Guest guest Posted September 15, 2009 Report Share Posted September 15, 2009 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- <sghosh Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:22 AM Fw: NatureNews Aug, 2009 To: Regards Programme Officer TRAFFIC India WWF India Secretariat 172-B, Lodi Estate, N.Delhi 110003, India Tel: +91-11-41504786, Fax: +91-11-43516200 Visit us at " www.traffic.org " TRAFFIC- the wildlife trade monitoring network- is a joint programme of WWF and IUCN-The World Conservation Union. It works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to conservation of nature. ----- Forwarded by /wwfindia on 09/15/2009 10:22 AM ----- Gita Warrier/wwfindia 09/14/2009 05:13 PM Subject: NatureNews Aug, 2009 ------------------------------ *NatureNews * Aug, 2009 *WELCOME to NatureNews from the Library & Documentation Centre, WWF-India, New Delhi.* *NEWS* *Environment - General* *Project to barcode plants and animals. *Scientists are working on projects for sequencing the DNA of a wide variety of trees, fishes, insects and animals as part of a project for barcoding life. Researchers of the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, Thrissur, are working on projects to barcode Oak Leaf butterflies (*Satyrid* butterflies) and plants belonging to the genus *Dalbergia*, which include Rosewood. Bar code readers can be used to identify species of which the DNA has been sequenced. When the sequence of a species is obtained, it can be compared with the available sequences to ascertain the species. Barcoding will be helpful in identifying the species from even a tiny bit of tissue. It will also serve as a quick, cheap and unambiguous means of distinguishing between species, according to researchers. The technique has a wide range of applications in forensic science, fighting bio-piracy, studying the feeding habits of animals and identification of spurious herbs used in Ayurvedic medicines, said K.V. Sankaran, Director, KFRI. For more: * http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/31/stories/2009083157461800.htm*<http://www.hindu.c\ om/2009/08/31/stories/2009083157461800.htm> *Karera sanctuary habitants wait for land denotification.* Though chirping of Great Indian Bustard died down nearly 16 years ago in Shivpuri district's Karera sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, habitants of the area whose land was notified to preserve the rare birds are striving to get their lands back. An area spreading over 202.21 sq km, including 146.66 sq km of public land, was notified 28 years ago as Sone-Chirraiya Sanctuary to preserve Great Indian Bustard. The name of the sanctuary was changed to Karera Sanctuary in 1999. However, the rare avian species became extinct in the park long ago. " There were around 40 Great Indian Bustards in the sanctuary till 1987...Last twittering of the birds was heard in 1993. There were five of the rare species in the park at that time, but after that they were not sighted, " Karera Sanctuary director Alok Kumar said. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Karera-sanctuary\ -habitants-wait-for-land-denotification/articleshow/4857131.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Karera-sanctua\ ry-habitants-wait-for-land-denotification/articleshow/4857131.cms> *India, China to collaborate on environment. *India and China have agreed to set up a joint expert working group on the environment, which will explore how the two countries can combat global warming through reforestation. China adds an estimated four million hectares of forest cover every year, while India adds around one million hectares. India will look to learn from China on how to accelerate reforestation as a way to mitigate the impact of climate change, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said. “We estimate that our forests capture 11 per cent [of carbon emissions], and in China it is around six per cent,” Mr. Ramesh said. “We will explore how we can work together in expanding the sink potential [or carbon capture] of forests and in afforestation management.” He said India will seek Chinese help in using satellite technology to measure progress in afforestation projects. For more: * http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/27/stories/2009082754841100.htm*<http://www.hindu.c\ om/2009/08/27/stories/2009082754841100.htm> *Astola Island needs to be conserved.* WWF-Pakistan has initiated its work to conserve Pakistan’s precious Astola Island by launching an awareness-raising programme as a first step towards a community-based conservation of degrading biodiversity. “There is dire need to conduct extensive research and detailed survey to assess the biological diversity of this island. If a comprehensive study is carried out, it will be possible to recover many other types of sub-species of small mammals, reptiles, plants and shrubs. Possessing a unique habitat, Astola Island requires an urgent survey and related conservation efforts as the natural ecology are being damaged due to the introduction of feral cats,” says a new study report conducted by Mahrine Rashid, Conservation Officer at WWF-Pakistan, Karachi. The main interventions will be raising awareness among community people, carrying out a natural resources inventory, assessing the economic value of resources and exploring avenues of sustainable use that can benefit the local community. For more: * http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C08%5C10%5Cstory_10-8-2009_p\ g7_40 *<http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C08%5C10%5Cstory_10-8-2009\ _pg7_40> *Govt identifies 24 eco hotspots. *The Ministry of Environment and Forests has identified 24 ‘environmental hotspots’. Terming them ‘mini-Bhopals’, the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh, said that the list included Wapi and Ankleshwar in Gujarat; Ranipet in Tamil Nadu; Trombay near Mumbai; Korba in Chhattisgarh; and Singaruli in Uttar Pradesh. The entire list would be made public soon, he said, adding that the pollution levels in these areas have breached the permissible limits. “These are the areas where we need active interventions,” he said. The Ministry has engaged the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, to do a study of these 24 regions and come up with recommendations. Mr Jairam Ramesh, who was in Chennai to meet with the fishermen community in the run up to bringing in the new Coastal Regulation Zone Rules, said that the Government would set up a national environment protection authority by the end of the current calendar year. For more: * http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/21/stories/2009082151991500.htm*<htt\ p://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/21/stories/2009082151991500.htm> *Goa