Environmental Policies Gaps as A Threat to Human Security: A Case of Natural Catastrophe in Uttarakhand Himalays in India

In the present era human security has emerged as one of the most important non traditional security threats therefore, it becomes essential to discuss the causes which are endangering the human security. The environmental degradation is one of the factors which has a serious bearing on the human security. The increasing number of deaths due to the natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, landslides, cyclones indicates towards this phenomenon. Though, the natural calamities can neither be predicted nor stopped but with timely planning and policies losses can be mitigated. There are examples particularly from the US and Japan which though are prone to natural calamities, but with proper policies and timely action the risk is mitigated and human lives are saved. On the other hand, if we talk in the context of Himalayan states of South Asia we find that these are not only the worst sufferer of natural calamities due to growing environmental crisis but alsothe lack of preparedness in mitigation techniques. Of late the Indian Himalayan states have also been witnessing the instances of incessant rains, landslides, cloudbursts and flash floods. Though there are several policies for environmental protection, human security, mitigation of disaster but the poor implementation, governance, monitoring and management is not allowing the full advantage of these. The heavy loss of life due to nature's fury in Uttarakhand Himalayas in India in June 2013 indicates towards the gaps in policies and implementation. This allows one to perceive that unless and until the policies are implemented correctly the human security would remain threatened by the environmental or natural causes. Present paper proposes not only to analyse how environmental policy gaps threaten the human security but also to discuss the triggers which led to the massive natural tragedy causing huge loss of human life at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand Himalayas in India in June 2013.