Environment matter.docx

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Oct 12

Thesixth meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP/MOP6) was held from 1-5 October 2012 in Hyderabad. Approximately 1300 participants representingparties to the Protocol and other governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academia and industry attended the meeting.The meeting adopted 16 decisions on: compliance; the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur SupplementaryProtocol on Liability and Redress (the Supplementary Protocol); subsidiary bodies; cooperationwith other organizations, conventions and initiatives; the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH);capacity building; the roster of experts; monitoring and reporting; assessment and review;notification requirements; handling, transport, packaging and identification (HTPI) of livingmodified organisms (LMOs) (Article 18); unintentional transboundary movements of LMOs(Article 17); financial mechanism and resources; socio-economic considerations; risk assessmentand risk management; and the budget.Delegates described the meeting as a pragmatic working session with little controversy. Beingthe first COP/MOP after the adoption of the Supplementary Protocol, the meeting revealedseveral substantive issues that the COP/MOP might focus on going forward. Many delegatespointed to the decision on socio-economic considerations, which establishes for the first timeanAd Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) to develop conceptual clarity, opening the way todeveloping guidelines in the future. While the decision on risk assessment and risk managementstopped short of endorsing the guidance for risk assessments, delegates welcomed the detailedprocess for testing the guidance, which should allow for endorsement at a future COP/MOP.

Box

CBD

The CBD was adopted on 22 May 1992, and entered into force on 29 December 1993. There arecurrently 193 parties to the Convention, which aims to promote the conservation of biodiversity,the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising fromthe use of genetic resources.

The Cartagena ProtocolAdopted in January 2000 following protracted negotiations, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafetyaddresses the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs that may have adverse effects onbiodiversity, taking into account human health, with a specific focus on transboundarymovements of LMOs. The Protocol establishes the BCH to facilitate information exchange, andcontains provisions on capacity building and financial resources, with special attention todeveloping countries and those without domestic regulatory systems. It entered into force on 11September 2003 and currently has 164 parties. The Protocols governing body is the COP/MOP.

COP/MOP 1: February 2004, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCOP/MOP 2: May/June 2005, Montreal, CanadaCOP/MOP 3: March 2006, Curitiba, BrazilCOP/MOP 4: May 2008, Bonn, GermanyCOP/MOP 5: October 2010, Nagoya, JapanCOP/MOP 6: October 2012, Hyderabad, India


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Half of Great Barrier Reef Coral cover lostAustralia's Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half its coral cover in the past 27 years,according to a new study published on October 3, 2012. Researchers analysed data on thecondition of 217 individual reefs that make up the World Heritage Site. The results show thatcoral cover declined from 28.0% to 13.8% between 1985 and 2012.

They attribute the decline to storms, a coral-feeding starfish and bleaching linked to climatechange.Glen De'ath from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and colleagues determinedthat tropical cyclones - 34 in total since 1985 - were responsible for 48% of the damage, whileoutbreaks of the coral-feeding crown-of-thorns starfish accounted for 42%.Two severe coral bleaching events in 1998 and 2002 due to ocean warming also had "majordetrimental impacts" on the central and northern parts of the reef, the study found, putting theimpact at 10%.Co-author Hugh Sweatman said the findings, which were drawn from the world's largest everreef monitoring project involving 2,258 separate surveys over 27 years, showed that coral couldrecover from such trauma.

John Gunn, head of AIMS, said it was difficult to stop the storms and bleaching but researcherscould focus their short-term efforts on the crown-of-thorns starfish, which feasts on coral polypsand can devastate reef cover.The study said improving water quality was key to controlling starfish outbreaks, with increasedagricultural run-off such as fertiliser along the reef coast causing algal blooms that starfish larvaefeed on.

Save Ganga, Save Dolphin campaignThe three-day Save Ganga, Save Dolphin campaign was launched by the Uttar Pradesh Forestdepartment in association with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on October 5, 2012. Eighteenboats were flagged off to cover about 2,800 km of the Gangetic river system in Uttar Pradesh inthe first major initiative towards creating awareness about conserving the critically endangeredspecies of Gangetic dolphin (Platanista Gangetica). The species is endemic to the Gangetic riversystem.Called the Tiger of the Ganges, the Gangetic dolphin is an indicator animal (predator). It is oneof the four species found worldwide and enjoys the same position in the river ecosystem as thetiger in the forest. With the riverine system facing multiple threats, the number of dolphinsdeclined to about 1,600 in 2005 (when the last census was conducted in a fragmented manner)from 4,000-5,000 in 1982. It is said that at the turn of the last century, the Gangetic dolphinpopulation was around 50,000.Now, a survey is being conducted by separate teams along 16 stretches of the Ganga and itstributaries in the State.

Lion-tailed macaque taken off top 25 endangered list

The lion-tailed macaque, one of Indias endangered mascot species, is no longer onThe Worlds25 Most Endangered Primates list, after the international body compiling it determined that the

State governments had acted positively to protect it.The list of 25 primates is put out by a group of specialist agencies the Primate SpecialistGroup of the IUCN/Species Survival Commission; the International Primatological Society;Conservation International (CI); and the Bristol Conservation and Science Foundation.


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It was released at the conference of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity inHyderabad on October 15, 2012. Announcing the list of endangered primates for 2012-14,Russell A. Mittermeier, chairman of the IUCN/SSC and president of CI, said the Western purple-faced langur in Sri Lanka was still on the list.Wild primate species are found in 91 countries, and their conservation status is periodically

monitored with the Red List criteria by the IUCN. A new assessment is under way to determinehow they are faring. It will build on the 2008 assessment that 303 primates are criticallyendangered or endangered.The Western Hoolock gibbon found in northeast India was also removed from the list of 25

earlier.The latest top 25 endangered primates comprise a range of ape, monkey and lemur species fromTanzania, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and South America.Clearing of forests for oil palm cultivation and agriculture, demand for bush meat, and staggeringdeforestation in Madagascar, removing 90 per cent of endemic lemur habitat, severely threatenlong-term prospects for primates.

e-Atlas of marine bird areas launched

An e-Atlas of Marine-Important Bird Areas was launched by the BirdLife International at the 11th Conference of theParties (COP11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hyderabad on October 17, 2012.The inventory, covering 3000 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) worldwide, was described as a major contribution tomarine conservation and a vital resource for meeting the CBD target of protecting 10% of marine and coastal areasby 2020.It will also be crucial to the process of describing Ecologically or Biologically Significant marine Areas (EBSAs)and will have significant input into the siting of offshore energy infrastructure.The e-Atlas will be available exclusively online. It will be linked to other BirdLife data resources.

CBD Summit 2012 concludes

The Convention on Biological Diversity summit ran into overtime in Hyderabad on 19 October 2012, as nationsstruggled to find a way out of the logjam on funding talks.While countries have set ambitious goals called the Aichi Targets to protect the world's plants, animals andnatural habitats by 2020, they could not agree on how to raise the money needed to reach these goals.India took the lead on the final day, using its role as host and President of the summit to introduce a freshnegotiating text proposing a middle path. Other decisions relating to ecosystem restoration and national capacitybuilding and action plans were held hostage to the vexed resource mobilisation discussions. The European Unionrefused to allow these decisions to be adopted, even when China proposed alternative text suggesting that the lack ofcapacity and needs assessments and baselines should not affect the pledging of financial resources.Indian Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan president of the meeting was forced to defer these agendaitems, as well as a decision on the budget of the Convention pending a breakthrough in the funding talks. Otherdecisions, including one on the financial mechanism, were approved.The compromise text proposed a doubling of biodiversity fund flows from rich to poor nations by 2015, using theaverage funding between 2006 and 2010 as an interim baseline. However, this is only an interim target; thedocument proposes that targets be revised at the next CBD summit in Korea in 2014 and subsequent summits till2020.This would mean a continuous rise in funding till 2020, which developed nations are unwilling to accept. A seniorEuropean Union delegate said they would be willing to double aid by 2015, provided that funding rates are thenfrozen till the end of the decade.


