Ecology and Environment

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Categorising watersheds for freshwater ecosystem conservation in India

These maps at the watershed scales have been made to not only ensure inclusion of different freshwater ecosystems, their connectivity and hydrological processes, but can also provide a spatial context for conservation decisions.

Posted on 25 Nov, 2022 04:20 PM

We invite your feedback and contributions to this article. Please view the maps by clicking the link at the end of the article.

A stream at Anini, Arunachal Pradesh (Image Source: Roshni Arora)

Green nod granted to Centre’s ambitious Rs 72,000 crore project in Greater Nicobar Island

Policy matters this fortnight

Swati Bansal

Posted on 18 Nov, 2022 12:19 PM

MoEF grants green clearance to multi-development projects in Greater Nicobar Island

Havelock, Andaman Island. Photo for representation only (Source: Vikramjit Kakati from Pixabay)

India joins Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at COP27

News this fortnight

Swati Bansal

Posted on 17 Nov, 2022 01:33 PM

India joins the newly formed Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)

Mangroves in Sunderbans (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)

Improving community resilience in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in India

Adoption of hybrid solutions - grey and green structures appropriate for resilience building

UNEP

Posted on 16 Nov, 2022 10:54 PM

Since 2019, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in-collaboration with Partners for Resilience (PfR) have developed and implemented scalable Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) models, working a

Healthy wetland ecosystems help in reducing disaster risks and managing climate risks (Image: Pxhere)

Children demand ecological rights ahead of COP-27

Children say ‘Nothing about us children without us children’

PRATYeK

Posted on 07 Nov, 2022 12:51 PM

Ahead of the Conference on Climate Change COP 27 at Egypt, PRATYeK, a registered organization with UN ECOSOC status, known for its national child led-advocacy initiative NINEISMINE, hosted an online event NO COP OUT on November 4 and 5, along with coalition partner

Millions of children face the brunt of climate change in their day to day lives. There Is No Planet B (Image: Blaine O'Neill; Flickr Commons, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Slow disaster: Political ecology of hazards and everyday life in the Brahmaputra valley, Assam

This book by Dr. Mitul Baruah presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole. This is an excerpt from the book.

Mitul Baruah

Posted on 31 Oct, 2022 10:13 AM

The accumulation of capital and misery go hand in hand, concentrated in space.

― David Harvey, The Limits to Capital, 2006 [1982]: 418

Floods are recurrent phenomena in Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)

Young woman's work is impacting Odisha villages

Urmila, a young woman's earnestness has brought a major shift in the mindset of a remote village in Odisha. She is bringing about a change in the way communities approach their shared natural resources, one village at a time.

Mukti Masih

Dron Kumar

Posted on 28 Oct, 2022 01:36 PM

The sound of a specific cycle bell deep inside the jungles of Kashinathpur village in Angul (Odisha) brings vibes of joy. Everybody recognises that bell because it belongs to 24-year-old Urmila Bahera who sometimes cycles to villages as far as 15 kilometres, braving bumpy roads, streams and elephants.

Urmila engaging children on local bird diversity (Image: FES)

Valuing mountain ecosystems

Mountain ecosystems in Ladakh provide a range of vital ecosystem services such as freshwater, food, fodder and fuel to people living in the region. Valuing these ecosystem services is crucial for their conservation.

Sabir Hussain

Sheenu Sharma

Anand Narain Singh

Posted on 11 Oct, 2022 08:43 AM

Ecosystems, crucial for human survival

Landscapes of Ladakh (Image Source: Reflectionsbyprajakta via Wikimedia Commons)

Deteriorating landscapes and threatened ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir

Rapid urbanisation and faulty land use policies are rapidly destroying forests, grasslands and wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir, India and the ecosystem value services they provide. Can these valuable ecosystems be saved?

Posted on 26 Sep, 2022 12:19 PM

Landscapes are important features and shape the economy and survival of a region. However, developmental activities in recent years are not only threatening landscape features, but also affecting landscape ecosystems and livelihoods of people who depend on it.

Deteriorating ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir, India (Image Source: tkohli at Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)

Protected orchids of India

Orchids are one of the most threatened flowering plants in the world

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India

Posted on 08 Sep, 2022 11:25 AM

India's orchids are under pressure from illicit harvesting and exploitation for illegal trade. Of the vast diversity of 1256 orchid species recorded in India, 307 are endemic to our country, and only 11 species are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Orchid size can range from a pencil head to a vigorous two tonne shrub (Image: Geoff Mckay, Wikimedia Commons)

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May 14, 2024

जलवायु परिवर्तन का मानव स्वास्थ्य पर प्रभाव एवं वर्तमान प्रदूषण रहित चुनौतियां (भाग 2)

May 14, 2024

जलवायु परिवर्तन का मानव स्वास्थ्य पर प्रभाव एवं वर्तमान प्रदूषण रहित चुनौतियां (भाग 1)

जलवायु परिवर्तन से मिट्टी पर पड़े प्रभाव का सीधा असर मानव स्वास्थ्य पर पड़ता है। जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण तापमान में वृद्धि होती है और वाष्पीकरण का संतुलन खराब हो जाता है व हमारी मिट्टी की आर्द्रता असंतुलित हो जाती है। इसके परिणाम स्वरूप हमें सूखे की मार झेलनी पड़ सकती है। अगर यह स्थिति लगातार बनी रही तो मिट्टी मरुस्थल में तब्दील हो जाती है। मिट्टी एक समय ऊसर व बंजर हो जाती है। अर्थात हमारे पास भोज्य पदार्थ के उत्पादन के लिए पर्याप्त उर्वर भूमि नहीं बचेगी और हमें भूख व कुपोषण की चपेट में आकर अपनी जान गंवानी पड़ेगी। हालांकि यह स्थिति अभी भी बनी हुई है। लेकिन जलवायु परिवर्तन के कारण इसका स्वरूप और विकराल हो सकता है।

May 12, 2024

Atal Bhujal Yojana: Bridging ambition with reality

Rethinking community engagement in the Atal Bhujal Yojana

Towards sustainable groundwater management (Image: IWMI)

May 12, 2024

भारत में सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य पर जलवायु परिवर्तन का प्रभाव

बढ़ते तापमान और मौसम में बदलाव से गर्मी की लहरों और चरम मौसम की घटनाओं की आवृत्ति और तीव्रता बढ़ रही है, जिससे बीमारी, चोट और मृत्यु का खतरा बढ़ जाता है। साथ ही जलवायु-संवेदनशील रोगजनकों के फैलाव में बदलाव आता है, जिससे डेंगू और डायरिया जैसी बीमारियाँ कुछ क्षेत्रों में अधिक आम हो सकती हैं। जलवायु परिवर्तन से फसलों की पैदावार में कमी, खाद्य कीमतों में वृद्धि, खाद्य असुरक्षा और अल्पपोषण का खतरा बढ़ता है। इससे जल सुरक्षा भी प्रभावित होती है। ये परिवर्तन गरीबी, मानव प्रवास, हिंसक संघर्ष और मानसिक स्वास्थ्य समस्याओं को बढ़ा सकते हैं। Rising temperatures and climate change are increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves and extreme weather events, increasing the risk of disease, injury, and death. It also changes the spread of climate-sensitive pathogens, which could cause diseases like dengue and diarrhea to become more common in some areas. Climate change increases the risk of reduced crop yields, increased food prices, food insecurity and undernutrition. This also affects water security. These changes may increase poverty, human migration, violent conflict, and mental health problems.