NatureNews
NatureNews - A WWF digest of environment news on the Internet
NatureNews for the week ending July 20, 2007. To subscribe to NatureNews, please write to Library.
Environment - General
Package pilgrims destroying the Himalayas – experts
Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims flocking to holy sites in the Himalayas are fouling fragile mountain ecosystems with rubbish, human waste, air pollution and the deforestation that comes with development. Hindus believe the Himalayas are the abode of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and regeneration, and devotees trek through treacherous mountain passes every year to seek Shiva's blessings at various holy shrines. But a rise in pilgrimages to these once pristine areas have made the region a dumping ground for hundreds of tonnes of garbage and human waste which is contaminating nearby rivers, environmentalists say. "Increased pilgrims to these areas is definitely taking its toll on these once beautiful and clean areas," said Shruti Shukla from WWF India. "Plastic rubbish is found littered everywhere, nearby rivers are filled with human waste and roads have been built bringing in daily buses packed with pilgrims which is contaminating the air." The Himalayan mountain range stretches across India, Bhutan, China, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan and is often referred to as the "Roof of the World". There are several popular Himalayan pilgrimage sites -- including Amarnath in India's Kashmir region, Gangotri, Kedernath and Badrinath in Uttarakhand, as well as Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in western Tibet. Cashing in on India's economic boom and a rapidly growing middle class, many tour operators are now offering package tours to holy Himalayan sites. For more: http://in.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-07-12T181628Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-284399-2.xml
Climate Change & Energy
KLM seeks CO2-neutral growth
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the Dutch arm of Air France KLM said it wants to offset about 4 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over four years, its estimated emissions growth over that period. "We continue to grow, but that growth will not lead to any additional carbon in the air in the next four years," a KLM spokeswoman said. The airline's current CO2 emissions amount to just under 10 million tons a year. KLM said it signed an agreement with the Dutch arm of the WWF, the first time that such a contract had been signed in the airline industry. "They will keep us sharp," the KLM spokeswoman said. "Climate change is one of the biggest threats to people and animals in our time," said Johan van de Gronden, who leads the Dutch arm of WWF. "This agreement with KLM will ... benefit nature directly." The airline said new, more fuel-efficient aircraft will contribute to keeping emissions stable, adding that it will also lobby for more efficient use of European air space, which would likewise help to slow emissions growth. For more: http://www.reuters.com/article/tnBasicIndustries-SP/idUSL1372990620070713
Five Facts on India and Climate Change
India's new National Council on Climate Change met for the first time, marking the country's first step towards assessing and controlling its global warming-related greenhouse gas emissions. Here are five facts on India and climate change.
* India is the world's fourth biggest greenhouse gas emitter and produces about 4 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The 1,884 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent it emitted in 2000 rank after the US (6,928), China (4,938) and Russia (1,952). * Emissions are said to be growing by 2 to 3 percent annually. Its 2000 emissions were 41 percent higher than its 1990 emissions, according to the World Resources Institute. The main contributor is the energy sector, which the government wants to grow significantly by 2012, to link up the half a billion people living without electricity.
* Per capita emissions are small. At around a tonne per person per year in 1998, they were a quarter of the global average of 4 tonnes per year, and way below the US's 20 tonnes.
* India ratified the world's only global agreement on emissions reductions, the Kyoto Protocol, in August 2002. As a developing country it is not required to set the specific reductions targets required for developed countries.
* Rising temperatures could provoke more frequent floods and droughts, spur disease and increase water scarcity in India because of the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers. By 2030, glaciers could shrink from 500,000 sq km to 100,000 sq km if current rates of warming continue, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in April.
