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Articles by Vikrom Mathur
Clearing mountains of garbage
Add Tribune As Your Trusted Source Home / Premium / Clearing mountains of garbage PREMIUM Promote ‘No segregation, no collection’ slogan for garbage management Updated At : 06:32 AM Oct 06, 2025 IST ThE Himalayas are getting covered in a rising tide of waste tossed by tourists and residents, and with each holiday season, it spreads higher and grows deeper.
Clearing mountains of garbage
ThE Himalayas are getting covered in a rising tide of waste tossed by tourists and residents, and with each holiday season, it spreads higher and grows deeper. The problem mirrors the waste management problem faced by the rest of the country: what to do about the vast amounts of solid waste that are taking over our spaces, with all the associated problems — methane emissions, pests thriving and disease spreading, the leaching into rivers.
The missing link in India’s climate response
Over the past two decades, India has rolled out a growing number of plans and policies to tackle the climate crisis, from national missions to state action plans and in more recent years, district and city level strategies. While these efforts mark critical progress in setting targets for low-carbon transitions and climate resilience, their success ultimately depends on execution by public officials at the frontlines.
OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Curated by Vikrom Mathur Today, Indian towns and cities generate 42 million tonnes of waste every year–and it is expected to be 436 million tonnes by 2050. Only a fraction is processed–the rest forms stinking mountains in landfills, clogs rivers, pollutes the water we drink and the air we breathe, and endangers public health. This mounting crisis will make cities unlivable unless they adopt a circular economy framework.
A Culture of Circularity: Driving Social and Behavioural Change for India’s Urban Waste Transition
Image Source: Getty India presents a fascinating paradox in waste management. While the country has deep-rooted traditions of reuse, repair, and recycling—embedded in practices such as the ubiquitous kabadiwala system—and a cultural ethos of frugality, a prevailing ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality treats waste as someone else’s responsibility.
A Culture of Circularity: Driving Social and Behavioural Change for India’s Urban Waste Transition
Image Source: Getty India presents a fascinating paradox in waste management. While the country has deep-rooted traditions of reuse, repair, and recycling—embedded in practices such as the ubiquitous kabadiwala system—and a cultural ethos of frugality, a prevailing ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality treats waste as someone else’s responsibility.
Navigating AI and climate change in an unequal world
ABSTRACT Initiatives and discussions at the COP28 summit in Dubai (2023) underscored the promise of AI as a pivotal tool for climate action, prompting global investments to harness AI's potential to address ecological crises. Initiatives like the AI Innovation Grand Challenge and AI4 Climate exemplify efforts to develop AI-powered applications for climate resilience, particularly in vulnerable regions.
COP29: Again, a cop-out on responsibility
The recent COP29 at Baku exacerbates the divide between developed and developing countries, as rich nations refuse to take financial responsibility for climate change Image Source: Getty “This document [the NCQG resolution] is nothing more than an optical illusion. This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face.
COP29: Again, a cop-out on responsibility
The recent COP29 at Baku exacerbates the divide between developed and developing countries, as rich nations refuse to take financial responsibility for climate change Image Source: Getty “This document [the NCQG resolution] is nothing more than an optical illusion. This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face.
Big data and climate resilience: Placing people at the centre
This is part of the essay series: World Population Day 2024 Big data, characterised by vast volumes of structured and unstructured data generated at high velocity, has become a pivotal tool in addressing climate change. Fuelled by advances in computing, digital technologies, and the widespread availability of the internet, big data offers researchers unprecedented capabilities to handle intricate datasets, enabling more precise and nuanced data gathering and analysis.
Big data and climate resilience: Placing people at the centre
This is part of the essay series: World Population Day 2024 Big data, characterised by vast volumes of structured and unstructured data generated at high velocity, has become a pivotal tool in addressing climate change. Fuelled by advances in computing, digital technologies, and the widespread availability of the internet, big data offers researchers unprecedented capabilities to handle intricate datasets, enabling more precise and nuanced data gathering and analysis.
World Population Day 2024
Thirty years ago, at the International Conference on Population Development, the world agreed to put people at the centre of development—inspiring significant progress in women’s access to reproductive care, gender equality, and reduction in maternal death. One often unrecognised hero driving these advancements is data—a subject that has an entire chapter dedicated to it in the ICPD Programme of Action.
Climate conservation: Small steps for communities, giant steps for climate action
This article is a part of the essay series: Not the End of the World: World Environment Day 2024 We may be teetering on the brink of doom, but we’re starting to step back onto firm ground. That is what data scientist Hannah Wright tells us in her book “Not the End of the World”. Her research in global data shows there is hope—she says, “Over the last 10 years or so, according to the environmental data, there have been signs for cautious optimism.
ORF
This year on World Environment Day, the focus is on taking off the blinkers of doomsday prophecies to look at the beacons of hope lit by many ideas and actions for accelerating land restoration, drought resilience, and preventing desertification.