draft policy permits mining near sanctuaries. *Even as 13 mines including six which are close to wildlife sanctuaries, are facing closure, the Goa government’s draft mineral policy interestingly allows mining in close vicinity of the already notified wildlife sanctuaries in Goa. The draft mining policy which was tabled during the Budget Session of the Goa legislative assembly clearly advocates mining near the State’s wildlife sanctuaries, which are a part of the ecologically sensitive Western ghats, according to an IANS report. “Mining leases/prospecting licences within close proximity from already declared wild life sanctuaries would be considered provided they adhere to additional safeguards and guidelines whilst operating so as to reduce any adverse effect to the environment,” the draft mining policy states. After Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira gave an assurance to take action against illegal operations of mines, the Pollution Control Board issued closure notices. Earlier the committee headed by Chief Conservator of Forest Sashi Kumar had named some mines which had blatant violation including operating without permission of the statutory authorities. The draft policy however, does not permit mining within wildlife sanctuaries and national parks ‘for the time being’. For more: * http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=26369 & cid=2*<http://oheraldo.in/pagedetai\ ls.asp?nid=26369 & cid=2> *Centre to set up National Environmental Protection Authority.* The Centre will soon set up a National Environmental Protection Authority, which would be empowered to give clearances on environmental issues and enforce environmental laws and standards, Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said. Ramesh said a broad agreement on NEPA was reached at a meeting with state Environment and Forest ministers in Delhi. " It was decided that we need an institutional set up, which will enforce environmental laws and standards and impose harsh penalty for non-compliance, " he told reporters here. For more: * http://www.deccanherald.com/content/20484/centre-set-up-national-environmental.h\ tml *<http://www.deccanherald.com/content/20484/centre-set-up-national-environmental\ ..html> *Climate Change & Energy* *Copenhagen could see the death of Kyoto Protocol.* With the United States, and a few other developed countries, dead against any extension to the current global arrangement on climate change, the December summit in Copenhagen might well sound the death knell for the Kyoto Protocol and replace it with another agreement or a ‘deal’ that is more favourable to the developed nations. Ahead of the crucial CoP15 (15th Conference of Parties) in Copenhagen, the buzz in the negotiating teams across the world is that there was little chance of the Kyoto Protocol, in its current form, being extended beyond 2012, because of stiff resistance from the US, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and currently outside the global climate change agreement. The Kyoto Protocol, which came into force in 2005, puts the burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions solely on some developed countries (called Annex-I countries) in a time-bound manner. The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, during which the Annex-I countries were required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2 per cent from 1990 levels, is coming to an end in 2012. The Copenhagen summit is expected to fix new — and more ambitious — targets for these countries for the second commitment period (2013-2020). For more: * http://www.indianexpress.com/news/copenhagen-could-see-the-death-of-kyoto-protoc\ ol/507187/0 *<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/copenhagen-could-see-the-death-of-kyoto-prot\ ocol/507187/0> *Climate change and development. *With the clock ticking and less than a hundred days to go until ministers from around the world meet at the U.N. climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, now is the time for the U.K. and India to work together to get a climate deal that is fair to the region’s economy and its people. We are here in South Asia to hear what climate change means for millions of people in India and Bangladesh. For this region, the case for the urgency of tackling climate change is beyond question. Flooding of the Kosi river over the past two years has driven millions from their homes in Nepal and Bihar. Cyclones Aila and Nargis have killed thousands and displaced millions more in Burma, Bangladesh and West Bengal. Torrential rains have caused terrible landslides across the Himalayas. And now a weakened monsoon is causing a drought which threatens hundreds of millions of farmers all over India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Once again, the number of farmer suicides is increasing. While none of these natural disasters can be directly attributed to climate change, scientists predict that they will become more frequent and more severe unless we act. Alongside the terrible human toll, these disasters exact an economic cost — with the loss of economic growth in South Asia from environmental causes equivalent to double that from the global economic crisis, each and every year. For more: * http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/31/stories/2009083156160900.htm*<http://www.hindu.c\ om/2009/08/31/stories/2009083156160900.htm> *Artificial trees to cut carbon emissions.* Climate change is a big issue for all the governments the world over and now a British engineers’ lobby group has suggested that geo-engineering could be used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A range of potential geo-engineering options available for reducing carbon dioxide from atmosphere include artificial trees, algae-coated buildings, and reflective buildings and roofs, a report on climate change and geo-engineering by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said. " Geo-engineering could be another potential component in our approach to climate change that could provide the world with extra time to decarbonise the global economy, " the institute said. The most cost-effective way of reducing carbon dioxide is the use of machines, or carbon dioxide filters, which can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The machines, like trees, capture carbon dioxide from the air which is passed through it. These machines are so effective that 100,000 such trees would be able to remove all carbon from transport-related emissions in the UK, the head of the institute’s environment and climate change group, Dr Tim Fox, said. For more: * http://203.197.197.71/presentation/leftnavigation/news/international/artificial-\ trees-to-cut-carbon-emissions.aspx *<http://203.197.197.71/presentation/leftnavigation/news/international/artificia\ l-trees-to-cut-carbon-emissions.aspx> *India, China defer agreement on Himalayan glaciers.