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Hon'ble Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri. V.S. Achuthanandan released a report on the environmental monitoring programme conducted in the Neyyar, Periyar and Kabani river basins at a function organized by KSCSTE on 5 June 2009 in connection with the World Environment Day celebrations. The project entitled on "Environmental Monitoring Programme on Water Quality" is being co-ordinated by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and implemented by Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM). Download the book from the ENVIS website at http://kerenvis.nic.in/water/index.html
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has issued gazette notification declaring its intention to constitute the proposed Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary will consist of 7,421.50 hectares in Chakkittapara and Chembanoda villages of Koyilandy taluk in Kozhikode district. These include the reserve forests of Pannikottoor and Kakkayam and vested forests of Karampara Mala and Olathukki Malavaram and Sankaranpuzha, Athikode and the water-spread area of the Kakkayam reservoir. Out of about 2,200 hectares of Pannikottoor forests, about 400 had been excluded from the sanctuary. Of that, about 115 hectares had been identified for the proposed Tiger Safari Park while 94 hectares had been leased out to the Indian Institute of Spices Research. The balance is fragmented areas. From the vested forests, nearly 557 hectares of ecologically fragile lands have been excluded as disputes over their takeover remain to be settled. The notification said that the richness of biodiversity and conservational significance of the proposed sanctuary area had been identified by various agencies. So, the government found it necessary to declare the area as a wildlife sanctuary for protecting the ecological, faunal, floral, geo-morphological and natural wealth and ensuring its long-term conservation. Since the rights over the said reserve forests and vested forests were yet to be settled, the government had decided to notify the proposed sanctuary under sub-section (1) of Section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. (This enables the Collector to settle the claims within the area intended to be declared as a sanctuary). Preliminary ecological studies of the forests of Kakkayam by the Malabar Natural History Society have shown that the area was rich in diversity of flora and fauna. Topographically, the area is situated in a plateau rugged with steep hills of the Western Ghats, which suddenly rises from 50 metres to 1,600 metres within the reserve. It was once a good patch of wet evergreen forest, fragmented later by the construction of the Kuttiyadi hydro-electric project, plantations and human settlements. Now, it is the only evergreen patch left in Kozhikode district. Once the area was contiguous with the forests of the Brahmagiri Hills. The forests form the catchments of the Kakkayam and Peruvannamoozhi reservoirs. More than 40 species of mammals have been recorded from the reserve, including three endemic to the Western Ghats. Brown Palm Civet, one of the rarely recorded civet species of the Western Ghats, occurs in the area besides elephants, a small population of lion-tailed macaques and other animals. The area also harbours more than 110 species of birds, including eight endemics, six restricted range species and two globally threatened species (Kerala laughing thrush and Wayanad laughing thrush). It is also the habitat of king cobra, python and many rare and endemic amphibian species. Endangered game fish Mahseer has also been reported from there. In addition 94 species of butterflies (including 14 endemics) and 24 species of dragon flies have been recorded in the region. The Hindu, 14th June 2009-
Fishermen under the banner of Natiional Fish-Workers Forum and Kerala Swarantra Matya Thozhilali Federation will launch a nation-wide agitation in protest against the Union Government's decision to implement the Coastal Management Zone (CMZ). State president of the Federation T.Peter said that Union Minister for Forests and Environment Jayaram Ramesh had decided to issue notification cancelling the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and implement the CMZ from July 16. The Union Government's decision is a challenge to the people living on the coastal belt of the country, he said. Peter said that Governments of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Goa had asked the Union Government not to implement the CMZ in its current form. The Parliamenary Standing Committee also had submiyyed a report to the Government asking not to implement the CMZ after conducting sitting in various states. The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) also had conducted sitting in the coastal areas and advised not to implement the CMZ, he said. The draft notification had seen stalled following protests from the fish workers and various other trade union workers. He alleged that the UPA Government was once again trying to help the tourism industry and sand-mining lobbies. Peter alleged that since the 12-nautical mile limit of coastal waters, which is under the control of the State Governments, also has been included in the CMZ, it will have to let the coastal waters for activities other than fishing. Such activities would be detrimental to the interests of the fishermen. In the proposed CMZ, there has been demarcation of a setback line. Construction of houses will be allowed only outside this setback line. At the same time, there is provision for allowing construction activities for tourism and industrial projects even within the setback line, he pointed out. He demanded that the next session of the Parliamentshould discuss the CMZ and facilitate a public debate on this issue. If the government did not take the opinions of the MPs representing the coastal constituencies and States concerned, it will lead to serious repercussions. The National Fish Workers Forum's meeting to be held in Kolkata on June 19 and 20 will finalise the national agitation. He called upon the mainstream political parties to make clear their stand on the issue. The New Indian Express, 14th June 2009
Mumbaikars need to brace themselves for more disasters as extreme weather events such as the deluge on July 26, 2005 may not be a one-off event. The climate in Indian cities like Mumbai are warming up fast and this could be a recipe for more natural disasters, said the India Meteorological Department (imd). The regional imd office at Mumbai analyzed 100 years of weather data from 1901 onwards and found a rise of 1.62°C in the average maximum temperature. The report was submitted to the state chief minister on May 11.In its report, Environmental degradation, disasters and climate change, the imd team has argued that human activity induced environmental degradation was responsible for global warming."Our analysis shows that the 1990s witnessed three times more natural disasters, like floods and thunderstorms, than the 1960s. Even drought-prone districts such as Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan suffered devastating floods in 2006…Since 1960s, expenditure on mitigation and reduction of such disasters has increased nine-folds," said R V Sharma, deputy director general of meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, during a recent press briefing (see graph: Annual mean maximum temperature in last 100 years).Between early 20th and 21st centuries, Mumbai registered a mean maximum temperature rise of 1.62°C; this is a cause of great concern, Sharma said. It is not surprising that winters are giving Mumbai a miss, he added.Is a rise of about 2°C over 100 years really a matter of concern? Scientists warn such a rise has a direct negative impact on human health and food security."There is scientific evidence to prove that an increase of 1°C in northern India's hilly areas means wider malaria window. Mumbai is seeing a surge in malaria, but as of now we cannot blame it on global warming. We have recently tied up with King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, to find out how diseases like malaria, dengue and asthma are related to global warming and climate change," said Rakesh Kumar, head of National Environm-ental Engineering Research Institute's Mumbai office, at a public meeting on 'Climate Change and Mumbai'.Meanwhile, newspapers in Mumbai are full of reports on rise in malaria cases. Already 1,351 malaria cases have been reported till April this year, there were a total of 790 cases last year. The municipal corporation is blaming this on its inability to carry out the spraying of ddt and other anti-malaria measures as its staff is posted on election duty.Though there is no clear pattern, Sharma claims that 2001 onwards rainfall over Mumbai has increased. This could be due to a change in the lapse rate or the rate of change of any meteorological element (temperature in this case) with altitude. The lapse rate determines the growth of clouds."The lapse rate is increasing with the cooling of air in the upper atmosphere and warming of the lower atmosphere. With such a steep lapse rate, cloud formation will be rapid and there will be more thunderstorms. There will also be heavy precipitation. This explains why there were more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in the past decade," Sharma explained.Could a steep lapse rate be the reason behind cloud burst on July 26, 2005, when the city received 944 mm rainfall in just one day? The New Indian Express, 13th June 2009
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the book 'Keralathinte Pakshikal' penned by ornithologist Induchoodan, the naturalist group Warblers and Waders is organising a three-day photo exhibition in the city from Friday. The exhibition, which will be inaugurated by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests T.M. Manoharan, is titled 'Keralathinte Pakshikal.' After the inaugural ceremony there will be a powerpoint presentation on the book. On June 13, there will be a screening of the short film 'Angels in Tiger Land' at 5.30 p.m. The film, shot by wildlife photographer Suresh Elamon, is all about the butterflies found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. On the last day of the exhibition, there will be a powerpoint presentation on the 'World of Birds' by ornithologist C.G. Arun. According to a press note issued here by the Warblers and Waders, the exhibition will feature the works of wildlife photographers such as P.K. Uthaman, Suresh Elamon, Sali Palode, E. Kunhikrishnan, Mohan Nilambur, R. Jayaprakash, Shibu Bhskar, C.G. Arun, C.G. Kiran and C. Susanth. The Hindu, 11th June 2009
Speakers at a workshop on marine biodiversity conservation, organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India and the Department of Forest and Wildlife, here on Monday observed that extensive construction of sea walls along the coastline of Kerala was leading to the loss of nesting grounds of sea turtles, a protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Experts from the Forest Department and Marine Conservation Programme pointed out that sea walls block the path of adult female sea turtles, which crawl to the beach for nesting and laying eggs. Speakers suggested that seawalls be replaced by breakwaters, built over a limited stretch of beach, to reduce the strength of waves and help conserve the nesting habitats of sea turtles. Principal Scientific Officer, Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment, Kamalakshan Kokkal, Marine Conservation Programme senior coordinator M. Vinod, WWF-India State director Renjan Mathew Varghese and A. Bijukumar of the Kerala University Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries led the sessions at the workshop.Former scientist of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Appukuttan Nair said that the sea turtles are taken as an indicator for marine conservation because of their long lifespan.Speaking on the impact of mechanised fishing activity on marine biodiversity, Mr. Bijukumar said that around 36 percent of marine species were on the verge of extinction due to trawling. "A large number of marine species that are caught in trawling net are not marketable. Only 10 percent of fishes caught are economically valuable. The rest, including scheduled species, are killed and dumped back at sea," he said.Dumping of plastics is another serious issue. Every year, thousands of marine organisms die after getting entangled in nylon fishing nets that fishermen discard in the sea, he said. "Fishing communities will be the first to be affected by marine resource depletion. Major responsibilities of conserving biodiversity must be vested on the community, with the government acting as monitoring agency. There should be emphasis on creating awareness among fishing communities and people living close to the coasts," he said. The Hindu, 10th June, 2009
Thiruvananthapuram: Speakers at a panel discussion organised by the Centre for Earth Science Studies here on Tuesday called for enhanced research studies on the impact of climate change and mitigation efforts. R.V.G. Menon, scientist and social activist, who presided over the inaugural function, underlined the need for integrated studies to develop a database, master plan and strategy to combat climate change. Calling for a multidisciplinary approach to the issue, he said long-term policies to encourage public transport and step up research into renewable energy had become inevitable. Mr. Menon said the time had come to equip the people to face the consequences of climate change. He, however, stressed the need to establish a strong correlation between climate change and its natural disasters. Delivering the inaugural address, Executive Vice-President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) E.P. Yesodharan said the council was awaiting the clearance of the Finance Commission for a Rs.350-crore research project on climate change and its impact. He said climate change posed a threat to India's agriculture, public health and economy. "Kerala faces a threat from many new and emerging species that could be disease-carrying vectors. The rise in sea level poses another danger for the coastal areas of the state," he said. CESS Director M.Baba said the institution had launched an integrated study on climate change and its impact on vulnerable sectors.Scientists from various research institutions in the State and representatives from the National Institute of Oceanography participated. The Hindu, 10th June 2009
