BioDiverse Magazine

December 2010

BioDiverse

Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 2 December 2010

North East Centre for Environmental Education and Research, Imphal

Philippines A travel to Marigondon Sur

BANGLADESH Coastal Zone Management in the Context of Climate Change

PREDICTED

EXTINCTIONS

due to Climate Change

Step towards

CONSERVATION

EXPLORE NE India Series: ASSAM

NECEER PUBLICATIONS

BioDiverse Magazine

December 2010

Tom Thounaojam

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief Mohd Sajid Idrisi

Managing Editor Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh

Copy Editor Mehnaz Nasreen

Associate Editors Priya Atri, Neha Sarin, Abhishek Jain, Leika Yumnam, Joyraj Waikhom, Aeroshil Nameirakpam, Tiken Laishram, Kh. Monika Angom, Vinati Jha, Biba Jasmine, Kanchan Puri, Pragya Sourabh, Anurag Maloo BioDiverse is an international quarterly magazine published by North East Centre for Environmental Education and Research, Imphal. BioDiverse Magazine publishes news, articles, events and cartoons on biodiversity and enviro-nment of South and South East Asia.

Cover Page

Marigondon Sur, Philippines Photo: Kurt Tan Design and Layout Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh All rights reserved © NECEER, Imphal For any enquiries, please contact Mohd. Sajid Idrisi Editor-in-Chief Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh Managing Editor Email: biodiverse.editor@gmail.com No material from the magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of NECEER, Imphal Published, owned, edited and printed by Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh

Ms. Girija Th. of www.flowersofindia.net

Young Achiever Award 2010

Support

Worldwide Save Loktak Lake Campaign

BioDiverse Magazine

December 2010

Romblon is not as popular as the the other islands in

the Philippines, not to mention it is one of the poorest

province. Poor as what they said but the place is rich

in biodiversity. Romblon is composed of 3 main

islands: Romblon, Tablas, and Sibuyan, the others are

small islets: Simara, Banton, and Sibale (called tres

islas). Each islands has their own unique geography.

My favorite is still Sibuyan Island where the place is

really rich in biodiversity. There is also a small

hidden island with pure white sand beach. Romblon

island is known for its marble, and white sand

beaches. Tablas Island is composed of different

landscapes, it is the largest of the group.

Recently I went hiking in a new place here in Tablas

island. The place was situated in the town of San

Andres, known as Marigondon Sur. My brother

invited me to go hiking in a quarried river. We arrived

there at 1pm on a scorching hot Sunday afternoon.

The river was not that big but some areas were deep.

We saw some Utricularia plants that look like a

carpet with frogs all over.

Marigondon SurMarigondon SurMarigondon SurMarigondon Sur Phillipines by Kurt Tan The article is based on field trip by Kurt Tan to Marigondon Sur in the Philippines. Kurt Tan, doctor by prof-ession loves hiking and nature photo-graphy. The article is photographic treat for nature lovers.

I work as a doctor in the province and oftentimes I get tired. I needed some time off....that's the time I go on a short trip to the mountain. Most of the time I go hiking in my home town in Romblon. - Kurt Tan

A travel to

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It was boring for me as I don’t see anything

interesting. My assistant pointed out his finger and

said "look doc, there is a mountain upstream". He

knows I love the mountain. The mountains were

covered with greens. They said it was a reforested

area planted with narra trees.

In my mind, I thought that place is not that known

much even to my town. I then decided to plan a hike

the following weekend to see for myself what's inside.

I woke up early in the morning, 5am. My assistant

was already waiting for me outside. We hired a guide

to the mountain and the place was just amazing. The

climb was a little bit tiring. Along the road I saw a

waterfall and took some shots.

After travelling for several kilometers, paved road

ends and thick forest starts. I felt so energized just by

seeing those huge trees and lush vegetations. We

entered the forest and saw some of the native flora

and fauna. We were able to see many colourful

flowers, birds, snails and spiders.

Skink watching us

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While taking rest inside the forest, I observed a

beautiful hummingbird and it seems to be observing

me. After seeing her elegant and inviting gesture, we

were more eager to explore more of this beautiful

place. After 2 long hours we reach the top of the

mountain. We had our lunch under an old tree. There

are some trees that were logged illegally. Though I

felt sad to see those trees but what a man do when he

to fed his stomach and family. I think these small

scale loggers won’t hurt the ecosystem that much like

we do in other urban areas. After a short break, we

hike down. This time, my guide lead me through a

new trail, I got scared a bit but I trust him. The path

was 3 hours already and I’m getting exhausted. My

guide told me that the forest was very rich in

biodiversity and well preserved. It provides them

foods like: fruit bats, snails, fish, and wild fruits. At

last, we found our way out of the forest…It took us

almost 5 hours hiking. It was tiring but well worth the

trip.

