihoods, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-europe-environment-and-nature-bangladesh-0f2a0a0f463523a162901f1beda23c7e">Associated Press</a> reported.One woman from the village of Gabura told AP everyone used to grow food in their backyards, but that salt water flooding has disrupted the once-fertile lands and freshwater that many relied on."We have water everywhere, but we don't have a drop anymore to drink from ponds or wells," she said.Almost every ocean on Earth is experiencing a sea-level rise, according to William Sweet, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.One in 10 children, or 240 million, are currently exposed to coastal flooding, according to the UNICEF report. Sea-level rise is exacerbated by extreme rainfall events, which are also a consequence of warming."The same heating that's causing oceans to rise, ice caps and ice sheets to melt, and oceans to expand, is also enabling more moisture to be held within the atmosphere," Sweet said, adding that the result is frequent heavy rains. "The combined effect of course is flooding with nowhere for that water to go."While the threat of entire cities being underwater is the most commonly talked about result of rising sea levels, there are many significant issues that arise well before a city or property is actually underwater."It's not when you're underwater, it's when the system fails," Sweet said, adding that flooding can overwhelm infrastructure and destroy roadways, stormwater and wastewater systems, and people's personal property.He said by the time areas are actually underwater, people are already gone by then, driven out by the flooding.<div type="image" title="Bangladeshi flood victim man carrying their houses by boat during flood in Kurigram, Bangladesh on July 27, 2019." height="1333" width="1777" msid="87688722" hostid="261"></div>Coastal flooding creates more problems where water infrastructure is lacking, Pierce told Insider."Flooding doesn't typically increase water supply. It can have a direct impact on water-borne illness, especially because there's poor sanitation in a lot of places and when there's flooding, it gets into wherever the waste is being contained or into the open sewers and spreads," he said. <h2>Diseases are becoming more prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and South America because of the climate crisis</h2>As temperatures rise, cities flood and water becomes scarce, there's also a rise of waterborne illnesses with an estimated 600 million children currently exposed to diseases like malaria and dengue fever, according to the UNICEF report. The impact can be most immediately felt in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Martin Muchangi, AMREF water and sanitation specialist based in Kenya, told Insider he studies waterborne illnesses across much of sub-Saharan Africa, and that a vast majority of people are dealing with water scarcity which in turn is driving up waterborne diseases.Muchangi said the issue is twofold: changing temperatures pushing things like mosquitoes into more places and increasing pathogens that cause diarrhea illnesses like cholera and typhoid and the lack of water leading to poor hygiene and diseases like scabies or glaucoma. He told Insider the problem is leading to harming both people and the economy. "So now at the end of the day, if you combine the sum total, you realize that there's major economic loss, there's serious effects to the health, there's serious effects to the thriving of children," he said. <h2>Many countries facing the worst of the climate crisis also have the least resources to address it </h2>While nowhere on earth will escape the effects of the climate crisis, some countries have infrastructure and resources that make them more prepared to respond.Pierce told Insider many of the impacts can be mitigated with robust public health initiatives and proper infrastructure. Water filtration systems, for example, can mitigate the risks of water-borne disease.Muchangi and Uddin told Insider the countries they live and work in, however, don't have the funds they need to address the issues they're facing. In Bangladesh, Uddin said funding is needed to direct towards researching ways to remove salt from saltwater and towards building infrastructure that can withstand flooding, including fortifying schools, hospitals, homes, and other essential buildings. Muchangi said that while finding ways to mitigate the immediate impacts of the changing climate is necessary, limiting CO2 emissions would greatly reduce the burden."If we are able to alleviate climate change itself, then the effects of climate change are going to become lesser and we are going to be able to thrive in a better way," he said.

