National Webinar on Covid19 & Climate Change: Challenges and Responses was held on 3rd December 2020 at 2:00pm by Nagaland State Climate Change Cell, NASTEC.NASTEC, an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology conducted which comprised a panel of expertise and resource persons, State Nodal Officer, IDSP, Climate Change & Human Health, Health & Family Welfare Department, Nagaland, Dr. Nyan Kikon, Senior Fellow Climate Change, M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, Prof. T. Jayaraman and CCF& State Nodal Officer for Climate Change, Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Supongukshi, IFS.
During the discussion, Dr. Nyan Kikon mentioned that the current pandemic crisis, like any other crisis, offers an opportunity for the people to regain a sense of shared humanity where everyone realises that things that matter most to us, like health and safety of our loved ones and the extension of health and safety of our loved ones in the community will reflect how we can give back to the coming generations. He also said that the global pandemic illustrates how inequality is a major barrier in ensuring health and wellbeing of the people and how social and economic inequalities materialises in unequal access to health care system.
Prof. T. Jayaraman, from the perspectives of environmental/climate point of view stated that the COVID19 virus is not essential to the wellbeing of humans. Whereas in regard to green house gas (GHG) emissions, until there is an alternative, there is no way that the contemporary world can function. He also said that the Covid virus is an intruder into the lives of human society which needs to be eradicated, but to completely eradicate GHG emissions would be impossible. He further mentioned that once the vaccine for Covid19 is discovered, the threat will recede. On the other hand, with climate change, there is a side which is positive and it is tied to our economic well-being but also since global warming is a threat to everyone, we need to ensure a balance in the environment.
Supongukshi stated that there has been a huge difference in the environment. Without the intervention of humans, nature has its own way to regenerate. However the improvement in the environment which resulted from Covid19 response may be reversed by rapid expansion of polluting economic activities, unless there is a focus to promote environmental health climate change will gradually increase and it will pose as a threat to everything and everyone.
In their concluding remarks, the resource persons mentioned that there is no evidence of a direct connection between climate change and transmission of Covid19.However, climate change may indirectly affect the covid 19 response as it undermines environmental determinants of health, and places additional stress on health systems. Strengthening health systems and greater protection of biodiversity and natural environment may help reducing the risks of future outbreaks of diseases.
(Takumpula Longkumer, IA)