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Army of caterpillar

Blood-sucking leech

The author can be contacted at

tablasisland@yahoo.com

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Coastal Zone Management in the Context of Climate Change:

Bangladesh Perspective

By Sharaban Tahura Zaman

Photo: Md. Asif Ali Source: www.asiasociety.org

From the district town of Faridpur, Bangladesh it took about an hour by motorized boat to reach Sona Mollar Dangi, a small village of 26 households (around 250 people) on an island in the middle of the mighty river Padma. Some twelve years ago, Sona Molla, the respected village elder, and his family moved onto this newly formed 'char. 'That was the fifth time Sona Molla had to relocate in search of a piece of land where he could settle down with his family and make a living. Over the years, others followed him and a new community called the Sona Mollar Dangi (elevated land of Sona Molla) was born. Life was good for a while until came the disastrous flood of 1998. The entire village went under water for weeks. Sona Molla and his kin had to move to high ground in distant places. After the flood, they thought they would now be safe for many years as the last big flood was in 1988. The next big one will not come before 2008, they thought. Unfortunately, climate change driven by global warming proved them wrong. Not only did they experience long heat waves but also the entire island went under water twice during devastating floods in 2004 and 2007.Now it is the end of 2010, and the people of this island is still couldn’t able recover the loss as they faced in devastating floods in 2004 and 2007 (Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2008). This is now become a frequent scenario of the coastal zone of Bangladesh, which according to the scientific evidence eighty percent liability goes on to the rapid climate change problem. Climate change is generally viewed as a global issue, but response measures need to be taken at the

national level based on fair distribution of efforts in combating climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) pledges a commitment to climate change regime in which national efforts are to be assigned on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities. Historical and current global emissions of greenhouse gases have originated in developed countries, but impacts induced disproportionately on developing countries like Bangladesh. Moreover, vulnerability of climate change would not be to the same degrees to all countries and regions. Even vulnerability within a country varies between regions and sectors. Therefore, knowledge of the region’s physical characteristics and processes is important for developing a better understanding of climate change impacts, which is the prerequisite of adopting appropriate policy frameworks. Bangladesh Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper adopted in November 2005, identified the existing environmental stresses ascertaining the unique geo-morphological conditions of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is characterized by an extensive network of rivers, which drain around 113 million hectare- meter of water to the Bay of Bengal. Over 90 percent of water flows from the upper catchments in India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. Floodplains of the major rivers and their tributaries constitute about four-fifths of the country. The flat topography, high intensity of rainfall and inadequate conveyance capacity of the rivers cause drainage congestion resulting in extensive inundation during the monsoon. The country faces twin problems- abundance of water in the rainy season, often causing floods, and shortage of water in the dry

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season, often inflicting severe droughts. Besides, the country suffers from flash floods, rise of riverbeds, recurring cyclones, storm surges and saltwater intrusion In addition to existing environmental problems, the impacts of climate change would increase the vulnerability. Some of the studies suggest that the main impacts of climate change will be on the water resources and water-level changes, food security and agriculture, ecosystem and natural resource management and biodiversity, and human health. A survey of key climate change impacts and vulnerabilities for Bangladesh identifies water and coastal resources as being of the highest priority in terms of certainty, urgency, and severity of impact, as well as the importance of the resources being affected. In accordance with National Adaptation Program of Action [NAPA] of Bangladesh, the coastal zone vulnerability would be acute due to the combined effects of climate change, sea level rise, subsidence, and changes of upstream river discharge, cyclone and coastal embankments. Four key types of primary physical effects i.e. saline water intrusion; drainage congestion; extreme events; and changes in coastal morphology have been identified as key vulnerabilities in the coastal area of Bangladesh Considering the subjective ranking of key climate change impacts and vulnerabilities for Bangladesh, this article intends to address and to analysis the key climate change impacts on coastal areas in order to rationalize the necessity of adopting integrated policy frameworks. Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Zone The study titled ‘Development and Climate Change in Bangladesh: Focus on Coastal Flooding and the Sundarbans,’ conducted in 2003 in Bangladesh reveals that, The low lying coastal zone in Bangladesh is located between the extensive drainage networks of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system on one side, and tidal and cyclonic activity from the Bay of Bengal on the other. The river discharge on the Bangladesh coastline is heavily laden with sediments, both suspended and bed-load, giving rise to a highly dynamic estuary. The low topography gives rise to a strong backwater effect, and there is considerable seasonal variation in the interaction between the brackish and freshwater – with freshwater dominating during the monsoon and the saline front penetrating further inland during the dry season. The coastal zone is home to 35 million people – over a quarter of the national population. The population density is 738/km Since the 1960s a series of costal embankments has been constructed to protect low lying lands from tidal inundation and salinity penetration. Many of these lands have now become high productivity agricultural areas and are valued considerably more than lands outside the embankments. But the situation of coastal zone is getting complicated under the climate change day by day. There is a clear evidence of changing climate in Bangladesh which is causing many projected climate change impacts including sea level rise, higher temperatures (mean temperature

