Claude Arpi | Planet In Trouble: Climate Risks Are Ignored Amid Push for ‘Development’

On January 7, 2025, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale occurred in the Tingri district of Tibet’s Shigatse prefecture. Reports stated that between 126 and 400 people lost their lives and 338 people were injured. It was also felt in Nepal, where 13 people lost their lives.

Wikipedia says that the Tibetan plateau’s high elevation was due to crustal thickening resulting from the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian plate, forming the Himalayas.

On December 8, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Japan, injuring 20 people and triggering tsunami warnings. He first warned that a 10-foot tsunami could hit the coast of Japan; but later lowered the level of its warnings.

A few days later, India Today asked: “Should India prepare for the Great Himalayan Earthquake?”

This is a “hypothetical, massive seismic event that could occur along the Main Himalayan Thrust, a major fault line that runs beneath the Himalayas.

It is a fact that the Indian tectonic plate is slowly and continuously pushing under the Eurasian plate, creating tremendous tension over the centuries.

Referring to the 1934 Bihar-Nepal earthquake (8.0) and the 2015 Nepal earthquake (7.8), the article said: “When this stress finally breaks, it could trigger an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher, which could devastate much of northern India, Nepal and adjacent regions.”

National Seismology Center director Dr. Om Prakash Mishra says this “seismic creep” stress introduced through small tremors can act as a natural safety valve.

A study published in the journal Down to Earth talked about glacial earthquakes that occur when large icebergs capsize as they break away from the main glaciers. More than 360 seismic events are detected in Antarctica that could lead to rapid rise in sea levels between 2010 and 2023; Because these icequakes do not follow seasonal temperature patterns, they trigger large chunks of ice to fall from glaciers into the sea.

When these icebergs capsize, they produce “strong mechanical ground vibrations, or seismic waves.”

The world today is undoubtedly in turmoil: some events are “natural” but most are man-made (like the pollution in Delhi). Environmental problems are ignored for the sake of “development”. When will the world realize that “climate change” is real and that we need to act accordingly?

In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping told 2,300 delegates at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing: “We must be prepared for worst-case scenarios and be ready to withstand high winds, turbulent waters and even dangerous storms.” Even though he talks about politics, this also applies to the environment.

Besides the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the first major casualty on the planet was the environment.

There are hundreds of examples: Greenland’s ice sheet is melting faster and faster. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the ice sheet continues to lose mass despite above-average winter snow accumulation: It lost nearly 350 trillion pounds of mass between August 2022 and September 2023. Let’s not forget that the melting of the Greenland ice sheet is the second largest contributor to sea level rise.

A report by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, a network of senior policy experts working with governments, agrees that mountainous regions such as the Himalayas face the most severe impacts of climate change. Beyond a two-degree Celsius increase, the Earth would experience a “catastrophic loss” of mountain glaciers, snow, sea ice and permafrost, the report said.

This does not mean that world leaders are not warned by hard facts and scientific reports. North Sikkim experiences severe Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) every year; In 2023, South Lhonak Lake, located at an altitude of 17,000 feet, experienced a rupture due to continuous rains. As a result, water gushed into the downstream areas, causing floods in the Teesta River. This incident resulted in the breach of the Chungthang hydro-dam in the Teesta in North Sikkim, leading to numerous casualties.

A scientific report published by Nature in January 2023 explained: “Worldwide, since 1990, the number and size of glacial lakes have increased rapidly along with downstream populations, while socio-economic vulnerability has decreased.”

American TV’s Weather Channel suggests that India faces the biggest challenge and health problems caused by climate change: “Long summers, unpredictable rains, floods, droughts and rising sea levels are the harsh realities of climate change in the country. These factors are increasing the frequency and severity of diseases, pushing people into poverty and forcing migration.”

In Awantipora, J&K, renowned earth scientist and vice-chancellor of Islamic University of Science and Technology Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo noted: “Kolahoi Glacier [in Kashmir] It has been declining rapidly over the last few decades.” Scientific observations show that it lost almost 30 percent of its area between 1992 and 2025, marking the highest recession in the last decade.

Not to mention the high atmospheric pollution in major cities that will lead to millions of casualties in the long run. For this reason, politicians are quick to place the blame on neighboring states or individuals.

The year 2026 will probably see more natural disasters, disasters and tragedies. Recall that two years ago, the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand collapsed simply because proper environmental studies were not carried out. This will continue as long as we worship only one god, namely progress, and forget to bow to another goddess, Mother Nature.

If the former continues to be privileged, the latter will react and this will have dire consequences for the human race.

A little light at the end of the tunnel: A few months ago, a group of senior citizens, including Dr Murli Mahohar Joshi and Dr Karan Singh, wrote a letter to the then Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, seeking a review of the 2021 Supreme Court order allowing the 825-kilometre Char Dham road expansion project in Uttarakhand. But will their voices be heard? Probably not.

Claude Arpi is Distinguished Fellow of the Center of Excellence for Himalayan Studies at the Shiv Nadar Institute of Distinction (Delhi) and writes on India, China, Tibet and Indo-French relations