Ecology and Environment

Featured Articles
December 16, 2022
Healthy soil critical to human health and for achieving SDGs
Soil research must focus both on technology development and implementation
The ability of soils to support soil functions or services is decreasing (Image: Katrin Park/International Food Policy Research Institute)
November 25, 2022
Categorising watersheds for freshwater ecosystem conservation in India
These maps at the watershed scales have been made to not only ensure inclusion of different freshwater ecosystems, their connectivity and hydrological processes, but can also provide a spatial context for conservation decisions.
A stream at Anini, Arunachal Pradesh (Image Source: Roshni Arora)
November 16, 2022
Improving community resilience in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in India
Adoption of hybrid solutions - grey and green structures appropriate for resilience building
Healthy wetland ecosystems help in reducing disaster risks and managing climate risks (Image: Pxhere)
October 30, 2022
Slow disaster: Political ecology of hazards and everyday life in the Brahmaputra valley, Assam
This book by Dr. Mitul Baruah presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole. This is an excerpt from the book.
Floods are recurrent phenomena in Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)
October 6, 2022
Deteriorating landscapes and threatened ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir
Rapid urbanisation and faulty land use policies are rapidly destroying forests, grasslands and wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir, India and the ecosystem value services they provide. Can these valuable ecosystems be saved?
Deteriorating ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir, India (Image Source: tkohli at Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)
July 14, 2022
Ichamati: River of poetry is dying a slow death
The river is faced with the dual problem of flood plain encroachment and growing levels of water pollution
Illegal transverse check dams (Badhals) built on Ichamati near a village in Basirhat (Image: Prithviraj Nath @ TheWaterChronicles)
Green gold on fire
The film Green Gold on Fire provides insights into the impacts of forest fire on communities and environment in Jammu and Kashmir.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 15 Dec, 2018 05:54 PM

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India where forest fires are reported almost every season. As per Indian state of forest report 2017, India saw a 46 percent increase in the number of forest fires in the last 16 years. Forest fires not only affect the flora and fauna of the region but they also pollute the environment and lead to climate change by increasing greenhouse gases.
Forest fire (Source: Abdul Rashid)
The Birdman of Chorao
The documentary, Birdman of Chorao tells the story of Uday Mandrekar’s selfless efforts in protecting the mangroves in Chorao.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 14 Dec, 2018 09:33 PM

Uday Mandrekar (40) is a popular boatman on the Chorao island of Goa. He is known for his formidable knowledge on birds in the area so much so that he is often referred to as the bird man of Chorao. He is a private boatman and a tourist guide who can take you deep into the mangroves and waterways of the island.
Uday Mandrekar (Source: Shashank Bhosale)
Dealing with droughts
There are many reasons why we see more droughts in India these days. Here is all the information that you need to know droughts better.
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 13 Dec, 2018 04:20 PM

Droughts are one of the most feared natural calamities in India impacting food production, the economy as well as the morale of millions of farmers in a cou
India will see more droughts in the future. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Saving Ganga: Just clean-up won’t do
River Ganga’s uninterrupted flow is as important as making the river pollution free if the Ganga rejuvenation drive has to show desired results.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 13 Dec, 2018 02:37 PM

Until a few decades ago, the Ganga flowed with gay abandon and descended with rapidity into the plains. Today the waters have withdrawn from its banks and downstream of the hydropower and irrigation projects that have hindered its flow, the Ganga is totally dry.
The Ganga at Haridwar in Uttarakhand. Downstream of this, the river flow has reduced due to increased abstraction. (Image courtesy: Manas Chakrabarty; Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA-4.0)
Only few nations working to fight climate change: COP24
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 11 Dec, 2018 02:38 PM

Most nations lack the political will to fight climate change: COP24
Man-made emissions is one of the reasons for extreme rainfall events in India. (Photo: IWP Flickr photos; photo for representation only)
NGT takes Karnataka to task over lake clean-up
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 11 Dec, 2018 02:01 PM

Put aside Rs 500 crore for lake clean-up: NGT to Karnataka government
Residential complexes around a lake in Bengaluru. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Human activities reduce catchments’ climate resilience
A study finds that only over a third of human-dominated catchments in India are resilient to climate warming.
Neha Jain
Posted on 10 Dec, 2018 01:04 PM

The impact of global warming on the hydrological cycle should be of paramount concern to all because global warming affects rainfall patterns in various ways like triggering more extreme rainfall events. Unpredictable changes in runoff make it difficult to plan infrastructure to manage water resources such as dams.
River Krishna at Wai, Maharashtra (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Mekedatu project: CWC okays, TN objects
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 04 Dec, 2018 03:09 PM

CWC allows preparation of DPR while TN objects to the Mekedatu project on the Cauvery river
Cauvery river at Hogenakal, Karnataka (Source: IWP Flickr Photos via Claire Arni and Oriole Henri)
Quotes from the Earth – An Environmental Film Festival
Toxics Link and India International Centre with support from The Swedish Society For Nature Conservation is organising the eighth edition of ‘Quotes from the Earth’ – an Environmental Film Festival.
Posted on 03 Dec, 2018 10:46 AM

About the event:
The tragic tale of Erai
The polluted Erai river needs to be restored before it completely dies and leaves the people dependent on it searching for drinking water.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 30 Nov, 2018 10:56 AM

The Erai river, the main tributary of the Wardha river, is the lifeline for the people of Chandrapur in Maharashtra. It primarily supplies water to the Chandrapur city and Chandrapur super thermal power station (CSTPS). Since 1984, after the initiation of operations of M/s CSTPS and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), the river has begun to get polluted and is now gasping for breath.
The Erai river (Source: India Water Portal)
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