increases of 1.4°C and 2.4°C are projected by 2050 and 2100 respectively), evapo-transpiration losses, enhanced monsoon precipitation and run-off, potentially reduced dry season precipitation, and increase in cyclone intensity. And coastal resources are highly affected by all these. Intrusion of saline water, water logging, ingression of soil salinity, flood and adverse impact on ecosystem are the main projected impact of climate change. The aforementioned study identified further that the coastal areas of Bangladesh have already been facing salinity problem which is expected to be exacerbated by climate change and sea level rise, as sea level rise is causing unusual height of tidal water. In dry season, when the flows of upstream water reduce drastically, the saline water goes up to 240 kilometers inside the country and reaches to Magura district. Presently around 31 upazillas of Jessore, Satkhira, Khulna, Narail, Bagerhat and Gopalganj districts are facing severe salinity problem. Agricultural activities as well as cropping intensities in those upazillas have been changing; now farmers can’t grow multiple crops in a year. Salinity ingress also causes an increase in soil salinity, especially when farmers irrigate their lands with slightly saline surface water at the beginning of the low flow period. SRDI (1997; Soil Resource Development Institute of the Government of Bangladesh) reported that, soil salinity levels south of Khulna and Bagerhat towns ranged between 8 to 15 dS/m during the low flow season. It is also reported that, several sub-districts (such as Kachua, Mollahat, and Fultali) south of the Sundarbans known to be non-saline in the pre-Farakka period have began to develop soil salinity during the low flow seasons of 1980s. The anticipated results of salinity ingress will be, at a minimum, of the same order for climate change induced low flow regime compared to similar effects shown by deliberate withdrawal of flows at Farakka barrage. at present, some parts of coastal lands are not being utilized for crop production, mostly due to soil salinity. Due to geographical setting Bangladesh has to receive and drain-out huge volume of upstream waters. The flows of mighty rivers the Meghna, Padma and Brahmaputra, originated from the Himalayans, drain-out in the Bay of Bengal flowing through-out the country. In the summer, from May to August, the melting of glaciers in the Himalayans makes the rivers in Bangladesh live. The rainy season, which is strongly influenced by monsoon wind from the South-West, also sets on at the same period and causes huge precipitation. Therefore, the combined effect of upstream flows, precipitation and terrestrial run-off resulted to over flooding, causing water logging and prolong flood almost every year. But the worsening condition is that the trend of melting ice along with rainfall has been increasing due to rising temperature in the Himalayans. As result the frequent floods are happening causing devastating effect to the people live and livelihoods. On the other hand, rising sea level is causing water level rise in the rivers and thereby accelerating risks of flood and water

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logging. Again, as the elevation our coastal plain is only 3-5 meter from the mean sea level, a vast coastal areas, approximately 18% of total land, would submerge by 1 meter sea level rise. But the most likely adverse impacts of climate change are the loss of the Sundarbans which are the coastal mangroves that straddle the coasts of western Bangladesh and neighboring India. The Sundarbans were formed by the deposition of materials from the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. If the Sundarbans are lost, the habitat for several valuable species would also be lost. The Sundarbans house one of the richest natural gene pools for fauna and flora in the world. The flora contains at least 69 species, with the Sundari (Heritiera fomes) – which gives the forest its name –and the Gewa (Excoecaria agallocha) being the dominant species that provide timber for paper and wood products. A total of 425 species of wildlife have been identified in the Sundarbans, including 42 species of mammals, 300 species of birds, 35 reptiles, and 8 amphibian species (Blower 1985; Rashid and Scott 1989). The most notable – the Royal Bengal Tiger – is endemic to the forest. In recognition of this richness in biodiversity, both the Indian and the Bangladesh Sundarbans were declared world heritage sites by UNESCO. But the most threatening thing is that a 45 cm sea level rise would inundate 75% of the Sundarbans, and 67 cm sea level rise could inundate all of the system. Extrapolating from this information, Smith et al. (1998) calculated that a 25 cm sea level rise would result in a 40% mangrove loss. It is not certain whether there will be many adverse effects on the Sundarbans with a sea level rise of a few tens of centimeters, although salinity could increase substantially in many areas. Even if barriers to migration such as physical structures could be moved, it is unlikely that inland migration would make up for losses of mangroves from inundation. Existing Policy Frameworks in Bangladesh Emerging norms, principles and rules of prevention and mitigation have evolved, particularly since the 1972 Stockholm Declaration on Human Environment to address problems of global environmental changes. Twenty years later, climate change appeared as a distinct issue of international legal regime is of 1992, through adoption of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) endow with Kyoto Protocol, 1997. UNFCCC calls the parties of the Convention to adopt policies and measures to protect the climate system against human-induced change should be appropriate for the specific conditions of each party and should be integrated with national development programs, taking into account that economic development is essential for adapting measures to address climate change. The Kyoto Protocol further reaffirms the Parties’ commitments, Article 2 (paragraph 3) of the Kyoto Protocol calls for Parties to implement policies and measures “…to minimize adverse effects of climate change”. Article 10 requests that Parties “formulate, implement, publish and

