NatureNews
NatureNews - A WWF digest of environment news on the Internet
NatureNews for the week ending August 24, 2007. To subscribe to NatureNews, please write to Library.
Environment - General
Promoting eco-tourism in the Sundarbans
Mangrove is a peculiar type of ecosystem in the inter-tidal region. Because of its interesting environmental conditions, it offers a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities. Naturally, mangroves can attract a large number of tourists and be a source of earning through national and overseas tourism. In many countries, tourism in the mangrove environment has been developed. Revenue earned through eco-tourism from one hectare in a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya, exceeds many times the most optimistic projected return from agriculture. There is also evidence that the economic benefits derived from forest-based eco-tourism surpass the revenue earned from timber harvesting. It is important to note that preservation of forests, specially mangroves can be compatible to tourism if well planned. Eco-tourism is a sustainable form of land use, which contributes to environmental conservation, while providing accrued socio-economic benefits to the indigenous people through the non-consumptive uses and indirect values of the natural biological resources. Considering the vulnerable nature of our environment eco-tourism must be encouraged. Eco-tourism should be based on the following principles: (i) optimum multiple use of the resources; (ii) maximum sustainable use; and (iii) conservation and development of natural resources. Obviously, tourist products should be used in such a way that they are not destroyed. Tourists, who unmindfully or without caring litter the spots leftovers cause damage to the local environment and eventually the earth. For more: http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=322
Climate Change & Energy
Atlantic yields climate secrets
Scientists have painted the first detailed picture of Atlantic ocean currents crucial to Europe's climate. Using instruments strung out across the Atlantic, a UK-led team shows that its circulation varies significantly over the course of a year. Writing in the journal Science, they say it may now be possible to detect changes related to global warming. The Atlantic circulation brings warm water to Europe, keeping the continent 4-6°C warmer than it would be otherwise. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6946735.stm
Climate fear for visiting birds
Climate change is to blame for a drop in the number of some birds that visit Britain each winter, the RSPB says. The charity said many wildfowl no longer needed to migrate as far as the UK from places like Greenland and Siberia because of warmer winters. Numbers of seven regular visitors, including the shelduck, mallard and turnstone, are declining, it warned. But the overall number of waterbirds wintering in the UK has doubled since the late 1970s, a report adds. The State of the UK's Birds 2006 report, says in particular the number of wading birds including the black-tailed godwit and the avocet, had increased markedly, mainly due to action by conservationists. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6950711.stm
Forest & Biodiversity
Shift to bio-fuels a mistake: researchers
Increasing production of bio-fuels to combat climate change will release between two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil fuels, according to the first comprehensive analysis of emissions from bio-fuels. Bio-fuels — extracted from plants — are presented as an environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels because the crops absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. The study warns that forests must not be cleared to make way for bio-fuel crops. Clearing forests produces an immediate release of carbon gases into the atmosphere, accompanied by a loss of habitats, wildlife and livelihoods, the researchers said. Britain is committed to substituting 10 per cent of its transport fuel with bio-fuels under Europewide plans to slash carbon emissions by 2020. “Bio-fuel policy is rushing ahead without understanding the implications,” said Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust, a conservation charity. “It is a mistake in climate change terms to use bio-fuels.” For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/18/stories/2007081857852000.htm
Green forts for the coast
The wind beats on the watch tower over the saline waters of Pichavaram. Down below boats have been arranged in a semi-circle. All is quiet and calm in the salty sheet of water below. But it took a tsunami to highlight the need for mangrove plantations and coastal bio-shields to protect the coastline from natural calamities. A scientist explained the concept of coastal bio-shields to a group of villagers in Nainar Kuppam along the East Coast Road in Chennai. Under normal conditions, eyebrows are not necessary. But when one sweats, the eyebrows offer protection by preventing the drops from getting into the eyes. Mangroves, trees of the coastline and sand dunes with vegetation act in the same way, he told an amazed group of villagers. Mangroves are woody trees and shrubs that grow in places where the river mixes with the sea in an estuarine ecosystem, intersected by a number of small creeks and channels. Mangroves flourish in tidal creeks, channels, canals and water bodies, predominantly along the coastline. Out of 4,87,775 hectares of mangroves along the Indian coastline, the east coast alone has 56.7 per cent. In Tamil Nadu, mangroves flourish at Muthupet and Pichavaram. For more: http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/08/19/stories/2007081950100500.htm
Pollution & Toxics
Greenpeace demands law to govern e-waste in India
Greenpeace activists took out a protest demanding a law to govern e-waste management in the country. Activists wearing black shirts with "Design out toxics" printed across in bright yellow stood outside the office of Information Technology Ministry in New Delhi with a life-size replica of the globe in the clutches of a hand made of hazardous e-waste, in a bid to remind the country of harmful effects of e-waste on the environment. The activists demanded implementation of a new regulatory legislation and presented a report to the Ministry on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPF), which holds producers responsible for their products. "E-waste is highly toxic and it is necessary that the government take measures to reduce the toxins present in e-waste as well as implement Extended Producer Responsibility principle that puts the responsibility on producers for their products right from the start of its lifecycle to the very end of its lifecycle including safety cycle," said Ashish Fernandes, a Greenpeace activist. For more: http://www.newkerala.com/july.php?action=fullnews&id=55146
