Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It8217;s official. Even the United States admits that global warming is a serious problem. But one of the less discussed aspects of global warming has not made it adequately into the public sphere 8212; its impact on national security.
India is going to face problems, not just from within its borders, such as the melting of the Himalayan glaciers, but from without, too. The environment has played a role in shaping India8217;s relations with Bangladesh, for instance. Environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources is a reality in Bangladesh today. Deforestation, damage to wetlands, depletion of soil quality, are some of problems the country already faces. The mudslides, which have reportedly claimed around hundred lives, are an example of how fragile Bangladesh is, ecologically speaking. The World Bank estimates that 25 per cent of the country8217;s four million wells may be contaminated by arsenic, a poison that occurs naturally in Bangladesh8217;s alluvial soils. So even availability of safe drinking water is going to become a problem in the future.
India also needs to monitor the 8216;environmental happenings8217; in regions like TAR Tibetan Autonomous Region and Nepal, because of their strategic relevance to India8217;s security.
The point is that the 21st-century threats are essentially non-military. Doctrines of deterrence have no relevance when global warming challenges a nation-state. Climate projections then become essential to analysing future threats. Since all the three services are deployed along the border regions, they need to be tasked to gather 8216;environmental intelligence8217; by putting various instruments and sensors along the borders for the regular monitoring of atmospheric parameters from the national security point of view.
The writer is a research fellow at IDSA