Source: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/43104/story.htm
India Plans Global Warming Roadmap by Year-End
India took the first step towards developing a national plan to tackle the effects of global warming and assess its own greenhouse gas emissions, amid mounting international pressure. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Council on Climate Change held its first meeting in a bid to come up with a clear plan ahead of a key United Nations climate change meeting in Bali in December, but did not set any overall emissions targets. Singh said given India's dependence on monsoon rains, Himalayan glacier-fed rivers and its long coastline, climate change would have a serious impact. He said the country was already focusing on energy sources capable of reducing emissions, such as hydro, nuclear and solar power, but more had to be done. "We must at the same time explore ways of new and greener ways of development," Singh, who chaired the meeting, told council members. He called for a review of past efforts and plans for the future to be ready by November. For more: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/43103/story.htm
How Can Carbon Trading Save Peatlands and Rainforests
The UN is due to report on proposed carbon-trading schemes that would make it more rewarding for countries to preserve their forests rather than cut them down. The report on "Reduced Emissions from Deforestation" (RED) will be presented at a climate change meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in Dec. 2007. Here are some key facts on RED. For more:
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42920/story.htm
Climate change could be at the root of armed conflicts: Study
Climate change, and the resulting shortage of ecological resources, could be blamed for armed conflicts in the future, a new study claims. David Zhang from the University of Hong Kong and his colleagues looked at the impact of climate change on warfare frequency over the last millennium in eastern China. They found that warfare frequency in eastern China, and the southern part in particular, significantly correlated with temperature oscillations. Almost all peaks of warfare and dynastic changes coincided with cold phases. According to the study, temperature fluctuations directly impact agriculture and horticulture and, in societies with limited technology such as pre-industrial China, cooling temperatures hugely impact the availability of crops and herds. For more: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/156048.php/Climate-change-could-be-at-the-root-of-armed-conflicts:-Study
Marine & Oceans
Bait option gives big boost to save Dolphin campaign
One of the reasons the highly endangered Gangetic river dolphin was killed was because fishermen used its oil to attract fish in the Brahmaputra. But with a team of fishermen from Dhubri in Lower Assam successfully testing the use of an alternative bait obtained from fish viscera, the NGOs’ campaign to save the denizen of the no suggestions and Ganga river systems has got an unexpected boost. These fishermen were part of an experiment-cum-training initiated by the Centre for North East Studies & Policy Research (C-NES), which launched a major campaign last year to save the river dolphin from extinction in Assam. Dolphin population in the state has dropped drastically in the past decade. At present, the no suggestions river system has, according to C-NES, not more than 268 of the riverine mammal. C-NES sent four fishermen from Dhubri for a week-long training to the Patna Science College where they were trained on the use of oil from fish viscera, which is used as bait to catch the naariah fish. On returning, the four started using the alternative bait. “They were happy their catch did not go down,” said Bhaskar Jyoti Saud, who has been working on C-NES dolphin project. For more:
http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/203921.html
Forest & Biodiversity
Indian Plan to Lease Degraded Forests Sparks Anger
A plan to lease out India's degraded jungles to pulp and paper companies has sparked criticism from activists who say the scheme will leave millions of poor forest dwellers homeless and with no livelihood. With inadequate financial resources to meet a target of covering a third of India with trees by 2012, the Environment Ministry plans to invite private firms, particularly from the pulp and paper sector, to help grow forests. Under the "Multi-Stakeholder Partnership for Forestation", the government proposes to invite bids for areas with a tree cover of less than 10 percent under a contract that will see the paper industry farm trees in return for making paper pulp. Authorities say the plan will benefit both the environment and industry, as well as provide employment to millions in poor communities who live off meager forest resources. For more: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42900/story.htm
Pollution & Toxics
Shipping Nations Ban Toxic Cleaning Agent