Countries contributing the least to the climate crisis are feeling the worst of its effects

New Delhi, Dec 23 () Experts from water and sanitation sectors on Monday 
came up with multiple suggestions to address the challenges pertaining to water conservation, waste management, among others, during their meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Sitharaman, who would be presenting her second Budget of Modi: 2.0 in February, is holding pre-budget consultations with different stakeholders in the economy.
During the 9th Pre-Budget Consultation meeting, discussions were held on challenges faced in providing quality of water, sanitation, solid waste management and drainage in India, said an official release. 
Experts also talked about removing disparities in accessing sanitation and quality of water," said the released issued after the meeting. 
"Experts felt there is a need to scale up rural sanitation and hygiene besides providing sustainable solutions to water scarcity and health issues," it said. 
Some of the major suggestions given by them include community water management programme in urban areas, waste conservation, and maintenance of septic tank. 
The representatives apprised the Finance Minister of ground realities and gave many suggestions to tackle current challenges. 
Suggestions were related to areas decentralisation of waste management system; focus on waste conservation; a bottom's up approach for effective implementation of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) programme; demand side management for water allocation; focus on behaviour change communication; and region-specific differentiated best practices/model. 
 Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur, Chief Economic Advisor K V Subramanian, CBDT Chairman Chandra Mody and Niti Aayog member V K Paul also attended the meeting.
Besides, secretaries from various ministries were present at the meeting. 
Among the experts were: Arumugam Pillai Kalimuthu, Managing Trustee, WASH Institute; Bin Chacko, Manager, Government Relations, World Vision India; Jyoti Sharma, President, FORCE; Manoj Ramchandra Sable, CEO, JAAGAR Enterprises; and Shaonli Chakraborty, Swasti, (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene).
V K Madhavan, CEO, Water Aid India; Sajeev S Jha, Programme Manager, FICCI; and Chandrakant Lahariya, National Professional Officer (Health Care, Access and Protection) to represent WHO India and Nicolas Osbert, Chief Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Section, UNICEF, too were present. NKD MKJ

Pre-budget meeting with FM: Experts suggest steps to tackle roadblocks in sanitation, hygiene programmes

New Delhi, Feb 10 () The removal of anti-dumping duty on Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA), a key raw material for textile industry, will help in promoting the growth of man-made fibre companies, an official said. The government in Budget had announced revoking anti-dumping duty on import of this chemical from seven countries, including South Korea and Thailand. The official said that the country's man-made fibre (MMF) base needs to grow at a healthy rate in order to cater to domestic and overseas textiles markets. To enable the textile sector to grow from its current market size of USD 110 billion (about Rs 7.81 lakh crore) to about USD 200 billion (about Rs 14.20 lakh crore) by 2025, fibre production in the country has to grow from the current level of 8 billion kg to about 16 billion kg in the coming years. "This growth has to come largely from the MMF segment since cotton has a limited capacity to grow given various constraints," the official added. Scarcity of water in states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and uprooting of cotton plants by farmers without waiting for third/fourth round of pickings have been reasons for lower output. The PTA users association had demanded from the government that the anti-dumping duty on PTA be revoked in the overall interest of promoting the growth of MMF industry. The industry also asked for significant reduction of import duty on the chemical. In July 2019, the finance ministry had imposed anti-dumping duty of up to USD 78.28 per tonne on the chemical from South Korea and Thailand. Earlier in July 2016, the ministry had slapped duty of up to USD 168.76 per tonne on the chemical from China, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan. Hailing the move, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman A Sakthivel has said that abolishing the duty will give the much needed boost to the entire textile and apparel value chain. RR RVK

Removal of anti-dumping duty on PTA to help man-made fibre industry

<ul><li>Indian soldiers deployed at <keyword id="153008" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Siachen-glacier">Siachen glacier</keyword> are likely to get home-grown waterless body hygiene products that will allow them to bathe. </li><li>Soldiers guarding <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s disputed border with <keyword id="1334" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> are deprived of bathing for as long as three months. </li><li>Soldiers serving at the glacier find it difficult to find water for personal use due to extreme weather conditions. </li></ul>Life is inhospitable at the Siachen Glacier located at an altitude of some 13,000 to 22,000 feet in the northern reaches of the Himalayas. And for the soldiers posted there, the sub-zero temperatures and the treacherous terrain are the biggest mortal threats, with ordinary amenities like bathing something of a ‘luxury.’ Now waterless bathing products developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi are being dispatched to the soldiers. These products can reportedly be used even in extreme weather conditions of under 60 degrees centigrade, <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/soldiers-in-siachen-won-t-have-to-wait-90-days-for-a-bath-anymore/story-mAfeR54TquULnVQL6M8OKJ.html">reported</a> the Hindustan Times. Water Scarcity remains one of the major challenges for soldiers who are located at checkpoints as high as 21,700 feet. Every soldier has to live without bathing for about three months of their stay. Other options like melting the ice aren’t feasible because it requires a lot of fuel. The products have already been tested and ordered by a Kolkata-based Eastern Command that keeps a check on India’s disputed border with China. At any given point of time, India deploys nearly 3,000 soldiers to serve at the Siachen glacier. In their three month stay at the glacier, they have to trek for nearly a month to watch out for enemy movement covering a stretch of 128 kms at some of the most distant points. Most of the checkpoints on the glacier are above 16,000 feet above sea level. While the Eastern Command has already ordered thousands of products, other troops in high-altitude areas including Siachen are likely to get these products sooner. With the latest waterless hygiene products, the soldiers will be able to bathe twice a week. In order to get a full body wash around 20 ml gel is sufficient, according to the report. See more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/markets/economy/the-indian-air-force-has-the-highest-share-of-women-officers-compared-to-its-navy-and-the-army/articleshow/67070527.cms">The Indian Air Force has the highest share of women officers than its navy and army</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/latest/indian-chinese-soldiers-break-into-bhangra-twitter-has-a-field-day/articleshow/67072517.cms">Indian, Chinese soldiers break into ‘Bhangra’ —Twitter has a field day</a>

