New Delhi: A top climate scientist today asked India to adopt sustainable ways of farming which is under pressure due to water crisis caused by global warming.
UN Secretary General's Special Advisor Jeffrey D Sach also underlined the need for adopting green technology to deal with the issue of climate change in various sectors including agriculture.
"Indian agriculture specially under pressure of climate change is not sustainable in its current orientation. In vast part of India, the water table is dropping," Sach, who is also
director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University whereeconomists and scientists work together on environment and social issues, said.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit along with TERI Director General R K Pachauri, Sach blamed regulation and lack of knowledge for non-adoption of green technology that is cheaper than the current technology.
He said Green technology may be found "more expensive in terms of market price but is less expensive in terms of social cost."
Sach said developing nations like India and China will be at the centre of challenge and action on sustainable development which should be given paramount importance given the current global environmental conditions.
"I don't think the agenda on development should be pushed any more to the side. Asia, meaning India and China, will be at the centre of this drama given the rapid growth in the
economy, the central role that India and China play in technological growth and the sheer size of the population meaning almost 40 per cent of the world's population," he said.
The three-day summit which concluded here today had representatives including global leaders and policy makers from across 29 countries who pledged to protect the global commons and adopt sustainable methods.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 04, 2012, 23:40