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has asked the government to keep in abeyance implementation of the Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) notification, 2008 until executive and legislative mechanisms are put in place for inclusion and integration of coastal communities through participative, decision-making and control instruments. The government should not make haste in implementing it without addressing the conflict of interests between the stakeholders — mainly fisherfolk and coastal communities — and all efforts must be made first to meet their concerns, said the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, and Environment and Forests in its report on Coastal Management Programmes, tabled in Parliament on Monday. Their concerns were "not unfounded," and must be met through education, social mobilisation and their active participation and involvement in decision-making. Panchayats can play a crucial role in generating awareness among them. For this, the government should get the CMZ notification translated into local languages and circulated widely in every village so that the local communities are made aware of the actual implications of the notification and are not swayed by hearsay or misgivings. The government may also seriously think of bringing in legislation to ensure protection of the rights of the coastal communities to coastal resources, on the lines of the one meant for forest dwellers. The committee said a common management plan for the entire coastal area of the country was not a workable proposition. It should rather be specifically designed for different States keeping in mind the diverse coastal environments and specific cultures of coastal communities. The State governments should have enough participation in formulating the Integrated Coastal Management Plan, prepared for integrated coastal management for their States. Pointing out that a large population depended on natural resources for its survival, the committee said social dimensions of livelihood security and biodiversity conservation should be pivotal to all decision-making pertaining to development or economic considerations of revenue generation. The Hindu, 9th June, 2009
Thiruvananthapuram: The Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) here has launched a project to assess the impact of climate change on Kerala and provide inputs for mitigation programmes in vulnerable areas. The project will seek to develop a regional database on climate change. Titled 'Integrated Regional Studies on Climate Change in the Munnar-Lakshadweep Transect,' it involves generation of data on land use and changes in land cover, sea level rise and its impact, heat flux in the coastal sea and the impact of climate change on human health, marginal economic groups, soil, crop productivity, wetland ecosystems, fisheries and flora and fauna. The project involves other research institutions in the State like the Kerala Forest Research Institute and the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM). CESS director M. Baba said the project would focus on the impact of climate change on agriculture, water resources, urban development and coastal areas, identified as the most vulnerable sectors. "The data will be used for more efficient planning and management of resources," he said.The project will cover a geographical area extending from Munnar to the Lakshadweep islands in the east-west direction and Achankovil to Bharathapuzha on the north-south axis. "The region was selected to represent different geographical features like hills, plains, coastal areas and islands," Dr. Baba said. "Climate-induced changes can affect the physical configurations of the State, trigger rehabilitation problems in coastal stretches, alter the nature and distribution of natural resources and induce ecological stress. They could also lead to modifications in plant growth, affect crop productivity and human health. Many of the climate change predictions at the global level do not match the changes experienced in Kerala. So, a regional model assumes importance," he explains. The project is being taken up under 'Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change,' a national mission supported by the Union government. It will consolidate the data generated by research institutions in the State, identify knowledge gaps, establish monitoring stations, link stakeholders, formulate policies and recommend an action plan for the government. During the programme, scientists will study the nature and magnitude of climate change, the regional factors driving the changes, natural resource availability, sea level rise, settlement and population, economy, agriculture and human health and try to come up with mitigation strategies. "Over the years, CESS itself has generated a great amount of data on cloud parameters, atmospheric conditions and the effect of climate change on coral islands, estuaries and the sea. We have also studied the impact of human-induced land modification and urbanisation. The information will be incorporated into the databank," Dr. Baba said. The Hindu, 9th June 2009
Source: Malayala Manorama, 8th June 2009
New Delhi (PTI): Two new species each of bamboo and cinnamon and three species of ginger were among a total 167 plants discovered by scientists in 2008 in the country. According to the recently released "Plant Discoveries 2008," a publication of Botanical Survey of India (BSI), 137 plants were new to scientists while 30 were found in the country for the first time. "The BSI scientists discovered 30 species, one subspecies and seven varieties of new plants while 23 species, one subspecies and three varieties as new records for India," BSI director M Sanjappa told PTI. He said that to make the publication more comprehensive, the discoveries reported by the taxonomists from academia and other institutions both within and outside the country were also included. They had reported three genera, 78 species, 15 subspecies, five varieties and three species as new records of India. "The Indian flora is mainly concentrated in three major centres of diversity namely Himalayas, the Western Ghats and Andaman and Nicobar islands. The discoveries reflect the potential of the country's plant heritage which is yet to be explored," Sanjappa added. Bamboo species Munrochloa was discovered from country's Western Ghats, while Calamus renukae was found in tropical evergreen forests of Silent Valley National Park in Kerala, growing at about 1300 metre altitude. Aconitum bhutanicum, a perennial tuberous herb, has been collected for the first time from Pin Valley National Park in Himachal Pradesh. Various species originally home to China, Sri Lanka and Myanmar have been found in the jungles of Himachal Pradesh as well the north-eastern part of the country. "For the first time, we have included 14 species and a genes of bacteria in the publication," Sanjappa added. The Indian flora accounts for about 11 per cent of the total plant species of the world while about 28 per cent of the plants are endemic to the country. Flowering plants namely Aconitum Bhutanicum, Agapetes hilli, Agapetes kingdonis, Agapetes Leucocarpa, and Agapetes Subvinacea have naturalised well in the country, the scientists found. According to Sanjappa, India has about 45,968 species of plants with Angiosperm family topping the list which have already been identified and classified. The Hindu, 8th June 2009
Thiruvananthapuram: Improper sanitation, salinity and human activities have impacted on the water quality in the Neyyar river basin in Thiruvananthapuram. An environmental monitoring programme, conducted by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), has reported poor quality of both surface and groundwater resources in the basin. Analysis of water samples collected from the Neyyar river revealed salinity intrusion in the downstream stretches. Most of the water samples were contaminated with faecal matter and microbes like E.Coli. Both the river water and groundwater samples showed acidity, indicating a major quality problem in the Neyyar basin. Poor quality groundwater was found in the Neyyatinkara municipality, Chenkal, Kulathoor, Poovar, Thirupuram, Amboori, Kallikadu, Ottasekharamangalam, Kattakada, Poovachal and Athiyannur. About 95 per cent of the samples collected during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons and 98 per cent collected during the monsoon were found to be unsuitable for drinking. Based on the results of biological analysis, the survey team concluded that sewage and other domestic waste pose a threat to the Neyyar river. With several feeder canals and streams carrying sewage, the river bed has a high organic load. Several species of worms like chironomus, tubifex and other oligochaetan worms were reported in the river bed near the Neyyatinkara township and at Poovar where the river enters the Lakshadweep Sea, indicating a high level of organic pollution. However, no industrial or chemical pollution was detected. Aquatic life was reported to be under serious threat in the river at locations like Koombichal, Neyyatinkara and Poovar. Several monitoring stations reported high content of iron in water during the pre-monsoon and acidity in the post-monsoon period. Assessment of samples collected from downstream revealed that the water is unsuitable for irrigation. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan released a report on the environmental monitoring programme conducted in the Neyyar, Periyar and Kabani river basins at a function organised by KSCSTE here on Friday in connection with the World Environment Day celebrations. The Hindu, 7th June, 2009
Hundreds were killed and many more rendered homeless when cyclone Aila hit Bangladesh and West Bengal recently. We can argue whether this happened because of climate change or not. But that is only a detail. Today, as the earth faces its most serious environmental crisis, the time to quibble over such detail is long past.For, an indisputable fact is that the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere, the consequence of decades of fossil fuel burning mainly by industrialised countries, has set in motion a series of environmental disasters.Today, the earth is warmer. If temperatures increase by two degrees Celsius, we are talking of major catastrophes. Sea levels are already rising. If they continue, entire island nations could be wiped out. Maldives, with its population of 300,000, is already planning evacuation strategies. Food production is declining in the countries that need it most, such as sub-Saharan Africa. A new report by the World Bank suggests that climate change will also impact agriculture in several parts of India. And glaciers, including those in the Himalayas, are melting faster. The list of environmental changes following global warming grows every day. The consequences of climate change are already on our doorstep.As the crucial COP 15 — the 15th Conference of Parties discussing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — approaches (December 7 to 18 in Copenhagen, Denmark), the buzz about global warming can be heard in the corridors of power across the world. Even in India, several members of the new Cabinet mentioned the importance of these negotiations for India.Environmental issues are easier to grasp when they concern man-made or natural disasters that affect us, or when government action exacerbates environmental deterioration. They are more difficult to comprehend when they comprise international negotiations such as those in Copenhagen. Why should any of this be of interest to the ordinary Indian?Yet, as voluminous studies and documentation have already established, the consequences of global warming will affect everyone, rich and poor. But the poor will have to bear the greater burden, as their dependence on natural resources for survival is greater. According to the international charity Oxfam, by 2015 global warming will adversely affect an estimated 375 million people, the majority of them from developing countries. That is just six years away.The essentials of the debate on climate change have remained unchanged in the last decade. The current crisis is the result of accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the earth's atmosphere as a consequence of decades of uncontrolled fossil fuel consumption by industrialised countries. Their growth and current economic status was premised on this pattern of energy production and consumption.The price for this accumulation of GHGs is being borne largely by developing and poor countries. They are being forced to adapt to the changes in the environment resulting from an increase in the earth's temperature and they do not have the funds to use less carbon and yet sustain economic growth that is essential to their survival. The G77 countries and China have argued that not only should industrialised nations cut back their emissions of GHGs — China has demanded a 40 per cent cut to 1990 levels by 2020 — but that they should also finance poor countries if they want them to curb their emissions. With the focus on the growing economies of India and China that are using all available resources to meet their energy deficit, the importance of financial support to underwrite low-carbon growth becomes even more important. In Copenhagen this debate will continue but with one major difference. In 1997, when the Kyoto Protocol set up internationally agreed targets of limiting GHG emissions by industrialised countries, the biggest emitter of these gases, the United States of America, refused to come on board. Today, under the new Obama Administration, the US is more willing to be a part of an international agreement. President Obama has already announced a 10-year programme for renewable energy in the US with an investment of $150 billion. He has discussed with the automobile industry setting up fuel efficiency norms to reduce vehicle emissions. However, the US is still resisting any imposition of targets and many argue that even the steps it has taken are too little and too late given the crisis facing the world.Unfortunately, the flip side of this is US pressure on India and China to also accept targets to curb their GHGs. At the moment, the US and China together are responsible for 16 per cent of the carbon dioxide emitted. But while the per capita emission of the US is 20 tonnes, that of China is less than four tonnes. India, at just over one tonne per capita, is even lower. India and China have argued that while present and future accumulation of GHGs must be addressed, the current crisis is a consequence of the past. Therefore, the major responsibility for addressing it rests with the industrialised world.So Copenhagen and the run-up to it will see more of such sparring. India, as part of G77 countries, and China will push hard for a commitment from the industrialised countries for a percentage of their GDP to fund climate action in developing countries. In recent days, the Mexican government has put forward a proposal based on past and current emissions and the size of GDP to calculate how much countries should give for a global climate fund. Also, even as this is being written, crucial negotiations are under way in Bonn, Germany on the sticky issue of finance. The UN estimates that $100 billion per year will be needed for mitigation and Oxfam suggests another $50 billion a year for adaptation to climate change. An agreement in Bonn would hold out hope for a positive outcome at Copenhagen.But apart from this global dimension, countries like India and China also face the challenge of devising strategies that ensure growth and yet are environmentally responsible. