KumKum Dasgupta is with the opinion section of Hindustan Times. She writes on education, environment, gender, urbanisation and civil society.
.
Articles by KumKum Dasgupta
Policies and People | Why businesses should care about biodiversity
As ecosystems decline, businesses face significant risks, including higher raw material costs and a backlash from consumers and investors
Updated on Mar 21, 2023 07:43 AM IST
Policies and People | Solar: India doing well, but states must address barriers
Karnataka and Gujarat are making the most progress in preparedness and commitment to the transition to clean electricity. Laggard states need to shape up.
Published on Mar 09, 2023 06:41 PM IST
Policies and People | As the world heats up, can district cooling be a solution?
Increasing demand for individual cooling contributes to the climate crisis by emitting large amounts of planet-warming gases. In such a scenario, can district cooling networks provide a sustainable cooling solution?
Published on Feb 10, 2023 04:06 PM IST
Policies and People | Solar Decathlon India: Pushing real estate to go green
The decarbonisation of the real estate sector is key for India to attain its net-zero goals. But India doesn’t have enough workers to design and build climate-resilient buildings. Solar Decathlon India trying to bridge this gap.
Updated on Feb 06, 2023 10:37 AM IST
Policies and People | Joshimath crisis: Invest in mountain-specific planning
There is an urgent need to develop land-use planning guidelines for mountain areas at the state-level, and raise public awareness about risks associated with urban development in ecologically fragile areas
Updated on Jan 13, 2023 08:28 PM IST
Policies and People | Heritage conservation can drive climate action
The Roxburgh Project envisages restoring and sustainably rehabilitating an ensemble of heritage buildings in the 273-acre gardens and utilise the historic gardens as a lab for climate crisis awareness and environmental education.
Published on Dec 08, 2022 07:10 PM IST
Policies and People | Water is key to climate action. Prioritise it
The world needs to get water-smart. Everyone has a role to play, and there is no time to lose in a climate crisis-hit world
Updated on Dec 02, 2022 02:38 PM IST
Policies and People | Why COP27 is important for COP15
Scientific studies have shown that the climate crisis and biodiversity loss are connected. If the world doesn’t have successful outcomes at COP27, it will find it challenging to achieve the aims of the UN Biodiversity Conference (aka CBD COP15) to be held next month in Montreal
Published on Nov 18, 2022 04:13 PM IST
Policies and People | As COP 27 begins, the Asian solar sector shines bright
India, China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam are among the top 10 countries with the highest solar capacity in 2021. A decade ago, only two Asian countries made it to the list.
Published on Nov 10, 2022 07:18 PM IST
Policies and People | Is the wildlife act criminalising forest communities?
The Wild Life Protection Act of 1972 is 50 years old, and changes are in the offing. A new working paper evaluating the law's impact says it has criminalised the lives and livelihoods of Dalits, Adivasis, Bahujan, and Vimukta communities. The final report will be out in November.
Published on Oct 28, 2022 04:40 PM IST
Policies and People | How Pune and Dhaka are tackling the climate emergency
The two winners of the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards focus on immediate climate action illustrate the power of cities to be doers, not delayers, setting a new level of ambition.
Updated on Oct 21, 2022 05:38 PM IST
Policies and People | Mumbai-Doon: Why this green warrior is on a 2000-km yatra
Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri awardee and well-known environmentalist Anil Joshi is on a seven-state, 40-day cycle yatra, and he has one message: India must find the right balance between pragati (development) and prakriti (nature)
Published on Oct 13, 2022 08:13 PM IST
Policies and People | How AI is helping India’s poor become climate-resilient
Heatwaves are becoming frequent and intense in India. SEEDS, a non-profit, and Microsoft have developed an AI model that processes large volumes of data to provide risk information at a hyper-local level to vulnerable communities
Published on Sep 22, 2022 06:53 PM IST
Policies and People | Controlling stray dog population: Vadodara shows the way
India has the largest number of strays worldwide, thanks to a lack of sustained and well-executed sterilisation programmes. A project in Vadodara shows a way to control the population in a humane and legal manner. Other cities must take note
Updated on Sep 18, 2022 11:05 AM IST
Policies and People | Green finance: Miles to go and promises to keep
Green finance flows are falling far short of India’s current needs. In 2019/ 2020, tracked green finance was ₹309 thousand crore ($44 billion) per annum, approximately a fourth of India’s needs, says a new report
Updated on Sep 12, 2022 12:28 PM IST
Policies and People | Why you should worry about sand mining
From glass to urban infrastructure, from silicon chips to food and pharmaceutical products, sand has been used in mind-numbing volumes. It is the second most resource worldwide, and is being used faster than it can be naturally replenished.