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The presidency document proposes that in return, poor countries promise that by 2015, at least three-fourths of themwill do their homework, by including biodiversity in their national development priorities, assessing their ownbiodiversity expenditures and needs, and preparing national financial plans for biodiversity conservation.On accountability, and reporting of how this money is used, a preliminary, flexible framework had been drafted, andcountries would agree to submit information using this by the next CBD meeting in 2014.In a concession to rich country governments harried by the current economic downturn, the document urges parties

to consider all possible sources and means to meet the necessary level of resources, which could mean that privatesector funding can be used rather than governmental aid.The document also proposes that by 2014, countries will establish a target on the phasing out of subsidies andincentives which harm biodiversity.The Convention also took decisions related to biodiversity and climate change, inland water ecosystems, islandbiodiversity, protected areas, marine and coastal biodiversity, gender mainstreaming, the rights of indigenouspeople, biodiversity for poverty eradication and development, bushmeat and wildlife management and invasive alienspecies.

5th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction heldExpressing concern over the increasing impact of disasters and climate change in the Asia and the Pacific, high-leveldelegations from 50 countries of the region have called for drawing up an international agreement on disaster riskreduction to follow on the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015).The Hyogo Framework for Action was adopted by 168 member States of the United Nations (U.N.) at the WorldDisaster Reduction Conference held in Hyogo, Japan, in 2005. It was the first plan to lay out a road map forgovernments and different sectors to bolster the resilience of nations and communities against disasters and reducelosses.The 5th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction organised by the United Nations Office forDisaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) in collaboration with the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency(BNPB), ended in Yogyakarta on October 28, 2012.It called upon stakeholders to participate fully in the consultations under way worldwide to mainstream disaster riskreduction in the development agenda and provide inputs for the post-2015 framework.The conference outcome was unanimously agreed at a full-plenary session.Key elements of the Yogyakarta Declaration include calls to integrate local disaster risk reduction and climatechange adaptation into national development planning; identify accountability measures for effectiveimplementation ; political commitment to deliver at all levels; promote awareness, education, public access to

information and resilient investments; and allocate resources to build local capacity.The declaration concerns not only Asia but the entire world and it was necessary that all stake holders push theagenda of risk reduction. Many countries started working on the agenda only after the Indian Ocean tsunami in2004.

Uttarakhand tops in environmental standards

Uttarakhand, on 29 October 2012, topped the list of best-performing States and Union territories in termsof environmental well-being. Uttarakhand is followed by Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Sikkim, and

Andhra Pradesh on the Planning Commissions Environmental Performance Index (EPI) list.Environmental well-being is one of the considerations for devolution of funds to the States under the

Gadgil formula.Uttarakhand has been given a cumulative score of 0.8123, followed by Himachal Pradesh (0.7316),Chandigarh (0.7270), Sikkim (0.7149), and Andhra Pradesh (0.7147).Mizoram, Kerala, Goa, Sikkim, Tripura, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar, with an average score of1, have been ranked as the best States in terms of air quality. However, except for Uttarakhand, all theStates meet the prescribed national ambient air quality standard in respect of the sulphur dioxide of 20micrograms per cubic metre. The indicators considered for measuring the ambient air qualityperformance are sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter.


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In respect of nitrogen oxide, more than 10 States dont meet the 30 microgram per cubic metre nationalstandard. In respect of suspended particulates, except for Goa, Kerala, and Mizoram, no State meets the60 microgram per cubic metre national standard.On water quality standards, except for Himachal Pradesh, which has set up 100 per cent treatmentcapacity for sewage, the treatment capacity in the remaining States ranges from 0 (13 States) to less than20 per cent (8 States) and more than 50 per cent in four States, indicating a pathetic performance in thisrespect.Sewage disposal, water quality of rivers dissolved oxygen, total coliform count and the percentage of

water exploitation are considered for the State-wise performance for water quality. As far as total fecalcoliform count is concerned, it is as much as 92 per cent in most of the States, with none complying withthe standards.Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Daman and Diu, and Puducherry extract more water than they recharge, butHimachal Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry are the only States which show asemblance of adherence to river water quality. On forest conservation, Chandigarh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh are among the five best-performing States that have preserved forests as well asincreased cover.

Dead Sea perishing at record rate

The Dead Sea is shrinking at a record rate. The Hydrological Service of Israel, on 29 October 2012, said that the

salty inland lake bordering the nations dropped a record 1.5 meters over the last 12 months because of industry

use and evaporation. That's the steepest Dead Sea decline since data-keeping started in the 1950s.

According to the report, the makers of potash, a raw material for fertilizer, are competing for water with a

centuries-old tourism industry on the Dead Sea, Israel's most crowded leisure destination last year with 857,000

visitors.

According to the report, about one-third of the Dead Sea's surface area has disappeared and sinkholes are

increasingly common as the waters shrink amid drought, agricultural diversion, largely from the Jordan River, and

pumping to extract minerals for fertilizers.

Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli policymakers, under the auspices of the World Bank, have been examining

various plans to halt the Dead Sea's decline, it added.

Critically endangered vultures now stable: report

After years of relentless efforts to save vultures in south Asia, numbers of the most critically endangered specieshave stabilised across India and Nepal, according to a latest study on November 11, 2012. Researchers have reportedthe results of long-term monitoring of vultures across India and Nepal.The survey shows that the population of the three critically endangered vulture species of long-billed, slender-billedand white-backed ones have remained stable in the last couple of years. The surveys for vultures were undertakenacross more than 15,000 km roads in western, central and eastern states of India by Bombay Natural History Society

(BNHS) and Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) in the lowland regions of Nepal.The study, however, warned that while the stabilisation in vulture numbers is encouraging, only a small number ofthe birds remain and they are still extremely vulnerable.Classified as critically-endangered by the IUCN, the population of vultures has been declined by an alarming rate ofover 99 per cent during the last two decades.

Australia creates world's largest marine reserves
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Australia, on 16 November 2012, created the world's largest network of marine reserves, protecting a huge swathe ofocean environment despite claims it will devastate the fishing industry.The government proclaimed 44 marine reserves a network, covering 2.3 million square kilometres, a full third ofAustralias ocean territory. The reserves are home to 45 of the worlds 78 whale and dolphin species, six of the

seven known species of marine turtle, and 4,000 fish species.The marine reserves will protect a diversity of Australias ocean ecosystems, including reefs and waters in the CoralSea, majestic seamounts off the east coast, the mysterious deep waters of the Diamantina Fracture Zone and thewaters of the Great Australian Bight.The announcement includes ocean areas that harbor some of the worlds richest marine biodiversity, and theresulting network will further protect fish stocks and fragile and critical marine environments.

Dhaka tops list of cities facing highest climate change risk

Bangladesh capital has topped a list of cities facing the highest climate change risks in the coming years. Kolkatacame seventh, Mumbai eighth while Delhi was in the 20th position. The ranking of 50 cities was done byMaplecroft, a British firm specialising in risk analysis, on November 16, 2012. The cities were chosen for theircurrent and future importance in global business. Maplecrofts Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI)

classified seven cities as facing extreme risk.Manila was ranked second, while Bangkok, Yangon, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City came third, fourth, fifth andsixth, respectively. The report looked at exposure to extreme weather such as droughts, cyclones, wildfires andstorms, which translate into water stress, loss of crops and land lost to the sea.

Chicago, London, St. Petersburg, Paris and Madrid are the only five cities classified as low risk.

National Bear Conservation and Welfare Action Plan released

The Minister for Environment and Forests, Mrs Jayanthi Natarajan, on 27 November 2012, released the National

Bear Conservation and Welfare Action Plan. India is home to four of the eight species of bears found worldwide

making it one of the only two countries with this diversity, the other being China.

The Indian bears include the sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), the Himalayan

brown bear (Ursus arctos) and the Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus). Sloth bears are endemic to the Indian

sub-continent and have gone extinct fairly recently from Pakistan and Bangladesh, underscoring the threats to the

species of habitat loss and increasing human interface. The black bears and brown bears inhabit the Himalayan and

sub-Himalayan regions, while the sun bears are found in very small numbers along the northeast Indian border.

The bears have an almost pan-India distribution, being found in 26 of the 28 Indian states.

The national plan summarises the threats faced by bears in India, and outlines management actions to be

undertaken by the bear range states for their conservation and welfare.

