Global Swing States: Deepening Partnerships with India and Indonesia

Abstract

A study by the Emerging Markets Forum shows the potential influence of developing nations on climate change.45 Under a "business as usual" scenario, the average global temperature will rise by 4.9 degrees Centigrade by the year 2100, causing sea levels to rise by up to half a meter and exposing large coastal cities to major surge-induced floods. The U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation's commitment of $332.5 million to environmental initiatives in Indonesia is primarily aimed at expanding access to renewable energy in underserved areas, improving the productivity and land-use practices of small farms, enhancing stewardship of forests and other natural resources, and improving the accuracy and transparency of district-level spatial planning.50 CONCLUSION With elections scheduled for 2014 in both India and Indonesia, one cannot predict how changes in the political landscape will affect either country's ability to pursue initiatives to deepen its partnership with the United States.