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is quoted in India's position paper on climate change as saying, "Our people want higher standards of living, but they also want clean water to drink, fresh air to breathe and a green earth to walk on". At present, our pattern of growth seems to be heading in exactly the opposite direction. There is no fresh air in our cities, clean water is available only to a few and our green areas are disappearing by the minute. For too long, governments have paid mere lip service to renewables. The ministry for non-conventional energy resources that has now been renamed as ministry for renewable energy was always considered unimportant. As a result, there are desultory efforts made to encourage solar energy in a country with abundant sunshine or to promote wind energy or tidal energy. How are these renewables going to be pushed by the new government? Similarly, in the building frenzy in our cities, little thought has been given to establishing building codes and norms that require energy efficiency and conservation in these new constructions. Even if we hold that others have brought on this crisis, surely we need to ensure that we do not add to the problem. Less energy intensive construction need not necessarily be more expensive. Yet, there is a singular absence of debate on such issues in India. While the world debates the dire consequences of automobile emissions, in India we continue to add more cars to our congested roads. In Europe, on the other hand, efforts are in place to reduce vehicular emissions by making cities bicycle and pedestrian friendly and improving public transport. This is combined with taxes, such as a congestion tax, to discourage private automobiles from entering crowded city centres. The result is cleaner air and smoother travel. Isn't that something every urban resident in India dreams of? Yet, inspect any Indian city's development plan and you see no attempt at such an environmentally sound approach. Is it impossible to plan to aim for the clean air the Prime Minister has spoken of by working on this perspective for our cities? Surely the question is not just one of funds but of vision. India cannot afford to wait until there is an international agreement on a climate fund before taking crucial decisions about its energy generation and consumption. Our poor will be amongst the millions who will bear the brunt of global warming. They are the environmental refugees that already flood towns and cities because every year drought, floods and other disasters force them to abandon their homes. Climate change will bring with it a noticeable increase in the scale and frequency of such disasters. Even as the Indian government lobbies internationally for a more just and equitable system to deal with the consequences of global warming, we as citizens should push the government to take steps that prevent this country from becoming a place where every breath you take is foul, every sip of water is contaminated and where green is a colour we see only on our flag. The Hindu, 7th June, 2009
HYDERABAD: The Central government has proposed to develop two biosphere reserves in Andhra Pradesh. Proposed at Seshachalam area spread over Chittoor and Kadapa districts and Chintapalli in Visakhapatnam, the two biosphere reserves would be the first of their kind in the Eastern Ghats. To be fully funded by the Centre, the reserves are aimed at helping in protection and preservation of unique ecology of the areas.Union Minister of State for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh made the proposal at a meeting with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy here on Saturday. The Chief Minister sought time to examine the proposals before giving green signal.Dr. Reddy was particular about clearances under the Forest Conservation Act for the Komaram Bheem project in Adilabad, Veligonda, Somasila, the Galeru Nagari Sujala Sravanti flood flow canal and the Indira Sagar lift irrigation scheme. Speaking to reporters later, Mr. Ramesh assured that his Ministry would certainly look into the pending projects and emphasised that the ways for expeditious clearances would be explored, subject to "fulfilment of statutory requirements" and ensure that there were no "unnecessary delays as long as all safeguards are met." "The process should be transparent and statutory processes have to be gone through," he said.Mr. Ramesh, who held discussions with non-governmental organisations earlier, said concerns were expressed on various issues including displacement of tribals in Polavaram project and uranium mining in Nalgonda district. The Hindu, 7th June, 2009
Source: Mathrubhumi, 7th June 2009
Source: Malayala Manorama, 7th June 2009
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) marking Eloor industrial area one of the toxic hotspot for persistent organic pollutant (POP), the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) together with the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) has reported that the water quality index of the Periyar river flowing through Eloor is extremely poor. This was revealed in a study report published in the 'Environment Monitoring Programme on Water Quality-2009' which was released by the Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan here on Friday as part of the Environment Day celebration organised by the KSCSTE. The report has findings of the study on the three river basins of the state - Kabini, Neyyar and Periyar. The water was sampled from as many as 24 different sites along the course of the Periyar river and studied for several parameters right from temperature and hardness to the presence of pesticides and metals. Groundwater samples were also collected from the Periyar river basin. Classification and analysis of the river based on Central Pollution Control Board criteria reveals that stations downstream are under Class D, indicating that the water in this stretch is not suitable for drinking, but can be used for irrigation and industrial cooling.However, at least seven stations in Eloor are under Class E, indicating that it cannot be used for even agriculture.In fact Periyar, one of the most polluted rivers in the state, has also been found to be very acidic especially in the industrial belt of Eloor.Turbidity and electrical conductivity of the water is high, indicating a highlevel of pollution of the aquatic body.The suspended particles were high in Eloor, School kadavu, Depo kadavu, Manjummal and Methanam kadavu.The total dissolved solids, which shows the mineralised nature of the water, was the highest from the sample collected from Eloor Ferry at 2342.42 mg/l.Alkalinity was also high in the downstream stretches of Periyar.At the six sampling stations in the Eloor industrial area, the concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were found to be high. Iron concentration was found to be abnormally high at 14 locations in the river basin and abnormally high in the Edayar region. The study says that the conversion of the iron to ferric hydroxide could be the reason for the periodic red coloration of Periyar.An examination of the groundwater samples have shown that almost all the groundwater samples were microbiologically contaminated.Only 28 percent of the samples can be considered as safe for drinking purpose.E-Coli was reported in 62 percent samples.The Kuzhikandam creek at Eloor, into which the HIL, FACT, IRE and Merchem lets out their effluents, is a cocktail of various chemicals and hazardous pollutants.This creek opens out into the Periyar and is a major cause for the pollution of Periyar.It maybe recalled that several environmental activists have been demanding a more stringent monitoring system to control pollution at Eloor. The New Indian Express, 6th June 2009
Vertical greenhouses that grow organic fruit and vegetables smack in the middle of crowded cities where land is scarce may soon be a reality, a Swedish company developing the project said Friday. "A tomato seed is planted on the ground floor on a rotating spiral and when it arrives at the top, 30 days later, you pick the fruit," the vice president of Plantagon, Hans Hassle, told AFP.In a few decades, 80 percent of the global population will live in cities, increasing the need "to grow fruits and vegetables in an urban environment due to the lack of land," he said.With a vertical greenhouse, "we could have fresh organic produce every day and sell it directly to consumers in the city," Hassle said.That way, "we would save 70 percent on the cost of fresh produce because right now 70 percent of the price is transport and storage costs," he said.Fresh and healthy produce would thereby also become more readily available to those with slim budgets, he added.No vertical greenhouse exists yet, but "several cities in Scandinavia and in China have expressed an interest," Hassle said.Each installation would cost around 30 million dollars (21 million euros), much more than a regular greenhouse. But the investment would rapidly turn a profit, he insisted."With ground space of 10,000 square metres (107, 640 square feet), a vertical greenhouse represents the equivalent of 100,000 square metres of cultivated land" thanks to the rotating spiral that allows continual planting."An inventor came up with the idea 20 years ago but none of the people he presented it to believed in it. He presented it to me 10 years ago and it seemed like a good idea, so I talked to Sweco, a Swedish engineering firm, and they agreed to build these vertical greenhouses," Hassle explained.A virtual image of what one of the greenhouses could look like resembles a large glass sphere with a pillar in the middle, around which the seedlings rotate on a platform."It looks fantastic like that, but the technology is simple," Hassle said.http://www.physorg.com/news163431280.html The Business Line, 6th June 2009
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has highlighted the need for strategies to minimise the impact of climate change on Kerala.Speaking after inaugurating a seminar organised by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) in connection with the World Environment Day celebrations here, he exhorted students, researchers and officials to formulate new projects based on the threats posed by the climate change phenomenon. Mr. Achuthanandan said the scientific community had issued a clear warning against the disastrous consequences of global warming and other problems caused by man's tampering with nature. The Chief Minister released a report on the Environmental Monitoring Programme on Water Quality, a project taken up by the KSCSTE. N.H. Ravindranath, Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, received the first copy and delivered the keynote address. Principal Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Dr. E.P.Yesodharan, who presided over the meeting said global warming and errant rains had become a matter of grave concern.Executive Director, Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), K.V. Jayakumar and Principal Scientific Officer Kamalakshan Kokkal were present.Prizes were distributed to the winners of the photography and painting contests organised by the KSCSTE in connection with World Environment Day.Scientists and teachers and student members of the National Green Corps from city schools attended the seminar. The Hindu, 6th June, 2009
Source: Malayala Manorama, 5th June 2009