regularly update national and, where appropriate, regional programmes containing measures… to facilitate adequate adaptation to climate change.” However, in the Bangladesh perspective, climate change is recognized directly at policy level through adopting National Coastal Zone Policy in 2005 that has accepted climate change and its adverse impacts on lives and livelihoods in the coastal zone region. Coastal Zone Policy, which introduced widely the measures that would facilitate to touch the impacts of climate. However, initiatives to cope with different disasters and gradual deterioration of the environment are not attended to this policy. Apart from the Coastal Zone Policy, a number of sectoral policies are also related with coastal and marine environment of which Environment Policy and Implementation Plan (1992), National Forestry Policy (1994), National Tourism Policy (1992), National Water Policy (1999) and National Shipping Policy (2000) are interrelated and to be integrated to address the vulnerability of climate change. So formulation of integrated policy regarding coastal zone management is needed for reducing the coastal vulnerability of climate change. Moreover, other than some of sectoral policies, there is no comprehensive national policy in place to address the risks of climatic change. An inclusive legal and institutional framework is required since it is well recognized both in the scientific and negotiating community that Bangladesh would be one of the most adversely affected country to climate change. The Bangladesh perspective also requires regional policies with effective institutional mechanisms to address the trans-boundary dimension of climate change and adverse impacts. Concluding Remarks National Adaptation Program of Action [NAPA], 2005 and Bangladesh Climate Change Stretegy and Action Plan [BCCSAP] have provided a good ground work to adopt policy framework in Bangladesh. Therefore, it of course suggests that under present and potential impacts of climate change, the government of Bangladesh will adopt a comprehensive policy commitment for adaptation and mitigation measures relevant to climate change that would create further pathway for appropriate legal and institutional frameworks. In doing so, inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination is the primary obligation. However, Coordinated efforts between GO and NGOs of Bangladesh with the aid of international organizations is crucial to address the issues of climate change at the bilateral, regional and international level and to face the present and future challenges of climate change. However, taking into account the vulnerability and sectoral approach, it is strongly suggested to adopt an integrated and coordinated policy for coastal zone management in Bangladesh.

The author can be contacted at sharazaman@yahoo.com

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Step Towards Conservation By Dilip Swami

North East Center for Environmental Education & Research, Imphal organized a seminar: Step Towards Conservation in association with Ajit Foundation, Bikaner on 26th December, 2010 in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The seminar is part of the celebration of United Nations International Year of Biodiversity. The technical support of the seminar was given by Ajit Foundation. Dr. Chandan Singh Purohit from Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), Jodhpur was the main Speaker and Dr. Hanuman Prasad Vyas, Former Director, DRDO, New Delhi was Chief Guest in Seminar. Along with them Mr. Pankaj Joshi and Mr. Dilip Swami, Bikaner City Co-ordinator, NECEER also presented their views. Volunteers those working on environmental issues were honored. Approximately 60 people attended this seminar from various backgrounds. This seminar really makes a Practical Voice of Conservation because local youngsters whose have scientific and non scientific background from Bikaner and outsider were involved. The event started with Saraswati Vandana. Mr Shalander Saraswati, young Writer and the first member of Ajit Foundation Family welcomed the Chief Guest and main speaker. Mr. Pankaj Joshi of Department of Zoology, Govt. Dungar College, Bikaner gave an introduction to the history and sanctuary of Bikaner.

Mr. Dilip Swami, Fellow & Bikaner City Coordinator of NECEER throw light on Worldwide Save Loktak Campaign and other achievement of NECEER, Imphal. He talked on “Conservation: a need”. With his experiences of working in Bikaner, he stressed in his talk on the extinction of gugal plant from Bikaner.

Dr. Chandan Singh gave a marvelous talk on “Conservation of Plant”. He gave in-depth lecture on Species and geographical diversities in India. He also lined out genetic and species diversities. He expressed grief on continuous loss of Biodiversity and pleaded to local people and youth to spread awareness for conservation of biodiversity along with he say about biodiversity in an declined because of over exploitation, Biotic infection, Habitat distraction. He also discussed measure to conserves biodiversity. He explained different ecosystem and interconnections of different ecosystem and biodiversity in an easy way. After the lecture there was very interactive session with the speaker and the environmental curios youngsters.

Young Environmentalists of Bikaner were honored with a certificate of appreciation and a plant as a souvenir, which makes the first step towards conservational approach of biodiversity. These youngsters were Mr. Heman Nahata, Mr. Pawan Tiwari, Mr. Praveen Prajapat, Mr. Kamal Kant Sharma, Mr. Pankaj Joshi, Mr. Chitrsen Kachhawa, Mr. Swaroop Singh, Ms. Meena Kumawat, Ms. Jaya Acharya, Ms. Sunita, Ms. Resahma Nazz and Mr. Vikas Modasiya. They all promised to spread awareness for biodiversity conservation among local community. A motivational conservation video was screened during the event.

Dr. Hanuman Prasad Vyas, Chief Guest of the event expressed his taught on Value of Conservation. He discussed the behavior in our day to day life. He is working for spreading awareness regarding environmental issues for last few years, so he share his experiences with participants and make ease to

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how work on environment. Dr. Vays as a source of knowledge made glorious moments for the youth. Dr. Chandan and Dr. Vyas were honored with a souvenir, a plant and a memento. Mr. Dilip Swami addressed thanks to NECEER, Ajit Foundation, Chief Guest, Speakers and youths present in the seminar

for their cooperation and their interest. And the seminar closed with a light refreshment and Tea. The programme was anchored by Ms. Meena Kumawat.

