This annual e-book in Figures analyses complex issues pertaining to the country’s environment and development. In today's world where information is available from so many sources that we end up not making any sense of the happenings, this report gives you compelling data stories that are credible and easy to …
Analysis of multi-date satellite sensor data and maps indicated loss of 1836 ha of land during 1976–2001 along the Godavari deltaic coast resulting in displacement of coastal communities and mangrove destruction. Decrease in sediment loads from an annual average of 145.26 million tons in 1971–79 to 56.76 million tons during …
Digital processing of the IRS-1D LISS-III image revealed a highly degraded state of the Kolleru lake. Among the several techniques tried, image enhancement through automatic log residuals method clearly indicated that about 42% of the 245 km2 lake area was encroached for aquaculture and 8.5% more area was occupied for …
India has come out with maps of its biodiversity-rich regions, one of the first countries to do so in the world. It was the fruit of a five-year project, jointly undertaken by the Department of Biotechnology (dbt) and the Department of Space (dos), which began in 1997. The survey covered …
Flood hazard is one of the most severe problems in the Himalayan river basins. Although floods are essentially hydrological phenomenon, the uneven distribution of floods in the river basin highlights the control of geomorphological and geological factors. A proper understanding of these factors is critical for a successful flood management …
The March 5 order of the Allahabad High Court, directing a 12-member Archaeological Survey of India (asi) team to excavate a 30 m x 30 m area at the disputed site at Ayodhya, has led to a renewed interest in archaeology. The order is based on explorations carried out by …
November 15Legend has it that the beautiful goddess Saraswati sprung from the forehead of her father Brahma, the god of creation. It is said that as soon as Brahma looked at her beauty, he was filled with desire for her. Unhappy with the amorous attentions he bestowed upon her, she …
Non-resident Indian websites caused ripples when they claimed that a 30-kilometre-long bridge of shoals, across the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka whose images were captured by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (nasa), bore an uncanny resemblance to a structure described in the epic Ramayana. The us agency …
Ecological impact of joint forest management (JFM) in India was assessed using the studies undertaken at national, state and forest division levels. It was found that there are very few studies that have specifically addressed the ecological aspects under JFM. The study noted that there are significant strides made in …
Droughts, an integral part of India's geophysical profile, have registered a steep rise in frequency and ferocity during the past 50 years. To its credit, the scientific community has kept pace by conducting research that can minimise the impact of dry spells. But the government has done precious little to …
Flood Studies in India brings to fore several aspects of this natural disaster that are not yet conventional wisdom in policy circles. The book looks at floods from a variety of expertise areas, such as civil engineering, meteorology, hydrology, remote sensing, geomorphology and geography - the only way to do …
The hills are alive with tradition. One method killsslashes and burnsthe other is healingand sustains. In the northeast hills of India are found medicinal plants that are treasured for their life giving potential. Tribals use these plants to kill pain and treat diseases. On these hillspeople also practice the age-old …
Antarctica seems to be melting and contributing to the slow rise of the ocean levels, scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) report. Using two sets of radar data from the European Remote Sensing Satellite, the scientists found that a large amount of …
Latest NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) satellite maps reveal that most of the world's glaciers are shrinking. Rick Wessels of the US Geographical Survey, based in Arizona, compared thousands of satellite images to aerial photographs dating back 20 years and found almost every mountain glacier in Patagonia, the Himalayas, …
Pakistan plans to set up a Geographical Information System (GIS) to monitor changes in the forest cover in the country. A ban on the commercial harvesting of forests will also be lifted for one year and progress will be reviewed through the federal forestry board. The forest management centre in …
mangrove vegetation along the 30,000 square kilometre coastline of Gujarat has reduced by 33.5 per cent in past two decades, reveals satellite data from the space application centre of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (isro) in Ahmedabad. Though the 1998 cyclone is cited as the main reason, human activities …
A stream originating in Nevado Mismi, a mountain in southern Peru, is said to be the exact source of the Amazon river, the National Geographic Society reported. Global Positioning System (gps) equipment was used by a five-nation expedition to take measurements. The countries that participated in the expedition included the …
The Ramsar Convention of IUCN held in 1971 in Iran raised global awareness of the conservation and management of wetlands. Wetlands, the transitional zones that occupy an intermediate position between dryland and open water, regulate the flow of water and nutrients, thereby facilitating optimum functioning of the physical and biological …
A "spy in the sky' satellite is being tested by coastguards in Canada in an attempt to catch ships illegally discharging oil into the North Sea. The satellite, called Radarsat, is part of an eight-month trial ordered by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. It is hoped that the satellite, which …
the ozone layer over Antarctica has depleted severely, according to the World Meteorological Organisation ( wmo ), a un agency. "The latest satellite observations in the sunlight portion of the Antarctica perimetre show an average decrease of about 30 per cent in the total amount of ozone overhead when compared …
