NatureNews
NatureNews - A WWF digest of environment news on the Internet
NatureNews for the week ending February 15, 2008. To subscribe to NatureNews, please write to Library.
Environment - General
Bengal presses for chopper service to Sundarbans
The West Bengal Government has approached the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for a dedicated helicopter service to the world’s largest river delta and mangrove forest, the Sundarbans. “We have approached the Centre to start ‘heli-tourism’ in the Sundarbans and have even invited officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Pawan Hans to visit the area and study its viability at the earliest. The idea is to give a boost to tourism in this area, which is otherwise quite inaccessible. With helicopters in place, tourists can easily be taken on an aerial tour of the Sundarbans,” said A K Bal, secretary Sundarban Affairs, Government of West Bengal. Among probable reservations against the proposal are environmental issues and the swampy terrain that is not very suitable for helicopter operations. The state Government has answers to both. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/265682.html
Climate Change & Energy
For transparent carbon trading
Global carbon trading has gained momentum. The Worldwatch Institute, drawing from various studies, places the total value of the trade in 2007 at $59.2 billion, an 80 per cent increase over 2006. As the 2012 deadline for reducing emission levels approaches, the volume of carbon trading will be enormous. Asian countries are the biggest sellers and western countries the biggest buyers. A World Bank report on the 2007 carbon market shows that China has a market share of 61 per cent and India 12 per cent. The Government of India, as a part of its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, set up in 2003 a National Clean Development Mechanism Authority, which has been reviewing proposals for carbon credits. However, the final credits are issued by the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism at the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC). India has garnered 35 million of the 102 million Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) issued up to January 2008. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/13/stories/2008021354541000.htm
Forest & Biodiversity
India has lost forest cover to tsunami and dams: report
India has lost 728 square kilometres or 0.11 per cent of rich forest between 2002 and 2004, primarily because of the destruction caused by tsunami and due to the construction of dams in several States. The latest State of Forest Report, released here on Tuesday, also said that shifting cultivation and bamboo flowering in Nagaland and Manipur had resulted in depleting forest cover. However, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand have shown an increase by plantation and better protection. Andaman and Nicobar Islands lost forest due to tsunami and forests in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were cleared to pave the way for large dams, including the controversial Narmada dam. The forest cover in India is 20.60 per cent or 67.71 million hectares of the total geographic area of the country. Of this 1.66 per cent is very dense forest, 10.12 per cent is moderately dense, and the rest 8.82 per cent is open. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/13/stories/2008021354210700.htm
Crushing Aravalli forests to dust
Five years after the Supreme Court banned illegal mining in the Aravalli hills in 2002, the unlawful activity has resumed in Gurgaon district, thanks to the alleged connivance of some forest officials with the mining mafia. A team of senior forest department officials found the presence of over a dozen roads leading from the mining prohibited area to the stone crushing zones, also located adjacent to the forest area. Sources said these roads have been constructed for carrying rocks on trucks from the mining area to the stone crushing zones, which according to a Haryana Pollution Control Board notification are running in violation of the law. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Crushing_Aravalli_
forests_to_dust/articleshow/2771881.cms
700 sq km of forests wiped out between '03-05: Report
Around 728 sq km of forests - roughly half the size of Delhi - have been wiped out clean in two years. Another 630 sq km of productive forests have been turned into degraded patches with little ecological value. These were the findings of the biennial State of Forest Report, released by the Forest Survey of India that revealed changes in India's green canopy between 2003-2005. Nagaland, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gujarat and Assam have suffered the biggest losses in the two years that FSI reviewed using satellite imagery and ground-based verification. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/700_sq_km_forests
_wiped_out/articleshow/2777818.cms
$60,000 British aid for mangrove project in Sundarbans
The British Government is providing an assistance of $60,000 for a project in the Sundarbans that aims to not only create awareness about the threat of climate change in the area but also involves a mass mangrove plantation programme that is expected to be replicated as a successful model elsewhere. The British High Commissioner in India, Sir Richard Stagg, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, Mr Simon Wilson, and several environmental experts visited the project site at Mathurakhand, Bali Islands, Sundarbans. According to environmental experts, the project aims to create awareness about the threat of climate change in the Sundarbans and the hinterland that the delta protects, both in India and Bangladesh. For more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/02/12/stories/2008021
251842100.htm
Loss of mangroves alarming
Environmental and economic damages caused by the alarming loss of mangroves in many countries should be urgently addressed FAO said, calling for better mangrove protection and management programmes. The world has lost around 3.6 million hectares (ha) of mangroves since 1980, equivalent to an alarming 20 percent loss of total mangrove area according to FAO’s recent mangrove assessment study, entitled The world’s mangroves 1980-2005. The total mangrove area has declined from 18.8 million ha in 1980 to 15.2 million ha in 2005, according to the report. There has, however, been a slowdown in the rate of mangrove loss: from some 187 000 ha destroyed annually in the 1980s to 102 000 ha a year between 2000 and 2005, reflecting an increased awareness of the value of mangrove ecosystems. For more: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000776/index.html
Marine & Oceans
International Year of the Reef launched
Even coral reefs, thought to be pristine, are facing challenges, researchers said while launching the International Year of the Reef. This is an effort to increase awareness of the ecological, economic, social and cultural value of coral reefs as well as to learn more about threats to coral reefs and possibly learn how to solve them. The year of the reef is a “campaign to highlight the importance of coral reef ecosystems and to motivate people to protect them,” Conrad Lautenbacher, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said at a briefing. Climate warming has become an increasing threat to reefs, added Clive Wilkinson, coordinator of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/27/stories/2008012755461800.htm
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Just 1,411 tigers in India. Only 1,411 tigers remain in the wild in India
That is the stark finding of the National Tiger Conservation Authority's estimation report. The report confirms the worst fears of experts and conservationists—that the national animal is living on the edge, not all that far from a perilous slide to extinction. The big cat, which has inspired writers and hunters-turned-conservationists like Jim Corbett since the days of the Raj, is facing its toughest battle for survival yet. Tigers are surviving under hazardous circumstances in habitats in 17 states and if these eco-systems fragment further, the depletion rate of the animal may worsen. In fact, the actual number of tigers in the wild in India could be even less than 1,411. As it's a statistical study, the NTCA says if error margins are taken into account, the tiger population may range between 1,165 and 1,657. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bitter_Truth_Just_1411_
tigers_in_India/articleshow/2777803.cms
Corbett has maximum number of tigers
