Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts

18 January 2018

Missing the grass for the trees in Western Ghats

Missing the grass for the trees in Western Ghats
Drastic decline in shola grasslands in Palani Hill range
Timber plantations, expanding agriculture and the spread of invasive species have eaten into as much as two-thirds of natural grasslands in the Palani Hill range of Western Ghats, shows a recently published study.
Researchers from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bengaluru collaborated with a team from IISER in Tirupati, Botanical Survey of India, Vattakanal Conservation Trust and Gandhigram Rural Institute used satellite imagery to tabulate changes in the hilly landscape over nearly 530 sq.km. of the range which is popular for the hillstation, Kodaikanal.
Loss of grasslands
If in 1973, shola grasslands spread across 373.78 sq.km. of the landscape, four decades later in 2014, it had shrunk to just 124.4 sq.km., marking a 66.7% decline. The reduction is seen even in native shola forests, whose area has declined by a third to 66.4 sq.km.
“These declines caught us by surprise, particularly considering that these dramatic changes have been occurring only around two decades ago,” said Milind Bunyan, Coordinator at the ATREE Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies, and the lead author of the paper that was published in PLOS One.
These drastic declines are particularly stark in shola grasslands (which are stunted forest growths of diverse grass species), and seem to be accelerating through the decades.
For the shola forests, however, the decline seems to have been arrested since 2003. Does this imply better conservation strategy for the woody forests, accompanied by a neglect of the grassland?
“For the department, much of their training is in managing forests, either for conservation or a source of income. However, shola grasslands which are critical habitats for many species, continue to be viewed as lower priority or grassy blanks,” said Mr. Bunyan.
In the place of these grasslands and forests, timber plantations have thrived. From barely 18 sq.km. in 1973, plantations have grown by a staggering 1093% to 217 sq.km.
Similarly, agriculture and fallow land have increased three times to 100 sq.km. in the past four decades.
Invasive species
The use of satellite imagery also revealed the nature of the growth of plantations. If till the 90s, it was a policy push for plantations — particularly after the settlement of Sri Lankan refugees — after that, it seems to be a natural march of invasive species such as prolific-seed-producer, Acacia.
“The grasslands are in trouble, much more than the forests. It is important to preserve whatever patches are remaining and push back invasive species. Tackling this would require ecological understanding, rather than a knee-jerk reaction of harvesting invasive trees which (counter-intuitively) ends up actually accelerating the spread of Acacia,” said V.V. Robin, Assistant Professor at IISER Tirupati.
As grasslands vanish or become more fragmented, local flora and fauna, particularly endemic species such as Nilgiri Pipit, may be under threat.
“Grasslands are now fragmented which means specialists such as Nilgiri Pipit are immovably displaced. It does seem like there has been local extinction of the bird, particularly when compared to the sightings during the British Raj,” said Mr. Robin, whose team is now following the population and spread of the bird in the Palani Hill Range.

india will need at least $125 billion to fund renewables dream

india will need at least $125 billion to fund renewables dream
India will need at least $125 billion to fund its ambitious plan to increase the share of renewable power supply in the country’s grid by 2022, says government official
India will need at least $125 billion to fund its ambitious plan to increase the share of renewable power supply in the country’s grid by 2022, a top government official told Reuters, underlining the immense financing challenge ahead.
The South Asian nation is one of the world’s most important growth markets for renewable energy. Millions of Indians are not yet linked up to the power grid but as the country of more than a billion people prospers, it is experiencing surging demand.
To put India’s $125 billion requirement in context, global corporate funding for the solar industry—the world’s fastest-growing electricity source—was a tenth of that amount in 2017 at $12.8 billion, research firm Mercom says.
In 2015, India said investment of $100 billion in the seven years to 2022 would be needed to meet its renewable energy goals.
Installed renewable power capacity is currently about 60 gigawats (GW), and India plans to complete the bidding process by the end of 2019/20 to add a further 115 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022.
To do that, Anand Kumar, secretary at the ministry of new and renewable energy, said investment of at least $125 billion would be needed.
India, which receives twice as much sunshine as European countries, wants to make solar central to its renewable expansion. It expects renewable energy to make up 40% of installed power capacity by 2030, compared with 18.2% at the end of 2017.
Kumar said that $125 billion was a “conservative estimate” and foreign capital would be central to achieving the goal.
Private equity firms, US banks including Goldman Sachs , JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, and European utilities EDF and Engie are already investors or lenders in India’s renewable energy sector.
India will also require support from development banks, like the World Bank, Kumar said.
IREDA , a state-run financier for renewable energy, raised $300 million by selling rupee-denominated bonds, known as masala bonds, in the United Kingdom last year. The bonds were subscribed 1.7 times.
“We are also looking to raise another $500 million through IREDA through masala bonds early next financial year,” he said.
Not enough
Most of the financing for India’s renewables drive so far has come from domestic banks, industry experts say, raising doubts about the level of support that can be expected from overseas investors.
Market consultant Jasmeet Khurana said Indian banks would have to account for the lion’s share of new renewable investments in the future.
“It is an uphill task, but Indian banks can find the appetite to fund these projects,” Khurana said.
Another challenge in achieving India’s renewable targets is the government’s “Make in India” initiative.
To protect itself from cheap solar panel imports, India’s directorate general of safeguards, an arm of the finance ministry, has proposed a 70% duty on imports of solar equipment from some countries including China, which so far provides the vast majority of India’s solar panels.
Kumar said “a duty at this stage could hamper our growth situation,” and “a realistic view” will be taken in consultation with other stakeholders.
The government was working on developing energy storage technologies and hydrogen-fuel cells and other batteries, he said.
“Renewables are the future. The only weak link is storage, and the day you crack storage, there is no looking back for renewables.”

15 January 2018

Kerala’s Nilambur teak aka Malabar teak has found its place in the Geographical Indications (GI)


Kerala’s Nilambur teak aka Malabar teak has found its place in the Geographical Indications (GI) Registry. GI tag denotes quality and origin of the products and helps keep unscrupulous commercial operators at bay.
Nilambur teak: The golden brown teak is known for its log dimensions, desired wood figure and wide reputation in the world of trade. Its durability is attributed to the synergistic effect of total extensive components and the resistance to fungal decay to naphthoquinone and derivatives it contains. The hydrophobicity, anti-oxidant properties and oily nature are due to a caoutchouc compound.

