The global oil demand is expected to remain healthy for the next few years, especially in the developing countries of Asia and Africa. Though currently suffering from a slowdown due to the US-China trade war and the rise in renewable technological innovation, one cannot simply write-off oil or for that matter any other conventional fuel like coal or gas, as it forms an integral part of the new energy mix of many nations (both developing and the developed) even today, which deploy tools of policy making for the purpose. However, the new energy mix, of the present age, brings the […]
Category: Geopolitics
Building an Inclusive Bio-Economy
The global community, in light of increased geopolitical tensions, economic crisis, magnified disparities, global warming and other socio-economic incidents, has realized that the current fossil fuel based-economic model is not a viable one. Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, then, can be viewed as the global response to this problem. There is now a general consensus regarding the introduction of biomass fuels and renewables as part of the economic model, which will enable nations to progress on the path to an inclusive sustainable development- in other words introduce a bio-economy. What is Bio-Economy? Conspicuously, world’s basic commodities are derivatives […]
Climate Justice
Often categorized as an environmental issue, climate change in reality is as much of a social, political and economic issue as it is environmental. It has the ability to engulf the communities everywhere on the planet, especial those belonging to the vulnerable sections particularly in the developing countries. This calls for a climate justice which entails a narrative of the people, for the people and by the people. Climate justice is very much fundamental for sustainable development of the world as such which is free of food security, water availability, public health, housing and overall healthy and holistic well-being among […]
Tibetan Plateau: Ecological Anchor of Asia
The importance of Tibet to the world’s geopolitical events is much understated. Often relegated to as the China issue, it holds enormous geopolitical and environmental significance, especially in context of Asia. As a geographical region, Tibet is a rich bed of minerals, water bodies and energy resources. It has often been referred to as the ‘Water Tower of Asia’ given that there are 10 river systems originating here, and is also considered the maker of Asian Monsoons. Chinese geologists have discovered more than 130 minerals like uranium, boron, lithium, iron etc. in Tibet. No wonder then China’s Great Leap Forward […]
Environmental Bearings on Culture & Traditions
Geography and its environmental makeup has had a profound effect on the people and their culture and tradition. Why is it that houses in some regions have flat roofs while others slant— why is it that certain regions specialize in cotton linen attires while others in thicker clothes— Why is it that in some cultures the dead bodies are buried while in others cremated— Is it only religious motive or does it go beyond that…. Culture most certainly leans heavily on environment. Be it topography, climate or raw materials— environment is decisive factor in the inception and structure of […]
Public Health Policy and Climate Change
Health, since eons of centuries has been subject to environmental events and influence. In the current scenario too, the fluctuating climate patterns world over are marked by heat waves, thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, floods, rise in sea level, glacier melting, extended droughts, more intense storms like cyclones, hurricanes etc. all are capable of posing as a challenge to the health policy of nations and individuals. While climate change has been recognized as a global threat, it is important to realize the health risks it poses; and equally important for the governments of the world is also to prepare themselves for the […]
India & Green Economy
The last few years have been tough for India, not just in context of economic reforms but also environment— specifically in terms of climate. As per the India Meteorological Department, 2017 was the fourth warmest year of the country, with the last quarter of 2017 being the hottest since 1901. In the beginning of the 20th century, India, a British colony then, suffered from significant climate change marked by severe droughts and famines, which were further fueled by fatal British economic policies. Notably, India’s economic backwardness wasn’t due to any niggardliness of geography, but was rather anthropogenic. There was no […]
Protectionism, Migration and Environment
In recent times there has been a rise of protectionist policies and revisionist states. Democracies have increasingly being voting for nationalist leaders, in order to escape globalization and its extended upshots — increased immigration, unemployment, job competition, better revenues etc. However, one should remember globalization has been taking place for eons of centuries and it is here to stay. Simply closing your economy, enhancing tariffs or plugging the migration trend will not help. With technological advancements and innovations, the world is interconnected and interdependent more than ever. Established trade links, or formation of new ones for that matter, serve as […]
Migration & Geopolitics
Migration crisis has been trending across the continents today, with Europe being the most visible and calamitous to a certain extent. Migration as such in itself is deeply intertwined with geopolitics— an arena where it brings out the political and geographical factors at play. It also brings out the various ambiguities, inconsistencies in the ideologies or frictions in the very social fabric— which are well expressed through organizational outfits, States or individuals. The very idea of migration as a novel concept in contemporary times is at odds with the global history of colonization, trade, employment etc. This phenomenon can be […]
Opium and Geopolitics
Opium poppies have been of much value to the world since the neo—lithic age. Today though it acts as a gargantuan ulcer in the belly of the very earth, dismantling regimes and transforming the power dynamics. It has the ability to support both—State and Non-State actors. If earlier, they were cultivated for food, anesthesia, and ritual purposes today it is a powerful mechanism for the transfer and control of wealth, power, terror and governance. This is especially true in Asia and Europe with the famed drug—led “Opium Wars” between Britain and China. Back in the 19th century, the balance of […]