View of PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

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ACCENT JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS ECOLOGY & ENGINEERING Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in Vol. 01, Issue 08, December 2016, ISSN No.-2456-1037 (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL)

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PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Dr. Bhavana Trivedi, Associate Professor,

Department of Political Science, Arya Mahila P.G. College, BHU, Varanasi Today Environmental Contamination,

climate change and loss of biodiversity are biggest threats worldwide. In this direction, several policies and programmes have been initiated and proceeded for the environmental security of the planet earth. But due to the lack of implementation of sustainable developmental policies by almost all the nations of the world, less commitment of world leaders towards this issue and the politics involved in dealing with environmental problems, the situation became worsen day by day.

There is an urgent need to establish eco-democracy at global level based on sustainable development and justiciable distribution of natural resources to all. Environmental Problems facing the world are certainly no longer restricted to the geographical boundaries of nations. The examples of cross boundary environmental threats may be seen as chemicals and gases produced on one continent can decrease stratospheric ozone on the other part.

Similarly the discharge of carbon dioxide in any part of the world be it America or Europe, Asia or Africa accelerate global warming and climate change in the whole globe. In the present paper an effort has been made to study analyze the political dynamics of environmental challenges and issues in international perspectives. The international perspective of the political dynamics related to environmental issues may be summarized as under:-

1. Lack of Appropriate Global Strategy,

2. The politics of Northern Nations, 3. Waste Dumping in the Third World

by Developed Nations,

4. Damages Caused by Use of Chemical Weapons,

5. Controversy Related to Biodiversity,

6. Need to Ensure Environmental Security Etc.

1. LACK OF APPROPRIATE GLOBAL STRATEGY

There is a lack of global strategy on the ecological management due to the feeling

of non-cooperation among nations. The protection of common natural resources is the essential responsibility of all sovereign nations of the world but it is ironical that almost none is positive in undertaking unilateral efforts without being aware of the neighboring nations’ intensions and willingness in the matter of multilateral safeguarding of the natural resources of the earth.

It is noticeable in various studies conducted on the subject that most of the countries are not ready to minimize their pollution generating practices be it technological or industrial and presenting their argument that it would hamper their developmental process which would cost them heavily. Policymakers are often disinclined to undertake environmental measures to protect the international environment.

They want to be absolutely sure that their neighbors will undertake the same sets of measures. Consequently, no collectively decided green-agenda could be prepared to protect the earth till date. The decision of States to back out of the crucial global warming Kyoto Treaty (1997) was a atrocious step and was an example of global non-cooperation.

2. THE POLITICS OF NORTHERN NATIONS

The politics as well as economics involved in dealing with the environmental issues at international level is also one of the major barriers in protection of the global environment. In this connection the policies of eco-imperialism which includes technology transfer from North nations to South nations also causes threat to environmental protection. The northern nations of the World are economically and technologically prosperous relatively.

They desire to have an upper hand over the less-technologically-developed nations of the southern region by using their technology as a ‘political weapon’ for making several political gains with the less-developed nations. They use it as Intellectual Property Right and argue that technological development should be treated as commercial activity and those countries who want to utilize it, must pay

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2 for it. It is an example of deliberate ‘Eco- Imperialism’ imposed by northern nations on the southern nations.

The two-third population of the world, already under the serious pressures of debt and conditions imposed by World Bank, IMF, and their own growing population and property, have a connotatiofear that the matter of environment may be instrumental in the enforcement of eco-imperialism by the developed nations who will command them to follow the social and economic policies of the former. These is also a difference of opinion seen between the North and the South over the subjects like ‘environmental protection and regeneration funds’.

The southern nations claim that funds should not be treated as ‘aid’ but are more like ‘taxes on over- consumption of the rich nations and the environmental lattice created by them. The contention of developing nation is that the north nations have used the life-sustaining resources for making their lavish life- styles by allocating greater share of the natural resources which is a ‘common property’ of mankind but the north is not readily accepting this on the grounds that the south is also involved. Overall the whole issue has generated on going heated arguments and counter arguments.

3. WASTE DUMPING IN THE THIRD WORLD BY DEVELOPED NATIONS The dumping of the waste in the third world by developed nations is also causing ecological challenges to these countries. The rich and developed countries of the north have a tendency to dump their hazardous wastes in the name of so called ‘imported items’ into the poor nations. They transfer obsolete technologies and agricultural fertilizers to these countries.