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Zojila Pass tunnel
It is a 14.2-km long tunnel project in Jammu and Kashmir to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh, which remains cut-off from the rest of India during winters due to heavy snowfall. “Zojila tunnel will be the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia.The project would enhance the safety of travellers crossing Zojila Pass and reduce the travel time from 3.5 hours to 15 minutesZojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway

..................The Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) mission will be launched aboard a commercial communications satellite in January 2018, and the designed spacecraft Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) will be launched later this year.
GOLD and ICON will team up to explore the ionosphere, a boundary area between Earth and the space where particles have been cooked into a sea of electrically-charged electrons and ions by the Sun’s radiation. These layers of near-Earth space are increasingly becoming a part of human domain as it is home to radio signals used to guide airplanes, ships and Global Positioning System satellites.\
The two missions are complementary. ICON in low-Earth orbit, at 350 miles (560 km) above Earth, flies through and just above the ionosphere, like a close-up camera. GOLD runs in geostationary orbit over the Western Hemisphere, 22,000 miles (about 35,398 km) above the planet’s surface. It will build up a full-disk view of the ionosphere and the upper atmosphere beneath it every half hour.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the Jal Marg Vikas Project seeks to facilitate plying of vessels with capacity of 1,500-2,000 tonnes in the Haldia- Varanasi stretch of the River Ganga. The major works being taken up under JMVP are development of fairway, Multi-Modal Terminals, strengthening of river navigation system, conservancy works, modern River Information System (RIS), Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS), night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking etc.
NW 1: Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system from Allahabad to Haldia was declared as National Waterway No.1.
States covered under NW-1: States: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal.
The Project is expected to be completed by March, 2023.


Window for saving world’s coral reefs rapidly closing, says study

Window for saving world’s coral reefs rapidly closing, says study
There’s a ‘dramatic shortening of the gap between pairs of coral bleaching events, threatening the future existence of these iconic ecosystems’, says Science journal study
The window for saving the world’s coral reefs that are under siege from global warming is rapidly closing, said a latest study published on Thursday in noted international journal Science.
For the study, an international team of researchers measured the “escalating rate of coral bleaching at locations throughout the tropics over the past four decades”.
The study documents a “dramatic shortening of the gap between pairs of bleaching events, threatening the future existence of these iconic ecosystems and the livelihoods of many millions of people”.
Due to rising global temperatures, oceans are getting warmer, which can result in coral bleaching. When water is too warm, corals expel algae living in them causing the corals to turn completely white, and this phenomenon is called coral bleaching.
“The time between bleaching events at each location has diminished five-fold in the past 3-4 decades, from once every 25-30 years in the early 1980s to an average of just once every six years since 2010,” says study’s lead author Terry Hughes, director of ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) in Australia.
“Before the 1980s, mass bleaching of corals was unheard of, even during strong El Niño conditions, but now repeated bouts of regional-scale bleaching and mass mortality of corals has become the new normal around the world as temperatures continue to rise,” Hughes added.
The study’s co-author Andrew Baird of Coral CoE said, “Coral bleaching is a stress response caused by exposure of coral reefs to elevated ocean temperatures.”
“When bleaching is severe and prolonged, many of the corals die. It takes at least a decade to replace even the fastest-growing species,” he added.
Dr C. Mark Eakin of US’s National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration said, “Reefs have entered a distinctive human-dominated era—the Anthropocene.”
“The climate has warmed rapidly in the past 50 years, first making El Niños dangerous for corals, and now we’re seeing the emergence of bleaching in every hot summer,” Eakin added.
Explaining further, Hughes said, “For example, the Great Barrier Reef has now bleached four times since 1998, including for the first time during back-to-back events in 2016 and 2017, causing unprecedented damage. Yet the Australia government continues to support fossil fuels.”
“We hope our stark results will help spur on the stronger action needed to reduce greenhouse gases in Australia, the United States and elsewhere,” added Hughes.

FUNCTIONS OF BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal or marine ecosystems or its amalgamation. The biosphere reserve network was launched in 1976, two years after the initiation of MAB- Man and the biosphere programme. Government of India established 18 biospheres in the country (categories generally relating to IUCN Category V Protected areas).
FUNCTIONS OF BIOSPHERE RESERVE
Each biosphere reserve is supposed to fulfill three harmonizing functions:
Conservation function: to conserve genetic resources, species, ecosystems and landscapes
Development function: to promote sustainable human development and economic
Logistic support function: to provide support for research and analyzing the issues of conservation and sustainable development.
THREE ZONES OF BIOSPHERES
Biosphere reserves have three unified zones that aim to fulfill three harmonizing and mutually reinforcing functions:
The core area: It involves an entirely secured and protected ecosystem that contributes to the preservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation.
The buffer zone: It encompasses or adjoins the core areas. It is utilized for activities compatible with sound ecological practices that can fortify scientific research, monitoring, training and education.
The transition area: It is the part of the reserve where the greatest activity is permitted to promote economic and human development that is sustainable.

WORLD NETWORK OF BIOSPHERE RESERVES
The World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) covers globally chosen protected areas. It consists of a vibrant and interactive network of sites of distinction. It promotes the harmonious assimilation of people and nature for sustainable development through different ways. If one country declares one area as a biosphere reserve, it can nominate the same to under the UNESCOs Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme. If UNESCO accepts the proposal of the government, the biosphere reserve will enter into the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
10 of the 18 biosphere reserves in India are a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves which is based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list. Recently, the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve was incorporated at the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere program of UNESCO that ended up in Peru on March 19. With the addition of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, 10 of the 18 biosphere reserves in the country have made it to the list.
YEAR
NAME
STATES
2001
Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve
West Bengal
2009
Simlipal Biosphere Reserve
Odisha
2009
Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
Madhya Pradesh
2009
Nokrek Biosphere Reserve
Meghalaya
2000
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Tamil Nadu
2004
Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
Uttarakhand
2001
Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve
Tamil Nadu
2013
Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
Great Nicobar
2012
Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve
Chhattisgarh
2016
Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve
Kerala and Tamil Nadu

ALL 18 BR OF INDIA,BUT THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT THAT ARE PART OF MAB PROGRAMME OF UNESCO

ALL 18 BR OF INDIA,BUT THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT THAT ARE PART OF MAB PROGRAMME OF UNESCO
10 of the 18 biosphere reserves in India are a part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves which is based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list. Recently, the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve was incorporated at the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere program of UNESCO that ended up in Peru on March 19. With the addition of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, 10 of the 18 biosphere reserves in the country have made it to the list.
YEAR
NAME
STATES
2001
Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve
West Bengal
2009
Simlipal Biosphere Reserve
Odisha
2009
Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
Madhya Pradesh
2009
Nokrek Biosphere Reserve
Meghalaya
2000
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Tamil Nadu
2004
Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
Uttarakhand
2001
Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve
Tamil Nadu
2013
Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
Great Nicobar
2012
Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve
Chhattisgarh
2016
Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve
Kerala and Tamil Nadu