The new count by National Tiger Conservation Authority, using a change of methodology after Sariska blew the lid over India's shocking failure to conserve the tiger, has clearly established that tiger numbers had been grossly misreported in the past. The result of the bogus census had thrown up a figure of 3,508 tigers. Now it is clear that more than 2,000 of these were "paper tigers", existing only in the record books. Despite the hype over the tiger, the magnificent cat has been actually left to his own devices. The previous data was fudged even as tigers dwindled over the past 30 years. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Corbett_has_maximum
_number_of_big_cats/articleshow/2777812.cms
SAARC nations pledge cooperation to curb wildlife trade
All eight SAARC nations -- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- have pledged to enhance cooperation in curbing wildlife trade in the region. Wildlife trade officials from SAARC countries met and defined a series of joint actions under the new South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiative (SAWTI). The direction for the initiative was given by SAARC ministers at the Tenth Meeting of Governing Council for the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) last year. South Asia is home to rare and prized wildlife species such as tigers, Asiatic lions, snow leopards, Asian elephants and one-horned rhinoceroses. International organized wildlife crime networks are often known to target these animals. "The agreement reached on SAWTI puts in place the foundations for a cooperative effort to crack down on illegal trade and to improve the management of wild animals and plants that can be legally traded under national laws in the region," ENN quoted SACEP Director-General Dr Arvind A. Boaz, as saying. SAWTI has been charged with developing a South Asia Regional Strategic Plan on Wildlife Trade for the period 2008-2013. For more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Foreign_Trade/SAARC
_nations_pledge_cooperation_to_curb_wildlife_trade/articleshow/2766865.cms
After tigers, it's leopards vanishing fast
Leopards are competing with tigers in vanishing from forests. If the numbers are any indication then the day is not too far when the jungles would be bereft of the big cats. At least 182 leopards died, most suspected to have been poached, during the past one year. The population of leopards stands at 12,000 in forests spread across 26 States of India. According to Tito Joseph, programme manager, Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), poaching of the species for the purpose of illegal trade has been flourishing. While 196 leopards were poached in 2005, in the subsequent year, the number was pegged at 160. However, according to WPSI estimates, the number of leopards poached in 2007 is at 121, as of now, but is definitely set to go up since compilation for the year is not yet complete since reports from the field are still trickling in. Of all the States housing leopards, 17 have contributed to the total tally. Uttarakhand has reported the highest number of deaths at 58. While Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh together account for over 2,206 leopards, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are home to 2,168 leopards and Gujarat has 1,070 leopards. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives2/default12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story6%2Etxt&counter_img=6&phy_path_it=E%3A%5Cdailypioneer%5Carchives2%5Cfeb1108
Kaziranga reels under rampant poaching
One more rhino is dead in Kaziranga. Barley a month into the New Year, five rhinos have already succumbed to the poachers. The situation in the national park is really grim, as even a rhino calf wasn't spared his life on Tuesday. The poachers hacked the young one's horn, which weighed less than a gram and left her to die. According to official estimates 21 rhinos were poached in Kaziranga last year itself. To make things worse, there's an acute staff shortage at the national park. Moreover, the existing staff is not properly trained and neither has the equipment to fight poachers been overhauled. For more: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080040497&ch=2/6/2008%2011:48:00%20AM
Rhino translocation move faces setback
The ambitious plan to shift a number of rhinos to Manas National Park met with a setback after the drug required for tranquillising the animals did not arrive in Guwahati. What is more worrying is that the authorities involved in the process do not know when it would become available. Well-placed sources in the Assam Forest department told The Assam Tribune that the plan to shift four rhinos from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to Manas National Park under the Indian Rhino Vision plan has been postponed indefinitely. “The medicine distributed by a UK firm could not be procured by the Nandan Kanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar, the sole authority to import it to India.” The sources added that the glitch occurred because the UK government has selected a new firm for supply of the drug, and therefore the previous firm could not provide the same. For more: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=feb1108/at02
PM urged to act on rhino poaching
Lok Sabha MP and the member of National Board for Wildlife, India, Rajen Gohain has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the matter of increasing rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park. He has also demanded a high-level inquiry into the entire incidents of poaching in the park. Addressing mediapersons in the capital city today, Gohain said that though poaching in the national park had been declining upto 2006, has shown an upward swing since 2007. “Between 1998-2006, there were poaching of 47 rhinos in Kaziranga, but in 2007 with a new forest minister, there were 21 incidents of poaching which was double the figure in a decade for the first time,” said Gohain, adding that since the Prime Minister was also the chairman of the National Board for Wildlife, the poaching of the world famed one-horned rhino should come up for discussion in the next meeting of the Board. Gohain said that in the present series of poaching in Kaziranga, viciousness of the illegal operations was a matter of great concern, and criticised forest minister Rockybul Hussain for his failure in preventing the spurt in rhino poaching. For more: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=feb1108/at01
Set up special task force to protect Kaziranga rhino: panel
A high-level committee, headed by State Forest and Environment Commissioner B B Hagzer, has suggested the setting up of a special task force to protect the highly endangered rhino and other animals of Kaziranga National Park. The panel has asked the authorities to immediately increase the manpower engaged in guarding wildlife in the sanctuary. The suggestions have come in the wake of increased incidents of poaching of rhinos for their horns in recent months, with the authorities complaining of shortage of manpower despite a rise in the rhino population. The special task force should be so constituted that it’s able to tackle emergency situations and deter rhinos from straying out of the protected area. Rhinos straying out of the park in search of food become easy prey for poachers, as guards do not keep a watch on animals outside their demarcated territory. The committee, which submitted its report to the state Government has also suggested setting up of forest guard camps every 2 kms on National Highway 37 that passes through the national park, apart from pressing for better equipment and infrastructure support for the protection force. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/268629.html
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
Congo Wetlands reserve to be world’s second largest
WWF has welcomed the World Wetlands Day announcement of the world’s second largest internationally recognized and protected significant wetlands reserve in the Congo “as a clear sign of the world’s increasing interest in the green heart of Africa.” “This underlines the importance of the Congo region as an area that is vital to global climate regulation, biodiversity, and the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples,” said WWF International Director General James Leape. Around 300,000 people live in the 5,908,074 hectare Grand Affluents Ramsar wetland, with the four major tributaries to the Congo flowing through it being the origin of its name as well as making the area an important transport network. The world’s largest Ramsar wetland is the 6,278,200 ha Queen Maude Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Canada. For more: http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=58413
Beyond belief: Who will save the Ganga?