Asias first waterless toilet opens

Regullanka, a village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, earned a rare distinction on November 28, 2012. For thefirst time in Asia, residents of the entire village embraced an innovative, eco-friendly, waterless toiletthe ECOSANtoilet. The village situated on the banks of River Krishna achieved a new level of personal hygiene and generalcleanliness with an ECOSAN toilet.Vijayawada-based NGO Arthik Samata Mandal (ASM) implemented this project. The project is sponsored by

Switzerland-based Terre des Hommes (TDH).The excreta, which is stored in a concrete chamber for six months and allowed to convert into compost, is used asfertilizers.

Sea level rising 60 percent faster than estimatedThe worlds sea level is rising 60 percent faster than the central projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change (IPCC), according to a new study on November 29, 2012.


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Satellite measurements show the sea level is actually rising at a rate of 3.2 mm a year compared to the estimate oftwo mm a year in the IPCC report. Results were obtained by taking averages from the five available global land andocean temperature series.The researchers believe the findings are important for keeping a track of how well past projections match theaccumulating observational data.The study involved an analysis of global temperatures and sea level data over the past two decades, comparing themboth to projections made in the IPCC's third and fourth assessment reports.After removing the three known phenomena that cause short-term variability in global temperatures solarvariations, volcanic aerosols and El Nino/Southern Oscillationthe researchers found the overall warming trend atthe moment is 0.16 degree Celsius per decade, which closely follows the IPCC's projections.Satellite measurements of sea levels, however, showed a different picture with current rates of increase being 60percent faster than the IPCC's AR4 projections.

BSE launches carbon-based thematic index

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), on 30 November 2012, launched BSE Carbonex, the first carbon-basedthematic index in the country, which takes a strategic view of organisational commitment to climate changemitigation. This index has been launched with the aim of creating a benchmark, and increasing awareness about therisks posed by climate change.It will enable investors to track performance of the constituent companies of BSE-100 index regarding theircommitment to greenhouse gases emission reduction. Constituents of BSE Carbonex are over or underweightedcompared to the benchmark based on their performance in the assessment process. In every industry, companies thatachieve the strongest assessment scores are favoured at the expense of those achieving poor results, said the BSE.

India controls carbon emission growth; way less than China

A new research published, on 2 December 2012, has come up with its data which says India has managed to

control carbon emissions in compared to other economies like China, the US and EU

which were the biggest polluters during the year.

The research 'Global Carbon Project' from University of East Anglia in the UK shows China, United

States and European Union contributed 28 per cent, 16 per cent and 11 per cent in the global emissions during the

year while Indian figures were at 7 per cent despite a 7.5 per cent growth during the year. In terms of per capita

emissions, India contributed 1.8 tonnes which is way behind developed economies like the United States,

European Union and China which stood at 17.2 tonnes, 7.3 tonnes and 6.6 tonnes respectively.

The study claims the carbon emissions in China and India grew at the rate of 9.9 and 7.5 per cent in 2011

respectively while the US and European Union showed a decrease by 1.8 and 2.8 per cent.

Earths biodiversity map updated for first time since 1876A 'life map' of biodiversity showing the organisation of terrestrial life on Earth was updated after more than acentury on December 21, 2012. The original map, drawn up by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1876,was the first attempt to depict the myriad ways life has evolved on the world's continents.Scientists from University of Copenhagen produced a next generation map depicting the organisation of life onEarth. The new map provides fundamental information regarding the diversity of life on our planet and is of majorsignificance for future biodiversity research. The new global map shows the division of nature into 11 large bio-geographic realms and shows how these areas relate to each other. It is the first study to combine evolutionary andgeographical information for all known mammals, birds and amphibians, a total of over 20,000 species.Mining, encroachment threat to Western Ghats: IUCN


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A world heritage advisory body, on 25 December 2012, came out with a report saying biodiversity hotspots in theWestern Ghats are threatened by activities like encroachment and illegal mining.Human impacts, such as human settlements and parts of reservoirs, are evident across the Western Ghats World

Heritage site. Villages located within the site cause inevitable issues such as encroachment, livestock grazing, fodderand fuelwood collection, illegal hunting and increasing interest in tourism-related activity among others, accordingto a recent report by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Citing the example of iron-ore mining which was active till recently in the centre of Kudremukh National Park inKarnataka, IUCN says that mining has been identified as a major threat for Western Ghats one of the worldshotspots of biodiversity.Hydroelectricity, irrigation and wind farms are cause for further concern, says the organisation, which included

the mountains in its list of Inspiring Places in the world. The Western Ghats mountain chain is about 1,600 km long running almost parallel to Indias western coast andspanning six Indian StatesGujarat, Maharashtra and Goa in the north down to Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Naduin the south. The serial World Heritage site covers a total of 795,300 hectares, which is equal to about 5 per cent ofthe area of the whole Western Ghats mountain chain. The mountains are home to rain forests, rivers, waterfalls and anumber of mammals including the endemic lion-tailed macaque, the endangered Asian elephant and tiger. In itsevaluation, the IUCN had opined that more work was needed to meet the international standards. The WesternGhats was inscribed to the World heritage List during the 36th Session of the World Heritage Committee meetingheld at St. Petersburg, Russia, in June 2012.National Biodiversity Congress concludes

The first National Biodiversity Congress (NBC-2012), organized by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board with support

from the National Biodiversity Authority, concluded in Thiruvananthapuram on December 30, 2012. The three-day

Congress deliberated on various scientific, policy and legal issue to make India a leader in translating the potential

of biodiversity for sustainable national development

and securing livelihoods of local communities.

The Congress, coming two months after India hosted the eleventh Conference of Parties to the Convention on

Biological Diversity (CBD COP-11), saw some very significant outcomes including the announcement of the

proposal to establish a National Innovation Council on Biodiversity by Dr Sam Pitroda, chairman, National

Innovation Council. He said the National Innovational Council on Biodiversity will develop decade long strategies to

ensure biodiversity of the country is sustainably managed, benefits of biodiversity shared with communities andappropriate national policy and strategic frameworks relevant to biodiversity linked and mainstreamed so that

investments on biodiversity become multi-pronged and multi-sectoral.

R Chidambaram, principal science advisor to the prime minister, said that a National Biodiversity Grid would be setup to facilitate and support the work of the NBA in collating, analysing and synthesis of biodiversity data andinformation for conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity.The second and third NBC would be in West Bengal next year and in Chhattisgarh in 2014.

Tiger population in India has increased significantlyTiger population in India has significantly increased in the wild, thanks to protection of the habitats of the big catand stringent anti-poaching patrols, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said on December 27, 2012.In southwestern India, where WCS research and conservation efforts began 25 years ago, a major rebound of tigersin the Western Ghats region of Karnataka has taken place. Over 600 individuals have been identified to date from

camera trap photos during the last decade in this mountainous landscape, WCS said in a statement.In Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks, tigers have actually reached saturation levels, with surplus young tigersspilling out into forest-reserves and dispersing using secured forest corridors through a landscape that holds over amillion human beings. In newer tiger reserves including Bhadra and Kudremukh, numbers have increased by asmuch as 50 per cent after years of neglect and chronic poaching were tackled.

MoEF sets deadline to declare eco sensitive zones around national parks, sanctuaries


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A decade after the National Board for Wildlife envisaged declaring areas within 10 km of the boundary of nationalparks and sanctuaries as eco-sensitive zones, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on 13 January2013 gave one last opportunity to all the States to submit site-specific proposals by February 15.In case, the State/Union Territory governments fail to submit the proposals within the deadline, the activities thathave been prohibited as per the MoEF guidelines would stand prohibited within 10 km of the boundary of NationalParks and Sanctuaries.As per the guidelines, commercial mining, setting up of industries causing pollution, commercial use of firewood,establishment of all hydroelectric projects, use or production of any hazardous substances, tourism activities likeflying over the national park area by any aircraft or hot-air balloons and discharge of effluents and solid waste innatural water bodies or terrestrial area are prohibited.The need for site-specific proposals has arisen as many of the existing protected areas have already undergonetremendous development in close vicinity to their boundaries with some like Guindy National Park lying in theurban set up.Likewise, the eco-sensitive zones could extend beyond 10 km width in cases of sensitive corridors for connectivityof ecologically important patches crucial for landscape linkage.