After more than ten years of lobbying by WWF, shipping states within the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) have ratified legislation that bans the use of tributyltin (TBT) in anti-fouling systems of ships. TBT is an organic compound often used as an additive in many marine anti-fouling paints, which kills algal and barnacle growth and anything else that attaches to ships. The problem is that the chemical is highly toxic to many marine organisms. Even at low concentrations it causes deformations in oysters and genital changes in snails. The decline of commercial oysters along the Atlantic coast of France and the UK in the 1970s is attributed to TBT contamination. “This [the ban] is a tremendous victory for the marine environment, but one that is long overdue,” said Dr Simon Walmsley, Head of WWF-UK’s Marine Programme. For more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070720155133.htm
Wildlife & Endangered Species
‘It is now or never for the tiger’
School children, eminent conservationists, environmentalists and tiger lovers joined hands with members of the WWF-India and International Tiger Coalition to launch a signature campaign aimed at drawing attention of the world to the plight of tigers. The campaign is also aimed at stopping trade in tiger parts and products from all sources. WWF-India Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer Ravi Singh said: “The point that we are trying to make is that it is now or never for the Indian tiger. Clearly our Government needs to be as effective towards on-the-ground measures as it has been in lobbying at the global platform to save the tiger and its habitat. People too must spread the word and do their bit to save the tiger.” As part of the campaign, WWF-India has also exhibited a global tiger mosaic, a six-foot-by-six-foot product of an international campaign that ran on websites prior to the latest Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Having received over 20,000 pictures from over 150 countries – of which India was among the top ten contributors -- the mosaic symbolises the power of visual imagery and global concern for the tiger. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/20/stories/2007072054100400.htm
PM for ‘Tiger Protection Force’
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked authorities involved in tiger conservation to take time-bound action for relocating 270 villages in the critical core areas in sanctuaries. He has also asked all the State Governments to urgently fill vacancies for frontline staff in various sanctuaries. Dr. Singh, who reviewed the recent tiger conservation measures of the Government, discussed various measures being taken to prevent poaching of tigers and strengthen protection for sanctuaries. The Prime Minister said the efforts of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Forest Departments of States could be augmented by locals, mostly tribal residents of nearby villages, working under the supervision of ex-servicemen as a “Tiger Protection Force” in selected sanctuaries. It would not only prevent the poaching of tigers but provide them with income opportunities and help create a bond between them and the park. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/13/stories/2007071360901700.htm
Can legal trade save the tiger
Sinewy muscles rippled under his striped coat with every measured step that he took. The Siberian tiger was at once beautiful and menacing; yellow-green eyes narrowing in concentration as he chased his prey in powerful, bounding leaps. The prey, however, was not wild deer or boar but rather freshly-cut beef thrown out from the wire-mesh covered windows of a battered white mini van. The tiger was not alone either. Running alongside him were another half a dozen Siberian males so that the effect was akin to that of a pack of hunting wolves. The tiger was, in fact, one of the inhabitants of the Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park, located in the north-eastern Chinese city of Harbin. Housing some 800 tigers, the government-owned park is one of the largest captive breeding tiger farms in the world and the second largest in China. Since it was established in 1986 with a population of only 28 tigers, the park has grown exponentially. “We have perfected captive breeding methods and, in recent years, more than 100 tiger cubs are born in the park annually,” said Liu Dan, the park’s chief engineer. As a result, the park was fast running out of space and, more importantly, the finances to support its burgeoning tiger population. For more: http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2007/07/15/stories/2007071550010100.htm
After tiger, project snow leopard on anvil
After tiger and elephant, the Environment Ministry proposes a conservation plan for the elusive snow leopard. Covering an area of over one lakh sq km in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, this is also the first time the Himalayan ecosystem will be the focus of wildlife conservation. "The Planning Commission has responded positively to the proposal. The landscape-based conservation project will be taken up in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. One wildlife sanctuary in each of the States will be taken up on pilot basis soon," said AN Prasad, director of Project Elephant who is in-charge of drawing up the strategy for snow leopard conservation. The project is expected to take off as early as August this year. A majority of snow leopards inhabit China, followed by Mongolia and India. The country has about 400 to 700 snow leopards in the five State along the Himalayan range. Considered one of the most beautiful of species, it is often chased for its fur. There is poor knowledge about the Himalayan ecosystem as the region is inaccessible. The endangered snow leopard is flagship species, which will help population of other species like black-necked crane, red panda, wild yak and chiru. Instead of focusing on select wildlife parks, the approach would be to cover the entire landscape where the animal is found. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives2/default12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story6%2Etxt&counter_img=6&phy_path_it=E%3A%5Cdailypioneer%5Carchives2%5Cjul1607
