New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told the United Nations that in the last 10 years, around 3 million hectares of forest cover has been added in India.
In his keynote virtual address on 'High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought' at the UN, the Prime Minister said the total combined forest cover of India has been raised to almost one-fourth of the country's total area.
Modi spoke at the opening segment in his capacity as the President of the 14th Session of the Conference of Parties of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Terming land as the fundamental building block for supporting all lives and livelihoods, Modi called for reduction of the tremendous pressure on land and its resources.
"Clearly, a lot of work lies ahead of us. But we can do it. We can do it together," he said.
The Prime Minister also listed the steps taken by India to deal with the land degradation issue. He said that India has taken the lead to highlight land degradation issues at international fora.
The Delhi Declaration of 2019 called for better access and stewardship over land, and emphasised gender-sensitive transformative projects.
In India, over the last 10 years, around 3 million hectares of forest cover has been added. This has enhanced the combined forest cover to almost one-fourth of the country's total area, the Prime Minister informed.
Modi conveyed to the UN that India is on track to achieve its national commitment of land degradation neutrality.
"We are also working towards restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. This would contribute to India's commitment to achieve an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent," he said.
The Prime Minister gave the example of the Banni region in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat to illustrate how restoration of land can start a virtuous cycle of good soil health, increased land productivity, food security and improved livelihoods.
In the Banni region, land restoration was done by developing grasslands, which helped in achieving land degradation neutrality. It also supports pastoral activities and livelihood by promoting animal husbandry.
"In the same spirit, we need to devise effective strategies for land restoration while promoting indigenous techniques," the Prime Minister stressed.
In the spirit of South-South cooperation, India is assisting fellow developing countries to develop land restoration strategies.
A Centre of Excellence is being set up in India to promote a scientific approach towards land degradation issues, informed the Prime Minister.
"It is mankind's collective responsibility to reverse the damage to land caused by human activities. It is our sacred duty to leave a healthy planet for our future generations," the Prime Minister concluded.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) will soon release the application form for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021. The official website, neet.nta.nic.in and ntaneet.nic.in have the link activated. The official website displays that the application form will be available soon.
The medical entrance exam for admission to undergraduate courses is scheduled to be held on August 1. However, amid the Covid concerns, the Education Ministry will decide soon on conducting the medical entrance exam NEET in August, as per news agency PTI.
(Sources)
Introduction
Nature provides the foundation for human existence and prosperity, but humanity is waging war on it resulting in planetary crises, among others, (a.o), the climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and COVID-19. The Nature, Natural systems and the Natural resources are interlinked, interdependent, and are nested, occupying the biggest space by nature, medium level space by natural systems and small space by natural resources. They are also interchangeably referred to in this paper.
Several reports provide unequivocal and alarming evidence that the planet is flashing red warning signs of natural systems failure. The way we produce and consume food and energy, along with the blatant disregard for the environment entrenched in our current economic model, has pushed nature to its limits. The consequences of our recklessness are apparent in human suffering together with towering economic losses.
Making peace with nature is the defining task of the coming decades. We still have a chance to put things in the right perspective. It’s time for the world to agree on a “New Deal for Nature and People”, committing to stop and reverse the degeneration of natural systems and build a nature – positive economy and society with peace and justice.
By recognising its true value of nature in policies, plans and economic systems, we can channel investments in activities that restore nature and enhance resilience and long term sustainability. Urgency and ambition are needed to transform various systems, including how we produce and consume food, sustainably manage water, provide sanitation, and manage forests, biodiversity, land and oceans. A sustainable economy driven by renewable energy and nature-based solutions will create new jobs, cleaner infrastructure and a resilient future. An inclusive world at peace with nature can ensure that people enjoy better health, the full respect of their human rights, and to live with dignity on a healthy planet.
A surge in fragility, conflict and violence (FCV) in recent years has left a trail of human suffering, displacement and protracted humanitarian needs. By 2030, up to two-thirds of the world’s extreme poor will live in situations affected by FCV. Violent conflicts have increased to the highest levels, observed over the past 30 years. The world also faces the largest displacement crisis ever, with more than 79 million people fleeing conflict and violence. These challenges are exacerbated by risks, such as nature destruction, violent extremism, and pandemics like COVID-19.
Human choices shaped by values and institutions, have given rise to the interconnected planetary and social imbalances, we face. If equity innovation and stewardship become central to what it means to live a good life, human flourishing can happen alongside easing planetary pressures as under:-
Addressing fragility, conflict, and violence; tackling climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies; protecting and enhancing natural capital and ecosystem integrity; building resilience to natural hazards and extreme climate events; responding to environmental health risks; transforming food, water and energy systems to meet growing human needs in an equitable, resilient and environmentally friendly manner; transforming economic and financial systems so they lead and power the shift toward sustainability; supporting environmental justice movement to enhance the power of unseen, unheard and undervalued groups, and recovering from COVID-19 pandemics.
All the above issues have found solid footing on the ground, including human rights, nature protection, human health and livelihoods with peace and prosperity and thereby setting a determined new path towards sustainable development.
Addressing Planetary crises
Climate change.
Climate change poses serious challenges to environmental sustainability through natural hazards, extreme weather events, species loss, water scarcity, food and nutritional insecurity, cost of public health and many other impacts. A 2018 study on, “Climate change and violent conflict” by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said, “as the effects of climate crisis on livelihoods become more pronounced, support for rebel groups is likely to shoot”.
The Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) concludes that evidence of changes in the climate system is unequivocal, with the atmosphere and oceans warming, glaciers and polar ice melting, sea level rising, and greenhouse gas (GHG) concentration increasing. This scenario is of particular significance for South Asia as this region is highly vulnerable to climate – induced natural disasters and rising sea levels. Climate change could cause over 62 million people to be displaced in South Asia by 2050. “The South Asia’s Hotspots: Impacts of Temperature and Precipitation Change on Living Standard Report” says that 800 million people in the region live in FCV areas, where livelihoods are vulnerable to climate impacts and for potential displacement. For reducing the impact of climate change and promoting peaceful societies, the initiated programmes include: reducing carbon emissions, changing the energy mix, and mitigating the effects of climate change; help countries in formulation of “National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)” to strengthen resilience and adapt to climate change; build resilience to natural hazards and extreme climate events, and adoption of climate – smart practices and better water management.
India is highly vulnerable to climate change as under:-
Extreme weather events can impact 75% of India’s districts – with a spike in such events since 2005;
There is a shift occurring in the pattern of extreme climate events, flood-prone areas are becoming drought-prone and vice-versa in over 40% districts; in 2020, floods in Assam affected more than 60,000 people while Hyderabad recorded rainfall of 29.8 cms in 24 hours – Cyclone Amphan, which impacted the coastal districts of West Bengal, displaced over 4.9 million people; between 1970 and 2004, three extreme flood events occurred annually on average. After 2005, the yearly average rose to 11. Similarly, the annual average for districts affected by floods rose to 55 from 19. The yearly average number of districts affected by cyclones has tripled since 2005 and the cyclone frequency has doubled, and six of the ten extreme weather events globally in 2020 took place in Asia, with floods in India and China causing damages of over $40 billion.
Climate change resilience actions included:-
Bold steps on clean energy and energy efficiency, developing disaster risk reduction strategies in the face of growing climate threats; afforestation and biodiversity conservation; sustainable life-styles and guiding philosophy of “back to basics”; mobilising green finance, clean technology and green collaboration; strengthening resilience to climate change and natural disasters; making natural resources, environment and water infrastructure resilient to drought, and accelerating technologies, like hydrogen, carbon capture, use and storage, soil and forest carbon, and energy storage to backup renewable sources and decarbonise transport, and low or zero emissions in steel and aluminum production.
Biodiversity.
Biodiversity is fundamental to human life on Earth. But it is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate. Since the industrial revolution, human activities have increasingly destroyed and degraded forests, grasslands, wetlands and other important ecosystems, threatening human well-being. Seventy-five per cent of the Earth’s ice-free land surface has already been significantly altered, most of the oceans are polluted, and more than 85% of the area of wetlands has been lost.
Biodiversity loss threatens food and nutritional security and urgent action is needed to address this issue. Where and how we produce food is one of the biggest human-activity related threats to nature and our ecosystems, making the transformation of our global food system more important.
Data from the United Nations Environment Programme shows that, per person, our global stock of natural capital has declined by nearly 40 % since the early 1990s, while the produced capital has doubled and human capital has increased by only 13%. For scaling up and accelerating the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of biodiversity started following activities:-
Sustainable management and restoration of landscape and seascape that are productive and often inhabited; new land – and resource-use rules and objectives that are beneficial neutral or at least much less harmful to biodiversity; recognition of the custodial traditions and knowledge of indigenous peoples and tribals and local communities, and the use of participatory approaches to resource management; fisheries reform, integrated spatial planning, conservation, climate mitigation and reducing pollution are all key to storing marine life; key actions to conserve biodiversity such as reversing the net loss of habitat, battling over-fishing, reducing pollution and slowing the spread of invasive alien species, and protected area network need to be expanded, interconnected and better managed.
Pollution
Widespread pollution is one of the root causes of disease burden, especially among lower economic strata and women. There is widespread risk of environmentally induced mortality and morbidity from indoor and urban air pollution, drinking water contamination, poor sanitation, and vector-borne diseases. Establishment and enforcement of air and water quality standards, Cartagena bio-safety protocol and integrated vector management are critical policy responses. Reducing pollution requires both regulatory and economic approaches to accelerate needed energy and resource use efficiencies, which may include promoting renewable energy and developing sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Air and water pollution, land degradation and climate changes act synergistically to cause pervasive, extensive and systematic damage to biodiversity and ecosystem services on land and in the ocean. Water pollution and air pollution are often linked, since diversion of waste from one pathway can simply displace into another pathway. Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases typically also reduce air pollution. Plastic and chemical waste entering the biosphere contribute to both biodiversity loss and to land degradation. The multiple interactions between environmental problems mean that uncoordinated single use solutions are inefficient and likely to fail. Integrated land-water-waste management including agroforestry reduced land, water and air pollution. Technology has optimised the use of resources and products are now circular by design, ending flow of waste and restoration of nature.
Poor air quality is dangerous to public health. Long-term exposure to outdoor and household pollution contributed to over 1.67 million deaths in India in 2019. It also contributed to the deaths of more than 1, 16,000 Indian infants in their first month of life in 2019. As per the U.S. based Health Effects Institute, more than half of these deaths were associated with outdoor PM 2.5 and others were linked to use of solid fuels such as charcoal, wood and animal dung for cooking.
