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)
Managing natural resources at scale in Meghalaya
Improving livelihood opportunities by engaging communities
James T Kharkongor
Posted on 20 May, 2021 07:38 PM

Meghalaya, a small hilly state located in the North Eastern Region of India has an area of 22,429 sq. km., which is 0.68% of the country’s geographical area. The state is divided into three regions: Garo Hills, Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills.
Meghalaya's indigenous people historically have immense knowledge about their environment and natural resources. (Image: Meghalaya Basin Management Agency)
About time inland waterways feasibility is reassessed
Serious questions about the dependability of waterways
Shripad Dharmadhikary
Avli Verma
Manthan Adhyayan Kendra
Posted on 13 May, 2021 04:45 PM

In 2016, 106 rivers or river stretches were declared as national inland waterways, and the development of many of these new waterways along with the already existing ones was prioritized for large scale commercial navigation and shipping.

Dredging in progress on National Waterway-1 (Image: IWAI)
Green panel clears Central Vista project
Policy matters this fortnight
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 12 May, 2021 12:28 PM

Green panel clears Central Vista projects
Rajpath's Central Vista Avenue project (Image: Students of Master in Sustainable Architecture at Central University of Rajasthan, Counterview)
43 percent of water bodies in Meghalaya are polluted
Optimal use of water bodies for various purposes need to be explored: MCLLMP study
Meghalaya Basin Management Agency
Posted on 01 May, 2021 03:09 PM

Meghalaya is faced with environmental challenges and serious natural resource degradation such as forest, land and water.
Spring chamber with recharge pits (Image: Meghalaya Community Led Landscapes Management Project)
Identification of drivers of deforestation in Meghalaya
There is a need to work on the development of protocols or models, enhancement of productivity and livelihood sustainability
Rain Forest Research Institute
Posted on 28 Apr, 2021 03:13 PM

Though drivers of deforestation and degradation follow a general framework and pattern, in many cases, they are region-specific.
Jhum cultivation in Nokrek biosphere reserve, Meghalaya (Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)
Mining affected areas and its impact on livelihoods: Meghalaya
Urgent need for a holistic policy on mining of minerals in Meghalaya
North Eastern Hill University
Posted on 27 Apr, 2021 12:28 AM

Meghalaya has a predominantly agrarian economy.
There is a need for management of acid mine drainage and contaminated water in mining areas (Image: Environmental Change and Security Program/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA)
Reducing air pollution due to stubble burning in Northwest India
Philanthropy can play a role in mitigating air pollution and environmental degradation caused by agricultural practices in Punjab and Haryana.
Rayan Sud
Posted on 16 Apr, 2021 07:58 PM

There is a predictability to the narrative around North India’s air pollution. Air that is unhealthy all year-round becomes unbreathable during winter, largely due to particulate matter in emissions from farm fires in Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh.
A large amount of crop residues are available in western UP and most of these are burnt in the field (Image: Ed Dunens, Flickr Commons)
States have no rights in granting forest clearance: Government
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 15 Apr, 2021 10:10 PM

Forest ministry solely in the hands of Centre: Environment Ministry
Forests help mainitain the ecological balance of Earth (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Mosquito fish – invaders in disguise!
Gambusia or Mosquito fish, inspite of being recognised as highly invasive species, continue to be introduced in freshwater bodies for mosquito control in India. This needs to stop!
Nobin Raja
Gudasalami Raviraja
Posted on 22 Mar, 2021 12:02 PM

Threats to freshwater bodies in India are many and include pollution, flow modification, overexploitation and habitat degradation. Besides these, introduction of invasive alien species is a growing problem in India threatening freshwater biodiversity leading to a decline in native species and compromising the health of freshwater bodies.

What is an invasive species
Gambusia spell doom for freshwater diversity (Image Source: Gambusia affinis, NOZO via Wikimedia Commons)
Online course: A primer on biodiversity and ecology of the freshwater ecosystems of the western ghats
This course organised by the Pune Knowledge Cluster aims to introduce various biological components of the freshwater ecosystems of the Western Ghats from a food chain-based approach.
Posted on 18 Mar, 2021 02:14 PM PKC coursePKC course 1
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