More than a fifth of the world's migrating species are at risk of going extinct as a result of climate change and human encroachment, according to this report by the United Nations. Migratory species globally are facing critical challenges, with nearly half in decline and over 20 per cent threatened …
located at altitudes of 4,000-5,000 metres, the wetlands in the Changtang area of eastern Ladakh attract a large variety of wildlife as well as humans with their livestock. This area covering thousand of square kilometres lies within the boundaries of the Changtang Wilderness Area or the proposed High Altitude Cold …
leather that weathers,' is a catchline of a well-known shoe brand. What is not mentioned is that it also decays and contaminates the soil and water. In the process of making leather products
At least 10 people died and a few were seriously injured when the world's largest oilrig (located 130 km off the northeastern coast of Brazil) sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Petrobrasthe state-owned oil groupmanages the oilrig. An explosion rocked one of the piles that supported the rig …
Its generally assumed that species diversity helps a disturbed ecology to be nurtured back to health. But a recent study has shown otherwise. M Sankaran of Syracuse Universityusahas conducted a study on the disturbance of grasslands in southern Western Ghats. The responses of grasslands to fire and simulated grazing in …
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 …
massive flash floods in the Sutlej river have left a trail of destruction in the Shimla, Kullu, Mandi and Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh. At least 150 people are reported to have been killed and several crore of rupees worth of property damaged in what is being seen as the …
the governor of New York has called for the creation of an institute on the Hudson River to conduct research that would be applicable to rivers and estuaries around the world. Governor George Pataki said that he will urge legislators to authorise the formation of an international centre for studying …
How did the idea of ecological restoration (ER) originate? The concept of er has been around for more than a century. The earliest published call for restoration, that one can recall, was made in India by the famous theosophist Helena Blavatsky in 1879. Madame Blavatsky, as she was known, predicted …
a set of environmental indicators used in a Canadian government report gives a clear picture of the health of the Great Lakes. The report, The State of the Great Lakes , gives information based on 19 of 80 indicators developed by scientists, said participants at the 1998 State of the …
environmental degradation and failure of the monsoons has resulted in a famine in places like Kinnakorai and Kundah taluk s (blocks) of the Nilgiris in the Western Ghats. Unfortunately, the reason for this famine is little understood by the people, either due to ignorance or sheer negligence. The Nilgiris are …
the southeast of Great Britain is sinking. Thanks to enhanced global warming, England's wildlife may be forced to seek refuge in Scotland, the island's resurgent north. Like England, Scotland can roughly be divided between the wetter, higher and warmer west and the lower, dryer and fertile east. Unlike England, Scotland …
A study of ice cores from the Himalaya reveal a substantial rise in industrial pollution over the past few decades, claim some Chinese researchers. Ice cores from remote mountain areas are believed to contain accurate records of atmospheric concentrations over tens of thousands of years. Scientists from the Lanzhou Institute …
Certain amounts of acid rain can be buffered by the ecosystem without suffering any serious problems. However, the buffering capacity of ecosystems is finite and varies from one system to another. The effects mentioned in the IIT study by Manju Mohan and Sanjay Kumar are listed below: ON VEGETATION l …
OVER the last 30 years, severe soil degradation has ravaged the state of Gujarat. If this trend continues, as much as 30 per cent of the state's land resources could be completely degraded by the turn of the century, warns a recent report of the Gujarat Ecology Commission (GEC). "Increasing …
NO ONE understands the value and significance of natural resources better than traditional societies. A realisation of the importance of these resources coupled with animistic beliefs may be the reasons why many traditional societies have been preserving a portion of natural ecosystems as "sacred groves" for centuries. Sacred groves are …