NP DECLARED TIGER RESERVE ARE MORE IMPORTANT FOR EXAM

NP DECLARED TIGER RESERVE ARE MORE IMPORTANT FOR EXAM
How many Tiger reserves in India. Total number of Tiger reserves in India is 50. Tiger reserves are the ideal places to conserve the tiger population in their natural habitats.
Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in the year 1973 to save the endangered species of tiger in the country. Starting from nine (9) reserves in 1973-74 the number is grown up to fifty (50). A total area of 71027.10 km2 is covered by these project tiger areas.
41 Sathyamangalam Tamil Nadu 793.49 614.91 1408.40
42 Mukandra Hills Rajasthan 417.17 342.82 759.99
43 Nawegaon-Nagzira Maharashtra 653.674 – 653.674
44 Nagarjunsagar Srisailam (part)* Andhra Pradesh 2595.72* 700.59* 3296.31*
45 Amrabad Telangana 2166.37* 445.02* 2611.39*
46 Pilibhit Uttar Pradesh 602.7980 127.4518 730.2498
47 Bor Maharashtra 138.12 – 138.12
48 Rajaji Tige Reserve Uttarakhand 819.54 255.63 1075.17
49 Orang Tiger Reserve Assam 79.28 413.18 492.46
50 Kamlang Tiger Reserve Arunachal Pradesh 671.00 112.00 783.00

