NatureNews
NatureNews - A WWF digest of environment news on the Internet
NatureNews for the week ending December 07, 2007. To subscribe to NatureNews, please write to Library.
Environment - General
Cleaner coal key part of energy supply: environmentalists
Coal power stations will remain central to the world's energy supply for the next 40 years, but they must slash emissions to avoid pushing up global temperatures, an environmental group said. The plants could still provide 20 percent of the world's energy needs in 2050 with only a limited rise in temperatures if they used technology that could capture carbon dioxide, said Ina Pozon, co-ordinator of WWF International's Asia Pacific Coal Initiative. "Governments must get industry to prove the viability of clean coal technologies, otherwise social and environmental impacts of local pollution and global climate change will prohibit large scale use of coal," Pozon said. The WWF released two reports that examined whether there could be a reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions by 60 to 80 percent, while still accepting that worldwide energy demand would double by 2050. The study found that a combination of more renewable energy, drastic efficiency improvement and cleaner coal and gas, could meet the target. For more: http://www.terradaily.com/2007/071126110236.152p6d2v.html
Climate Change & Energy
WWF: Indonesia highly vulnerable to climate change, must act – Summary
An international environmental group warned that the impact of global warming is already evident in Indonesia and would likely worsen. The combination of its high population density and high levels of biodiversity together with a staggering 80,000 kilometres of coastline and 17,500 islands makes Indonesia one of the countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, the WWF said. The review from the global conservation organization highlighted that annual rainfall in the world's fourth most populous nation had fallen 2 to 3 per cent in the past century and the seasons are changing. "As rainfall decreases during critical times of the year, this translates into higher drought risk, consequently a decrease in crop yields, economic instability and drastically more undernourished people," said Fitrian Ardiansyah, director of WWF Indonesia's Climate and Energy Programme. "This will undo Indonesia's progress against poverty and food insecurity," For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/149289.html
UNDP: help the poor cope with climate change risks
UNDP’s Resident Representative in India, Maxine Olson, called for scaling up of efforts to assist the poorest in the country in adapting to the threats posed by global climate change. Releasing a report brought out by the UNDP on climate change, she said that even as India had made a steady progress to improve the people’s health, education, and wealth, a large human development backlog still existed. Superimposing climate change risks on this deficit could increase inequalities. The report, “Fighting climate change: human solidarity in a divided world,” emphasised that the impacts of climate change on poor people’s human development prospects around the world were significantly underestimated and warned that the world was drifting towards a tipping point that could lock the poorest countries and their poorest citizens in a downward spiral, leaving hundreds of millions facing malnutrition, water scarcity, ecological threats and loss of livelihood. In India, the report said, changing rainfall patterns on account of climate change could result in drops in agricultural productivity, directly affecting 60 per cent of the population, which relied on the sector. The continued retreat of the Himalayan glaciers could increase water scarcity, affecting 500 million people in South Asia. http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/28/stories/2007112861951700.htm
50 years on: The Keeling Curve legacy
It is a scientific icon, which belongs, some claim, alongside E=mc2 and the double helix. Its name - the Keeling Curve - may be scarcely known outside scientific circles, but the jagged upward slope showing rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere has become one of the most famous graphs in science, and a potent symbol of our times. It was 50 years ago that a young American scientist, Charles David Keeling, began tracking CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere at two of the world's last wildernesses - the South Pole and the summit of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7120770.stm
Climate change: action not despair
When you warn people about the dangers of climate change, they call you a saint. When you explain what needs to be done to stop it, they call you a communist. Let me show you why. There is now a broad scientific consensus that we need to prevent temperatures from rising by more than 2C above their pre-industrial level. Beyond that point, the Greenland ice sheet could go into irreversible meltdown, some ecosystems collapse, bill ions suffer from water stress, and droughts start to threaten global food supplies. The British government proposes to cut the U.K.’s carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. This target is based on a report published in 2000. That report was based on an assessment published in 1995, which drew on scientific papers published a few years earlier. The U.K.’s policy, in other words, is based on papers some 15 years old. Our target, which is one of the toughest on earth, bears no relation to current science. Both the U.K. Premier, Gordon Brown, and his adviser, Sir Nicholas Stern, have proposed raising the cut to 80 per cent. Where did this figure come from? The last G8 summit adopted the aim of a global cut of 50 per cent by 2050, which means that 80 per cent would be roughly the U.K.’s fair share. But the G8’s target isn’t based on current science either. In the new summary published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), you will find a table that links different cuts to likely temperatures. It suggests that to prevent global warming from eventually exceeding 2C, by 2050 the world will need to cut its emissions to roughly 15 per cent of the volume in 2000. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/06/stories/2007120652441100.htm
Bali and beyond: a new green economics
Handled correctly, the fight against global warming could set the stage for an eco-friendly transformation of the global economy — one that spurs growth rather than crimps it, as many national leaders fear. - Ban Ki-moon. We have read the science. Global warming is real, and we are a prime cause. We have heard the warnings. Unless we act, now, we face serious consequences. Polar ice may melt. Sea levels will rise. A third of our plant and animal species could vanish. There will be famine around the world, particularly in Africa and Central Asia. Largely lost in the debate is the good news. We can do something about this — more easily, and at far less cost, than most of us imagine. These are the conclusions of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the scientific body that recently shared the Nobel peace prize. It is sobering reading, but we must not miss its optimistic bottom line: to repeat, we can do this — in ways that are both affordable and promote prosperity. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/04/stories/2007120454251100.htm
Forest & Biodiversity
Mumbai begins mapping its environmental assets
If all goes well, Mumbai will have a comprehensive documentation of all its natural assets just 18 months from now. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region-Environment Improvement Society (EIS), which had rolled out its plan for an inventory of all environmental assets in the city in March this year, has already selected consultants to manage the project. Uma Adusumalli, chief town planner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and a committee member of the EIS, said two consultants have been finalised. “Initially, we are aiming to list the assets in Greater Mumbai, within one-and-a-half years. Later, we can extend the exercise to the entire Mumbai metropolitan region.” The region includes the entire stretch from Mumbai to Virar, Alibaug, Khopoli, Kalyan and Bhiwandi. The MMR-EIS is an independent body supported by the MMRDA. According to Prasad Shetty, an environmental planner and a member of the EIS, the planned inventory will list open spaces included in the 1991-2011 Development Plan (recreational grounds, playgrounds and parks); water bodies (lakes and ponds); water courses (rivers and natural nullahs); coastline features (like mudflats, rocky beaches, sandy beaches, etc) and large urban green areas (national parks, IIT campus, Byculla zoo, Aarey Milk Colony, etc). For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/238479.html