* India and China have agreed to defer signing an agreement for joint research on Himalayan glaciers till October end, Jairam Ramesh, minister of state (independent charge) for environment and forests, said. India is worried about signs of faster melting of glaciers, which feeds major rivers like the Brahmaputra, due to global warming. China is anxious about the massive drought situation in the Tibetan region this year. Ramesh said a comprehensive accord will be drawn up after another round of talks when a Chinese delegation of environment scientists and officials visit New Delhi in October end. It is not clear if the postponement was caused by any differences between the two countries, which also look at the issue from the security viewpoint. Discussion on granting access to scientists to each other’s areas in the Himalayas has been going on for a long time and it is only now that the two sides have come close to drafting an accord. Ramesh also brought up the issue of tiger farming in China, which local officials do not like to discuss. China was rapped recently by the Geneva based Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species for encouraging tiger farming after strong lobby by India. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/global-warming/India-China-d\ efer-agreement-on-Himalayan-glaciers/articleshow/4937577.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/global-warming/India-China\ -defer-agreement-on-Himalayan-glaciers/articleshow/4937577.cms> *Climate change talks: India indulges in balancing act.* India wants to sit on the high table but it's finding it difficult to eschew what is being dished out. Wanting to be portrayed as a country showing `leadership' on climate change issues, India has begun a tightrope walk toward the deal in December as it balances the needs of diplomatic niceties at power groups such as the G8+5 and G20 with the bare knuckled fights at formal negotiations under the UN framework. The toughest challenge so far for the government and the climate negotiators has come with the set of proposals recently received from G20 group on how to finance climate saving actions. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/global-warming/Climate-chang\ e-talks-India-indulges-in-balancing-act/articleshow/4917090.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/global-warming/Climate-cha\ nge-talks-India-indulges-in-balancing-act/articleshow/4917090.cms> *Siachen has receded 800 m in 20 years: UN official. *Siachen Glacier in Ladakh has receded by about 800 m in the last 20 years and is facing threat of climate change caused by military activities in the region, claims a UN official. Considered most strategic in terms of defence needs of the country and manned round-the-clock at temperatures of minus 50 to 60 degrees during winters, the meltdown is a " warning bell to the health and security of Siachen, " writes Bansi Lal Kaul of the UNDP India's Solutions Exchange wing in his book, " Biodiversity Conservation in Himalayas " . " It is unfortunate that Siachen Glacier nowadays has receded more than 800 m during 20-year period from 1988 to 2008, " the 326-page book says. With over 3,000 troops living and operating there, hundreds of machines and scores of choppers flying daily over the region, the whole of its environment and eco-system have deteriorated, former chief scientist at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture R D Gupta writes in one of the chapters titled " Global Warming and Melting of Himalayan Glaciers " . For more: * http://www.deccanherald.com/content/20433/siachen-has-receded-800-m.html*<http:/\ /www.deccanherald.com/content/20433/siachen-has-receded-800-m.html> *Biggest global companies 39 years behind IPCC recommendations.* World’s largest companies are 39 years behind in achieving the levels of green house gas reductions as recommended by Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), according to a new study released. The analysis showed that going by present rates of reduction targets in their emissions, the companies would reach the IPCC recommended levels of greenhouse gas cuts only by 2089, which is 39 years too late to avoid dangerous climate change on the planet, researchers said. The research report “The carbon chasm” released by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an analysis of Global 100 firms (92 of which participated in the study), showed that these companies at present are targeting annual reduction of just 1.9 per cent as against 3.9 per cent per annum needed to cut the emissions in developed economies by 80 per cent by 2050. For more: * http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article8145.ece*<http:/\ /beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article8145.ece> *Forestry & Biodiversity* *Sheila for integrated outlook to ridge area preservation. *Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit underlined the importance of a unified approach for protection of the ridge in Delhi as her Government is facing difficulties due to multiplicity of authorities in the Capital city. She was speaking in a National Conference of Environment and Forest Ministers of States at Vigyan Bhawan in the Capital. She also stressed upon the need of a dedicated staff for enforcement of Environment Protection Act, 1986, so that the provisions could be enforced in true spirit. Dikshit stated that her aim is to make Delhi one of the greenest Capitals of the world. The Government is keen to expand its green cover from existing 20 per cent to 30 per cent. It has gone up from 36 square km in 1998 to over 300 square km during the last 10 years. She lauded the role of an Eco-Task Force in greening the ridge area in Bhatti Mines. It was, no doubt, an impossible task, which has been made possible by the Eco-Task Force. The protection of ridge area is a challenge in itself. It requires a unified approach as different agencies have been working without any coordination resulting in lukewarm response. The city Government has decided to construct a high wall around the ridge right from Pusa Road upto Dhaula Kuan to overcome the problem of encroachment and accumulation of Malba (rubble). The design of wall, which has been prepared by the NDMC, is uniform. The Department of Irrigation and Flood Control has been constructing this wall, Dikshit said. The Government has been developing nine city forests during current year. The figure of city forests would go up to 41 in 2010. The city Government has constituted Delhi Parks and Gardens Society to promote Bhagidari in maintenance of parks. This would present a better green picture during Commonwealth Games. Dikshit further stressed upon the need of a dedicated staff for implementation of Environment Protection Act, 1986 as basic enforcing agency - Delhi Police has to be requested to make available their staff. Apart from this the number of enforcement staff of Forest Department is inadequate to handle the situation. Hence it requires a dedicated staff for this purpose. This would go a long way in enforcement of provisions of the Act. For more: * http://www.dailypioneer.com/196785/Sheila-for-integrated-outlook-to-ridge-area-p\ reservation.html *<http://www.dailypioneer.com/196785/Sheila-for-integrated-outlook-to-ridge-area\ -preservation.html> *Bangladesh to get $19m for reforestation project.