NEWS HEADLINES
1. Why to Invest in Blue- Green Infrastructure?
2. India,INSTC and Multi Alignment.
1. Why to Invest in Blue- Green Infrastructure?
Theme : Infrastructure,Urbanization.
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CONTEXT :
Cities are a key contributor to climate change.The need of the hour is incisive, insightful planning and nature-driven solutions as a counter to conventional infrastructure practices in cities by harnessing Blue-Green Infrastructure.
BLUE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE (BGI)
Blue-Green Infrastructure refers to a network that provides the “ingredients” for solving urban and climatic challenges by a combination of infrastructure, ecological restoration and urban design to connect people with nature. Blue indicates water bodies such as rivers and tanks Green indicates trees, parks, and gardens.
Lessons Learnt from BGI from Cities around the world :
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BGI is essential to spatial planning to support the transition to greater climate resilience.
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BGI is multifunctional
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Hybrid approaches are an excellent intermediate step
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Culture change plays a key role
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Greater community engagement and co-design of projects is important
ADVANTAGES OF BGI :
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Environmental benefits to different sectors :
Incorporating green infrastructure in the city will not only benefit humans but also nature.
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Social benefits: The design and beauty of the landscape can contribute to the identity of the city's character. Green streetscapes and landscapes enhance aesthetic and ethical qualities.
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Economic benefits: Implementing blue-green projects in the city may also help the citizens economically. Due to low temperature on building surfaces, it diminishes the cooling demand which results in decreasing energy needs.
DIFFERENT EXAMPLES IN THE WORLD :
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Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme - Singapore
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Gray to Green Initiative - Portland, Oregon, United States
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Rain City Strategy - Canada
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Sponge City Programme - China
WAY AHEAD :
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Adapting nature-based solutions to meet climate and sustainability goals, a purpose served by blue-green infrastructure.
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Institutionalizing a Blue-Green Urban Framework.
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Fast-Tracking Sustainable Development Goals
3. India,INSTC and Multi Alignment.
Theme : Effect of Policies and Politics of Countries on India’s Interests.
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CONTEXT :
Previously India’s policy was of Non Alignment. And now India’s main foreign policy strategy has been ‘multi-alignment’, maintaining relations with diverse countries while being in various international bodies and utilizing these different streams to push Indian policy priorities without committing to binding agreements.
WHAT IS NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT?
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The NAM is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
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The group was started in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1961.
RELEVANCE OF NAM TODAY
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One of the challenges of the NAM in the 21st century has been to reassess its identity and purpose in the post-Cold War era.
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The movement has continued to advocate for international cooperation, multilateralism, and national self-determination, but it has also been increasingly vocal against the inequities of the world economic order.
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On the contrary, from the founding of the NAM, its stated aim has been to give a voice to developing countries and to encourage their concerted action in world affairs.
LAUNCH OF INSTC
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The journey of containers signaled the launch of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-km multi-modal transport corridor that combines road, rail and maritime routes connecting Russia and India via central Asia and Iran.
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The legal framework for the INSTC is provided by a trilateral agreement signed by India, Iran and Russia at the Euro-Asian Conference on Transport in 2000.
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Since then Kazakhstan, Belarus, Oman, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Syria have signed instruments of accession to become members of the INSTC.
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Once fully operational, the INSTC is expected to reduce freight costs by 30% and journey time by 40% in comparison with the conventional deep sea route via the Suez Canal.
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The corridor is expected to consolidate the emerging Eurasian Free Trade Area.
GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF INSTC FOR INDIA
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Access to Afghanistan and Central Asia: Once completed, this infrastructure will allow India access to Afghanistan and central Asia, a prospect strengthened by the Taliban government’s support for the project.
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India can now bypass Pakistan to access Afghanistan, central Asia and beyond.
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North-South transport corridor: The INSTC can shape a north-south transport corridor that can complement the east-west axis of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
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Non-alignment to multi-alignment: India’s founding role in both the INSTC and the Quad exemplify its departure from non-alignment to multi-alignment.
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The INSTC offers a platform for India to closely collaborate with Russia, Iran and Central Asian republics.
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That two of its partners are subject to Western sanctions hasn’t prevented India from collaborating with the U.S., Japan and Australia as part of the Quad to create and safeguard a free and open Indo-Pacific.
NEW INDIAN MULTI-ALIGNMENT :
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Multi-Alignment: It is a series of parallel relationships that strengthen multilateral partnerships and seek a common approach among the grouping towards security, economic equity and the elimination of existential dangers like terrorism. Below are a few forums where India's Multi-Alignment Approach is clearly evident:
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International North-South Transport Corridor
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BRICS
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India was instrumental in co-founding the New Development Bank (NDB), a new multilateral initiative expected to rival the World Bank.
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SCO
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QUAD
India’s Current Foreign Policy :
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Sammaan: Respect for every nation’s sovereignty
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Samvaad: Greater engagement with all countries.
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Suraksha: Security; India is a responsible power-neither aggression nor adventurism exists in its DNA
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Samriddhi: Shared prosperity
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Sanskriti and Sabhyata: The persuasive reach of cultural values anchored in a philosophy which believes that the world is a family.
WAY AHEAD :
As far as strategic decisions on critical foreign policy issues are concerned, India should have a policy of “selective alignment” that should be completely based on issues and specific events. Selective alignment should be dynamic with the changing times.