Biodiversity

Featured Articles
December 4, 2022 What is the status of inland fisheries in India? Read these situational analysis reports to know about inland fisheries, the life of the fisherfolk, governance and tenure in inland fisheries and threats to the sustainability of inland fisheries.
Fishing in an irrigation canal in Kerala (Image Source: Martin Pilkinton via Wikimedia Commons)
August 2, 2022 The frequency and intensity of floods is on the rise in Assam spelling doom for fish biodiversity.
Life during floods in Assam (Image Source: Kausika Bordoloi via Wikimedia Commons)
June 27, 2022 Heavy metal pollution is poisoning the East Kolkata wetlands, affecting fish and posing a threat to the health of humans who depend on this fish for their food. Urgent action is needed!
Fishermen use wastewater in Kolkata to rear fish (Image Source: India Water Portal)
June 15, 2022 The River Front Development project planned by the PMC is nothing but a cosmetic makeover for the already choked Mula Mutha river in Pune, argues Dr Gurudas Nulkar while speaking to the India Water Portal.
The highly polluted and encroached Mula Mutha river in Pune (Image: Alexey Komarov via Wikimedia Commons)
June 4, 2022 Freshwater ecosystems in India are in peril. We invite comments on this vision document by TNC-India, FES and Ooloi labs that highlights future actions needed to save them.
Freshwater ecosystems, in peril! (Image Source: The Nature Conservancy, India)
May 10, 2022 Freshwater ecosystems are not mere sources of water, they are treasure troves of biodiversity. Know more about the fascinating and diverse animal species that inhabit freshwater habitats in India.
Freshwater ecosystems, treasure troves of biodiversity (Image Source: India Water Portal)
The Supreme Court and its directions on Interlinking of Rivers (ILR): India and her people will be greatly benefited by its implementation
The Supreme Court has recently given direction to Government of India to implement Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) within a time frame as it brings many benefits to our people. Many feel that ILR has some inherent problems including reluctance of the States. But Supreme Court wants the net working of rivers (NWR). This article by J Prabudoss looks into the issue. Posted on 03 May, 2012 07:03 PM

Author : J. Prabudoss

Viability of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in India: Study of Chanju CDM project in Chamba district,Himachal Pradesh
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is introduced by US government as flexibility mechanisms under Kyoto Protocol and allows developed countries to meet their emission reduction commitments by promoting clean development in developing countries. As a policy mandate, it aims to design project-based mechanisms to reduce emissions. These reductions are produced and then subtracted against a hypothetical baseline of emissions which are predicted to occur in the absence of a particular CDM project. India as a signatory of this protocol have been registered 2313 projects up to August 2010, out of these, 64 projects are of hydro power generation and Chanju power project of 36 MW is one of the CDM project in India. Dr Mohinder Kumar Slariya in this article showcases the primary data research based view point, which he presented in the "International Scientific Conference" at Hohenheim University, Germany. Posted on 03 May, 2012 06:30 PM

The present paper is an attempt of the researcher to make a comparative analysis between the expected benefits received by the executing agency under CDM and the actual benefits people are expected to receive from Chanju-I Hydro Electric Project.

The original Jungle Book: A visit to Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh
A recent trip to Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh in search of the elusive wild tiger was an eye opening experience. Note to fellow travellers and wildlife enthusiasts: never go to a national park or game sanctuary hoping to see wild animals (especially big cats) on a long weekend. Other than that though, Kanha itself is a spectacular forest with a teeming ecosystem - deer, samba, chital, bison, peacocks, jackals, wild dogs, civets and birds. The forest itself is surprisingly well maintained, a far cry from some of the forest reserves in South India. Posted on 28 Apr, 2012 12:37 AM


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Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Draft National Water Policy 2012 and mainstreaming climate change adaptation
Now-a-days, climate change or global warming is one of the growing concerns in the natural resource management. According to the United Nation 2008 report ‘Humanitarian implications of climate change - Mapping emerging trends and risk hotspots’, India is one of the largest and most important regions of high overall human vulnerability. Climate change phenomenon is closely related to changes in monsoon behaviour and temperature. Variability in rainfall and temperature has a definite impact on water availability, groundwater recharge, agriculture and livestock production, livelihoods and health. Eshwar Kale of WoTR, Pune writes about the issue. Posted on 27 Apr, 2012 01:58 PM

Climate change issue is being loudly debated on international level to reduce emission of various gases, and each nation’s responsibility to control the emission.

Sikkim’s organic farming to feature in Satyamev Jayate, Aamir Khan’s first television project on DD1
Aamir Khan’s first television project Satyamev Jayate will have one full episode on organic farming in Sikkim. Sikkim is on its way to become totally organic and out of the cultivable land of 58,168 hectares, about 8,168 hectares had already been certified as organic by accredited institutions. Posted on 27 Apr, 2012 11:36 AM

Article and Image Courtesy : iSikkim

Citizens voice alarm over recent Supreme Court judgement on interlinking of rivers
Prominent experts, concerned citizens and neighboring countries have raised concerns over the recent Supreme Court judgement. Posted on 25 Apr, 2012 10:39 AM

The Supreme Court of India has in its judgment of 27 February 2012 on the interlinking of rivers project, given categorical directions to the Executive Government to implement the ‘project’ as a whole in a time bound manner and has also asked the Centre to appoint a Special Committee to work out the modalities and oversee the implementation of the project.

Exploring the spatial associations between census based socioeconomic conditions and remotely sensed environmental metrics in Assam, North East India – A study by Gary R Watmough
Gary R Watmough’s PhD explored the spatial associations between socioeconomic variables like female literacy and employment in the non-agricultural sector derived from a subset of the 2001 Indian National Census and environmental metrics. The study was based on freely available remotely sensed satellite sensor data - Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) in Assam. Posted on 23 Apr, 2012 01:50 PM

Past studies have found associations between land and poverty, however these studies are usually focused on small areas using ground based studies.

Critical review of the impacts, challenges, prospects and conflict management for vitally needed inter-linking of rivers in India
Hon’ble Supreme Court in its judgment of 27th February 2012, directed union and concerned states governments, to implement ambitious interlinking of the rivers project (ILR) in a time bound manner and also asked Union Government to appoint a high-powered committee for planning and implementation of the project. Social tensions, political instability and street fights are already being experienced in India, on account of fast deteriorating situation of availability of qualitative water in adequate quantity.
This article presents a critical review of basic objectives, controversies, social & ecological impacts besides concrete suggestions to overcome the blockades in Inter-basin Transfer of Water (IBTW), now commonly known as Inter-linking of Rivers (ILR).
Posted on 23 Apr, 2012 12:17 PM

Guest post by : Er. Radhey Shyam Goel

1. Introduction

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