Court bans mining in Indian mountain forests
India's Supreme Court has barred a British company from mining bauxite in forested hills in the east of the country that are home to some of the world's rarest animals, handing a victory to environmental activists and tribal people. Vedanta Resources Plc had planned a £470m open-cast mining project that would rip through the plateau of the Niyamgiri mountain range in Orissa to feed an aluminium plant it has already built in the area. But the court ruled: "Adherence to sustainable development is a constitutional requirement. We cannot risk handing over this important national asset to a company." Development had to proceed, "without compromising the needs of future generations". There was a chance that the project could proceed in some form, however, after the court asked Vedanta's Indian arm, Sterlite Industries, to come back with a proposal on safeguarding the rights of local tribal people through a new investment firm. There was no comment from Vedanta on the ruling. For more: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3191526.ece
Forest Act won't come into force before Jan
The intervention of 10 Janpath in the roll-out of the Forest Rights Act will see the law come into force not before January 2008. The window till then will be utilised to notify tiger reserves as "critical wildlife habitats" so that they not only remain protected zones, but also allow fairly rapid relocation of forest dwellers. The solution arrived at aims at ensuring that relocation from tiger reserves proceeds under the existing laws — the habitats will also be notified under the Wildlife Protection Act — and not under the more rigorous Forest Rights Act. This would make it easier for central and state authorities to settle compensation packages. The move is not likely to please tribal activists who have argued that the definition of critical wildlife habitats must take place in accordance with the rules framed for doing so under the Forest Rights Act, which is better known as the "Tribal Bill". For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Forest_Act_wont_come_into_
force_before_Jan/articleshow/2583343.cms
Marine & Oceans
Green Turtle Nesting Sites Discovered In Senegal
A WWF survey has discovered several marine turtle nesting sites on the beaches of Senegal, prompting calls from conservationists to improve protection of the endangered species. The survey — conducted by WWF staff, Senegalese wildlife officials and the local community between July and September — discovered nine new green turtle nests on the beaches of Joal-Fadiouth in the Saloum Delta south of the capital, Dakar. Turtle tracks in the sand left by female turtles were also discovered at nearby Palmarine Beach as well as at Langue de Barbarie at the mouth of the Senegal River in the northern part of the country. “The nests confirm that these beaches are important nesting sites and must be protected,” said Dr Mamadou Diallo, WWF Senegal’s programme manager for species. For more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126144446.htm
Troubled dolphin waters
Every day, thousands flock to worship the Ganges, worshipfully addressing the river goddess as ‘Ganga Maiyya (mother)’. But few spare even a moment’s thought for one of this holy river’s most famous, and most endangered, denizens — the Gangetic dolphin. The CITES has included Gangetic dolphins in its list of endangered species owing to their rapidly declining numbers. The dolphins produce a magical effect as they spring out of the water for a couple of seconds before diving in again, resurfacing every three minutes for air! The locals fondly call them susu, thanks to the sound the dolphins make when they spring up into the air. The survival of the Gangetic dolphin, or Platanista gangetica, is closely tied to the survival of the river and its ecosystem. The river dolphin has no eye lens and uses the eyes as a direction-finding device. It uses echolocation to track food and its sensitive snout is used to probe for fish, shrimp, and other organisms at the river bottom. For more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2007/11/23/
stories/2007112350050200.htm
Dolphins are dying in Assam
In Assam's Duijan town, dark silhouettes cruising silently in deep muddy waters off the banks of the Brahmaputra river is a memory that never dies out. But the dolphins, or 'xihu' as locals call it, are dying. In Tinsukia district, of which Duijan is a part, - around 600 km from here - the xihus are battling for survival against enormous river pollution and mounting threats from humans. Riverine communities in the floodplains are familiar with the xihus. Many have watched them at play or spotted them keeping up with speeding motorboats, diving and leaping near the front or bow. The xihus surface intermittently from the deep waters to breathe before quickly disappearing again. But over the years things have changed. Their sightings have become rare. The fishermen who once enjoyed their presence now kill them for use as fish-bait. Dolphins are poached to extract fat oil, which when released in the river, attracts fish in large numbers. Conservationists say there are just about 268 xihus fighting a losing battle for survival in Assam's vast river networks. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/147128.html
Saving the turtle
Legend has it that ancient philosopher Fu Hsi was sitting on the banks of the Lo River in northern China when a turtle emerged from the quite water. Stirred from his quite meditation, Fu Hsi was drawn to this serene creature. As he examined the turtle’s shell he saw the perfect world - heaven, earth, fire, water, mountain, lake, wind and thunder reflected on the orderly markings of the turtle. From this simple exchange, the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui, or the balance of life, was born. Hindu mythology regards the turtle as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the protector. There are a number of stories spread across the various scriptures about turtles. Yet, these harmless creatures are today on the brink of extinction. Thanks to the activities of us humans! Seriously threatened by illegal mechanised fishing, over a lakh turtles have been killed in the last 13 years, along the Orissa coast alone. Dead Olive Ridley turtles are spotted in large numbers at Garihmata, the Devi and Jatadhar river mouths, Harishpur, Chilika coast and Puri. These endangered species nests at three major rookies in Orissa, of which Garihmata is the largest rookery in the world today with over 1,00,000 nesting turtles. However in the recent past nesting at this place declined steadily. According to Wildlife Society of Orissa while 2,30,000 turtles nested in this area in 2006, this year the total nesting was just 1,40,000 and things are likely to get worse. Much of the decline of the nesting population can be attributed to illegal trawl fishing operations, particularly shrimp trawling, in the near shore waters of Gahirmat and other coastal areas of Orissa. Infact, shrimp trawling has been identified as the biggest cause of sea turtle mortality in the world. Mechanised trawling has not only endangered the turtles, but also the lifestyle of the artisanal fishing community. Hundreds of fishing boats from Kharnasi, Jamboo, Talchua, Dhamra and Kasaphal operate daily inside the marine sanctuary without any restrictions. Rampant poaching of fresh water turtles also adds to the steady decline. This is found in rivers like Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani etc. The trade is underground and most of it goes to the Kolkata market. For more: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=18&theme=&usrsess=1&id=177402
India – Tata in troubled waters
Tata’s good name is threatened by the plight of a rare species of turtle