The author can be contacted at dilipswami87@gmail.com

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PREDICTED EXTINCTIONS DUE TO

CLIMATE CHANGE By Biba Jasmine

Earth’s ecosystems face a scale of climate-related change that has not been seen for many thousands of years and that will continue for centuries. The best available climate models suggest that most of earth’s terrestrial zones and all of its aquatic systems will be altered as a result. The logical extrapolation from these observed impacts is that there will be large change in communities and increased numbers of species extinctions. Extinctions have been occurring at a higher rate in recent centuries for a variety of anthropogenic causes but climate change is likely to exacerbate population decline sufficiently for some species to completely disappear. According to the recent IUCN report, climate change is set to be one of the major drivers of species extinctions in the 21st century: approximately 20 to 30 per cent of plant and animal species are likely to be at increasingly high risk as global mean temperatures rise. IUCN reports identifies 10 species that are most vulnerable to climate change. Arctic Foxes The Arctic Fox is one of the top land-dwelling predation of the Arctic region. As the Arctic region warms, tundra habitat may slowly be replaced by boreal forest from the south. Forest habitat is unsuitable for Arctic Foxes. Arctic Foxes prey largely on lemmings and voles. Milder and shorter winters are predicted to cause declines in the regularity of these rodents population cycles, as well as decreases in their overall numbers. These factors are likely to cause declines in Arctic Fox numbers and range size. Arctic Foxes highlight the impacts of climate change on the ways that species interact with each other, both through competition and via changes in predator-prey relationships. Clownfish Clownfish lives in tropical and subtropical ocean waters and have a mutualistic relationship with sea anemones, on which they rely for protection. Coral reefs are seriously declining globally and time-lagged effects and increasing Co2 levels mean that rapid further declines are imminent. Clownfish and sea anemone depends on coral reefs for their habitat. There is some possibility that clownfish may adapt to these changes by changing their behavior or the places they inhabit. However, their inability to move long distances and the rate at which their habitat is being degraded makes such an occurrence unlikely. Koalas Koalas are iconic animals native to Australia. They are true habitat and food specialists, only ever inhabiting forests and woodlands where Eucalyptus trees are present. Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels

will reduce the nutritional quality of Eucalyptus leaves, causing nutrient shortages in the species that forage on them. As a result, Koalas may no longer be able to meet their nutritional demands, resulting in malnutrition and starvation. Increasing frequency and intensity of droughts can force Koalas to descend from trees in search of water or new habitats. This makes them particularly vulnerable to wild and domestic predators, as well as to road traffic. Koalas have very limited capability to adapt to rapid, human-induced climate change, making them very vulnerable to its negative impacts. Emperor Penguins For much of the year, Emperor Penguins live on thick sea ice in the Antarctic, which they use for mating, chick rearing and moulting. In some regions of the Antarctic, seasonal sea ice extent and thickness have reduced in recent decades following climate change. Continued warming will lead to further reductions in sea ice, impacting Emperor Penguins, with more northerly colonies being most at risk. Emperor Penguins highlight the possible impacts of rising sea temperatures and melting sea ice due to climate change. These changes directly or indirectly affect many other species in the Antarctic marine ecosystem. Leatherback Turtles The Leatherback Turtle is the largest of all the living turtles. Weighing in at over 500kg, it is often called the ‘gentle giant’ of the ocean. Higher sand temperatures during egg incubation lead to disproportionately higher numbers of female turtles. Increasing sand temperatures caused by climate change could threaten the stability of Leatherback populations in the future. Rising sea levels and increased storm activity may wash away turtle nests and decrease turtle nesting habitat. Leatherback Turtles highlight the impacts of increasing air and sea temperatures, rising sea levels and changing ocean currents. These changes are likely to affect all marine turtles and many other marine species. Staghorn Corals Coral reefs are the most bio diverse ecosystems in the marine realm. They also provide protein, livelihoods and services to tens of millions of people worldwide. Corals are extremely sensitive to high sea temperatures. They ‘bleach’ when warming forces them to expel the pigmented algae on which they rely for energy. Too much warming and they die, en masse. Ocean acidification is causing weakening of coral skeletons, slower growth rates and, if unchecked, will contribute to the erosion of coral reefs in general. Corals are already threatened by human activities and disease and climate change reduces their chance of recovery. Thirty

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three percent of coral species are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List. Ringed Seals Ringed Seals live primarily in the high Arctic and are heavily dependent on Arctic ice, almost never coming onto land. Warming spring temperatures and early ice breakup are causing nursing young to be prematurely separated from their mothers and to be exposed both to the elements and to predators. To

cope with global warming, Ringed Seals will need to shift their territories to track suitable ice conditions. Increases in disease and disturbance by humans are also likely challenges. Marked decreases in Ringed Seal abundance are likely to have cascading effects in Arctic food webs. They are the most important species in the diet of Polar Bears. Ringed Seals highlight the direct impacts of climate change on polar habitats, including the effects ice loss has on other ice-adapted species.

