'Must have political will for climate change mitigation'

AL Purush (Waterman of India), Dr Rajendra Singh, the renowned river rejuvenator and environmentalist and recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize and Earth Repair Award, tells Harpreet Bajwa that political will is needed to implement adaptation and mitigation policies for climate change, besides putting in place early warning systems.

- AL Purush (Waterman of India), Dr Rajendra Singh,

Excerpts:

Is this a climate emergency, given the recent extreme weather events?

This is a climate emergency created by our education system. Our system has various definitions of development. This development led to the displacement of our natural knowledge system, followed by destruction and disaster. This disaster and its impact on the education system are causing cloud bursts and heavy rainfall in the Himalayan region. I am in the highest regions in Leh, and one can see the effects of climate change. So, there is an increase in climate refugees. People from the Himalayan region are migrating to cities as concrete constructions are now being built in this region.

Do you think the events of the recent past has fast-forwarded climate change?