* The United States and Germany have agreed to donate $19 million for the reforestation of a Bangladesh wildlife sanctuary under a global climate change mitigation project, the US embassy said. Low-lying Bangladesh, a country of some 150 million people, is at risk from rising world sea levels caused by climate change, with experts warning of millions of people being forced out of from their homes and encroaching into forests. The funds will be used for the reforestation of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, a major corridor for the movement of Asian elephants between Myanmar and Bangladesh and home to an important timber species under threat. The sanctuary lies about 350 km (219 miles) southeast of Dhaka. Under the project, to be implemented over the next four years, trees will be planted to help restore 2,000 hectares of forest land and to decrease carbon emissions in the region. The project will help restore the severely degraded sanctuary, raise awareness through public education, and create alternative income opportunities for over 125,000 people who live in communities in and around Chunati, a US embassy statement said. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Bangladesh-to-ge\ t-19m-for-reforestation-project-/articleshow/4885726.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Bangladesh-to-\ get-19m-for-reforestation-project-/articleshow/4885726.cms> *Forest rights & implementation issues. *It is an Act that drives wildlife conservationists to tears and land rights activists to despair. In Maharashtra, of the 2.66 lakh claims submitted under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, only 1,512 have received final approval. Cases challenging the Act passed in 2006 are pending in the Supreme Court and Adivasis are still on the road, demanding that the Act be implemented. Villagers of Pathali in the Adivasi-dominated Nandurbar district of Maharashtra had to come all the way to Mumbai to demand a village-level committee as a first step to decide the issue of forest rights. Pathali has been in the centre of a storm with villagers of neighbouring Goramba attacking them repeatedly, resulting in the death of a woman. There are about 350 families in Pathali. People like Madya Vadvi have lived by cultivating the nearby forestland since 1971-72. The fight between the two villages is not new, though it has intensified after the Act was passed. The rivals are staking claim to their land, Vadvi points out. These are some of the sticky issues that have come to the fore after the passage of the Act. Maharashtra has 13,822 village level committees. Compared to other States, the implementation on the Act is slow. For more: *http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/05/stories/2009080553310900.htm*<http://www.the\ hindu.com/2009/08/05/stories/2009080553310900.htm> *Wildlife & Endangered Species* *Govt to involve NGOs in tiger census process. *The census (2009-10) for estimating the population of tigers in the country will kick off in November this year. But amid widespread concern over their dwindling numbers and allegations of ‘fudging of data and non-transparency’, an extra-cautious Centre has decided to involve, for the first time, as many as 10 national-level and scores of State-level-non-Governmental organisations (NGO), — selected by Governments of 17 States, in the process that will conclude in December 2010. A decision for the census of the country’s national animal was taken at a meeting between the WII and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently. However, if Naxalite-infested reserves like Indravati and Palamu will still be out of bounds of the census, the tiger count at the Sunderbans will be taken up as a ‘standalone project two years from now’. Tiger count in the North East too would continue to be a problem even as the entire process will involve about one lakh personnel — 88,000 of them being Government employees — and will incur an expenditure of Rs 8 crore. Technically, though, the process will be set into motion from September 28 itself, when the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) — a Central Government institute and the nodal agency for the census, will conduct the first of its series of workshops to provide hands-on training to all the personnel and officials from the State forest departments and NGOs. For more: * http://www.dailypioneer.com/198477/Govt-to-involve-NGOs-in-tiger-census-process.\ html *<http://www.dailypioneer.com/198477/Govt-to-involve-NGOs-in-tiger-census-proces\ s.html> * * *Centre preparing web-based database to aid tiger conservation.* As part of efforts to counter threats to tiger population, Centre is preparing the first web-based database on the endangered species to facilitate information exchange among governments and agencies on illegal wildlife trade and the conservation plan in the country. Modelled after the EU TWIX, presently being used by over 431 wildlife law enforcement officials across 31 European countries and 93 enforcement agencies, including Interpol, 'Tigernet' will be an exclusive tool to share information among the states on various aspect of tiger population ranging from illegal trade to their breeding. " We cannot sit idle given the dwindling population of the royal tigers in the country. The comprehensive database on tiger and related wildlife trade and crime is being prepared by World Wild Fund (WWF) on behalf of the NTCA to support effective conservation enforcement, " Samir Sinha, head of Traffic India, a well-known wildlife monitoring network associated with WWF said. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Centre-preparing\ -web-based-database-to-aid-tiger-conservation-/articleshow/4929027.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Centre-prepari\ ng-web-based-database-to-aid-tiger-conservation-/articleshow/4929027.cms> *Year of the Tiger: India raises poaching alarm, Beijing cool.