Monthly Archives: December 2013

मैली गंगा में डाॅल्फिन बचाने की चुनौती

Posted on by
Reply

    संतोष सारंग

जलीय जीवों में डाॅल्फिन एक महत्वपूर्ण जीव है। नदियों के पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र को सुरक्षित रखने, भोजन चक्र की प्रक्रिया को बनाये रखने एवं पर्यावरण को संरक्षित रखने के लिए डाॅल्फिन को बचाना जरूरी है। गंगा एवं उसकी सहायक नदियां, नेपाल से निकलने वाली नदियां इस जलचर जीव के जीवन, प्रजनन व अठखेलियों के लिए अपना जल संसार न्यौछावर करती रही हैं। किंतु मैली होती गंगा व अन्य नदियां डाॅल्फिन के जीवन के लिए खतरा भी उत्पन्न कर रही है। इस चिंता के बीच डाॅल्फिन बचाने का प्रयास भी हो रहा है, जो स्वागतयोग्य है।
बिहार में सुल्तानगंज से लेकर बटेश्वरस्थान (कहलगांव) तक का गंगा का 60 किलोमीटर का जल क्षेत्र 1991 में ‘डाॅल्फिन अभ्यारण्य क्षेत्र’ घोषित किया गया। एशिया का एकमात्र यह डाॅल्फिन संरक्षित क्षेत्र तब से इको टूरिज्म के दृष्टिकोण से महत्वपूर्ण स्थल बन गया है। एक अनुमान के मुताबिक, 10 साल पहले इस संरक्षित क्षेत्र में करीब 100 डाॅल्फिन थे। आज इसकी संख्या बढ़कर 160-70 हो गयी है। यह सरकारी-गैरसरकारी प्रयासों का नतीजा है। यहां ब्लाइंड रिवर डाॅल्फिन प्रजाति की डाॅल्फिन पायी जाती है। इसका दूसरा नाम गंगेटिक डाॅल्फिन है। एक सर्वेक्षण के अनुसार, भारत, नेपाल, बांग्लादेश में करीब 3200 डाॅल्फिन बची है।
डाॅल्फिन के प्रति मछुआरों व आम लोगों को जागरूक करने एवं इस जलीय जीव की जिंदगी बचाने के उद्देश्य से बिहार सरकार ने 2011 में डाॅल्फिन को राष्ट्रीय जलीय जीव घोषित किया। इस साल 5 अक्टूबर पहली बार ‘डाॅल्फिन डे’ मनाया गया है। इस दिन बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार ने डाॅल्फिन पर उत्कृष्ट काम करने के लिए डाॅ गोपाल शर्मा को प्रशस्ति पत्र देकर सम्मानित किया है।
गंगा का इतना विस्तृत क्षेत्र छोड़कर भागलपुर को इस जल क्षेत्र को संरक्षित क्षेत्र घोषित करने के पीछे कुछ इकोलाॅजिकलकारण रहे हैं। भारतीय प्राणी सर्वेक्षण, गंगा समभूमि प्रादेशिक केंद्र, पटना के प्रभारी सह वैज्ञानिक डाॅ गोपाल शर्मा को कहना है कि यहां गंगा की गहराई डाॅल्फिन के विचरण-प्रजनन के लिए अनुकूल है। पानी का वाॅल्यूम अच्छा रहता है। नदी के दोनों किनारे फिक्स रहते हैं। कटाव की समस्या नहीं है। ये सब स्थितियां डाॅल्फिन के अनुकूल है।
भागलपुर वन प्रमंडल के वन परिसर पदाधिकारी वीरेंद्र कुमार पाठक कहते हैं कि वन विभाग के पास संसाधन नहीं है। मोटरबोट हैं तो खराब पड़े हैं। नाव भाड़े पर लेना पड़ता है। इसके बावजूद साल में दो-तीन बार विभाग की टीम पेट्रोलिंग करती है। डाॅल्फिन का शिकार न हो इसके लिए डाॅल्फिन मित्र बनाया गया है। मछुआरों को सख्त हिदायत है कि वे मछलियों को पकड़ने के लिए छोटे-छोटे जाल न लगाएं, पर चोरी-छिपे वे जाल लगा देते हैं। उन्हें सिर्फ मोटी जाल लगाना है। समय-समय पर मछुआरों को जागरूक करने का कार्यक्रम चलाया जाता है, ताकि छोटी मछलियों का शिकार न किया जाये। छोटी मछलियां डाॅल्फिन का आहार है। भोजन नहीं मिलेगा, तो डाॅल्फिन फरक्का में बढ़ जायेगा। मछुआरों के आंदोलन व गंगा दस्यु के गैंगवार के कारण डाॅल्फिन संरक्षण में विभाग को परेशानी होती है। पुलिस-प्रशासन की पूरी मदद नहीं मिलती है। विभाग की माने तो हाल के वर्षों में इंडियन वाइल्डलाइफ प्रोटेक्शन एक्ट 1971 के प्रावधानों के बारे में मछुआरों को जागरूक करने व विभागीय सख्ती के कारण डाॅल्फिन की किलींग रुकी है। पटना में भी डाॅल्फिन का शिकार कम हुआ है।
हालांकि, कहलगांव स्थित एनटीपीसी थर्मल पावर से निकलने वाले रासायिनक कचरे, नाले से बहने वाले शहर के कचरे एवं शिल्क कपड़े की धुलाई में प्रयुक्त होने वाले केमिकल्स गंगा में बहाये जाते हैं, जो जलीय जीवों के लिए खतरनाक साबित होते हैं। कुछ साल पूर्व यहां बड़ी संख्या में मछलियों की मौत हो गयी थी। इस पर किसी का अंकुश नहीं है।