NEW DELHI: With the second-highest global cereals crop expected this year and stocks replenished, the world food supply appeared less vulnerable to [external] shocks than it was during last year's food crisis, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said in its Food Outlook report released on Thursday. "International prices of most agricultural commodities have fallen in 2009 from their 2008 heights, an indication that many markets are slowly returning to balance," the twice-yearly report said. So far the improvement was largely in cereals – the critical sector for food security – after record production in 2008 overshot original forecasts, the report said. The bumper crop had also facilitated replenishment of global reserves to pre-crisis levels. At the same time, the report said that food prices remained high in many developing countries, and access to food for the poor also continued to be threatened by loss of employment, income and other effects of the global economic crisis. World cereal production in 2009 is forecast to reach 2, 219 million tonnes (including rice on a milled basis), about three per cent lower than last year's record high but nonetheless the second largest crop ever gathered, the FAO said. In 2008-09 it was 2, 287 million tonnes. In 2009-10, reductions were forecast for wheat and coarse grains while the global rice crop may register another marginal increase. In several major producing countries, cereal farmers had been discouraged by poor expected returns: sharply lower grain prices and relatively high input costs.In Asia, prospects for the winter wheat crop had improved in China and Pakistan. In India, where the harvest is already underway, the wheat crop was expected to be similar to the 2008 level at about 78 million tonnes. In the Near East, wheat crop was expected to recover from last year's drought especially in Iran. Similarly, in the Asian CIS, better conditions in Kazakhstan, was expected to lead to a recovery in the wheat crop there after drought last year. On the other hand sizeable increases were expected in rice output in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, the report said. The first forecast for world cereal trade in 2009-10 was 257 million tonnes, down by nearly 4 per cent from last year. This contraction mostly concerned wheat imports, which could fall by as much as 10 million tonnes in the new season, reflecting a strong anticipated recovery in production in several major wheat-importing countries. More problematic was the oilseed products sector, with prices on world markets increasing as a consequence of production setbacks in some major producers and of expanding consumption of animal feed in China and India. Oilseeds production in 2008-09 was forecast at 405.9 million tonnes, 0.7 per cent more than the 403.1 million tonnes estimated for the year before. The Hindu, 5th June, 2009
Chennai: The mood in the renewable energy sector alternates between hope and despair. Every time there is a development that augurs well for the sector, players get upbeat and then wax eloquent about the potential that the country offers for the entire range of renewable energy sources. This joy is, unfortunately, often short-lived. One step forward, two steps back, is how an industry player described the green energy sector's progress. But, then, the players add that in India things happen, albeit slowly. They turn green with envy when they look at the developments in China, especially with the wind power sector. At the end of calendar 2008, China overtook India to occupy the fourth slot in terms of total wind installed capacity and jumped far ahead with regard to annual capacity addition. China added 6,300 MW of wind power capacity in 2008, taking its total installed capacity to 12,210 MW. In comparison, India added 1,800 MW, taking its installed capacity to 9,645 MW. China also boasts of a much larger manufacturing base for wind energy equipment when compared to India. Mr Ditlev Engel, President and CEO, Vestas Wind Systems, a leading wind turbine manufacturer, told this correspondent in Denmark last year that things in India have been disappointing as far as the wind energy sector is concerned, especially because the country was so much ahead some years ago. "I think India has a wonderful potential if the country wants to go ahead," was his observation. But, some like Mr G. M. Pillai, Director-General of the Pune-based World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE), an eternal optimist as far as the renewable energy sector is concerned and a vocal proponent of its advantages, in a recent interaction, listed some of the positive developments for the sector. The 50 paise a unit generation-based incentive offered by the Government of India is one such. The other is the response to an initiative taken by him – that of getting a renewable energy law enacted in the country. He said that at the political level, almost all parties were aware of the need for such a piece of legislation and was confident that this legislative impetus would give the sector the much-needed boost.A look at the ground reality is in order. Of the total 148,265 MW of installed power capacity at the end of April 2009 in the country, the renewable energy sector at 13,242 MW accounts for just about 9 per cent. Of this, the wind power capacity totals 10,134 MW, with the balance being accounted for by other renewable energy sources such as biomass, cogen, small hydro, solar and waste-to-energy projects.More advanced economies, particularly in Europe, have set ambitious targets for increasing the electricity they get from Green power sources and are following that up with major fiscal incentives and regulatory measures. In India too, there has been some movement at least as far as the regulatory measures are concerned. A number of State electricity regulatory commissions have specified that distribution utilities, in cases where the electricity utility has been unbundled, or the State electricity board itself should source a specified percentage of the power they sell to consumers from renewable energy sources. Moreover, the States are also offering attractive tariffs for power from renewable sources. All this, the industry believes, will lead to increased private sector investment in the sector. As it is, a number of multinationals and some domestic power utilities and petroleum companies are investing in the renewable energy sector.For the sector to really take off, the powers that be have to realise that incentives are needed and that these to be sector specific and properly monitored. Emerging technologies in the renewable energy sector are capital intensive, which calls for higher levels of State support through higher tariffs and funds at cheaper rates of interest.The US and Europe look at Green Power from an entirely different perspective. It is not just one that will help add generation capacity, but will also provide rural jobs. That is an approach that India too will have to adopt. If that is done, a majority of the problems will be sorted out. Wind turbines, for instance, can come up only in rural areas, where the infrastructure is poor. The developers not only have to provide this infrastructure themselves, they also have to contend with numerous "local issues," as they put it.Green Power will also help in distributed generation — having small generation capacities in places where there is not heavy demand for electricity. A number of small-size biomass power projects have been put up and more are in the pipeline. For them to come on line quickly, attractive tariffs are a must. Rather than look at different sources of electricity generation in isolation, it is necessary for all States to work out an integrated energy plan that will cover a 25-year period. This should not be confined to just how the State is going to meet its electricity needs, but also look at the transportation sector. Some States such as Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have embarked on such an exercise. Mr Pillai of WISE believes that this is a must, as otherwise, the States will not be prepared for the sudden energy demand growth. One area that Mr Pillai wants the States to look at seriously for power generation is solar. It may be an expensive proposition now, but large-scale projects tend to bring down costs. Also, newer technologies are emerging that will help lower cost and enable larger quantity of electricity to be generated. His confident assertion was that solar power can power the entire northern region. Only policy and regulatory push can determine whether that is indeed feasible. Business line, 5th June, 2009
Cyclone Aila's trail of destruction in India and Bangladesh has brought world attention to the plight of tens of thousands of people who spend their entire lives in the path of tropical storms. There is concern also for the Sundarbans, a vast landscape that weathers the same cyclones. As one of the world's largest mangrove ecosystems, this region is unique in hosting endangered tigers. Concern for these magnificent animals mounted when Aila struck, but scientists have been pointing out that they have probably fared better than people. After all, tigers enjoy the natural advantage of being excellent swimmers. It would take a detailed survey to assess if there have been serious losses but the only unusual post-cyclone event recorded so far has been that of a tiger rescued from a human dwelling. The Sundarbans mangroves form part of global natural heritage. The composite 10,000 sq km spread of islands and tidal waterways are particularly rich in biodiversity, ranging from scores of birds to monitor lizards, river dolphins, spotted deer, macaques, and tigers. In a status report presented in 2008, India's National Tiger Conservation Authority did not venture an estimate of the tiger population in the Sundarbans because of ongoing sampling work, but reported the presence of tigers in 1,586 sq km of the landscape. Bangladesh has declared about 1,000 sq km of the contiguous area on its side as wildlife sanctuaries. Reliable population sampling for the Sundarbans tigers is crucial as good baseline data are required for conservation effort. Preserved ecosystems provide important benefits to communities. In the case of the Sundarbans, that is evident from the significant amount of honey and wax collected by villagers each year. The mangroves are also a rich breeding ground for fish and other sea food. What is clear is that the continued sustenance of the small communities in the more hospitable parts of the Sundarbans will depend on how quickly the major threats are mitigated. The key factors that could damage this ecosystem are sea level changes and intensifying weather events linked to climate change, commercial-scale exploitation of forest produce, and physical elimination of mangroves in the name of land acquisition. If what some research scientists believe is true, loss of the mangroves would also mean removal of protection for inland human habitations from cyclones. The available evidence underscores the need for India and Bangladesh to create a strong bilateral framework to preserve the Sundarbans — a listed UNESCO world heritage site and a lifeline for coastal communities. The Hindu, 5th June, 2009
Chennai: Open the United Nations Environment Programme's Web site and go to the page that deals with the World Environment Day. You will come across a 'Do Something Daily' tip — simple things you can do to protect the environment. One such message reads: "When you need a pad for lists and messages, turn over an old document and write on the back of that instead." Simple, yet thought provoking. A gentle reminder for a whole lot of us who would not think twice about tearing off a sheet of paper from a pad or a notebook to scribble a brief message, ot just a telephone number. One can almost hear a tree being felled — after all, wood is the key raw material for making paper. This message on the United Nations Environment Programme Web site ( www.unep.org/wed/2009/english ) ties in with an ambitious programme taken up by the UNEP to get countries and people to save and protect the environment. In 2007, the UNEP launched a worldwide tree planting campaign under a theme titled 'Plant for the Planet: Billion tree campaign.' Then, the UNEP set its sights even higher — it wants to plant seven billion trees, one for every person on the planet, by the end of 2009. In this task, it wants governments, businesses, civil society, and the common people to sign on. The UNEP's effort to involve as wide a section of the population as possible relates to this year's theme for the World Environment Day itself: "Your planet needs you — UNite to combat climate change." Nearly six months after the World Environment Day, all nations will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss issues related to climate change. The leaders, it is hoped, will hammer out at the December meeting an agreement that commits all concerned to achieving specified targets and goals. The United Nations General Assembly decided to observe the World Environment Day on June 5, the day in 1972 on which the Stockholm conference on human environment opened. The day's agenda, according to the UNEP, is to give a human face to environment issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and, advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. Mexico will host this year's international Environment Day celebrations. This year's theme is also meant to reflect the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the climate convention meeting in Copenhagen from December 7 to 18. Even as the world observes the Environment Day, preliminary climate change talks are in progress in Bonn, Germany, where delegates from over 180 countries are meeting to discuss issues that will, hopefully, help in clinching a deal at Copenhagen. Simultaneously, the UN has started a campaign — Seal the Deal — for a 'fair, balanced and effective' climate agreement in Copenhagen. The campaign's aim is to encourage governments at the COP15 (Conference of Parties) session in Copenhagen to come up with a deal that will "protect people, the planet and promote a global green economy." Clinching a deal at Copenhagen will rest on the extent to which industrialised countries are prepared to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and how much developing economies such as China and India are willing to curtail the growth of their emissions. Another important issue is how the developing economies are going to be financed in their efforts to curb emissions growth. The new climate treaty will replace the Kyoto Protocol, so called because of the agreement that was reached in the Japanese city in December 1997 and that came into force in February 2005. The Kyoto Protocol set binding targets for industrialised countries for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and was signed and ratified by 184 parties of the UN Climate Convention. However, its primary drawback was that the US did not ratify it. But now with the US President, Mr Barack Obama, keen on pursuing a green agenda, the expectation is that there will be some sort of a deal, with the developed and developing economies appreciating the urgency to pursue a greener growth agenda. Businessline, June 5th, 2009
Source: Malayala Manorama, 5th June 2009
Mathrubhumi, 5th June 2009
Source: Deepika, 5th June 2009
Source: Kerala Kaumudhi, 5th June 2009
