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 …
Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) has appealed to ministries, districts planners, and environment officers to do more to integrate environment issues into their planning and budgeting process. Rachael Tushabe, the head of environmental education and mainstreaming at REMA, told district planners and environment officers that their recent evaluation of the …
Grasslands are critical global ecosystems, but pollution from agricultural fertilizers and nitrogen-laden smog threatens to dump too many nutrients onto the grasses. Ecologists applied various fertilizers to grassland plots at 45 sites on five continents annually and measured biodiversity and plant growth. Excess nutrients decreased biodiversity more and more over …
The Obama administration on Friday blocked new exploration for oil and gas in Arctic waters, in a win for environmental groups that had fought development of the ecologically fragile region. The Department of the Interior released a 2017 to 2022 leasing plan that blocked drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort …
The under-construction North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) 1x800 mega-watt super-critical plant is threatening to degrade the ‘last surviving’ 76.9 hectares (190 acres) of green belt in Ennore, which is a dynamic ecosystem and a critical floodplain. Local environmentalists allege that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report was not in …
We’ve all been worrying over the state of the Great Barrier Reef, but new research has shown that it’s not the only important part of our oceans that’s struggling with the effects of climate change. Kelp forests, which are underwater ecosystems full of large, seaweed-like algae, are under attack, with …
A five-year offshore drilling plan has been set out by the Obama administration to block off any possible oil drilling activities in the Arctic Ocean, specifically in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska. Set out for 2017 to 2022, the new offshore plan may save the deteriorating conditions …
MIAMI: Most life on Earth is already being changed by the warming climate, even though the rise in global temperature since pre-industrial times has been rather slight, researchers warned on Thursday. The study in the journal Science found that 82 percent of key ecological processes -- including genetic diversity and …
A new report by the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) reveals the crucial role the world’s drylands play in buffering the negative impacts of climate change, land degradation and drought. Drylands are absolutely key to global food security for the whole planet. Environment friendly and water efficient agriculture …
Terrestrial ecosystems play a significant role in the global carbon cycle and offset a large fraction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The terrestrial carbon sink is increasing, yet the mechanisms responsible for its enhancement, and implications for the growth rate of atmospheric CO2, remain unclear. Here using global carbon budget estimates, …
West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) may unveil renewable energy regulations in a fortnight, paving the way for households and housing complexes to install solar rooftop panels and connect them to the grid. "We are trying to release the renewable energy regulations in the next 15 days after final consultation …
Dehradun : The issue of vulnerability of the Himalayas in times of increasing climate change will be put forth at the conference of parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change being held in Morocco from November 7 to 18. GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and …
Prospects for Livestock-Based Livelihoods in Africa’s Drylands examines the challenges and opportunities facing the livestock sector and the people who depend on livestock in the dryland regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. It presents a novel way of thinking about pastoral development, grounded in a conceptual framework that focuses on the multiple …
This regional assessment documents experiences on ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) and its linkages with biodiversity in Asia. It highlights opportunities to catalyse actions for Eco-DRR that embraces the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems. This report supports the implementation of the Aichi Targets by clearly demonstrating that disaster risk reduction …
Florida: Global warming is likely to change the environment of the Mediterranean region in ways unseen in the past 10,000 years, reshaping forests and turning parts of Europe into desert, researchers warned Thursday. The Mediterranean is known as a hotspot for biodiversity, and it is warming up fast. Already its …
How will ecological communities change in response to climate warming? Direct effects of temperature and indirect cascading effects of species interactions are already altering the structure of local communities, but the dynamics of community change are still poorly understood. We explore the cumulative effects of warming on the dynamics and …
As soon as civic workers immersed the idol into the Ganges, a herculean crane moved into action. Before the colourful countenance could disappear in the water, the crane retrieved it and hovelled it in an isolated corner. As soon as the crane retreated, a large vehicle picked up it up …
PATNA: Even as hundreds of idols were immersed in the Ganga in Patna and neighbouring areas on Tuesday and Wednesday to mark the end of the Durga Puja festival, the district administration did not show any concern for the increasing pollution of the river water. The Ganga is already highly …
The report has recommended that the PMC consider alternative route options for this stretch. While the eagerly anticipated Pune Metro is being seen as an answer to the city’s traffic gridlock, a report by the Biodiversity Monitoring Committee (BMC) of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has suggested that the project …
This review summarizes current knowledge on the potential of ecosystems beyond terrestrial forests to contribute to climate change mitigation. It provides information on the capacity of existing management techniques for peatlands, grasslands and savannahs, coastal ecosystems and croplands to sustain and enhance carbon stocks and carbon sequestration. Recommendations are made …
This report is a review and synthesis of global experiences on ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation (EbA) and to disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR). The report includes key findings from the CBD technical workshop on EbA and Eco-DRR, held in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, from 28 September to 2 October …