Emissions limi ts could cut climate damage by two-thi rds: study

The world could avoid much of the damaging effects of climate change this century if greenhouse gas emissions arecurbed more sharply, research showed on January 13, 2013.The study is the first comprehensive assessment of the benefits of cutting emissions to keep the global temperaturerise to within 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, a level which scientists say would avoid the worst effects of climatechange.It found 20 to 65 percent of the adverse impacts by the end of this century could be avoided.In 2010, governments agreed to curb emissions to keep temperatures from rising above 2 degrees C, but currentemissions reduction targets are on track to lead to a temperature rise of 4 degrees or more by 2100.The World Bank has warned more extreme weather will become the "new normal" if global temperature rises by 4degrees.Extreme heat waves could devastate areas from the Middle East to the United States, while sea levels could rise byup to 91 cm (3 feet), flooding cities in countries such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, the bank said.About 190 nations are aiming to sign a deal by 2015 which will legally bind countries to make ambitious emissionscuts but it will not come into force until 2020.

Green Haat organised to raise awareness of rich forest and biodiversity of the country

The Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) in its endeavor to promote Non Timber Forest based Handicrafts,

Herbal/Health/Cosmetic Medicinal & Food items (Forest/Argo/Biodiversity food) is organising 15 Days program:

Green Haat with primary objective of Connecting nature with our lives. The event , organized in New Delhi,

started on 16 January 2013 and will continue till 31st January 2013.

Green Haat is an initiative of MoEF, Govt. of India to raise awareness on the rich forest and bio diverse heritage of

the country among the growing urban population often living far off from the forests. The initiative is to showcase

various value added forest based products developed by Rural Artisans, Community Self Help Groups, NGOs, and

State Federations and thus provide support to biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods.

The first Green Haat was organized on the eve of World Environment Day 2011 where India played as a Global

Host. Encouraged by the response received a decision was taken to make it an annual event. This year, the eventis providing platform for the exhibition of Forest based Handicraft, andBio diverse and Organic Food & Herbal

Remedies under dif ferent categori es of value added forest products.

More than 140 countries adopt global treaty to curb mercury emissionsMore than 140 countries agreed on a ground-breaking treaty to rein in the use and emission of health-hazardousmercury. The world's first legally binding treaty on mercury was reached in Geneva on 20 January 2013 and ends
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four years of heated discussions on how to cut global emission levels of the toxic heavy metal, which poses risks tohuman health and the environment.The treaty has been named the Minamata Convention on Mercury, in honour of the Japanese town where inhabitantsfor decades have suffered the consequences of serious mercury contamination. It will be signed in Minamata inOctober and will take effect once ratified by 50 countries.Mercury, also known as quicksilver, is found in products ranging from electrical switches, thermometers and light-bulbs, to amalgam dental fillings and even facial creams. Large amounts of the heavy metal are released from small-scale gold mining, coal-burning power plants, metal smelters and cement production.Serious mercury poisoning affects the body's immune system and development of the brain and nervous system,posing the greatest risk to foetuses and infants.The treaty sets a phase-out date of 2020 for a long line of products including mercury thermometers, blood pressuremeasuring devices, most batteries, switches, some kinds of fluorescent lamps and soaps and cosmetics. It makesexceptions, however, for some large medical measuring devices where no mercury-free alternatives exist. In acontroversial move, it also excluded vaccines that use mercury as a preservative. The risk from these vaccines isconsidered low and for many developing nations, removing them would entail losing access to vaccines altogether.The treaty also did not provide a cut-off date for the use of dental fillings using mercury amalgam, but did agree thatthe product should be phased down. The text gives governments 15 years to end all mercury mining.For coal-fired power plants, the treaty calls only for control and reduction of mercury emissions "where feasible".As for small gold mining activities, using mercury will still be allowed, meaning imports and exports of the metalfor this process will be legal, and governments will only be required to control the activity if they deem it "more

than insignificant".Switzerland and Norway, which initiated the process a decade ago, with Japan pledged an initial $3.0 million (2.2million euros) to get things started.Once up and running, the treaty will provide funds to ease the transition away from mercury through the UN'sexisting Global Environment Facility (GEF), and probably also a second mechanism.

Executive Committee on Climate Change constituted

The Prime Minister, on 31 January 2013, decided to constitute an Executive Committee on Climate Change to assist

the Prime Ministers Council on Climate Change. The Executive Committee on Climate Change would focus on the

following tasks:

Assist the PMs Council on Climate Change in evolving a coordinated response to issues relating to climatechange at the National level.

Regularly monitor the implementation of the eight national missions and other initiatives on ClimateChange.

Advise the PMs Council on Climate Change on modifications in the objectives, strategies and structure ofthe missions, as may be necessary.

Co-ordinate with various agencies on issues relating to climate change.The Chairman of the Executive Committee on Climate Change will be the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister

and Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests will be the Member-Convenor.

The Prime Ministers Council on Climate Change was constituted in 2007, in order to co-ordinate National Action

for Assessment, Adaptation and Mitigation of Climate Change. The National Action Plan of Climate Change

(NAPCC) was released by the Prime Minister in June 2008. Under the NAPCC, with the approval of PMs Council on

Climate Change, eight national missions are being implemented.

Ozone thinning has changed ocean circulation

A hole in the Antarctic ozone layer has changed the way waters in the southern oceans mix, which scientists say

could impact global climate change. The situation has the potential to alter the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere,

scientist said on January 31, 2013.


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In a study, Darryn W Waugh and his team show that subtropical intermediate waters in the southern oceans have

become "younger" as the upwelling, circumpolar waters have gotten "older" - changes that are consistent with the

fact that surface winds have strengthened as the ozone layer has thinned.

Researchers used measurements taken from the early 1990s to the mid-to-late 2000s of the amount of a chemical

compound known as "chlorofluorocarbon-12," or CFC-12, in the southern oceans. CFC-12 was first produced

commercially in the 1930s and its concentration in the atmosphere increased rapidly until the 1990s when it was

phased out by the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer. Researchers were able to infer

changes in how rapidly surface waters have mixed into the depths of the southern oceans. Because they knew that

concentrations of CFCs at the ocean surface increased in tandem with those in the atmosphere, they were able to

surmise that the higher the concentration of CFC-12 deeper in the ocean, the more recently those waters were at

the surface. The inferred age changes - "younger" in the subtropics, "older" nearer the South Pole - are consistent

with the observed intensification of surface westerly winds, which have occurred primarily because of the

Antarctic ozone hole, suggesting that stratospheric ozone depletion is the primary cause of the changes in ocean

ventilation.

Sea cucumber recommended for most-endangered status

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), on 2 February 2013, strongly recommended that sea cucumber, a marineorganism found in the coral reef areas, be retained in Schedule I Category of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.Schedule I contains the list of most endangered species and gives them highest level of protection.The recommendation follows a recent proposal from the Union government to delist a few species of animals, whichincluded the sea cucumber, from the Act. In order to estimate the sea cucumbers status in the wild, the Union

government had entrusted the work of a detailed study to the ZSI.However, the proposed exclusion of the sea cucumber does not find favour with marine researchers and thescientific community. They strongly feel that the species should remain under the protected category.Sea cucumbers (box with the above news)

Sea cucumbers are a group of invertebrate, worm-like animals. About 650 species of sea cucumbers under thefamily holothuriidae are present in seas across the world. In India, nearly 200 species have been reported, of which75 species are from the shallow waters, within a 20-metre depth. Of these, 12 species are of commercial value. TheAndaman and Nicobar Islands have vast varieties of sea cucumbers, followed by the Lakshwadeep Islands, the Gulf

of Mannar and Palk Bay.

Cabinet nod to Rs 900 cr wetlands development plan

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, on 7 February 2013, approved the proposal for the merger of

National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and National Wetlands Conservation Programme (NWCP) into a new

scheme called the `National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems` (NPCA).

The merged scheme shall be operational during the XII Plan Period at an estimated cost of Rs.900 crore on 70:30

cost sharing between the Central Government and respective State Governments (90:10 for North-East States).

