The provided paragraph discusses the intricate relationship between human progress, human security, and environmental security, especially in the context of climate change. To identify the correct statement, we need to carefully read and analyze each sentence in the paragraph and compare it with the given options.

Environmental Security and Human Wellbeing

The paragraph begins by highlighting the impact of climate change:

• Climate change has reduced human security.
• Climate change has threatened human wellbeing.

This sets the context, emphasizing the negative consequences of environmental degradation on humanity.

Human Security's Reliance on Environment

A crucial statement in the paragraph is: "An ignored reality of human progress is that human security largely depends upon environmental security."

• This statement establishes a direct, positive dependency: human security relies on environmental security.

Human Progress: A Contradictory Relationship

Following the previous point, the paragraph introduces a contrasting idea: "But on the contrary, human progress seems contradictory to environmental security."

• This is a key sentence, indicating an opposing relationship between human progress and environmental security.
• It suggests that while humans advance, their methods or outcomes often harm the environment.

The paragraph then states that balancing both human progress and environmental security is a significant challenge, suggesting solutions like scientific innovations and the Gandhian perspective on small-scale progress with a focus on sustainability.

Analyzing the Options Against the Paragraph

Let's examine each option based on our understanding of the paragraph:

Option 1: Human progress and security are positively associated with environmental security.

• The paragraph states that "human security largely depends upon environmental security," which implies a positive association for human security.
• However, it explicitly states that "human progress seems contradictory to environmental security."
• Since human progress is *contradictory* and not positively associated, this option is incorrect.

Option 2: Human progress is contradictory to environmental security.

• This statement directly mirrors the sentence from the paragraph: "human progress seems contradictory to environmental security."
• This option accurately reflects the information provided in the passage.

Option 3: Human security is contradictory to environmental security.

• The paragraph states, "human security largely depends upon environmental security." This indicates a dependency or positive association, meaning human security benefits from environmental security.
• Therefore, stating that human security is contradictory to environmental security is incorrect based on the passage.

Option 4: Human progress depends upon environmental security.

• The paragraph states that "human security largely depends upon environmental security," not human progress.
• Instead, the paragraph indicates that human progress is *contradictory* to environmental security.
• Thus, this option is incorrect.

Conclusion on the Correct Statement

Based on the detailed analysis of the paragraph, the statement that aligns perfectly with the provided text is that human progress is contradictory to environmental security. The paragraph explicitly mentions this contradiction as an "ignored reality."