By adopting a holistic approach to tackle the crisis, carried out and monitored on a real time basis with a strong push towards the behavioral change of citizens. Helped in air pollution reduction through: proactive efforts of National Clean Air Plan (NCAP); stepped-up efforts in consumption of renewable energy and phasing out of fossil fuels; universalised access to clean cooking fuel; reducing the pollution at source, such as improved public transport; better planning of green cover to reduce dust; avoiding forest fires, burning of agricultural residues and wastes, and better regulation of construction works.
Increasing support to fragile conflict & violence (FCV) affected places.
There are more than 1.5 billion people living in countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence. In 2019, the number of people forced out of their home exceeded 79.5 million who have largely migrated from FCV affected countries. Such areas are invariably marked by abundance of arms, rampant gender and sexually based violence, the exploitation of children, the persecution of minorities and vulnerable groups (such as Indigenous People), organised crime, smuggling, trafficking in human beings and other criminal activities. In such situations organised criminal groups are often better resourced than local government and better armed than local law enforcement agencies.
Initiated actions to restore human security, human rights and the rule of law: (i) Persuaded governments to strengthen judicial, police and corrections systems by providing human, financial and material resources; (ii) improved protection of civilians and access to justice and rule of law; (iii) addressed some of the worst consequences of conflict such as forced displacement; (iv) built resilient societies through investment in inclusive and sustainable development; (v) addressed grievances related to exclusion – from access to power, natural resources, security and justice; (vi) empowerment of communities and inclusive decision making for sustained peace; (vii) supported sustainable growth, created jobs, alleviated poverty in indigenous areas; (viii) promoted people – centered approach for managing natural resources and sharing of benefits derived from them, and (ix) strengthened local conflict resolution mechanisms, while promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies.
Avoiding Pandemics and the transition to a sustainable world.
We have had three pandemics since 2000 – severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, H1N1 (swine flu) in 2009 and now Covid-19. Covid-19 and SARS spread from China and swine flu from an intensive pig farm in Mexico. In between, we have had regional outbreaks of bird flu from poultry, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) from camels, Ebola from monkeys and pigs, Rift Valley Fever from livestock, West Nile Fever from birds. Zika from monkeys and Nipah from bats. The root cause of all the above diseases can be broadly put under three baskets:-
First, nature destruction. Due to deforestation and habitat loss, wild animals and humans are now nearby, leading to the spillover of animal diseases into humans. Ebola, West Nile virus, Nipah and Zika come under this category. Similarly, livestock is also coming in contact with wildlife and transmitting pathogens to people, like the Rift Valley virus.
Second, traditional culture. The practice of eating exotic wildlife, sometimes raw, is spreading novel pathogens to human beings. Both SARS and Covid-19 have their origins in the pig farm of Mexico and wildlife markets in China.
Third, intensive animal farms. The industrial farming of animals, by keeping animals very close to each other and pumping them with growth promoters like antibiotics and steroids, is another cause. Bird flu and swine flu both have their origin in intensive animal farms.
The COVID-19 pandemic is unleashing a human development crisis. It is affecting health, economy and broad social dimensions of development and eroding gains that accumulated over decades. Building back a better future after the pandemic is not a zero-sum game of environment versus economy. Rather it’s once – in – a generation chance to set things right for health, economy, peace, and security.
To combat the pandemic, our efforts included the following:-
“Distancing” from wildlife and reducing deforestation; strong social protection for the poor and vulnerable to ensure that they have enough to eat, access clean drinking water and sanitation, and strengthening health systems, disease surveillance and public health interventions with vaccine;
For mitigating COVID-19 impacts and boosting long-term growth will include:-
Science-based decision making, sound governance and a sense of responsibility of individuals; promoting and operationalizing the One Health Approach; preparedness, including via policies for reducing risks of disease emergence such as from land use and wildlife trade; closing of critical knowledge gaps, and engaging all sectors of society, and everything we do during and after this crisis (COVID-19) must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution crisis, and the many global challenges we face.
Avoiding single use of plastic.
Global production of plastic (an extremely lightweight material) was 359 million tonnes in 2018, up from 1.5 million tonnes in 1950, even though it is widely known that plastic seriously harms ecosystems, especially oceans, marine life and even drinking water. More than 8 million tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean each year equals to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute, and recent estimates show that 14 million tonnes of micro-plastic already resides on the ocean floor. Fish and other species ingest and get entangled in plastic, and the micro-particles can be ingested by humans who consume fish or seafood. Plastic particles also reach tap water in many areas, more than 80 percent of samples from five continents are found to be contaminated with plastic particles. Ingesting plastic particles can have direct consequences on human health, as it may cause cancer, reproductive problems, asthma, obesity and other health problems. Though a few countries have already witnessed a change in some social norms, plastic bags are seen as offensive, are charged for using them, or are prohibited altogether.
Building sustainable and inclusive cities and communities.
Cities and communities are negatively affected by climate change, loss of nature and pollution, hindering them in becoming inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable We have to make cities livable, climate smart and resilient, inclusive, and competitive, so they can contribute to growth and poverty alleviation. Urban development plans designing, and implementation should improve:-
Reducing air pollution; safe drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene; goals of reduced waste, solid waste management, a circular economy and greater resource efficiency; upgrading the code and housing rental laws; improving public transport, other infrastructure and service delivery; strengthening institutions, municipal infrastructure, and local economic development; strengthening financial sustainability, expanding access to finance from multiple sources; open public spaces and greening promote health and productivity; development of MSMEs transforming economic and financial system; ensuring accessible and quality health care; protecting the poor and vulnerable through social protection; building human capital and promoting economic inclusion; promoting private sector-led growth; bridging the digital divide, and unleashing the economic power of women.