For conservation of lakes and wetlands, the Ministry of Environment and Forests is presently, implementing two

separate Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), namely the NWCP and the NLCP. To avoid overlap, promote bettersynergies and to ensure conservation and management works, an integrated scheme, NPCA is proposed, with the

objective of conserving aquatic ecosystems (lakes and wetlands), through implementation of sustainable

conservation plans and governed with application of uniform policy and guidelines.

The principal objectives of the new scheme will be holistic conservation and restoration of lakes and wetlands for

achieving desired water quality enhancement, besides improvement in biodiversity and the ecosystem, through an

integrated and multidisciplinary approach with a common regulatory framework, The scheme would contribute to


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reduction of pollution loads and improvement in goods and services provided by these water bodies to

stakeholders.

The new scheme will have conservation and management of lakes and wetlands in the country within its scope, to

include inventory and information system on lakes and wetlands national level directive on criteria for lakes and

wetlands, regulatory framework, capacity building at state government and local body levels, evaluation etc.

More snow in poles, less globally

There is likelihood of increased snowfall over the polar regions and the highest altitudes, but an overall drop inglobal snowfall, as carbon dioxide levels rise over the next century, a new climate model suggested on February 26,2013.The projections are based on a new climate model which indicated that the majority of the planet would experienceless snowfall as a result of warming due to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Observations show thatatmospheric carbon dioxide has already increased by 40 percent from values in the mid-19th century, and, givenprojected trends, could exceed twice those values later this century.The highest mountain peaks in the northwest Himalayas, the Andes and the Yukon region will also receive greateramounts of snowfall after carbon dioxide doubles. In North America, the greatest reductions in snowfall will occuralong the northeast coast, in the mountainous west, and in the Pacific Northwest.In very cold regions of the globe, however, snowfall will rise because as air warms, it can hold more moisture,leading to increased precipitation in the form of snow.

Eco-friendly toilets along Ganga

The Ganga Action Parivar (GAP), on 27 February 2013, took primary steps towards constructing the first zero-waste, bio-digester toilet in Uttar Pradesh along the banks of the Ganga. The initiative is part of GAPs drive tobuild 5,000 eco-friendly toilets in villages along the 2,500-km stretch of the Ganga and also integrates its GreenKashi and Green Prayag campaign.Around 200 toilets would be constructed in the first phase and the drive would be extended to other States. The firstof these toilets was inaugurated at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh on October 15 by UttarakhandGovernor Aziz Qureshi.The model of the toilets has been developed by GAP in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers ofCommerce & Industry and the Defence Research & Development Organisation, also the designer. The speciallydesigned toilets use no chemicals and require no electricity.

According to GAP, the Ganga is deluged with nearly two billion litres of human waste a day while being the solesource of drinking water to a population approximating that of America, Canada and Russia combined.

Untreated sewage flow is killing Indian rivers: Report

Eighty percent of sewage in India is untreated and flows directly into the nation's rivers, polluting the main sourcesof drinking water, a study by an environment watchdog showed on March 5, 2013. Indian cities produce nearly40,000 million litres of sewage every day and barely 20 percent of it is treated, according to "Excreta Does Matter",a new report released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)."The untreated waste dumped into rivers seeps into groundwater, thereby creating a ticking health bomb in India,"concludes the report. Weak or non-existent enforcement of environmental laws, rapid urban development and a lackof awareness about the dangers of sewage are all blamed for water pollution.A 2011 survey by the Central Pollution Control Board revealed only 160 out of nearly 8,000 towns had both

sewerage systems and a sewage treatment plant.Scientists who worked on the CSE report found that thousands of small factories were dumping untreated sewageinto rivers and toxic waste was being mixed with fresh water.Laboratory tests by the team revealed that almost the entire country has nitrate levels higher than the prescribedlevels - a result of sewage leaching into groundwater supplies.

Warming Arctic turning greener, finds study


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Scientists have rung another warning bell about changes in the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic, saying that

vegetation found in areas several degrees to the south of the region 30 years ago was now showing up in parts of

theArcticdue to global warming linked temperature rise.

A NASA-funded international study published in Nature Climate Changeon 10 March 2013, used a new 30-year

satellite data set and temperature records to study the effect of temperature rise on vegetation in the Arctic and

regions just below it.

The researchers found a 10% increase in Arctic plant growth since the early 1980s. This increase was seen in more

than one-third of the vegetated lands. During the same period, the mean temperature of land in the region,

excluding ice sheets, rose by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.

The findings were reported by an international team of 21 authors from seven countries, who used latitude as a

yardstick to study seasonality changes. The study also found that temperature seasonality the temperature

difference between summer and winter was reducing in many Arctic regions because the colder seasons were

warming more rapidly than the summers.

The Arctic region is witnessing some of the most dramatic fallouts of climate change. Changes in vegetation andseasons may hit availability of food and alter the life pattern of many animals like the polar bear. These could also

hit migratory birds.

World's largest biogas plant inaugurated in Finland

The world's largest biogas plant was inaugurated on Finland's western coast on 11 March 2013 as the country seeksto limit its use of foreign coal. Built near an existing coal-fired power plant in Vaasa, central Finland, the 140megawatt biomass gasification factory is expected to cut coal use by up to 40 percent. The plant is expected toreduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 230,000 tons a year.

Global wildlife conference concludes

The 12-day global wildlife conference, which brought together 178 member nations of the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), concluded in Bangkok on 15 March 2013, after granting betterprotection to hundreds of threatened animal and plant species.However, eight nations accused of failing to do enough to tackle the illegal trade in elephant ivory escapedsanctions. The conference identified Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as well as transit countries Malaysia, thePhilippines and Vietnam, and top markets China and Thailand as making insufficient efforts to curb the trade.However, the countries avoided punishment after six of them submitted draft action plans in response and China andTanzania committed to do so by a specific date.Under the convention, member states can halt trading with offender countries in the 35,000 species covered by theconvention.CITES General Secretary John Scanlon said such measures were a last resort and should only be imposed where

theres a clear failure to comply and no intention to comply.

Endangered sharks to be protected under international law: Earlier on 11 March 2013, the conference agreed to ban

international trade in the oceanic whitetip, the porbeagle and three types of hammerhead sharks unless shipments are

accompanied by documentation showing they were caught legally. Around 7 percent of sharks are killed each year,an unsustainable amount that is threatening certain populations with extinction.

Governments will have 18 months to comply with the restrictions, agreed by a two-thirds majority of the countries atthe CITES conference in Bangkok. If countries are found to be non-compliant, they may be subject to sanctions thatcan cover trade in all CITES-listed species.Japan and China, major consumers of shark products, opposed the listing, citing difficulties in identifying thespecific species' fins. They also said regional fisheries management bodies should manage marine issues, rather thanCITES, but most countries, including the original proponents in Latin America and the European Union, andenvironmental NGOs rejected that view.
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5th edition of the Earth Hour (box)

On March 23, millions across hundreds of cities across the globe will switch off all their non-essential lights to markEarth Hour. The fifth edition of the Earth Hour in India, hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), will beobserved in various educational institutions, public and private sector organisations between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.on March 23.

Amur leopard population in Russia up 50 percent: WWF

The population of the Amur leopard has grown by half since 2007 and the cats have expanded their habitat as far asNorth Korea, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said on March 19, 2013. But at an estimated 48 to 50animals in Russia, including four to five cubs, it remains critically endangered and the least populous of all leopardsubspecies, the fund said.The previous census in 2007 put the number of Amur leopards at between 27 and 34, which many experts said at thetime is not enough to ensure continued reproduction of the subspecies. But a conservation drive spearheaded by theWWF and supported by the Kremlin improved the situation.Moreover, the number of Amur tigers sharing the territory with the leopard has doubled to 23 animals since 2008,the WWF said.