Source: Deshabhimani 5th June 2009
Source: Deshabhimani, 1st June 2009
Source: Deshabhimani, 1st June 2009
The effects of climate change on health are likely to be significant. Managing the challenge will greatly depend on an effective adaptation mechanism being drawn up at the United Nations climate change conference to be held in Copenhagen later this year. Higher global temperatures are expected to have both direct and indirect effects on health. Given that a 2-degree C rise in temperature by the end of the century is considered inevitable, it is time to prepare for the fallout. Morbidity and mortality from vector-borne diseases, for instance, could spread to newly-warming areas because some insects and pathogens benefit from temperature changes. Access to clean water will be compromised by severe droughts, and more intense monsoon events such as cyclones and floods could lead to epidemics. Adapting to the health effects of climate change will require a strong global policy framework, combined with similar action at the national and sub-national levels. Adaptation can have a strong foundation only if a good funding mechanism exists. Optimistic assessments have it that an accrual of $1-5 billion a year is possible under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. Going by forecasts on climate change effects, these funds are almost certain to fall far short of what is needed — running into tens of billions — to meet the challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries. A clear need exists to raise both funding and institutional capacity to prepare for the anticipated health effects of climate change. An increase in public spending on health at the national level should be the starting point, because that will improve resilience to climate consequences, besides conferring benefits all-round. Such investments must ideally be matched by other programmes that influence social, ecological, and economic determinants of health. It is useful, in this context, to consider a set of important climate-related areas identified for study and action by a commission constituted by the University College, London, and The Lancet. These include changing patterns of disease and mortality, food, water and sanitation, urbanisation and extreme weather events. Also imperative is the need for a sound national disease monitoring and surveillance system. Not much structured data exists, for example, on heat wave-induced mortality in India, while detailed studies are available from Europe and the United States. Climate change is an important concern to factor in, as the incoming UPA government gives shape to its health-care agenda. The Hindu, 1st June 2009
The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, has been invited to be a partner in the national programme on Isotope Fingerprinting of Waters of India (IWIN) for scientific monitoring of atmospheric and terrestrial water resources. Coordinated by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, the programme involves monitoring the stable isotopes (oxygen-18 and deuterium) of water. It is expected to help predict the consequences of unscientific exploitation of water and ensure sustainable utilisation. The investigations will also provide better understanding of the geographic and climatic factors that influence water resources.A satellite project with a financial outlay of Rs.33 lakh has been proposed by CWRDM to undertake an isotope fingerprinting study in the Kerala region for monitoring two river basins and one island in Lakshadweep. According to K.V. Jayakumar, Executive Director, CWRDM, the project would promote a better understanding of the climatic factors responsible for monsoon showers. "The investigations carried out under the programme will throw light on the dominant moisture sources responsible for the heavy monsoon showers in the region and the extent of the control of the climatic parameters over it. The isotope studies will also provide valuable information on the impact of human interventions on natural water resources. Since, this programme is part of the isotope fingerprinting of the waters in the rest of the country, the baseline data generated can be used as an input for understanding the hydrological cycle of the whole country."Mr. Jayakumar said: "It has been estimated that the demand for water will triple by the year 2050. Whichever way the demand is met, there will be large-scale modification of the natural hydrological cycle in the country not just due to engineered structures and controlled stream flows but also by changing the residence time of water in aquifers and by increasing water vapour content of the atmosphere over India, significantly during non-monsoon months."The network data generated as part of the project is expected to form the basis of detailed hydro-geological investigations in different river or groundwater basins of the country. It is expected to throw light on the seasonal sources of water vapour in different regions of the country, the dispersion of 'oceanic vapour front' ahead of the 'rain front' before the rainy seasons and the amount of rain caused by evaporation over land areas. The Hindu, 31st May 2009
There could be 200 million climate refugees by 2050, according to a new policy paper by the International Organization for Migration, depending on the degree of climate disturbances. Aside from the South Pacific, low-lying areas likely to be battered first include Bangladesh and nations in the Indian Ocean, where the leader of the Maldives has begun seeking a safe haven for his 300,000 people. Landlocked areas may also be affected; some experts call the Darfur region of Sudan, where nomads battle villagers in a war over shrinking natural resources, the first significant conflict linked to climate change. In the coming days, the U.N. General Assembly is expected to adopt the first resolution linking climate change to international peace and security. The hard-fought resolution, brought by 12 Pacific island states, says that climate change warrants greater attention from the United Nations as a possible source of upheaval worldwide and calls for more intense efforts to combat it. While all Pacific island states are expected to lose land, some made up entirely of atolls, like Tuvalu and Kiribati, face possible extinction. As it is, the compromise resolution does not mention such specific steps, one of the reasons it is expected to pass. Britain, which introduced climate change as a Security Council discussion topic two years ago, supports it along with most of Europe, while other permanent council members — namely, the United States, China and Russia — generally backed the measure once it no longer explicitly demanded council action. Scientific studies distributed by the United Nations or affiliated agencies generally paint rising seas as a threat. A 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, detailing shifts expected in the South Pacific, said rising seas would worsen flooding and erosion and threaten towns as well as infrastructure. Some fresh water will turn salty, and fishing and agriculture will wither, it said. The small island states are not alone in considering the looming threat already on the doorstep. A policy paper released this month by Australia's Defence Ministry suggests possible violent outcomes in the Pacific. While Australia should try to mitigate the humanitarian suffering caused by global warming, if that failed and conflict erupted, the country should use its military "as an instrument to deal with any threats," said the paper. Australia's previous prime minister, John Howard, was generally dismissive of the problem, saying his country was plagued with "doomsayers." But a policy paper called "Our Drowning Neighbours," by the now governing Labour Party, said Australia should help meld an international coalition to address it. Political debates have erupted there and in New Zealand over the idea of immigration quotas for climate refugees. New Zealand established a "Pacific Access Category" with guidelines that mirror the rules for any emigre, opening its borders to a limited annual quota of some 400 able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 45 who have no criminal records. But its position has attracted criticism for leaving out the young and the old, who have the least ability to relocate. Australia's policy, by contrast, is to try to mitigate the circumstances for the victims where they are, rather than serving as their lifeboat. The sentiment among Pacific Islanders suggests that they do not want to abandon their homelands or be absorbed into cultures where indigenous people already struggle for acceptance. Rakova, on the Carteret Islands, echoes that sentiment. A year ago, her proposed relocation effort attracted just three families out of a population of around 2,000 people. But after last season's king tides, she is scrounging for about $1.5 million to help some 750 people relocate before the tides come again. Jennifer Redfearn, a documentary maker, has been filming the gradual disappearance of the Carterets for a work called "Sun Come Up." One clan chief told her he would rather sink with the islands than leave. It now takes only about 15 minutes to walk the length of the largest island, with food and water supplies shrinking all the time. "It destroys our food gardens, it uproots coconut trees, it even washes over the sea walls that we have built," Rakova says on the film. "Most of our culture will have to live in memory." — © 2009 The New York Times News Service The Hindu, 30th May 2009
From June 1 for 10 days temperatures will rise in Bonn as negotiators from all over the world congregate to prepare for the crucial December Copenhagen climate agreement that will replace the Kyoto Protocol. The new agreement sets industrialised nations an additional target of a 25-40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. By 2050, the targeted emission cut is to be 50-80 per cent, so as to keep the overall increase in world temperatures within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F). With climate negotiations reduced to a rich-versus-poor slanging match, the US will be on watch as usual, with the Obama administration making its first appearance at such a meeting. Thus far the US has opposed the Kyoto Protocol caps, unlike the European Union that plans to cut emissions by at least 20 per cent by 2020 and is ready to go up to 30 per cent if other industrialised nations agree. Though the US President, Mr Barack Obama's "we will get it done" statement on climate legislation augurs well for the Bonn negotiations, it is not clear how far domestic realities will allow Washington to go beyond the good intentions. Further, the US would want to see key co-GHG contributor China — the two account for more than 40 per cent of the world's GHG emissions — increase its commitment to emissions reduction. It would also want enforceable targets set for other major developing countries such as India and Brazil that were exempted till 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol. Though the advanced developing nations will not accept absolute cuts. This group may yet strike some common ground with the industrialised countries, but the position of the other developing countries, represented by G77, remains tentative as they are unable to arrive at a consensus on major issues, hampered by their vastly divergent interests. The negotiators will thus have to devote time to the 'Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions' (NAMA) and 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation' (REDD) that have emerged in recent times. Countries will also need to think up improvements to existing systems, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and the shape and place of new ones, such as for land use and forestry or the inclusion of new gases. No one expects all the answers in December but most would be happy to get some, for such issues as near-term emission cuts for industrialised and developing countries, how much funds developed nations will allocate to help poorer countries invest in clean technologies, and structures to ensure these resources are deployed efficiently and effectively. The negotiators have one more session, in Bangkok in September/October, to warm to an accord on climate change. The Business Line 29th May 2009
Insect invasion: Patterns of infection would change, with insect-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever spreading more easily. Senior doctors in the U.K. recently published a report warning that climate change is the biggest threat to global health of the 21st century. Rising global temperatures would have a catastrophic effect on human health, the doctors said, and patterns of infection would change, with insect-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever spreading more easily.Heat waves such as occurred in Europe in 2003, which caused up to 70,000 "excess" deaths, will become more common, as will hurricanes, cyclones and storms, causing flooding and injuries."We have not just underestimated but completely neglected and ignored this issue," said Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet, which published the report commissioned from University College London. The lead author of the report, Professor Anthony Costello, a paediatrician who works on maternal and newborn health in the developing world, said his own views had changed. "I thought there were other priorities 18 months ago," he said. Now he believed that mitigating the impact of rising temperatures was urgent. "Every year we delay, the costs go up. We are setting up a world for our children and grandchildren that may be extremely turbulent."The biggest impact could be in food and water shortages, which in the past have led to war and mass migration. Prof Hugh Montgomery, of UCL's institute for human health and performance, who was one of the report's authors, noted that Mikhael Gorbachev had linked 21 recent conflicts to water instability. The report says that the poorest people in the world will be worst affected. Although the carbon footprint of the poorest billion people is about 3 per cent of the world's total footprint, loss of life is expected to be 500 times greater in Africa than in the wealthy countries. Despite improvements in health, 10 million children still die every year, more than 200 million children under five are not developing as well as they should, 800 million people are hungry, and 1,500 million people do not have clean drinking water. All those things could worsen very significantly, the report says. The impact of heat waves, flooding and global food shortages will be felt in Britain too, the authors warned. "This is an immediate danger. It is going to affect you and it will certainly affect your children. While there is the injustice that the poorest will be worst affected, you will be affected too," said Montgomery.The report says evidence on greenhouse gas emissions, temperature and sea-level rises, the melting of ice-sheets, ocean acidification and extreme climatic events suggests the forecasts by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007 might be too conservative. The U.K. target, to limit global warming to two degrees more, is unlikely to be achieved. Costello, however, said the message from the report was not entirely negative. "There is an awful lot we can do," he said. Reducing carbon emissions would encourage people to cut use of vehicles, and if that led to more walking and cycling it would tend to lower stress levels, reduce obesity, and lessen heart disease, lung disease and stroke risks. The Hindu, 28th May 2009