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Hi-tech security for Gir lions
The last abode of the Asiatic lion has finally blinked on the state government’s radar. To check poaching incidents, the state government plans to set up new check posts in the national park, some with close circuit televisions and night vision cameras to capture any suspicious movement in the jungle. With nine busy roads passing through the sanctuary and the national park, it was necessary to have proper surveillance on these roads. The government has proposed to set up 18 new checkposts of which five would be equipped with modern gadgets, like close circuit televisions (CCTVs) and night vision cameras. These would come up in the Jasadhar, Tulsishyam, Dalkhaniya, Jamwada and Bamansa ranges. These ranges cover areas which reported poaching incidents in March and April this year. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Hi-tech_security_for_Gir_lions/articleshow/2291645.cms
Core area for big cats in Kaziranga
The tiger reserve in Kaziranga will be spread over an area of 1,030 square km and will include 482 square km of core area. The rest 548 square km will be a buffer zone. The Centre announced last year that it was considering setting up a tiger reserve in Kaziranga. The demarcation of boundary was announced in a notification on August 3 by Dispur. The biggest tiger reserve in the Northeast is in Manas with a total area of 2,840 square km. Tiger reserves in Namdapha and Nameri cover 1,985 and 344 square km respectively. “With the notification, the national park has now become a full-fledged tiger reserve and a detailed plan for its development can now be sent to the Centre to avail funds,” a senior official said. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070813/asp/northeast/story_8184183.asp
Lost glory: The Tale Of The Tiger
A hundred years ago, the tiger was really the king in this country. He roamed vast tracts of dense forests and undulating grasslands and there was enough prey species for lavish meals for him and his progeny. According to estimates, there were 40,000 tigers in India in the early part of the 20th century. There are paintings that show proud maharajas with dozens of slaughtered tigers lying at their feet. Tiger heads and tiger skins decorated their homes and palaces. Since the first tiger census took place only in 1972, it is difficult to tell how many tigers were left in the country at the time of Independence. It may have been 10,000 or 12,000 — probably decimated to a fourth of the number that there was at the beginning of that century. With the end of World War II, high-speed vehicles and weapons came into the hands of the common man. Soon after Independence, the Terai region at the foothills of the Himalayas and Jim Corbett’s magnificent tiger domain, home to a large number of the black and yellow striped cats, was cleared to rehabilitate those displaced by the Partition. Both these events spurred the decline of the tiger. At the launch of Project Tiger in the early 1970s, around the same time as the census, the number of tigers was down to 1827. The Wildlife Institute of India has recently put the number of tigers in the country at 1300 plus. For 30 years the tiger census was done by stodgy forest officials who just could not afford to admit that the number of tigers was on the decline. Now with figures that are more realistic, the magnificent creature seems to be on the brink of extinction. For more: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070818/saturday/main1.htm
Succour for rhinos, at last - Project to translocate rhinos to take off by year-end
The India Rhino Vision 2020 programme, which aims to attain a population of 3,000 rhinos in the wild in Assam, will begin by the year-end. The project is finally slated to see the light of day after a great deal of delay. Under this programme, the rhino population will be distributed over seven protected areas by 2020. A senior WWF official said the infrastructure at Manas National Park would be ready by October, so that several rhinos from Kaziranga can be translocated there. At least 20 rhinos will be sent from Kaziranga to Manas. A total of 13 new camps will be set up and 50 volunteers brought in for the programme to help provide a safe and secure site for the rhinos in Manas. “The entire park would get a new look. There will be 13 new camps equipped with wireless sets and base stations,” the official added. The Indian Rhino Vision 2020 project will be implemented by the department of environment and forests of the Assam government and is being supported by WWF India, International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and others. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070810/asp/northeast/story_8172293.asp
Nowhere to go
A private agricultural farm that is coming up in a major elephant corridor between the Wasgamuwa and Maduru Oya national parks could precipitate the human-elephant conflict in the future, environmentalists have warned. Environmentalist Samantha Suranjan said there is an important elephant pathway crossing the Nilgala, Maduru Oya, Wasgamuwa, Floodplain National Park and the Somawathiya National Park. He said this had been identified by a Mahaweli Environment Report (Tippetts Abbett McCarthy Stratton – TAMS) as an important elephant corridor, but when the national parks in the area were being demarcated, the fact had been overlooked and had not been legally designated as such. This corridor is situated along Ulhiti Oya and the controversial farm is being constructed on a land between the southern side of the mouth of Ulhiti Oya and the eastern side of the bank of the Mahaweli River. The Department of Wildlife Conservation had previously erected an electrified fence excluding this corridor. But the farm is now coming up inside this fence and the private developers are putting up new electrified fences bordering the banks of the Mahaweli river on one side and the Ulhiti Oya on the other, he said. An environmentalist cum lawyer Jagath Gunawardena warns that apart from the looming elephant problem there have been several violations of environmental laws in the construction of the farm. For more: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070819/News/nws15.html
Comeback of ivory trade?
