India: Warming signs for the economy - Opinion

Climate change policies should be central to India’s strategic thinking on long-term economic policy, according to Sujatha Byravan and Sudhir Chella Rajan, in their op-ed for The Hindu. The authors, who have recently evaluated India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, argue that the worldwide climate change induced extreme weather events are very important to take into account within the economic development context. Global warming, high temperatures, hydroelectric power shortages and failure of the monsoon are blamed for large scale blackouts in North India, which was also an event that showcased deep social and economic inequalities. The authors urge authorities to incorporate climate resilience into decision making. This would not only strenghten economic resilience to climate shocks, but also help the vulnerable poor populations.