Weather-based crop cover finds favour with Indian farmers

Posted on by
Reply

Sandip Das

New Delhi, Dec 10:

With unpredictable weather conditions, such as erratic rainfall, fluctuations in temperature and changes in relative humidity affecting crop output, the Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) offered by various private and public sector companies is gradually being accepted by farmers seeking protection from crop losses.

The scheme, piloted in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in rabi of 2007, has, for the first time in the country, given farmers a cover against crop losses from adverse weather conditions.

Provided by Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AICI), a company mainly owned by four state-owned general insurance companies and Nabard, the scheme covers more than 35 perennial crops such as apple, citrus fruit, grapes, mango, pomegranate, cashew nut, oil palm etc.

As per AICI data, the weather-based product scheme, when implemented across 13 states in kharif 2012 and 14 states in rabi 2012-13, had insured 35 lakh and 37 lakh farmer, respectively.

“Although the share of weather-based crop insurance scheme amongst farmers opting for output-based insurance cover is small, it has caught on as it’s easier for the states to administer — we need not do a crop-cutting exercise needed for the implementation of national crop insurance policy. What we need to know is the weather condition of a given area during the life cycle of the crop,” PJ Joseph, chairman and managing director of AICI, told FE.

Joseph said new products like weather -based insurance provide protection to cultivators in the event of a loss in crop yields resulting from adverse weather incidences such as unseasonal or excess rainfall, temperature fluctuations, frost, relative humidity etc. “Triggers are broadly fixed so as to capture the adverse incidence of weather parameters on crop yield,” he said.

“Weather based insurance provides risk management tools for farmers to deal with climate change adaptation initiative,” Pramod Aggarwal, regional programme leader, Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) platform, said. CCAFS has been, in collaboration with AICI, promoting the weather-based insurance among farmers.

So far, only about 30 million farmers out of 120 million have been covered under the National Crop Insurance

Scheme, which mainly covers yield losses. About 70% of these are accounted for by farmers who own less than four hectares.

For the national crop insurance scheme, companies provide coverage based on yield, for which historical yields of the crops concerned are taken into consideration while for weather-based insurance, the historical data of yield is not needed.

The Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS), introduced in 1985 by the centre in collaboration with state governments, was linked to short-term crop credit, where all loans for notified crops in a specific area were compulsorily covered.

Close to 60 lakh farmers benefited from the CCIS and the majority of claims were paid in states such as Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa.

அணுசக்தியும் புவி வெப்பமயமாதலும் 4: யுரேனியத்துக்கு எதிர்ப்பு

Posted on by
Reply

Why are environmentalists and activists up against Uranium? what are the dangers of Uranium as a fuel and in mining?
Read on..
அமெரிக்காவின் தலைசிறந்த சுற்றுசூழல் ஆர்வலர்களில் ஒருவர் பாரி காமனர் (Barry Commoner). அரசியலிலும் இவருக்கு ஈடுபாடு இருந்தது. இடதுசாரி சிந்தனை ஓட்டம் கொண்ட காமனர் அணுசக்திக்கு எதிராக சொன்ன ஒரு கருத்துதான் தொடர்ந்து அதன் எதிர்ப்பாளர்களால் பல இடங்களில் மேற்கோள் காட்டப்படுகிறது. “அணுசக்தி என்பது தண்ணீரை கொதிக்க வைக்க மிகவும் சிக்கலான வழி” என்றார் அவர்.

அணுசக்திக்கு ஆதரவானவர்கள் போலவே எதிரானவர்களும் வலிமையான வாதங்களை முன் வைக்கிறார்கள். அணுசக்தி ஆதரவாளர்கள் சொல்வது போல அது தூய்மையான, பசுமையான சக்தி அல்ல என்பதை பல வருடங்களாகவே அணுசக்தி எதிர்ப்பாளர்கள் சொல்லி வருகிறார்கள். அதனாலேயே ‘தூய்மை வளர்ச்சி’ முறையில் அணுசக்தியை சேர்க்கக் கூடாது என்று அவர்கள் வாதிடுகிறார்கள்.

ஒப்பீட்டளவில் குறைந்த அளவிலேயே பசுமையில்ல வாயுக்களை வெளிப்படுத்தும் அணுசக்தி எப்படி தூய்மையில்லாத சக்தி என்று இவர்கள் சொல்கிறார்கள்? அதற்கான காரணம் என்ன?

அணுசக்தியைப் பொருத்தவரையில் மின்சார உற்பத்தியின்போது மட்டுமே பசுமையில்ல வாயுக்களின் வெளியீடு இருக்காது. ஆனால் அணுசக்தியின் முழுமையான ஆயுள் வட்டம் அத்தனை தூய்மையானதும் அல்ல, பாதுகாப்பானதும் அல்ல என்கிறார்கள் அணுசக்தி எதிர்பாளர்கள்.

அணுசக்தியின் முழுமையான ஆயுள் சுழற்சியில் பல கட்டங்கள் இருக்கின்றன. அதை ஒவ்வொன்றாக பார்ப்போம்.

முதல்கட்டமாக அணுசக்தி உற்பத்திக்கு எரிபொருளாக பயன்படும் யுரேனியத்தை பூமியிலிருந்து பிரித்தெடுக்கும் மைனிங் (Mining) எனப்படும் சுரங்கவியல் நடைமுறை. (யுரேனியம் தவிர தோரியம் மற்றும் புளுடோனியமும் எரிபொருட்ளாக பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன). இந்த மைனிங்கிலேயே பல பிரச்சினைகள் இருப்பதாக சொல்கிறார்கள் அணுசக்தி எதிர்ப்பாளர்கள். பூமியிலிருந்து யுரேனியத்தை பிரித்தெடுக்க ஒன்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட வழிமுறைகள் இருக்கின்றன.

ஆனால் யுரேனியச் சுரங்கங்களில் வேலை செய்பவர்களுக்கு கடுமையான பிரச்சினைகள் ஏற்படுகின்றன என்பது பரவலாக சொல்லப்படும் குற்றச்சாட்டு. சுரங்கப்பணியின்போது வெளிப்படும் ரேடன் எனப்படும் நச்சு வாயு சுவாசப்பையில் புற்றுநோய் ஏற்படுத்தும் தன்மை கொண்டது. தவிர சுரங்கப்பணியின்போது மிக அதிக அளவில் அசுத்தமான தண்ணீர் வெளியேற்றப்படுகிறது என்றும், இது சுற்றுசூழலுக்கு கேடு விளைவிக்கிறது என்றும் அணுசக்தி எதிர்ப்பாளர்கள் சொல்கிறார்கள். சுரங்கப்பணியின்போதே கதிர்வீச்சு தூசு வெளியிடப்படும் அபாயம் இருப்பதாகவும் அவர்கள் சொல்கிறார்கள். இதனால் சுரங்கத்தில் வேலை செய்பவர்களுக்கு மட்டுமன்றி சுரங்கத்தை சுற்றியுள்ள பகுதியில் வாழும் மக்களுக்கும் ஆபத்துகள் ஏற்படும் வாய்ப்பு இருக்கின்றன.