Sustainable management of natural resources.
It is rare to visualise that equitable access to natural resources lies at the foundation of conflicts and violence, whether among the societal groups or between the communities and nations. Disparities in the access to natural resources arise for several reasons including the spatial variability in their distribution and simply the scarcity of a resource in the wake of increasing demand. In this context, managing following natural resources is urgently required:-
1) Land degradation affects billions of people, drive species to extinction and intensify climate change. To achieve ‘land degradation neutrality’, promote sustainable land management, strengthen productivity to ensure food and nutritional security. Help the poorest, hungriest and most marginalized people, build the capacity of communities and prevent violence due to poverty, hunger and inequality, and promote regenerative agriculture, agroforestry and silvopasture to yield many of the same benefits, including increased diversity of farmer income, improved nutrition, enhanced resilience to climate change, more carbon sequestration and greater biodiversity.
South Asia is particularly vulnerable with the number of chronically – underfed people, which is projected to rise by almost a third to 330 million by 2030. Here more than half the children from the poorest of the society are stunted, a condition that prejudices their future.
Challenges in farming in developing countries include: lower yields; depleting water resources; high cost of production; excessive use of chemicals and pesticides; poor market access; high post-harvest loss; poor application of technology and innovations; Inadequate food processing, and agricultural reforms yet to be implemented.
For achieving the target of zero hunger made following efforts:- promoting diversified agro-ecological systems; application of technologies and innovations to raise production while reducing cost; making farming predictable, showing better quality and yields because of satellite images, 107 sensors, data analysis (including AI, ML), cloud computing & precision farming; developing market for premium products; air-conditioned farmer’s trains for transporting organic, natural and fresh products to the consumers; cold storage chains reduced loss and waste; value addition, processing and fortification improved nutrition; policy and institutional innovations expanded market access and export; climate-smart agriculture avoided crop loss; water stewardship enabled “more crop per drop”; creation of agroforestry increased resilience and profitability of farmers; production of biofuels reduced air pollution and improved the rural economy, and agribusinesses promoted sustainable economy, created jobs with peace and prosperity.
2) Water is a precious resource that is essential to human health, sanitation and hygiene, food and energy security, poverty eradication and many other aspects of Sustainable Development. Alarming levels of water stress in many regions, threaten progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Lack of fresh water in the poorest countries is increasing their vulnerability. Ensured public participation in sustainable water resources management, water governance, and women’s roles in local peace-building processes.
Global water use has risen six fold over the past 100 years, and 80 percent of wastewater is released back without treatment, while about half of accessible freshwater is appropriated for human use each year. Since 1900, 64-71 percent of natural wetland area worldwide has been lost due to human activity. As a result, about 4 billion people – 60 percent of the world population – live in regions with nearly permanent water stress, and 3 billion people lack basic hand washing facilities at home. By 2030 global demand for water is expected to exceed supply by 40 percent, and about 6 million people might face clean water scarcity and violent conflicts by 2050. Enhancing water availability and quality is thus a major challenge.
Nature – based solutions focused on water availability to address water supply by managing water storage, infiltration and transmission are essential. For instance, natural wetlands, improvements in soil moisture and groundwater recharge are ecosystem friendly methods of storing water and are cheaper and more sustainable than building and maintaining big dams.
Nature – based solutions for cities include catchment management, water recycling and green infrastructure. Catchment measures are traditionally used to improve water supply, but they can also store water and control regular water flows to a city. Urban green infrastructure is incorporated in infiltration, bio-retention, permeable pavements, designing new areas, conserving wetlands and connecting rivers and floodplains.
India has more than 17 percent of the world’s population but has only 4% of the world's fresh water. With the rising population, urbanisation, industrialisation and expanding agricultural activities, the water demand will continue to increase.
Created mass awakening for making world “water positive” with reflections as under:-
Making water conservation a way of life; multi–level Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) implementation from the community level, leading to integrated river basin management; rainwater harvesting, surface water storage and groundwater recharge; work on waste water treatment, adopt “reduce, reuse and recycle” approach for sustainable water management; follow practices like micro – irrigation, drip and sprinkler systems to promote efficient use of water for agriculture; deployment of piezometer to estimate groundwater situation and regulate over exploitation; incentivizing water conservation efforts undertaken by the communities, such as “Repair, renovation and restoration (RRR)” of water bodies for storage and efficient use; raising green cover can turn off red alarm on water shortage; “Namami Gange” project to save the river Ganga from pollution and to rejuvenate it; under “Jal Jeevan Mission” providing 55 litres piped drinking water per capita per day to 190 million rural households; India’s current water requirement is estimated to be around 1100 billion cubic meters (BCM) per year and it is projected to touch 1,447 BCM by 2050. Hence it is imperative to increase water use efficiency across all sectors to address water scarcity problem, and capacity building of people in water and sanitation related activities.
3) Forests are the most biologically-diverse ecosystem on land, home of 80% of terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. They store about 296 Gigaton of carbon and counter climate change. They conserve soil, fix nitrogen and add organic matter to improve soil fertility. Forested watersheds and wetlands supply 75% of fresh water. They clean air and water, provide critical wildlife habitat, and make the planet a healthier place to live.