While the Magh Mela at the Sangam in Allahabad attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims each day over the last month for their annual dips, as usual, the UP government can sigh with relief that there were no protests this time. During the Ardha Kumbh Mela in January last year when sadhus threatened to take 'jal samadhi' if the high pollution level in the river wasn't treated. Indeed, it was perhaps a result of the song and dance that the sanyasis made last year that led the administration to take some steps to reduce effluents into the Ganga. But are these enough? The state government has sealed 135 tanneries in Kanpur since December 2006. But none of the government agencies are doing anything to stop the discharge of domestic sewage into the Ganga that, by some estimates, is responsible for nearly 75% of its pollution. The UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), the agency that's supposed to act against the causative factors of Ganga's pollution, most notably domestic sewage, is clueless. The pilgrims, who will continue their dips in the river up to Mahashivratri in mid-March, will thus be doing so in a river whose fundamental problem of sludge hasn't been solved. So how bad is the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) story? For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Who_will_save_the_Ganga/articleshow/
2772494.cms
Birds
Wild crane chase
Since January the sizeable birding community in India has been aflutter with excitement. It all started when a young university student from Pune reported spotting four Siberian cranes near Palwal, a town near Mathura. Within no time the news had winged its way across birding networks throughout the country. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) director Asad Rahmani put out a national alert. The WWF sent a team immediately to the spot. Forest guards in nearby Bharatpur were notified. Not to be left behind, amateur birders from the Delhi bird club flocked to the destination. Over the next couple of weeks, as the most-looked-forward-to winter visitor in India remained disappointingly elusive, mails flew over birding sites on the Net, discussing search strategies. Somebody talked of helicopter surveys, others suggested taking slow-moving trains up and down from Delhi to Mathura (many birders actually did this), some even instituted cash rewards for sightings. For more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2008/02/08/stories/
2008020850010100.htm
Habitat destruction turns off birds from Okhla barrage
The number of migratory birds coming to Okhla Bird Sanctuary has declined this winter, thanks to changes in the habitat and shortage of food. Experts say that the construction activity in the vicinity of the sanctuary is one of the reasons. Also, the depletion of aquatic species has forced birds to look for other greener habitats. Migratory birds usually feed on algae, insects and roots of aquatic plants. "These birds feed on aquatic plants like potamogeton and vallimeria that are absent in Okhla while species like hydrilla are present in small numbers. In the absence of food, the migratory birds prefer to go to other locations," said Faiyaz Khundsar, a Delhi-based wildlife researcher. "In 2006, the number of birds were 9,000. But in the subsequent year, it came down to 8,000. Although there is no official data regarding this, according rough estimates, the number has declined by over 10 per cent as compared to the last year," said G Sudhakar, Divisional Forest Officer, National Chambal Sanctuary based at Agra. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives2/default12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story6%2Etxt&counter_img=6&phy_path_it=E%3A%5Cdailypioneer%5Carchives2%5Cfeb408
Migrant birds caught off guard on China's snow-bound wetlands
The news that six more Chinese wetlands had been identified as "international importance" didn't excite Ji Weitao - he was preoccupied with the number of migrant birds unable to find shelter or food amid the deep freeze of Poyang Lake Nature Reserve. Trekking through the snow-bound wetlands, Ji and his colleagues carried two sacks of feed and spread it on the shores of the lake for wild geese and cranes. Grassroots, fish and shrimps in shoals are their usual favorite food but the persistent snow that started early January and the accompanying deep freeze have buried their meals deep under snow. In another wetland, the eastern part of Dongting Lake, in central Hunan province, white cranes, oriental white storks, Chinese Meganser and white-tailed sea eagles were also struggling in the cold wind. For more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/08/content_7582694.htm
Reptiles & Amphibians
Indian gharial faces extinction
More than 90 Gharial deaths in the National Chambal Sanctuary in India has led ecologists to determine that the species is under severe threat and might be facing extinction. Gharials - often confused with crocodiles - are characterized by their long and thin snout and the "ghara" or pot on their head and eat only fish. They are one of the most threatened crocodile species and are classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union. According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), post mortems on the gharials found dead at the National Chambal Sanctuary show debilitating gout affecting the animals. For analysis into the deaths, a team of international veterinarians and crocodile experts - on government request - is working closely with scientists from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). Early results point to levels of heavy metals - lead and cadmium - leading to immune-suppression, or reduction in the body's ability to fight pathogens, and thereby making the animals susceptible to infections. According to Dr. Sandeep Behera, Freshwater Species coordinator with WWF-India, "We are not ruling out any possibility. Whatever may be the reason for these deaths, one thing is certain: the situation is as grim as 1970 when the number of gharials had plummeted to an all-time low and their population could be restored only after government supported conservation efforts." For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indian_gharial_faces_extinction_/
articleshow/2772231.cms
Live Gharials helping investigate Mass Gharial Deaths on river Chambal
In a first of its kind conservation effort, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department in association with NGOs – Wildlife S.O.S, Gharial Conservation Alliance, WWF and a team of international crocodile veterinary experts has successfully captured live Indian Gharials for their urine, blood and joint fluid samples in order to investigate the causes behind the rapid and mysterious deaths of over 90 Critically Endangered Indian Gharials on the Chambal River. This will help establish crucial baseline data on the Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) 800 of which live in the wild in India with the Chambal Sanctuary being their major stronghold. In 2007, the Indian Gharial became the only crocodile to be re-classified "Critically Endangered" by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The latest IUCN Red List puts the number of breeding adult Gharials in Nepal and India at under 200. The past two months have seen the unprecedented and shocking death of the Gharials on the Chambal River, while other animals such as marsh (mugger) crocodiles and turtles appear unaffected. The National Chambal Sanctuary is spread across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and protects a 425 km stretch of the Chambal River. The mortalities have been confined to a 70 km stretch of the Lower Chambal from Etawah to Gwalior. The epicenter of this disaster is near Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), at the confluence of the Yamuna and Chambal rivers. For more: http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/environmental-services/200802047128.htm