Guns, poison, traps take toll on leopards
Leopards are in danger. As many as 226 of them could have been killed last year alone. Figures compiled by Delhi-based Wildlife Protection Society of India shows 226 incidents of leopard deaths and skin seizures across the country in 2006. Skins seized from poachers accounted for 60 per cent of them. In the other cases, the carcasses were found. Most of the deaths were caused directly by humans. Leopards were trapped, poisoned and even shot, while some died in road accidents. More than 40 deaths and seizures were reported from Uttarakhand. Delhi (39), Uttar Pradesh, (35), Maharashtra (14), Bengal (12), Assam and Andhra Pradesh (both 10) followed. The last leopard count — in 1997 — had put their number at 7,273. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070710/asp/bengal/story_8039313.asp
US offers help to save the tiger
Concerned about the dwindling tiger population in India, the United States has offered its help and called for a more broad-based approach in dealing with the issue of tiger conservation. US ambassador David Mulford, who is taking a keen personal interest in the issue, said his Government wanted “to do whatever it can to make a difference”. As a first step, the US Embassy is funding a workshop being organised by the Wildlife Protection Society of India in Ranthambore in October. “The issue of tiger is very special and very complex. We are hoping to stimulate, through this workshop, the federal Government, state Government, village communities, poachers, schoolchildren and others on the need to preserve the priceless species,” Mulford told The Indian Express. For more:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/204071.html
Herding rhinos into fenced area to mate as solution
Concentrating Sabah's last remaining rhino population in a large fenced up area within a natural forest to promote mating could well bring it back from the brink of extinction as India and Nepal had succeeded with the Indian Rhino. Dr A. Christy Williams, program co-ordinator of WWF Asian Elephant and Rhino Programme said Sabah is now also in a position take advantage of Cincinatti Zoo's success in producing three Sumatran rhino babies in its captivity breeding programme. The first was a male and has been returned to Indonesia for use in local captivity breeding purposes, said Dr Nan Schaffer, President of SOS Rhino. "It is entirely possible," Dr Nan affirmed when asked of Sabah's chances in its last ditch attempt at saving the remaining herd of 30 to 50 Bornean rhinos found in the southeastern forests. Although Sabah's rhinos are of the Sumatran stock, they are a sub-species. However, Dr Nan stressed that "these recommendations depend on a willing commitment, moral and financial determination of Sabahans. For more: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=51173
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
Climate change sucks water from China's two longest rivers
Climate change linked to the contraction of wetlands at the source of China's two longest rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow River, has reduced the volume of water flowing in the rivers, said Chinese scientists. Scientists from the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) studied changes over the past 40 years to the wetlands on the cold Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in west China where the two rivers have their source. Analyzing aerial photos and satellite remote sensing figures, they found that the wetlands on the plateau have shrunk more than 10 percent over the past four decades. The wetlands at the origin of the Yangtze River suffered the most, contracting by 29 percent. In addition, about 17.5 percent of the small lakes at the source of the Yangtze River have dried up, said the scientists. "The wetland plays a key role in containing water and adjusting the water volume of the rivers," said Wang Xugen, a researcher with the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment. "The shrinking of the wetland on the plateau is closely connected with global warming," Wang said, adding that -- even though rainfall has increased in the region -- the contraction of the wetland has reduced the flow of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. Figures provided by the WWF weather station at the head of the Yangtze River showed that annual rainfall at the source of the Yangtze River increased from 260 mm during 1991-2000 to 323 mm in the period 2001-2006. For more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/15/content_6377992.htm