* WIith 2010 being the Chinese ‘year of the tiger’ — which comes once in 12 years and when demand for tiger and leopard parts shoots up — a team of Indian wildlife officials will visit China in November to specifically discuss tiger and leopard poaching. The meeting between officials drawn from the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and Chinese officials was finalised during the visit of Minister of Environment Jairam Ramesh to China. During Ramesh’s trip, tiger poaching was one of the issues on agenda. In a written statement to Chinese officials, his ministry submitted that one of India’s main concerns was that demand for tiger and leopard skins and bones would go up in 2010. India also asked China to enforce a tiger skin registration scheme and crack down on tiger trade through Nepal. “The dialogue and enforcement on tiger conservation needs to be taken forward. This is why a team from Project Tiger and wildlife enforcement officers will be visiting China as a lot more needs to be done especially in this year of the tiger,” Ramesh told The Indian Express. For more: * http://www.indianexpress.com/news/year-of-the-tiger-india-raises-poaching-alarm-\ beijing-cool/509236/0 *<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/year-of-the-tiger-india-raises-poaching-alar\ m-beijing-cool/509236/0> *Habitat and food mark out tigers in Sunderbans. *Living in the inter-tidal habitat among marshy thickets, having become accustomed to the saline water, and but often without the trademark element of surprise, the Royal Bengal Tiger of the Sunderbans may have evolved differently from its brethren in peninsular India, according to experts here. Forest Department Officials are constantly discovering aberrant behaviour patterns. The July 17 finding of poisonous snakes in a tiger’s stomach is one such example. “While tigers are known to eat snakes, this is perhaps the first record of a tiger eating poisonous ones,” said Richa Dwivedi, deputy field director of the Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve. “Although it is yet to be confirmed scientifically that the tiger is genetically different from terrestrial tigers as the DNA analysis has not been done, there are certainly many physiological adaptations,” said Pradeep Vyas, the State Forest Department’s chief conservator of forests (Central). There is strong evidence of the fact that tigers in the Sunderbans drink saline water, says N.C. Bahuguna, director, Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve. For more: * http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/21/stories/2009082161091800.htm*<http://www.hindu.c\ om/2009/08/21/stories/2009082161091800.htm> *Park has highest density of tigers.* The initial report of the tiger census through camera trapping in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park has recorded the highest density of tigers in country. Setting aside newspaper reports of tiger poaching, Assam environment and forest minister Rockybul Hussain referred the initial report of Aranyak and Wildlife Institute of India which in its ongoing tiger census has found the presence of more than 24 tigers in every 100 sq km area of Kaziranga National Park. He said, " They have informed us that it was their conservative estimate. The density may be more than this. " The minister also claimed to have clinched a major deal for its wildlife sanctuaries by signing a tripartite agreement with union environment and forest ministry for setting up three tiger foundations in the state. For more: * http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/park-has-highest-\ density-of-tigers.aspx *<http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/park-has-highes\ t-density-of-tigers.aspx> *Panna tigers give clue to Sundarbans tigers' deaths?** *Those in Bangladesh who argue that the death four years ago of two Sundarbans tigers was due to reckless research have found support for their contention in the findings of an official Indian investigation into the deaths of Panna tigers in Madhya Pradesh. It is now thought increasingly likely that the deaths four years ago of two Sundarbans tigers were the result of foreign researchers using radio collars as a way of tracking tigers in the forest. The researchers - a university of Minnesota professor James LD Smith and a PhD candidate Adam Barlow - were, at the time, working alongside the forest department as part of the Sundarbans Tiger Project. The researchers had tranquilised and then collared two tigers one in 2005 and the other in 2006.The first tiger died within six months of radio-collaring. The second one died soon after being tranquilised to remove the collar. For more: * http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=102209*<http://www.th\ edailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=102209> *World Tiger Summit in Ranthambore next year. *India will host the World Tiger Summit next year and wildlife experts from various countries are expected to congregate to deliberate on conservation of the diminishing striped cats. “Rajasthan will host the World Tiger Summit at Ranthambore next year in October or November. About 200 experts from across the world are to participate in the summit, including those from the world renowned organisation, Global Tiger Initiative,” Minister of State (Independent charge) for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh told PTI. The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, having over 44 royal cats, would be showcased as a role model to the delegates. The summit is being held for the first time in the country, which is home to around 1,400 endangered species. For more: * http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/10/stories/2009081056091800.htm*<http://www.theh\ indu.com/2009/08/10/stories/2009081056091800.htm> *Don’t mix tiger populations: study.* Even as tigers go extinct in national parks across India, a study has found that translocating a tiger from one part of the country to another could end up doing more harm than good. In fact, a tiger genome study shows the six genetically distinct tiger populations in India should not be mixed, especially now that the threat of extinction looms large. The study, conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India and researchers from the University of Potsdam, Germany, has found that six unique tiger populations have evolved as a result of local adaptations. Following the tiger extinction from Sariska, the Western population—comprising only Ranthambhore now—is one of the smallest, along with the Himalayan gene-pool comprising of tigers from the Chitwan sanctuary (along the Indo-Nepal border) and Valmiki. The Northeastern population (mainly Kaziranga) is also dangerously small. For more: * http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dont-mix-tiger-populations-study/500065/*<http\ ://www.indianexpress.com/news/dont-mix-tiger-populations-study/500065/> *Jairam plans to get tigers to Gujarat.