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 …
In defence of shifting agriculture
IT HAS taken almost two decades of consistent research into the northeastern tribal practice of shifting agriculture for P S Ramakrishna, …
Desertification control lacks efficiency
PERHAPS no environmental problem affects the poor of the world as much as desertification. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) says this has …
‘EIAs of mining projects have become a farce’
Christopher Albin-Lackey, senior researcher with New York-based non-profit Human Rights Watch (HRW), has documented the large-scale environmental …
Climate is changing, and the Sundarban residents can feel it
The Sundarban delta region in the Bay of Bengal, with 10,000 square kilometres of estuarine mangrove forest and 102 islands, is the world's …
Private affairs
The invitation was innocuous. The Confederation of Indian Industry (cii) -- the grouping of the large and most powerful industries -- was …
Science under siege
Agricultural science has ossified in India. Despite a vast network of public research institutions and agriculture universities across the country,…
Degraded land the size of China needs to be restored by 2030 to prevent biodiversity loss: UN Report
Every single year, we lose ecosystem services worth more than 10 per cent of our global economic output, the report said
UNCCD CoP: India still unclear about its degradation target
Prakash Javadekar quotes target figure substantially less than that decided by his ministry
Make choices that will help end soil erosion, reduce effects of drought or dust storms
Every year, we make New Year resolutions about change. Why not include as one of those resolutions, a change of habit leading that will lead to a …
Independent initiative: Film festival
'Quotes from the Earth' is an independent festival of films on the environment. A unique event in that it is the first time that such a festival …
Climate change contributes to violence against children – here’s how
Violence against children is not solely a phenomenon that intensifies during environmental shocks. It is deeply rooted in historical injustices, …
India: Making of a desert over the years
Over 25 per cent of India’s land area is undergoing desertification. Of the 30 states, 26 recorded an increase in the area under …
Desertification is one of the biggest challenges for Indian agriculture
Loss of soil cover, mainly due to rainfall and surface runoff, is one of the biggest reasons for desertification. It is responsible for 10.98% of …
Curbing desertification as critical as mitigating climate change impact
Currently, some two billion people are affected by desertification and land degradation; 41 per cent of the landmass worldwide is prone to …
UNCCD COP14: Reclaiming degraded land can help achieve SDGs
This restoration can potentially reduce poverty and inequality, the two significant goals set by the United Nations
World’s leading financial institutions continue to bankroll deforestation
Most of them have failed to manage and mitigate environmental, social and governance risks
Kashmir’s Dal Lake harbours bacteria that can degrade pesticides
The presence of naturally-occurring bacteria that is resistant to an insecticide widely used in the region may help in bioremediation …
‘Development will eventually lead to environmental conflicts’
With sustainable development goals in place, increasing democratisation and connectivity of the world, ecologisation of politics and vice-versa …
New Delhi Declaration dilutes role of international funding bodies, tenurial issues
Overall the Declaration has downplayed the role of global financial institutions, tenurial rights of people, and delinks UNCCD from other Rio …
UNCCD CoP 14: Report on Soil Organic Carbon released
Soil Organic Carbon, which is the plant and animal tissues at various states of decomposition in the soil, is a yardstick for sustainable land …
One of the biggest threats to the environment - desertification, explained
At an ongoing global workshop on desertification, the Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said desertification threatens 30% of India’s …
More or less equal
God made all humans equal, but some are more equal than others when it comes to consuming the world's resources
Research can play a crucial role in combating desertification: Experts
Synergy between scientists, government and farming communities can help reclaim degraded lands
Losing land to desertification
Drought and desertification affect about 1.9 billion hectares of land and 1.5 billion people globally