EVENTS
Carbon Markets India; 25 September 2007; Mumbai, India; http://www.greenpowerconferences.com/carbonmarkets/carbonmarkets
_mumbai07.html
12th World Lakes Conference; 28 October 2007 - 2 November 2007; Jaipur, India; http://www.taal2007.org/
1st International Conference: Managing the Social and Environmental Consequences of Coal Mining in India; 19 November 2007; Delhi, India; E-mail: Kuntala.lahiri-dutt@anu.edu.au
Environmental Education towards A Sustainable Future: Partners for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; 26 November 2007; Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; http://www.tbilisiplus30.org
Package pilgrims destroying the Himalayas – experts
Hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims flocking to holy sites in the Himalayas are fouling fragile mountain ecosystems with rubbish, human waste, air pollution and the deforestation that comes with development. Hindus believe the Himalayas are the abode of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and regeneration, and devotees trek through treacherous mountain passes every year to seek Shiva's blessings at various holy shrines. But a rise in pilgrimages to these once pristine areas have made the region a dumping ground for hundreds of tonnes of garbage and human waste which is contaminating nearby rivers, environmentalists say. "Increased pilgrims to these areas is definitely taking its toll on these once beautiful and clean areas," said Shruti Shukla from WWF India. "Plastic rubbish is found littered everywhere, nearby rivers are filled with human waste and roads have been built bringing in daily buses packed with pilgrims which is contaminating the air." The Himalayan mountain range stretches across India, Bhutan, China, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan and is often referred to as the "Roof of the World". There are several popular Himalayan pilgrimage sites -- including Amarnath in India's Kashmir region, Gangotri, Kedernath and Badrinath in Uttarakhand, as well as Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in western Tibet. Cashing in on India's economic boom and a rapidly growing middle class, many tour operators are now offering package tours to holy Himalayan sites. For more: http://in.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-07-12T181628Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_India-284399-2.xml
Climate Change & Energy
KLM seeks CO2-neutral growth
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the Dutch arm of Air France KLM said it wants to offset about 4 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over four years, its estimated emissions growth over that period. "We continue to grow, but that growth will not lead to any additional carbon in the air in the next four years," a KLM spokeswoman said. The airline's current CO2 emissions amount to just under 10 million tons a year. KLM said it signed an agreement with the Dutch arm of the WWF, the first time that such a contract had been signed in the airline industry. "They will keep us sharp," the KLM spokeswoman said. "Climate change is one of the biggest threats to people and animals in our time," said Johan van de Gronden, who leads the Dutch arm of WWF. "This agreement with KLM will ... benefit nature directly." The airline said new, more fuel-efficient aircraft will contribute to keeping emissions stable, adding that it will also lobby for more efficient use of European air space, which would likewise help to slow emissions growth. For more: http://www.reuters.com/article/tnBasicIndustries-SP/idUSL1372990620070713
Five Facts on India and Climate Change
India's new National Council on Climate Change met for the first time, marking the country's first step towards assessing and controlling its global warming-related greenhouse gas emissions. Here are five facts on India and climate change.
* India is the world's fourth biggest greenhouse gas emitter and produces about 4 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The 1,884 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent it emitted in 2000 rank after the US (6,928), China (4,938) and Russia (1,952). * Emissions are said to be growing by 2 to 3 percent annually. Its 2000 emissions were 41 percent higher than its 1990 emissions, according to the World Resources Institute. The main contributor is the energy sector, which the government wants to grow significantly by 2012, to link up the half a billion people living without electricity.
* Per capita emissions are small. At around a tonne per person per year in 1998, they were a quarter of the global average of 4 tonnes per year, and way below the US's 20 tonnes.
* India ratified the world's only global agreement on emissions reductions, the Kyoto Protocol, in August 2002. As a developing country it is not required to set the specific reductions targets required for developed countries.
* Rising temperatures could provoke more frequent floods and droughts, spur disease and increase water scarcity in India because of the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers. By 2030, glaciers could shrink from 500,000 sq km to 100,000 sq km if current rates of warming continue, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in April.
