Amitav Ghosh Warns: Wealth Won't Shield from Climate Crisis

In a recent interview with NDTV, acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh emphasized the limitations of wealth in protecting individuals from the impacts of climate change, citing the ongoing wildfires in California as a prime example. "What we see today in California, these are some of the richest and most famous people in the world. Wealth or affluence as such is not going to protect them," Ghosh remarked.

Highlighting that the wildfires were "completely predictable," he explained that geographical and environmental factors make areas like Los Angeles particularly vulnerable. "It has exactly that kind of climate," he said, pointing to the region's dependence on distant water sources and instances of institutional corruption involving wealthy individuals diverting resources.

Ghosh also discussed the broader implications of climate change as a global phenomenon that manifests locally. He urged people to consider how climate change interacts with local patterns of urban development, citing other cities like Chennai and Mumbai as examples where unsustainable development poses risks.

As firefighters battle to control the ongoing blazes, Ghosh warned that decisions made at the political level, such as the potential withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement under President-elect Donald Trump, would be misguided. "Wealth is not going to protect people from the impacts of the planetary crisis," he stated.

Ghosh’s insights come at a crucial time as the world continues to grapple with climate-related disasters, underscoring the need for a collective response that transcends economic status.