* After being the only state with lions, Gujarat may also get tigers. Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has written to Gujarat proposing that tigers be translocated to the state. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been asked to conduct a technical study on this. While many see this as a strategy to get lions from Gujarat for translocation to another site outside the state, Ramesh maintains this will complete the tiger landscape across central and upper India. “There were tigers in Gujarat till 10 years ago. I was looking at the map of India and realised that all the states in northern India like UP, Rajasthan, MP have tiger reserves, except for Gujarat. Having a project tiger reserve here will be good for the state,” Ramesh said. For more: * http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jairam-plans-to-get-tigers-to-gujarat/503704/ *<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jairam-plans-to-get-tigers-to-gujarat/503704\ /> *Tripartite pact on Project Tiger. *State Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain informed that the State (Assam) has entered into a tripartite agreement involving the National Park Authority and the Central Government for the implementation of the Project Tiger Foundation in the State. Assam is among the five States of the country to have entered into such an agreement. The Project Tiger is being implemented at Kaziranga, Nameri and Manas national parks of the State. Under the said project, Rs 6.46 crore has been sanctioned for relocation of over 900 families based in forest villages of the Manas National Park and Rs 51 lakh for other developmental purposes of the park. Similarly, Rs 1.56 crore has been sanctioned for Kaziranga National Park and Rs 17 lakh for Nameri reserve forest. The Forest Minister, while addressing a press conference, also informed that the Central Government has been approached for similar conservation project for the one-horned rhino. For more: * http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=aug2109/at08*<http://www.assa\ mtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=aug2109/at08> *Flying frog among 353 new Himalayan species: WWF.* A flying frog, the world's smallest deer and the first new monkey to be found in over a century are among 350 new species discovered in the eastern Himalayas in the past decade, the WWF said. But the environmental group said the vital habitats of the mountain range were facing growing pressures from unsustainable development in the region, which spans Nepal, China, India, Bhutan and Myanmar. In a report released here, it said climate change, deforestation, overgrazing by domestic livestock and illegal poaching and wildlife trading threatened one of the biologically richest areas of the planet. " In the last half-century, this area of South Asia has faced a wave of pressures as a result of population growth and the increasing demand for commodities, " said the report, " The Eastern Himalayas -- Where Worlds Collide. " " Only 25 percent of the original habitats in the region remain intact. For the unique species of the Eastern Himalayas, this means that today 163 are considered globally threatened, " it said. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Flying-frog-amon\ g-353-new-Himalayan-species-WWF-/articleshow/4877785.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Flying-frog-am\ ong-353-new-Himalayan-species-WWF-/articleshow/4877785.cms> *Rare Kashmir deer makes comeback.* An endangered species of red deer found only in Kashmir has made a rapid comeback in the past year due to a decline in violence and conservation efforts, wildlife officials said. The population of the hangul, also known as the Kashmir stag, is now estimated to be between 201 and 234, against 117-180 in March 2008, according to a census. An anti-India insurgency that broke out two decades ago in the disputed Himalayan region ruined the habitat of the red deer, killed for its meat by both rebels and security forces. The deer were estimated to number around 900 when fighting first erupted. Wildlife guards say poachers also killed the deer for its meat and antlers, which fetch high black market prices. Worst hit were its chief breeding ground in the upper reaches of Dachigam Sanctuary near Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. " In the early 90s, Dachigam was a den of militants and later security forces moved into areas where the hangul used to graze, making its life hell, " said wildlife ranger Imtiyaz Ahmad Mali. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Rare-Kashmir-dee\ r-makes-comeback/articleshow/4857122.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Rare-Kashmir-d\ eer-makes-comeback/articleshow/4857122.cms> *Pandas could be extinct in 2-3 generations: report*. China's giant panda could be extinct in just two to three generations as rapid economic development is infringing on its way of life, state media said, citing an expert at conservation group WWF. The problem is that the pandas' habitat is being split up into ever smaller patches, preventing the animals from roaming freely for mating partners and in turn endangering their gene pool, the Global Times reported. " If the panda cannot mate with those from other habitats, it may face extinction within two to three generations, " said Fan Zhiyong, Beijing-based species programme director for WWF. " We have to act now. " The risk of inbreeding is increasing, threatening to reduce the panda's resistance to diseases and lowering its ability to reproduce, the paper said. Fan said that highways pose major restrictions on the panda's free movement. For more: * http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g3cdxUu-DiZyf86Wr7Js8Z7lpdng *<http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g3cdxUu-DiZyf86Wr7Js8Z7lpdn\ g> *Good news and bad news for the Snow leopards of Nepal.