Conservationists in Bangladesh and India on Wednesday launched a search in the world's largest mangrove forest for endangered Bengal tigers following a cyclone that killed at least 180 people.he storm caused havoc in the Sunderbans mangrove forest, and drove a tidal wave of saltwater inland.Abani Bhusan Thakur, chief Bangladesh official for the Sunderbans, told AFP the forest had taken the brunt of Cyclone Aila, which hit Bangladesh and West Bengal on Monday.He said forest workers would now search the 10,000 sq.km belt, where a recent UN survey estimated 650 Bengal Tigers live. "The entire mangrove forest was flooded by a huge tidal surge. There are some freshwater ponds which the tigers drink from, but now everything is salty", thakur said.In India, one of the rare tigers swam into a village looking for dry ground, said Subrata Mukharjee, the director of the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve.He said it had been transuilised and put in cage and would be soon set free. We fear that other Bengal tigers may have swept away by the giant waves", he added.At least one tiger died in November 2007 during Cyclone Sidr which killed more than 3,500 people.The Sunderbans forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and meghna rivers, straddling the border between India and Bangladesh. The IUCN Red List estimates there are less rgan 2,500 Bengal tigers left in the world. The Business Line, 28th May 2009
In a heartening development for nature lovers and fans of the picturesque Vembanad lake, the second Vembanad Fish Count held here on Wednesday has identified 62 species of fish and 14 species of crustaceans and molluscs including shrimp. This is in contrast with 50 and 11 each species of both categories that were identified in last year's count.According to officials of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), who masterminded and led the fish count, the opening of the Thanneermukkom barrage at the right time and availability of saline water could have helped the increase in the population of the aquatic species, including sea fish, in the lake, which has been facing the threat of pollution and encroachment for long.The highlight of the fish count was, however, the discovery of a totally unexpected inhabitant near the Punnamada region of the lake. A Sucker Catfish, an exotic species that is usually seen by the common man only in aquariums, startled the researchers, 170 of whom had fanned out across the lake in 11 groups. ATREE officials said further investigations would be conducted to find how the 32-cm-long unusual visitor had reached the lake and whether there were more of the same genre in the region.Another interesting revelation from the event was the improved water quality in the lake. This could be because of the recent rain and the increased water flow that has been enabled with the opening of the Thanneermukkom barrage, ATREE officials said. The Hindu, 28th May 2009
Environmentalists have questioned the wisdom of the move initiated by the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) to make permanent banks for the Amanishah-ka-Nallah, a river that once flowed through Jaipur. By making concrete and cement embankments on the river, referred to as "Drabhavati" in the archives of the former Jaipur State, the JDA would only be helping an ecological disaster in the city, they warned. In what apparently is an otherwise well-meaning move, the JDA is planning to spend an estimated Rs. 410 crore for the work on the presently dry river — starting from the Bhooteshwar Mahadev temple to the Ramchandrapura dam into which it drains. As a part of the project, the Authority has surveyed and earmarked the land forming part of the river and its banks on both the sides in this fast-growing city where land grabbing and encroachments on common land have become a routine affair."The Nallah has a great potential for the city. Originating from the Nahargarh Hills and traversing though a 50-km stretch, the drain is the most unique feature of Jaipur's eco system," says Harsh Vardhan, honorary general secretary of the Tourism and Wildlife Society of India, who has petitioned the authorities in this regard. "We are not questioning the intentions of the JDA. However, the most ideal thing for it to do would have been to declare the entire stretch of the river, along with the banks, an eco-sensitive zone," Mr. Vardhan said.In fact, the Indian Army has shown how it can be done by restoring a portion of the Nallah keeping intact its basic features thus providing benefits to both the defence personnel and the civilians living in the neighbourhood. "This kind of work in soil conservation, grass plantation and creation of rubble check dams can be initiated on the entire stretch of the dry river and benefits would soon start reaching the people," Mr. Vardhan argued. The Hindu, 25th May 2009
The number of forest fires recorded in Kerala during 2008-09 was the highest in five years. Official data also indicate that the burnt area was one of the highest in two decades.The damage was extensive in the grasslands of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve, Attappady and the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Besides the summer heat, one of the major factors that contributed to the fires was the increasing human incursion into forests.The largest number of fires in recent years had occurred in 2003-04 when 15,581 hectares of forests burnt up in 949 fires. The official data for 2008-09 list 920 fires which burnt 5,457 hectares. Though the number of fires came down after the summer rain in April 2009, some fires occurred in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and other places during April-May. Most of the grasslands in the sanctuary had been burnt.Official figures had never touched the 4,000-hectare mark in the 1990s (the average area burnt was only about 1,600 hectare a year). Apart from degradation of some of the forest areas, a major development after the turn of the century was the promotion of ecotourism in a big way. This led to the entry of a large number of people into forest areas. Many of the fires this year were caused by tourists. This was evident from the fact that the incidence of fires came down in the Muthanga area of Wayanad after entry of tourists was banned. Promotion of ecotourism has probably gone beyond the carrying-capacity of the locations in places such as Thekkady and Muthanga.As cheap manpower is available for appointment as fire watchmen, it is not an uphill task to check fires in Kerala's forests. This year, the responsibility had been placed partly on the eco-development committees. However, that did not help much. In some cases, members of the committees themselves were instrumental in causing fires. A number of fires were never reported.The official estimates of damage from fires in monetary terms do not show the real value of forests. The losses from fires in 2008-09 are estimated to be of only Rs.1.58 lakh against Rs.5.55 lakh in the previous year (burnt area: 2,381 hectares). This is based on loss of assets such as timber. Though the National Forest Commission had stressed the loss of biodiversity as a result of fires, this or the environmental value of forests are not being factored into the calculations. The forest officials usually claim that no animals have been killed in fires. This claim does not take into account smaller fauna which cannot move away from fires. Hundreds of smaller species are destroyed. It also affects the water- retention capacity of the soil. Repeated fires in large areas lead to serious degradation of the forests. The Hindu, 25th May 2009
On March 23, Greenpeace Inter' national issued full page advertisements in the international press to draw attention to the Olive Ridleys, which come annually to the beaches of Orissa's Gahirmatha to nest . The advertisement drew on the hype around the cheap car Nano by Tata, the company building the Dhamra port along'wtth the L&T group, to raise alarm about the impact of an upcoming port on the endangered turtles. The port at Dhamra is less than five km from the Bhitarkanika National Park; it is 15 km from the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. The beaches are one of the world's largest nesting sites for the turtles. The turtles didn't nest there last year; this year's nesting season-from December to March-hadn't seen any turtles. March 24 brought a surprise. Unaware of the advertisement-and the talk of construction work driving the turtles away from the beaches where they breed thousands of olive coloured, heartshaped shells emerged from the waters off the Gahir' matha coast They were seen floating in the inshore waters around sunset. This cycle continued from March 24-30, and the Dhamra Port Company Ltd said the event vindicated their stand that the port does not pose .any threat to the turtles. The company argued there were occasions earlier when the turtles did not visit the Orissa coast Mass nesting did not happen in the early 1980s and the late 19OOs. "The port construction started in late 2007," a company spokesperson said. So, why didn't the turtles come to the beach in certain years? The answers are not known;" there are only anecdotes. People in the Kend' rapara district, under which the beach lies,' say missile tests on the Wheeler island, close to the Gahirmatha sanctuary, and fishing ports could be the reasons. But there are no scientific studies to back these conjectures. The state government, port authorities and, conservationist&-local and international""': who claim the port disturbs the turtles have; possible impact on turtles. The port company had invited activists for talks to allay the impact of the port on the turtles, if any, but the, green groups are not ready to meet till the, company stops construction. With talks in limbo, the port is now half complete. Violations in the clearances given to the port have not been debated publicly because of the impasse on the impact on the turtles. Take the example of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report This raises interesting questions even about other¬port projects. The Dhamra Port Company claimed to have all the approvals before starting the port's construction in 2007. A Pune-based consultant wrote the EIA report for the Dhamra port in 1997, when it was to be built by. Internal Sea Port. Then, the port was to come up on Kani ka island off the coast, near the mouth ofpM~ river Dhamra. In 2004, the state government moved the location of the port to the main .land, close to the Gahirmatha sanctuary. The new proposal envisaged a bigger port than previously planned-cargo handling' capacity increased to 83 million tonnes per, year compared to the 25 million tonnes per' year proposed earlier The EIA notification, under which the port was cleared, does not allow such expansion. "The Orissa government did not get new studies done because it found the new site' most suitable for a deep sea port. Besides, Dhamra is the expansion of an old project, so the question of a new EIA does not arise," said A K Panda, the state's deputy secretary of port development. There is a distinct advantage in labelling a project an expansion of an old one: it goes for clearance to the Union: surface transport ministry, which is charged: with developing Infrastructure like ports. A new project, however. must get the nod from' the Union environment ministry, responsible, for safeguarding the environment. ; A 2006 report, by the International Union, for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), on the scoping mission of the Dhamra port project contradicts Panda. It said: "The new port significantly dwarfs the old port in terms of size and potential environmental Impacts. In our view the port is really not an expansion of an old port, the two are not even adjacent." It also said the port would see a growth in industry in the area. "If the port becomes a net importer of raw materials, industries would want to be as close to the port as possible. While the port itself might be committed to may not be so." These concerns do not find a mention in the ETA, which addresses the turtles in two of the 160 pages. The EIA says the port site is not the nesting ground for turtles and hence won't affect them in any way. MCN disagrees: "Turtle hatchlings are attracted to bright lights, and it is possible the". hatchlings will be misguided and head inland towards the port rather the"" offshore." There is little mention of possible impact of erosion or dredging on turtles in the EIA. Men asked for a comprehensive environmental management plan. So the company commissioned in 2008 a study to the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa to find out if dredging would affect nesting beaches. The study would be complete in May 2009; initial findings suggest erosion and accretion of the beaches is a natural process and an annual cyclical phenomenon and cannot be attributed to dredging at the port site. IUCN officials suggested safeguard measures. Nicolas J Pilcher, co chair of IUCN's Marine Turtle Specialist Group, said mitigation measures work well and the company had taken a proactive stand in this regard. He added IUCN brought the world's best science to the table, which would benefit the project. But conservationists do not buy the explanation because the mitigation measures are limited only to the Dhamra port site. "There have been no impact studies on ancillary and downstream projects-ship building yard, steel plant, fertilizer plant-as a result of port," said a report by Sudarshan Rodrigues and Aarti Shreedhar of ATREE. The Orissa state government is planning 11 ports, including Dhamra. The state wants to be on par with other maritime states and has proposed a slngle window agency for development of ports and Inland waterways. At this point, the Importance of regulations and safeguards cannot be overstated. The New Indian Express, 23rd May 2009
