TESTING TIMES

Making Peace with
Nature to address
environmental
emergencies
Dr. Dina Nath Tewari
Nature provides the foundation
for human existence and
prosperity, but humanity is
waging war on it resulting in planetary
crises, among others, (a.o),
the climate change, biodiversity
loss, pollution and COVID-19. The
Nature, Natural systems and the
Natural resources are interlinked,
interdependent, and are nested, occupying
the biggest space by nature,
medium level space by natural systems
and small space by natural resources.
They are also interchangeably
referred to in this paper.
Several reports provide unequivocal
and alarming evidence that the
planet is flashing red warning signs
of natural systems failure. The way
we produce and consume food and
energy, along with the blatant disregard
for the environment entrenched
in our current economic model, has
pushed nature to its limits. The consequences
of our recklessness are
apparent in human suffering together
with towering economic losses.
Making peace with nature is the
defining task of the coming decades.
We still have a chance to put things
in the right perspective. It’s time for
the world to agree on a “New Deal
for Nature and People”, committing
to stop and reverse the degeneration
of natural systems and build a nature
– positive economy and society
with peace and justice.
By recognising it’s true value of
nature in policies, plans and economic
systems, we can channel investments
in activities that restore
nature and enhance resilience and
long term sustainability. Urgency
and ambition are needed to transform
various systems, including
how we produce and consume food,
sustainably manage water, provide
sanitation, and manage forests, bio-
20 July 2021
Opinion Express