Biologically rich forest ecosystems provide shelter, food, fodder, fibre, energy, water, herbal medicine, jobs and environmental security to the people. Forests are an important source of income for more than 1.6 billion poor people, of whom at least 370 million Indigenous Peoples depend almost entirely on forests for subsistence and survival. Forests and agro-forests offer a highly diverse array of products and income earning opportunities for gatherers, hunters, traders, producers and processors.
Forests are increasingly being recognized as a vital green infrastructure for storing carbon, protecting watersheds, biodiversity and providing livelihoods to billions of people. Deforestation, forest degradation, forest fires, and non-recognition of forest rights of forest-dwellers, increased poverty, hunger and inequality and risks causing fragility conflict and violence.
The degradation and loss of forests are disrupting nature’s balance and increasing the risk and exposure of people to zoonotic diseases. For landscape restoration and human well-being promoted conservation, preservation and sustainable management of forests. BY increasing productivity, growth and jobs enhanced sustainability and resilience with peace and security in most disturbed areas dominated by Mao-naxalites.
Forest restoration is a path to recovery and well-being of people and the planet. People – centered forest management makes a sustainable world where people can live productive, vibrant and peaceful lives on a healthy planet.
4) Aquatic Resources: More than 90 percent of the world’s fisheries have been fully exploited or over-exploited or have collapsed altogether. Over-fishing has profound impacts on the world’s food systems. About 3.1 billion people rely on fish for 20 percent of their daily protein intake. Globally, the consumption of seafood per capita is over 15 times higher in indigenous coastal communities than in non-indigenous communities.
Sustainable fisheries and protected marine areas ensure that fish populations can regenerate and provide sustainable yields. Protecting coastal and marine areas, such as the mangroves, coral reefs, sea-grass beds and seamounts, particularly the sites of fish spawning, nursery and aggregation, is crucial to various parts of the fish life cycle. Fish biomass can be as much as 670 percent higher in effectively managed marine protected areas than in unprotected areas. Expanding marine protected areas by 5 percent could yield at least a 20 percent increase in future catch, reducing violent conflicts.
5) Embedding ecosystem integrity into sustainable development policy-making.
Rather than being treated as an isolated sector in national development priorities, nature-based solutions can be integrated into prioritisation efforts, such as those related to water security, food security, disaster risk reduction, economic growth and jobs. Investing in nature and climate-aligned stimulus packages can yield returns of $ 2-10 per $ 1 invested. To achieve this, multiple government sectors can align their policies and priorities around a coherent framework, as Costa Rica and Uganda have done. For instance, Costa Rica recently undertook an extensive mapping of essential life support areas, identifying opportunities for protecting, restoring and managing nature through nature-based solutions in both rural and urban areas.
There is no blueprint for nature-based solutions for governance, and each country’s economic, institutional, social and political context will present different opportunities and barriers. However, high multi-sector participation and incentives for nature-based solutions implementation could be important everywhere. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis has identified three governance structures, which enable the implementation of nature-based solutions. These include: polycentric governance, participatory co-design (for example, at the municipal level in Costa Rica constant stakeholder involvement and technical knowledge transfer) and financial incentives.
OTHERS
Protection of women’s rights and gender equality.
Gender disparities remain among the most persistent forms of inequality across all countries. Women and girls are discriminated in health, in education, at home and in the labour market with negative repercussions for their freedoms. Globally, countries are losing US$ 160 trillion in wealth due to differences in lifetime earning between men and women.
The women and girls also face the problems of: trafficking for sexual exploitation and labour force; often denied to decision making at home, at work and in political life; disproportionate share of unpaid jobs and domestic work, and gaps in legal frameworks to protect women’s rights and gender equality
Contributed to gender equality by: removing barriers to women’s ownership and control of assets; removing constraints for more and better jobs, and enhancing women’s voice and agency.
Women tend to be responsible for procuring and providing food in households and are the primary work force engaged in subsistence agriculture. They make up an average of 43 percent of the agricultural workforce in developing countries. Even so, the women experience barriers in access to land and agricultural inputs which affect the productivity in these sectors. Ensured greater female participation in natural resource management, productive agricultural activities, and natural disaster responses. This enhanced the effectiveness and sustainability in reducing poverty, hunger, inequality and the mitigation of climate change effects and nature disruption.
Energy and materials.
The emphasis of industrial and agricultural activity needs to shift from increasing the inputs of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements into the Earth system to increasing the recycling of these elements within the Earth system. The input of solar energy can far outstrip the current fossil fuel based energy consumption. In addition, renewables are already cost competitive with fossil fuel based electricity generation in much of the world. As a result, there should be no long-term shortage of energy. The challenge is to design and incentivize a waste products based system for energy generation and include it in a circular economy. Domestic waste material can also become useful in making new products, and this way there is a huge potential to increase material recycling. Innovation and engineering need to shift attention to achieve material cycling and reuse.
Conclusion
We are at an unprecedented moment in the history of humankind and our planet. Warning lights-for our societies and the planet – are flashing red. We are destabilising the planetary system as we rely on only for survival. In little more than a decade, there have been global financial crisis, the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, the pollution crisis, and the COVID-19 crisis. All have shown that the resilience of the system itself is breaking down. Buffering systems are running over their capacity. The result is that perturbations have become contagion- whether economic, social, environmental or viral.