Black carbon from South Asia melting Tibetan glaciersPollutants brought in by monsoon winds from South Asia and not industrial emissions from Chinaare behindthe melting of glaciers on the Tibetan plateau, a leading Chinese scientist claimed on March 26, 2013. Yao Tandong,director of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at the official Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), warned thatabout 90 per cent of the glaciers on the plateau known as the worlds third pole were shrinking.The process, he claimed, was being accelerated by black carbon being transferred from South Asia to the Tibetan

Plateau.An investigation by researchers at CAS, using topographic maps and satellite images, had revealed the ret reat of 82glaciers, area reduction by 7,090 glaciers and the mass-balance change of 15 glaciers.Mr. Yao said there were systematic differences in the status of glaciers according to their location, with the most

pronounced retreat observed in the southeastern Himalayan region.The Chinese scientist said there were two prevailing views in the past: firstly, that pollution was not a factor; and

secondly, that most pollutants came from the east, from China.But the latest investigations, he claimed, now show that black carbon generated from industrial production in

South Asia is being taken to the Tibetan Plateau by the Indian monsoon in spring and summer.

Sundarbans tidal project axed

The West Bengal government, on 6 April 2013, decided to drop a plan to set up a tidal wave project in the creeks ofthe Sundarban Delta. The project would have been the first of its kind in the country.The project, to be set up in the Durga Duani Creeks of the Sundarban estuary, was conceived in 1997 by the WestBengal Renewable Energy Development Agency. After a pre-feasibility study, followed by a detailed project reportby a city-based engineering consultancy firm, it was decided to proceed with the project, which would have a 3.75MW capacity. It was to be a pilot project to study test and assess the potential of tidal energy in the country.

Study shows serious threat to coral reef colonies, mangrove forests in Palk BayA recent study taken up by a team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Chennai, on 7 April2013, brought to light the serious threat of extinction the coral reef colonies and mangrove forests in the Palk Bayare facing. At present, only two per cent of the coral reefs survive in the area. Global warming, siltation, release ofuntreated raw sewage into the water bodies and overgrowth of algae were stated to be the three important reasons forthe possible disappearance of coral colonies and its associated organisms from the Palk Bay area.The study showed that release of untreated raw sewage from the nearby areas into the water bodies, whichultimately drained into the sea, led to diseases in coral colonies, due to which they died. The mix of sewage waterinto the sea water had a cascading effect, resulting in coral colonies being covered with an increased growth ofalgae. This also led to the disappearance of corals.


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At present, a small colony of bolder corals, a resilient species, is only found in the Palk Bay region.

Science Express Biodiversity Special Train flagged off

With a view to create awareness amongst masses in general and youth in particular about the exceptional

biodiversity of India, Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS) Train was flagged off from Safdarjung RailwayStation in New Delhi on April 9, 2013.

It has been a collaborative initiative of the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) & Department of Science &

Technology (DST), Government of India, the Indian Railways, the Vikram Sarabhai Community Science Centre, and

the Centre for Environment Education.

Under the second phase of programme, the SEBS will cover 62 stations over next 6 months. Of the 16 coaches

ofScience Express- Biodiversity Special, 8 are solely dedicated to showcasing the myriad biodiversity spread across

all the bio-geographical zones of India through a variety of interactive exhibits, short films & videos that are shown

on Plasma & LED TV screens, large format displays, kiosks, backlit panels, and so on. The rest of coaches have

interesting & informative exhibits on Climate Change, Energy and Water conservation and topical issues in science.

The popularJoy of Science Lab is mounted in an exclusive coach in which students are guided to perform various

experiments & activities to understand concepts of various themes projected in the train. In addition, on therailway platform where the train is halted, young visitors are encouraged to play several exciting games as well as

participate in quizzes, painting competitions, elocutions, just-a-minute, etc. The window panes of the entire train

have also been judiciously used to put up posters on the numerous species of flora & fauna found in India which

keep the visitors engaged while waiting for their turn.

In its first leg of Journey, the train will leave for Pragati Maidan Railway Station where it will be stationed during

10-13 April. Thereafter the train will halt at 60 more locations across India before returning to its base station-

Gandhinagar Capital- on 28 October 2013.

About SEBS

The Science Express Biodiversity Special (SEBS), a mobile biodiversity exhibition train is a Mission to create massive

awareness on Indias rich biodiversity. SEBS was showcased as Indias brand ambassador during recently concludedCBD Conference of Parties (CoP). The Science Express: Biodiversity Special- is a unique, state-of-the-art

exhibition train that brings biodiversity awareness to a cross section of people, particularly children and youths, as

it travels across the country. Rich bio-cultural diversity of the country in different coaches is organized, bio-

geographic zone wise, and includes wild, domesticated, marine, microbial life forms, biodiversity and livelihoods,

impact of climate change, and highlights the challenges for the conservation. It also shares the policies, law and

program/initiatives of partners, aimed at conservation of countries rich bio-cultural heritage. The train which

previously carried science exhibition has been redesigned into a state of the art biodiversity exhibition, using the

expertise of a number of partner institutes of the country.

During its first phase, which ended on 22 December 2012 at Ahmedabad, it made halts of 3-4 days duration each

at 51 locations and over 23 lakh people, including 6 lakh students and 32000 teachers from 7000 schools enjoyed

learning in a fun filled way. The train was also stationed at Secunderabad during 9-19 October 2012 to facilitate

visit of delegates to Conference of Parties (CoP-11).

Antarctic summer ice melting ten times faster


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Summer ice in the Antarctic is melting 10 times quicker than it was 600 years ago, with the most rapid meltoccurring in the last 50 years, a joint Australian-British study showed on April 15, 2013. A research team from theAustralian National University and the British Antarctic Survey drilled a 364-metre long ice core from James RossIsland in the continents north to measure past temperatures. Visible layers in the ice core indicated periods when

summer snow on the ice cap thawed and then refroze.By measuring the thickness of these melt layers, the scientists were able to examine how the history of meltingcompared with changes in temperature at the ice core site over the last 1,000 years.We found that the coolest conditions on the Antarctic Peninsula and the lowest amount of summer melt occurred

around 600 years ago, said lead author Nerilie Abram of the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences. At thattime, temperatures were around 1.6 Celsius lower than those recorded in the late 20th century and the amount ofannual snowfall that melted and refroze was about 0.5 per cent. Today, we see almost 10 times as much of theannual snowfall melting each year.Whilst temperatures at this site increased gradually in phases over many hundreds of years, most of the

intensification of melting has happened since the mid-20th century, she added.The research is only the second reconstruction of past ice melt on the Antarctic continent.

SC green light for shifting of Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh

The Supreme Court, on 15 April 2013, directed concerned organizations to shift Asiatic lions from Gujarat toMadhya Pradesh. Asiatic lions will now have a second home in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno wildlife sanctuary as theapex court permitted their relocation in limited numbers from Gujarat's Gir forest. The Supreme CourtrejectedNarendra Modigovernment's refusal to allow translocation of lions. The state had said these animals werepride of Gujarat. The court said Asiatic lions were extremely endangered and all efforts against extinction should betried, including translocation in limited numbers.The court has also constituted a large expert body to decide the number of lions to be relocated and closely monitortheir translocation in Madhya Pradesh. A bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and CK Prasad has given six monthstime to the wildlife authorities concerned for trans-locating the lions.Currently, there are around 400 Asiatic lions in Gujarat's Gir sanctuary.The bench, however, said the introduction of African cheetahs in India from Namibia cannot be allowed, sayingpreservation of critically endangered native species, like the wild buffalo and the Great Indian Bustard, should begiven primacy.Under its Rs 300 crore Cheetah Reintroduction Programme, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) hadproposed the introduction of the African Cheetahs in the country. The apex court, however, in May last year had

stayed the implementation of the project.Madhya Pradeshhad last year sought translocation of lions to Kuno Palpur sanctuary, claiming it has all thewherewithal to ensure harmonious environment to the threatened species. Gujarat had opposed the plea of MadhyaPradesh, saying lions would not be safe there as the central state had failed to preserve its own tiger population inthe Panna reserve forest.As per the government data, 46 lions each died in 2011 and 2012. Out of the total 92 lions dying in the past twoyears, 43 were cubs, 29 female and 20 male felines.

Panel for ban on mining in 37% of Western Ghats

Identifying 37 per centor about 60,000 square kmof the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive, a high-levelpanel on 17 April 2013 recommended that destructive activities such as mining, thermal power, major

construction, and some hydel power projects should not be allowed there.