Climate conservation: Small steps for communities, giant steps for climate action
This article is a part of the essay series: Not the End of the World: World Environment Day 2024 We may be teetering on the brink of doom, but we’re starting to step back onto firm ground. That is what data scientist Hannah Wright tells us in her book “Not the End of the World”. Her research in global data shows there is hope—she says, “Over the last 10 years or so, according to the environmental data, there have been signs for cautious optimism.
Reframing climate finance to amplify voices of SIDS
In the vast expanse of the Indo-Pacific region, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Indian and Pacific oceans often find themselves relegated to the sidelines, perceived as mere dots on the map overshadowed by larger geopolitical players and their interests.
Reframing climate finance to amplify voices of SIDS
In the vast expanse of the Indo-Pacific region, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Indian and Pacific oceans often find themselves relegated to the sidelines, perceived as mere dots on the map overshadowed by larger geopolitical players and their interests.
Adopting the One Health approach
Constitutional provisions for the right to health cannot be realised without integrating frameworks for the health of people and the planet. This essay is part of the series titled: World Health Day 2024: My Health, My Right The Indian Constitution does not formally recognise the right to health as a fundamental right.
Adopting the One Health approach
Constitutional provisions for the right to health cannot be realised without integrating frameworks for the health of people and the planet. This essay is part of the series titled: World Health Day 2024: My Health, My Right The Indian Constitution does not formally recognise the right to health as a fundamental right.
World Water Day 2024: Water for Peace, Water for Life
Curated by Nilanjan Ghosh Ever since 1993, World Water Day has been observed every year on 22 March under the patronage of the United Nations (UN) to highlight the importance of freshwater for human society and the natural ecosystem. Another important facet of World Water Day is the clarion call towards the civilisational pledge of achieving SDG 6 which talks of universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030. The UN-Water decides on the theme for World Water Day every year.
Water for Peace: Sustainable water management can play a pivotal role in building and maintaining peace
This article is a part of the essay series: World Water Day 2024: Water for Peace, Water for Life The growing demand for water resources induced by population growth, industrial development and climate change is increasing the vulnerability of communities across the world. Water scarcity has become a major concern in the past few years as its and sustainable development have become widely apparent. It is further expected to become a crucial point of engagement in geopolitics.
Water for Peace: Sustainable water management can play a pivotal role in building and maintaining peace
This article is a part of the essay series: World Water Day 2024: Water for Peace, Water for Life The growing demand for water resources induced by population growth, industrial development and climate change is increasing the vulnerability of communities across the world. Water scarcity has become a major concern in the past few years as its and sustainable development have become widely apparent. It is further expected to become a crucial point of engagement in geopolitics.
International Women's Day
The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.’ As the world grapples with multiple crises, triggered by the pandemic, climate change, and geopolitical conflict, investing in women is no longer an option. It is of vital importance for a more just, sustainable, and equal world. For India, it is vital to invest in women to harness the gender dividend, which is closely linked with the demographic dividend in the country.
India’s clean energy transition needs strong women
Increasing women’s participation in the skilled labour force has enormous potential for India’s sustainable transition towards clean energy This article is part of the series — International Women's Day India needs to make bigger and faster strides in closing the gender gap in economic participation to achieve its ambitious climate goals.
Converging Paths: Global Governance for Climate Justice and Health Equity Original
Preamble The relationship between global health and climate change is profound and multidimensional. Climate change is already causing widespread impacts across the globe and exacerbating existing health vulnerabilities. Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, floods, and hurricanes, contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, disrupt health systems, and strain resources, especially in vulnerable regions.
OECD countries need to adopt Sustainable Consumption Goals (SCGs)
At the SDG Summit held on 18-19 September in New York, countries across the world came together to carry out a review of the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discussed potential pathways to achieve change.
OECD countries need to adopt Sustainable Consumption Goals (SCGs)
At the SDG Summit held on 18-19 September in New York, countries across the world came together to carry out a review of the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discussed potential pathways to achieve change.
Reasons why India must re-evaluate South-South cooperation framework
The biggest takeaway from the successful G20 leadership summit in New Delhi is that India has firmly placed itself as a strong global voice representing the viewpoints of the developing nations. This positioning has enormous implications for international development cooperation and economic diplomacy, which, until now, have been tools in the arsenal of wealthy nations to exert influence on poor and developing countries.
Reasons why India must re-evaluate South-South cooperation framework
The biggest takeaway from the successful G20 leadership summit in New Delhi is that India has firmly placed itself as a strong global voice representing the viewpoints of the developing nations. This positioning has enormous implications for international development cooperation and economic diplomacy, which, until now, have been tools in the arsenal of wealthy nations to exert influence on poor and developing countries.
Vikrom Mathur - The Wire Science
There Is a Need to Reimagine the Way We Think About Our Coastal Commons
Urban Wetlands Are Not Wastelands, They Are Essential for Climate Resilient Cities
Pallikkaranai Marsh in Chennai. Representative image. Photo: senthilvasanm/Flickr CC BY CC BY 2.0 Conserving urban wetlands and integrating them into communities is extremely crucial for India’s carbon sequestration and climate resilience goals. They can fulfil several important functions: providing a natural environment for efficient carbon sequestration, improving the quality of surface water, and creating recreational areas.
