What triggers desertification in India
A low down on the most important causes behind desertification in every state of the country. Addressing these will be critical to meet targets …
‘Handling toxic waste is a matter of science, not administration’
Whether it is the dismantling of toxics laden ship from the US, Oriental Nicety, or the clean up of the 350 tonnes of waste lying at the defunct …
Just dump it
Acids of arsenic. Organo-mercury compounds. Batteries. Bristles of boars or hogs. More potent stuff: asbestos; slag dross; ash and residues of …
Everyone is stealing germplasm
When agronomist Ralladoddi Hampaiah was advisor to the Russian government, he discovered how easy it was to take genetic resources out of India. …
Taking stock of biodiversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity, 20 years on, is still struggling to stem the precipitous decline in biodiversity. After missing the 2010 …
'Building and retaining capacity is the toughest challenge'
Balakrishna Pisupati is in the hot seat as chairperson of the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), where he has to deal with regulatory and …
'CBD has lost its track'
Bolivia is one of the few countries that has consistently been opposing treating biodiversity as a commodity at the ongoing Conference of Parties …
The hunt for benefits
India is hailed as a pioneer in implementing the third objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity—fair and equitable sharing of …
'Most countries don’t want to recognise indigenous people as people'
Mohammed Taghi Farvar, former director of Avicenna University in Iran, is a well-known ecologist and social scientist. At present, he is the …
Future compromised
The Earth Summit was a historical opportunity to set the world on the correct development trajectory. Negotiators from 191 countries came …
Under siege
India, seen as a dumpyard by the developed countries for toxic wastes, is under pressure not to ratify the Basel Ban
Drawing the waste-line
The national committee to look into the management of hazardous wastes met for the first time in New Delhi
Deadly generosity
Eighty-four nations may have 'agreed' to ban the export of poisonous wastes, but major players in the trade like Germany could ruin the …
In the dumps
Despite international regulations and campaigning by environmentalists, hazardous waste continues to be dumped in India
Youth's demand for climate action an 'unmistakable message': UN climate chief
At the ongoing UNFCCC conference in Bonn, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa asked everyone to take part in this 'fight of …
The politics of climate change: COP 21 and emerging economies
While top 10 emitters contribute 72 per cent of global greenhouse gases, the lowest 100 emitters contribute even less than 3 per cent
Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: ‘Implementation needs more resources’
All ASEAN countries face challenges in achieving the two sustainable development goals on biodiversity, leaders said in final session …
Many protected migratory species declining: Report
73 per cent of Appendix I and 48 per cent of Appendix II species of the Convention on Migratory Species are diminishing, it says, with …
Record number of chemicals reviewed by UN committee
The review is to list chemicals into the Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions' annexes to push for a pollution-free planet
Looking back at Stockholm 1972: What Indira Gandhi said half a century ago on man & environment
The then prime minister of India delivered this speech June 14, 1972 at plenary session of UN Conference on Human Environment
Push to strengthen Basel Convention regional centres
Centres in turn will assist in ratifying ban on toxic exports from rich nations to the poor
Over 100 countries sign Kunming Declaration on biodiversity conservation
It calls upon the parties to “mainstream” biodiversity protection in decision-making
Stockholm Convention to take final call on 5 Persistent Organic Pollutants
United Nations Environment Programme’s proposal to list chlorpyrifos as POP was resisted by India
Indecent proposal
In urging free import of zinc ash, which is often contaminated, Planning Commission member G Thimmiah has shown scant respect for the environment
Slipping through
Late reaction to toxic oil imports by state Pollution Control Board (Read full article)