Four pieces of ivory weighing over 100 kilograms seized in Kerala recently is expected to have come from the killing of three male elephants in the Nilgiri forests, where 65 percent of elephant deaths are caused by ivory poachers! Very rarely one rejoices at the vanishing of a 3000 year old art, as Archaeology reveals the esteem in which the ivory carving art was held in ancient India. The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, speak of ivory from Assam and ivory inlay work from Eastern India. Buddhist Pali literature mentions the ivory carvers of Benares and Sanskrit Buddhist literature mentions master craftsmen working on ivory for making bangles, kohl sticks, caskets, gargoyles and cutting seals. Then the Kerala High Court proclaimed in a decisive 1997 ruling, (in an effort to bring India in line with the the 1989 UN sponsored CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna — banning the ivory trade,) “No citizen has the fundamental right to trade in ivory or ivory articles, whether indigenous or imported”. This led to the decrease in the number of ivory craftsmen in India, reputedly from 20000 to a mere 2000, the rest having opted out for the legal sandalwood/animal horn carving. But recent reports of a revival in ivory carving and of ivory seizures in Kerala and other centers of the craft in India, has set off alarm bells among conservation groups. For more: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug212007/snt2007082020318.asp
Wildlife And Emerging Disease Markets
Instead of attacking wild birds for our new disease problems, a far more cost effective approach should focus on keeping wild animals separate in the places where they often commingle: in wildlife markets and international trade, according to wildlife health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a recent issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases. "This is an ounce of prevention that we really need to use in trading hubs where human commerce of wild animals allows for the spread of diseases," said Dr. William Karesh, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Field Veterinary Program and lead author of the peer-reviewed paper entitled 'Implications of wildlife trade on the movement of avian influenza and other infectious diseases.' For more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070815151149.htm
India: 14 rare species need better protection
Snow leopards, Asiatic lions, Gangetic dolphins and wild buffalo are among Indian wildlife species that are "gravely endangered," the government has warned. Existing conservation measures for 14 rare species were inadequate, the Environment Ministry said in the agenda for a forthcoming meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. "With mounting demographic pressures, there are today a number of species which are gravely endangered, whose long-term survival can only be ensured if a determined effort is undertaken to initiate specific recovery plans," it said. For more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20145336/
Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven'
The idea that the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has created a wildlife haven is not scientifically justified, a study says. Recent studies said rare species had thrived despite raised radiation levels as a result of no human activity. But scientists who assessed the 1986 disaster's impact on birds said the ecological effects were "considerably greater than previously assumed". The findings appear in the Royal Society's journal, Biology Letters. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6946210.stm
Birds
Courser’s habitat under threat again
The last known habitat of the critically endangered and enigmatic bird of Andhra Pradesh — Jerdon’s Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus) — could once again come under threat. The bird is not found anywhere else in the world. The Irrigation Department’s latest realignment plans of the Telugu Ganga Canal project, has the potential to wipe away 89 hectares of shrub jungle, typical habitat of the bird, near the sites where the bird was spotted in the recent years at Sri Lankamalleswara Sanctuary, Kadapa, a recent report from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) says. The proposed realignment plans for the canal, if implemented, would cut across the scrub jungle habitat, says the report. “The realignment is precariously close to the boundary of the Sri Lankamalleswara Sanctuary, Kadapa, as well as the sites where the Courser’s presence was recorded regularly between 2000-06,” the report says. For more: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/19/stories/2007081957342000.htm
World's birds on death row: Race against time to save 189 species from extinction
The world's most ambitious bird conservation project was launched amid evidence that hunting and loss of habitat has caused species to disappear at an unprecedented rate. The biggest and most wide-ranging bird conservation programme the world has ever seen will be launched with the aim of saving every one of the planet's critically endangered species from extinction. The task is urgent. There are now no fewer than 189 birds in this most precipitous category – 51 more than there were just seven years ago. Scientists say that if no action is taken then all of them could be gone within the next 10 years; 15 are already classified as "possibly extinct ". The death of bird species is now happening faster than at any time in history. Without human interference, the natural rate of loss would be one bird each century. But extinctions are accelerating and running at 50 times that rate. In the past 30 years alone, 21 have gone – three of them since 2000. For more: http://environment.independent.co.uk/wildlife/article2856857.ece
Reptiles & Amphibians
After tortoises, it's crocodile skin