A micro-pill for the health of Chambal’s ghariyals
Following the movement of ghariyals in the Chambal range and keeping track of their health will now become easier for wildlife experts. Over 200 ghariyals will now have microchips embedded in their throats. The chips will be inserted through their mouths. The operation is being under taken by the Ghariyal Crisis Management Group (GCMG) formed by the Centre following the recent deaths of ghariyals in the Etawah range. The Chambal range, which straddles Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, has the highest concentration of ghariyals. These reptiles — around 800 of them — were declared as “critically endangered” by the World Conservation Union. According to the union, the National Chambal Sanctuary area has over 200 adult ghariyals. For more: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/A-micropill-for-the-health-of-Chambals-ghariyals/271376/
New lizard species found in M'rashtra
A new species of the ground-dwelling lizard, also called the gecko, has been discovered in the plateaus of Satara district in south-central Maharashtra. Belonging to the genus Hemidactylus, it is a member of a group of chiefly terrestrial Indian Hemidactylus species that have undivided or only party divided sub-digital lamellae or the fingers of the lizard. The discovery - made in 2003 - was a collaborative effort between Varad B Giri, a scientist with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Aaron M. Bauer of Villanova University, US. The duo's findings and research were confirmed and a paper detailing the discovery published in Zootaxa journal's February 2008 issue. For more: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=8bf13643-6a84-4d75-a71e-aa3675478539&&Headline=New+lizard+species+found+in+M'rashtra
Education
Playing Many Roles
Is that a Chinese spy in disguise, sneaking into Indian territory? Or is it actually a snow leopard? Should I shoot, or should I jot down the “sighting” in my notebook? Believe it or not, these are questions flitting through the minds of soldiers guarding our eastern frontiers in their newly acquired avatars as conservationists. Early this month, Manmohan Singh, the first prime minister since 1996 to visit Arunachal Pradesh, was in the vicinity of the McMohan Line, the border with China that intermittently rattles the T-graph of Sino-Indian relations. The latest tremor was felt when India reacted sharply to China’s “objection” to Singh’s visit. During his “familiarization trip” to an army base, Singh commended the soldiers on their commitment and courage in carrying out their “dual role” — in guarding the frontier and combating insurgency. The prime minister is probably unaware that the security personnel are now multitasking with élan, playing more than two roles. The troops along the border with China and Myanmar have recently been appointed official botanists and zoologists. Keeping one eye on enemy infiltration, the other scours the terrain for the likes of red panda, musk deer, satyr tragopan, black pheasant and other rare and endangered species. The threatened plants include rhododendron and “different types of forests.” A week before the prime minister’s visit, WWF-India conducted orientation workshops for army officials at Tenga and Tawang in Arunachal, distributing over 200 copies of field notebooks with pictures of flora and fauna hitherto unexplored. For the next three months Indian soldiers will carry the notebooks and contribute their bit towards documentation and conservation in remote areas accessible only to the army. Should they inadvertently “trespass” into the adjoining country and get caught with these “incriminating documents”, India will need to take recourse to preventive diplomacy of a novel kind. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080211/jsp/opinion/story_8881430.jsp
AWARD
Leading the way in wildlife conservation
He is India’s Steve Irwin. He is to reptiles what Jim Corbett was to tigers. But the unwanted predators he comes across become his pets, his film stars, his research and his passion. And the president and members of the Rotary Club of Chennai East RA Puram bestowed on him the ‘For the sake of honour award’ for his outstanding leadership in wildlife conservation. Romulus Whitaker, founder of Madras Crocodile Bank and Chennai Snake Park Trust, has, as he confesses, pretty unique feelings about snakes and crocodiles — there aren’t many that would describe the biggest salt water croc in town as “friendly as a puppy dog”. An obsession that began at age five when he brought his first snake home to his mother in New Jersey, developed when he moved to India at seven and found a whole host of exciting new animals in its forests. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/25/stories/2008012559570300.htm
EVENTS
Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Development ; 1 - 2 March 2008; Aligarh, India; abhalakshmisingh@yahoo.com
Seminar on Global Environment ; 7 March 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.geocities.com/ecoseminar2003_association/attention.html
Bern Convention Group Of Experts On Biodiversity And Climate Change; 13 - 14 March 2008; Seville, Spain; http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/conventions/Bern/default_en.asp
The Law of Climate Change; 27 - 28 March 2008; Fremantle, Australia; http://www.nela.org.au
Developing Certified Forests, Forest Products And Markets; 2 - 3 April 2008; Beijing, China; http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/news.cfm?id=china_certified
Forest Governance And Decentralization In Africa; 8 - 11 April 2008. Durban, South Africa.;
http://www.intercooperation.ch/projects/p170
28th Session Of The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC 28); 9 - 10 April 2008. Budapest, Hungary. http://www.ipcc.ch/
17th Meeting Of The CITES Plants Committee; 15 - 18 April 2008; Geneva, Switzerland; http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml
23rd Meeting Of The CITES Animals Committee; 21 - 24 April 2008; Geneva, Switzerland; http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml
Sixth European Ramsar Regional Meeting; 3 May 2008 - 7 May 2008. Stockholm, Sweden. http://www.ramsar.org/meetings.htm
Asian Wetland Symposium 2008; 22 June 2008 - 25 June 2008. Hanoi, Vietnam. http://www.aws2008.net
Bengal presses for chopper service to Sundarbans
The West Bengal Government has approached the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for a dedicated helicopter service to the world’s largest river delta and mangrove forest, the Sundarbans. “We have approached the Centre to start ‘heli-tourism’ in the Sundarbans and have even invited officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Pawan Hans to visit the area and study its viability at the earliest. The idea is to give a boost to tourism in this area, which is otherwise quite inaccessible. With helicopters in place, tourists can easily be taken on an aerial tour of the Sundarbans,” said A K Bal, secretary Sundarban Affairs, Government of West Bengal. Among probable reservations against the proposal are environmental issues and the swampy terrain that is not very suitable for helicopter operations. The state Government has answers to both. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/265682.html
Climate Change & Energy
For transparent carbon trading