* The good news is, there are more snow leopard in Nepal than officials imagined. The bad news is the species is still very vulnerable to poaching, and the long-term viability of the species remains at risk. The preliminary population estimate of snow leopards in the Nepal Himalaya conducted by WWF in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has shown the presence of about 300-400 animals. The figures were recently released by the Government of Nepal. The study was undertaken with funding from WWF-US, WWF-UK and WWF-Finland. " The population estimate was based on the model describing the relationship between sign (scrape) encounter rates, the snow leopard numbers assessed through genetic analysis and the habitat suitability assessment in the Nepal Himalaya, " says Dr. Rinjan Shrestha, Conservation Biologist with WWF Nepal. " This model is useful for providing relatively good estimates of populations at landscape scales, when the conservation actions are urgently needed and when data gathering poses a challenge to developing and implementing conservation strategies. " Snow leopards are widely, but patchily and sparsely distributed throughout the alpine ecosystems of the Himalayan mountain range. Their preferred habitat is considered to be rugged, non-forested landforms, dominated by cliffs, rocky outcrops, and ravines. Because this terrain is quite inaccessible to people, and because snow leopards are elusive by nature, very little information is available on their distribution and population status. For more: * http://www.examiner.com/x-4002-Green-Living-Examiner~y2009m8d10-Good-news-and-ba\ d-news-for-the-Snow-leopards-of-of-Nepal *<http://www.examiner.com/x-4002-Green-Living-Examiner~y2009m8d10-Good-news-and-\ bad-news-for-the-Snow-leopards-of-of-Nepal> *Should the cheetah make a comeback?.* Union minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh's announcement in Parliament that the cheetah would be reintroduced in India should have had every wildlife lover leaping with joy. Just imagine the sight of the sleek ash-gold cat — the world's fastest land animal — racing on grasslands here. But marring this picture-perfect sight is the country's poor record of big cat conservation. Tigers, which numbered 40,000 a century ago, are down to 1,400 and conservationists point out that resources could be better spent on saving the tiger and other endangered species instead of importing cheetahs from Africa. " The meagre resources available should be spent on the protection of severely threatened wildlife, " says Brig (retd) Ranjit Talwar, formerly with the tiger conservation cell of the World Wildlife Fund-India (WWF-India). But one person who is celebrating is M K Ranjitsinh. As chairman of the Wildlife Trust of India, Ranjitsinh is an active proponent of the move to bring back the spotted cat and also heads the cheetah re-introduction program. " Conservation of grasslands, the cheetah's habitat, is the main objective behind reintroducing the cat. Grasslands have been over-exploited in India, either for agriculture or grazing, resulting in severe degradation, " says Ranjitsinh. This would also help in the conservation of other endangered grassland fauna like the Great Indian Bustard. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Environment/Flora-Fauna/Should-the-cheet\ ah-make-a-comeback/articleshow/4847024.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Environment/Flora-Fauna/Should-the-che\ etah-make-a-comeback/articleshow/4847024.cms> *Wetlands, Rivers, & Water* *Yamuna clean-up in a mighty row.* Who is responsible for the filth in the Yamuna? Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit says no work is getting done because too many government agencies are meddling with the river; not to mention the Centre-sponsored delays. Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh says sewage treatment plants are not functioning to their full capacity. And, Haryana’s Forest Minister Kiran Chaudhary simply blames it on Delhi. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the National Conference of Ministers of Environment and Forests in Delhi and announced a policy for cleaning rivers. Manmohan Singh said at the central level, the new approach would be to look at a river in its entirety, including its floodplains, rather than clean it by parts — this being the responsibility of the city through which the river passes. He asked states to “explore mobilising additional resources for cleaning rivers through innovative models like setting up special-purpose vehicles.” For more: * http://www.indianexpress.com/news/yamuna-cleanup-in-a-mighty-row/503594/0*<http:\ //www.indianexpress.com/news/yamuna-cleanup-in-a-mighty-row/503594/0> *Birds* *In search of the ‘lost’ birds. *The Himalayan Quail, a nondescript species with a trademark red bill that was last recorded in the western Himalayas in Uttaranchal in 1876, figures prominently in BirdLife International’s fresh bid to find the ‘lost’ birds of the world. The critically endangered quail, *Ophrysia superciliosa*, remained elusive despite several searches, and is believed to have gone extinct, severely impacted by hunting and habitat degradation. BirdLife International, the global conservation organisation, says there is still hope that a small population survives in remote areas of the lower or middle Himalayan range. A few searches reportedly led to possible sightings in 1984 and 2003. The quail is among 47 species of birds the world over that have not been seen for up to 184 years, and the organisation is trying to confirm their continued existence. The list of potentially lost birds is a tantalising mix of species ranging from some inhabiting the least visited places on earth — such as remote islands and the western Himalayas — to those occurring in parts of Europe and the United States. For more: * http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/27/stories/2009082758002200.htm*<http://www.hindu.c\ om/2009/08/27/stories/2009082758002200.htm> *BNHS scientist spots 'extinct' bird.* A scientist from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) spotted the rare and endangered bird species -- the Jerdon's Courser early August. According to Dr Asad Rahmani, director of BNHS, " The bird was considered to be extinctas it was first spotted in 1900 and after that in 1986 by our scientist Bharat Bhushan. " The bird was spotted in the Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh this time. The sightings occurred in the core area of Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, Cuddapah at 6.40 am on August 6, 2009 by Rahul Chavan of BNHS and his local assistant Rahim. The duo spotted two Jerdon's Coursers. " Our research had revealed that it is a nocturnal bird. So the claimsmade by locals of seeing the bird in the day cannot be considered authentic, " Rahmani said, adding that Chavan heard the Jerdon Courser's call during a field study over the past six months. For more: * http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_bnhs-scientist-spots-extinct-bird_1286247 *<http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_bnhs-scientist-spots-extinct-bird_128624\ 7> *Rare bustard sighted at Churu sanctuary.