India Ranks 168 in Environment Performance Index 2020

The 12 edition of EPI 2020 emerged in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis that has challenged public health systems and disrupted economic activity across the world. The global pandemic has made clear that the profound interdependence of all nations and the importance of investing in resilience. 

According to the report, Nigeria and India need to redouble their sustainability efforts. The index becomes a vital tool for assessing a country's progress with regards to Sustainable Development Goals and would help policymakers formulate and implement environmental policies efficiently. 

The index is based on 32 performance indicators across 11 categories which includes biodiversity & habitat, air quality, water and sanitation based on which countries are ranked on environmental health and ecosystem vitality. 

India performed the worst regionally on all five key parameters for environmental health, including air quality, sanitation and drinking water, heavy metals and waste management. 

However, India can progress towards meeting its climate targets and goals if it follows better governance. The most crucial distinction between the worst and the best performers in the EPI has been good governance. 

The 11 countries lingering behind India were Burundi, Haiti, Chad, Soloman Islands, Madagascar, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoir, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Liberia. 

With public inputs in policymaking and a more targeted regulatory mechanism, India can perhaps improve as it is quite crucial at a time when the time to contain the deadly climate change effects might be running out fast. 

The report also indicates that black carbon, carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse emissions per capita increased in 10 years. Its overall score under climate change has dipped 2.9 points. 

Among South Asian Countries, India was at the second position(rank 106) after Pakistan whereas now it is at the seventh position.