The Hindu Business Line : Will financial crisis impact environmental issues?

“While I cannot make predictions on its impact, there are chances that the Government could cut budgets for funding certain overseas projects. As countries address economic issues they have to address the full range of consequences, like employment,” said Mr John Q. Adams, Jr.

Mr Adams Jr., who is the Director, Regional Environment Office for South Asia, based in Kathmandu said “Everybody is eager to see what the new President’s Policy on environment, especially climate change would be.”

Talking to a group of journalists here, Mr Adams Jr. said on the issue of carbon emissions, there is a definite case for a reduction in the long term (say 50 years), though in the near term they may go up. “In my personal view, technological developments expected in the future would help in reducing carbon emissions.”

Referring to the role of the Regional Environmental Office, which is one of the 12 hubs, created by the Clinton Administration to focus on ecological issues, Mr Jay Pal Shrestha, Regional Environmental Affairs Specialist, said about 10 trans-border projects have been initiated.

A new initiative launched in May 2007 was to put in place a South Asian Wild Life Enforcement Network. The objective was to save important wild life species such as the Tiger, the one-horned Rhino from poachers and trafficking, Mr Adams Jr. said.

The internet based, real-time network, will build a database and share information among South Asian countries. Police, customs, non-governmental organisation’s (NGOs) and other involved groups would have access to the information. It is being modelled on the ASEAN wildlife network, established by the Regional hub in Bangkok with support from the USAID, he said.

Mr Adams Jr. and Mr Shrestha had interactions with the Andhra Pradesh officials of the Department’s of Environment and Forests, environment experts from the University of Hyderabad and Osmania University, as well as with Samatha, an NGO to understand ecological issues.

They are also trying to understand how environmental issues impacted the life of tribals, the political activism and the spread of the ‘Red Corridor’ (read Maoists influence regions) from Andhra Pradesh to Nepal, in the context of competing situations on natural resources. They would be visiting Orissa next for the study.

More Stories on : Environment | Financial Markets | Andhra Pradesh

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page