* A pair of Great Indian Bustard was sighted at the Tal Chappar sanctuary in Churu district. This is the first time in recent history the endangered bird has been sighted in this sanctuary, otherwise known for its blackbucks. “It’s the first time in 30 years that a Great Indian Bustard pair has been witnessed at the Tal Chappar sanctuary. While the female bird was spotted on August 1, the male was seen the next day. Even during the first bustard conference in 1981, no one had reported such an event,’’ a forest department official said. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Rare-bustard-sig\ hted-at-Churu-sanctuary/articleshow/4870056.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Rare-bustard-s\ ighted-at-Churu-sanctuary/articleshow/4870056.cms> *Most endangered vulture breed ready to fledge. *One of the world's best conservation stories is being scripted at a wildlife Centre in Haryana's Pinjore, where a slender-billed vulture nestling, a rare species, has for the first time hatched in captivity and is ready to fledge. " The nestling at Pinjore is about five-month-old and is ready to fledge while the nestling at Rajabhatkhawa in West Bengal has already fledged. " The eggs hatched after an incubation period of 55-56 days. Two pairs had laid eggs at each of the centres but only one hatched at both the centres, " B G Deshmukh, President of a wildlife group, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) which is running the centres said. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Most-endangered-\ vulture-breed-ready-to-fledge-/articleshow/4868548.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Most-endangere\ d-vulture-breed-ready-to-fledge-/articleshow/4868548.cms> *Reptiles & Amphibians* *Orissa breeds a record number of endangered gharials.* It is bonanza breeding time at the Bhitarkanika National Park in Orissa this year as 63 of the 79 eggs laid by endangered gharials have hatched. The eggs of the gharials, members of the crocodile family, were collected from the wild and hatched artificially at the crocodile research farm. " This year we had collected 79 eggs for artificial hatching. Much to our surprise, 63 eggs hatched, " said Prasanna Kumar Behera, divisional forest officer of the wildlife sanctuary. For more: * http://www.deccanherald.com/content/20672/orissa-breeds-record-number-endangered\ ..html *<http://www.deccanherald.com/content/20672/orissa-breeds-record-number-endanger\ ed.html> *Insects* *Rare butterfly species found in Ripu RF.** *The yellow-crested spangle (Papilio elephenor), a rare butterfly species has been photographed and documented at Phipsu under Ripu Reserved Forest. It is the first ever live photograph taken in the world after the species was first recorded by naturalist CT Bingham in the year 1907, that the endangered yellow-crested spangle exists in North-East India but unfortunately, except the museum specimens, there was no such live photograph of the species. Researcher Kushal Choudhury claimed that after a hundred years of near extinction the spaciesman was documented and photographed in the Ripu Reserved Forest on May 22 of the current year. The endangered butterfly falls in the Black Bodied Swallowtail group under the family Papilionidae. It has the status of Schedule I species under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and is also included in the International Union for Conservation of Natural Resources (IUCN) Red data book. For more: * http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=aug2709/State*<http://www.ass\ amtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=aug2709/State> *Mobile towers threatening honey bees in Kerala: Study.* Mobile towers are posing a threat to honey bees in Kerala with electromagnetic radiation from mobile towers and cell phones having the potential to kill worker bees that go out to collect nectar from flowers, says a study. A plunge in beehive population has been reported from different parts of Kerala and if measures are not taken to check mushrooming of mobile powers, bees could be wiped out from Kerala within a decade, environmentalist and Reader in Zoology, Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy says in his study. In one of his experiments he found that when a mobile phone was kept near a beehive it resulted in collapse of the colony in five to 10 days, with the worker bees failing to return home, leaving the hives with just queens, eggs and hive-bound immature bees. Electromagnetic waves emitted by towers were strong enough to cripple the " navigational skills " of the worker bees, who play a vital role in sustaining bee colonies, Pattazhy, who teaches in S N College at Punalur in Kollam district said. A few months ago, a study conducted by a team of environmentalists led by Pattazhy in different spots in Kollam district in Kerala, found that radiation from mobile towers also threatened the very existence of home sparrow, which live in colonies close to human habitats even in urban areas. For more: * http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Mobile-towers-th\ reatening-honey-bees-in-Kerala-Study-/articleshow/4955476.cms *<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Mobile-towers-\ threatening-honey-bees-in-Kerala-Study-/articleshow/4955476.cms> *EVENTS* *High-Level Conference On Climate Change: Technology Development And Transfer; *22 - 23 October 2009. New Delhi, India; * http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/dsd_aofw_cc/cc_conf1009.shtml*<http://www.un.org/esa/d\ sd/dsd_aofw_cc/cc_conf1009.shtml> *IPCC-31:* 26 October 2009 - 29 October 2009. Bali, Indonesia; * http://www.ipcc.ch/* <http://www.ipcc.ch/> *Decentralization, Power And Tenure Rights Of Forest-Dependent People;* 27 - 28 October 2009. Dahod, Gujarat, India; email: purabi.*bose* *Climate Change: Measuring and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in a Changing Regulatory Environment*; 9 - 10 November 2009; Toronto; Canada; * https://learningcentre.csa.ca/lc_site/be.asp?gid=50016245 & tid=50041499*<https://\ learningcentre.csa.ca/lc_site/be.asp?gid=50016245 & tid=50041499> *Climate change and sustainable managment of natural resourses*; 10 -12 November 2009; Gwalior; India; *http://www.itmuniverse.in*<http://www.itmuniverse.in/> *Biofuels Environmental and Economical Sustainability Summit*; 16 to 18 November 2009; Washington, DC, United States; * http://www.biofuelsindustrysummit.com*<http://www.biofuelsindustrysummit.com/> *Gita Warrier* *Library & Documentation Officer* *WWF-India, 172B Lodhi Estate,* *New Delhi.* -------------- Take the lead on climate change See the World in a whole new light Join Earth Hour * 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm on 28th March 2009** **www.earthhour.in * <http://www.earthhour.in/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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