Global carbon trading has gained momentum. The Worldwatch Institute, drawing from various studies, places the total value of the trade in 2007 at $59.2 billion, an 80 per cent increase over 2006. As the 2012 deadline for reducing emission levels approaches, the volume of carbon trading will be enormous. Asian countries are the biggest sellers and western countries the biggest buyers. A World Bank report on the 2007 carbon market shows that China has a market share of 61 per cent and India 12 per cent. The Government of India, as a part of its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, set up in 2003 a National Clean Development Mechanism Authority, which has been reviewing proposals for carbon credits. However, the final credits are issued by the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism at the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC). India has garnered 35 million of the 102 million Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) issued up to January 2008. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/13/stories/2008021354541000.htm
Forest & Biodiversity
India has lost forest cover to tsunami and dams: report
India has lost 728 square kilometres or 0.11 per cent of rich forest between 2002 and 2004, primarily because of the destruction caused by tsunami and due to the construction of dams in several States. The latest State of Forest Report, released here on Tuesday, also said that shifting cultivation and bamboo flowering in Nagaland and Manipur had resulted in depleting forest cover. However, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand have shown an increase by plantation and better protection. Andaman and Nicobar Islands lost forest due to tsunami and forests in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were cleared to pave the way for large dams, including the controversial Narmada dam. The forest cover in India is 20.60 per cent or 67.71 million hectares of the total geographic area of the country. Of this 1.66 per cent is very dense forest, 10.12 per cent is moderately dense, and the rest 8.82 per cent is open. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/13/stories/2008021354210700.htm
Crushing Aravalli forests to dust
Five years after the Supreme Court banned illegal mining in the Aravalli hills in 2002, the unlawful activity has resumed in Gurgaon district, thanks to the alleged connivance of some forest officials with the mining mafia. A team of senior forest department officials found the presence of over a dozen roads leading from the mining prohibited area to the stone crushing zones, also located adjacent to the forest area. Sources said these roads have been constructed for carrying rocks on trucks from the mining area to the stone crushing zones, which according to a Haryana Pollution Control Board notification are running in violation of the law. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Crushing_Aravalli_
forests_to_dust/articleshow/2771881.cms
700 sq km of forests wiped out between '03-05: Report
Around 728 sq km of forests - roughly half the size of Delhi - have been wiped out clean in two years. Another 630 sq km of productive forests have been turned into degraded patches with little ecological value. These were the findings of the biennial State of Forest Report, released by the Forest Survey of India that revealed changes in India's green canopy between 2003-2005. Nagaland, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gujarat and Assam have suffered the biggest losses in the two years that FSI reviewed using satellite imagery and ground-based verification. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/700_sq_km_forests
_wiped_out/articleshow/2777818.cms
$60,000 British aid for mangrove project in Sundarbans
The British Government is providing an assistance of $60,000 for a project in the Sundarbans that aims to not only create awareness about the threat of climate change in the area but also involves a mass mangrove plantation programme that is expected to be replicated as a successful model elsewhere. The British High Commissioner in India, Sir Richard Stagg, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, Mr Simon Wilson, and several environmental experts visited the project site at Mathurakhand, Bali Islands, Sundarbans. According to environmental experts, the project aims to create awareness about the threat of climate change in the Sundarbans and the hinterland that the delta protects, both in India and Bangladesh. For more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/02/12/stories/2008021
251842100.htm
Loss of mangroves alarming
Environmental and economic damages caused by the alarming loss of mangroves in many countries should be urgently addressed FAO said, calling for better mangrove protection and management programmes. The world has lost around 3.6 million hectares (ha) of mangroves since 1980, equivalent to an alarming 20 percent loss of total mangrove area according to FAO’s recent mangrove assessment study, entitled The world’s mangroves 1980-2005. The total mangrove area has declined from 18.8 million ha in 1980 to 15.2 million ha in 2005, according to the report. There has, however, been a slowdown in the rate of mangrove loss: from some 187 000 ha destroyed annually in the 1980s to 102 000 ha a year between 2000 and 2005, reflecting an increased awareness of the value of mangrove ecosystems. For more: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000776/index.html
Marine & Oceans
International Year of the Reef launched
Even coral reefs, thought to be pristine, are facing challenges, researchers said while launching the International Year of the Reef. This is an effort to increase awareness of the ecological, economic, social and cultural value of coral reefs as well as to learn more about threats to coral reefs and possibly learn how to solve them. The year of the reef is a “campaign to highlight the importance of coral reef ecosystems and to motivate people to protect them,” Conrad Lautenbacher, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said at a briefing. Climate warming has become an increasing threat to reefs, added Clive Wilkinson, coordinator of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/27/stories/2008012755461800.htm
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Just 1,411 tigers in India. Only 1,411 tigers remain in the wild in India
That is the stark finding of the National Tiger Conservation Authority's estimation report. The report confirms the worst fears of experts and conservationists—that the national animal is living on the edge, not all that far from a perilous slide to extinction. The big cat, which has inspired writers and hunters-turned-conservationists like Jim Corbett since the days of the Raj, is facing its toughest battle for survival yet. Tigers are surviving under hazardous circumstances in habitats in 17 states and if these eco-systems fragment further, the depletion rate of the animal may worsen. In fact, the actual number of tigers in the wild in India could be even less than 1,411. As it's a statistical study, the NTCA says if error margins are taken into account, the tiger population may range between 1,165 and 1,657. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bitter_Truth_Just_1411_
tigers_in_India/articleshow/2777803.cms
Corbett has maximum number of tigers
The new count by National Tiger Conservation Authority, using a change of methodology after Sariska blew the lid over India's shocking failure to conserve the tiger, has clearly established that tiger numbers had been grossly misreported in the past. The result of the bogus census had thrown up a figure of 3,508 tigers. Now it is clear that more than 2,000 of these were "paper tigers", existing only in the record books. Despite the hype over the tiger, the magnificent cat has been actually left to his own devices. The previous data was fudged even as tigers dwindled over the past 30 years. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Corbett_has_maximum
_number_of_big_cats/articleshow/2777812.cms
SAARC nations pledge cooperation to curb wildlife trade