Updated on Sep 01, 2022 05:17 PM IST
Policies and People | Don’t destroy the Himalayas for tourism gains
Earlier this week, the Uttarakhand High Court stopped the state’s ambitious proposal to open 40 mountains and trails for trekkers. This decision sends out the right signal
Updated on Sep 12, 2022 06:50 PM IST
Policies and People | To save forests, protect those who guard them
A parliamentary panel report has recommended State awards, better salaries, and proper amenities for forest guards. The central and state governments must take note and act quickly
Updated on Sep 12, 2022 06:48 PM IST
Policies and People | Step up efforts to rescue SDGs
The world is at the midway point of a 14-year-long effort to achieve the transformative 2030 Agenda of sustainable development. A new UN report on the progress of SDGs paints a sobering picture
Updated on Jul 15, 2022 01:08 PM IST
Policies and People | Don't blame only the monsoons for landslides
With the monsoon entering the northern part of India, the season of landslides has started. But it would be unfair to blame heavy rains for these disasters. We are to blame too
Updated on Jul 20, 2022 03:43 PM IST
Policies and People | Urban farming improves climate resilience
With massive urbanisation and a growing population, fertile lands are diminishing every day. Urban agriculture increases access to healthy, affordable, fresh produce, and also prevents over-heating of urban environments
Updated on Jul 02, 2022 12:13 PM IST
Policies and People | Cheetahs in Kuno: Who gains, who loses
The cheetah introduction plan has sparked a controversy. While eventually, everything may fall in place, there is no harm in answering the project-related questions from scientists and conservationists
Updated on Jun 24, 2022 03:53 PM IST
Policies and People | Climate misinformation: A clear and present danger
There is clear evidence of the challenge, and the failure to stem mis- and disinformation online has allowed junk science, climate delayism, and attacks on climate figures to become mainstream. Governments, regulators, and the media must stem the tide.
Updated on Jun 18, 2022 12:20 AM IST
Policies and People | The Kedarnath garbage dump photo should be a wake-up call
With increasing urbanisation and tourism in the Himalayas, the harmful impacts of growing volumes of unmanaged waste are growing. Decentralised waste management is the way forward
Updated on Jun 04, 2022 11:54 AM IST
Policies and People | Involve local communities in river-cleaning programmes
It will help foster broader environmental concerns among the general public, subsequently creating pressure to comply with environmental laws and regulations.
Published on May 19, 2022 02:20 PM IST
Policies and People | Involve students in monitoring climate crisis impacts
Children worldwide have inherited a problem that is not of their making. There's still time to turn things around, but we must act now. Educational institutions in Kerala show the way
Updated on May 05, 2022 04:39 PM IST
Polices and People | Earth Day 2022: India needs a water literacy movement
Begin a large-scale campaign to make citizens aware of India’s strong legacy of water conservation, build their capacity to protect local traditional water harvesting systems, and encourage them to take up water conservation.
Published on Apr 21, 2022 05:22 PM IST
Policies and People | Invest in cool roofs to beat the extreme heat challenge
Cool roofs reflect sunlight and absorb less heat. Depending on the setting, cool roofs can help keep indoor temperatures lower by 2 to 5°C. They must be mainstreamed into state and city heat action planning
Updated on Apr 15, 2022 12:15 PM IST
Policies and People: How India is learning to manage its waste
While waste management is a huge challenge, many cities have shown progress by implementing robust models of service delivery coupled with innovative initiatives
Updated on Mar 31, 2022 08:25 PM IST
Policies and People | Are marine heatwaves affecting India’s monsoons?
Research by Indian scientists shows there is a close link between marine heatwaves and atmospheric circulation and rainfall. To soften the impact of these changes, India must scale up its observation capacity and climate resilience efforts
Updated on Mar 25, 2022 06:22 PM IST