Indian Culture, Global Warming, and the Climate Emergency

By- Dr. Kumar Mahabir

The COP27 Convention on Climate Change in Egypt ended recently. It is regrettable that China, Russia and India did not send representatives despite China being the number one contributor to global warming and climate change. What can Indians in the homeland and the Diaspora do to mitigate this climate emergency? Social scientists and anthropologists are raising awareness that culture and the arts have the potential to be a driver in addressing our climate crisis. How exactly are Indian culture, philosophy and lifestyle contributing to the conservation or destruction of nature, the environment and global warming? Is making the earth, soil, water and some plants sacred, contributing to nature conservation? These are some of the critical questions that were addressed in the ZOOM Public Meeting.

This Pan-Caribbean meeting was chaired by Shakira Mohammed and moderated by Shalima Mohammed, both of Trinidad. It was hosted by the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre (ICC). The speakers were: Kaylene Moodley of South Africa, who works in the field of Environmental Management and Sciences, and is pursuing her MSc degree in Environmental Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal; Ritesh Sarjoe of Suriname, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment. He is also a part-time lecturer at the Anton de Kom University, and the Polytechnical College of Suriname; and Professor Max Huis-Den of Suriname, the Department Chairman and Head of Laboratories, in the Department of Environmental Science at the Anton de Kom University, and a Board Member of Water Forum Suriname. Excepts of their presentations are provided below. See the unedited recording of the program: (https://www.youtube.com/live/V5K9L1VWw5o?feature=share)

KAYLENE MOODLEY of South Africa said, “The increase in demand for electricity, food, fuel and land has led to the acceleration of climate change. Natural causes that contribute to climate change are volcanic eruptions, ocean currents, orbital changes and solar variations. Climate change leads to intense droughts, severe fires, water scarcity, extreme weather, rising sea levels and decline in biodiversity. Human activities have been the main buses of climate change since the industrial revolution. The change in climate can affect human health as it will trigger illnesses related to poor air quality, waterborne diseases as well as psychological effects. Biodiversity is important for plants and animals to maintain their habitat and ecosystem and slight alterations can have detrimental effects like destroying food chains and fragile ecosystems. Culture is a resource for climate adaptation because cultural heritage, natural heritage and traditional knowledge support the resilience of communities to respond to climate change impacts. Intangible cultural heritage practices are highly effective tools for adapting to a changing climate. Solutions to climate change are cutting emissions, adapting to impacts, switching fossil fuels to renewables, and adapting to climate consequences.”

RITESH SARJOE of Suriname said, “Suriname’s Climate change policy focuses on building capacity within different intuitions, reducing vulnerability through climate resilience measures, pursuing low carbon emissions developments, raising awareness and accessing international climate financing. Climate change in Suriname has decreased freshwater availability, saltwater intrusions, frequent flooding and drought, pollution and coastal retreat. Suriname has a multi-step national adaptation plan to deal with climate change. Suriname is a multicultural country that teaches us ways to adapt to climate change. Each individual should be taught to become a person who is thoughtful, and who can discriminate between right and wrong, to never overexploit the resources of Mother Nature, to consume Satvik food, and to build strong communities to assist with adapting to climate change.”

PROFESSOR MAX HUIS-DEN of Suriname said, “Suriname is known as one of the greenest countries, and we appreciate our environment. We are, however, confronted with climate change, changing the world which is resulting in extreme weather events. The temperatures are rising in certain parts of the world to unbearable levels for not days, but months on end. This results in earthquakes and extreme flooding and hurricanes. The coastal areas of Suriname are being affected as it’s not high above sea level, and water accumulation causes a huge threat. The salt intrusion also affects fertile land near the sea used for agriculture which, in turn, affects our economy. The government, however, is making efforts to protect certain areas by not allowing industrial activities. One aspect is making Suriname a large nature reserve as it is rich in biodiversity and is one of the last lungs of the earth.” Reported by Trishana Jeenath vb

Correspondence - Correspondence – Dr Kumar Mahabir, Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean. WhatsApp +1 868 756 4961. E-mail: dmahabir@gmail.com