Why bathing may no longer be a ‘luxury’ for Indian soldiers deployed at the Siachen glacier - the world’s highest battlefield

The <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword>’s plan to develop 100 <keyword id="6377036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-cities">smart cities</keyword> has stirred a debate on its strategy or lack of it on the fate of the existing cities in the country. 
 
Over the years, lack of infrastructure and unplanned growth turned Indian cities into a real mess. While urbanisation has enhanced economic, social and political progress, it has resulted in socio-economic mismatch among people. Also, rapid growth of urban population has put enormous pressure on public utilities like housing, sanitation, transport, water and electricity besides pushing unemployment among rural immigrants. Urbanisation deserves immediate attention as according to reports by 2030, more than 50 % of India’s population is expected to live in urban areas. 
 
Urban sprawl, the expansion of the cities in terms of population and geographical area (which is rapidly taking over the precious agricultural land) has been one of the key problems which authorities failed to tackle. Continuous immigration from rural areas has consistently added to the size of the cities. This has led to a situation where economic base of most cities is incapable of dealing with the problems created by the huge growth of urban population. Metro cities are clear examples urban sprawl due to large scale migration of people from the different states, seeking employment opportunities. 
 
Unplanned growth has also resulted in overcrowding—a situation where too many people live in too little space. For instance, Mumbai has one-sixth of an acre open space per thousand people though four acre is considered normal. This kind of overcrowding leads to heavy pressure on infrastructural facilities. 
 
Overcrowding leads to shortage of houses in urban areas. Housing is a bigger issue in those cities where there is large influx of immigrants. According to a recent study, around 40% of all married couples in India do not have an independent room for themselves. Around 35% of families in urban areas live in one-room houses. About one third of urban Indian families have houses without a proper kitchen, bathroom and a toilet—and there is no supply of water or power in some cases. 
 
Overcrowded cities are a breeding ground for unemployment. According to an estimate, about 50% of all urban unemployed who are educated are concentrated in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Though those living in cities earn more than those in the villages, their incomes are low considering the high cost of living in urban pockets. Unless government streamlines the large-scale migration to cities, unemployment in cities will continue to rise. 
 Another consequence of unplanned growth of urban areas is the spread of <keyword id="6367743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="slums">slums</keyword>. In the recent years, industrialisation has led to rapid urbanisation which has resulted in undeterred growth of slums. 
 
A slew of reasons such as the large influx of rural migrants to the cities, the shortage of land for housing development and high prices of land contribute to the growth of slums. No wonder, this has been exerting huge pressure on civic amenities and infrastructure. 
Inadequate transportation is another challenge faced by people living in cities. As cities grow, more people are required to travel to work or shop, leading to clogged roads and unending traffic jams. 
 
Scarcity of drinking water is perhaps the biggest challenge thrown up by haphazard development of cities in India. In fact, no city in India gets sufficient water to meet the needs of city dwellers. In many cities, people get water from the municipal sources for less than half an hour every alternative day. In dry summer season, taps remain dry for days together. 
 
