India, the world's second-largest sugarcane producer, employs millions of workers exposed to occupational hazards such as heat stress, chemical exposure, and insecure labour conditions. Certification programmes like Bonsucro's Production Standard aim to improve worker safety, labour rights, and environmental stewardship. In India, tools like the Bonsucro Calculator and initiatives such as DCM Shriram's certification of mills and thousands of smallholders demonstrate tangible progress, including reduced accidents and stronger safety systems. While certification is not a standalone solution, it aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals and fosters collaboration, innovation, and accountability towards safer, fairer, and more sustainable sugarcane production.
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In this article, Tanya Nagar highlights that the Himalayan frontier, particularly Sikkim, faces rising climate-induced disasters—landslides, floods, glacial lake breaches—that repeatedly devastate civilian settlements and military infrastructure, claiming soldiers’ lives outside combat. These events reveal India’s vulnerability and the urgent need to integrate climate resilience into national security. Despite early warning systems and scientific studies, institutional gaps and poor civil-military coordination hinder preparedness. The article calls for joint risk assessments, climate-resilient infrastructure, robust early warning dissemination, and a dedicated climate-security doctrine. As climate extremes intersect with geopolitics, safeguarding the fragile Himalayas demands urgent action to protect both people and strategic assets.