Governance

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November 6, 2022 In 2020, 559 million children were affected by four to five heatwaves a year; numbers could increase four-fold by 2050, as per a report by UNICEF
Heat-related mortality is four times higher among children under 1 year of age than in persons aged 1–44 years (Image: Taqver, Wikimedia Commons)
October 22, 2022 Role of MGNREGA in the year after the 2020 lockdown: Survey findings from Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh
MGNREGA provided income support or security to vulnerable households during the pandemic (Image: UN Women)
October 14, 2022 Arthan organizes a fireside chat to highlight the need for more data talent for social impact
There is a need to integrate data science into the existing education system (Image: Mohamed Mahmoud Hassan, Public Domain Pictures)
September 9, 2022 Highlights from a new report released by iFOREST
An old coal-fired power plant has been dumping vast quantities of ash out in the open for many years. (Image: Lundrim Aliu/ World Bank; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
July 14, 2022 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)
July 10, 2022 People in India fleeing disasters like drought more likely to have experienced trafficking or modern slavery than those fleeing floods or cyclones
The country's climate change assessment suggests things are only going to get worse (Image: Saurav Karmakar, India Water Portal Flickr)
Odisha’s untapped renewable energy potential
iFOREST proposed a target of ‘30 GW Renewable Energy by 2030’ for Odisha Posted on 17 Sep, 2022 03:44 PM

The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST) organized a major conference last month in Bhubaneshwar to start a dialogue on Odisha’s new Renewable Energy (RE) policy for 2022-30. Odisha’s present RE Policy was introduced in 2016, and is set to lapse at the end of 2022.

Experts stressed on the need to remove barriers related to land, procedure, institutional capacity and finance, to attract investments in the sector (Image: Aiseinau, Wikimedia Commons)
Creating jobs while managing air quality
Highlights from a new report released by iFOREST Posted on 09 Sep, 2022 02:10 PM

On the occasion of the third International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iFOREST), hosted an event to highlight the importance of building capacity in India for air quality management.

An old coal-fired power plant has been dumping vast quantities of ash out in the open for many years. (Image: Lundrim Aliu/ World Bank; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Very few questions being asked on climate change in the Parliament
Ministers referred to a source for their information on climate change in only 10% of the questions asked, study indicates Posted on 27 Jul, 2022 05:45 PM

Addressing the climate change challenge requires multi-level governance especially at global, national, sub-national and regional levels. At the global level, climate agreements and treaties negotiate terms for countries to curb emissions.

Parliamentarians can help develop a policy and regulatory framework that promotes climate change mitigation and adaptation (Image: Rawpixel)
Panel takes note of two project proposals that could affect Yamuna floodplains
Policy matters this fortnight Posted on 18 Jul, 2022 12:51 PM

NGT panel raises concern about two project proposals that could affect Yamuna floodplains

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 Posted on 14 Jul, 2022 07:01 PM

River Ichamati is venerated as a living entity and its fertile flood plains have been catering to the expanding human-mediated demands apart from harbouring an enormous assemblage of aquatic flora and fauna.

Illegal transverse check dams (Badhals) built on Ichamati near a village in Basirhat (Image: Prithviraj Nath @ TheWaterChronicles)
How effective is Malki practice for conserving Gujarat’s Dang forests?
Green cover density in 74% area of Dang forests increased during 2001–18 Posted on 11 Jul, 2022 06:44 PM

Considering the global trend of alarming deforestation, it is very important to study various forest management strategies to understand their effectiveness and limitations. It is important to conserve the forests, but the economic sustainability of the people directly linked with the forests cannot be ignored.

(Image: Jenis Patel, Wikimedia)
Slow onset climate-induced disasters leaving migrants at greater risk of human trafficking
People in India fleeing disasters like drought more likely to have experienced trafficking or modern slavery than those fleeing floods or cyclones Posted on 10 Jul, 2022 06:30 PM

People migrating to escape slow onset climate disasters like drought are two and a half times more likely to experience trafficking or modern slavery than those people fleeing rapid onset disasters like floods or cyclones, according to new research conducted in two states in India by IIED.

The country's climate change assessment suggests things are only going to get worse (Image: Saurav Karmakar, India Water Portal Flickr)
Can circular economy strategies mitigate climate change in Delhi?
Application of circular economy framework for reducing the impacts of climate change Posted on 09 Jul, 2022 03:04 PM

In light of the Paris Agreement 2015 and the emerging government-wide policies towards initiating a transition from linear to circular economy, it has become critical to investigate the potential impact of circular economy strategies on climate change.

Integrating ReSOLVE strategy within the priority sectors ensued a reduction in carbon and material footprint by 0.18–15.7% and 5.3–25% respectively (Image: PxHere; CC0 Public Domain)
Slum land rights: A necessity for success of PMAY
PMAY needs policy commitment to rehabilitate slums in small and medium cities of Gujarat Posted on 07 Jul, 2022 01:37 PM

Informal housing caters to over one-third of the population in our cities, who cannot afford formal housing. Cities are known as engines of economy and this economy consists of over 90 per cent informal sector workers. However, housing requirements for these people have never got utmost priority by governments, post-independence.

Need for legal framework for land rights in small and medium cities of Gujarat under PMAY (Image: Homes in the City)
Leaving no one behind
National engagement on COVID-19 vaccination and migrants Posted on 25 Jun, 2022 08:17 PM

On 24 June 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) India and the NITI Aayog jointly hosted an event – the National Engagement on COVID-19 Vaccination & Migrants: Leaving No One Behind. 

Migrant workers were more likely to experience a higher burden of COVID-19 infection (Image: ILO Asia-Pacific, Flickr Album)
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