ई-कचरे की अनदेखी के खतरे

ई-कचरे की अनदेखी के खतरे
उपभोक्तावाद बढ़ने के कारण ई-कचरे का निष्पादन देश के लिए एक बड़ी चुनौती बन गया है। आज हमारी विनिर्माण प्रक्रियाओं को बेहतर तकनीक की जरूरत है, ताकि ई-कचरा कम उत्पन्न हो। एक अध्ययन के मुताबिक भारत में ई-कचरा प्रतिवर्ष पंद्रह प्रतिशत की दर से बढ़ रहा है। इसलिए सरकार को गंभीरता से इस समस्या से छुटकारे की पहल करनी चाहिए।
बेकार मोबाइल, कंप्यूटर मदरबोर्ड, खराब हो चुके फ्रिज, वातानुकूलक आदि ई-कचरा की श्रेणी में आते हैं। आज की तारीख में ई-कचरा प्रबंधन केंद्रों में प्रबंधन के नाम पर ई-कचरे से कीमती धातुओं जैसे सोने, चांदी, प्लेटिनम और पैलेडियम के अंश को निकाले जाने का काम किया जा रहा है। कंप्यूटर के दूसरे हिस्सों को भी बेच दिया जाता है। हालांकि इस प्रक्रिया में जहरीली गैस निकलने की आशंका बनी रहती है। इससे श्रमिकों को श्वसन संबंधी गंभीर बीमारियां लग जाती हैं। इस कार्य से जुड़े लोगों को कैंसर होने की आशंका से भी इनकार नहीं किया जा सकता।
सरकार द्वारा डिजिटलीकरण को प्रोत्साहन देने से ई-कचरे में तेजी से बढ़ोतरी हो रही है। हालांकि बेहतर प्रबंधन से ई-कचरे का नवीनीकरण या कम से कम सुरक्षित निपटान किया जा सकता है। वर्तमान में केवल डेढ़ फीसद का औपचारिक नवीनीकरण किया जा रहा है। लगभग आठ प्रतिशत ई-कचरे से गड््ढों को भरा जा रहा है और बाकी ई-कचरे का प्रबंधन अनौपचारिक क्षेत्र द्वारा किया जा रहा है। लगभग नब्बे प्रतिशत ई-कचरे का पुनर्चक्रण आज असंगठित क्षेत्र द्वारा किया जा रहा है, जिसमें छोटे पैमाने पर कचरा बटोरने वाले भी शामिल हैं। ऐसे लोग कीमती धातुओं को निकालने के लिए जो तरीका अपनाते हैं वह न केवल नुकसानदेह है, बल्कि अपनाई गई प्रक्रिया में कीमती धातुओं का पचहत्तर प्रतिशत हिस्सा बर्बाद हो जाता है।
बंगलुरु में ई-कचरा इकट्ठा करने वाली बारह मशीनें लगाई गई हैं, जिनके जरिए ई-कचरे का निपटान किया जा रहा है। लेकिन मशीनों की संख्या सीमित है। इन मशीनों से दस महीनों में केवल 4.4 टन ई-कचरे का निपटारा किया जा सका। भारत में मुंबई और दिल्ली के बाद बंगलुरु में सबसे ज्यादा ई-कचरा पैदा होता है। यहां प्रतिवर्ष सैंतीस हजार टन ई-कचरा पैदा होता है। वैसे कोलकाता भी इस मामले में तेजी से आगे बढ़ रहा है। कोलकाता में बिजली और इलेक्ट्रॉनिक उपकरणों से करीब नौ हजार टन कचरा पैदा होता है, जिसमें कंप्यूटर और उससे जुड़े अन्य उपकरणों से उत्पन्न कचरे की हिस्सेदारी लगभग तीन हजार टन है।
पर्यावरण मंत्रालय की ओर से तैयार किए गए ई-कचरा प्रबंधन नियम-2016 के मुताबिक भारत में इलेक्ट्रॉनिक सामान के विनिर्माताओं को ई-कचरे के पुनर्चक्रण की व्यवस्था करनी है। इस नियम में ई-कचरे के प्रसंस्करण को लेकर उत्पादकों की जवाबदेही बढ़ाने पर जोर दिया गया है। देश में ई-कचरे के प्रबंधन को संगठित स्वरूप देने के लिए सरकार परंपरागत कचरा प्रबंधक ‘कबाड़ीवालों’ को इस काम में लगाने पर विचार कर रही है। कौशल विकास और उद्यमिता मंत्रालय ने ‘प्रधानमंत्री कौशल विकास योजना’ के तहत अगले दस साल में तीन लाख कबाड़ी वालों को प्रशिक्षित करने की योजना बनाई है, जिससे ई-कचरे का प्रभावी तरीके से निपटान किया जा सके।
ई-कचरे के निपटान के लिए नए नियम पांच साल पहले जारी किए गए थे, लेकिन मौजूदा संदर्भों में इनके बेमानी होने के कारण नए नियम बनाए गए हैं। वर्ष 2011 में राज्यसभा सचिवालय द्वारा कराए गए एक अध्ययन के मुताबिक देश के तमाम कचरा क्षेत्रों के सत्तर प्रतिशत हिस्से पर ई-कचरा भरा हुआ है। नए नियमों में बेकार हो चुके सीएफएल, जिसे कॉम्पैक्ट फ्लूरोसेंट लैंप के नाम से भी जाना जाता है, को भी ई-कचरा माना गया है, क्योंकि इनमें पारा होता है। धातुएं, जैसे कांच तथा प्लास्टिक आदि का दोबारा इस्तेमाल किया जाता है, लेकिन पारा जैसे पदार्थों को न केवल ई-कचरे से बरामद करना मुश्किल होता है, बल्कि ये भूजल को भी प्रदूषित करते हैं।
नए नियमों में इलेक्ट्रॉनिक वस्तुओं के निर्माताओं को विस्तारित उत्पादकजवाबदेही की श्रेणी में रखा गया है। ऐसे उत्पादकई-कचरे के संग्रहण और विनियमन के लिए उत्तरदायी होंगे। ई-कचरे के प्रबंधन के मामले में उत्पादकका उत्तरदायित्व पहले वर्ष में तीस प्रतिशत रहेगा और सातवें वर्ष तक वह बढ़ कर सत्तर प्रतिशत हो जाएगा। वैसे, बड़े इलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स सामान विनिर्माताओं, जैसे सैमसंग, एलजी, वीडियोकॉन, पैनासोनिक, वर्लपूल, वोल्टास आदि ने खतरनाक ई-कचरे पर लगाम लगाने के लिए कदम उठाने शुरू कर दिए हैं, लेकिन इस संबंध में अपेक्षित परिणाम नजर नहीं आ रहे हैं।
वर्ष 2005 में ग्रीनपीस के एक सर्वेक्षण से पता चला था कि ई-कचरे से जुड़े कानून के अस्तित्व में आने से पहले केवल दो भारतीय उत्पादकोंएचसीएल और विप्रो के पास ही पुराने उत्पादों को वापस लेने की व्यवस्था थी। उस दौरान देश में कार्यरत बहुराष्ट्रीय कंपनियों तक के पास ऐसी व्यवस्था नहीं थी। नए नियमों के तहत ई-कचरा उत्पन्न करने वाली कंपनियों को केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड में पंजीकरण कराना होगा और ई-कचरे के पुनर्चक्रण में लगे कर्मचारियों को समुचित प्रशिक्षण देने और उनके स्वास्थ्य का ध्यान रखने की जिम्मेदारी का निर्वहन भी करना होगा। दुनिया भर केई-कचरे में भारत की हिस्सेदारी महज चार प्रतिशत है, लेकिन वर्ष 2014 के आंकड़ों के मुताबिक वैश्विक जीडीपी की तुलना में यह ढाई प्रतिशत है, अर्थात जीडीपी के बरक्स हमारा ई-कचरा बहुत ज्यादा है, जबकि चीन में दोनों का अनुपात लगभग बराबर है। अमेरिका में ई-कचरे की हिस्सेदारी जीडीपी की तुलना में कम है।
पर्यावरणविदों के मुताबिक ई-कचरे को निपटाने या उसके नवीकरण में बढ़ती लागत के कारण विकसित देश भारत में ई-कचरा डंप कर रहे हैं। कमजोर प्रशासन तंत्र, कठोर पर्यावरणीय नियमों का अभाव, प्रभावशाली तंत्र के न होने और अपेक्षया सस्ते मजदूरों की मौजूदगी की वजह से विकसित देशों के लिए ऐसा करना आसान है। एक मोटे आकलन के मुताबिक भारत में हर साल तकरीबन 3,30,000 टन ई-कचरा डंप किया जाता है। इस आंकड़े में अवैध आयात का हिस्सा शामिल नहीं है। भारत में ई-कचरा प्रबंधन के नियम लागू तो हो गए हैं, लेकिन इलेक्ट्रॉनिक उत्पाद विनिर्माताओं और पुनर्चक्रण कारोबार से जुड़े लोगों का मानना है कि किसी लक्ष्य के निर्धारण और उत्पादकों व उपभोक्ताओं को प्रोत्साहित किए बिना देश में ई-कचरे की समस्या का समाधान नहीं किया जा सकता। ई-कचरा प्रबंधन और निगरानी नियम, 2011 के मुताबिक उत्पादकों को ई-कचरे में कमी लाने और पुनर्चक्रण के लिए जवाबदेह बनाना होगा।
देश में हर साल उत्पन्न होने वाले ई-कचरे में सत्रह हजार टन की हिस्सेदारी पुराने मोबाइल फोन की है। इस समस्या ने संगठित पुनर्चक्रण नामक एक नए क्षेत्र को जन्म दिया है। अब तक छब्बीस कंपनियां मोबाइल पुनर्चक्रण के क्षेत्र में उतर चुकी हैं। बाजार में ऐसे मोबाइल फोन भी हैं, जिनके निर्माण में सोना, चांदी और प्लेटिनम के साथ-साथ तांबे जैसी धातुओं का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। इसमें पैलेडियम तेरह प्रतिशत, कोबाल्ट पंद्रह प्रतिशत और भारी मात्रा में तांबा, इस्पात, निकल और एल्यूमीनियम का भी इस्तेमाल किया जाता है। मोबाइल फोन के प्रिंटेड सर्किट बोर्ड से धातु निकालने के लिए विदेश स्थित स्मेल्टिंग कंपनियों के पास भेजा जाता है। कीमती धातुओं के अलावा एक औसत मोबाइल फोन में लेड और मर्करी जैसे जहरीले रसायन भी होते हैं। यदि सही तरीके से इनका निपटान न किया जाए तो पर्यावरण तथा इंसान के स्वास्थ्य को गंभीर खतरा हो सकता है।
कहा जा सकता है कि उपभोक्तावाद बढ़ने के कारण ई-कचरे का निष्पादन देश के लिए एक बड़ी चुनौती बन गया है। आज हमारी विनिर्माण प्रक्रियाओं को बेहतर तकनीक की जरूरत है, ताकि ई-कचरा कम उत्पन्न हो। हाल के वर्षों में ई-कचरा बहुत तेजी से बढ़ा है। ग्रीनपीस के एक अध्ययन के मुताबिक भारत में ई-कचरा प्रतिवर्ष पंद्रह प्रतिशत की दर से बढ़ रहा है। इसलिए सरकार को गंभीरता से इस समस्या से छुटकारे की पहल करनी चाहिए।