இந்தப் பின்னணியில், 1970களில் யுரேனியம் சுரங்கப்பணி என்பதே மிகப்பெரிய அரசியல் பிரச்சினையாக உருவானது. குறிப்பாக ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் இது மிகவும் வலிமையாக இருந்தது. 1976ல் யுரேனியம் சுரங்கப்பணிக்கு எதிரான இயக்கம் தொடங்கப்பட்டு பல ஆர்ப்பாட்டங்கள் அங்கு நிகழ்ந்தன. 1992ல் யுரேனியம் சுரங்கத்தோண்டல் குறித்த கருத்து கேட்புக் கூட்டமும் நடந்திருக்கிறது.

பல நாடுகளிலிருந்து பூர்வக்குடியினர் கலந்து கொண்ட இந்த கருத்து கேட்புக் கூட்டத்தில் அவர்கள் வெளியிட்ட குறிப்பில், யுரேனியம் சுரங்கப்பணி, கழிவு சேகரித்து வைத்தல் மற்றும் அணுசக்தி சோதனை மூலம் இனி அவர்களது நிலங்களையோ மக்களையோ சுரண்டக் கூடாது என்பதும், அவர்களுடைய நிலங்களை சுத்தப்படுத்தி மீட்டுத்தர வேண்டும் என்பதுமே அவர்களது முக்கிய கோரிக்கைகளாக இருந்தன.

இன்று சுரங்கப்பணி பல வித பாதுகாப்பு அம்சங்களுடன் நடப்பதாக அணுசக்தி அமைப்புகள் சொன்னாலும், தொடர்ந்து பல இடங்களில் யுரேனியத்துக்கு எதிர்ப்பு இருந்து வந்திருக்கிறது. புகுஷிமா விபத்திற்கு பிறகு யுரேனியத்தின் விலை கணிசமாக குறைந்திருப்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

மில்லிங் எனப்படும் ஆலையிடுதலில் என்னனென்ன பிரச்சினைகள் இருப்பதாக சொல்கிறார்கள் எதிர்ப்பாளர்கள்?

தொடர்ந்து பார்ப்போம்.

 

http://tamil.thehindu.com/general/environment/%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%A3%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-4-%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%81-%E0%AE%8E%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81/article5447612.ece?homepage=true

Once ignored, mountain agendas now draw global attention

Posted on by
Reply

OM ASTHA RAI

Three years ago, Prof John Beddington, then chief scientist of the UK government, warned that shortages of food, water and energy would unleash public unrest, cross-border conflicts and mass migration by 2030.

At a recent conference on poverty and vulnerability in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, organized by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Nepal”s National Planning Commission (NPC) in Kathmandu, Dr Bruno Messerli, former rector of University of Bern, recalled what Prof Beddington had cautioned in the 2009 conference on sustainable development.

Putting Prof Beddington”s caution into perspective, Dr Messerli said, ´The food-energy-water security is intrinsically linked to the sustainability of mountains and mountain communities. Mountains could, therefore, play a very important political role in future.´ The opinion of Dr Messerli, who interacted with journalists on the last day of the conference, was unequivocal: much of resources like food, water and energy come from mountains and future public unrests cannot be averted without ensuring sustainability of mountains.

However, as the world marks the World Mountain Day on Wednesday, concerns over sustainability of mountains still remain largely unaddressed in much of the HKH region. This is mainly because mountains form just small parts of big and influential countries like India and China in the HKH region, which also includes Nepal and Bhutan, where mountains characterize the countries” distinctiveness.

Only in the last few years, issues of mountains and mountain communities have started to draw the global attention. The ICIMOD-NPC conference on poverty and vulnerability in the HKH region, which was attended by representatives of 19 countries apart from international organizations and the United Nations (UN) committees, is just an example of the increased global interest on the agendas of sustainable mountain development.

Global warming, which scientists say is accelerating glacier melting in the Himalayas, has also contributed to the increasing global interest in mountain agendas. In its 2007 report that sparked controversy across the world, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) had stated that the Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035 if the earth keeps warming up at the current rate. ´The IPCC may have got its mathematics wrong. However, it was right to highlight the threats to the Himalayan glaciers,´ said Phrang Roy, former Assistant President of International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), who delivered a key note address at the ICIMOD-NPC conference.

