Climate change will hit poor worst: World Bank enviromentalist

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) Stress on economic development without addressing environmental concerns could be a self-defeating exercise, and impact the poor, especially in India, a leading Wotld Bank environmentalist warned.

''The very purpose of economic growth would be defeated if the climate variability factor was not integrated with the development paradigms. The climate change in the country would deprive the poor of the fruits of development,'' Bilal H Rahill told UNI.

He noted that an increase in temperature would reduce potential gain yields in most places across India. Meanwhile, uneven distribution of water resources across the country skews the water availability, already a scarcer commodity than ever before, he added.

Noting that vulnerability of agriculture to climate change did not merely depend on the physiological response of the crop but also on the ability of socio-economic-political systems of production to cope with climate-induced changes and extreme events, Mr Rahill said that limited options for livelihood diversification, the farmers' heavy reliance on natural factors, and the lack of complementary inputs and institutional support system restrict adaptability.

However, he was confident that the communities could develop strategies on their own. ''Necessity is mother of invention.

Adaptation may be a new concept but has been an old practice,'' he said.

UNI SSS VD BD1850