Are goats responsible for increasing desertification? No, say many environmentalists and researchers. In fact, this hardy animal fertilises degraded land efficiently, besides being a valuable source of income and nutrition for the poor
A proposed power generation project in Laos has become the target of environmentalists ire
Modern practices are threatening to break up an unusual water tapping and water sharing process in Himachal Pradesh. Devised hundreds of years ago, it converted barren land in Spiti into fertile fields.
NO FIRM data are available to account for the extent of loss of forest cover in India or the annual rate of deforestation. In fact, estimates vary so widely that a degree of combativeness
Overexploitation, skewed pricing policies and inefficient utilisation have laid bare the bamboo"s vast reserves. While local communities clamour for the resource, and possiblities of sustainable use abound, governments dole it out to industry. Arunachal,
The tribal world view that humans can regenerate forests, but not create them, may resolve problems and failures which stalk forest management policies of the government
Once hailed as a boon to health, chlorine is now charged with being carcinogenic, maiming the immune and the reproductive systems.
"Forgive us, Aral. Please come back." These words written in chalk, on a ship sftKk in a sandy wasteland, which was once the bustling shore of the world"s fourth largest lake, the Aral Sea, tell a graphic tale of the human toll caused by am of the w
A recent workshop reveals that the rehabilitation of the 1993 Marathwada earthquake victims was a bloody farce
The conservation of forests and Natural Ecosystems Bill, sponsored by the ministry of environment and forests, seeks to weed out an obsolete colonial act. But people"s rights will still take a beating if the Bill goes through
LUDHIANA Ludhiana"s problem is that of plenty. This industrial town has a per capita income of Rs 30,000, almost 30 times more the per capita income of the state of Bihar which is only Rs 1,067.
Down To Earth"s round table on fiscal instruments to manage the environment brought together economists, environmentalists and representatives from industry. What emerged was that the concept of economic instruments, though still at a nascent stage, is b
The culture of `businesslike" individual enterprise is playing havoc with the age-old collective wisdom of communities that plan for the common good
The only way to prevent traditional water tanks from self-destruction is to hand over their maintenance to the people
A pristine lake that once drew birds of several species today lies clogged with weeds, a victim of unplanned economic development.
India's attempts at developing supercomputers have not only paid off, they have sparked intense competition.
The killing of tigers and of forest guards in Ranthambore is the result of a conservation strategy that took away the rights of the local people and made them willing allies of poachers.
Natural disasters are trying times for people and a test of government ability and determination to handle crises. In the Philippines, the explosions of the Pinatubo and Mayon volcanoes exposed how ill-conceived efforts can cause more harm than good.
Restrictions on use of natural resources in protected areas are driving the local communities dependent on forest produce for their survival to a state of deprivation. Conservation strategies can be sustainable only when it involves indigenous people in t
Misguided conservation efforts are leading to depletion of biodiversity and exploitation of poor people