WEF ranks India 30th on global manufacturing index, Japan tops

WEF ranks India 30th on global manufacturing index, Japan tops
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked India at 30th position on a global manufacturing index—much ahead of its BRICS peers, Brazil, Russia and South Africa, except China which has been placed at 5th spot
WEF said India’s manufacturing sector has grown by over 7% annually on average in the past 3 decades and accounts for 16-20% of its GDP
The report, which analyses development of modern industrial strategies and urges collaborative action, has categorised 100 countries into four groups -- Leading (strong current base, high level of readiness for future); High Potential (limited current base, high potential for future); Legacy (strong current base, at risk for future); or Nascent (limited current base, low level of readiness for future)
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked India at 30th position on a global manufacturing index—below China’s 5th place but above other BRICS peers, Brazil, Russia and South Africa.
Japan has been found to have the best structure of production in the Geneva-based WEF’s first ‘Readiness for the future of production report’ and is followed by South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, the US, Sweden, Austria and Ireland in the top 10.
Among BRICS nations, Russia is ranked 35th, Brazil 41st and South Africa at 45th place. The report, which analyses development of modern industrial strategies and urges collaborative action, has categorised 100 countries into four groups -- Leading (strong current base, high level of readiness for future); High Potential (limited current base, high potential for future); Legacy (strong current base, at risk for future); or Nascent (limited current base, low level of readiness for future).
India has been placed in the ‘Legacy’ group along with Hungary, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Thailand and Turkey, among others. China figures among ‘leading countries’, while Brazil and South Africa are in ‘nascent’ ones.
The 25 ‘leading’ countries are in the best position to gain as production systems stand on the brink of exponential change, the WEF said in the report published ahead of its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland later this month.
At the same time, no country has reached the frontier of readiness, let alone harnessed the full potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in production. About India, the 5th-largest manufacturer in the world with a total manufacturing value added of over $420 billion in 2016, the WEF said the country’s manufacturing sector has grown by over 7% per year on average in the past three decades and accounts for 16-20% of India’s GDP.
“Home to the second-largest population in the world and one of the fastest growing economies, the demand for Indian manufactured products is rising.
“India has room for improvement across the drivers of production, except for demand environment where it ranks in the top 5,” the WEF said.
It listed human capital and sustainable resources as the two key challenges for India and said the country needs to continue to raise the capabilities of its relatively young and fast-growing labour force. This entails upgrading education curricula, revamping vocational training programmes and improving digital skills, the WEF said, while adding that India should continue to diversify its energy sources and reduce emissions as its manufacturing sector continues to expand.
It also took note of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative to make the country a global manufacturing hub and of “a significant push” to improve key enablers and move towards a more connected economy with announcement of a $59 billion investment in infrastructure in 2017.
In terms of scale of production, India has been ranked 9th, while for complexity it is at 48th place. For market size, India is ranked 3rd, while areas where the country is ranked poorly (90th or even lower) include female participation in labour force, trade tariffs, regulatory efficiency and sustainable resources.
Overall, India is ranked better than its neighbours Sri Lanka (66th), Pakistan (74th) and Bangladesh (80th). Other countries ranked below India include Turkey, Canada, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Mauritius and the UAE. The countries ranked better than India include Singapore, Thailand, the UK, Italy, France, Malaysia, Mexico, Romania, Israel, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Philippines and Spain.
In a separate list of the countries best positioned to capitalise on the fourth industrial revolution to transform production systems, the US has been ranked on the top, followed by Singapore, Switzerland, the UK and the Netherlands in the top five. India has been ranked 44th on this list, while China is at 25th place and Russia at 43rd. However, India is ranked better than Brazil (47th) and South Africa (49th).
The report has been developed in collaboration with A T Kearney and calls for new and innovative approaches to public-private collaboration are needed to accelerate transformation.
“Every country faces challenges that cannot be solved by the private sector or public sector alone. New approaches to public-private collaboration that complement traditional models are needed to help governments quickly and effectively form partnerships that unlock new value,” it added.

6 January 2018

Wassenaar Arrangement strengthens India’s credentials as a responsible nuclear power.

Wassenaar Arrangement strengthens India’s credentials as a responsible nuclear power.
a multilateral export control regime, as its 42nd participating member is a big step forward in its quest for formal acceptance as a responsible nuclear power. This has come a year after India made the request for membership. As a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), New Delhi has been at pains to convey to the international community that it adheres to, and is invested in, a rules-based order. The Wassenaar Arrangement was founded in 1996, and is clubbed with mechanisms such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the Australia Group. Its stated aim is “to contribute to regional and international security and stability, by promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilising accumulations.” India’s Wassenaar success at the Vienna plenary meeting last week presumes a broad acceptance among its members of the country’s credentials as a fastidious adherent to export controls. It comes on the heels of membership last year of the MTCR. Ever since India signed the 123 Agreement in 2005, the underlying assumption was that the United States would help chaperone New Delhi into global nuclear acceptability after it separated its civil and military nuclear programmes and plugged the loopholes to prevent diffusion of nuclear materials and technology in a way that is demonstrably in line with best practices followed by the members of the NSG.