Bangalore is emerging a hot destination for wildlife trade. After the recent seizure of rare corals and star tortoises, this time, the police have seized two large-sized crocodile skins. The Cottonpet police on arrested four persons and recovered freshwater crocodile skins worth Rs 6 lakh from them. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/After_tortoises_its_
crocodile_skin/articleshow/2289760.cms
Insects
A global network of poachers
The smell struck undercover agent Ed Newcomer as soon as he entered the small, sparse apartment. Faint and rancid, it permeated everything. It clung to the plastic containers that piled up in cupboards and on shelves. It seeped from the walls and the bathroom and the bed. The smell was unmistakable: dead insects. Inside the suspect grinned expectantly as he opened a container. Dozens of slimy white grubs slithered in the dirt. Another box revealed a dead black beetle the size of a fist, its long rhinoceros-like horn protruding in front. “Dynastes hercules,” the suspect said, his voice high-pitched and shrill. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/20/stories/2007082059821800.htm
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
PM sets up panel on Yamuna
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to set up a high-powered committee for the conservation and development of Yamuna with the Lt-Governor and Chief Minister of Delhi as co-chairpersons, saying that development of the river front was an exercise which needs to be approached with due care. The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting to discuss the conservation and development of the river, amongst other issues, in the light of environmental concerns raised on the building of the Commonwealth Games village on the riverbed. For more: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070807/main8.htm
Modify plans, save mangroves: HC
Even as the Maharashtra government laid out plans for development projects on around 400 hectares of mangrove land, the Bombay high court advised government bodies to come up with plans that will cause "minimal damage" to the mangroves. Unhappy with the government’s explanation on why it had failed to notify more than 50% of mangrove areas as "protected forests", a division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud has said that it will now hear the details of every project being proposed by agencies such as BMC, Cidco and the Central Railway. The hearings have been scheduled for August 22. "Why can’t there be a sensible solution to the whole problem," asked the Chief Justice. "Has anybody even given a thought to protecting these large swathes of mangroves." For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Modify_plans_save
_mangroves_HC/rssarticleshow/2269423.cms
Pakistan’s disappearing delta areas
Keti Bandar was once a thriving river port in the Indus river delta region in southern Pakistan, with impressive public buildings, a customs office and warehouses for exports. Today, it can barely stay above water, according to a BBC News report. Sea waves lash against its (Keti Bandar) protective embankments on three sides, leaving only a thin, 2-km isthmus by way of a land bridge to the mainland, the report says. The water levels keep rising. Two years ago, the high tide barely came up to the ruins of a rice mill located just outside the town. Now that has been completely submerged. “The tide will ebb, but it will come back with greater force. Two more years, and the whole town will be under water,” said Bachal Khanejo, a local boatman. While there is still time to save Keti, the town of Kharo Chhan, about 20 minutes drive east, has reached the point of no return. For more: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C08%5C05%5Cstory_5-8-2007_pg7_15
Education
To combat global warming, catch them young
The Worldwide Fund for Nature has joined hands with Tetra Pak Industries to launch the “Young Climate Savers” programme under which a series of workshops on climate change will be conducted in schools across the country. The workshops are aimed at educating and motivating students to contribute towards reducing global warming. Students will be taught to promote energy-efficient lifestyles and eco-friendly attitudes. WWF (India) Chief Executive Officer Ravi Singh said: “This is a unique initiative and is possibly the largest single activity on climate change among students in India. The programme aims at reaching out to over 50,000 students in 200 schools in one year and make them aware about the issues of climate change and the importance of energy efficiency.” For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/25/stories/2007082550540200.htm
EVENTS
WETPOL 2007 – 2nd International Symposium On Wetland Pollutant Dynamics And Control: 16 - 20 September 2007; Tartu, Estonia; http://www.geo.ut.ee/wetpol2007
Second International Conference On Tourism And Climate Change; 1 - 3 October 2007. Davos, Switzerland; http://www.unwto.org/climate/index.php
Technical Workshop Meeting On Emissions From Aviation And Maritime Transport; 4 - 5 October 2007; Oslo, Norway; http://www.eionet.europa.eu/training/bunkerfuelemissions
Tourism Ministerial Summit On Climate Change; 13 November 2007; London, United Kingdom; http://www.unwto.org/climate/davos/en/davos.php?op=1
Ramsar’s 36th Standing Committee Meeting; 25 - 29 February 2008; Gland, Switzerland; http://www.ramsar.org/meetings.htm
Promoting eco-tourism in the Sundarbans