However, the panel was silent about any restrictions in the remaining 96,000 square km area, thus creating theperception that it had diluted earlier recommendations that the entire Ghats should be declared as an eco-sensitivearea.The panel, headed by space scientist and Planning Commission member K. Kasturirangan, which submitted itsreport to Environment Minister, was initially set up to review the more stringent recommendations of the WesternGhats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) headed by ecologist Madhav Gadgil.The Gadgil report had wanted the entire area of the Ghats to be graded into three levels of eco-sensitive zones, eachof which would have different restrictions. It had faced uproar from State governments and industries which werealarmed by the curbs on development in almost 70 per cent of the biodiverse range of mountains spanning six States.
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The new high-level panel has taken a different approach. It has used satellite data to produce a far more detaileddatabase, with a resolution of 24 square metres as opposed to the 9 square km used by the Gadgil report. It then usedremote sensing technology to distinguish between natural landscapes and cultural landscapes which include

human settlements, fields and plantations.It recommends a prohibitory regime on those activities with maximum interventionist and destructive impact on the

environment on about 90 per cent of the area of natural landscapes. The four major restrictions in this area would

be a total ban on fresh mining and a five-year phase-out of current mining, a ban on thermal power, all redcategory industries, all townships and any construction above 20,000 square metres. Hydel power projects will beallowed subject to certain conditions, in stark contrast to the Gadgil recommendations, and a small window of hopehas been provided for the future of the controversial Athirapally hydel power project in Kerala. Also, the land-usechange restrictions recommended by the WGEEP have been discarded.

Arctic Ocean's acidification sparks alarm

Scientists expressed alarm over the rapid acidification of the Arctic Ocean caused by carbon dioxide emissions,which could have dire consequences on the region's fragile ecosystem. Acidity levels in the planet's oceans haverisen by 30 percent since the start of the industrial era, and are now at their highest levels in at least 55 million years.The Arctic Ocean is more vulnerable than other oceans because its cold waters absorb more carbon dioxide. It isalso fed by fresh water from rivers and melting ice, which makes it less able chemically to neutralise theacidification effects of carbon dioxide.Furthermore, the increase in melting ice exposes greater expanses of water, which leads to greater absorption.In the Iceland and Barents seas, pH levels have decreased by around 0.02 per decade since the end of the 1960s.Even if carbon dioxide emissions were to be brought to a halt today, it would take tens of thousands of years for theoceans to return to the acidity levels they had before the industrial era began two centuries ago, according toNorwegian researcher Richard Bellerby, the main author of a scientific study on the subject.Nepal to work with neighbours to conserve Himalayan ecology

Nepal will work closely with its neighbours, India, China and Bhutan, to conserve the unique ecology of theHimalayan region, an intergovernmental body looking after conservation efforts in the region said on May 6, 2013.Cooperation across borders to manage the landscape will help preserve the Himalayan regions biological diversity

and cultural heritage, while enhancing opportunities of livelihood for the local communities, said a statement fromthe International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional membercountries, which are covered by the Hindu Kush and Himalayan range. Its members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh,

Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.This initiative is a pioneer programme, supported by UK and Germany.

Greenhouse gas level highest in 2 million years

Worldwide levels of the greenhouse gasthat plays the biggest role in global warminghave reached their highestlevel in almost 2 million years, an amount never before encountered by humans, US scientists said on May 10, 2013.Carbon dioxide was measured at 400 parts per million at the oldest monitoring station in Hawaii, which sets theglobal benchmark.The number 400 has been anticipated by climate scientists and environmental activists for years as a notableindicator, in part because it's a round number.The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal for electricity and oil for gasoline, has caused the overwhelming bulk of theman-made increase in carbon in the air, scientists say.

At the end of the Ice Age, it took 7,000 years for carbon dioxide levels to rise by 80 parts per million. Because of theburning of fossil fuels, carbon dioxide levels have gone up by the same amount in just 55 years.The last time the worldwide carbon level was probably this high was about 2 million years ago. That was during thePleistocene Era.Other scientists say it may have been 10 million years since Earth last encountered this level of carbon dioxide.When measurements were first taken in 1958, carbon dioxide was measured at 315 parts per million. Levels are nowgrowing about 2 parts per million per year. That's 100 times faster than at the end of the Ice Age.Before the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels were around 280 ppm, and they were closer to 200 duringthe Ice Age.
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Carbon dioxide traps heat just like in a greenhouse and most of it stays in the air for about a century. Some lasts forthousands of years, scientists say.

North Pole shifts due to global warming

The North Pole has shifted east because of ice sheet loss caused by rising temperatures, a new study found on May

15, 2013. The pole drifted southeast toward northern Labrador,Canada, at a rate of about 6 centimeters per yearbetween 1982 and 2005. But since 2005, the direction and speed of the pole'sjourneychanged. It started movingrapidly east towardsGreenlandat a rate of more than 21 centimeters per year.There has been huge ice sheet loss in the polar regions due toglobal warming.The study was carried out by scientists from the University of Texas, Austin, using data collected by NASA'sGravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).Earth's two geographic poles do not have a fixed location. As the distribution of snow, rain and humidity changesevery year, the poles too wobble around, usually in a circular manner. Besides this seasonal drift, there is a longrange movement which scientists believe is driven by continental drift - the movement of land plates relative to eachother.GRACE's twin probes measure changes in the Earth's gravity field, which can be used to track shifts in thedistribution of water and ice. The researchers led by Jianli Chen, a geophysicist, used GRACE data to model howmelting icecaps affect Earth's mass distribution. They found that more than 90% of the post-2005 polar shift wasbecause of increasing ice loss and sea-level rise.

The explanation for this is that when mass is lost in one part of a spinning sphere, its spin axis will tilt directlytoward the position of the loss. This is exactly what was observed in the case of the North Pole.These findings have opened the way to estimate long term ice loss by studying polar drift.

World's most distinct mammals and amphibians mappedScientists, on 16 May 2013, developed the first map of the world's most unique and most endangered mammals andamphibians.Themaphighlights the fact that only a fraction of the areas identified as critical for the conservation of these speciesare protected.

Among the species highlighted by the map are the Mexican salamander, the Sunda pangolin and the black and whiteruffed Lemur.The Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) project has been developed by the Zoological Societyof London (ZSL) to highlight species that are both distinctive and under severe threat.The map highlights the regions of the world where the highest concentrations of these species occur and whichshould be priorities for conservation efforts.As well as highlighting the fact that the priority areas for mammals and amphibians are different, the map alsounderlines how little of the areas that are identified as priorities for these distinct creatures are protected. Only 5% ofthe regions that are priorities for mammals are conserved, and just 15% for amphibians.Other obscure creatures making it onto the map include Madagascar's black and white ruffed lemur, which isthreatened by loss of its forest habitat due to logging and mining.Amphibians are suffering a "terrifying" rate of extinction say the researchers, making them the most threatenedvertebrates in the world. The Mexican salamander or axolotl is being threatened by expanding cities, pollution andinvasive fish species which eat their young.

Most of Earth to face water shortage in two generations

The majority of the nine billion people on Earth will live with severe pressure on fresh water within the space of twogenerations as climate change, pollution and over-use of resources take their toll, 500 scientists warned on May 25,2013. They called on governments to start conserving the vital resource. They said it was wrong to see fresh wateras an endlessly renewable resource because, in many cases, people are pumping out water from underground sourcesat such a rate that it will not be restored within several lifetimes.
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A majority of the population about 4.5 billion people globally already live within 50 km of an impairedwater resourceone that is running dry, or polluted. If these trends continue, millions more will see the water onwhich they depend running out or so filthy that it no longer supports life.The threats are numerous. Climate change is likely to cause an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts,floods, heat waves and storms. The run-off from agricultural fertilisers containing nitrogen has already created morethan 200 large dead zones in seas, near to river mouths, where fish can no longer live. Cheap technology to pump

water from underground and rivers, and few restrictions on its use, has led to the overuse of scarce resources forirrigation or industrial purposes, with much of the water wasted because of poor techniques. And a rapidly risingpopulation has increased demand beyond the capability of some water resources.In some areas, so much water has been pumped out from underground that salt water has rushed in to fill the gap,forcing farmers to move to other areas because the salination makes their former water sources unusable.But the scientists warned that the developed world would also suffer. For instance, there are now 210 millioncitizens of the U.S. living within 10 miles of an impaired water source, and that number is likely to rise as the

effects of global warming take hold. In Europe, some water sources are running dry because of over-extraction forirrigation, much of which is carried on in an unsustainable fashion.