This in addition to growing problems of lack of proper sewerage management, trash disposal and pollution besides surging crime rates in cities. It is high time the government figured out whether developing select smart cities or solving the litany of problems faced by people living in existing cities should be its priority. 
 
Image: thinkstock

Smart Cities Are Good Idea, But What About Existing Ones?

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By midcentury, an emerging public health problem will alter the way we eat, the way we travel, and the places we live. It will also make us more susceptible to mental illnesses like anxiety and depression while exacerbating allergies and increasing the reaches of the world's most infectious diseases.
It's climate change, and it's happening so fast it's prompted the BMJ to write a letter to the World Health Organization <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5945">urging them to declare</a> the phenomenon a public health emergency.
"Deaths from Ebola infection, tragic and frightening though they are, will pale into insignificance when compared with the mayhem we we can expect for our children and grandchildren if the world does nothing to check its carbon emissions," <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g5945">wrote BMJ editor Fiona Godlee</a> in the editorial.
Here's a look at some of the conditions that will plague the next generation in a warmer world.
<h2>1. Anxiety and PTSD</h2>
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In 2006, a team of psychologists <a href="http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=482512">visited</a> thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina - six months after the original event. They diagnosed nearly half of the residents they visited with a serious anxiety disorder. One in six, the doctors said, had PTSD, and many suffered from both illnesses. Over time, these disorders can lead to suicidal thoughts and, in some cases, suicidal behaviors.
In 2008, mental health workers returned to New Orleans. To their surprise, the number of people regularly contemplating suicide hadn't fallen (as is usually the case after a natural disaster). On the contrary, the number of suicidal residents <a href="http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/v13/n4/full/4002119a.html">had risen significantly</a>, along with the number of people with serious mental illness. Even in 2009, the number of suicides in New Orleans Parish <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129482180">remained double</a> its pre-Katrina levels.
Because cases of mental illness and suicidal behavior increased in general in the years after the recession, which happened to coincide with the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina, it's impossible to pinpoint Katrina as the sole driving force behind the huge uptick in mental illness here.
However, the pattern of increases in depression and anxiety after any severe natural disaster is well documented: The mental health infrastructure in Haiti <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3335115/">nearly collapsed</a> in the wake of the 2012 earthquake there; Typhoon Haiyan, the <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140122-noaa-extreme-weather-2013-climate-change-drought/">strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded</a> to hit land, <a href="http://wfpusa.org/blog/post-typhoon-trauma-and-recovery-one-psychologists-experience-philippines">led to a spike</a> in incidences of post-traumatic stress disorder among victims in the Philippines; and the 2011 East African drought in Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia <a href="http://www.who.int/diseasecontrol_emergencies/publications/who_hse_gar_dce_2011_3.pdf">caused existing psychosocial support networks in the region to crumble</a>.
<h2>2. Heat Stroke - but not for the reason you'd think</h2>
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Having a psychiatric illness like depression can more than <a href="http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/11339/">triple</a> your risk of dying during a heat wave.
First, depression can make it harder to take the necessary steps to protect oneself from changes in the environment. People with depression already experience difficulties with <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08964289.2012.708682#.VCxzsyldVg8">self-care</a>, such as staying hydrated, maintaining personal hygiene, and taking their medications consistently. High temperatures can make these activities especially taxing.
Worse still, people who take medications to treat mental illness are especially susceptible to heat stroke, a serious condition that results when the body overheats, because many mental health medications <a href="http://dwb.unl.edu/teacher/nsf/c01/c01links/www.science.mcmaster.ca/biology/4s03/thermoregulation.html:">interfere with our body's natural ability to regulate its temperature</a>. Antipsychotics like Abilify and Risperdone, for example, block brain cells from communicating with the body's thermostat, the hypothalamus. Anticholinergics, such as Cogentin and Enablex, inhibit sweating and make it easier to overheat.
<h2>3. Respiratory Disorders</h2>
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Ever wonder why smog always seems so much worse on a hot, sunny day? Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. The chemical reactions that form <a href="http://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone/health.html">ozone</a> - one of smog's main components - happen faster at higher temperatures.