The 2019 was a year when our past finally caught up with us and science provided an unambiguous call for urgent action. A year when the world witnessed devastating storms, ice sheets melting in the Arctic, giant wildfires and deadly floods. A year when we were warned that one million plant and animal species face extinction. A year when we were reminded that unless we act immediately to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, we will alter life on Earth forever.
In 2020, the World faced it’s biggest COVID-19 crisis since World War II. We stand in solidarity with the billions of people around the world that are suffering the impact of the global pandemic of COVID-19 and extend our heartfelt gratitude to the millions of healthcare professionals, scientists, vaccine makers etc. including the World Health Organization (WHO), who are working around the clock to protect us. In due course, this crisis will call for a stronger line of enquiry into nature and health, as the connection between the health of people and the health of our planet is so fundamental, yet so often ignored.
While the response to the medical emergency of COVID-19 rightly preoccupies government budgets and political action, the response to this pandemic must ultimately accelerate the economic and social transformations needed to address the planetary emergency. As the UN Secretary-General noted in his State of Planet speech, “COVID recovery and our planet’s repair must be two sides of the same coin”.
The “repair” of our planet entails, the transformative actions that can unleash human ingenuity and cooperation to secure livelihoods and well-being for all. It means solutions that recognise how our environmental, social and development challenges are interconnected. It means shifting our values and worldviews as well as our financial and economic systems. It also means taking a whole-of-society approach. And it means being fair and just to enhance sustainability and resilience and set the world on a path of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet.
With science as guiding light, United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s ) Medium-Term Strategy (2022-2025) seeks to ensure the link between science, policy and decision-making remains stronger than ever. Sustained by strong environmental governance and supported by economic policies that can be the foundation of a catalytic response to the challenges of COVID-19, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. In doing so, we support governments, working with partners, scientists, civil society and business to tackle the interconnected environmental crises so that we stabilize climate; live in harmony with nature and secure a pollution free planet; with peace and security.
By the end of the decade we will be on one of two paths. One is the path of surrender, where we have sleepwalked past the point of no return, jeopardizing the health and safety of everyone on this planet. The other option is the path of hope. A path of resolve, of sustainable solutions. A path where more fossil fuels remain where they should be – in the ground.
In the technologically advanced World, harnessing renewable sources of energy has become inevitable. There is a need to produce energy with fewer environmental impacts. In the modern World, the renewable energy has become the foundation of future progress from reversing the increasingly devastating effects of climate change and making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
If humanity is to continue to thrive on this planet, it has to fundamentally change its relationship with the natural world. While the downsides of inaction could be catastrophic, the upsides of taking decisive action would result in a more secure World at peace with nature, facilitating living of people with dignity on a healthy planet.
The 2021 must be remembered as the year we took it upon ourselves to ensure that the pandemic is remembered not only as a human tragedy, but as the moment when people reconsidered their priorities as individuals and societies and took to heart that safeguarding the health and well-being of current and future generations means safeguarding the health of our planet. We still have a chance to put things right. We have to stop and reverse the loss of nature and build a carbon-neutral and nature positive society. Let us implement the movement “Making Peace with Nature” to protect and restore nature as the foundation for a healthy society and thriving economy.
(The writer is the Ex-member, Planning Commission, GOI and President, Utthan: Centre for Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation, India.)
The Tamil Nadu government has said that it has not taken any decision yet on Class 12 board examinations, as some teachers and parents in the state have been pulling in different directions on the conduct of the exams.
While a majority of the teachers want the exams to be conducted, a section of parents have opposed to such school of thought.
At least 7,000 Higher Secondary schools in the state have already compiled a detailed report based on the viewpoint of parents and teachers as directed by the Education department.
The report has already been submitted to the state government on Thursday.
The state government will conduct an online meeting of health experts, educationists, academicians and other concerned people along with the education department officials on Friday.
Sources in the Education department said that based on this online meeting a detailed report will be presented to Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday.
Vijayababu, Principal of a government-aided Higher Secondary told IANS, "When I personally contacted parents and teachers to compile the report for the state government, I could find that the opinion was divided totally.
While 100 per cent of the examination to be conducted, only around 20 per cent of the parents have agreed to the proposal.
Parents say that it is better to cancel the exams as they are more concerned about the health of their child rather than writing an examination."
The delay is creating a lot of anxiety among the students and parents alike.
Aabha Rajkumar, a Class 12 student in a government Higher Secondary school said, "I don't know what is in store for me in future. I had prepared well and is ready to take on the examinations but the uncertainty is killing me. If they are cancelling let them do so otherwise let them do it in a format that is comfortable to students, parents and teachers. If CBSE and ICSE exams are cancelled owing to Covid why not our exams."
The ultra Tamil nationalist organisations like the MDMK are keen that the exams are conducted.
MDMK leader Vaiko has in a statement on Monday called upon the Tamil Nadu government to conduct examinations for Class 12 students. He had charged that it was a deliberate attempt on the part of the Union government to implement National Education Policy (NEP) through the backdoor and that the Tamil Nadu government must not adhere to this.
Parents are however, worried over the health of the students and does not want to take any risk by sending their children to school to appear for the examination.
