Environmental degradation is a cause for worry financially too. The World Bank has found that India, which enjoys higher economic growth than many other countries, loses at least Rs 3.75 lakh crore each year due to environmental degradation and pollution.

Lost farm produce due to land degradation, productive lives cut short because of bad water supply, poor sanitation and hygiene, and pollution are just some of the reasons determined by the World Bank for the economic loss, which amounted to 5.7 per cent of the GDP (in 2009-10).

The study commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forests provides estimates of the social and financial costs of environmental damage in India.

High outdoor as well as indoor pollution affects a large population leading to early death as well as debilitating diseases such as chronic bronchitis. Both of these eat into the productive years of the population. The report estimates that the death of adults due to pollution and other environmental concerns costs the country Rs 1,01,800 crore annually, while the loss of children has resulted in an accumulated cost of Rs 1,300 crore per year.

Adding that to other aspects such as hospital admissions and restricted activity due to health problems, means an annual cost of Rs 1,10,300 crore every year owing to mortality and morbidity.

In a grim finding, the World Bank study finds that almost 23 per cent of mortality among children under five is due to environmental factors — of which 12.6 per cent of children pass away due to water supply, sanitation and hygiene concerns, while indoor air pollution claims 9.8 per cent of the children.

Unsurprisingly, the report noted that the damage caused by environmental degradation affects the poor population more.

While the estimated cost of going greening is argued to be unsustainably high, the study noted that if the country reduces its particulate emissions (or air pollution) by 10 per cent, the loss in average annual GDP growth would be just about 0.02 per cent (against a situation where you do nothing). And if pollution is reduced by 30 per cent, the loss would be around 0.04 per cent.

This negligible estimated loss, coupled with the corollary benefits, such as savings from reduced health damages, suggests that green growth is not only affordable but necessary, the study says.

 

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