Source: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/43104/story.htm
India Plans Global Warming Roadmap by Year-End
India took the first step towards developing a national plan to tackle the effects of global warming and assess its own greenhouse gas emissions, amid mounting international pressure. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Council on Climate Change held its first meeting in a bid to come up with a clear plan ahead of a key United Nations climate change meeting in Bali in December, but did not set any overall emissions targets. Singh said given India's dependence on monsoon rains, Himalayan glacier-fed rivers and its long coastline, climate change would have a serious impact. He said the country was already focusing on energy sources capable of reducing emissions, such as hydro, nuclear and solar power, but more had to be done. "We must at the same time explore ways of new and greener ways of development," Singh, who chaired the meeting, told council members. He called for a review of past efforts and plans for the future to be ready by November. For more: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/43103/story.htm
How Can Carbon Trading Save Peatlands and Rainforests
The UN is due to report on proposed carbon-trading schemes that would make it more rewarding for countries to preserve their forests rather than cut them down. The report on "Reduced Emissions from Deforestation" (RED) will be presented at a climate change meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in Dec. 2007. Here are some key facts on RED. For more:
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42920/story.htm
Climate change could be at the root of armed conflicts: Study
Climate change, and the resulting shortage of ecological resources, could be blamed for armed conflicts in the future, a new study claims. David Zhang from the University of Hong Kong and his colleagues looked at the impact of climate change on warfare frequency over the last millennium in eastern China. They found that warfare frequency in eastern China, and the southern part in particular, significantly correlated with temperature oscillations. Almost all peaks of warfare and dynastic changes coincided with cold phases. According to the study, temperature fluctuations directly impact agriculture and horticulture and, in societies with limited technology such as pre-industrial China, cooling temperatures hugely impact the availability of crops and herds. For more: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/156048.php/Climate-change-could-be-at-the-root-of-armed-conflicts:-Study
Marine & Oceans
Bait option gives big boost to save Dolphin campaign
One of the reasons the highly endangered Gangetic river dolphin was killed was because fishermen used its oil to attract fish in the Brahmaputra. But with a team of fishermen from Dhubri in Lower Assam successfully testing the use of an alternative bait obtained from fish viscera, the NGOs’ campaign to save the denizen of the no suggestions and Ganga river systems has got an unexpected boost. These fishermen were part of an experiment-cum-training initiated by the Centre for North East Studies & Policy Research (C-NES), which launched a major campaign last year to save the river dolphin from extinction in Assam. Dolphin population in the state has dropped drastically in the past decade. At present, the no suggestions river system has, according to C-NES, not more than 268 of the riverine mammal. C-NES sent four fishermen from Dhubri for a week-long training to the Patna Science College where they were trained on the use of oil from fish viscera, which is used as bait to catch the naariah fish. On returning, the four started using the alternative bait. “They were happy their catch did not go down,” said Bhaskar Jyoti Saud, who has been working on C-NES dolphin project. For more:
http://www.indianexpress.com/printerFriendly/203921.html
Forest & Biodiversity
Indian Plan to Lease Degraded Forests Sparks Anger
A plan to lease out India's degraded jungles to pulp and paper companies has sparked criticism from activists who say the scheme will leave millions of poor forest dwellers homeless and with no livelihood. With inadequate financial resources to meet a target of covering a third of India with trees by 2012, the Environment Ministry plans to invite private firms, particularly from the pulp and paper sector, to help grow forests. Under the "Multi-Stakeholder Partnership for Forestation", the government proposes to invite bids for areas with a tree cover of less than 10 percent under a contract that will see the paper industry farm trees in return for making paper pulp. Authorities say the plan will benefit both the environment and industry, as well as provide employment to millions in poor communities who live off meager forest resources. For more: http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42900/story.htm
Pollution & Toxics
Shipping Nations Ban Toxic Cleaning Agent
After more than ten years of lobbying by WWF, shipping states within the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) have ratified legislation that bans the use of tributyltin (TBT) in anti-fouling systems of ships. TBT is an organic compound often used as an additive in many marine anti-fouling paints, which kills algal and barnacle growth and anything else that attaches to ships. The problem is that the chemical is highly toxic to many marine organisms. Even at low concentrations it causes deformations in oysters and genital changes in snails. The decline of commercial oysters along the Atlantic coast of France and the UK in the 1970s is attributed to TBT contamination. “This [the ban] is a tremendous victory for the marine environment, but one that is long overdue,” said Dr Simon Walmsley, Head of WWF-UK’s Marine Programme. For more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070720155133.htm