Australia's Tasmanian devil, the world's largest surviving marsupial carnivore, will be listed as endangered because of a contagious and deadly cancer, the government said on Fridav. "This disease has led to the decline of about 70 per cent of the Tasmanian devil population since the disease was first reported in 1996," Environment Minister Peter Garrett said in a statement. Devil facal tumour which is spread through bitting, kills the animals usually within three months by growing over their faces and mouths, preventing them from eating.Early European settlers named the feisty marsupial the devil for itsspine-chilling screeches, dark appearance and reputed bad temper which, along with its steel trap jaw, made it appear inresibly fierce.The animals were previously listed as vulnerable, and Garrett said the change in status to endanegered would give them greater protection under national environment law.Fortunately, strong action is being taken to find out more about this disease and to stop its spread", he said. The Government had committed $10 million ($7.5 million) over five years to a programme aimed at saving the devil, including research into the disease and support for captive and wild populations, he said.The species is restricted to the islaqnd-state of Tasmania after competition from the dingo led to its extinction on mainland Australia.It is Australia's largest marsupial carnivore after the extinction last century of its distant cousin, the thyacine or Tasmanian tiger. Business Line, 23rd May 2009
The largest tornado study (VORTEX2) in history examines in detail how tornadoes form and the patterns of damage they cause. It improves tornado warnings and short-term weather forecasts. The Hindu, 21st May 2009
A study has identified between 129 and 221 new species of frogs in Madagascar, which doubles the currently known amphibian fauna. The number of amphibian species in Madagascar seems to have been grossly underestimated. The Hindu, 21st May 2009
Earth's earliest ice age may have been due to the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere, which consumed greenhouse gases and chilled the earth. The sudden increase broadly coincided with physical evidence of glacial debris. The Hindu, 21st May 2009
The US President, Mr Barack Obama, has articulated the first three challenges of his Presidency. These are: the financial crisis, climate change and the war on terror. He has spelt out his target on climate change — an 80 per cent reduction in emissions in the US by 2050.Every CEO will also be faced with at least two of the challenges that Obama has named — the financial crisis and climate change. But how many CEOs would be willing to stay the course in addressing climate change during this financial crisis? It was far easier to talk about climate change when the price of oil was $150 /barrel, when consumers had the ability to pay and when corporates were generating large profits.There are many things common to both the crises. Both are man-made and are a consequence of living beyond our means, and both evolved dramatically over the last decade. The solution to both these crises will have many things in common. Their solutions will need people to curtail greed, and will take time to yield results, They will call for people to come together and lasting solutions will be painful. In short, the remedies to both crises will involve a lot of give and take. The key challenge would be to balance the short-term challenges of the financial crisis with the long-term challenges of climate change. Dealing with climate change needs capital. Power generation from renewable sources, for example, is about one-and-a-half times to four times more capital-intensive than fossil-fuel-based generation. In the current financial environment, where capital is so scarce and there is so much capital needed for the basic survival of major institutions, generation based on renewables could easily take a back-seat. This is the time when a new world order in the financial markets and climate change is being created. It is similar to re-writing some of the basic rules of global engagement. What is our position in India on these matters and in the related global dialogue?On the ground, in India, we have been consistently taking quiet but significant steps. Our energy intensity, which is the ratio of emissions/GDP, has been steadily dropping. Our pollution control norms are some of the most stringent in the world. We have introduced stringent emission norms for the auto industry. Fortunately, the impact of the financial crisis on India is limited and we should actually look at ways to capitalise on this advantage. The following should be in sharp focus in these recessionary times. Energy efficiency is one the key points of the Prime Minister's action plan on climate change. There have been many attempts made to gently persuade people to be more energy-efficient but such persuasion has hardly yielded results. Energy efficiency actually has a negative cost of abatement, which means that by saving on energy consumption one not only reduces emissions but also saves money. Unfortunately, it seems the country needs to move from persuasion to legislation. It needs to legislate on the kind of equipment that is allowed to be sold in the market. This means that all appliances sold would need to meet a certain minimum efficiency criteria. Having efficiency tags is not enough. Energy audits should be carried out regularly to ensure that industry does not waste precious energy. An energy efficiency trading platform, as articulated in the Prime Minister's action plan, should be introduced quickly.The national power transmission network should be strengthened as a priority. Power generation is a main contributor to emissions. Power policy in India has swung from a focus on generation to distribution and currently back to generation. Between these swings, transmission issues have conveniently been lost sight of. In India most energy sources, such as coal and hydel power, are in the East, and most consumption centres are located in the West, South and North. It is critical that power is generated close to where the fuel is and then wheeled to where the demand is. Generation and trading of green power should be allowed on a countrywide basis, with renewable power targets across the country, as in Maharashtra. Clear incentives should be offered to those setting up power plants based on renewables. There is a 15 per cent shortage in peaking power but no policy to address it. Load-shedding is used as a tool to address peaking requirements The first priority would be to price peaking power at a substantially higher price so that people have an incentive to reduce consumption during peak hours. This is a good time to introduce the "time of the day" tariff regimeFollowing this, the setting up of peaking power plants close to load centres, such as towns and cities, should be encouraged.It is time to make improvements in biomass combustion efficiency. Twenty-seven per cent of India's national energy needs are met from biomass, which is the second largest source of energy in the country.Our present efficiency of converting biomass into useful energy is woefully low, at 5-6 per cent. There is hardly any surplus biomass available today The Prime Minister's action plan needs to focus on the development of technology for mass scale because there is a large multitude of people that survive using biomass-based fuels. As there is currently no value attributable to such biomass, it would be difficult to find commercially viable solutions. The government, therefore, will need to step inBiomass can also be used for decentralised power generation in rural areas. The so-called "free power" distributed to to the rural areas now actually 'costs' the country dear. Further, this "free power" is only made available for a few hours, mainly during night-time! But, in actual fact, the rural consumers are more than willing to pay about Rs 3 per unit, provided they get reliable power. Carbon capture and storage should be made a national mission. It is clear that the major source of energy for India, in the short term as well as the long term, will be coal. If we have to live with coal in a carbon-restrained economy, we would need to find a way to treat the CO2 emissions from coal-based power plants. The only way to address this problem is to strip the carbon from the emissions and then find a place to store it. As India is going to remain coal-dependent for a long time it is imperative that we assume global leadership in carbon capture and storage technology. There are a number of ways to continue on the path of dealing with climate change despite the financial crisis. What is important, however, is the change of mindset that has to be brought about when it comes to climate change. The present financial and ecological climate is the right opportunity to make people realise that it is an economic and environmental imperative that we learn to live within our means. The Hindu, 20th May 2009
RISING water temperatures, sea levels and acidity in the vast region threaten to destroy reefs in Southeast Asia'sCoral Triangle, a region labelled the ocean's answer to the Amazon rainforest, the WWF report said. Collapse of the reefs would send food production in the region plum¬meting by 80 percent and imperil the livelihoods of over 100 million people, forcing many to move from coastal vil-lages to teeming cities, it warned. "If we don't do anything, then the reefs are going to be gone by the end of this century and the impact on food security and livelihoods will be very significant," Lida Pet Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Initiative Network head, said. "Some of the locations in the Coral Triangle are really important areas for all sorts of fish. The migration of tuna and turtles that spawn in the Coral Triangle are not going to have a next generation." Saving the Coral Triangle will require countries to commit to deep cuts in carbon gas emissions when they gather for global climate talks in the Danish capital Copenhagen in December to work out a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. Cuts of 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050 would be needed to avert the worst effects on the region, home to more than half the world's coral reefs and a lynch pin for ocean life in the region. Heat-trapping carbon gases - nota¬bl~' from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas are blamed for warming Earth's atmosphere and driving changes to weather patterns. Local communities and governments will also have to curb over-fishing and pol¬lution, the WWF report said. "If you continue down the path of the over-exploitation of resources, even if you get an incredible reduction in emissions there will still be a threat," Richard Leek, WWF climate campaigner, said. The New Indian Express, 18th May 2009
While the flow of vacation tourists to the district register a tremendous increase, the Forest officials and wildlife enthusiasts fear that the unchecked flow will cause disturbance to the habitat of animals and birds, resulting in the utter destruction of the eco-system. The disturbance to wildlife is high along the Sulthan Bathery-Mysore road which passes through the Muth• anga range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, according to Forest officials. At many points along the road, during evening, huge crowd could be seen at the crossing points of elephants. Whenever the herd moves closer the road, the crowd would greet them with hysteric sounds. Stone pelting at elephant herd, blocking their way to the ,stream, move' dangerously closer to the elephants to take photographs and hurling liquor bottles at the herd were some of the pranks the visitors indulge in. Though Forest officials conduct recurring patrolling in the region warn¬ing the crowd all end up in stone deaf ears. At many points the bamboo clusters along the Noolppuzha River have been converted into 'boozers' dens'. "Though we had intervened many times, warning the travlillers against stopping by the woods and disturbing animals, we are unable to check them completely," said K G Radhakrishna Lal, Assistant Wildlife Warden, Muthanga. "In some serious cases of violation, we slap huge fines on the law-hreak¬ers who misbehave while passing through the sanctuary," he added.' Meanwhile, 'most of the animallov-ers here feel that the forest-law should have more teeth to deal toughly with the rogue riders on the national highways moving through wildlife habitats. "More than 90 percent of the trouble makers who violate all the sanctity of the jungle were tourists from the state, particularly from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts," says K R Vancheeswaran, a wildlife activist. He feels that the existing law should be more strengthen.ed in tune with the changing times. There' should be provision in the law to regulate the vehicular movement and drunken behaviour of passengers on National Highways moving through the sanctuaries," he pointed out. Vancheeswaran also said that as the Mumbai police did recently in maintaining the law and order, the protection and conservation of forest could be strengthened by forming a voluntary group of citizens which could be put in action whenever necessary.