All eight SAARC nations -- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- have pledged to enhance cooperation in curbing wildlife trade in the region. Wildlife trade officials from SAARC countries met and defined a series of joint actions under the new South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiative (SAWTI). The direction for the initiative was given by SAARC ministers at the Tenth Meeting of Governing Council for the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) last year. South Asia is home to rare and prized wildlife species such as tigers, Asiatic lions, snow leopards, Asian elephants and one-horned rhinoceroses. International organized wildlife crime networks are often known to target these animals. "The agreement reached on SAWTI puts in place the foundations for a cooperative effort to crack down on illegal trade and to improve the management of wild animals and plants that can be legally traded under national laws in the region," ENN quoted SACEP Director-General Dr Arvind A. Boaz, as saying. SAWTI has been charged with developing a South Asia Regional Strategic Plan on Wildlife Trade for the period 2008-2013. For more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Foreign_Trade/SAARC
_nations_pledge_cooperation_to_curb_wildlife_trade/articleshow/2766865.cms
After tigers, it's leopards vanishing fast
Leopards are competing with tigers in vanishing from forests. If the numbers are any indication then the day is not too far when the jungles would be bereft of the big cats. At least 182 leopards died, most suspected to have been poached, during the past one year. The population of leopards stands at 12,000 in forests spread across 26 States of India. According to Tito Joseph, programme manager, Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), poaching of the species for the purpose of illegal trade has been flourishing. While 196 leopards were poached in 2005, in the subsequent year, the number was pegged at 160. However, according to WPSI estimates, the number of leopards poached in 2007 is at 121, as of now, but is definitely set to go up since compilation for the year is not yet complete since reports from the field are still trickling in. Of all the States housing leopards, 17 have contributed to the total tally. Uttarakhand has reported the highest number of deaths at 58. While Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh together account for over 2,206 leopards, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are home to 2,168 leopards and Gujarat has 1,070 leopards. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives2/default12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story6%2Etxt&counter_img=6&phy_path_it=E%3A%5Cdailypioneer%5Carchives2%5Cfeb1108
Kaziranga reels under rampant poaching
One more rhino is dead in Kaziranga. Barley a month into the New Year, five rhinos have already succumbed to the poachers. The situation in the national park is really grim, as even a rhino calf wasn't spared his life on Tuesday. The poachers hacked the young one's horn, which weighed less than a gram and left her to die. According to official estimates 21 rhinos were poached in Kaziranga last year itself. To make things worse, there's an acute staff shortage at the national park. Moreover, the existing staff is not properly trained and neither has the equipment to fight poachers been overhauled. For more: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080040497&ch=2/6/2008%2011:48:00%20AM
Rhino translocation move faces setback
The ambitious plan to shift a number of rhinos to Manas National Park met with a setback after the drug required for tranquillising the animals did not arrive in Guwahati. What is more worrying is that the authorities involved in the process do not know when it would become available. Well-placed sources in the Assam Forest department told The Assam Tribune that the plan to shift four rhinos from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to Manas National Park under the Indian Rhino Vision plan has been postponed indefinitely. “The medicine distributed by a UK firm could not be procured by the Nandan Kanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneswar, the sole authority to import it to India.” The sources added that the glitch occurred because the UK government has selected a new firm for supply of the drug, and therefore the previous firm could not provide the same. For more: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=feb1108/at02
PM urged to act on rhino poaching
Lok Sabha MP and the member of National Board for Wildlife, India, Rajen Gohain has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the matter of increasing rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park. He has also demanded a high-level inquiry into the entire incidents of poaching in the park. Addressing mediapersons in the capital city today, Gohain said that though poaching in the national park had been declining upto 2006, has shown an upward swing since 2007. “Between 1998-2006, there were poaching of 47 rhinos in Kaziranga, but in 2007 with a new forest minister, there were 21 incidents of poaching which was double the figure in a decade for the first time,” said Gohain, adding that since the Prime Minister was also the chairman of the National Board for Wildlife, the poaching of the world famed one-horned rhino should come up for discussion in the next meeting of the Board. Gohain said that in the present series of poaching in Kaziranga, viciousness of the illegal operations was a matter of great concern, and criticised forest minister Rockybul Hussain for his failure in preventing the spurt in rhino poaching. For more: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=feb1108/at01
Set up special task force to protect Kaziranga rhino: panel
A high-level committee, headed by State Forest and Environment Commissioner B B Hagzer, has suggested the setting up of a special task force to protect the highly endangered rhino and other animals of Kaziranga National Park. The panel has asked the authorities to immediately increase the manpower engaged in guarding wildlife in the sanctuary. The suggestions have come in the wake of increased incidents of poaching of rhinos for their horns in recent months, with the authorities complaining of shortage of manpower despite a rise in the rhino population. The special task force should be so constituted that it’s able to tackle emergency situations and deter rhinos from straying out of the protected area. Rhinos straying out of the park in search of food become easy prey for poachers, as guards do not keep a watch on animals outside their demarcated territory. The committee, which submitted its report to the state Government has also suggested setting up of forest guard camps every 2 kms on National Highway 37 that passes through the national park, apart from pressing for better equipment and infrastructure support for the protection force. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/268629.html
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
Congo Wetlands reserve to be world’s second largest
WWF has welcomed the World Wetlands Day announcement of the world’s second largest internationally recognized and protected significant wetlands reserve in the Congo “as a clear sign of the world’s increasing interest in the green heart of Africa.” “This underlines the importance of the Congo region as an area that is vital to global climate regulation, biodiversity, and the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples,” said WWF International Director General James Leape. Around 300,000 people live in the 5,908,074 hectare Grand Affluents Ramsar wetland, with the four major tributaries to the Congo flowing through it being the origin of its name as well as making the area an important transport network. The world’s largest Ramsar wetland is the 6,278,200 ha Queen Maude Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Canada. For more: http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=58413
Beyond belief: Who will save the Ganga?