Mangrove is a peculiar type of ecosystem in the inter-tidal region. Because of its interesting environmental conditions, it offers a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities. Naturally, mangroves can attract a large number of tourists and be a source of earning through national and overseas tourism. In many countries, tourism in the mangrove environment has been developed. Revenue earned through eco-tourism from one hectare in a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya, exceeds many times the most optimistic projected return from agriculture. There is also evidence that the economic benefits derived from forest-based eco-tourism surpass the revenue earned from timber harvesting. It is important to note that preservation of forests, specially mangroves can be compatible to tourism if well planned. Eco-tourism is a sustainable form of land use, which contributes to environmental conservation, while providing accrued socio-economic benefits to the indigenous people through the non-consumptive uses and indirect values of the natural biological resources. Considering the vulnerable nature of our environment eco-tourism must be encouraged. Eco-tourism should be based on the following principles: (i) optimum multiple use of the resources; (ii) maximum sustainable use; and (iii) conservation and development of natural resources. Obviously, tourist products should be used in such a way that they are not destroyed. Tourists, who unmindfully or without caring litter the spots leftovers cause damage to the local environment and eventually the earth. For more: http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=322
Climate Change & Energy
Atlantic yields climate secrets
Scientists have painted the first detailed picture of Atlantic ocean currents crucial to Europe's climate. Using instruments strung out across the Atlantic, a UK-led team shows that its circulation varies significantly over the course of a year. Writing in the journal Science, they say it may now be possible to detect changes related to global warming. The Atlantic circulation brings warm water to Europe, keeping the continent 4-6°C warmer than it would be otherwise. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6946735.stm
Climate fear for visiting birds
Climate change is to blame for a drop in the number of some birds that visit Britain each winter, the RSPB says. The charity said many wildfowl no longer needed to migrate as far as the UK from places like Greenland and Siberia because of warmer winters. Numbers of seven regular visitors, including the shelduck, mallard and turnstone, are declining, it warned. But the overall number of waterbirds wintering in the UK has doubled since the late 1970s, a report adds. The State of the UK's Birds 2006 report, says in particular the number of wading birds including the black-tailed godwit and the avocet, had increased markedly, mainly due to action by conservationists. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6950711.stm
Forest & Biodiversity
Shift to bio-fuels a mistake: researchers
Increasing production of bio-fuels to combat climate change will release between two and nine times more carbon gases over the next 30 years than fossil fuels, according to the first comprehensive analysis of emissions from bio-fuels. Bio-fuels — extracted from plants — are presented as an environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels because the crops absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. The study warns that forests must not be cleared to make way for bio-fuel crops. Clearing forests produces an immediate release of carbon gases into the atmosphere, accompanied by a loss of habitats, wildlife and livelihoods, the researchers said. Britain is committed to substituting 10 per cent of its transport fuel with bio-fuels under Europewide plans to slash carbon emissions by 2020. “Bio-fuel policy is rushing ahead without understanding the implications,” said Renton Righelato of the World Land Trust, a conservation charity. “It is a mistake in climate change terms to use bio-fuels.” For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/18/stories/2007081857852000.htm
Green forts for the coast
The wind beats on the watch tower over the saline waters of Pichavaram. Down below boats have been arranged in a semi-circle. All is quiet and calm in the salty sheet of water below. But it took a tsunami to highlight the need for mangrove plantations and coastal bio-shields to protect the coastline from natural calamities. A scientist explained the concept of coastal bio-shields to a group of villagers in Nainar Kuppam along the East Coast Road in Chennai. Under normal conditions, eyebrows are not necessary. But when one sweats, the eyebrows offer protection by preventing the drops from getting into the eyes. Mangroves, trees of the coastline and sand dunes with vegetation act in the same way, he told an amazed group of villagers. Mangroves are woody trees and shrubs that grow in places where the river mixes with the sea in an estuarine ecosystem, intersected by a number of small creeks and channels. Mangroves flourish in tidal creeks, channels, canals and water bodies, predominantly along the coastline. Out of 4,87,775 hectares of mangroves along the Indian coastline, the east coast alone has 56.7 per cent. In Tamil Nadu, mangroves flourish at Muthupet and Pichavaram. For more: http://www.hindu.com/mag/2007/08/19/stories/2007081950100500.htm
Pollution & Toxics
Greenpeace demands law to govern e-waste in India
Greenpeace activists took out a protest demanding a law to govern e-waste management in the country. Activists wearing black shirts with "Design out toxics" printed across in bright yellow stood outside the office of Information Technology Ministry in New Delhi with a life-size replica of the globe in the clutches of a hand made of hazardous e-waste, in a bid to remind the country of harmful effects of e-waste on the environment. The activists demanded implementation of a new regulatory legislation and presented a report to the Ministry on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPF), which holds producers responsible for their products. "E-waste is highly toxic and it is necessary that the government take measures to reduce the toxins present in e-waste as well as implement Extended Producer Responsibility principle that puts the responsibility on producers for their products right from the start of its lifecycle to the very end of its lifecycle including safety cycle," said Ashish Fernandes, a Greenpeace activist. For more: http://www.newkerala.com/july.php?action=fullnews&id=55146
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Hi-tech security for Gir lions
