THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE CHANGING ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN THE ENGINEERS IN THE

EMERGING GEO-STRATEGIC EMERGING GEO-STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT

LT COL K C MONNAPPALT COL K C MONNAPPAMA in Social Work (DU)MA in Social Work (DU)Sustainable Development (CEU-Hungary)Sustainable Development (CEU-Hungary)Lead Auditor ISO 140001 Env StdLead Auditor ISO 140001 Env Std

““Human progress is neither automatic nor Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. We are faced now with the factinevitable. We are faced now with the factthat tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfoldingfierce urgency of now. In this unfoldingconundrum of life and history there is such a thing conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late…We mayas being too late…We maycry out desperately for time to pause in her cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is deaf to every plea andpassage, but time is deaf to every plea andrushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations areresidues of numerous civilizations arewritten the pathetic words: Too late.”written the pathetic words: Too late.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. ‘Where do we go from here: ‘Where do we go from here: chaos or community’chaos or community’

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

ENVIRONMENT – A FUTURE ENVIRONMENT – A FUTURE SECURITY THREATSECURITY THREAT

Environment – A Future Security Environment – A Future Security ThreatThreat

HUMAN SECURITY WILL BE THE MAIN CASUALTY AS HUMAN SECURITY WILL BE THE MAIN CASUALTY AS DAMAGE TO THE ECOSYSTEM DELIVERS A MAJOR BLOW DAMAGE TO THE ECOSYSTEM DELIVERS A MAJOR BLOW TO VULNERABLE ECONOMIC SECTORS. TO VULNERABLE ECONOMIC SECTORS. DISPARITIES WOULD INTENSIFY. DISPARITIES WOULD INTENSIFY. THE SPECTER OF RESOURCE CONFLICTS, FAILED THE SPECTER OF RESOURCE CONFLICTS, FAILED STATES, LARGE-SCALE MIGRATIONS, GROWING STATES, LARGE-SCALE MIGRATIONS, GROWING EXTREMISM, AND HIGHER FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY EXTREMISM, AND HIGHER FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS HELPS UNDERSCORE OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS HELPS UNDERSCORE THE HUMAN SECURITY COSTS.THE HUMAN SECURITY COSTS.

Environment – A Future Security Environment – A Future Security ThreatThreat

HIGHER FREQUENCY OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS HIGHER FREQUENCY OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS AND A RISE IN OCEAN LEVELS ARE LIKELY TO SPUR AND A RISE IN OCEAN LEVELS ARE LIKELY TO SPUR GREATER INTERSTATE AND INTRASTATE MIGRATION — GREATER INTERSTATE AND INTRASTATE MIGRATION — ESPECIALLY, THE POOR AND VULNERABLE — FROM ESPECIALLY, THE POOR AND VULNERABLE — FROM DELTA AND COASTAL REGIONS TO THE HINTERLAND. DELTA AND COASTAL REGIONS TO THE HINTERLAND. SUCH AN INFLUX OF OUTSIDERS MAY PROVOKE A SUCH AN INFLUX OF OUTSIDERS MAY PROVOKE A BACKLASH THAT STRAINS INTERNAL AND REGIONAL BACKLASH THAT STRAINS INTERNAL AND REGIONAL SECURITY. SECURITY. INDIA, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD FACE A HUGE REFUGEE INDIA, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD FACE A HUGE REFUGEE INFLUX FROM THE WORLD’S SEVENTH MOST POPULOUS INFLUX FROM THE WORLD’S SEVENTH MOST POPULOUS COUNTRY, BANGLADESH, WHICH IS ALREADY LOSING COUNTRY, BANGLADESH, WHICH IS ALREADY LOSING LAND TO SALTWATER INCURSION. LAND TO SALTWATER INCURSION.

Environment – A Future Security Environment – A Future Security ThreatThreat

DAMAGE TO THE ECOSYSTEM IS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY DAMAGE TO THE ECOSYSTEM IS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY INTERSTATE AND INTRASTATE COMPETITION OVER INTERSTATE AND INTRASTATE COMPETITION OVER NATURAL RESOURCES. NATURAL RESOURCES. A NEW FORM OF WARFARE OVER WATER COULD A NEW FORM OF WARFARE OVER WATER COULD UNFOLD. FOR e.g. WITH ASIA AS THE HUB, GIVEN UNFOLD. FOR e.g. WITH ASIA AS THE HUB, GIVEN CHINA’S CONTROL OVER TIBET — THE SOURCE OF ALL CHINA’S CONTROL OVER TIBET — THE SOURCE OF ALL OF ASIA’S MAJOR RIVERS EXCEPT THE GANGES. OF ASIA’S MAJOR RIVERS EXCEPT THE GANGES. ACCELERATED MELTING OF GLACIERS AND MOUNTAIN ACCELERATED MELTING OF GLACIERS AND MOUNTAIN SNOWS WOULD AFFECT RIVER-WATER FLOWS. SNOWS WOULD AFFECT RIVER-WATER FLOWS. THOUGH HIGHER AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY THOUGH HIGHER AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO BRING MORE RAINFALL IN THE TROPICS.TO BRING MORE RAINFALL IN THE TROPICS.

NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGE

National Action Plan on Climate National Action Plan on Climate ChangeChange

PROTECTING THE POOR AND VULNERABLE SECTIONS PROTECTING THE POOR AND VULNERABLE SECTIONS OF SOCIETY THROUGH AN INCLUSIVE AND OF SOCIETY THROUGH AN INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, SENSITIVE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, SENSITIVE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. CLIMATE CHANGE. ACHIEVING NATIONAL GROWTH OBJECTIVES THROUGH ACHIEVING NATIONAL GROWTH OBJECTIVES THROUGH A QUALITATIVE CHANGE IN DIRECTION THAT ENHANCES A QUALITATIVE CHANGE IN DIRECTION THAT ENHANCES ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY, LEADING TO FURTHER ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY, LEADING TO FURTHER MITIGATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. MITIGATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. DEVISING EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES DEVISING EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR END USE DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT. FOR END USE DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT. DEPLOYING APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES FOR BOTH DEPLOYING APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES FOR BOTH ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION OF GREENHOUSE GASES ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION OF GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSIONS EXTENSIVELY AS WELL AS AT AN EMISSIONS EXTENSIVELY AS WELL AS AT AN ACCELERATED PACE. ACCELERATED PACE.

National Action Plan on Climate National Action Plan on Climate ChangeChange

ENGINEERING NEW AND INNOVATIVE FORMS OF ENGINEERING NEW AND INNOVATIVE FORMS OF MARKET, REGULATORY AND VOLUNTARY MECHANISMS MARKET, REGULATORY AND VOLUNTARY MECHANISMS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.EFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMMES EFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMMES THROUGH UNIQUE LINKAGES, INCLUDING WITH CIVIL THROUGH UNIQUE LINKAGES, INCLUDING WITH CIVIL SOCIETY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIETY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND THROUGH PUBLIC PRIVATE-PARTNERSHIP.THROUGH PUBLIC PRIVATE-PARTNERSHIP.WELCOMING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR WELCOMING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, SHARING AND TRANSFER RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, SHARING AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGIES ENABLED BY ADDITIONAL FUNDING OF TECHNOLOGIES ENABLED BY ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND A GLOBAL IPR REGIME THAT ENABLES AND A GLOBAL IPR REGIME THAT ENABLES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES UNDER THE UNFCCC.UNDER THE UNFCCC.

NATIONAL MISSIONSNATIONAL MISSIONS

National Missions National Missions NATIONAL SOLAR MISSIONNATIONAL SOLAR MISSIONNATIONAL MISSION FOR ENHANCED ENERGY NATIONAL MISSION FOR ENHANCED ENERGY EFFICIENCYEFFICIENCYNATIONAL MISSION ON SUSTAINABLE HABITATNATIONAL MISSION ON SUSTAINABLE HABITATNATIONAL WATER MISSIONNATIONAL WATER MISSIONNATIONAL MISSION FOR SUSTAINING THE NATIONAL MISSION FOR SUSTAINING THE HIMALAYAN ECOSYSTEMHIMALAYAN ECOSYSTEMNATIONAL MISSION FOR A "GREEN INDIA"NATIONAL MISSION FOR A "GREEN INDIA"NATIONAL MISSION FOR SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL MISSION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTUREAGRICULTURENATIONAL MISSION ON STRATEGIC NATIONAL MISSION ON STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE FOR CLIMATEKNOWLEDGE FOR CLIMATE

ROLE OF THE ENGINEERSROLE OF THE ENGINEERS

ROLE OF THE ENGINEERSROLE OF THE ENGINEERS

NON-MARGINAL CHANGES NON-MARGINAL CHANGES

SIGNIFICANT SHORT TERM COSTSSIGNIFICANT SHORT TERM COSTS

PRESSURE GROUP PRESSURE GROUP

PIVOTAL ROLE PIVOTAL ROLE

LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP

VISION VISION

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION