Man-Animal Conflict

According to 4th Tiger Census, there are approximately 2,967 tigers in India. Tigers count in India has increased from 1,411 in 2006 to 1,706 in 2010 and to 2,226 in 2014, marking the success of Project Tiger. India has achieved the goal of doubling the number of tigers as highlighted by the St Petersburg declaration 2010.However, according to the National Tiger…

Environment Digest – 3 July- 10 July 2016

1]Remote Pacific nation threatened by rising seas Issue Impact of climate change on Kiribati. Key points Pacific island nations are among the world’s most physically and economically vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events like floods, earthquakes and tropical cyclones. While world powers have summit meetings to negotiate treaties on how to reduce and…

Environment Digest – 26 June- 2 July 2016

[1]A station in Himalayas to study climate change What happened? A team of glaciologists from the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research is  studying Himalayan glaciers to understand the impacts of climate change in the polar climate and its connection to the Indian monsoon. Key points:- The newly established station would be one of…

Environment Digest – 19 June- 25 June 2016

[1]Letting them off easy Issue Critical analysis of  a draft notification seeking to amend the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of 2006. Importance of EIA The EIA process has its origins in the 1992 Rio Earth Summit where over 170 countries committed to balancing environmental concerns and economic needs. The EIA was a tool to do…

Environment Digest – 12 June- 18 June 2016

[1]Nurture waterbodies, keep floods at bay this monsoon Issue For effective steps, communities have a definite role in their localities to mitigate floods. Role of the communities There is a need for communities to understand the significance of waterbodies in their neighbourhoods and protect them. Residents have to be aware of the lakes and ponds…

Environment Digest – 5 June- 11 June 2016

[1]Nature’s answer to climate risk News Gaumukh, the snout of the Gangotri glacier, named after its shape like the mouth of a cow, has retreated by over 3 kilometres since 1817. Analysis Though a three-kilometre retreat over a period of two centuries might seem insignificant at first glance, but study shows that the rate of…

Environment Digest – 29 May – 4 June 2016

[1]Nature’s answer to climate risk Issue Nature based solutions for climate and disaster risk. Effect of climate change on coastal areas Nearly half the world’s population lives near coasts. As climate change exacerbates the effects of storms, flooding and erosion, the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of those people will be at risk.…

Environment Digest – 22 May – 28 May 2016

[1]More extreme rainfall on land masses predicted Issue According to a recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change, extreme rainfall events can be expected to increase in both dry and wet land regions of the world in the current global warming scenario. Key points The water vapour concentration increase in the atmosphere per…

Environment Digest – 15th May – 21st May 2016

[1] Mexico’s Vaquita porpoise headed toward extinction News Scientists have warned that the population of Mexico’s endangered vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise, has fallen to alarmingly low levels and is heading toward extinction soon if drastic measures aren’t taken. Vaquita The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), also known as the Gulf of California harbor porpoise, is the…

Environment Digest – 8th May – 14th May 2016

[1]Conserving the last drop Context Water scarcity in parts of India Theme 1 : Borewell Drilling in Latur Regions such as Marathwada, Bundelkhand, Telangana, and northern Karnataka are reeling under drought-like conditions. Parched villages and cities, driven to desperation, have plunged headlong into a borewell-digging spree. From Mumbai to Hyderabad, borewell operators are frenetically drilling,…