Ecology and Environment

The chapter on Water Resources from the Chhatisgarh State of the Environment Report, 2004 begins with a discussion of the problems in the State like (a) limited irrigation potential created (b) unbalanced irrigable land to cultivable land ratio in districts (c) low budget for maintenance of created irrigation facilities and (d) over-dependence on paddy cultivation.

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. 

Queries, request for information & additional clarifications can be sought via the comments section.

Download here: Rapid assessment report - Tilak Tajpur Panchayat

Forwarded to the Portal by: WES-Net India Desk Image & Content Courtesy: CSE

CSE needs programme coordinators/senior researchers. To research, write, advocate and coordinate activities for environmental change

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an established policy research institution based in New Delhi, is expanding its work on aspects of industrial pollution, domestic sewage, water management, green urbanization. We need colleagues with knowledge of environmental issues or pollution science or engineering or journalism combined with passion and commitment. Our teams are small but focused on the need to bring policy and practice change. So you will have to work in a collegiate environment and under pressure of deadlines.

CSE needs programme coordinators/senior researchers. To research, write, advocate and coordinate activities for environmental change

From Rohini Nilekani's "Uncommon Ground" column in Livemint

As always, the monsoon may or may not come in time and in adequate quantity across the country. As always, again, people who live in the dry areas of the country, especially in the western desert districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, with less than 250mm of average annual rainfall, will have to cope with scarcity, as they do year on year. Last week, I was in the Kutch region, on work, with soaring temperatures and no promise of rain despite an unusual cloud cover. We travelled a couple of hundred kilometres in the clay desert, despairing at the spread of Prosopis juliflora which—like so many other foreign species brought in by the forest department with all good intentions—has now overpowered large tracts of the countryscape, to the detriment of useful, hardy local species. We also marvelled at the raw beauty of the dry landscape, which yielded sudden delights such as a male nilgai in his prime and slender green bee-eaters diving gracefully in search of prey. Arid districts such as Kutch in Gujarat, and Barmer and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan mainly have livestock economies and it is not unusual to see thousands of animals—goats, cows, sheep, buffaloes and camels—moving amiably along in search of the next watering hole. It seems counter-intuitive that areas with such low rainfall should provide neighbouring states with meat and milk. IWMI (the International Water Management Institute) has done unique research to show how there is a massive export of virtual water from dry regions to wet through the sale of these products, leaving open some interesting questions on policy.

Time: 1:46 minutes

Watch movie here

Ladakh Ecological Development Group(LEDeG) in collaboration with Bremen Overseas Research and Development Agency(BORDA) has been promoting environmentally friendly Decentralized Renewable Energy Systems (DERES) for the last 20 years in the Western Himalaya.

Purpose of the postUnder the general supervision of the Water & Environment Specialist, and in collaboration with the Emergency Unit, and other sector emergency focal points in UNICEF Delhi, the position provides technical and programmatic expertise and support for WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) in Emergencies to the Child’s Environment