Wildlife & Endangered Species
‘It is now or never for the tiger’
School children, eminent conservationists, environmentalists and tiger lovers joined hands with members of the WWF-India and International Tiger Coalition to launch a signature campaign aimed at drawing attention of the world to the plight of tigers. The campaign is also aimed at stopping trade in tiger parts and products from all sources. WWF-India Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer Ravi Singh said: “The point that we are trying to make is that it is now or never for the Indian tiger. Clearly our Government needs to be as effective towards on-the-ground measures as it has been in lobbying at the global platform to save the tiger and its habitat. People too must spread the word and do their bit to save the tiger.” As part of the campaign, WWF-India has also exhibited a global tiger mosaic, a six-foot-by-six-foot product of an international campaign that ran on websites prior to the latest Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Having received over 20,000 pictures from over 150 countries – of which India was among the top ten contributors -- the mosaic symbolises the power of visual imagery and global concern for the tiger. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/20/stories/2007072054100400.htm
PM for ‘Tiger Protection Force’
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked authorities involved in tiger conservation to take time-bound action for relocating 270 villages in the critical core areas in sanctuaries. He has also asked all the State Governments to urgently fill vacancies for frontline staff in various sanctuaries. Dr. Singh, who reviewed the recent tiger conservation measures of the Government, discussed various measures being taken to prevent poaching of tigers and strengthen protection for sanctuaries. The Prime Minister said the efforts of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Forest Departments of States could be augmented by locals, mostly tribal residents of nearby villages, working under the supervision of ex-servicemen as a “Tiger Protection Force” in selected sanctuaries. It would not only prevent the poaching of tigers but provide them with income opportunities and help create a bond between them and the park. For more: http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/13/stories/2007071360901700.htm
Can legal trade save the tiger
Sinewy muscles rippled under his striped coat with every measured step that he took. The Siberian tiger was at once beautiful and menacing; yellow-green eyes narrowing in concentration as he chased his prey in powerful, bounding leaps. The prey, however, was not wild deer or boar but rather freshly-cut beef thrown out from the wire-mesh covered windows of a battered white mini van. The tiger was not alone either. Running alongside him were another half a dozen Siberian males so that the effect was akin to that of a pack of hunting wolves. The tiger was, in fact, one of the inhabitants of the Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park, located in the north-eastern Chinese city of Harbin. Housing some 800 tigers, the government-owned park is one of the largest captive breeding tiger farms in the world and the second largest in China. Since it was established in 1986 with a population of only 28 tigers, the park has grown exponentially. “We have perfected captive breeding methods and, in recent years, more than 100 tiger cubs are born in the park annually,” said Liu Dan, the park’s chief engineer. As a result, the park was fast running out of space and, more importantly, the finances to support its burgeoning tiger population. For more: http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2007/07/15/stories/2007071550010100.htm
After tiger, project snow leopard on anvil
After tiger and elephant, the Environment Ministry proposes a conservation plan for the elusive snow leopard. Covering an area of over one lakh sq km in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, this is also the first time the Himalayan ecosystem will be the focus of wildlife conservation. "The Planning Commission has responded positively to the proposal. The landscape-based conservation project will be taken up in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. One wildlife sanctuary in each of the States will be taken up on pilot basis soon," said AN Prasad, director of Project Elephant who is in-charge of drawing up the strategy for snow leopard conservation. The project is expected to take off as early as August this year. A majority of snow leopards inhabit China, followed by Mongolia and India. The country has about 400 to 700 snow leopards in the five State along the Himalayan range. Considered one of the most beautiful of species, it is often chased for its fur. There is poor knowledge about the Himalayan ecosystem as the region is inaccessible. The endangered snow leopard is flagship species, which will help population of other species like black-necked crane, red panda, wild yak and chiru. Instead of focusing on select wildlife parks, the approach would be to cover the entire landscape where the animal is found. For more: http://www.dailypioneer.com/archives2/default12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story6%2Etxt&counter_img=6&phy_path_it=E%3A%5Cdailypioneer%5Carchives2%5Cjul1607
