"Forgive us, Aral. Please come back." These words written in chalk, on a ship sftKk in a sandy wasteland, which was once the bustling shore of the world"s fourth largest lake, the Aral Sea, tell a graphic tale of the human toll caused by am of the w
Inauguration of Sunderban Wetlands in Kolkata Bookfair 2008 is a prelude to the predicament of the mangrove treasure trove, threatened by the phenomena of global warming. Mr Kiranmoy Nanda, fishery minister of West Bengal, Mr Tushar Kanjilal and other dignitaries attended the inaugural ceremony. The price tag for Sunderban Wetlands is Rs 500 and is available at the Benfish store in the fair. Written by Dr Madhumita Mukherjee, joint secretary of the fisheries department, government of West Bengal, the book highlights the recent changes in the biodiversity of Sunderbans and its impact on the people living there. Dr Mukherjee said that the ecological changes in the region have affected the lives of the animals and human beings. She also said that efforts are being made to ensure that people of Sunderbans can take benefit of alternative livelihood based on the results of scientific research. Mr Tushar Kanjilal, who has spent 40 years in Sunderbans, expressed his concern on the recent changes the region. In his speech, Mr Kanjilal spoke of the "environmental refugees' in Sunderbans, people who were compelled to migrate as the sea has swallowed their home. He said that the complete destruction of forests in 54 out of 102 islands in the Sunderban has taken its toll as two islands has already been wiped off. While speaking of the region, Mr Kiranmoy Nanda said: "The Sunderbans is like our mother.' He said that the government is making efforts to ensure protection and optimum utilisation of natural resources in the area. He said that filled canals are being restructured and measures are taken to protect the mangrove. He also said that for the weed collectors in Sunderbans, the government is looking for alternative source of living that will also connect them with the wetlands. Mr Nanda is hopeful that the upcoming 40000 sweet water bodies in Sunderbans, in addition to the existing 33000 will improve the situation. All the speakers were of opinion that the book is a storehouse of information that will help all those want to delve into the unknown facets of Sunderbans.
Earth is getting wider near the equator
<p>This film produced by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) explores increase in flood affected areas in India and analyses the Himalayan floods. It presents an agenda for change and shows how the
WILL HE go? Will he sign? Will he give money? All these and many more questions on the behaviour of the US President George Bush are threatening to overtake the Earth Summit at Rio. Bush's cat and
Global warming has led to rise in tick borne encephalitis cases
THE meeting of the National Water Resources Council (NWRC), convened by Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao last month, was a total failure, as no decision was taken on any of the long list of
The natural habitat around the Mount Kenya Forest has been destroyed extensively, reveals a recent Kenya wildlife service survey. Human activity is to be blamed for this large-scale destruction.
Chairperson designate of the Telecom Commission N Vittal talks to Down To Earth on how he intends to reform the functioning of the commission.
Mangroves contribute generously to oceanic carbon
Malaria, prevalent in over 100 countries, poses a risk to some 2,700 million people across the world. Poor health infrastructure and drastic ecological changes have favoured transmission of the malaria parasite, which has developed an immunity even to les
UNDER the unrelenting pressure of population growth, millions of landholdings in Asia and other parts of the developing world are small - and getting smaller. India alone has at least 33
Canadian engineers develop a no effluent discharge technology
Growing grass in the desert of Rajasthan would improve the economy
THIS book is an interesting collection of twelve papers on traditional water harvest ing systems, a much neglected issue in the water policy. The list of authors contribut ing papers to the
Global warming has even increased the temperature of the lithosphere
<p><strong>Union minister for new and renewable energy, Farooq Abdullah, releases CSE’s Citizen’s Report on State of Renewable Energy</strong></p> <p><strong>In 2012-13, electricity produced
Panchayat s in Karnataka can now gauge rainfall
start telling stories: Being a maths wizard and a great storyteller may appear completely different, but a new study by Canada's University of Waterloo suggests that preschool children's
A weather event which Peruvians once regarded as a boon is now recognised as causing terrible global disasters
