Biodiversity

The Ramsar Convention’s ‘wise use’ concept defined as ‘the maintenance of the wetlands ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development’, has guided various measures for the sustainable use of wetlands and their resources, for the benefit of humankind.

Read the report for a comprehensive background on the campaign, along with the techniques used, chronology and dateline as well as the important people to contact.

This link was sourced from the website of Centre of Science and Environment

Learn more about the campaign and to find out how you can contribute.

The document has been sourced from Global Nature Fund's website, an initiative of Pulicat Lake, Crenieo, Global Nature Fund, and Living Lakes.

The Andhra Pradesh State of the Environment Report is available at the Environmental Information System (ENVIS) cell of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) here. 

The ninth compendium of environment statistics 2007, brought out by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), provides data on five core parameters - land/soil, water, bio-diversity, atmosphere and human settlements. These statistics can be used to understand various aspects of the environment, and to explain the impact of economic activities on sustainable development as a whole and the environment in particular.

This site by the Ministry of Environment and Forests provides the list of legislations on environment, forests, and wildlife

Forwarded to the Portal by: Himanshu Thakkar, SANDRP

Submission Sent to Prime Minister, DJB, Ministry of Water Resources & HP Govt.

A memorandum demanding the scrapping of the proposed Renuka Dam Project in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh was sent to the Prime Minister, Union Minister of Water Resources, the Delhi Jal Board, the Central Water Commission and the Ministry of Social Justice today by concerned environment groups as well as representatives of the dam affected communities. The 5 page detailed submission has made this demand on three basic grounds - technical/conceptual issues, environment implications and the social impacts of the project. Attacking the very root and concept of the project the memorandum highlights the point that the agreement that was signed in May 1994 is no longer valid, as per the opinion of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, since Rajasthan, one of the parties, did not sign the agreement. The Delhi Jal Board has admitted in response to an RTI application that no options assessment has been done to arrive at the least cost option before taking up the Renuka dam proposal. Without such an assessment, taking up a proposal like the Renuka dam would be completely wrong and inappropriate use of public resources. Moreover, several Studies have proved that Delhi itself is thirsty not because there is shortage of water but actually due to mismanagement and misappropriation of water. According to the Performance Audit report of the Delhi Jal Board for 2008, Delhi has distribution losses of 40 per cent of total water supply which is abnormal and significantly higher than the acceptable norms of 15 per cent prescribed by the Ministry of Urban Development.

A series of Press Releases from sources indicate the progress on the matter of the Ganga River Basin Authority. It makes for an informative read with a candid discussion in the comments section!

Ganga River Basin Authority for Comprehensive Management of the Ganga Basin

PIB Friday, February 20, 2009
Ministry of Environment and Forests

 AUTHORITY ENSURES DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE MANNER ENSURING ECOLOGICAL FLOWS IN GANGA

The Government today announced the setting up of a National Ganga River Basin Authority. A statement to this effect was made in Parliament by Shri Namo Narain Meena, Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment & Forests. A Notification in this regard is also being issued by the Government.

A two day National Workshop on need for policy and legal norms for allowing freshwater flows in Rivers in India on January 3-4, 2009 at Bangalore ended with a unanimous demand that governments must allow continuous, sustained freshwater flows in all perennial rivers of India, whenever, a dam, diversion or hydropower project is planned, constructed or operated. Inaugurating the workshop on the morning of January 3, 2009, Shri L C Jain, former member, planning commission of India (and many other important posts), expressed his pain and anguish on the state of India's Rivers, "It is very disturbing that the acts of commissions and omissions of the authorities have ruthlessly, blindly, heartlessly lead todestruction of almost every major rivers of India. The hearts of the officials and ministers should throb for the millions depending for their needs and livelihoods on the rivers, but it seems that the stones of the South and North block buildings have entered their hearts." Quoting Gandhiji's agenda for the economic independence of India from what he wrote in the Young India on November 29, 1929, Jain said, Land, Water and Air cannot be subject of commerce, but the planners lock up the pain, hunger, malnutrition in the paragraphs of their five year plan documents and do not ensure their inclusion in their actual plans and programmes. He expressed his deep anguish that even the recommendations of the official policies and committees on ensuring freshwater flows in the rivers remain unimplemented.

This post deals with the recommendations and outcomes of the recent workshop on "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" held at Rajanagar (boundary of Bhitrakanika National park) on 26th-27th November 2008, organized by Action for Protection of Wild Animals (APOWA) and sponsored by Ministry of Environment and Forets, Govt of India. The workshop was attended by 101 participants from the community representatives, teachers and lecturers of coastal schools and colleges, NGOs, CBOs, PRIs, Govt authority, Scientists, researchers, media etc. Witnessing firsthand the rapid devastation of the Orissa's mangrove forest wetlands and their associated coastal ecosystems, the participants, resource persons were recommended to form a network to save the mangroves.