Tata, the Indian conglomerate with annual revenue of $22 billion, has for three years been locked in a dispute with environmentalists over the damage a seaport project could have on endangered turtles. The Dharma port project, on the Orissa coast, would create India’s largest all-weather deepwater seaport. Its 13 berths could handle 80 million tonnes of cargo a year, mainly importing coking coal for Tata’s steel plants. The project is being run by the Dharma Port Company, a joint venture between Tata Steel and Indian engineering giant Larsen & Tubro. Tata Steel sees the port as central to its expansion plans, as it will streamline its supply chain. The Orissa government backs the project, which it says will improve the state’s infrastructure and boost local economic growth. For more: http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5515
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Coffee estates favoured as buffer zones for wildlife conservation
Forest reserves are increasingly becoming patches embedded in a matrix of human-altered habitats — plantations, agricultural fields and pastures. In the tropics, coffee plantations which are run using ecologically sustainable methods can form effective buffer zones around protected areas, and provide corridors for many wildlife species that require connectivity between forests. A study of mammalian communities in 15 coffee plantations around the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats (near Chikmagalur district) recorded 28 species of mammals during six months from December 2005 to May 2006. Archana Bali, then in a master’s programme in wildlife biology conservation, at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), whose paper was published recently in the journal Biological Conservation, estimated mammal species richness and abundance using indirect evidence in belt transects and track plots, and from sightings during night surveys. Plantations of coffee, tea, cardamom and teak have caused extensive fragmentation of habitat, and their extent of about 3,300 sq. km is approximately 25 per cent of the total protected area network in the Western Ghats. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/12/stories/2007111256240400.htm
Wildlife board gears up to protect endangered species
The National Board for Wildlife, headed by the Prime Minister, is formulating an action plan to protect critically endangered species and oversee environment-linked legislation to ensure they do not threaten wildlife habitats. The board, under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to form a sub-committee to look into legislation passed by the government that could adversely affect wildlife. "The sub-committee will give suggestions on whether a particular legislative measure could in the long run affect the survival of a species, or adversely affect a wildlife habitat," M.K. Ranjitsinh, a member of the board who participated in the meeting said. It also recommended the setting up of a Tiger Task Force with retired army personnel, who would exclusively guard national parks and sanctuaries and be paid directly by the central government. The board consists of senior officials of the ministry of environment and forests, army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, senior officials from the forest department and wildlife experts. For more: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14555613&vsv=SHGTslot7
Rajasthan forms committee to protect wildlife areas
The Rajasthan government has constituted a three-member committee to frame guidelines for demarcating eco-sensitive zones around national parks and sanctuaries that will act as buffer zones to protect the ecosystem. The committee has one member each from the forest department, pollution control board and mining department, which will submit a report to the government by January end. 'The committee is expected to submit its report along with their recommendations by January. After studying the report we will implement the proposals,' Rajasthan's Forest Minister Lakshmi Narayan Dave said. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/147680.html
Bear species on the brink of extinction
Many bear species are facing extinction and only two species can be classified as having healthy numbers, according to a new report by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The IUCN is a collaboration of environmental groups and government agencies, which are working together to map the threat faced by different species. In their latest report these organizations sought to highlight the plight faced by bears. The report said urgent action was needed to preserve bear numbers in Asia and South America. Conservation efforts had gathered speed in North America, but these two regions were suffering for lack of funds, the report added. Six of eight bear species in the world are facing extinction and only Brown bear (Ursus arctos ) and American Black bear (Ursus americanus) seem to be thriving, the report said. Last year the IUCN had classified Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) as falling under the vulnerable category. This year the Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) has been added to that list. The Sun bear is abundant in Southeast Asia, but in recent years its population has dwindled. The panel says that currently there are just over 10,000 Sun bears in the world. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/141060.html
Southeast Asia seeks to crack down on animal trade
Southeast Asian nations plan to set up task forces to help fight the illegal animal trade in a region that is home to many endangered species, an Indonesian forestry official said. Conservation groups welcomed the plan, but said the problem appeared to be getting worse and urgent action was needed. Police, customs and forestry officials from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting in the Indonesian city of Bogor south of Jakarta to discuss the issue. "There are ongoing talks about joint investigation efforts, information-sharing mechanisms and the possible use of facilities in certain countries for investigation and enforcement," Agus Joko, an official at the Indonesian foreign ministry, said by telephone. The meeting was expected to finalise plans to set up inter-agency crime task forces that would eventually be given enforcement powers, he said. For more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSJAK252664
Ex-Armymen to save tigers
In what is believed to be a move to preempt a possible Sariska massacre of Gujarat in Bihar, the Nitish government reportedly has decided to recruit retired army personnel in its bid to save the declining population of tigers in the state’s only tiger reserve in Valmikinagar near Nepal border in West Champaran district. This was the second major move by the Bihar government to use retired army personnel after it had formed Special Auxilliary Force (SAP) last year to combat the Naxalites. Sources said this proposed dedicated tiger protection force was expected to help stop alleged poaching at Valmiki National Park. In the first phase, the tiger protection force would comprise 50 retired army personnel, which would be expanded later. Even though Valmiki National Park is regarded as one of the best-maintained tiger reserves in the country, recently it reportedly became a haven for poachers. It was alleged by different NGOs that in past three years, at least 23 big cats disappeared from this forest. The number of tigers subsequently declined to 33 in 2005 from 56 in 2002. For more: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071203/main8.htm
Faulty tiger census under scanner
India's fourth largest tiger reserve Simlipal in Orissa may just turn out to be another Sariska where the entire tiger population disappeared. But wildlife officials refuse to accept the fact that the numbers were fudged using faulty census methods. NDTV brings you an on-the-ground report on faulty tiger census. In 2005 the official census pegged the tiger population at 101 in Orissa's Simlipal - India's fourth largest tiger reserve. But 2005 was also the year of the Sariska scandal. The entire tiger population of the sanctuary in Rajasthan had disappeared. So in 2006 a national team visited Simplipal for a more rigorous census. And here was the shocker! The team found pugmarks and scat evidence of less than 12 tigers and could not physically spot any. For more: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070032741&ch=11/14/2007%207:46:00%20AM
Gujarat opposes move to send Gir lions to MP