Rajani Arun, a banker at Chennai, said: "There is no need for the government to dilly dally on this issue. If CBSE and ICSE exams stand cancelled, why can't our government take a decision to cancel this examination Medical reports and scientific studies across the globe say that a third wave is imminent and that it will affect children the most. What guarantee can the government provide to my child that she won't get the disease after going to the school to write the exam."
Teachers insist that exams are conducted in some mode and total cancelling of exams will not do justice to the student community in the long run.
Raghavendran Manickyam, a Chemistry teacher with a Higher Secondary school, said: "The exams must be conducted, may be later but it has to be conducted. We have good infrastructure and we can hold the examinations adhering to all the Covid protocols. I strongly appeal to the government that the examinations are conducted so that a correct picture of the student is availed, otherwise the value of the education system is gone which should not happen."
(Courtesy: IANS)
Educationalists across the sector have welcomed the announcement that Class XII examinations for 2021 were being cancelled.
Praveen Raju, Co-Chair, FICCI ARISE and Founder, Suchitra Academy, said: "Given the current situation, it is the right decision to cancel the CBSE 12th Board exams. There is no way we could have held exams without compromising the safety of children. While we welcome the decision, we hope the modalities would be worked out quickly in consultation with stakeholders. Since 12th marks are an important factor affecting students' careers, we expect CBSE to ensure students don't get affected by the methodology of awarding marks."
Charu Wahi, Principal, Nirmal Bhartia School, said: "This is a decision taken in the best interest of the children. However, the next step is equally critical and crucial in deciding the process and criteria based on which the children's performance will be judged. This should be done keeping in mind that many of them make that extra effort during the last mile and should be given due advantage."
Another challenge that requires immediate resolution on the part of the education ministry is the compilation of the results for Class 12 students.
The government is yet to devise well-defined criteria for this.
Various stakeholders have urged the authorities to opt for more comprehensive measures, which justifies students' academic record and performance.
Adding to the concern, Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman of Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, said: "The decision to cancel Class XII Board exams is taken in the interest of the health and safety of students and teachers. Many students and their parents will heave a sigh of relief. The uncertainty over the Class XII Board Exams happening during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic had many of them anxious and nervous. But now, we move on to the next challenge, which is to come up with a fair and reliable criterion for assessing the academic performance of these students. Deserving students must be allocated grades or marks on the basis of their yearly performance. It's a challenge that will require a great deal of meticulous thinking for arriving at a just criterion for academic assessment. I'm sure the schools and boards will rise to the challenge and deliver what is best for the students."
Furthermore, Vishnu Karthik, CEO, The Heritage Schools, highlighted the need for a new grading system accepted by both schools and universities.
"The decision to cancel the board exams has provided some clarity and assuaged stress levels among students and parents. It wouldn't have been an easy decision given the criticality of grade 12 exams on university admissions. The government did not have much choice as the health of students is paramount. The challenge now is for CBSE to arrive at alternative criteria to determine grade 12 marks. Any delay or any confusion on the new grading criteria will lead to more confusion and stress among students. Clear directions should also be provided to Indian universities to modify their admissions criteria so that meritocracy and fairness are not compromised."
Various universities and high education institutes have not only accepted the verdict on cancellation of the Class 12 examinations but are also committed to extending cooperation towards the students in their step ahead towards higher education.
With the delay in exams and results in the making, universities have adopted many student-friendly policies, including re-adjusting of their admission cycles to prevent students' careers and study plans from being jeopardised.
Expressing his openness towards the decision, Kunal Vasudeva, COO, Indian School of Hospitality, said: "We welcome the government's decision to cancel 12th class board exams. It is a well-thought decision and rightly reflects India's progressive stance about education at the policy level. Student safety is at the centre of all we are doing right now, and this move will certainly help reduce anxieties among both students and parents. This was the right call to take, and we are happy to adapt our admission cycle as per the new guidelines."
Niranjan Hiranandani, Provost, HSNC University, lauded the Prime Minister's declaration, mentioning that this decision will save from affecting millions of lives.
"The announcement repressed the uncertainty that would have otherwise affected the youth and also met the trending #cancelboardexams2021 demand of students and industry bodies while ascertaining that the academic calendar will not be affected further. The results will be compiled as per well-defined criteria by CBSE and will terminate the anxiety of stakeholders. I am happy that this decision is made in favour of India's future, ensuring their health is not at stake."
Hiranandani further added that now the universities should align with the well-defined assessment criteria to ensure a seamless admission procedure and welcome the upcoming cohort taking into account the current circumstances the pandemic has put us into.
Prof Milind Padalkar, Pro-Chancellor (Designate), The NorthCap University, also welcomed the decision and extended sympathetic support towards the students and families who endured emotional and financial hardship induced by the pandemic.
"Many have suffered the loss of their near and dear ones, and their grief is unimaginable. The disruption in the educational activity has been acute, and we cannot expect the students to be in a fit frame of mind to study and be prepared for the examinations. The Government needs to be complimented for having taken a compassionate view of the situation and reducing further health risks. We hope that CBSE quickly implements alternative mechanisms to assess the students reasonably so that their prospects for higher education are not impeded."
The education sector has shown solidarity towards the decision and hopes for the concerned authorities to devise and implement a progressive and inclusive assessment system.
Moreover, the industry leaders and educationists are visualizing the current crisis as a blessing in disguise, leading to more student-friendly education reforms that focus on boosting their future study plans and career ahead.
