India Science Wire

India Science Wire
Hydroponics may provide better agriculture solutions
Hydroponics offers opportunities to young farmers for startup business for the production of nutrient-rich spices, herbal and high value crops which has huge demand in the urban market. Posted on 26 Dec, 2019 07:45 PM

New Delhi, December 20 (India Science Wire): With rise in the population size the demand for food is also increasing and expected to increase up to 59 percent to 98 percent by 2050. Looking at this emerging demand hydroponics may be seen as a better technique of agriculture.

Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants without soil. Image source: India Science Wire
Scientists intervene to save dry toilets
Dry toilets have long been hailed as a sustainable solution to the sanitation and waste management crisis facing India today, but have been overshadowed by more modern toilet designs. Posted on 11 Dec, 2019 11:16 AM

New Delhi, December 10 (India Science Wire): Even as efforts are underway to replace dry latrines with modern septic toilets, a group of scientists at Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) have worked to save one type of traditional dry toilet. 

A traditional dry toilet. Image: India Science Wire
Climate vulnerability map of India coming soon
DST and SDC working together to develop pan-India climate vulnerability assessment map, to help communities and states better prepare for climate change. Posted on 28 Sep, 2019 04:27 PM

New Delhi, September 27 (India Science Wire): Rising sea levels, increasing number of extreme weather events, urban floods, changing temperature and rainfall patterns - such impacts of climate change are being felt in many parts of India, and not just in the coastal areas or hilly regions. 

Dr. Akhilesh Gupta , head of the climate change programme at DST. Image source: India Science Wire
Rising sea temperatures pose a threat to coral reefs
Study analysing data of sea surface temperatures since 1982 finds that three mass bleaching events impacted five major Indian coral reefs. Posted on 25 Sep, 2019 07:21 PM

Bengaluru, September 24 (India Science Wire): The Indian coastline is home to an ancient and diverse coral reef system that provides natural habitat for diverse marine underwater ecosystem.

Image used for representational purposes only. Image source: Wikimedia Commons
How bio-restoration is helping revive degraded mangroves in Sunderbans
A new technology developed by Indian scientists is helping in revival of mangroves degraded due to rising sea levels, climate change and human intrusion in the Sunderbans in West Bengal. Posted on 17 Sep, 2019 06:06 PM

New Delhi, September 17 (India Science Wire): A new technology developed by Indian scientists for ecological restoration is helping in revival of mangroves degraded due to rising sea levels, climate change and human intrusion in the Sunderbans in West Bengal. 

A restored site of degraded mangroves. Image credit: India Science Wire
Aerosols increase drought severity over the Indian subcontinent
Study finds aerosols - suspended fine solid or liquid matter in the atmosphere - are adding to El Nino, which already deters the Indian monsoon. Posted on 10 Sep, 2019 12:24 PM

Pune, September 05 (India Science Wire): A team of atmospheric scientists from India, USA and Canada have found that aerosols in the atmosphere can increase the severity of droughts over the Indian subcontinent by as much as 17 per cent during El Nino years.

Mist and clouds are atmospheric aerosols. Image used for representational purposes only. Image from India Water Portal Flickr photostream
Experts say cold desert regions need special attention
Desertification at high altitudes increasing due to melting of glaciers, causing concern and a push to devise preventive adapation strategies. Posted on 06 Sep, 2019 10:38 AM

Greater Noida, September 5 (India Science Wire): Degradation of land, which leads to the process of desertification, is not limited to arid and semi-arid areas but is also visible in high altitude regions that get very little rainfall and are known as cold deserts.

A view of cold desert in Ladakh (Photo: Annu Anand)
Adequate water most important for plant diversity
Study shows how rainfall and temperature affect variety of plants in major bio-geographic zones of India Posted on 09 Jul, 2019 03:58 PM

New Delhi, July 9 (India Science Wire): India has a total geographical area of nearly 329 million hectares. The climate varies from the north to the south and east to west. However, in spite of this diversity, little is known about how climate affects the diversity of plants that grow in a particular area.

Image used for representational purposes only. Image source: India Water Portal on Flickr
How can forecasting of extreme rainfall events be improved?
Greater precision in forecast of extreme events is critical. Posted on 05 Jul, 2019 12:00 AM

Mumbai, July 5 (India Science Wire): On July 2, the Maharashtra government decided to close private and public schools in Mumbai based on IMD’s rainfall forecast which predicted "intermittent rain in city and suburbs, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places for the next 24 hours." The 24-hour period from 8:30 am of July 1 to July 2 saw a total of 375 mm of rain and it

Villages under water which gushed in as Cyclone Aila struck south 24 Parganas. Image credit: Anil Gulati from IWP Flickr. Image used for representational purposes only.
Urbanization, changing cropping patterns contributing to temperature rise
Study shows land use changes responsible for higher temperatures Posted on 03 Jul, 2019 02:51 PM

New Delhi, July 3 (India Science Wire): Warming induced by changes in land use and land cover is contributing to rise in temperature in Eastern India, according to a new study. 

Image credit: Sourabh Phadke from India Water Portal on Flickr
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