Experts, including Dr Messerli, say sustainability of mountains is a key to addressing poverty especially in the wake of global warming. They also add that inclusive development and strengthening democracy at the grassroots levels, among other factors, are imperative to enable the mountain communities to deal with the severe impacts of climate change. ´These are some recommendations put forth by experts in our conference,´ said Dr Dhrupad Chaudhary, program manager at the ICIMOD. ´We hope countries in the HKH region will take up these recommendations in formulating their development agendas.´

Published on 2013-12-11 09:07:25

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=65973

Shrinking the financial fallout of natural disasters

Posted on by
Reply

TOKYO, 9 December 2013 (IRIN) – Relief will be more easily and quickly available, and the economic fallout much more manageable, if governments project and plan fiscally for potential natural disasters and their human and economic toll well in advance, experts say.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has calculated that since 2000, economies have lost as much as US$2.5 trillion due to natural hazards. In 2011 Thailand lost around 5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to floods, and Japan lost some 4 percent of its GDP to the earthquake and tsunami.

The latest major disaster in the region, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, is likely to cause losses of around $12.5 billion, or 5 percent of the 2012 GDP in this lower middle-income country, Margareta Wahlstrom, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, told IRIN. – http://www.irinnews.org/report/99296/shrinking-the-financial-fallout-of-natural-disasters

Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather events

Posted on by
Reply

Climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather events

Far from being isolated, the Philippines typhoon Haiyan followed other extraordinary meteorological events that are becoming more frequent and increasingly severe Three weeks ago the most powerful typhoon ever recorded to hit land destroyed parts of the Philippines. The devastation has been catastrophic, flattening homes, schools and hospitals and leaving thousands dead and 5.5 million children affected.

Unicef has worked in the Philippines since 1948 and experienced staff returning from the worst affected areas such as Leyte are reporting having never seen anything like this – not even after the Asian tsunami on Boxing day almost a decade ago. They have seen hundreds of kilometres of coconut groves literally blown away by 300kph winds. A coconut tree takes 12 years to grow, so this is a decade of livelihoods wiped out in a single storm.

I am incredibly concerned about the children who are without a doubt the most vulnerable right now. But as the immediate shock of the typhoon news reports begin to fade from people’s memories we need to address with energy and decision the true facts behind the intensity of the Philippines typhoon.

If the Philippines typhoon was an isolated incident, it would be a meteorological phenomenon, but the real worry is that far from being isolated, these events are both frequent and increasingly severe. This typhoon comes on top of other extraordinary meteorological events that have occurred recently; unprecedented floods caused by a cyclone in Sardinia last week; unprecedented typhoons in the United States a few weeks ago; unprecedented rains that caused the Pakistan floods in August and last year.

We can not turn a blind eye to the stark reality; the reality that is climate change. Leaving aside the appalling individual tragedies that have occurred we must see that these are flashes of the future. Climate change is contributing to these events becoming more intense.

Hazards only become disasters when a population or society’s capacity to cope within existing resources is overwhelmed. In such a situation, children, especially the hardest to reach, are always the most vulnerable. Disasters put children at greater risk of death, exposure to disease and trauma, and disruption to their education and social development.

As disasters intensify with increasing impacts of climate change, there must be an expansion of adaptation and resilience programmes in vulnerable countries to protect children from risk. Unicef’s disaster risk reduction programmes implement simple measures like early warning systems which can mean the difference between life and death. These programmes work – the Indian state of Orissa’s disaster preparedness plan implemented last month undoubtedly saved lives as nearly a million people were evacuated when a cyclone was known to be heading towards the eastern coastal region.

Last weekend the UN climate change talks ended in Warsaw. The Philippines disaster should have sent an urgent message demanding bold action to protect children from disasters like these and delivered plans for how we can effectively rebuild when the worst happens, but the lack of energy has left me speechless. I can not believe we are not yet gripping this issue with the urgency that is needed and unless we do that, what you see isn’t going to be one event that shocks and saddens us but an event that is repeated and repeated and repeated.

I’m not saying that human beings alone are causing global warming, they’re not. The Earth is going through one of its warming cycles, but there is no doubt, none whatsoever, that human beings are adding to that and adding to that in a dangerous and ultimately fatal way. Unless we begin to take this seriously, according to experts, climate related disasters could affect 375 million people every year by 2015, up from 263 million in 2010.

http://e.jang.com.pk/12-01-2013/karachi/mag10.asp

Climate Change in Shigar Valley

Posted on by
Reply

Climate Change in Shigar Valley

Changes in Local Climate – Precipitation and Temperature Analysis

 

The aspects of changes in local climate that were assessed included the following:

Change in winter temperatures

The climate of Shigar can be classified as dry continental Mediterranean. The general

perception of the community members was that the winter season has become milder and shorter, and summer is now considerably warmer. April and May were characterized by moderate temperatures, while summer season was identified as very hot, with temperatures

reaching about 400C in July.

