Forests

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Featured Articles
August 11, 2024 Even in the face of daunting challenges like climate change, collective action and community engagement can lead to meaningful change
SeasonWatch tree walk at Rupa Rahul Bajaj Centre for Environment and Art (Image: SeasonWatch)
May 19, 2024 The surprising connection between Wikipedia, beaches, and your water bottle.
A top down image of a lush green forest in a sacred grove in Meghalaya (Image created by: Sreechand Tavva)
May 11, 2024 Deforestation, expansion of agricultural land, encroachment into forested areas, and unplanned urbanisation alter landscape connectivity, fragment habitats, and increase fire ignition sources.
Uttarakhand's wildfire wake-up call (Image: Pickpic)
May 8, 2024 What is the ecosystem based approach to water management? How can it help in solving the water woes of states in the Deccan Plateau?
An ecosystem based approach to water management (Image Source: India Water Portal)
May 26, 2023 Orans are traditional sacred groves found in Rajasthan. These are community forests, preserved and managed by rural communities through institutions and codes that mark such forests sacred. Orans have significance for both, conservation and livelihood. The author visited two orans in Alwar district in Rajasthan and in this article, she writes about her observation.
Since ancient times, communities in Rajasthan have preserved these orans, and their lives have been inextricably entwined with them. (Image: Ranjita Mohanty)
Citizens voice alarm over recent Supreme Court judgement on interlinking of rivers
Prominent experts, concerned citizens and neighboring countries have raised concerns over the recent Supreme Court judgement. Posted on 25 Apr, 2012 10:39 AM

The Supreme Court of India has in its judgment of 27 February 2012 on the interlinking of rivers project, given categorical directions to the Executive Government to implement the ‘project’ as a whole in a time bound manner and has also asked the Centre to appoint a Special Committee to work out the modalities and oversee the implementation of the project.

Exploring the spatial associations between census based socioeconomic conditions and remotely sensed environmental metrics in Assam, North East India – A study by Gary R Watmough
Gary R Watmough’s PhD explored the spatial associations between socioeconomic variables like female literacy and employment in the non-agricultural sector derived from a subset of the 2001 Indian National Census and environmental metrics. The study was based on freely available remotely sensed satellite sensor data - Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) in Assam. Posted on 23 Apr, 2012 01:50 PM

Past studies have found associations between land and poverty, however these studies are usually focused on small areas using ground based studies.

Critical review of the impacts, challenges, prospects and conflict management for vitally needed inter-linking of rivers in India
Hon’ble Supreme Court in its judgment of 27th February 2012, directed union and concerned states governments, to implement ambitious interlinking of the rivers project (ILR) in a time bound manner and also asked Union Government to appoint a high-powered committee for planning and implementation of the project. Social tensions, political instability and street fights are already being experienced in India, on account of fast deteriorating situation of availability of qualitative water in adequate quantity.
This article presents a critical review of basic objectives, controversies, social & ecological impacts besides concrete suggestions to overcome the blockades in Inter-basin Transfer of Water (IBTW), now commonly known as Inter-linking of Rivers (ILR).
Posted on 23 Apr, 2012 12:17 PM

Guest post by : Er. Radhey Shyam Goel

1. Introduction

Interlinking of rivers project: A disquieting judgement - Ramaswamy Iyer's perspective in the EPW on the recent Supreme Court decision
The Supreme Court judgement of 27 February 2012 directed the executive government to implement the river inter-linking project through a special committee which will take precedence over all other administrative bodies. In this article, first published in the Economic and Political Weekly, Ramaswamy Iyer explains why this backing of a 'potentially disastrous' project is disturbing. The article then calls for a reconsideration of this judgement. Posted on 20 Apr, 2012 10:52 PM

 

1. Introduction
Two writ petitions were filed in 2002 on the subject of interlinking. The judgement finally passed in 2012 directs the implementation of this project. This judgement is disturbing for the following reasons:

"Resources, tribes and the State" - A report on an international seminar, organized by the Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies at Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, in February 2012
Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies, an affiliate body of the Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh organized a three day international seminar on Resources, Tribes and State from 13th to 15th February 2012. The seminar was sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi and NER, Shillong, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIS), Kolkata, Anthropological Survey of India (ASI), Kolkata and Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hill, Doimukh. Posted on 11 Apr, 2012 04:10 PM

Guest post by: Raju Mimi

Reviving dying springs: A paper documenting the Sikkim experience of groundwater recharge using geo-hydrology
With mountain communities dependent of springs for both domestic uses and for irrigation, conservation of these springs is crucial. However several factors, of which climate change is one, are leading to a drying up of springs. This paper reports on Sikkim's experience with using geo-hydrological knowledge to plan recharge structures. It concludes that this increases the efficiency of recharge measures. Posted on 09 Apr, 2012 09:12 AM

Introduction

The paper begins with a description of Sikkim. The sources of water in the Himalayas and the geology of the area are also described.

Literature review of spring related studies

Supreme Court order in February 27, 2012 on the interlinking of rivers project A statement and an appeal by concerned citizens to think of all the implications
A number of citizens have made a public statement, expressing serious concern about the Supreme Court’s Order of Feb 27, 2012 on the Interlinking of Rivers Project. The statement endorsed by more than sixty eminent persons has urged the Supreme Court to put this order on hold and reconsider the matter. The statement first states the concerns relating to the propriety of the apex court making this specific order, and then proceeds to state the concerns relating to the Project itself. Posted on 29 Mar, 2012 06:37 PM

The full statement is as follows -

We, the signatories to this statement, wish to record our utmost concern at the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s judgment of 27 February 2012 on the Inter-Linking of Rivers Project (ILR), on the following grounds:

Soil endowments, production technologies and missing women in India - A World Bank working paper
This paper published by the World Bank highlights the findings of a study that aimed at exploring the connections between geographical variation in soil texture and rural infant sex ratios in India. The paper argues that the deficit of women relative to men in some societies has emerged as the most extreme indicator of gender-based discrimination. Studies concerned with the demographic gender imbalance have provided evidence on significant effects of economic factors and of cultural disparities in the perception of women’s worth. However, there are very few studies that have tried to explain the geographical differences in population sex ratios. Posted on 19 Mar, 2012 03:08 PM

The paper argues that in India, where 72 percent of the population is rural, there is a significant and important association between the geographical variation in exogenous soil texture and rural infant sex ratios. In agriculture, the depth of land and seedbed preparation are exogenously determined by the soil texture.

Basin-level impact assessment study of the Lohit river - A study by WAPCOS & Ministry of Environment and Forests (2011)
In view of the number of hydro-electricity projects being commissioned on the free-flowing Lohit river and its tributaries, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) recommended the development of a basin-level impact assessment. This work was awarded to M/s Wapcos Limited, and the cost shared by the various project developers. Posted on 19 Mar, 2012 11:29 AM


Area map of the Lohit Basin

Our water woes: Ecological imbalance is the culprit!
When we were solely dependent on hunting and/or gathering as tribes, we used to draw only as much natural resources as could be easily replenished by “Mother Nature” - which is the case even today with the most pristine environs of all the tribal societies, across the globe. Posted on 12 Mar, 2012 12:01 PM

Author : Madhuranthakam Prabhakar Rao

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