However, over the past couple of years it has become evident that Delhi has to do most of the heavy lifting to gain a seat at various global high tables. The Wassenaar Arrangement membership is also a lesson on the need for quiet diplomacy in sensitive nuclear issues, compared to the botched attempt to gain entry to the NSG last year. While India’s efforts at the NSG were stopped by China, which is not a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement, raising the pitch publicly at the time came with costs. It made the task of forging a consensus on membership to the NSG more difficult. And when that attempt failed, it gave the setback the appearance of being significantly more insurmountable. Nonetheless, now that more and more countries are signing on to India’s steadily strengthening credentials in the nuclear area, there is hope that a fresh momentum will be imparted to a future bid for the NSG. It will not be easy. The Australia Group, which focusses on biological and chemical weapons, may be easier to crack given that China is not a member. But meanwhile, the Wassenaar Arrangement will embed India deeper in the global non-proliferation architecture and enable access to critical technologies in the defence and space sectors.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,India’s enter into Wassenaar Arrangement, Is a slap on China for NSG stand
After its entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime in June 2016, India was on Thursday admitted as the 42nd member of the WassenaarArrangement – a global grouping that regulates transfer and access to conventional weapons and dual-use technologies. In the coming months, India expects to be included in the Australia Group as well, leaving the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) – where it faces stiff opposition from China – as the last non-proliferation regime that India expects to enter. “India’s membership (in Wassenaar Arrangement) is expected to facilitate high technology tie-ups with Indian industry and ease access to high tech items for our defence and space programmes…
...............The membership would create the grounds for realignment of India in the export control policy framework or other WA members, including eligibility for certain licensing exemptions,” the ministry of external affairs spokesperson said on Friday. India still has to apply for licences for high-tech and dual-use exports, but from now, that process is expected to get easier. This is the second of four non-proliferation regimes India has joined after the India-US nuclear deal was cleared.
...............The important aspect of three out of the four regimes is that China is not a member of them except for the NSG. The formal application to Wassenaar was made by India in 2016, although the work to align Indian rules and munitions lists to Wassenaar rules began in 2014. There is some overly optimistic belief in domestic circles that New Delhi could leverage its membership to MTCR and Wassenaar Arrangement for a deal on China’s membership to these groups. China has applied for membership to MTCR but has been kept out because of its strong history of proliferation. But there is a larger narrative building up. In MTCR and Wassenaar, India’s membership was cleared by 35 and 41 countries respectively. Most of these countries are also members in the NSG. Therefore, India’s credentials or its non-NPT status did not come in the way in both of these groupings. This also makes China’s argument about a criteria-based membership application process increasingly specious.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Bit by bit, India’s accession to these non-proliferation regimes is making it clearer that China’s political opposition is the stumbling block. South Block sources said India hopes that next year’s NSG plenary will see more countries accepting India’s point of view. India’s m embership to MTCR opened doors for its space programme and its ability to source high-end missile systems and technologies as well as surveillance drones. The Wassenaar membership is important for India, giving it a leg up as a responsible player in the world of dual-use goods and technologies and transfer of conventional arms. It gives India an important voice in shaping global response to regional and global “security developments, advances in technology and market trends…” as the chairman of the Wassenaar Arrangement, Jean-Louis Falconi said. Outside these groups India would have trouble accessing a number of these technologies, because India has been for over 40 years the target of dual-use technology denial regimes. Even after the India-US deal, India hasn’t actually been able to break through these regimes. Membership is expected to declare India kosher, as it aligns its internal systems to these global regimes.

Reconsider the Rules: on 2017 Wetland Rules

Reconsider the Rules: on 2017 Wetland Rules
The 2017 Wetland Rules limit monitoring and omit important wetland types
Earlier this year, a judgment by the Uttarakhand High Court, stating that Ganga and Yamuna rivers are “living entities”, captured the national imagination. It is worth noting that wetlands, the other major water-based ecosystem apart from rivers, are at a moment of policy transition in the country. This year, a new legal framework for wetlands was passed, the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, replacing the earlier Rules of 2010. Also this year, the Supreme Court passed an order directing States to identify wetlands in the country within a stipulated timeframe.
Going forward
The 2017 Wetland Rules have been criticised for doing away with strong wetland monitoring systems and omitting important wetland types. At the same time, the Supreme Court order directs States to come forward and notify wetlands. What then could be the way forward?
The 2010 and 2017 Rules for wetlands both emphasise that the ecological character of wetlands ought to be maintained for their conservation. ‘Ecological character’ refers to processes and components which make the wetland a particular, and sometimes unique, ecosystem. For example, as lagoons like Chilika (Odisha) and Pulicat (Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh) are characterised by a mix of saline and fresh water, the flows of each type need to be maintained; river flood plains contain wetlands that require conservation so they can re-fuel the river with fish and other aquatic life during flooding.
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In the 2010 Rules, some related criteria were made explicit, such as natural beauty, ecological sensitivity, genetic diversity, historical value, etc. These have been omitted in the 2017 Rules. There are a few reasons why this is problematic. First, there is multiple interest around wetlands. Multiple interests also have governance needs, and this makes it absolutely necessary to identify and map these multiple uses. Leading on from this, and second, it is crucial to identify ecological criteria so that the wetlands’ character can be maintained. The key to wetland conservation is not just understanding regimes of multiple use — but conserving or managing the integrity of the wetland ecosystem. Finally, restriction of activities on wetlands will be done as per the principle of ‘wise use’, determined by the State wetland authority. Whether wise use will include maintaining ecological character remains to be seen. Under the new Rules, no authority to issue directions, which are binding in nature to desist from any activity detrimental to wetland conservation, has been prescribed to State wetland authorities.
Salt pans are an example how one use (of making salt) has trumped the other (of environmental balance). Salt pans as ‘wetlands’ have been omitted from the new Rules. They were identified as wetlands in the 2010 Rules, as they are often important sites of migratory birds and other forms of biodiversity. The omission in the 2017 Rules suggests that while saltpans do exist as wetlands, they do not require any conservation or ecological balance. The inference can also be that it would be acceptable to tip the environmental balance or integrity of such a wetland, which could lead to damage and pollution.
The case of Deepor Beel
The issue of wetlands being multiple-use areas — and subsequently being abused due to clashes of interest — found centre-stage this year with the observations of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the case of Deepor Beel.
Deepor Beel is a Ramsar site and a part of it is also wildlife sanctuary in Guwahati, Assam. (‘Ramsar Sites are designated because they meet the criteria for identifying wetlands of international importance.’) This wetland harbours a wide variety of biodiversity, and also suffers from intense man-made pressure — the city’s municipal waste is dumped close to the Beel. Large, meat-eating storks (Greater adjutant storks) are ironically found eating from the mountains of garbage at the site. Potential impacts of contamination or poisoning from the garbage are still unknown. This January, 26 storks died. The fact that Deepor Beel (Beel means water body) exists as a wetland does not prevent garbage dumping; this is a fate faced by many wetlands. The NGT’s observations on Deepor Beel are interesting and symptomatic of what is happening in several wetlands. In an inspection done by the judicial member of the Tribunal, it was noted that waste was being dumped “not beyond the site but within it,” and “demarcations are made by drying out areas or cutting off water sources”. These are classic ways of killing a wetland and turning it from a wet to a dry ecosystem; or from a lake to a garbage dump or cesspool. The Tribunal has now asked for the “traditional” spread of the wetland.
Given all the modern uses of wetlands, or the use of the wetland only for its land, looking at traditional cartography may be one way to understand catchments of wetlands. It may also be a way of restoring some modicum of ecological character, identity or ‘rights’ to wetlands, as the river judgment suggested. There are challenges ahead in identifying wetlands – multiple and competing use is just one of them. Understanding the historic spread and ecological character will be an important bulwark for the way forward. Setting clear governance systems would be the next. Without either, we are looking at a complete dilution of wetlands in the country.