Quiver Trees The Quiver Tree, a long-lived giant tree Aloe, is iconic in the Namib Desert region of southern Africa. This region is projected to experience increasing droughts due to climate change. The Quiver Tree seems to be responding to this warming by shifting its distribution range towards higher latitudes (closer to the poles) and higher altitudes (tops of mountains), where conditions are typically cooler and moister. To keep up with a shifting climate, the Quiver Tree must, in time, colonise new pole-ward areas that are now becoming suitable. Sadly, no new populations have yet been found. The Quiver Tree highlights the problems that all plants and slow-moving species face in keeping up with rapidly accelerating changing climate. Salmon Salmon have a long historical association with human society and make a large contribution to economies. They also have important ecological roles. Some salmon populations have declined significantly in recent decades. While human

activities are largely responsible, climate change could now exacerbate or even supersede these threats, particularly in the southern part of their natural range. Physical changes to freshwater ecosystems resulting from climate change will degrade and diminish available habitat, reduce reproductive success and jeopardise migration. These species highlight the effects of rising temperatures on both freshwater and marine ecosystems, and illustrate how climate change impacts on wild species can have a direct effect on economies. Beluga Whales Beluga whales live in Arctic and sub-Arctic waters and is sociable and vocal animals. They are hunted by indigenous Arctic people for food and are captured alive on a relatively small scale in eastern Russia to supply the live animal display industry throughout the world. Climate change is likely to affect Belugas both directly through ecological interactions and indirectly through its effects on human activity. Among the ecological factors that may affect Belugas are changes in populations of

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their prey, changes in ice conditions, greater competition with co-predators, more frequent predation by killer whales and exposure to novel pathogens. As Arctic ice cover rapidly declines and the passages across northern landmasses become more navigable, humans will gain easier access to formerly pristine areas that have long served as refuges for Belugas and other marine mammals. Biodiversity and climate change are very closely related issues Biodiversity is strongly affected by climate change so we need to make additional efforts to minimize the negative influence of other factors, such as over-exploitation, habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, and the spread of invasive alien species. This way we can ensure that ecosystems are less vulnerable and more resilient to the increasing threat posed by climate change. But climate change can also largely benefit from conserved biodiversity and particularly healthy ecosystems when these are placed at the very centre of the efforts to tackle climate change. Through absorbing and storing carbon in a range of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, such as forests, peatlands and other wetlands, biodiversity contributes to climate change mitigation- by storing carbon dioxide. Biodiversity also helps people to adapt to climate change through providing the ecosystem services which reduce their vulnerability and enhance their adaptive capacity to change. This includes the

coastal protection provided by coastal mangrove forests from flooding and coastal erosion caused by sea-level rise and more powerful storms. From time immemorial, nature has fed us, cured us, and protected us. But today the roles have switched. We need to feed nature, we need to cure it and protect it if we want to secure a healthy and prosperous future for our children. The escalating extinction crisis shows that the diversity of nature cannot support the current pressure that humanity is placing on the planet. Climate change has wide-spread, profound, and complex effects. We know that the delicate web of ecological interactions as they exist now will be disrupted by rapid climate change, but predicting where strands will break and where new strands will be spun is extremely difficult. Each species will experience both direct effects of climate change (e.g., temperature or desiccation stress), and indirect effects that are mediated through some secondary physical or biological process (e.g., shift in ocean currents or a change in a predator-prey interaction). So, keeping climate change to a minimum is vital to allow both wild species and human managers to adapt to a dynamically changing environment.

The author can be contacted at jasmine_nannu@yahoo.com

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Explore North East India Series: Assam

Protected Area

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

http://www.kaziranga-national-park.com

Kaziranga National Park is the oldest park in Assam and covers an area of 430 Sq kms along the river Brahmaputra. Kaziranga National Park lies in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state. The park hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga National Park is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International. Compared to other protected areas in India.

Kaziranga National Park a world heritage site is famous for the Great Indian one horned rhinoceros. It has been declared as National Park in 1974. The park is a vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, crisscrossed by four major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, and the park includes numerous small bodies of water. History The history of Kaziranga as a protected area can be traced back to 1904, when Mary Victoria Leiter Curzon, the wife of the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, visited the area. After failing to see a single rhinoceros, for which the area was renowned, she persuaded her husband to take urgent measures to protect the dwindling species which he did by initiating planning for a their protection. On 1 June 1905, the Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest was created with an area of 232 km2 (90 sq mi). In 1908, Kaziranga was designated a Reserve Forest and in 1916, it was converted to a game sanctuary—The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary—and remained so till 1938, when hunting was prohibited and visitors were permitted to enter the park. The Kaziranga Game

Sanctuary was renamed the Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950 by P. D. Stracey, the forest conservationist, in order to rid the name of hunting connotations. In 1954, the Government of Assam passed the Assam (Rhinoceros) Bill, which imposed heavy penalties for rhinoceros poaching. In 1968, Kaziranga was designated as national park. In 1985, Kaziranga was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its unique natural environment. Success story Kaziranga is one of the world's biggest conservation success stories - from 12 rhinos in 1908 to 1,700 in 2005. This has put Kaziranga on the top of the world conservation map. What makes Kaziranga the conservation success is mainly due to the dedication of the staffs who have been entrusted with protecting it. Its staff lives in terrible conditions, face gunfire, floods and jungle-fire - yet when they are transferred from Kaziranga, they leave with tears in their eyes. The staff does not believe in using their guns on charging rhinos or elephant bulls - "Bullets are for poachers" is what they say. 12 foresters have sacrificed their lives protecting the wild animals of the Park. Biodiversity Kaziranga National Park is situated in the Indo-Myanmar Hotspot and is home to India's Big Four - the Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros, the Royal Bengal Tiger, the Asian Elephant, and the Asiatic Buffalo. It is also home to the largest number of Swamp Deer in eastern India. If Kaziranga National Park were not so closely identified with the rhino, it would probably have become famous as one of the finest birding destinations in the world. In addition to numerous species of resident birds, it serves as the winter visiting ground to many migratory birds. Kaziranga is located at the intersection of both the Australasian and the Indo-Asian flyways, with the result that its bird count hovers around the 500 species mark. Threats Kaziranga National Park has witnessed several natural and human-made calamities in recent decades. Floods caused by overflowing of river Brahmaputra have led to significant losses of animal life. Encroachment by humans along the periphery also has led to a diminished forest cover and a loss of habitat.