The Centre's grand plan to relocate some of the Asiatic lions from their only home at Gir forest in Gujarat to the forests of Madhya Pradesh has run into serious opposition from the Narendra Modi government. The plan, to save the lions from a disaster that could wipe them out in one go, involved relocating five of them from Gir to a 300 sqkm forest at Kunopalpur in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. As many as 30 villages falling within the identified area were relocated in 2003, but the plan mooted by the Wildlife Institute of India and accepted by the Centre is still hanging fire. A petition filed by Bio-diversity Conservation Trust of India through counsel Ritwick Dutta alleged that the main reason for the stalling of the plan was the u-turn by the Narendra Modi government. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Gujarat_opposes
_move_to_send_Gir_lions_to_MP/articleshow/2586606.cms
India tiger skin 'traders' held
Police in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state say they have arrested 16 people in connection with hunting tigers and smuggling skin and bones. The police said they have recovered tiger skin, bones and hair from the arrested people in Allahabad city. A recent study found that the number of tigers in India had fallen to under 1,500 provoking the government to create a tiger protection force. India's last major survey in 2002 put tiger numbers at 3,642. Wildlife activists blame poaching and urbanisation for the decline and say the authorities must do more. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7128209.stm
Rare Sumatran rhino sighting in Malaysia
A Sumatran rhinoceros has been photographed in peninsular Malaysia in the first sighting for more than a decade, raising hopes the animal can avoid extinction, a report said. The New Straits Times said the image, captured by a camera trap, snapped just a small part of the rhino but experts declared the wrinkly and folded thigh was unmistakable. Rhino footprints were last found in southern Johor state in 2001 but it was only in 1994, when a stray animal wandered out of a forest in northern Perak, that the animal was last sighted in the wild, according to the newspaper. The report did not reveal where the rhino was snapped, but said the photo was taken in a wildlife corridor targeted by the Wildlife and National Parks Department which also spotted elephants, sun bears and the bison-like gaur. For more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5grhm4Wkp_9HDfNTUJT9dCYNOlfEw
Birds
Rare species spotted in bird ‘race’
As many as 130 species of birds were spotted by teams of bird lovers in a day-long ‘race’ held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. The exercise was held as part of the HSBC India Bird Race organised by Kerala Birder, a bird lovers group on the Internet. In Thiruvananthapuram, the race was organised by the green groups ‘Warblers and Waders’ and ‘Thanal.’ The race was also held in Kottayam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode. The highest number of bird species — 92 — were spotted from the wetlands of Punchakkari and Vellayani near Thiruvananthapuram. The ‘bird of the day’ — the greater spotted eagle, a migratory bird — was sighted in this area as was the Black-crested Baza (Karimthoppi Parunthu). While 68 species of birds were spotted in Kakkamoola, 62 species were spotted in Arippa in the Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram border area. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/12/stories/2007111260900300.htm
Indian flock of Siberian cranes is extinct
Yet another flock of wild Siberian cranes is facing the threat of extinction with the Western flock, which visits Iran annually for wintering, reporting a lone bird this year. The central flock of Siberian cranes, which used to visit the Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur in Rajasthan during winter months, is extinct already. The last pair of Siberian cranes was sighted in Keoladeo back in 2003. However, the good news is that the Eastern flock, which goes from Siberia to China, is flourishing. Their number could be anywhere between 3,000 and 4,000. “The Indian flock is gone. Iran has a few birds. Five of them were spotted in southern Russia recently and another has turned up in Iran,” revealed George Archibald, leading crane conservationist and founder of International Crane Foundation, US. “More than at the breeding grounds and at their wintering destinations, the cranes face threat from the countries they fly across such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he noted. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/28/stories/2007112853790500.htm
Insects
To protect the glorious monarch
Mexico has announced a plan to pump pesos into a monarch butterfly reserve to boost tourism and create jobs in an impoverished area where illegal logging threatens the monarch’s habitat. The 50-million peso (about Rs. 18. 4 crores) plan will buy equipment and advertising for the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a 50,180-hectare wooded park in Mexico’s Michoacan State, where clouds of orange- and black-winged butterflies nest each winter after flying south all the way from Canada and the U.S. “It is possible to take care of the environment and at the same time promote development,” President Felipe Calderon said at a ceremony to celebrate the monarchs’ arrival. Calderon’s administration has boosted efforts to protect the environment, promoting plans to combat global warming and plant 250 million trees across the country this year. But in a developing country plagued by pollution and spotty regulation, progress is slow. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/27/stories/2007112757862200.htm
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
Yamuna - sacred river or river of death
The Yamuna river, the largest tributary of the Ganges in northern India that once served as an enchanting backdrop for the Taj Mahal, is so polluted today that it poses a threat to the world famous monument as well as this city. Architects and conservationists have expressed concern over the state of the river, claiming it can cause permanent damage to the foundation of the Taj, the spectacular monument to love. Professor R. Nath, a noted historian of Mughal architecture,said: 'The Yamuna has been reduced to a nullah, draining industrial effluents, sewage, dirt and other toxic substances which are a real threat not only to human beings but also to the Taj Mahal. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/143821.html
Bangladesh To Seek World Heritage Aid For Sundarbans
Bangladesh will seek emergency funds from the World Heritage Centre to restore the ecosystem and biodiversity of the Sundarban mangrove forest, badly mauled by last month's killer cyclone, officials said. Cyclone Sidr, which struck the Bangladesh coast on Nov. 15 with winds of 250 kph (155 mph), killed around 3,500 people, made millions homeless and destroyed a large part of the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Forest officials said they had found two dead tigers and several deer following the cyclone, the worst to hit Bangladesh since 1991 when a storm killed around 143,000 people. Officials said better preparedness and an advance warning system had helped save many people this time, but the vast mangrove forest had also largely offset the impact of the cyclone, which triggered a 5-metre water surge from the Bay of Bengal. According to the forest department's preliminary estimate, the financial loss caused by Sidr to the mangroves would top 10 billion taka (US$145 million), and experts say it might be more. For more: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45796/story.htm
EVENTS
14th Meeting Of Ramsar's Scientific And Technical Review Panel; 28 Jan- 1 February 2008. Gland, Switzerland; http://www.ramsar.org/meetings.htm
3rd World Congress On Biosphere Reserves; 4 - 9 February 2008; Madrid, Spain; http://www.unesco.org/mab/madrid/congress2008.shtml
Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) 2008: Sustainable Development And Climate Change; 7 - 9 February 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.linux.teriin.org/dsds/2008/index.htm
Second Meeting Of The CBD Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group On Protected Areas; 11 - 15 February 2008; Rome, Italy; http://www.cbd.int/meetings/default.shtml
International Conference On Issues In Public Policy And Sustainable Development; 26 - 28 March 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.ignou.ac.in
23rd Meeting Of The Cites Animals Committee; 21 - 24 April 2008; Geneva, Switzerland; http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml
Cleaner coal key part of energy supply: environmentalists
Coal power stations will remain central to the world's energy supply for the next 40 years, but they must slash emissions to avoid pushing up global temperatures, an environmental group said. The plants could still provide 20 percent of the world's energy needs in 2050 with only a limited rise in temperatures if they used technology that could capture carbon dioxide, said Ina Pozon, co-ordinator of WWF International's Asia Pacific Coal Initiative. "Governments must get industry to prove the viability of clean coal technologies, otherwise social and environmental impacts of local pollution and global climate change will prohibit large scale use of coal," Pozon said. The WWF released two reports that examined whether there could be a reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions by 60 to 80 percent, while still accepting that worldwide energy demand would double by 2050. The study found that a combination of more renewable energy, drastic efficiency improvement and cleaner coal and gas, could meet the target. For more: http://www.terradaily.com/2007/071126110236.152p6d2v.html
Climate Change & Energy
WWF: Indonesia highly vulnerable to climate change, must act – Summary
An international environmental group warned that the impact of global warming is already evident in Indonesia and would likely worsen. The combination of its high population density and high levels of biodiversity together with a staggering 80,000 kilometres of coastline and 17,500 islands makes Indonesia one of the countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, the WWF said. The review from the global conservation organization highlighted that annual rainfall in the world's fourth most populous nation had fallen 2 to 3 per cent in the past century and the seasons are changing. "As rainfall decreases during critical times of the year, this translates into higher drought risk, consequently a decrease in crop yields, economic instability and drastically more undernourished people," said Fitrian Ardiansyah, director of WWF Indonesia's Climate and Energy Programme. "This will undo Indonesia's progress against poverty and food insecurity," For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/149289.html
UNDP: help the poor cope with climate change risks
UNDP’s Resident Representative in India, Maxine Olson, called for scaling up of efforts to assist the poorest in the country in adapting to the threats posed by global climate change. Releasing a report brought out by the UNDP on climate change, she said that even as India had made a steady progress to improve the people’s health, education, and wealth, a large human development backlog still existed. Superimposing climate change risks on this deficit could increase inequalities. The report, “Fighting climate change: human solidarity in a divided world,” emphasised that the impacts of climate change on poor people’s human development prospects around the world were significantly underestimated and warned that the world was drifting towards a tipping point that could lock the poorest countries and their poorest citizens in a downward spiral, leaving hundreds of millions facing malnutrition, water scarcity, ecological threats and loss of livelihood. In India, the report said, changing rainfall patterns on account of climate change could result in drops in agricultural productivity, directly affecting 60 per cent of the population, which relied on the sector. The continued retreat of the Himalayan glaciers could increase water scarcity, affecting 500 million people in South Asia. http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/28/stories/2007112861951700.htm
50 years on: The Keeling Curve legacy
It is a scientific icon, which belongs, some claim, alongside E=mc2 and the double helix. Its name - the Keeling Curve - may be scarcely known outside scientific circles, but the jagged upward slope showing rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere has become one of the most famous graphs in science, and a potent symbol of our times. It was 50 years ago that a young American scientist, Charles David Keeling, began tracking CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere at two of the world's last wildernesses - the South Pole and the summit of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7120770.stm
Climate change: action not despair
When you warn people about the dangers of climate change, they call you a saint. When you explain what needs to be done to stop it, they call you a communist. Let me show you why. There is now a broad scientific consensus that we need to prevent temperatures from rising by more than 2C above their pre-industrial level. Beyond that point, the Greenland ice sheet could go into irreversible meltdown, some ecosystems collapse, bill ions suffer from water stress, and droughts start to threaten global food supplies. The British government proposes to cut the U.K.’s carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. This target is based on a report published in 2000. That report was based on an assessment published in 1995, which drew on scientific papers published a few years earlier. The U.K.’s policy, in other words, is based on papers some 15 years old. Our target, which is one of the toughest on earth, bears no relation to current science. Both the U.K. Premier, Gordon Brown, and his adviser, Sir Nicholas Stern, have proposed raising the cut to 80 per cent. Where did this figure come from? The last G8 summit adopted the aim of a global cut of 50 per cent by 2050, which means that 80 per cent would be roughly the U.K.’s fair share. But the G8’s target isn’t based on current science either. In the new summary published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), you will find a table that links different cuts to likely temperatures. It suggests that to prevent global warming from eventually exceeding 2C, by 2050 the world will need to cut its emissions to roughly 15 per cent of the volume in 2000. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/06/stories/2007120652441100.htm
Bali and beyond: a new green economics
Handled correctly, the fight against global warming could set the stage for an eco-friendly transformation of the global economy — one that spurs growth rather than crimps it, as many national leaders fear. - Ban Ki-moon. We have read the science. Global warming is real, and we are a prime cause. We have heard the warnings. Unless we act, now, we face serious consequences. Polar ice may melt. Sea levels will rise. A third of our plant and animal species could vanish. There will be famine around the world, particularly in Africa and Central Asia. Largely lost in the debate is the good news. We can do something about this — more easily, and at far less cost, than most of us imagine. These are the conclusions of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the scientific body that recently shared the Nobel peace prize. It is sobering reading, but we must not miss its optimistic bottom line: to repeat, we can do this — in ways that are both affordable and promote prosperity. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/04/stories/2007120454251100.htm
Forest & Biodiversity
Mumbai begins mapping its environmental assets
If all goes well, Mumbai will have a comprehensive documentation of all its natural assets just 18 months from now. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region-Environment Improvement Society (EIS), which had rolled out its plan for an inventory of all environmental assets in the city in March this year, has already selected consultants to manage the project. Uma Adusumalli, chief town planner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and a committee member of the EIS, said two consultants have been finalised. “Initially, we are aiming to list the assets in Greater Mumbai, within one-and-a-half years. Later, we can extend the exercise to the entire Mumbai metropolitan region.” The region includes the entire stretch from Mumbai to Virar, Alibaug, Khopoli, Kalyan and Bhiwandi. The MMR-EIS is an independent body supported by the MMRDA. According to Prasad Shetty, an environmental planner and a member of the EIS, the planned inventory will list open spaces included in the 1991-2011 Development Plan (recreational grounds, playgrounds and parks); water bodies (lakes and ponds); water courses (rivers and natural nullahs); coastline features (like mudflats, rocky beaches, sandy beaches, etc) and large urban green areas (national parks, IIT campus, Byculla zoo, Aarey Milk Colony, etc). For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/238479.html
