GLOBAL WARMING – AGRICULTURE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC LEADERSHIP
(A Conceptual Framework for holding an International Workshop)
Sustainable Development:
The word sustainable development has very well known implications. It has both socio and economic content. It involves use of natural resources. It implies socio economic growth rate in a compounded manner. It means to provide enough of what one needs in order to live or exists and grow on a sustainable basis. It also implies gradual socio-economic growth increase in size, quantity and quality. It also involves development of wealth of an area, people and society of a country. It is a long-term and eternal activity. It is a process whereby human beings try to shape and reshape the natural environment. This involves a patter of resource use that aims to meet the current human needs while preserving the environment so that needs of the future generation can also be met comfortable and satisfaction. It implies a strategic solution for meeting the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The process involves introduction/involvement and in economic activity by special initiative generally known as development programmes/schemes. Such programmes have three components:
Economic agenda for inclusive growth, which aims to improve the economic status of majority of people with focus on poor families.
Provision of basic social Insfrasture in sufficient quality i.e. road, water supply, education, credit services, power, irrigation etc.
Utilisation of natural resources in a way that nature’s equilibrium balance is not affected of its five important forces are the Sky (atmosphere), Sun, Earth, Water and Vegetation. These are also resources which sustain habitat. Over use of one or improper use of another affects balance and creates natural calamities which is now called as “Global Warming”.
The programme for sustainable development varies from country to country and from area-to-area and even from families to families. The development of an area or poor families is key to evolve such programmes and its implementation.
The Global Warming
The issues of sustainable development have become relevant today not only in developing countries but also in developed or advanced countries where the imbalance in natural environment is consciously felt due to extra ordinary emission of CO2 and CO3 has impact on climate. The climate change is causing un-predictable changes in weather conditions. Some of such events have devastating impact on human habitat. This is experienced by frequency of cyclone, flooding and natural calamities on different parts of the world.
We have been looking into various causes of global warming and its solution. One solid solution is agriculture. The major gaseous which are causing harm and its release is very high in recent years are CO2 & CO3. According to one estimate, CO2 level has been increased by from 292 ppm to 378 ppm in new millennium. It is necessary to bring down the level of 378 ppm. This has affected the nature’s balance and CO2
The Agriculture
The only known-technology, which can absorb CO2, is vegetation. The green leaves absorb CO2 through process known as photosynthesis and release oxygen. We therefore feel there is need to interact this important issue about role of agriculture – vegetation and soil management to meet the impact of climate change and global warming.
Agriculture has also major role to play in Sustainable Development. Majority of the poor people of the world apart from India depend for their livelihood on agriculture. The major impact on global warming which results into either delay in monsoon or heavy monsoon or flood is on small farmers who are wiped out for their income generating source for that year and pushed back below poverty line. On the other hand, there are un-cultivated, un-utilized land resources of wasteland, marshy land, fallow Agri land where vegetation can grow and provide employment. It can thus play very important role for mitigating climate change and its impact. The recent research studies by Dr. Sara Seherr and Dr. Sajal Sthapit – World watch report – 179, and Mr. Tim J Lasalle of Rodale Institute – USA support these views
Following issues therefore need continuous inter-action to find solutions to meet current challenges and to prepare future generation to meet such challenges.
The Challenges:
1. Mitigating the CO2 in atmosphere through Agriculture and soil management.
2. Focusing on people who are left out and have remained poor despite development including the rural youths whose aspiration to be come prosperous are not met with resulting in setting up of violent movements like Naxalite in India.
3. There are also un-limited, un-utilised/land but difficult and resources. They need to be made productive with use of soil management and use of knowledge economy.
4. Some of the recent experiences show the ways to how to go about for example – The experience of Kutch-Gujarat: An arid area with re-current drought – water scarcity – fodder shortage. Successful projects undertaken by Shri K C Shroff – through Vivekanad Research Training Institute (VRTI) has proven even barren and un-cultivable land can be transferred through vegetative cover by appropriate land and water management practises with participation of people. This has provided sustainable livelihood with incremental increase in income.
The Public Leadership:
The Public Governance System and its Leadership has a major role to play in this. It has to prepare itself to meet these challenges. Preparation has to be of inclusive of knowledge economy, technological development and changes and participatory movement and with direct involvement of people. All public leaders involved in the process have to be activated. Today there is a great awareness about Global Warming – its impact but still agriculture is nor viewed as a major tool or involvement of leadership in meeting this challenge.
The Public leadership has a broad spectrum from grass root level to highest level in public governance system and this includes:
1. Elected public leaders
2. Civil Servants
3. Co-operative organizations
4. Non-government organization – Voluntary Institutions
5. Educational leaders including Research Scientists
6. Entrepreneurs
7. International Organizations like UNDP, World Bank, UNEP.
This has to be from all level, village level leadership to block level, district level to provincial level, national level and above.
The Future Generation:
The future generation has to be prepared for meet these challenges sensitised and prepared to be involved in this entire process to become leader and be part to meet the challenges.
The Global Warming, Sustainable Development, Agriculture and Public Leadership are four dimensions of same problem but all these require a clear conceptual frame work in a mission mode to promote sustainable development in way that predictable adverse effect are mitigated and unknown future challenges are met with and converted into opportunities for removing poverty.
India has varied experience of successful sustainable development in very many areas. There are experiences in other nations also. It is therefore necessary that all Stakeholders; the Elected public leaders, the Civil servants, Non Government Organisations, Cooperative leaders, Educational leaders and Entrepreneurs and the International Organization all must meet together to inter-act on experience sharing through brain storming with aim to develop an implementable policy framework which can be straight away used.
Keeping this background in a view, a three days international participatory workshop is being held at Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad – Gujarat- India in first fortnight of March 2010.
The International School for Public Leadership (ISPL) is a voluntary organization working in the field of public leadership since last three years. Its experiences with village level elected leaders like Sarpanches, elected President village body, Chairman of village Milk cooperatives, Women leaders, University teachers – reveal that leaders are willing to learn and take up responsibility – but most often they are not aware of new challenges and what they can do for face it and ways to use existing schemes to make a win-win situation. They are busy in their day-to-day routine work. They have to be sensitised about the need for the day. ISPL has with that objective planned about seminar. For more about ISPL please visit our website: www.isplindia.org
Contact person: Dr. Kirit N Shelat, I.A.S (Rtd),
Email ID: kiritshelat@hotmail.com