The last abode of the Asiatic lion has finally blinked on the state government’s radar. To check poaching incidents, the state government plans to set up new check posts in the national park, some with close circuit televisions and night vision cameras to capture any suspicious movement in the jungle. With nine busy roads passing through the sanctuary and the national park, it was necessary to have proper surveillance on these roads. The government has proposed to set up 18 new checkposts of which five would be equipped with modern gadgets, like close circuit televisions (CCTVs) and night vision cameras. These would come up in the Jasadhar, Tulsishyam, Dalkhaniya, Jamwada and Bamansa ranges. These ranges cover areas which reported poaching incidents in March and April this year. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Hi-tech_security_for_Gir_lions/articleshow/2291645.cms
Core area for big cats in Kaziranga
The tiger reserve in Kaziranga will be spread over an area of 1,030 square km and will include 482 square km of core area. The rest 548 square km will be a buffer zone. The Centre announced last year that it was considering setting up a tiger reserve in Kaziranga. The demarcation of boundary was announced in a notification on August 3 by Dispur. The biggest tiger reserve in the Northeast is in Manas with a total area of 2,840 square km. Tiger reserves in Namdapha and Nameri cover 1,985 and 344 square km respectively. “With the notification, the national park has now become a full-fledged tiger reserve and a detailed plan for its development can now be sent to the Centre to avail funds,” a senior official said. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070813/asp/northeast/story_8184183.asp
Lost glory: The Tale Of The Tiger
A hundred years ago, the tiger was really the king in this country. He roamed vast tracts of dense forests and undulating grasslands and there was enough prey species for lavish meals for him and his progeny. According to estimates, there were 40,000 tigers in India in the early part of the 20th century. There are paintings that show proud maharajas with dozens of slaughtered tigers lying at their feet. Tiger heads and tiger skins decorated their homes and palaces. Since the first tiger census took place only in 1972, it is difficult to tell how many tigers were left in the country at the time of Independence. It may have been 10,000 or 12,000 — probably decimated to a fourth of the number that there was at the beginning of that century. With the end of World War II, high-speed vehicles and weapons came into the hands of the common man. Soon after Independence, the Terai region at the foothills of the Himalayas and Jim Corbett’s magnificent tiger domain, home to a large number of the black and yellow striped cats, was cleared to rehabilitate those displaced by the Partition. Both these events spurred the decline of the tiger. At the launch of Project Tiger in the early 1970s, around the same time as the census, the number of tigers was down to 1827. The Wildlife Institute of India has recently put the number of tigers in the country at 1300 plus. For 30 years the tiger census was done by stodgy forest officials who just could not afford to admit that the number of tigers was on the decline. Now with figures that are more realistic, the magnificent creature seems to be on the brink of extinction. For more: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070818/saturday/main1.htm
Succour for rhinos, at last - Project to translocate rhinos to take off by year-end
The India Rhino Vision 2020 programme, which aims to attain a population of 3,000 rhinos in the wild in Assam, will begin by the year-end. The project is finally slated to see the light of day after a great deal of delay. Under this programme, the rhino population will be distributed over seven protected areas by 2020. A senior WWF official said the infrastructure at Manas National Park would be ready by October, so that several rhinos from Kaziranga can be translocated there. At least 20 rhinos will be sent from Kaziranga to Manas. A total of 13 new camps will be set up and 50 volunteers brought in for the programme to help provide a safe and secure site for the rhinos in Manas. “The entire park would get a new look. There will be 13 new camps equipped with wireless sets and base stations,” the official added. The Indian Rhino Vision 2020 project will be implemented by the department of environment and forests of the Assam government and is being supported by WWF India, International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and others. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070810/asp/northeast/story_8172293.asp
Nowhere to go
A private agricultural farm that is coming up in a major elephant corridor between the Wasgamuwa and Maduru Oya national parks could precipitate the human-elephant conflict in the future, environmentalists have warned. Environmentalist Samantha Suranjan said there is an important elephant pathway crossing the Nilgala, Maduru Oya, Wasgamuwa, Floodplain National Park and the Somawathiya National Park. He said this had been identified by a Mahaweli Environment Report (Tippetts Abbett McCarthy Stratton – TAMS) as an important elephant corridor, but when the national parks in the area were being demarcated, the fact had been overlooked and had not been legally designated as such. This corridor is situated along Ulhiti Oya and the controversial farm is being constructed on a land between the southern side of the mouth of Ulhiti Oya and the eastern side of the bank of the Mahaweli River. The Department of Wildlife Conservation had previously erected an electrified fence excluding this corridor. But the farm is now coming up inside this fence and the private developers are putting up new electrified fences bordering the banks of the Mahaweli river on one side and the Ulhiti Oya on the other, he said. An environmentalist cum lawyer Jagath Gunawardena warns that apart from the looming elephant problem there have been several violations of environmental laws in the construction of the farm. For more: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070819/News/nws15.html
Comeback of ivory trade?