Court bans mining in Indian mountain forests
India's Supreme Court has barred a British company from mining bauxite in forested hills in the east of the country that are home to some of the world's rarest animals, handing a victory to environmental activists and tribal people. Vedanta Resources Plc had planned a £470m open-cast mining project that would rip through the plateau of the Niyamgiri mountain range in Orissa to feed an aluminium plant it has already built in the area. But the court ruled: "Adherence to sustainable development is a constitutional requirement. We cannot risk handing over this important national asset to a company." Development had to proceed, "without compromising the needs of future generations". There was a chance that the project could proceed in some form, however, after the court asked Vedanta's Indian arm, Sterlite Industries, to come back with a proposal on safeguarding the rights of local tribal people through a new investment firm. There was no comment from Vedanta on the ruling. For more: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3191526.ece
Forest Act won't come into force before Jan
The intervention of 10 Janpath in the roll-out of the Forest Rights Act will see the law come into force not before January 2008. The window till then will be utilised to notify tiger reserves as "critical wildlife habitats" so that they not only remain protected zones, but also allow fairly rapid relocation of forest dwellers. The solution arrived at aims at ensuring that relocation from tiger reserves proceeds under the existing laws — the habitats will also be notified under the Wildlife Protection Act — and not under the more rigorous Forest Rights Act. This would make it easier for central and state authorities to settle compensation packages. The move is not likely to please tribal activists who have argued that the definition of critical wildlife habitats must take place in accordance with the rules framed for doing so under the Forest Rights Act, which is better known as the "Tribal Bill". For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Forest_Act_wont_come_into_
force_before_Jan/articleshow/2583343.cms
Marine & Oceans
Green Turtle Nesting Sites Discovered In Senegal
A WWF survey has discovered several marine turtle nesting sites on the beaches of Senegal, prompting calls from conservationists to improve protection of the endangered species. The survey — conducted by WWF staff, Senegalese wildlife officials and the local community between July and September — discovered nine new green turtle nests on the beaches of Joal-Fadiouth in the Saloum Delta south of the capital, Dakar. Turtle tracks in the sand left by female turtles were also discovered at nearby Palmarine Beach as well as at Langue de Barbarie at the mouth of the Senegal River in the northern part of the country. “The nests confirm that these beaches are important nesting sites and must be protected,” said Dr Mamadou Diallo, WWF Senegal’s programme manager for species. For more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126144446.htm
Troubled dolphin waters
Every day, thousands flock to worship the Ganges, worshipfully addressing the river goddess as ‘Ganga Maiyya (mother)’. But few spare even a moment’s thought for one of this holy river’s most famous, and most endangered, denizens — the Gangetic dolphin. The CITES has included Gangetic dolphins in its list of endangered species owing to their rapidly declining numbers. The dolphins produce a magical effect as they spring out of the water for a couple of seconds before diving in again, resurfacing every three minutes for air! The locals fondly call them susu, thanks to the sound the dolphins make when they spring up into the air. The survival of the Gangetic dolphin, or Platanista gangetica, is closely tied to the survival of the river and its ecosystem. The river dolphin has no eye lens and uses the eyes as a direction-finding device. It uses echolocation to track food and its sensitive snout is used to probe for fish, shrimp, and other organisms at the river bottom. For more: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2007/11/23/
stories/2007112350050200.htm
Dolphins are dying in Assam
In Assam's Duijan town, dark silhouettes cruising silently in deep muddy waters off the banks of the Brahmaputra river is a memory that never dies out. But the dolphins, or 'xihu' as locals call it, are dying. In Tinsukia district, of which Duijan is a part, - around 600 km from here - the xihus are battling for survival against enormous river pollution and mounting threats from humans. Riverine communities in the floodplains are familiar with the xihus. Many have watched them at play or spotted them keeping up with speeding motorboats, diving and leaping near the front or bow. The xihus surface intermittently from the deep waters to breathe before quickly disappearing again. But over the years things have changed. Their sightings have become rare. The fishermen who once enjoyed their presence now kill them for use as fish-bait. Dolphins are poached to extract fat oil, which when released in the river, attracts fish in large numbers. Conservationists say there are just about 268 xihus fighting a losing battle for survival in Assam's vast river networks. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/147128.html
Saving the turtle
Legend has it that ancient philosopher Fu Hsi was sitting on the banks of the Lo River in northern China when a turtle emerged from the quite water. Stirred from his quite meditation, Fu Hsi was drawn to this serene creature. As he examined the turtle’s shell he saw the perfect world - heaven, earth, fire, water, mountain, lake, wind and thunder reflected on the orderly markings of the turtle. From this simple exchange, the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui, or the balance of life, was born. Hindu mythology regards the turtle as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the protector. There are a number of stories spread across the various scriptures about turtles. Yet, these harmless creatures are today on the brink of extinction. Thanks to the activities of us humans! Seriously threatened by illegal mechanised fishing, over a lakh turtles have been killed in the last 13 years, along the Orissa coast alone. Dead Olive Ridley turtles are spotted in large numbers at Garihmata, the Devi and Jatadhar river mouths, Harishpur, Chilika coast and Puri. These endangered species nests at three major rookies in Orissa, of which Garihmata is the largest rookery in the world today with over 1,00,000 nesting turtles. However in the recent past nesting at this place declined steadily. According to Wildlife Society of Orissa while 2,30,000 turtles nested in this area in 2006, this year the total nesting was just 1,40,000 and things are likely to get worse. Much of the decline of the nesting population can be attributed to illegal trawl fishing operations, particularly shrimp trawling, in the near shore waters of Gahirmat and other coastal areas of Orissa. Infact, shrimp trawling has been identified as the biggest cause of sea turtle mortality in the world. Mechanised trawling has not only endangered the turtles, but also the lifestyle of the artisanal fishing community. Hundreds of fishing boats from Kharnasi, Jamboo, Talchua, Dhamra and Kasaphal operate daily inside the marine sanctuary without any restrictions. Rampant poaching of fresh water turtles also adds to the steady decline. This is found in rivers like Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani etc. The trade is underground and most of it goes to the Kolkata market. For more: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=18&theme=&usrsess=1&id=177402
India – Tata in troubled waters
Tata’s good name is threatened by the plight of a rare species of turtle