Why gearing towards net zero with low carbon lifestyles is crucial
It is of utmost importance that climate action must emphasise on societal and behavioural change Despite the alarming impacts of climate change, the action across the globe has primarily focussed on technological solutions so far, but what remains woefully under-emphasised are the issues related to lifestyles and behavioural changes.
Four Expectations from COP26
The COP26 summit will need to work towards four key outcomes: increased finance for climate action; more ambitious emissions reduction commitments; fiscal and policy framework for strengthening climate change adaptation efforts and addressing loss and damage; and enhancing international collaboration on energy transition, clean road transport, and nature, especially in relation to technology This piece is part of the essay series, Towards a Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient World: Expectations...
Towards a Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient World: Expectations from COP26
Four Expectations from COP26 Vikrom Mathur At the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, world leaders have the opportunity to shape an ambitious and collective climate action. Will the wealthy nations that reaped the benefits of industrialisation by burning fossil fuels and growing their economies for centuries, own up to the damage and lead efforts to correct it?
There is a need to reimagine the way we think about our coastal commons
As the COVID-19 outbreak raged across Goa, the state with the highest positivity rate at that point, Cyclone Tauktae struck land and knocked down trees, destroyed people’s homes, uprooted electrical poles and damaged internet cables. Life in the village of Aldona where I live came to a standstill. Sixty hours without power, the internet, phone network and water supply – the more abstract concepts of global climate change and resilience became local, real and personal.
There Is a Need to Reimagine the Way We Think About Our Coastal Commons
A bird’s eye view of the Varkala shoreline, Kerala. Photo: Rahul Chakraborty/Unsplash As the COVID-19 outbreak raged across Goa, the state with the highest positivity rate at that point, Cyclone Tauktae struck land and knocked down trees, destroyed people’s homes, uprooted electrical poles and damaged internet cables. Life in the village of Aldona where I live came to a standstill.
On World Environment Day, Let's Reaffirm Our Commitment to Co-Existing With Wildlife
In the early days of the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as the human mobility in cities came to a sudden halt, there were several news articles of wild animals roaming freely on abandoned roads. In India, these include leopard sightings in Mumbai, elephants in Haridwar, small Indian civet in Kozhikode, Gangetic river dolphins in the ghats of Kolkata, etc.
Institutional architecture for India’s development cooperation: A 2030 vision
To assert itself at a global scale, India must employ development cooperation objectives and utilise multilateral and plurilateral forums through a strategic plan. This article is part of the Global Policy-ORF publication — A 2030 Vision for India’s Economic Diplomacy. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant global lockdown measures have had an unprecedented social and economic impact, disproportionately affecting poorer nations.
Financing Resilience
The Adaptation Gap Over he past decade, the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems are being felt with severity across the world.[1] The imperative to build climate resilience – the capacity of communities and economies to cope and adapt to ongoing and likely future changes—is greater than ever before.
महामारी के दौर में टिकाऊ विकास
हम ऐसा रास्ता चुनें, जिससे इंस्टिट्यूशंस और ग्लोबल सिस्टम में बेहतरी आए या ऐसा जिसमें ग्रोथ के लिए पर्यावरण, सामाजिक और नैतिक मानकों से समझौता किया जाए. अगर इंसानों की सुरक्षा और टिकाऊ विकास की बात करें तो 2020 भारी उथलपुथल वाला साल रहा. गुज़रे साल के शुरुआती तीन महीनों में कोविड-19 वायरस चीन से फैलना शुरू हुआ और जल्द ही इसने महामारी की शक्ल ले ली. इससे दुनिया भर में लाखों जानें गईं और भारी आर्थिक नुकसान हुआ.
China's renewable energy ambitions
The Chinese government has put forth plans for significant ownership of the global renewable energy supply chain. This is the twelfth part in the series The China Chronicles. Read all the articles here. China is the largest energy consumer in the world. With 73 percent of its energy mix coming from thermal generation, China is also the largest global emitter of carbon. China however has ambitious plans to transition to a lower carbon future.
China's renewable energy ambitions | ORF
Set up in 1990, ORF seeks to lead and aid policy thinking towards building a strong and prosperous India in a fair and equitable world. It helps discover and inform India’s choices, and carries Indian voices and ideas to forums shaping global debates. ORF provides non-partisan, independent analyses and inputs on matters of security, strategy, economy, development, energy, resources and global governance to diverse decision-makers (governments, business communities, academia, civil society).
#Raisina Files: Why Asia must clean up its environmental act for the region to develop
By Vikrom Mathur and Tanoubi NgangomI. The Asian boomGrowth, Poverty, EnvironmentThe rise of Asia is a central theme in global economic discourses today. Through economic globalisation, countries of the region currently enjoy high to moderate growth rates. Presuming that they sustain this growth momentum, Asia’s GDP will grow by $157 trillion in just 40 years, and will constitute 50 percent of the global GDP by 2050.
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