The document begins by commenting on the position taken by India in the global climate change discourse. India has consistently argued from the point of view of developing countries against restrictions on emissions that have been imposed on all countries globally, by stating that developing countries have started the industralisation processes recently and thus have contributed very little to the carbon emissions.
Thus, countries like India should not sacrifice their present development and growth for reducing global emissions. Any legitimate climate mitigation initiative should be just, equitable and secure developing countries' growth patterns.
The document argues that although India 's stand seems justifiable in the global discourse, the climate change issue is still a very sensitive one for India and India has the greatest to lose if it does not take proactive steps to deal with the issue of climate change in the future.
The demographic, ecological, topographic situation in India makes it the most vulnerable to climate change and this has the potential to radically alter India’s economy, and reshape the human security terrain and even the geopolitical order of South Asia.
Sustainable and innovative developmental efforts through providing rural areas with alternatives to migration, creating urban spaces for people and not for cars and consumers and learning lessons in sustainability from India’s poor who tend to be the forgotton resource could be one of the important ways for India to deal with the problem of climate change.
Reconciling sustainable growth with climate mitigation and equity at the domestic level can be one of the important ways for India to avert the grave consequences of climatic change.
India Water Portal thanks the authors for permission to publish this paper.
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