Tata, the Indian conglomerate with annual revenue of $22 billion, has for three years been locked in a dispute with environmentalists over the damage a seaport project could have on endangered turtles. The Dharma port project, on the Orissa coast, would create India’s largest all-weather deepwater seaport. Its 13 berths could handle 80 million tonnes of cargo a year, mainly importing coking coal for Tata’s steel plants. The project is being run by the Dharma Port Company, a joint venture between Tata Steel and Indian engineering giant Larsen & Tubro. Tata Steel sees the port as central to its expansion plans, as it will streamline its supply chain. The Orissa government backs the project, which it says will improve the state’s infrastructure and boost local economic growth. For more: http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5515
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Coffee estates favoured as buffer zones for wildlife conservation
Forest reserves are increasingly becoming patches embedded in a matrix of human-altered habitats — plantations, agricultural fields and pastures. In the tropics, coffee plantations which are run using ecologically sustainable methods can form effective buffer zones around protected areas, and provide corridors for many wildlife species that require connectivity between forests. A study of mammalian communities in 15 coffee plantations around the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats (near Chikmagalur district) recorded 28 species of mammals during six months from December 2005 to May 2006. Archana Bali, then in a master’s programme in wildlife biology conservation, at National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), whose paper was published recently in the journal Biological Conservation, estimated mammal species richness and abundance using indirect evidence in belt transects and track plots, and from sightings during night surveys. Plantations of coffee, tea, cardamom and teak have caused extensive fragmentation of habitat, and their extent of about 3,300 sq. km is approximately 25 per cent of the total protected area network in the Western Ghats. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/12/stories/2007111256240400.htm
Wildlife board gears up to protect endangered species
The National Board for Wildlife, headed by the Prime Minister, is formulating an action plan to protect critically endangered species and oversee environment-linked legislation to ensure they do not threaten wildlife habitats. The board, under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to form a sub-committee to look into legislation passed by the government that could adversely affect wildlife. "The sub-committee will give suggestions on whether a particular legislative measure could in the long run affect the survival of a species, or adversely affect a wildlife habitat," M.K. Ranjitsinh, a member of the board who participated in the meeting said. It also recommended the setting up of a Tiger Task Force with retired army personnel, who would exclusively guard national parks and sanctuaries and be paid directly by the central government. The board consists of senior officials of the ministry of environment and forests, army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, senior officials from the forest department and wildlife experts. For more: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14555613&vsv=SHGTslot7
Rajasthan forms committee to protect wildlife areas
The Rajasthan government has constituted a three-member committee to frame guidelines for demarcating eco-sensitive zones around national parks and sanctuaries that will act as buffer zones to protect the ecosystem. The committee has one member each from the forest department, pollution control board and mining department, which will submit a report to the government by January end. 'The committee is expected to submit its report along with their recommendations by January. After studying the report we will implement the proposals,' Rajasthan's Forest Minister Lakshmi Narayan Dave said. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/147680.html
Bear species on the brink of extinction
Many bear species are facing extinction and only two species can be classified as having healthy numbers, according to a new report by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The IUCN is a collaboration of environmental groups and government agencies, which are working together to map the threat faced by different species. In their latest report these organizations sought to highlight the plight faced by bears. The report said urgent action was needed to preserve bear numbers in Asia and South America. Conservation efforts had gathered speed in North America, but these two regions were suffering for lack of funds, the report added. Six of eight bear species in the world are facing extinction and only Brown bear (Ursus arctos ) and American Black bear (Ursus americanus) seem to be thriving, the report said. Last year the IUCN had classified Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) as falling under the vulnerable category. This year the Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) has been added to that list. The Sun bear is abundant in Southeast Asia, but in recent years its population has dwindled. The panel says that currently there are just over 10,000 Sun bears in the world. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/141060.html
Southeast Asia seeks to crack down on animal trade
Southeast Asian nations plan to set up task forces to help fight the illegal animal trade in a region that is home to many endangered species, an Indonesian forestry official said. Conservation groups welcomed the plan, but said the problem appeared to be getting worse and urgent action was needed. Police, customs and forestry officials from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting in the Indonesian city of Bogor south of Jakarta to discuss the issue. "There are ongoing talks about joint investigation efforts, information-sharing mechanisms and the possible use of facilities in certain countries for investigation and enforcement," Agus Joko, an official at the Indonesian foreign ministry, said by telephone. The meeting was expected to finalise plans to set up inter-agency crime task forces that would eventually be given enforcement powers, he said. For more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSJAK252664
Ex-Armymen to save tigers
In what is believed to be a move to preempt a possible Sariska massacre of Gujarat in Bihar, the Nitish government reportedly has decided to recruit retired army personnel in its bid to save the declining population of tigers in the state’s only tiger reserve in Valmikinagar near Nepal border in West Champaran district. This was the second major move by the Bihar government to use retired army personnel after it had formed Special Auxilliary Force (SAP) last year to combat the Naxalites. Sources said this proposed dedicated tiger protection force was expected to help stop alleged poaching at Valmiki National Park. In the first phase, the tiger protection force would comprise 50 retired army personnel, which would be expanded later. Even though Valmiki National Park is regarded as one of the best-maintained tiger reserves in the country, recently it reportedly became a haven for poachers. It was alleged by different NGOs that in past three years, at least 23 big cats disappeared from this forest. The number of tigers subsequently declined to 33 in 2005 from 56 in 2002. For more: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071203/main8.htm
Faulty tiger census under scanner
India's fourth largest tiger reserve Simlipal in Orissa may just turn out to be another Sariska where the entire tiger population disappeared. But wildlife officials refuse to accept the fact that the numbers were fudged using faulty census methods. NDTV brings you an on-the-ground report on faulty tiger census. In 2005 the official census pegged the tiger population at 101 in Orissa's Simlipal - India's fourth largest tiger reserve. But 2005 was also the year of the Sariska scandal. The entire tiger population of the sanctuary in Rajasthan had disappeared. So in 2006 a national team visited Simplipal for a more rigorous census. And here was the shocker! The team found pugmarks and scat evidence of less than 12 tigers and could not physically spot any. For more: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070032741&ch=11/14/2007%207:46:00%20AM
Gujarat opposes move to send Gir lions to MP
