'Speed up development of alternative energy to combat climate change'

An accelerated growth in the development of alternate energy sources will better prepare India to brace against climate change, experts said on Friday.

At a panel discussion on 'Climate Risk and Security' here, Atomic Energy Commission's former chairman Anil Kakodkar said: "Climate risk is important to understand for countries like India, where both development deficits and development aspirations are very large.

"India must aim to accelerate its development which would in turn increase its ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change better," he said, impressing the need for India to be "aware and prepared for extreme climate impacts which could lead to sea level rise, floods, storms, shrinking landmass and migrating populations".

Qi Ye, the director of Brookings-Tsinghua Centre for Public Policy in Beijing, called for India and China to look beyond the border dispute and work in tandem to comabt the menace of climate change.

"India and China have significantly improved their human development index in the last decade. But a rise in the global temperature over 2.5 degrees would lead to a lot of social unrest, economic downturn, and military intervention in the region (Asia).

"That's the point to realise that we have to work together. This cooperation between the two countries is important," he said.

Organised by Council on Energy, Environment and Water, the discussion was part of a multi-country effort to reflect on key questions around future climate pathway, said a release by CEEW.