Four pieces of ivory weighing over 100 kilograms seized in Kerala recently is expected to have come from the killing of three male elephants in the Nilgiri forests, where 65 percent of elephant deaths are caused by ivory poachers! Very rarely one rejoices at the vanishing of a 3000 year old art, as Archaeology reveals the esteem in which the ivory carving art was held in ancient India. The epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, speak of ivory from Assam and ivory inlay work from Eastern India. Buddhist Pali literature mentions the ivory carvers of Benares and Sanskrit Buddhist literature mentions master craftsmen working on ivory for making bangles, kohl sticks, caskets, gargoyles and cutting seals. Then the Kerala High Court proclaimed in a decisive 1997 ruling, (in an effort to bring India in line with the the 1989 UN sponsored CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna — banning the ivory trade,) “No citizen has the fundamental right to trade in ivory or ivory articles, whether indigenous or imported”. This led to the decrease in the number of ivory craftsmen in India, reputedly from 20000 to a mere 2000, the rest having opted out for the legal sandalwood/animal horn carving. But recent reports of a revival in ivory carving and of ivory seizures in Kerala and other centers of the craft in India, has set off alarm bells among conservation groups. For more: http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug212007/snt2007082020318.asp
Wildlife And Emerging Disease Markets
Instead of attacking wild birds for our new disease problems, a far more cost effective approach should focus on keeping wild animals separate in the places where they often commingle: in wildlife markets and international trade, according to wildlife health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a recent issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases. "This is an ounce of prevention that we really need to use in trading hubs where human commerce of wild animals allows for the spread of diseases," said Dr. William Karesh, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Field Veterinary Program and lead author of the peer-reviewed paper entitled 'Implications of wildlife trade on the movement of avian influenza and other infectious diseases.' For more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070815151149.htm
India: 14 rare species need better protection
Snow leopards, Asiatic lions, Gangetic dolphins and wild buffalo are among Indian wildlife species that are "gravely endangered," the government has warned. Existing conservation measures for 14 rare species were inadequate, the Environment Ministry said in the agenda for a forthcoming meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. "With mounting demographic pressures, there are today a number of species which are gravely endangered, whose long-term survival can only be ensured if a determined effort is undertaken to initiate specific recovery plans," it said. For more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20145336/
Chernobyl 'not a wildlife haven'
The idea that the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has created a wildlife haven is not scientifically justified, a study says. Recent studies said rare species had thrived despite raised radiation levels as a result of no human activity. But scientists who assessed the 1986 disaster's impact on birds said the ecological effects were "considerably greater than previously assumed". The findings appear in the Royal Society's journal, Biology Letters. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6946210.stm
Birds
Courser’s habitat under threat again
The last known habitat of the critically endangered and enigmatic bird of Andhra Pradesh — Jerdon’s Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus) — could once again come under threat. The bird is not found anywhere else in the world. The Irrigation Department’s latest realignment plans of the Telugu Ganga Canal project, has the potential to wipe away 89 hectares of shrub jungle, typical habitat of the bird, near the sites where the bird was spotted in the recent years at Sri Lankamalleswara Sanctuary, Kadapa, a recent report from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) says. The proposed realignment plans for the canal, if implemented, would cut across the scrub jungle habitat, says the report. “The realignment is precariously close to the boundary of the Sri Lankamalleswara Sanctuary, Kadapa, as well as the sites where the Courser’s presence was recorded regularly between 2000-06,” the report says. For more: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/19/stories/2007081957342000.htm
World's birds on death row: Race against time to save 189 species from extinction
The world's most ambitious bird conservation project was launched amid evidence that hunting and loss of habitat has caused species to disappear at an unprecedented rate. The biggest and most wide-ranging bird conservation programme the world has ever seen will be launched with the aim of saving every one of the planet's critically endangered species from extinction. The task is urgent. There are now no fewer than 189 birds in this most precipitous category – 51 more than there were just seven years ago. Scientists say that if no action is taken then all of them could be gone within the next 10 years; 15 are already classified as "possibly extinct ". The death of bird species is now happening faster than at any time in history. Without human interference, the natural rate of loss would be one bird each century. But extinctions are accelerating and running at 50 times that rate. In the past 30 years alone, 21 have gone – three of them since 2000. For more: http://environment.independent.co.uk/wildlife/article2856857.ece