While the Magh Mela at the Sangam in Allahabad attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims each day over the last month for their annual dips, as usual, the UP government can sigh with relief that there were no protests this time. During the Ardha Kumbh Mela in January last year when sadhus threatened to take 'jal samadhi' if the high pollution level in the river wasn't treated. Indeed, it was perhaps a result of the song and dance that the sanyasis made last year that led the administration to take some steps to reduce effluents into the Ganga. But are these enough? The state government has sealed 135 tanneries in Kanpur since December 2006. But none of the government agencies are doing anything to stop the discharge of domestic sewage into the Ganga that, by some estimates, is responsible for nearly 75% of its pollution. The UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), the agency that's supposed to act against the causative factors of Ganga's pollution, most notably domestic sewage, is clueless. The pilgrims, who will continue their dips in the river up to Mahashivratri in mid-March, will thus be doing so in a river whose fundamental problem of sludge hasn't been solved. So how bad is the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) story? For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Who_will_save_the_Ganga/articleshow/
2772494.cms
Birds
Wild crane chase
Since January the sizeable birding community in India has been aflutter with excitement. It all started when a young university student from Pune reported spotting four Siberian cranes near Palwal, a town near Mathura. Within no time the news had winged its way across birding networks throughout the country. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) director Asad Rahmani put out a national alert. The WWF sent a team immediately to the spot. Forest guards in nearby Bharatpur were notified. Not to be left behind, amateur birders from the Delhi bird club flocked to the destination. Over the next couple of weeks, as the most-looked-forward-to winter visitor in India remained disappointingly elusive, mails flew over birding sites on the Net, discussing search strategies. Somebody talked of helicopter surveys, others suggested taking slow-moving trains up and down from Delhi to Mathura (many birders actually did this), some even instituted cash rewards for sightings. For more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2008/02/08/stories/
2008020850010100.htm
Habitat destruction turns off birds from Okhla barrage
The number of migratory birds coming to Okhla Bird Sanctuary has declined this winter, thanks to changes in the habitat and shortage of food. Experts say that the construction activity in the vicinity of the sanctuary is one of the reasons. Also, the depletion of aquatic species has forced birds to look for other greener habitats. Migratory birds usually feed on algae, insects and roots of aquatic plants. "These birds feed on aquatic plants like potamogeton and vallimeria that are absent in Okhla while species like hydrilla are present in small numbers. In the absence of food, the migratory birds prefer to go to other locations," said Faiyaz Khundsar, a Delhi-based wildlife researcher. "In 2006, the number of birds were 9,000. But in the subsequent year, it came down to 8,000. Although there is no official data regarding this, according rough estimates, the number has declined by over 10 per cent as compared to the last year," said G Sudhakar, Divisional Forest Officer, National Chambal Sanctuary based at Agra. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives2/default12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story6%2Etxt&counter_img=6&phy_path_it=E%3A%5Cdailypioneer%5Carchives2%5Cfeb408
Migrant birds caught off guard on China's snow-bound wetlands
The news that six more Chinese wetlands had been identified as "international importance" didn't excite Ji Weitao - he was preoccupied with the number of migrant birds unable to find shelter or food amid the deep freeze of Poyang Lake Nature Reserve. Trekking through the snow-bound wetlands, Ji and his colleagues carried two sacks of feed and spread it on the shores of the lake for wild geese and cranes. Grassroots, fish and shrimps in shoals are their usual favorite food but the persistent snow that started early January and the accompanying deep freeze have buried their meals deep under snow. In another wetland, the eastern part of Dongting Lake, in central Hunan province, white cranes, oriental white storks, Chinese Meganser and white-tailed sea eagles were also struggling in the cold wind. For more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/08/content_7582694.htm
Reptiles & Amphibians
Indian gharial faces extinction
More than 90 Gharial deaths in the National Chambal Sanctuary in India has led ecologists to determine that the species is under severe threat and might be facing extinction. Gharials - often confused with crocodiles - are characterized by their long and thin snout and the "ghara" or pot on their head and eat only fish. They are one of the most threatened crocodile species and are classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union. According to a report in ENN (Environmental News Network), post mortems on the gharials found dead at the National Chambal Sanctuary show debilitating gout affecting the animals. For analysis into the deaths, a team of international veterinarians and crocodile experts - on government request - is working closely with scientists from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). Early results point to levels of heavy metals - lead and cadmium - leading to immune-suppression, or reduction in the body's ability to fight pathogens, and thereby making the animals susceptible to infections. According to Dr. Sandeep Behera, Freshwater Species coordinator with WWF-India, "We are not ruling out any possibility. Whatever may be the reason for these deaths, one thing is certain: the situation is as grim as 1970 when the number of gharials had plummeted to an all-time low and their population could be restored only after government supported conservation efforts." For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indian_gharial_faces_extinction_/
articleshow/2772231.cms
Live Gharials helping investigate Mass Gharial Deaths on river Chambal
In a first of its kind conservation effort, the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department in association with NGOs – Wildlife S.O.S, Gharial Conservation Alliance, WWF and a team of international crocodile veterinary experts has successfully captured live Indian Gharials for their urine, blood and joint fluid samples in order to investigate the causes behind the rapid and mysterious deaths of over 90 Critically Endangered Indian Gharials on the Chambal River. This will help establish crucial baseline data on the Indian Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) 800 of which live in the wild in India with the Chambal Sanctuary being their major stronghold. In 2007, the Indian Gharial became the only crocodile to be re-classified "Critically Endangered" by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The latest IUCN Red List puts the number of breeding adult Gharials in Nepal and India at under 200. The past two months have seen the unprecedented and shocking death of the Gharials on the Chambal River, while other animals such as marsh (mugger) crocodiles and turtles appear unaffected. The National Chambal Sanctuary is spread across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and protects a 425 km stretch of the Chambal River. The mortalities have been confined to a 70 km stretch of the Lower Chambal from Etawah to Gwalior. The epicenter of this disaster is near Etawah (Uttar Pradesh), at the confluence of the Yamuna and Chambal rivers. For more: http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/environmental-services/200802047128.htm
