Environment

The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the ‘List of Wetlands of International Importance’ where variations in ecological character have happened, are happen, or are likely to happen as an outcome of technological developments, pollution or other human interference. Wetlands are areas of fen, marsh, peatland or water, whether artificial or natural, … Read more

Ramsar sites are created under Ramsar convention. It was signed in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar and is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord for preserving the ecological character of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands.Its aim is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and … Read more

SHC is a printed report which contains nutrient status of soil with respect to 12 nutrients: pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Organic Carbon (OC), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S), Zinc (Zn), Boron (B), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu) of farm holdings. SHC will be provided to all farmers in the country at … Read more

Organic farming is an agricultural system that works in harmony with nature. It largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc.) and rely upon crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste, mineral grade rock additives and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection. Organic farming … Read more

India State of Forest Report 2019 has been prepared by Forest Survey of India (FSI). It is a biannual report. The report is prepared after mapping of forests and trees through satellite. Key highlights of the report are as follows: the forest area has increased by 3976 kilometers and the area of trees by 1212 … Read more

Dead zones are hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world’s oceans and large lakes. They are caused by “excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water. Historically, many of these sites were naturally occurring. However, in the 1970s, oceanographers … Read more

Climate finance refers to local, national or transnational financing—drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing—that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change. The Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement call for financial assistance from Parties with more financial resources to those that are less endowed and more … Read more

Shola forests are tropical Montane forests found in the valleys separated by rolling grasslands only in the higher elevations. They are found only in South India in the Southern Western Ghats. The shola forests are patches of forests that occur only in the valleys where there is least reach of the fog and mist. Other … Read more

Air pollution is broken down into ambient (outdoor) air pollution and indoor air pollution. This pollution comes from many sources, the majority of them a result of human activity: the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal to generate electricity for homes and businesses, or petrol and diesel to power our cars, buses, ships and … Read more

Sand and gravel, together known as aggregate, is the 2nd largest raw material used on earth after water. Indiscriminate sand mining in India not only threatens the environment and ecosystem but  also endangers the economy. Therefore, sustainable sand mining (SSM) is recommended. Sustainable sand mining uses sound scientific assessment, adopts best practices, construction technology, and … Read more