The developing countries of the south having little expertise accept technological support and financial assistant from the north to fight against property and underdevelopment. Political scientists argued that inequality has affected the environmental security of the globe in general when the poor will overuse and degrade local environmental resources in the ways that wreak negative effects on everyone, rich or poor.

The marginalized people use the natural resources for their survival of livelihood which results in increase deforestation, soil erosion, and depletion of farm land adding to global environmental pressures. This is the diplomacy of rich countries to establish their intellectual superiority. It is unfortunate that they have less interest to look in to the problems of the third world countries. The couriers of these pseudo- useful things are the multinational corporations and transnational corporations.

In international area the non concerning role of multinational corporations which are dumping things from one country from another is also a considerable issue while describing challenges related to international environmental issues. Multinational corporations have largely played a low profile role in international policy debates.

Environmental legislation plays a minor role in influencing Multinational corporation’s decisions about foreign investment and the choice of location for overseas operations.

4. DAMAGES CAUSED BY USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

During the cold war period in international politics, environmental damages have also been caused by aggressive militarization and use of chemical weapons in war in many countries of the world. The military conflicts in the Central American Countries, the Middle East and in several Asians nations including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka also harmed to the human environment.

The activities terrorism during last two decades and dangers of bio-terrorism posed serious challenges to sustain environment. The Gulf War over Kuwait in 1991 destructed large oil spills and extensive fires in 613 oil mills of Kuwait which burnt about 4 to 8 million barrels of oil everyday and caused massive clouds of smoke and toxic gaseous emission.

Nearly 1-2 million tones of green-house gas carbon dioxide emitted everyday, together with amounts of sulfur and nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and organic compounds,

It not only damaged natural resources but also distressed world peace and harmony. Militarization has negative

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3 impact as it has diverted considerable human development to unproductive rather destructive purpose. In this connection one more problem needs attention that the process of militarization is adversely affecting the developmental growth of developing nations as they in their national budget, instead of allocation money to rural development schemes, are contributing a large part of the budget in purchasing arms and ammunition.

Since 1970 the world has spent approximately US $17 million on military activities. The developing nations have been spending a large share of annual national budget on making and buying better arms. The competitive arms race is on account of the bare subsistence of the rural masses in the developing countries, which is leaving huge amounts of debts for the future generation to pay. This military advancement is also a forewarning of the skulking dangers on flora, fauna and personae.

5. CONTROVERSY RELATED TO BIODIVERSITY

The socio-political implications of the use and conservation of biodiversity in developed vis-à-vis developing countries is another relevant standpoint in international environmental politics which has determinedly influenced the biodiversity of third world countries.

Biodiversity of developing nations is greatest treasure not only for them but for the whole world. The agriculture scientists and environmental scientists visualize that future of world economy and trade will depend on the capability of the soil to produce wide varieties of crops, cereals during different seasons.

They opine that in future these biologically rich countries will cater to the needs and demands of the world. They may use it as ‘political weapon’ for political bargains with the developed world. But the biggest hurdle in front of the ‘gene-rich’ developing nations is that they need political solidarity in order to put their demands. Several gene-rich countries including India share a considerable part of its biodiversity with neighboring countries in south-east Asia.

The natural resources of these countries adjoin the political boundaries of its neighboring countries. For example several species of plants are found in

south-east Asia countries and those stirring in the eastern Himalayas are found in Myanmar and China. In this situation the difficulty occurs that which country alone would receive the benefit.

Biodiversity gives’ sovereign rights’ to the poor developing countries of the South on their tropical forest and its genetic resources.

This means that the south nations including India and other countries of the sub-continent can legitimately state reasonable returens for the use of their biodiversity by the developing nations.

During the last decades the colonial and neo-colonial aperture in the rich countries of north particularly, have been rewarding them in the field of food becoming an experimental ground for the North’s genetically engineered monster. In this situation there is the need of an international legal and political instrument in the form of convention called ‘Bio-safety Protocol’.

6. NEED TO ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY

There is a stressing demand to develop the concept of environmental security by the political scientists and scholars of international relations across the world.

They emphasized to develop a new paradigm focusing on the idea of

‘comprehensive security’ which includes national security along with environmental security. Scholars view that the existing concept of national security should be supportive of environmental issues.

It is the high time for all the nations of the world to include the new paradigm of national security in policy making and its implementation.

Environmental security is unavoidable today since it affects the security of all nations, irrespective in the form of treaties, conventions and protocols has been signed time to time between countries of the world for the protection of environment and banning of trade in wildlife, for the protection of deprave pollution of seas and several other environmental problems.

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