Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development: The Global and Indian Perspective

The paper aims to discuss about the historic trend of global warming and greenhouse gas emission since the late 18th century due to widespread use of fossil fuels and industrial processes. This paper provides an overview of rise of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), and other gases and their contribution in warming the global temperature in the prior and later period of industrial revolution. Highlighting the relationship between greenhouse gas emission and human activities that has resulted in significant challenges to the global ecosystems that includes severe and frequent heatwaves, altered precipitation patterns, melting of glaciers, rising of sea level, along with the backward economies facing disproportionate risks and challenges in water resources, food scarcity due to draughts and high temperature as well as health issues due to low productivity and slow development. Hence, considering the problems faced by the societies worldwide, it is essential to have cooperative strategies with local, national and international agencies to implement effective mitigation measures and adaptation schemes so that the societies could foster resilience, mitigate risks and work towards a sustainable future.