The Centre's grand plan to relocate some of the Asiatic lions from their only home at Gir forest in Gujarat to the forests of Madhya Pradesh has run into serious opposition from the Narendra Modi government. The plan, to save the lions from a disaster that could wipe them out in one go, involved relocating five of them from Gir to a 300 sqkm forest at Kunopalpur in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. As many as 30 villages falling within the identified area were relocated in 2003, but the plan mooted by the Wildlife Institute of India and accepted by the Centre is still hanging fire. A petition filed by Bio-diversity Conservation Trust of India through counsel Ritwick Dutta alleged that the main reason for the stalling of the plan was the u-turn by the Narendra Modi government. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Gujarat_opposes
_move_to_send_Gir_lions_to_MP/articleshow/2586606.cms
India tiger skin 'traders' held
Police in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state say they have arrested 16 people in connection with hunting tigers and smuggling skin and bones. The police said they have recovered tiger skin, bones and hair from the arrested people in Allahabad city. A recent study found that the number of tigers in India had fallen to under 1,500 provoking the government to create a tiger protection force. India's last major survey in 2002 put tiger numbers at 3,642. Wildlife activists blame poaching and urbanisation for the decline and say the authorities must do more. For more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7128209.stm
Rare Sumatran rhino sighting in Malaysia
A Sumatran rhinoceros has been photographed in peninsular Malaysia in the first sighting for more than a decade, raising hopes the animal can avoid extinction, a report said. The New Straits Times said the image, captured by a camera trap, snapped just a small part of the rhino but experts declared the wrinkly and folded thigh was unmistakable. Rhino footprints were last found in southern Johor state in 2001 but it was only in 1994, when a stray animal wandered out of a forest in northern Perak, that the animal was last sighted in the wild, according to the newspaper. The report did not reveal where the rhino was snapped, but said the photo was taken in a wildlife corridor targeted by the Wildlife and National Parks Department which also spotted elephants, sun bears and the bison-like gaur. For more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5grhm4Wkp_9HDfNTUJT9dCYNOlfEw
Birds
Rare species spotted in bird ‘race’
As many as 130 species of birds were spotted by teams of bird lovers in a day-long ‘race’ held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. The exercise was held as part of the HSBC India Bird Race organised by Kerala Birder, a bird lovers group on the Internet. In Thiruvananthapuram, the race was organised by the green groups ‘Warblers and Waders’ and ‘Thanal.’ The race was also held in Kottayam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode. The highest number of bird species — 92 — were spotted from the wetlands of Punchakkari and Vellayani near Thiruvananthapuram. The ‘bird of the day’ — the greater spotted eagle, a migratory bird — was sighted in this area as was the Black-crested Baza (Karimthoppi Parunthu). While 68 species of birds were spotted in Kakkamoola, 62 species were spotted in Arippa in the Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram border area. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/12/stories/2007111260900300.htm
Indian flock of Siberian cranes is extinct
Yet another flock of wild Siberian cranes is facing the threat of extinction with the Western flock, which visits Iran annually for wintering, reporting a lone bird this year. The central flock of Siberian cranes, which used to visit the Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur in Rajasthan during winter months, is extinct already. The last pair of Siberian cranes was sighted in Keoladeo back in 2003. However, the good news is that the Eastern flock, which goes from Siberia to China, is flourishing. Their number could be anywhere between 3,000 and 4,000. “The Indian flock is gone. Iran has a few birds. Five of them were spotted in southern Russia recently and another has turned up in Iran,” revealed George Archibald, leading crane conservationist and founder of International Crane Foundation, US. “More than at the breeding grounds and at their wintering destinations, the cranes face threat from the countries they fly across such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he noted. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/28/stories/2007112853790500.htm
Insects
To protect the glorious monarch
Mexico has announced a plan to pump pesos into a monarch butterfly reserve to boost tourism and create jobs in an impoverished area where illegal logging threatens the monarch’s habitat. The 50-million peso (about Rs. 18. 4 crores) plan will buy equipment and advertising for the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a 50,180-hectare wooded park in Mexico’s Michoacan State, where clouds of orange- and black-winged butterflies nest each winter after flying south all the way from Canada and the U.S. “It is possible to take care of the environment and at the same time promote development,” President Felipe Calderon said at a ceremony to celebrate the monarchs’ arrival. Calderon’s administration has boosted efforts to protect the environment, promoting plans to combat global warming and plant 250 million trees across the country this year. But in a developing country plagued by pollution and spotty regulation, progress is slow. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/27/stories/2007112757862200.htm
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
Yamuna - sacred river or river of death
The Yamuna river, the largest tributary of the Ganges in northern India that once served as an enchanting backdrop for the Taj Mahal, is so polluted today that it poses a threat to the world famous monument as well as this city. Architects and conservationists have expressed concern over the state of the river, claiming it can cause permanent damage to the foundation of the Taj, the spectacular monument to love. Professor R. Nath, a noted historian of Mughal architecture,said: 'The Yamuna has been reduced to a nullah, draining industrial effluents, sewage, dirt and other toxic substances which are a real threat not only to human beings but also to the Taj Mahal. For more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/143821.html
Bangladesh To Seek World Heritage Aid For Sundarbans
Bangladesh will seek emergency funds from the World Heritage Centre to restore the ecosystem and biodiversity of the Sundarban mangrove forest, badly mauled by last month's killer cyclone, officials said. Cyclone Sidr, which struck the Bangladesh coast on Nov. 15 with winds of 250 kph (155 mph), killed around 3,500 people, made millions homeless and destroyed a large part of the Sundarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Forest officials said they had found two dead tigers and several deer following the cyclone, the worst to hit Bangladesh since 1991 when a storm killed around 143,000 people. Officials said better preparedness and an advance warning system had helped save many people this time, but the vast mangrove forest had also largely offset the impact of the cyclone, which triggered a 5-metre water surge from the Bay of Bengal. According to the forest department's preliminary estimate, the financial loss caused by Sidr to the mangroves would top 10 billion taka (US$145 million), and experts say it might be more. For more: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/45796/story.htm
EVENTS
14th Meeting Of Ramsar's Scientific And Technical Review Panel; 28 Jan- 1 February 2008. Gland, Switzerland; http://www.ramsar.org/meetings.htm
3rd World Congress On Biosphere Reserves; 4 - 9 February 2008; Madrid, Spain; http://www.unesco.org/mab/madrid/congress2008.shtml
Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) 2008: Sustainable Development And Climate Change; 7 - 9 February 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.linux.teriin.org/dsds/2008/index.htm
Second Meeting Of The CBD Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group On Protected Areas; 11 - 15 February 2008; Rome, Italy; http://www.cbd.int/meetings/default.shtml
International Conference On Issues In Public Policy And Sustainable Development; 26 - 28 March 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.ignou.ac.in
23rd Meeting Of The Cites Animals Committee; 21 - 24 April 2008; Geneva, Switzerland; http://www.cites.org/eng/news/calendar.shtml
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