5 January 2018

Growing forests: on expanding good green cover

Growing forests: on expanding good green cover
A scientific national plan to expand good green cover is absolutely essential
The disclosure in Parliament that the Centre is not ready with the rules to implement the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 demonstrates that the government’s resolve to meet a variety of environmental objectives, including major commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals, remains woefully weak. It is, of course, debatable whether the Act, with the disbursal mechanism through national and State funds that it mandates, is a sound remedy for loss of rich forests that continues to occur because of developmental and biotic pressures. The evidence on compensatory afforestation in a big project such as the Sardar Sarovar Dam, for instance, is not encouraging. About 13,000 hectares were compensated there, but only with patchy outcomes: healthy monoculture plantations having low biodiversity value came up in some places, while others resulted in unhealthy plantations with few trees. Be that as it may, diversion of forests for non-forest use seems inevitable to some degree, and the accumulation of about ₹40,000 crore in compensatory funds clearly points to significant annexation of important habitats. The task is to make an assessment of suitable lands, preferably contiguous with protected areas that can be turned over for management to a joint apparatus consisting of forest department staff and scientific experts.
Putting in place a scientific national plan to expand good green cover is essential, since the sequestration of carbon through sustainably managed forests is a key component of the commitment made under the Paris Agreement. There is already a Green India Mission, which is distinct from the framework envisaged for compensatory afforestation. What the Centre needs to do is to enable independent audit of all connected programmes, in order to sensibly deploy the financial resources now available. It must be emphasised, however, that replacing a natural forest with a plantation does not really serve the cause of nature, wildlife, or the forest-dwelling communities who depend on it, because of the sheer loss of biodiversity. Yet, there is immense potential to augment the services of forests through a careful choice of plants and trees under the afforestation programme. All this can make a beginning only with the actualisation of the law passed in 2016. It is worth pointing out that the method used to calculate the net present value of forests, taking into account all ecosystem services they provide, is far from perfect, as many scientists point out. Some of the momentum for compensatory afforestation has come from judicial directives, but now that there is a new law in place, it should be given a foundation of rules that rest on scientific credibility.

Protection of Jarawa Tribes

Protection of Jarawa Tribes
National Commission of Scheduled Tribes (NCST) had written letters to the Secretaries of Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of I&B, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Chief Secretary, A&N islands for taking strict action against those who upload inappropriate video films/ photos on You Tube.
A&N Administration, vide Press Release dated 16.10.2017 has clarified that posting/ uploading of pictures/ videos of tribes of A&N Islands in any social networking sites is punishable with imprisonment upto three years as per Section 7 of the A&N (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Amendment Regulation, 2012 and also attracts Section 3 (i) ® of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. It further advised all to refrain themselves from posting/ uploading of pictures / videos of tribes of A&N Islands in the social networking sites, in the interest of tribes of A&N Islands.
Deputy Superintendent (CID), Port Blair had registered case vide FIR under Section 3(1) 9 R SC&ST (Prevention of Atrocities )Act, 2016 against unknown persons. Further, an Advisory Note dated 16.10.2017 has also been issued hat any person who enters into the reserved area without permission for the purpose of taking photographs or making videos of aboriginal tribes shall be liable for punishment with imprisonment which may extend to three years and fine which may extend to Rs. 10,000/-

National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links

National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links
(16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). The Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments by the NWDA
The National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation, now Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR) in August 1980 for water resources development through inter basin transfer of water, for transferring water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins. Under the NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under Peninsular Component & 14 under Himalayan Component) for preparation of Feasibility Reports (FRs). The Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) of the all 30 links have been prepared and circulated to the concerned State Governments by the NWDA. After survey and investigations, Feasibility Reports of 14 links under Peninsular Component and Feasibility Reports of 2 links and draft Feasibility Reports of 7 links (Indian portion) under Himalayan Component have been completed.
Presently, the survey, investigation and preparation of Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR)/ Feasibility Report (FR)/ Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being funded through River Basin Management scheme of MoWR, RD & GR. This Ministry has constituted a Group on Financial Aspects on 12.09.2017 under Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers (ILR) to consider the financial aspects of ILR projects and to suggest the funding pattern for implementing the same. Three meetings of the Group on Financial Aspects has been held on 24.10.2017, 17.11.2017 and 08.12.2017 respectively.
Funds are being released to Indirasagar Polavaram Project through Long Term Irrigation Fund, which has been created through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for funding Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana projects. Polavaram Project has provision of diversion of 80 TMC of water from Godavari Basin to Krishna Basin. The Right Main Canal of Polavaram Irrigation Project is proposed as lined canal, runs for a length of 174 km for diverting 80 TMC Godavari water to Krishna river upstream of Prakasam Barrage through the existing Budameru Diversion Channel. The canal is also contemplated to irrigate 1.29 lakh ha of ayacut (3.2 lack acre) in West Godavari and Krishna districts. Polavaram Poject has been declared as National Project by the Central Government.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken up Pattiseema Lift Scheme to achieve early benefits of Polavaram Irrigation Project in order to utilize the flood waters going waste into the sea. The Pattiseema Lift Scheme is envisaged to utilize the already existing Polavaram Right Canal by lifting 240 Cumecs (8500 Cusecs) of water from Akhanda Godavari Right Bank on downstream side of Polavaram dam site near Pattisam village and dropping into Polavaram Right Canal at chainage 1.50 km. The main aspect of the Lift Scheme is to transfer 80 TMC of water into Krishna River by interlinking through Polavaram Right Canal.
The Pattiseema Lift Scheme work is completed and water is being drawn from Polavaram Right Canal from the year 2015-16 onwards.

6 December 2017

संयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम (UNEP) के तत्वावधान में ‘वन्य जीवों की प्रवासी प्रजातियों के संरक्षण पर अभिसमय हेतु पक्षकारों का सम्मेलन’ (CMS COP : Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals)

संयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम (UNEP) के तत्वावधान में ‘वन्य जीवों की प्रवासी प्रजातियों के संरक्षण पर अभिसमय हेतु पक्षकारों का सम्मेलन’ (CMS COP : Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals) एक पर्यावरण संधि है। यह प्रवासी जीवों एवं उनके आवासों के संरक्षण और टिकाऊ उपयोग के लिए वैश्विक मंच उपलब्ध कराता है। हाल ही में ‘सीएमएस सीओपी’ के 12वें सत्र का आयोजन मनीला, फिलीपींस में किया गया।
23-28 अक्टूबर, 2017 के मध्य मनीला, फिलीपींस में ‘वन्य जीवों की प्रवासी प्रजातियों के संरक्षण पर अभिसमय हेतु पक्षकारों का सम्मेलन का 12वां सत्र’ (CMS COP12) आयोजित किया गया।
यह पहला अवसर है जब सीएमएस सीओपी का आयोजन एशिया में किया गया।
सम्मेलन का नारा (Slogan) था ‘उनका भविष्य हमारा भविष्य है-वन्यजीव और लोगों के लिए पोषणीय विकास’ (Their Future is Our Future-Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People)।
सम्मेलन में एशिया, अफ्रीका, अमेरिका, यूरोप एवं ओशिनिया (Oceania) से 24 देशों के 34 प्रजातियों के संरक्षण प्रस्तावों को स्वीकृति प्रदान की गई।
सम्मेलन में 91 देशों के प्रतिनिधि शामिल हुए।
सीएमएस सीओपी के 13वें सत्र का आयोजन वर्ष 2020 में भारत में किया जाएगा।
सम्मेलन में चार एशियाई गिद्ध प्रजातियों लाल-मुखी गिद्ध (Red-Headed Vulture), सफेद-पूंछ गिद्ध (White-Rumped Vulture), भारतीय गिद्ध और पतली चोंच वाले गिद्ध (Slender-Billed Vulture) -को उच्चतम संरक्षण सूची में शामिल किया गया।
उपर्युक्त गिद्ध प्रजातियां विषाक्तता, शिकार, बिजली के तारों के साथ टकराव और निवास स्थान में गिरावट जैसे खतरों का सामना कर रही हैं।
भारत समेत 121 देशों के समुद्री क्षेत्रों में पाई जाने वाली व्हेल शार्क (Whale Shark) को भी संरक्षण सूची में शामिल किया गया।
सम्मेलन में ब्लू शार्क (Blue Shark) और गिटारफिश (Guitarfish) के संरक्षण के प्रस्ताव को स्वीकार किया गया।
आसियान (Asean) क्षेत्र के भीतर संरक्षित क्षेत्र नेटवर्कों के विकास और प्रबंधन के प्रस्ताव को अनुमोदित किया गया।
मध्य एशिया की दो दुर्लभ प्रजातियों-प्रजेवाल्सकी के घोड़े (Przewalski’s Horse) और गोबी भालू (Gobi Bear)- के संरक्षण हेतु मंगोलिया के प्रस्ताव को मंजूरी दी गई।
सम्मेलन में कैस्पियन सील (Caspian Seal) के संरक्षण की स्वीकृति प्रदान की गई।
उल्लेखनीय है कि कैस्पियन सील विश्व के सबसे बड़े अंतःस्थलीय (Inland) समुद्र कैस्पियन सागर में पाया जाने वाला एकमात्र समुद्री स्तनपायी है।
सम्मेलन में शेर, चिंपैंजी, जिराफ एवं तेंदुए की प्रजातियों को अतिरिक्त संरक्षण सूची से बाहर कर दिया गया।
सम्मेलन में चिंकारा (Indian Gazelle) के अतिरिक्त संरक्षण के प्रस्ताव को वापस ले लिया गया।

Locked out, without a GI tag

Locked out, without a GI tag
The existing law for Geographical Indications leans too heavily on documentary proof
The law of Geographical Indications (GIs) is linked to the terroir, that is the quality of a product is essentially attributable to the territory where the product originates from. GIs support local production and are an important economic tool for the uplift of rural and tribal communities. Unlike other Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) which guarantee the protection of individual interest, GI is a collective right. If their products qualify, producers can use the collective GI mark while commercially exploiting their products.
Path to introduction
India implemented a sui generis legislation on GI in 1999, a prime reason being its obligation to have a law on GI as a member of the World Trade Organisation-Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO-TRIPS).

Making India GI brand conscious
The politics behind the incorporation of GI in TRIPS is revealing. The United States was not a supporter of GI, and it was lobbying by the European Union (EU) that ensured its inclusion in TRIPS. The EU already had its domestic mechanisms in place to protect GIs and was keen to protect its products in international markets.
Interestingly, the debate on GI in India has never gone beyond Article 23 of TRIPS, which gives a preference to wines and spirits over other goods. Scholars in India have always observed that the additional protection of wines and spirits is a huge setback for GI trade related to the developing countries whose GIs are largely related to agricultural and handicraft products. The protection given to wines and spirits is absolute and unqualified, and unlike right holders of other goods, the proprietor of GI relating to wines and spirits does not have to prove that incorrect use of the geographic origin is misleading as well.
Shortcomings in Indian Act
As India has failed over the years to introspect on its own domestic legislation, it is important to highlight the shortcomings of the Indian GI Act. It is important to note that TRIPS only provides a minimum standard of protection. Nowhere is there an insistence on a particular framework for protection of GI. In fact, TRIPS does not even mandate a sui generis mode of protection for GI.

Against this backdrop, proof of origin is a mandatory criterion for registering GIs in India. This provision is borrowed from the EU’s regulations on GI protection. What is cause for concern is not proof of origin as a criteria to register GI, but the focus on historic proof in the form of documentary evidence (such as gazetteers, published documents, news articles, advertisement materials) to bring out the historic development of GIs as laid down under GI Rules, 2002, and clarified by the GI Manual of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, and Registrar of Geographical Indications to establish proof of origin. The point here is about the rationale behind including such a provision in our law as there was no mandate under TRIPs to do so.
Documentary evidence as proof of origin may be a foolproof mechanism to ensure the link between the product and territory, but in a country such as India where there are regions like the Northeast where oral history has had far wider convention over written history, this provision will prove to be a formidable hurdle.
The case of Assam
Assam has been exploring its natural, agricultural and traditional products as potential GI material. One such example is a traditional rice wine called ‘Judima’ which is made by the Dimasa tribe of Dima Hasao, one of the autonomous hill districts of Assam. The State government has been tracking academic discourse on the subject with the intent of exploring possibilities in registering it. But a stumbling block has been the difficulty in gathering documentary evidence as proof of origin. It is the same case with many other products from the Northeast. For example, in the case of ‘Judima’, the word ‘Ju’ stands for drink and ‘Dima’ for Dimasas, but the absence of any documentary proof makes the case a difficult one to prove.
Therefore, what is the rationality behind including and retaining such provisions in the law? For most products, especially those of tribal communities, this is bound to be a recurrent problem. A few years ago, India faced difficulties in a patent case involving turmeric when two scientists of the University of Mississippi Medical Centre, were granted the U.S. patent for the use of turmeric in wound healing. India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which opposed this, was asked by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to submit documentary evidence of usage of turmeric for healing purposes in India in order to revoke the patent. On finding the existing documentary evidence insufficient, CSIR was compelled to launch a project of translating ancient Sanskrit texts which were later produced as evidence, and accepted.
So, what happens in cases such where a written history is rare? Do the products of the region then not stand a chance under the GI law? In a particular instance, the GI Registry considered etymology in establishing proof of origin. However, this does not guarantee that a similar stance will be adopted while considering other potential GI products, especially when the existing law leans heavily on documentary proof. The GI authorities should amend the existing provision.

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