Guns, poison, traps take toll on leopards
Leopards are in danger. As many as 226 of them could have been killed last year alone. Figures compiled by Delhi-based Wildlife Protection Society of India shows 226 incidents of leopard deaths and skin seizures across the country in 2006. Skins seized from poachers accounted for 60 per cent of them. In the other cases, the carcasses were found. Most of the deaths were caused directly by humans. Leopards were trapped, poisoned and even shot, while some died in road accidents. More than 40 deaths and seizures were reported from Uttarakhand. Delhi (39), Uttar Pradesh, (35), Maharashtra (14), Bengal (12), Assam and Andhra Pradesh (both 10) followed. The last leopard count — in 1997 — had put their number at 7,273. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070710/asp/bengal/story_8039313.asp
US offers help to save the tiger
Concerned about the dwindling tiger population in India, the United States has offered its help and called for a more broad-based approach in dealing with the issue of tiger conservation. US ambassador David Mulford, who is taking a keen personal interest in the issue, said his Government wanted “to do whatever it can to make a difference”. As a first step, the US Embassy is funding a workshop being organised by the Wildlife Protection Society of India in Ranthambore in October. “The issue of tiger is very special and very complex. We are hoping to stimulate, through this workshop, the federal Government, state Government, village communities, poachers, schoolchildren and others on the need to preserve the priceless species,” Mulford told The Indian Express. For more:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/204071.html
Herding rhinos into fenced area to mate as solution
Concentrating Sabah's last remaining rhino population in a large fenced up area within a natural forest to promote mating could well bring it back from the brink of extinction as India and Nepal had succeeded with the Indian Rhino. Dr A. Christy Williams, program co-ordinator of WWF Asian Elephant and Rhino Programme said Sabah is now also in a position take advantage of Cincinatti Zoo's success in producing three Sumatran rhino babies in its captivity breeding programme. The first was a male and has been returned to Indonesia for use in local captivity breeding purposes, said Dr Nan Schaffer, President of SOS Rhino. "It is entirely possible," Dr Nan affirmed when asked of Sabah's chances in its last ditch attempt at saving the remaining herd of 30 to 50 Bornean rhinos found in the southeastern forests. Although Sabah's rhinos are of the Sumatran stock, they are a sub-species. However, Dr Nan stressed that "these recommendations depend on a willing commitment, moral and financial determination of Sabahans. For more: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=51173
Wetlands, Rivers & Water
Climate change sucks water from China's two longest rivers
Climate change linked to the contraction of wetlands at the source of China's two longest rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow River, has reduced the volume of water flowing in the rivers, said Chinese scientists. Scientists from the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) studied changes over the past 40 years to the wetlands on the cold Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in west China where the two rivers have their source. Analyzing aerial photos and satellite remote sensing figures, they found that the wetlands on the plateau have shrunk more than 10 percent over the past four decades. The wetlands at the origin of the Yangtze River suffered the most, contracting by 29 percent. In addition, about 17.5 percent of the small lakes at the source of the Yangtze River have dried up, said the scientists. "The wetland plays a key role in containing water and adjusting the water volume of the rivers," said Wang Xugen, a researcher with the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment. "The shrinking of the wetland on the plateau is closely connected with global warming," Wang said, adding that -- even though rainfall has increased in the region -- the contraction of the wetland has reduced the flow of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. Figures provided by the WWF weather station at the head of the Yangtze River showed that annual rainfall at the source of the Yangtze River increased from 260 mm during 1991-2000 to 323 mm in the period 2001-2006. For more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/15/content_6377992.htm
EVENTS
Carbon Markets India; 25 September 2007; Mumbai, India; http://www.greenpowerconferences.com/carbonmarkets/carbonmarkets
_mumbai07.html
12th World Lakes Conference; 28 October 2007 - 2 November 2007; Jaipur, India; http://www.taal2007.org/
1st International Conference: Managing the Social and Environmental Consequences of Coal Mining in India; 19 November 2007; Delhi, India; E-mail: Kuntala.lahiri-dutt@anu.edu.au
Environmental Education towards A Sustainable Future: Partners for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; 26 November 2007; Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; http://www.tbilisiplus30.org
WWF-India brings NatureNews as a free service to its affiliates and website visitors. We will not be responsible for the accuracy and nature of the content on third party websites.
