DP-Index-dec07-lead4
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A section of
DOCPOST which is an
extract, executive
summary, index
rolled into one.
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December
2007
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION -
as a cause of
Disaster
National
Disaster
Changes
in Himachal Pradesh's industrial and housing policy have resulted in
tremendous demand for housing in the region, which in turn has hiked
up property prices. The ban on the construction of residential spaces
costing over Rs 25 lakh within the Greater Kasuali region has pushed
builders and investors to shift their attention to Barog, Dharampur,
Kumarhatti and other areas. Consequently, land prices here have
increased tremendously in the last one year.
So,
while real estate in the district is on an upswing, one of the
victims of this haphazard construction activity is the precious
geological heritage of this region. Unplanned urbanisation in the
district of Solan (with Subatu, Dagshai, Kasuali rocks) is wiping out
a treasure trove in the evolutionary history of flora and fauna, and
the sequence of geological events which shaped the formation of the
present day Indian subcontinent.
by
Munieshwer A. Sagar. The Hindustan Times. 08/12/2007
Natural Economy
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In
the recent history of anthropogenic climate change, there has thus
far been a largely inverse relationship between political power and
action taken. Faced with unthinkable calamity for all life, the
international response has been an unending string of ineffective
conferences, a panoply of meek targets with weak enforcement, a raft
of business- and industry-friendly market mechanisms, and a seemingly
eternal wait for binding international agreements.
by
Miguel Mendonca. Resurgence. 01/12/2007
Amazon,
Calcutta face climate change threat
The
loss of the Amazon forest might be India’s problem too, and
Calcutta might become the world’s most vulnerable city to coastal
flooding, reports released at the Bali climate conference have
warned.
More
than half of the Amazon forest may be wiped out or severely damaged
by 2030, causing global disruption of climate, including a reduction
in rainfall over India, the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature said.
by
G.S. Mudur. The Telegraph. 07/12/2007
Melting
mountains
What
will remain of the Ganga? Will global warming dry up a river that
supports 500 million people? The impact of the melting glaciers is
still unclear. The Himalayan glaciers form the largest body of ice
outside the polar caps. They are the source of seven major river
systems – including the Yamuna, the Brahmaputra and the Indus.
by
Dionne Bunsha. Frontline. 07/12/2007
Coastal
flooding will get the better of Mumbai's population
Rising
tides and crashing waves are synonymous with Mumbai. It is ironic,
therefore, that these might one day be the very undoing of the city.
A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) contends that Mumbai and Kolkata are among the top
ten cities most vulnerable to natural calamities caused by climate
change around the globe. "Mumbai has the highest number of
people exposed to coastal flooding. But by 2070, Kolkata will be the
most vulnerable, with the exposed population expected to increase
over seven times to more than 14 million people," it reads.
by
Himanshu Bhandari. The Asian Age. 15/12/2007
Extreme
climate risk
India's
food security and economic growth are threatened by recurring
droughts, floods and and rising sea levels.
Dawdling
at an annual growth rate of below 2 per cent, India's agrarian
economy is already suffering from stagnant production, declining per
capita food availability and farmer suicides. Add to this
meteorological mayhem and India becomes one of the most precariously
placed countries in relation of food security
by
Cooshalle Samuel. The Hindustan Times. 17/12/2007
Business
vulnerable to climate change impact
The
Economic impact of global warming has increased significantly over
the last few decades. Munich Re, the world's largest reinsurance
firm, estimates that in 2004 financial losses due to extreme weather
events globally accounted for over $100 billion, a three-fold
increase from 1970.
by
Saikat Neogi. The Hindustan Times. 17/12/2007
Bali
message: Different strokes for different folks
At
the 15-day UN climate change conference that concluded in Bali this
Saturday (15/12/2007), and which was attended by more than 10,000
participants, 188 countries adopted a broad roadmap for fighting
global warming. Climate change leaves developing countries at a
greater risk to climate change because they have fewer resources to
adapt to its impacts. But till the very last day of the UN
conference, the US was opposing developing countries' demand that the
"historical emitters" take greater responsibility for
global warming.
by
Renuka Bisht. The Hindustan Times. 17/12/2007
New
focus is on disaster prevention
Realizing
its extreme climate risks, India is now moving towards a proactive
rather than reactive approach to disaster management, wherein
prevention and preparedness are being seen as the thrust areas rather
than relief and rehabilitation. Vinod Menon, member of the National
Disaster Management Authority, says, “A paradigm shift is taking
place towards disaster preparedness.” A National Alliance of
Disaster Risk Reduction formed last month aims to sustain this shift.
by
Rishabh Rath. The HIndustan Times. 17/12/2007
The
winds of climate change
Bangladesh
has always suffered more than its share of natural disasters, but the
recent cyclone is only part of worsening climatic instability that is
threatening ordinary people's ability to survive. There are no
cyclone shelters or early warning systems on the tiny Bangladeshi
island of Ashar Char - little more than a spit of land marooned in
the Bay of Bengal. So a month ago, when the island took the full
brunt of Cyclone Sidr, the 2,000 people who live here had nowhere to
go. One-third of them perished.
by
Annie Kelly. The Deccan Herald. 18/12/2007
Vanishing
snow
In
Jardhargaon, a village on the slopes of the Tehri Garhwal Himalayas
(1,500 metres), the rising temperatures are changing the climate and
the lives of people who live off the land. “When I was young, we
hardly ever went to the market to buy grain. Now, the harvest is
poor, so people have to depend on the market,” says Jardhari, 55.
He started the Beej Bachao Andolan (Save Seeds Movement) in his
village to preserve indigenous seeds. The movement re-introduced the
traditional 12-grain (baranaja) cropping pattern, which meets most of
the basic needs of the villagers. But it is not enough. Less snow and
erratic rains have reduced crop yields.
by
Dionne Bunsha. Frontline. 21/12/2007
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