The National Biodiversity Authority has released a new set of rules to manage sharing of benefits generated through the use of biological resources. The Biological Diversity (Access to biological Resources and Knowledge Associated thereto and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits) Regulation 2025 was approved by the Central government and …
Three hours from Madurai is Shenbaha Thopu. Rich in forest wealth, the peripheries of the forests are inhabited by 24 families of the Pallyan community who have traditionally been involved in the collection of non-timber forest produce (ntfp). Now something else has become a part and parcel of their lives: …
"In the virtual world, we virtually promise everything but deliver virtually nothing." this caption from one of the cartoons exhibited at the Indian Science Congress 2001 sums up the outcome of the massive jamboree, held in Delhi from January 3 to 7. The prime minister promised food for all, the …
"Children in India remain malnourished while foodgrains rot in our granaries. The key to this is proper management of our granaries.' V Ramalingaswami National Research Professor "There's a big gap between scientific research and application. We have crude facts of science, locked up in laboratories and research institutes, but we …
The session raised a whole range of problems. When it came to discussing solutions, time ran out. Peter Raven of the Missouri Botanical Garden in the us made some relevant observa-tions: "Food security has increased, but many people in the world still go hungry.' He said extinction rate of species …
last year's drought in western Rajasthan had its beginnings in September and October when there was erratic and deficient rainfall, not uncommon to these parts of the country. Over Rs 800 crore was spent to counter the calamity. Since 1955, Rs 3,600 crore has been spent under Desert Development Programme …
the government and manufacturers of ayurvedic drugs have decided to work together to increase the demand for Indian ayurvedic cures in the international market. This decision was taken during a one-day conference,
The Arvari Sansad, or Arvari Parliament, is a shining example of community ownership and management of natural resources. After reviving the rivulet with assistance from the voluntary organisation Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), the people are absolutely confident of one thing: natural resources are best managed when communities regenerate these through …
The Biological Diversity Bill, which was introduced on May 15, 2000, in the Lok Sabha, is currently under scrutiny of the parliamentary standing committee on science, technology and environment. The committee is conducting a series of hearings with experts from across the country to get their opinion on the bill. …
the eleventh finance commission has earmarked Rs 500 crore for the augmentation of traditional water sources. The commission says: "The recent drought in some of the states and severe water scarcity in many others has drawn our attention to need for protection and augmentation of traditional water sources that have …
punjab durrie weavers ( pdw ), a non-governmental organisation, operating from Chandigarh and Mumbai, is collecting information on dyes available from plants and microbes. pdw intends to utilise traditional knowledge to encourage cultivation of such plants on marginal lands. Chemical dyes pollute. Alternative dyeing pigments, extractable from plants and microbes, …
a national Innovation Foundation has been formed by the Union government for encouraging grassroot level innovations. The government is also planning to create a National Register for Innovation for documenting the information gathered by the foundation. "The idea is to recognise work being done in each and every part of …
In our January 15, 2000 issue, Down To Earth had highlighted the situation in drought-struck areas of Gujarat. The conclusion was that villages with structures to harvest rainwater were faring much better than villages which had forgotten the value of rain (see:
Achampet mandal of Mahabubnagar district, Andhra Pradesh (AP), was in the clutch of drought six years ago. But it is doing well at present. “Satellite images show an improvement of about 300 per cent between February 1994 and March 1998 with regard to the groundwater table,” says Ramesh Reddy, head …
SEVERAL messages emerge from the analysis of crash programmes to harvest rainwater in Gujarat and ap. It is amply clear that the government of Gujarat has been much more successful in addressing the need of the hour than the AP government. POLITICIANS' RESPONSE: The way the political establishment has gone …
It was quite visible in several districts, whether it was Rajkot, Junagadh or Jamnagar in Saurashtra or Bhuj in Kachchh. People in several villages of these drought-prone regions looked a lot more confident in September 2000 about dealing with drought in the future. Barely four months ago, they had looked …
The 3rd Water Asia 2000 was held at Delhi's Pragati Maidan from September 18 to 20. The chief minister of Delhi, Sheila Dixit, presided over the inaugural session, while minister of state for water resources, Bijoya Chakraborty, inaugurated the exhibition. Multinationals of the water industry participated with their latest technological …
What is the Rainwater Club? In 1995, my wife and I, along with some friends, started the Rainwater Club. Its members include professionals and individuals interested in managing water. One of the main objectives of the club is to disseminate information about rainwater harvesting (RWH) to professionals as well as …