The respondents reported a definite increase in winter temperatures over the past 5 years. A few villagers, including a village head, reported that minimum winter temperature has

increased from about -250C (5 years ago) to about -120C in the past 2 years. The village head also mentioned that in 1996 the minimum winter temperature fell to -360C. Respondents

further stated that till 5-10 years ago, winter lasted from November till February and now it

starts in December. They added that there is hardly any snowfall anymore, while 10-15 years ago snowfall was a continuous feature in winter. Earlier, pots would break, oil would freeze, and trees and birds would perish during the harsh winter season.

Discussions revealed that about 5 years ago people required several blankets (3–4) to keep them warm in winters, but since the past 2–3 years one blanket suffices the need. The complete

stock of quilts and blankets in each household is no longer required. Further, the community members said that there has been a drastic reduction in the use of woolen clothing and carpets in homes. Additionally, pedestal fans were never needed in summers before, but now they are in common use. Conversely, now few bukharis (heaters) are needed to warm houses.

6 Community Perceptions on Climate Change in Shigar Valley – A Case Study

Change in quantity of fuelwood required for heating in winters

Respondents reported a reduction of atleast 50% in the use of fuelwood by households during

winters, in the past 5 years. According to one village resident, his fuelwood consumption has drastically reduced, from 200 kg to 25 kg.

Change in flowering time of fruit trees

The main fruit tree species in Shigar are apple, apricot, cherry and pear. A shift in the

flowering time, by about 7–15 days, was reported to have taken place during the past 5-10

years. Previously, flowering took place in mid-April, but since 2007 fruit trees blossom

between the last week of March and the first week of April.

Change in location / altitude of pasture sites

The study revealed that there are 22 grazing sites for the 22 villages of Shigar Town. In other words, there is one site designated to one village. Permission is needed to use another

village’s site.

The respondents were asked to quantify the number of hours it took to travel to the pastures in 2003, as opposed to in 2007-08. The response to this question was divided. 53% of the persons that were interviewed reported that there has been a change in their travel time; some reported a lengthening of travel time by about 2-3 hours, denoting that they now had to travel to higher altitudes to reach good pastures. However, it needs to be mentioned here that thedisparity in response may be due to the varied locations of the pastures that are used by the respondent. The pastures which are already at a higher altitude may not have undergone any change, while those located at lower altitudes may have dried; hence forcing the communities

to go higher up the mountains.

All respondents reported that the quality and quantity of grass in pastures had deteriorated,

due to a decrease in precipitation since 2005-06. The grass that was waist high earlier was now only knee high. Moreover, 10-15 years ago, livestock grazing took 1-2 hours, but now it takes a whole day. However, one respondent notified that fodder is easily available now, due to early greening of trees.

http://e.jang.com.pk/11-17-2013/karachi/mag8.asp

Conservation of Mangroves for climate change mitigation

Posted on by
Reply

Conservation of Mangroves for climate change mitigation

Mark Spalding, principal investigator on the project and a marine scientist at the US-based worldwide conservation organisation The Nature Conservancy, says: “These results can help guide decisions regarding priority areas for the conservation and rehabilitation of mangroves for climate change mitigation.”

International Union of Conservation (IUCN) advisor on coastal ecosystem and famously known as father of mangroves, Tahir Qureshi said, “About 20 years ago, mangroves were at 5,000 hectors in Karachi but now its limited to less than 3500 hectors, Port Qasim, Karachi Harbour, Mai Kullachi, Boat Basin, Kaka Pir, Baba Bhit, Salehabad, Manora, Ibrahim haideri and all other areas at east and west coast of Karachi are witnessing shrinking mangroves deposit and as a result population of birds, fishes on decline while shrimps and lots of other species are alarmingly vanishing” he added.

Beside threats to nature, scientist believe that Sindh coast lies in a dangerous zone where storm surge could be dangerous and Karachi is one of vulnerable city where Industrial effluents, oil spills, municipal waste and land mafia are the real time threats for sea itself.

Worldwide study of mangrove swamps’ carbon storage capacity will help scientists identify where efforts should be focused to protect these rich resources for climate change mitigation.

http://e.jang.com.pk/11-03-2013/karachi/mag8.asp