Ecology and Environment

Term Path Alias

/topics/ecology-and-environment

Featured Articles
September 2, 2024 The strategic objectives and challenges of India's BioE3 Policy
The transition to a bio-based economy could affect various stakeholders (Image: GetArchive; CC0 1.0)
August 30, 2024 This article traces the evolution of the legislative framework for water pollution in India and its implications for wastewater treatment standards in the country. 
Open drains in Alwar (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
August 2, 2024 There is a need for a multi-faceted approach to disaster management, combining advanced monitoring, early warning systems, community preparedness, and sustainable land use practices to mitigate future risks.
Aftermath of a 2022 landslide on Nedumpoil ghat road (Image: Vinayaraj, Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0)
July 10, 2024 Millions of trees are fast disappearing from India's farmlands. What are its implications for agriculture and the environment?
Disappearing trees over Indian farmlands (Image Source: WOTR)
June 9, 2024 India’s funding jumped from $225 million in 2018 to $1.5 billion in 2023, marking a compounded annual growth rate of 140%
Green startups: Powering a sustainable future (Image: Needpix)
June 7, 2024 Scientists question effectiveness of nature-based CO2 removal using the ocean
Ocean ecosystem (Image: PxHere, CC0 Public Domain)
Hydropower in the Himalayas: Potential and risks
Study highlights significant hydropower opportunities in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Posted on 21 Aug, 2019 11:01 PM

Worldwide, the demand for energy has risen significantly and quickly, leading to serious impacts on environmental sustainability and hindering global efforts to mitigate climate change. Hydropower, a leading renewable option has the additional benefits of water storage for agriculture and other uses.

Hydel project near Kullu (Image: Nadir Hashmi, Flickr Commons)
In photos: How temple tanks are helping Chennai conserve rain water
During the monsoon, temple tanks in Chennai fill to the brim with water, helping in groundwater recharge. Posted on 21 Aug, 2019 03:05 PM

Besides showcasing the architectural expertise and aesthetics of their time, temple tanks also play an extremely important role as water storage systems in Chennai.

Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane has the biggest tank. Recently, volunteers belonging to the Central Industrial Security Force cleaned the tank. Pic: Laasya Shekhar
When crocodiles roamed city streets: The real reason behind Vadodara floods
Urban flooding in Gujarat has led to some strange developments in recent weeks. Posted on 21 Aug, 2019 01:30 PM

The videos were all over the Internet and social media. Expectedly so, because you don’t often see crocodiles swimming in flooded urban streets, sneaking up on strays. But that’s precisely what happened shortly after news of ‘urban floods’ in Vadodara hit headlines in early August.

Flash floods following extreme rainfall left Vadodara inundated in Early August. Pic: Concerned Citizens of Vadodara
Beyond the death toll: The everyday violence of Assam’s floods
Mitul Baruah from Ashoka University narrates personal experiences of people affected by floods in Majuli, Assam. Posted on 19 Aug, 2019 12:53 PM

Floods are an annual phenomenon in Assam. They are as integral to the state as the Brahmaputra River is, and each monsoon, we are reminded that Assam exists (or is drowning). As I write this piece, Assam is slowly recovering from the first wave of flood this monsoon.

Floods in Majuli Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)
Mangroves: Powerhouses of carbon storage the planet desperately needs
Mangroves are carbon-dense ecosystems that can play an important role in carbon storage, study suggests. Posted on 16 Aug, 2019 09:35 AM

Straddling land and sea and swarming with life, mangroves are key to healthy coastal ecosystems. They are recognised for their role as storm barriers, protecting coastal areas from flooding and erosion by dissipating the energy of huge waves. They act as nurseries for fish, help filter river water of pollutants and trap excess sediment before it reaches the ocean.

A cluster of mangroves on the banks of Vellikeel river in Kannur, Kerala (Image: Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 3.0)
Government set to conserve India's springs
Policy matters this week Posted on 14 Aug, 2019 08:32 AM

Government rolls out plan to revive springs across the country

Many springs in the Himalayas have reduced discharge. (Source: India Water Portal)
P Sainath: The water crisis is not caused by drought
Magsaysay award winner & founder-editor of PARI, P Sainath analyses India's water scarcity, the agrarian crisis & farmer suicides, before asking: what can we do about it? Posted on 13 Aug, 2019 11:47 AM

P Sainath has been documenting stories from rural India for over three decades now.

Picture: The semi-arid regions of the Moyar-Bhavani River basin in Tamil Nadu. Picture credit: Prathigna Poonacha, Tanvi Deshpande; Indian Institute for Human Settlements from India Water Portal on Flickr. Picture used for representational purposes only
Government undertakes 3D mapping of aquifers in all villages
Policy matters this week Posted on 07 Aug, 2019 11:07 PM

Government to 3D map aquifers in all villages

Groundwater drops to alarming levels. Illustration credit: KN Balraj. Source: India Water Portal on Flickr
"Digging recharge wells is the only way Bengaluru won’t run out of water"
A million recharge wells for Bangalore Posted on 07 Aug, 2019 02:29 PM

Vishwanath Srikantaiah, popularly known as the 'Rainman', has been in the news recently for his ambitious project to build one million recharge wells in Bengaluru. Given the dire situation we find ourselves in vis-à-vis water, the initiative could not have come at a better time.

Ramakrishna Bovi is a traditional well-digger in Bengaluru. Image credit: Citizen Matters
Lok Sabha passes inter-state river disputes bill
Policy matters this week Posted on 06 Aug, 2019 02:45 PM

Lok Sabha passes Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019  

Cauvery river in Karnataka (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
×