World Earth Day: Time to heal the planet on war footing

According to a 2018 paper published by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, an inter-governmental body of the UN, by 2030, emissions will need to be cut by about 45 percent for the world to contain global warming at 1.5°C. The magnitude of the challenge being faced is clear from this.

There is a need to work more intensively on “ecological restoration”, a term that has to become a buzzword. Renewal and rehabilitation of the degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems have become imperative to conservation. This has also emerged as a positive alternative to the protection of biodiversity. There are also proposals to “rewild” the degraded lands by allowing them to return to their “natural state”, including the reintroduction of some of the species that have vanished from the face of the earth.

In the current Anthropocene era that commenced around the 15^th Century, when human activity became the dominant influence on the climate and environment, the fundamental premise of restoration needs to be re-examined. The supporters of this model face the challenges of restoring the systems while addressing issues of climate change and within landscapes shaped by human activities.

Under India’s National Biodiversity Target (NBT) 3: ‘Safeguarding Natural Habitats’, Strategies for reducing the rate of degradation, fragmentation and loss of all natural habitats are finalised and actions put in place for environmental amelioration and human well-being. The government of India has launched the National Afforestation Plan for ecological restoration of degraded forest areas with people’s participation, and Eco-Task Forces, based on twin objectives of ecological restoration in difficult areas and promotion of meaningful employment to ex-servicemen.

This year’s World Earth Day theme ‘Restore Our Earth’ looks to not only reduce the impact of people’s actions on the planet as we recover from the impact of COVID-19 but also to undo the damage done to the environment.

Communities across the world will have to join forces to undo the ecological damage resultant from the pandemic and to create natural solutions to the challenges posed by climate change, increasing carbon footprint, deforestation, depletion of minerals and imbalance in biodiversity. Attempts towards this end have been made at site-based river restoration projects which are a major part of ecological restoration in Europe, North America and Australia.

Industry, governments and business leaders need to make a collective effort to ensure the long-term sustainability of the global ecosystem. It would be necessary to take a holistic approach to reconstruction of land degraded by mining activity. Thus, integrating restoration in mine planning would be imperative for sustainable mining.

Ecological restoration primarily involves three approaches; afforestation through natural and artificial regeneration, protection and management. The Government of India has been implementing three major schemes for the development of forest areas i.e. National Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and Forest Fire Prevention & Management Scheme (FFPM). While NAP is being executed for afforestation of degraded forest lands, GIM goals at improving the quality of the forest and increase forest cover besides cross-sectoral activities on a landscape basis. The FFPM takes care of forest fire inhibition and management measures.

Partnering with institutions like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is important for they guide organisations across the globe and work along with them to assess the damage caused and find solutions that are aimed at restoring biodiversity. The industry will have to recognise the ability of experts and academia to find alternatives and solutions to address the issue of ecological imbalance in the years to come.

India has come a long way in its commitment to preserve its natural resources and has acted upon several challenges with sizeable outcomes. With a progressive approach towards policy and initiatives, we have managed to have quite a few success stories.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Tata Steel has been actively working with several organisations to enhance its performance in biodiversity conservation and significantly reducing its impact on the ecosystem. Being a business leader in steelmaking, mining and manufacturing, the Company goes beyond regulatory regimes and sets high standards for itself on social and environmental parameters.

Tata Steel launched its Biodiversity Policy in the year 2016. The policy provides guidelines for including biodiversity in every strategic and operational decision-making. The Company is aligning its actions with the national biodiversity targets set in 2014, the Aichi biodiversity targets (global level) set in 2010 and sustainable development goals to integrate biodiversity into its business ecosystem.

We are at a point where there is no looking back now, as the future of human race depends on the actions we take today. Our responsibility is not just to restore the glory of Mother Nature but also to raise an informed and educated generation that will not repeat the mistakes committed by previous generations.