The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Three lakes (Nainital, Sattal and Naukuchiatal) in the Kumaun Himalayan region were investigated for total organic carbon and nitrogen, their atomic ratios and isotopic composition in their sediments. These geochemical proxies measured in 34-45 cm long cores indicate that organic matter preserved in the lake sediments is primarily derived from …
Jim Corbett is held in great esteem in India as a compassionate man who had exceptional environmental awareness. A closer look however shows that this image is misleading and that he was in fact a fully paid-up imperialist. The continuance of the Corbett myth is indicative of our failure to …
Water resources regime in Kumaon Himalaya is a product of its specific environmental conditions. Major river systems, lakes along with a plethora of streams and springs are the main sources of water in this region. In pre-colonial Kumaon, communities took pride in their water systems and the local communities had …
The survey revealed complete destruction of bryo-vegetation from ground to the height of 15-17' at Kausani due to forest fire which erupted in 2002 in the areas which were completely gutted in fire. The fire period was intense and long and most of the thalli growing over there were burnt …
From both the economic and the enviromental angle, bio-gas is the ideal solution for rural households: cheap with no recurring maintenance costs and zero impact on the environment. Why hasn't it been adopted more widely? The benefits of this appropriate technology are numerous and some appear self-evident. For one, there …
Water quality of two natural springs viz., Raj Naula and Badi Naula located in the Kosi river catchment area of Almora city in Kumaun Himalaya (Uttarakhand) has been investigated. (2007)
Water quality monitoring of a central Himalayan river, river Kosi was done for a period of one year. The study was done to ascertain the suitability of its water for potable supplies and to generate benchmark data for the management of the river ecosystem, as the river has a great …
Rise in population, urbanization, tourist activity and expansion of the Kumaon region has resulted in the considerable increase of vehicular traffic. This problem particularly manifests itself around the petrol pump and bus station.
A health camp conducted in Sama, 60 km north of Bageshwar in Uttaranchal in November, revealed that anaemia, chronic infections, gout, tuberculosis and rheumatoid arthritis are the common ailments there. And, 80 per cent of the 250 people who had come for the check up, suffered from these. Most women, …
If soil quarrying is a threat in the terai, mining poses huge hazards in the hills of Kumaon. Soapstone or talc and magnesite quarries have been taking over commons for over two decades, depriving local people of large tracts of the forestland, pasture, watersheds and farming land. Eastern Bageshwar is …
The Uttar Pradesh government in 1996 (now Uttaranchal) started an ambitious tea plantation programme, which was to be spread across 12,000 hectares (ha). It included a series of tea estates to aid the state's economy and provide farmers with an additional source of income. Now, after 10 years, out of …
This study quantifies the tangible, economic benefits of a nongovernmental organization's social forestry project to local people and analyzes the potential return from this investment in natural capital. The analysis was conducted in the Kumaun hill region of Uttaranchal, India, using participatory rapid appraisal, household survey, avoided cost method, and …
There is an old Kumaoni song, which goes, "They give us cold water from their roots, the air we breathe in flows from their clumps and the temple they canopy at the top of the hills protects us from all ills. O you beautiful one, do not cut these trees, …
How did you, a historian, get so deeply involved with deforestation issues? The history and culture of Uttaranchal is directly linked with its forests. I was working on the history of deforestation, and realised that the lucrative business of illegal timber trade is the single-largest cause of deforestation. Unless this …
Dharamgarh in the Kumaon area of Uttaranchal has a long tradition of people's management of forests. Since 1931, a van panchayat had been doing a remarkable job. The association of these forests with various local deities ensured that local community institutions were helped along on their job. However, with increasing …
The book looks at the value of water as a basic need instead of valuing water in terms of productivity in agriculture and industry, or in terms of the costs of supply. It examines water in the regional context, in terms of what it means to the people of Kumaon, …
if one were to go by picture postcards, women in the Indian Himalaya are pretty and dainty, with rosy cheeks and soft hands. The reality, however, is quite different. The glow on their cheeks is a result of hard labour. And their soft hands are callused from the rough work …