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Explore North East India Series: Assam

Endangered Species

Greater One-horned Rhinoceros

(Rhinoceros unicornis)

http://www.kaziranga-national-park.com

North-east India is referred to as the “biogeographic gateway” as it’s a transition between Indian, Indo-Malayan and Indo-Chinese biogeographic zones. One such example of this overlap is rhinoceros who is the most remarkable mammal endangered by the hazard of excessive poaching and habitat loss. Description Rhinoceros is derived from Greek where it can be split into rhino which means “nose” and “ceros” mean horn. Rhinoceros is a large mammal which bears horn that is made of keratin. Species Profile Local English Name: Greater One-horned Rhinoceros Scientific Name: Rhinoceros unicornis Conservation Status: Endangered Habit and Habitat The Indian rhinoceros prefer the marshy areas which are in close proximity to grasslands and woodlands. The animal has liking for the riverine areas which are usually the alluvial regions. Historically Rhinos were dispersed in floodplains of the Indus, the Ganges and Brahmaputra. The population densities of rhinos are always influenced by presence of water, grasslands/agricultural lands due to their diet which constitutes of tall grasses, sedges, creepers, floating and submerged aquatic vegetation, small grasses, twigs, fruits, saplings, maize, mustard, and wheat. Distribution The Asian Rhinoceros comprises of three species i.e. Greater one-horned Rhinoceros, Lesser one horned and Sumatran Rhinoceros which range from South to South-East Asia and is distributed across countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. The greater one horned Rhinoceros or India rhinoceros ranged from Pakistan to Indo-Burmese border including areas of Nepal and Bhutan, it was also suspected to be present in Myanmar, Southern China and Indo-china.

The Indian rhinoceros is the least threatened of all other species of Asian rhinoceros and is today distributed in north-eastern India and Nepal. The wild populations of Indian rhinoceros survive in Manas, Dudhwa, Karteniaghat, Kaziranga,

Laokhowa, Orang, Pabitora in north east India, Jaldapara and Gorumara in West Bengal, Chitwan in Nepal.

Picture courtesy: Asian Rhino Specialist Group

Figure: Past distribution of Asian Rhinoceros with the present

population status of the animal

Threats The major threats to the sustenance of Indian rhinoceros are poaching for its horn which is used for making medicines in china, habitat degeneration as they are denizens of riverine areas which are under the pressure of increased farming practices. Due to such pressures the Indian rhinoceros were brought to verge of extinction in 1908 when only handfuls of individuals were surviving in Kaziranga national park, Assam. Conservation Measures Immediately few measures must be taken to conserve rhinos which are as follows: � Halt of illegal trade and poaching of the species

� Extension of potential habitats along with

identification of potential habitats

� Spreading awareness among people regarding

the significance of species and to connect

people with animal

The effective conservation of remnant rhino population can be through in-situ conservation

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which can be achieved by identifying potential habitats of species and then preventing it from transformation. The ex-situ conservation can be

done via managed breeding programmes which had been successful for Indian rhino but needs to be tested for Sumatran and Javan rhinos.

EXPLORE NE India Series

NextNextNextNext IssueIssueIssueIssue

MEGHALAYA

www.indiamarks.com

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The first phase of “NECEER’s Enviro Lecture Series” was successfully conducted on 19th September (Sunday) at Faculty of Engineering Auditorium, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. The lecture was organized by the Northeast Centre for Environmental Education and Research (NECEER, Imphal in association with Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, World Institute for Nature, Pune and Delhi Greens, New Delhi. Many young enthusiastic students and research scholars attended the lecture series which highlighted various wildlife and environmental issues in the Northeast region of India. The event brought together prominent figures who are concerned and have worked in the region to share their experiences and thoughts with the young generation. The objective of the programme was to lay stress and disseminate information on biodiversity and environmental issues today in the age of climate change and other anthropogenic consequences in one of the most important hotspot region of the country i.e. Northeast. The programme started with keynote address by Mr. Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh, Managing Trustee, NECEER, Imphal. He talked on the need of setting a platform for creating awareness and engaging people who are into research and education to come together and work for the conservation of rich biodiversity and discuss environmental issues of Northeast India. He also elaborates the future plans of the lectures series which will play an important role in promoting the involvement of youth in environmental issues. Young Achiever Award which is initiated by NECEER, Imphal to address the extraordinary work of young Northeast Indian for their outstanding contribution towards conservation/promotion of biodiversity and environment of the country. Young Achiever Award for the year 2010 was presented to Ms. Girija Thingnam by Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tiwari, Head, Wildlands, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Ms. Girija Thingnam is a flower enthusiast from the state of Manipur and is a special educator and has a Masters degree in Psychology and a Diploma in Special Education (Autism). She got the award for her exemplary work on flowers of India in the form of a website (www.flowersofindia.net). The website is the brainchild of Dr. Tabish Qureshi, Associate Professor, Dept. of Physics, Jamia Millia Islamia and Ms. Girija. Speaking on the success of www.flowersofindia.net, Dr. Tabish Qureshi declared the website now have a collection of more than 3000 flowers.