A micro-pill for the health of Chambal’s ghariyals
Following the movement of ghariyals in the Chambal range and keeping track of their health will now become easier for wildlife experts. Over 200 ghariyals will now have microchips embedded in their throats. The chips will be inserted through their mouths. The operation is being under taken by the Ghariyal Crisis Management Group (GCMG) formed by the Centre following the recent deaths of ghariyals in the Etawah range. The Chambal range, which straddles Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, has the highest concentration of ghariyals. These reptiles — around 800 of them — were declared as “critically endangered” by the World Conservation Union. According to the union, the National Chambal Sanctuary area has over 200 adult ghariyals. For more: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/A-micropill-for-the-health-of-Chambals-ghariyals/271376/
New lizard species found in M'rashtra
A new species of the ground-dwelling lizard, also called the gecko, has been discovered in the plateaus of Satara district in south-central Maharashtra. Belonging to the genus Hemidactylus, it is a member of a group of chiefly terrestrial Indian Hemidactylus species that have undivided or only party divided sub-digital lamellae or the fingers of the lizard. The discovery - made in 2003 - was a collaborative effort between Varad B Giri, a scientist with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Aaron M. Bauer of Villanova University, US. The duo's findings and research were confirmed and a paper detailing the discovery published in Zootaxa journal's February 2008 issue. For more: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=8bf13643-6a84-4d75-a71e-aa3675478539&&Headline=New+lizard+species+found+in+M'rashtra
Education
Playing Many Roles
Is that a Chinese spy in disguise, sneaking into Indian territory? Or is it actually a snow leopard? Should I shoot, or should I jot down the “sighting” in my notebook? Believe it or not, these are questions flitting through the minds of soldiers guarding our eastern frontiers in their newly acquired avatars as conservationists. Early this month, Manmohan Singh, the first prime minister since 1996 to visit Arunachal Pradesh, was in the vicinity of the McMohan Line, the border with China that intermittently rattles the T-graph of Sino-Indian relations. The latest tremor was felt when India reacted sharply to China’s “objection” to Singh’s visit. During his “familiarization trip” to an army base, Singh commended the soldiers on their commitment and courage in carrying out their “dual role” — in guarding the frontier and combating insurgency. The prime minister is probably unaware that the security personnel are now multitasking with élan, playing more than two roles. The troops along the border with China and Myanmar have recently been appointed official botanists and zoologists. Keeping one eye on enemy infiltration, the other scours the terrain for the likes of red panda, musk deer, satyr tragopan, black pheasant and other rare and endangered species. The threatened plants include rhododendron and “different types of forests.” A week before the prime minister’s visit, WWF-India conducted orientation workshops for army officials at Tenga and Tawang in Arunachal, distributing over 200 copies of field notebooks with pictures of flora and fauna hitherto unexplored. For the next three months Indian soldiers will carry the notebooks and contribute their bit towards documentation and conservation in remote areas accessible only to the army. Should they inadvertently “trespass” into the adjoining country and get caught with these “incriminating documents”, India will need to take recourse to preventive diplomacy of a novel kind. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080211/jsp/opinion/story_8881430.jsp
AWARD
Leading the way in wildlife conservation
He is India’s Steve Irwin. He is to reptiles what Jim Corbett was to tigers. But the unwanted predators he comes across become his pets, his film stars, his research and his passion. And the president and members of the Rotary Club of Chennai East RA Puram bestowed on him the ‘For the sake of honour award’ for his outstanding leadership in wildlife conservation. Romulus Whitaker, founder of Madras Crocodile Bank and Chennai Snake Park Trust, has, as he confesses, pretty unique feelings about snakes and crocodiles — there aren’t many that would describe the biggest salt water croc in town as “friendly as a puppy dog”. An obsession that began at age five when he brought his first snake home to his mother in New Jersey, developed when he moved to India at seven and found a whole host of exciting new animals in its forests. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/25/stories/2008012559570300.htm
EVENTS
Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Development ; 1 - 2 March 2008; Aligarh, India; abhalakshmisingh@yahoo.com
Seminar on Global Environment ; 7 March 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.geocities.com/ecoseminar2003_association/attention.html
Bern Convention Group Of Experts On Biodiversity And Climate Change; 13 - 14 March 2008; Seville, Spain; http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/conventions/Bern/default_en.asp
The Law of Climate Change; 27 - 28 March 2008; Fremantle, Australia; http://www.nela.org.au
Developing Certified Forests, Forest Products And Markets; 2 - 3 April 2008; Beijing, China; http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/news.cfm?id=china_certified
Forest Governance And Decentralization In Africa; 8 - 11 April 2008. Durban, South Africa.;
http://www.intercooperation.ch/projects/p170
28th Session Of The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC 28); 9 - 10 April 2008. Budapest, Hungary. http://www.ipcc.ch/
17th Meeting Of The CITES Plants Committee; 15 - 18 April 2008; Geneva, Switzerland; http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml
23rd Meeting Of The CITES Animals Committee; 21 - 24 April 2008; Geneva, Switzerland; http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml
Sixth European Ramsar Regional Meeting; 3 May 2008 - 7 May 2008. Stockholm, Sweden. http://www.ramsar.org/meetings.htm
Asian Wetland Symposium 2008; 22 June 2008 - 25 June 2008. Hanoi, Vietnam. http://www.aws2008.net
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