Reptiles & Amphibians
After tortoises, it's crocodile skin
Bangalore is emerging a hot destination for wildlife trade. After the recent seizure of rare corals and star tortoises, this time, the police have seized two large-sized crocodile skins. The Cottonpet police on arrested four persons and recovered freshwater crocodile skins worth Rs 6 lakh from them. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/After_tortoises_its_
crocodile_skin/articleshow/2289760.cms
Insects
A global network of poachers
The smell struck undercover agent Ed Newcomer as soon as he entered the small, sparse apartment. Faint and rancid, it permeated everything. It clung to the plastic containers that piled up in cupboards and on shelves. It seeped from the walls and the bathroom and the bed. The smell was unmistakable: dead insects. Inside the suspect grinned expectantly as he opened a container. Dozens of slimy white grubs slithered in the dirt. Another box revealed a dead black beetle the size of a fist, its long rhinoceros-like horn protruding in front. “Dynastes hercules,” the suspect said, his voice high-pitched and shrill. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/20/stories/2007082059821800.htm
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
PM sets up panel on Yamuna
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to set up a high-powered committee for the conservation and development of Yamuna with the Lt-Governor and Chief Minister of Delhi as co-chairpersons, saying that development of the river front was an exercise which needs to be approached with due care. The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting to discuss the conservation and development of the river, amongst other issues, in the light of environmental concerns raised on the building of the Commonwealth Games village on the riverbed. For more: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070807/main8.htm
Modify plans, save mangroves: HC
Even as the Maharashtra government laid out plans for development projects on around 400 hectares of mangrove land, the Bombay high court advised government bodies to come up with plans that will cause "minimal damage" to the mangroves. Unhappy with the government’s explanation on why it had failed to notify more than 50% of mangrove areas as "protected forests", a division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Dhananjay Chandrachud has said that it will now hear the details of every project being proposed by agencies such as BMC, Cidco and the Central Railway. The hearings have been scheduled for August 22. "Why can’t there be a sensible solution to the whole problem," asked the Chief Justice. "Has anybody even given a thought to protecting these large swathes of mangroves." For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Modify_plans_save
_mangroves_HC/rssarticleshow/2269423.cms
Pakistan’s disappearing delta areas
Keti Bandar was once a thriving river port in the Indus river delta region in southern Pakistan, with impressive public buildings, a customs office and warehouses for exports. Today, it can barely stay above water, according to a BBC News report. Sea waves lash against its (Keti Bandar) protective embankments on three sides, leaving only a thin, 2-km isthmus by way of a land bridge to the mainland, the report says. The water levels keep rising. Two years ago, the high tide barely came up to the ruins of a rice mill located just outside the town. Now that has been completely submerged. “The tide will ebb, but it will come back with greater force. Two more years, and the whole town will be under water,” said Bachal Khanejo, a local boatman. While there is still time to save Keti, the town of Kharo Chhan, about 20 minutes drive east, has reached the point of no return. For more: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C08%5C05%5Cstory_5-8-2007_pg7_15
Education
To combat global warming, catch them young
The Worldwide Fund for Nature has joined hands with Tetra Pak Industries to launch the “Young Climate Savers” programme under which a series of workshops on climate change will be conducted in schools across the country. The workshops are aimed at educating and motivating students to contribute towards reducing global warming. Students will be taught to promote energy-efficient lifestyles and eco-friendly attitudes. WWF (India) Chief Executive Officer Ravi Singh said: “This is a unique initiative and is possibly the largest single activity on climate change among students in India. The programme aims at reaching out to over 50,000 students in 200 schools in one year and make them aware about the issues of climate change and the importance of energy efficiency.” For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/25/stories/2007082550540200.htm
EVENTS
WETPOL 2007 – 2nd International Symposium On Wetland Pollutant Dynamics And Control: 16 - 20 September 2007; Tartu, Estonia; http://www.geo.ut.ee/wetpol2007
Second International Conference On Tourism And Climate Change; 1 - 3 October 2007. Davos, Switzerland; http://www.unwto.org/climate/index.php
Technical Workshop Meeting On Emissions From Aviation And Maritime Transport; 4 - 5 October 2007; Oslo, Norway; http://www.eionet.europa.eu/training/bunkerfuelemissions
Tourism Ministerial Summit On Climate Change; 13 November 2007; London, United Kingdom; http://www.unwto.org/climate/davos/en/davos.php?op=1
Ramsar’s 36th Standing Committee Meeting; 25 - 29 February 2008; Gland, Switzerland; http://www.ramsar.org/meetings.htm
WWF-India brings NatureNews as a free service to its affiliates and website visitors. We will not be responsible for the accuracy and nature of the content on third party websites.
