COVID-19, Climate Change and Environmental Governance

The world has endured an unexpected onslaught by the COVID-19 virus. The shock of the pandemic has been extremely unconventional in terms of its size and uncertainty, with its impact dependent on unpredictable factors like intensity of lockdowns, extent of supply chain disruptions alongside societal response to the associated public health measures. The pandemic has been unique in its wide-ranging effects on almost every section of the society. It has also tested the frontiers of medical science, which rose to the challenge by developing an effective vaccine within a year. The pandemic has threatened everything that was taken for granted, viz. mobility, safety, and a normal life itself. Climate change is a serious global environmental concern, which is primarily caused by the building up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. The accumulated scientific evidence clearly indicates that if the rate of GHG emissions is not reduced significantly, there will be a damaging effect on the global climate. Demographic expansion, over exploitation of natural resources, mega development projectswith least concern for sustainability and conservationhave greatly affected the environment. The pandemic has also proved as a blessing in disguise. NASAs images of earth taken from the satellites reflected an unexpectedly low level of pollution. Due to slowdown in economic activities, air and water became clean, and birds and animals got a chance to explore their lost spaces. The pandemic is a reminder that public and planetary health issues are intimately connected. This book contains 8 papers, authored by experts in the field of philosophy, psychology, engineering, rural development, and economics. This multi-disciplinary approach about the pandemic and its impact on climate and environment would provide valuable insights for a cross-section of students, teachers and researchers in diverse fields.