/topics/ecology-and-environment
Ecology and Environment
Importance of groundwater – A presentation by ACWADAM
Posted on 22 Sep, 2010 08:03 PMThis presentation by ACWADAM deals with the importance of groundwater. It is well-known fact that groundwater forms a very crucial source of water supply in the national scenario on water resources today. And yet, it continues to remain a resource that is both abused and misused. Often, watershed projects suffer from insufficient inputs, especially hydrogeological to address the problem(s) of groundwater within the watersheds.
Urban development - Mid-term appraisal of the eleventh five year plan - Report by the Planning Commission
Posted on 22 Sep, 2010 08:02 PMThe Eleventh Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) sought to build on the gains achieved in the Tenth Plan and shift the economy to a path of faster and more inclusive growth. The Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) report for the Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-2012 by the Planning Commission reviews the experience in the first three years of the Plan and seeks to identify areas where corrective steps may be needed.
Rural development - Mid-term appraisal of the eleventh five year plan - Report by the Planning Commission
Posted on 22 Sep, 2010 06:16 PMThe Eleventh Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) sought to build on the gains achieved in the Tenth Plan and shift the economy to a path of faster and more inclusive growth. The Mid Term Appraisal (MTA) report for the Eleventh Five Year Plan 2007-2012 by the Planning Commission reviews the experience in the first three years of the Plan and seeks to identify areas where corrective steps may be needed.
Integrated Data Management Systems using Geographic Information Systems – A presentation by ACWADAM
Posted on 21 Sep, 2010 11:25 PMThis presentation by ACWADAM deals with integrated data management using Geographic Information Systems. A Geographic Information System (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.
Groundwater balance – A presentation by ACWADAM
Posted on 21 Sep, 2010 10:00 PMThis presentation by ACWADAM deals with the subject of groundwater balance. It begins by describing the skeleton for the water balance equation viz., ground surface, soil, aquifer and bed rock. It describes the processes subsequent to rainfall such as interception, initial detention, depression storage, infiltration, runoff, streamflow, soil moisture retention and recharge.
The watershed water balance equation is explained in terms of input (rainfall and water transfers) and output (runoff, evapotranspiration and infiltration). It notes that the input to a generalized water balance is rainfall whereas the input to a groundwater balance is infiltration. The difference between infiltration & recharge, natural & artificial recharge and interflow & discharge are explained thereafter. The water balance for an aquifer may vary, depending upon the nature of groundwater system –
- Watershed with a deep aquifer
- Watershed has both shallow and deep aquifers
- Watershed has only shallow aquifer
The deepest cut: Political ecology in the dredging of a new sea mouth in Chilika lake - Orissa (India)
Posted on 21 Sep, 2010 09:19 AMThis paper published in the journal Conservation and Society reassesses/debates the decision taken by the government to dredge a new sea mouth in the Chilika Lake in Orissa, India, which was based on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) studies.
The paper argues that decisions such as these need to be understood and evaluated by taking into consideration not only the underlying technical aspects, but by also exploring the political and historical contexts in which decisions are taken.
Geological mapping – A presentation by ACWADAM
Posted on 21 Sep, 2010 08:27 AMThis presentation by ACWADAM deals with geological mapping. The occurrence of water within a watershed is governed by the rock types occurring both at the surface and within the subsurface, their sequence and their structure. The physical structure which plays host to the water within the watershed is geological. Every watershed programme must therefore include a fundamental understanding of this framework so that the development and management measures planned through such programmes are meaningful and properly justified technically.
Remote sensing – A presentation by ACWADAM
Posted on 21 Sep, 2010 07:24 AMThese presentations by ACWADAM deal with the application of remote sensing and aerial photography techniques in groundwater management. Remote sensing is a technique by virtue of which information about an object, area or phenomenon is obtained with the help of a sensor on board a platform from distance without coming in contact with object, area or phenomenon.
Earth System: Interactions Part II – A presentation by ACWADAM
Posted on 20 Sep, 2010 06:43 AMThis presentation by ACWADAM on earth system deals with the interactions between the four elements that make up this system. The complexity of the earth system, in which spatial and temporal variability exists on a range of scales, requires that an organized scientific approach be developed for addressing the complex, interdisciplinary problems that exist.
Earth System: Introduction (Part I) - A presentation by ACWADAM
Posted on 19 Sep, 2010 07:00 PMThe presentation by ACWADAM on earth system deals with the four elements that make up this system. Earth science generally recognizes four spheres, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere; these correspond to rocks, water, air, and life. These four interdependent parts or the earth's spheres are described as:
- the lithosphere, which contains all of the cold, hard, solid rock of the planet's crust (surface), the hot semi-solid rock that lies underneath the crust, the hot liquid rock near the center of the planet, and the solid iron core (center) of the planet
- the hydrosphere, which contains all of the planet's solid, liquid, and gaseous water,
- the atmosphere, which contains all of the planet's air, and
- the biosphere, which contains all of the planet's living organisms.