Ms. Girija Thingnam receiving Young Achiever Award 2010 from Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tiwari, Head, Wildlands, Wildlife Trust of India The programme also witnessed the release of BioDiverse Magazine by Dr. Rita Singh, Associate Professor, G.G.S. Indraprastha University, Delhi. BioDiverse Magazine is the third publication of NECEER, Imphal.

Release of BioDiverse Magazine by Dr. Rita Singh

The objective of the magazine is to disseminate information on the various biodiversity and environmental issues of South and Southeast Asia. The magazine will provide a strong platform to undergraduate, postgraduate as well as research scholars to communicate by sharing their thoughts in the form of articles, news, poems, cartoons, and other graphic illustrations.

Dr. Tabish Qureshi, Jamia Millia Islamia

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The lecture programme started with a lecture on “Conserving issues of wildlife in Northeast India” by Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tiwari, WTI. He talked on the importance of the region in terms of its rich biodiversity and how the region supports numerous wildlife species. He opined that the greatest challenge faced by the region is lack of awareness and lack of people’s participation. Many interesting facts about the kinds and numbers of wildlife species found throughout the region were highlighted.

Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tiwari, Wildlife Trust of India

Present the other side of the diversity, Dr. Rita Singh, Associate Professor at GGS Indraprastha University, shared with the delegates through many exciting facts and figures of the plant species found across the region. Dr. Singh encouraged young students and research scholars to be passionate enough and take up the challenge to go out in the region and experience the richness. She also talked about how many have failed to comprehend the region’s rich diversity and neglected the real importance in pursuit of personal gains.

Dr. Rita Singh, GGS Indraprastha University

Illustrating the relation of biotechnological applications in biodiversity conservation, Dr. Mohd Irfan Qureshi, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia shared his knowledge and views with the audience. After the lunch break, another known figure Dr. Kiranmay Sarma of GGS Indraprastha University enlightened the audience with his expertise in the field of remote sensing and the relevance of GIS in conservation and protection of environment. Taking the audience through various methodical process and facts, Mr. Sarma challenged the delegates to identify pressing issues and come up with relevant solutions towards saving the environment.

Dr. Kiranmay Sarma, GGS Indraprastha University

The next hot topic of the lecture series was addressed by Govind Singh of Delhi Greens. Climate change and its impact on the Northeast region, a highly interesting topic for many participating delegates highlighted issues that the world as a whole is facing and how it is ‘our common environment’ which needs to be protected. Giving a brief introduction to what climate change is all about, Mr. Singh spoke on the importance of the Northeast region as the ‘Green Lungs’ of the country. The challenges faced by the region and how its preservation can impact and bring tremendous change in saving the environment of the country as well as the world as a whole was emphasised.

Govind Singh, Delhi Greens

Mr. M. Ojit Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, Ramjas College, University of Delhi talked on the impact of climate change on the biodiversity of Northeast India. He gave a detailed list of endangered species of Northeast India which are affected by change in the climate and environment of the region. A documentary titled “Loktak Lake – the lake in peril” by R.K. Robindro, a renowned filmmaker was screened during the event. The film displayed issues faced by the Lake and how human activities are affecting the natural heritage of Manipur state often referred to as the “Lifeline of Manipur”. The Lake’s importance doesn’t only limit there, it supports one of the largest vegetation called Phumdi which provides natural habitat to the endangered brown antler deer ‘Sangai’, found only in this region. Mr. Khuraijam Jibankumar, Managing Trustee of NECEER, Imphal talked on a very sensitive topic - Hindrances of biodiversity conservation due to political instability in Northeast India. With his vast experiences of working in militancy affected areas

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of the region, he expressed the violations of wildlife laws are the highest in this region. Hundreds of endangered species are killed silently inside the militant affected areas without the notice of the policy makers and forest departments. He said that biodiversity exploration studies in the region and creating awareness to well armed militants are one of the riskiest thing a conservationist or researcher faced in the region. Inspite of all the hindrances, he said biodiversity of the region should be conserved and protected.

Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh, NECEER, Imphal

The lecture series conclude with a vote of thanks by Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh who was the main person behind the lecture series. He announced that lecture series next year will be of two days: “Enviro Lecture Series” and one day “National Seminar on Biodiversity and Environment of India” where

students and researchers can participate and present their works. He also seeks support from youth of the country to join the ongoing Worldwide Save Loktak Lake Campaign and help in conserving Loktak Lake, the natural heritage of the Manipur. With the participation of maximum number of youth and of course the environment lovers, the lecture series proved to be a great success.

Participants with speakers

1st Row (from Left: M. Ojit Singh, Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh, Dr. Irfan Qureshi, Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tiwari, Rajkumar Robindro and Chitra Pandita).

Loktak Lake Kiranjit

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No material from the magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of NECEER, Imphal Published, owned, edited and printed by Khuraijam Jibankumar Singh

info.neceer@gmail.com www.neceer.org.in