Journal of Management and Sustainability; Vol. 8, No. 1; 2018 ISSN 1925-4725 E-ISSN 1925-4733 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 93 Global Sustainability Risk to India John Donnellan 1 & Wanda Rutledge 1 1 School of Business , NJCU, Jersey City, NJ, USA Correspondence: John Donnellan, School of Business, NJCU, Jersey City, NJ, USA. Tel: 1-201-200-2308. Received: January 12, 2018 Accepted: February 7, 2018 Online Published: February 26, 2018 doi:10.5539/jms.v8n1p93 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/jms.v8n1p93 Abstract Global economic risk management extends beyond India’s borders and will have severe impact if not properly addressed. According to the World Economic Forum (2016), “A global risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, can cause significant negative impact for several countries or industries within the next ten years.” These risks include: ageing population, climate change, polarization of societies, rise of chronic diseases, rise of cyber dependency, rising geographic mobility, wealth disparity, shifts in power, and urbanization (World Economic Forum, 2016). This paper focuses on two primary sectors of the Indian economy: agriculture and water. In addition, discussions around the positive and negative aspects of global economic risks from natural disasters and the ways in which these risks have been accepted, avoided, mitigated or transferred in India. In conclusion, the paper presents a forecasting model on what to expect in these sectors over the next decade. Keywords: agricultural, water security, pollution and waste management, economics, earth systems 1. Introduction Global risk covers a wide range of areas, from the risk of worldwide climate change, loss of ecosystems, major natural catastrophes, and man-made environmental catastrophes. Certain parts of the world and cultures are more vulnerable to certain global risks, while many of them affect the entire world and all of humanity. For instance, state collapse, governmental crisis, or large scale terror attacks are likely to occur in Africa, and man-made environmental catastrophes are likely in Eastern Europe, China, and India (World Economic Forum, 2016, pp. 28-34). A food crisis would more likely occur in Africa and South America, whereas a fiscal crisis, high unemployment and other fiscal crises would likely occur in North America and Europe. These predominant risks are addressed to demonstrate the interconnections between nations and global risks. The Global Challenges Foundation (2016) further defines Global Catastrophic Risks (GCRs) (The Global Priorities Project, 2016), as those threats that have the potential to eliminate at least 10% of the global population. There are now a wide-range of global risks pertaining to climate change, environmental destruction, international terrorism, cyber terrorism, and the ever-present possibility of natural catastrophes causing a threat to health, technology, and trade in developing countries like India. There are a variety of natural and man-made materials that cause a great slowing or even extinction of numerous species by the ejection of large amounts of “...smoke, dust, and/or sulfates into the stratosphere [where] they could cause global cooling, sunlight loss, ozone loss, and subsequent agricultural disruption.” (Barratt et al., 2016, p. 81) These same influences, among others, directly affect life-sustaining agricultural output and availability of fresh water. According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (2016) India’s agricultural sector, water sector and its service sector are all strategic locomotives to the continuous development of the Indian nation (IBEF, 2016). Risks have been identified within each of these sectors that if not managed, may cause future disruption to the economic growth of India. 1.1 Agricultural Sector India’s economic performance post reform has many positive and negative trends across sectors. While recent policies focus on industry and trade, one key feature observed in India’s development has been the contribution of agriculture. Soon after gaining Independence from the British in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru remarked: “everything else can wait, but not agriculture.” (Loebenstein & Thottappilly, 2006) Over the years India has gained international acceptance as one of the leading exporters of commodities such as rice, wheat and other clusters of