The warmer it is outside, the more ozone gums up the air. Ozone doesn't just dirty the horizon, though. The toxin also exacerbates a host of respiratory conditions (from asthma to bronchitis and emphysema) by irritating the delicate tissue lining the lungs.
In recent years in some parts of the US, ground-level ozone has reached <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/7/7/2866">dangerous levels</a>. Overall, though, the US is a partial success story for the pollutant: Ozone levels <a href="http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/ozone.html">started to decline</a> for the first time here in the 1980s.
Ozone levels are still on the rise in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GL060930/abstract">other parts of the world</a>, however, leading to more complications and even deaths from respiratory conditions that could have previously been treated. In India, levels of the pollutant were so high in 2014 that <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GL060930/abstract">scientists estimated it killed enough crops</a> to feed close to 100 million people in poverty.
<h2>4. Infectious Diseases</h2>
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Increased heat will expand the range of pests carrying deadly disease. In the past few years, mosquitoes carrying malaria (which <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/">killed</a> 630,000 people last year) <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/06/us-malaria-climate-idUSBREA251V620140306">have already begun</a> creeping up mountains to recently-warmed, higher-altitude elevations, where they spread malaria to areas never previously exposed to the disease.
Since they've never been exposed before, people living in these areas will have zero protective immunity from the disease. The result? Malaria will be deadlier than ever.
Mosquitoes, which thrive in warmer climates, also carry diseases like <a href="http://www.oxitec.com/oxitec-video/dengue-fever-a-growing-problem/">dengue</a> and <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs100/en/">yellow fever</a>, which collectively kill more than 50,000 people each year. As temperatures rise, <a href="http://agadapt.ucdavis.edu/pestsdiseases/">more and more areas around the globe</a> will become increasingly hospitable to the pests.
Bacteria, too, will take advantage of their newly-welcoming habitats.
Vibrio cholerae, the comma-shaped bacteria responsible for cholera, prefers to nest in warm, coastal seawaters. As recently as last year, however, the bacteria were <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863721/">discovered</a> floating in usually cooler Baltic Sea that separates Central and Northern Europe. Cholera now <a href="http://www.who.int/topics/cholera/en/">kills between 100,000 and 130,000 people</a> worldwide each year, almost entirely in <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs107/en/">areas where there is a lack of clean water</a>. Warming waters means that the bacteria can live longer and spread to more locations. At one site in Bangladesh, cholera risk rose <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/news/speeches/colwell/rc040214aaascholera.htm">two to four fold in the six weeks after a 9-degree Fahrenheit spike</a> in water temperature?.
<h2>5. Starvation</h2>
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="WFP" title_caption="Climate change will make it harder for everyone to grow and access food." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/542d5ce46da811eb36701309-960/screen shot 2014-10-02 at 10.09.22 am.png"></a><a href="http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/newsroom/wfp229182.pdf">WFP</a>Climate change will make it harder for everyone to grow and access food.</div></div></div>
Climate change is projected to drive down global food production by <a href="http://ipcc-wg2.gov/AR5/report/">2% every ten years</a>, even as the demand for food increases by 14%. Across Africa and South Asia - regions where much of the world's food is produced - yields of wheat, corn, and millet will fall nearly 10% by mid-century. As a result of this rocky imbalance, the price of rice and corn will skyrocket, likely <a href="http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1909928">doubling by 2050</a>.
With the <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/4/044003/article">exception of a few</a>, the majority of the world's crops will be ravaged by the new pests and diseases that take advantage of warmer temperatures.
<h2>6. Dehydration</h2>
Water scarcity is another emerging threat. Severe droughts have already begun plaguing the west coast of the US. In Tulare County, south of Sacramento, Calif., the board of supervisors has <a href="http://tularecounty.ca.gov/county/index.cfm/county-news/county-proclaims-local-emergency-due-to-drought/">declared a state of emergency</a>. People can't flush toilets, wash clothes, fill cups, or bathe <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/us/california-drought-tulare-county.html">without buckets of bottled water that are driven in</a> from elsewhere.
In other parts of the world, where crops that feed the rest of the globe depend on a steady stream of slowly-melting glacier water, water scarcity is an even more serious problem. The Himalayan glacier, for example, presently supplies 25% of the world's cereal crop. If it melts too quickly, however - as some estimates <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/climate-change-melting-glaciers-bring-energy-uncertainty-1.14031">suggest</a> it has already begun doing - it will become nearly <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2010.02411.x/abstract">impossible</a> to meet the needs of a growing, hungrier planet.

You Searched For "delhi water scarcity" and got 12 results

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