Rapid retreat of glaciers changing the landscape around Everest

Global warming is melting snow and ice on the worlds highest mountain at an accelerating rate, researchersclaimed on May 24, 2013. A study by a team found that glaciers on or around Mount Everest have shrunk by 13 percent in the last 50 years with the snow line 180 metres higher than it was 50 years ago. The glaciers are disappearingfaster every year, it says.The researchers say they suspect that the decline of snow and ice in the Everest region is a result of changes inglobal climate caused by human-generated greenhouse gases. However, they have not yet established a firmconnection.The landscape around Mount Everest has changed dramatically since the worlds highest mountain was first

climbed. Mountaineers now report more rock and less snow and ice on well known routes. The ends of glaciersaround the peak have also retreated by an average of 400 meters since 1962, the new research found, and somesmaller glaciers were now nearly half the size they were in the 1960s.The researchers used satellite imagery of the peak and the 713-square-mile Sagarmatha national park around themountain as well as long-term meteorological data.Small glaciers of less than a square kilometre (about 247 acres) are vanishing fastest, registering a 43 per centdecline in surface area since the 1960s.

World Environment Day: Think. Eat. Save- Reduce Our Foodprint(box)

The theme for this years World Environment Day isThink. Eat. Save- Reduce our Foodprint. The campaign calls

for minimizing waste of food at all stages of the food chain, from farm to fork. This is to raise awareness about the

environmental consequences of our food choices and find ways to reduce our environmental foodprint, as food

production has profound impact on environmental resources. Agriculture is responsible for 70% of fresh water

consumption, 80% of deforestation, and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the cause of land-use change,

biodiversity loss, and responsible for large-scale soil, water and air pollution. The campaign is also to remind each

one of us that despite producing enough food for everyone, 90 crore people still go hungry world over.

This mission cannot be achieved when we lose almost one-third (about 1.3 billion tonnes) of all the food produced

globally. It is ironical that developed nations waste food more than the less developed countries. In India we lose

approximately 40 per cent of perishable and non-perishable food at different stages from production,transportation, storage, retail to consumption. Millions of tonnes of food grain, in the absence of adequate storage

infrastructure, rots every year. This is wastage of our dwindling natural resources and detrimental to the

environment.

The World Environment Day is an opportunity to raise large-scale awareness among the producers, transporters,

manufacturers & retailers, regulators, hospitality industry and affluent consumers on the negative aspects of

wastage of food and how thoughtful actions can help minimize food loss.


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Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister for Environment & Forests presided over the function to celebrate World

Environment Day organized by the Ministry of Environment & Forests in New Delhi. Highlighting the importance of

this years themeThink. Eat. Save- Reduce our Foodprint, she said that there is an urgent need to become more

aware of environmental impact on the food choices we make. If food is wasted, it means all resources and inputs

used in the production of all those foods are also lost, she added.

Sunderbans is home to 103 tigers

Exceeding the estimates of the 2011 census, West Bengals Forest Department on 8 June 2013 announced that theminimum identified tiger count in the unique natural habitat stands at 103. The study, conducted by setting upcamera trap stations in the four ranges of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR) and the adjoining South 24 Parganasdistricts, is based on over 800 photographs of the animals in the wild.Of the 3,500 sq km of the Indian side of Sundarbans, about 40-45 per cent is water. This leaves about 2,000 sq kmfor the tigers. The density of tiger population varied for a tiger from 14 sq km to 18 sq km in a mainland forest. Thestudy indicated Sundarbans was a healthy habitat despite shortage of the prey base for the animal.The figures point out that there are 22 tigers in South 24 Parganas forest and 81 in the STR. Of the 81, there are 27tigers in the National Park (West) zone of the STR, 22 in the National Park (East) zone, while 19 tigers werespotted in the Sajnekhali and 13 in the Basirhat ranges respectively.The study was conducted in collaboration with WWF and Wildlife Institute of India.

World Bank Report: Turn Down the Heat

The warming of the Earth due to climate change could hit the world's poorest people the hardest, the World Bank

warned in a report on 19 June 2013, urging rich industrialized countries to cut their emissions. Turn Down the Heat

builds on a report released last year, which warned that the world faced temperature increases of 4 degrees Celsius

above pre-industrial levels by the end of century if no preventative action is taken.

"This second scientific analysis gives us a more detailed look at how the negative impacts of climate change already

in motion could create devastating conditions especially for those least able to adapt," said World Bank president

Jim Yong Kim. "The poorest could increasingly be hit the hardest."

"In many cases, multiple threats of increasing extreme heat waves, sea-level rise, more severe storms, droughts and

floods will have severe negative implications for the poorest and most vulnerable," he said.

Rising sea levels mean that Bangkok could be flooded by the 2030s and droughts and heat mean that 40 per cent of

the land now used for growing maize in Sub-Saharan Africa will no longer be able to support the crop, the report

warned.

A potential change in the regularity of the monsoon season in South Asia could also cause a crisis, it said, warning

that the floods which hit Pakistan in 2010 affecting 20 million people could become common.

Places where large numbers of people were crammed into informal settlements - such as in Metor Manila in the

Philippines and Kolkata in India - would also be more exposed and ill-equipped to deal with floods and storms, the

report said.

Highest ever pollution levels in Singapore

On 21 June 2013, air pollution in Singapore hit the highest level on record. High officials put the blame on wildfirespresently raging in neighboring Sumatra. Measurements say that, on June 21, the index for air pollution in Singapore

was one of 401. On June 19, it was one of 321, and on June 20, it was one of 371.The areas burning in Sumatra are forests, oil and timber plantations, and peatlands. Some of the fires were triggeredby people who merely wanted to clear the land for crops.Apparently, such wildfires occur every year during the dry season. However, this year's haze is the worst thatSingapore has ever suffered.Malaysia has also been affected by the smog, and is asking that measures to control the fires and curbing the airpollution they cause be implemented as soon as possible.Scientists discover 133 new species of fauna in India


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Scientists, on 23 June 2013, discovered 133 new species of fauna in India and among the most significant is a birdyet to be namedfound in the Great Nicobar Island. Scientists also discovered new species of spiders, reptiles,insects and fish in various parts of the country. The list has been compiled by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)in a book Animal Discoveries2012.Releasing the book, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said India has only about two percent of the worldsland surface, but is known to have over 7.52 percent of the total animal species in the world.It is estimated that about twice the present number of species still remain to be discovered in India alone. Indiaaccounts for over 92,000 animal species. Apart from these, scientists have also found 109 species of animalsrecorded for the first time in India.Scientists have also reported 42 species of hard and soft corals from the Andaman and Nicobar chain o f islands.

Obama unveils broad climate plan

U.S. President Obama, on 26 June 2013, unveiled a comprehensive blueprint to combat rising seas and morefrequent severe weather caused by climate change, including a long-awaited promise to regulate carbon dioxide as apollutant at power plants.The 21-page plan would expand production of solar and wind energy and includes billions of dollars in loanguarantees to develop cleaner fossil-fuel and other energy technologies. It also funds new efforts to armourcommunities against flooding, wildfires, and drought, and puts more emphasis on working with countries such asIndia and China to jointly lower emissions of gases that warm the atmosphere.He also said the controversial Keystone pipeline that would bring oil extracted from Canadas tar sands to GulfCoast refineries should not be built if the overall result is more greenhouse gases.

The administration pledged four years ago to reduce carbon emissions 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020, andabout 80 per cent lower by 2050, and Mr. Obama said his plan would help the nation reach those goals.

Waiting on climate deal will set path to 5C warming

The world cannot afford to wait for a new global climate change agreement to come into force in 2020, becausedoing so will mean an end to hopes of limiting global warming to moderate levels, one of the worlds foremostauthorities on energy warned on June 10, 2013.Carbon dioxide emissions from energy rose by 1.4 per cent in 2012 to a record high of more than 31 billion tonnes,according to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), driven in part by a striking six per cent rise

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