The New Indian Express, 16th May 2009
The White-rumped Vulture and Indian Vulture in Kerala are facing the "extremely high risk of extinction in the wild," according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The two species are among the 14 critically endangered birds of India, according to the list.The Red List of birds was prepared by BirdLife International for the IUCN. The researchers have listed 192 bird species globally as critically endangered ones.The Nilgiri Laughingthrush has been classified as endangered, as it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Eleven bird species, including the Nilgiri Wood-pigeon, Yellow-throated Bulbul, Broad-tailed Grassbird and White-bellied Shortwing, are in the vulnerable category.Species are assigned to categories using criteria with quantitative thresholds for population size, population trend, range size and other parameters, according to the IUCN.In the Near Threatened category, there are 17 bird varieties like Oriental Darter, Spot-billed Pelican, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Great Hornbill and Nilgiri Flycatcher."The status of the Kerala birds remains unchanged when compared to the previous year. This could be considered as a positive sign regarding the protection they are receiving," said P.O. Nameer, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN. At the same time, renowned ornithologist R. Sugathan felt that the classifications need to be validated based on regular monitoring of bird population.Woodcock, a direct migrant from the Himalayas to the high-altitude Shola forests of the Western Ghats, has not been classified though its population has been affected. It is also the case with Hair-crested Drongo, he said.Important Bird Areas need to be identified and a permanent monitoring system of the bird population should be in place rather than relying on random studies, Dr. Sugathan suggested."As the threatened varieties are found in protected areas, they get adequate protection. But the wetland-dependent birds mostly remain unprotected," said Dr. Nameer.The IUCN has recommended the removal of the veterinary drug diclofenac from the supply chain in the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia for preventing the catastrophic declines of several vulture species.In Asia, the wetland conservation efforts, including the protection of key tidal wetland, should be continued for the benefit of varieties like the endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Chinese-crested Tern, the IUCN has suggested. The Hindu, 16th May 2009
Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan will soon convene a high-level meeting to find ways to rid Akkulam Lake of water hyacinth and to restore charm to the tourist village on its banks.Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Vijayakumar said this here on Thursday after visiting the village to see the dismal conditions. He will apprise the Chief Minister of the need to convene the meeting."The 53 hectares of the water body has almost been taken over by water hyacinth. It seems as if the lake has disappeared. It is an adventure trip here and not a leisure cruise," Mr. Vijayakumar, who took a boat ride, said."The lake needs to be protected for the development of the tourist village and to attract tourists in large numbers at the earliest."The 24-seater safari boat of the District Tourism Promotion Council, which carried the Minister, officials and presspersons, did not have fitness certificate. The council's officials did not insist that the travellers wear the mandatory lifejackets, despite it being made available at the boat club.Additional Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar, who holds charge of Water Resources, said a recent hydrographic study had revealed that 10 lakh cubic feet of silt had to be removed from the lake to make it navigable.Efforts would be made to obtain funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for the protection of the lake.The council, which manages the village and the boat club, carried out a drive to remove weeds from the lake last year.The plants choke the lake despite spending crores of rupees over the years to remove them.From over a dozen boats fetching up to Rs.10,000 a day in cruise charge at one time, the fleet strength has come down to two each safari, speed and row boats and four pedal boats.The boat club, the water park and the snack parlour have 25 workers.Efforts of the Water Resources Department to desilt the canal at a cost of Rs.75 lakh and of the Inland Transport Wing to deepen it did not succeed.Wastewater from the Amayizhanjan canal and waste dumped by people, hotels and hospitals contaminate the lake, officials said. The proposal to set up a treatment plant at the point where the canal joins the lake is yet to be implemented.District Collector Sanjay Kaul; K.G. Vijayakumar, Secretary of the council; and tourism, irrigation, harbour engineering and inland navigation officials accompanied the Minister. The Hindu, 15th May 2009
A noted Indian wildlife biologist has won the Whitley Award; considered the 'Green Oscar', in recognition of his work to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the Western Ghats in Karnataka. Dr M D Madhusudan, Director of Nature Conservation Foundation a young NGO that has grown quickly to become one of the most respected in India received a trophy and a cash prize of 30,000 pounds from Princess Anne at a glittering ceremony held at the. Royal Geographical Society here on Wednesday night. Two other Indian conservationists received Associate Awards. Sudipto Chatterjee received 10,000 pounds to develop an action plan to conserve wild rhododendrons in the Eastern Hi malayas while Supraja Dharini received an equal amount for a community-based initiative to protect sea turtles and dolphins in Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu. Madhusudhan is a science graduate from the Yuvaraja College, Mysore and obtained a Master's from the Wildlife Institute of India at Dehra Dun. Madhusudhan and his team tries to combine science with practical conservation action to resolve conflict between the wild animals and the local communities. At grassroots level, he is working with farmers around the Bandipur Tiger Reserve on a pilot community-based conflict mitigation project. Edward Whitley; founder of Whitley Fund for Nature and judging panel chairman, praised the award winners saying, the aim of the Whitley awards is to find and support conservation scientists whose vision, passion, determination and qualities of leadership mean they are able to inspire local communities to take positive conservation action of benefit both to wildlife and people's lives The Hindu, 15th May 2009
The `Haritha Keralam' project aimed at planting one crore tree saplings across the state in the next two years will be inaugurated on June 5, Forest Minister Binoy Viswam has said. Addressing an environment protection get-together held at Forest Office headquarters here on Thursday, he said that in the last three years, nearly 52 lakh saplings were planted across the state as part of different projects, he said. A `Tree Authority' will be formed to monitor the felling of trees for public purposes. The government in this regard is in the process of preparing rules for controlling the chopping of trees, the Minister said. The silver jubilee year of the realisation of Silent Valley project would be celebrated.A get-together of forest and environment activists in Thiruvananthapuram and at Silent Valley will be organised as part of celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Silent Valley project, the minister said. The New Indian Express, 15th May 2009
India on Thursday asked the BRIC members to united;y oppose the developed countries, move to impose environmental taxes on the developing nations in the name of 'Green protectionism' to tackle climate change.Ahead of the first BRIC summit next month in Russia Shyam Saran, special envoy to Prime Minister Manmohan Sinh on climate change, warned that green should not become a label for protection, for the developed nations. "We are concerned that green is becoming a new label for protection. We are now seeing on the grounds of level playing field and maintaining competitivenedd, the developing nations will be forced to take up binding commitment on emissions reduction or pay tsriff", he said. If this is what they developed countries, insist on we need to send them a clear message that green protectionism is not acceptable, Saran said at pre-BRIC summit preparatory meeting here. Observing that despite diversity among all the four BRIC countries among all the four BRIC countries Brazil, Russia, China and India, he suggested common areas of cooperations in terms of energy security and climate change. One very important platform for cooperation among all the membr nations really could be the enhancing energy efficiency, he said. At the meeting, which was attended by the think-tanks from four member nations, saran said enhancing energy efficiency is the goal of the India's National action plan on climate change as well.Also, there is a need for a strategic shift from dependence on conventional sources of energy, which are sepleting to renewable source of energy like solar and wind power.Science and technology is another area where the coutries can further their bilateral cooperation to deal with climate change. The New Indian Expreess, 15th May 2009
The parambikulam wildlife anctury will be declaed the second tiger reserve in the state by the end of the financial year within the task of identifying and notifying the core and buffer areas nearing completion by next month.Chief wildlife warden Ouseph told Express that there would not be any difficulty in declaring the sanctuary a tiger reserve. Forest minister Benoy Viswom had erlier declared that the Parambikulam sanctuary would be declared a tiger reserve.An expert committee was constituted with the chief conservator of forests (wildlife) as chairman and two scientists Dr Easa and Dr Balasubramaniam as members. They have already submitted a report.There will be two to three levels of department discussions and subsequently the modalities would be worked out and the proposal for declaring the parambikulam sanctuary as a tiger reservewill be submitted to the Kerala Government.The report will then be forwarded to the Centre for the declaration of the sanctuary as a tiger reserve.The declaration of the sanctuary as a tiger reserve would entitle the sanctuary for additional financial assistance. Last yeat, the sanctuary had received an assistance of Rs.1.03 crore based for the works it proposed to undertake as per the management plan. But tiger conservation being one of the priority areas of the Centre, the sanctuary would be entitled for additional funds once it is declared a tiger reserve. In the first phase it was proposed to identify and notify the crore and buffer areas of the Parambikulam sanctuary.As per the current proposal, of the 285 square km, sanctuary, around 235 km barring the areas housing the dam and buildings are likely to be declared the crore area.The buffer areas of rge tiger reserve would be drawn from certain ranges under the forest divisions of Nemmara, Vazhachal and Chalakudy.Forest Department sources said that since there were cries for the inclusion of areas like Neliampathy in the crore area of the Parambikulam tiger reserve, in order to avoid controversies it has been decided to include only the areas under the present Parambikulam sanctuary under the core area.It may be recalled that while environmentalists were demanding that the estates of Thoothampara, Beatris and Rosary estates in Neliampathu which were lying cheek by jowl to the Parambikulam sanctuary be included in the core area, the private estate lobby were totally againsty the inclusion.The Parambikulam sanctuary will become the second tiger reserve in the State after the Periyar which was declared in 1978. The New Indian Express 15th May 2009
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