Kerala: Green summit calls for change in development concepts to solve climate issues
'The development activities are continuing in Kerala without any concerns for the environmental balance'
Thrissur: "Despite the climate change and continuing natural disasters, we are not ready to change our future planning and development concepts," said Dr. TV Sajeev, scientist of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI).
“The development activities are continuing in the state without any concerns for the environmental balance. We still think in the outdated manner, regarding development, which will lead to worse scenarios and consequences,” he said while delivering the keynote address at the Green Kerala Summit organized by Kerala State Sunni Students Federation (SSF) state committee at Thrissur Press Club Hall.
“Singapore has turned down the high-speed rail because it was not economically viable. When a country with twice as much GDP as Kerala has rejected such a project, Kerala needs to rethink on the proposed semi high-speed rail project,” he observed.
According to him, the impact of natural disasters can be reduced only through environment conservation.
Environmental activist and author K Sahadevan, River Research Centre Director SP Ravi, Keraleeyam Magazine Editor S Sarath spoke on Environmental Activism, Environmental Rejuvenation, Environmental Issues and Inconsistencies in Media Approaches.
SSF State Secretary K.B Basheer presided over the function.
Kerala has been witnessing drastic change in weather pattern in last couple of years with incidence of extreme weather conditions on the rise. In 2018, the state witnessed the century’s worst deluge which was followed by incidents of extreme rains and landslides in the next three years. The number of cyclonic storms and depressions in Arabian Sea is also on the rise.
In the wake of climate change impacts and frequent natural calamities, there has been a growing demand for a paradigm shift in the development practices. Environmental experts stress the need for long-term plans to mitigate the climate change impacts.
Meanwhile, there are serious apprehensions over Silver Line, the semi high-speed rail project proposed to connect the north and south of Kerala. The major criticism against the mega infra project is that it will further destabilise the already fragile ecology of the state.