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A host of environmental issues will be under the scanner on February 27, 2025, the second day of the Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2025.
These include urban heat and warm nights, climate insurance, the health of the soil, the State of States and a conversation with acclaimed author Ramchandra Guha.
A warming planet means that our nights are becoming hotter. The impact of this, especially on urban areas in India will be up for discussion in the first session on Day 2.
As per a study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health. three years back, the risk of death from excessively hot nights could increase nearly six-fold by the end of the century.
Sweltering nights may interrupt the normal physiology of sleep. A disrupted sleeping pattern can damage the immune system and lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic illnesses, inflammation and mental health conditions, findings of the study warned.
Also to be discussed is whether insurance can keep pace with the increasing impact and scale of increasing weather.
A second major discussion on day 2 will revolve around soil health.
In August 2023, researchers in the US published a study in the journal Scientific Reports, which for the first time conducts a large-scale evaluation of the relationship between the availability of micronutrients in the soil and nutritional status of people in India.
They found that districts where soil zinc availability was low had significantly higher rates of stunting (when a child has low height for their age) and underweight conditions (low weight per age).
They also found clear association between soil iron availability and anaemia.
In the afternoon, Rajit Sengupta and Kiran Pandey from Down To Earth and Centre for Science (CSE) and Environment will present the State of States.
India, like the rest of the world, has spent the past decade striving to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—a blueprint for a better, more sustainable future. The country has focused on localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and integrating them with flagship government schemes. But where does India truly stand? The State of States will answer these questions.
The evening will see Richard Mahapatra, Managing Editor, DTE, in conversation with author Ramchandra Guha.
The Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2025 is an annual conclave of journalists from India who write on environment and development issues. Over 80 journalists from across the country are participating in this one-of-its-kind platform, organised every year by CSE at its facility, the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute, located in Nimli, Rajasthan.