(Courtesy: IANS)
Students, teachers, parents and academicians in Tamil Nadu have requested the M.K. Stalin government to cancel the Class 12 board examinations taking a cue from the central government's decision cancelling both the CBSE and ICSE exams.
Muruganandam, a Physics teacher at a government school at Namakkal told IANS: "Children are under severe stress and anxiety and the government must take immediate steps to cancel the Class 12 board examinations.
"We can take the assessment of the past six or seven examinations and take the average. It is not possible at present to conduct an exam and postponing would lead to the suffering of next academic year and hence the solution is cancelling of examinations."
A similar demand is being raised by students, who are studying under the state board.
Soumitra Narayanan, a Class 12 student at a government-aided school in Madurai told IANS: "My friends in the neighbourhood and all those studying under the CBSE and ICSE syllabus are relieved of the tension but I am still facingnightmares whether or not I will have to give the boards.
"If every board were conducting exams then we could also have done the same. Let the government take a decision soon. According to me must be cancelling the exams."
The Chief Education Officers office have directed school teachers to submit the marks obtained by students in the last seven examinations to assess their performance.
MR Manikantan, Director, Save Education, Tamil Nadu, an organization working in the academic sector at Erode told IANS: "It is better that the examinations for Class 12 boards are cancelled.
"As the central government has already cancelled the CBSE and ICSE exams for 12th why is the state government taking time on a decision.
"Students are suffering and they are under huge tension. This will not do any good in the long run and hence immediate action is required, otherwise the next academic year will also suffer."
The government is taking opinion from all corners -- academic circles and political leadership before taking a call.
MDMK leader Vaiko has already called upon the Stalin government to postpone the board exams and conduct it once the pandemic situation comes down and had added that with a good educational infrastructure, Tamil Nadu can easily conduct the exams.
(Courtesy: IANS)
India on Wednesday launched the Mission Innovation CleanTech Exchange, a global initiative, that will create a network of incubators across member countries to accelerate clean energy innovation.
The network, launched virtually at the Innovating to Net Zero Summit hosted by Chile, will provide access to the expertise and market insights needed to support new technologies to access new markets globally.
India among 23 governments collectively launched bold new plans to catalyze action and spearheaded a decade of innovation to drive global investment in clean energy research, development and demonstrations.
The goal is to make clean energy affordable, attractive and accessible for all this decade, to accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement and net zero pathways.
Mission Innovation 2.0 is the second phase of the global Mission Innovation initiative, launched alongside the Paris Agreement at the 2015 UN climate conference. Its members -- collectively responsible for over 90 per cent of global public investment in clean energy innovation -- are committed to increase investment and collaboration to deliver the technologies needed to overcome the world's most difficult climate challenges.
Achieving the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to well below two degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, requires huge leaps in energy innovation this decade.
Half of the global emissions reductions required to achieve national and global climate targets by 2050 depend on technologies that exist today, but are only at demonstration or prototype phase. These technologies are not yet sufficiently effective or affordable to be deployed at scale, such as clean hydrogen, advanced battery storage or zero emission fuels.
Mission Innovation 2.0 will catalyze public-private action and investment through sector-specific missions that accelerate the development of clean energy solutions in critical areas, to reach tipping points this decade in their affordability.
The goal is to make them attractive and accessible to all countries and give governments worldwide the confidence to set ambitious clean energy pathways.
In a joint statement launching Mission Innovation 2.0, energy, research and science ministers representing 22 countries and the European Commission (on behalf of the European Union) stated: "As many governments and businesses around the world continue to commit to ambitious climate goals and to reach net zero emissions, the need for innovation has never been greater or more urgent.
"To achieve the Paris Agreement goals, all sectors of the economy need access to cost competitive clean energy solutions this decade."
In the statement, the ministers committed to step up their collective ambition and cooperation; mobilize and connect global research, development and demonstration efforts to maximize the impact of these investments; build confidence in clean energy solutions; and develop pathways to deployment.
They also committed to develop National Innovation Pathways that describe how they will enhance ambition to pioneer clean energy technologies and/or sectors to meet their climate and energy goals up to 2030.
Mission Innovation 2.0 was officially launched at the Innovating to Net Zero Summit, hosted by Chile.
Speaking at the launch, Sebastian Pinera, President of Chile, said: "Chile is proud to kick off this exciting next chapter of Mission Innovation in this vital year of climate action. Through innovation, collaboration and most importantly, action, we have the tools we need to fight climate change and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement."
John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, said: "The launch of Mission Innovation 2.0 is an important step forward to reach our collective climate goals. Reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 will require urgent action by 2030, both to deploy the clean energy technologies we already have as well as to develop, demonstrate, and scale the innovations we'll need to fully decarbonize the global economy.
"The United States is reinvigorating its leadership in this exciting new phase, in which the Mission Innovation community will advance the technologies we need for slashing emissions across challenging applications, including zero-carbon hydrogen, clean long-distance transportation, and carbon dioxide removal."
The launch of Mission Innovation 2.0 is a key milestone in the build-up to the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, UK, in November.
Alok Sharma, COP26 President for the UK, said: "Accelerating the transition to clean energy will be essential if we are to keep the 1.5 degree goal within reach. To achieve this, international collaboration on innovation in sectors like power, transport and industry will be crucial."
Speaking on Mission Innovation, Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan said: "Mission Innovation (MI) has played an exemplary role in mobilizing greater public and private investments and partnerships to move the innovation needle, thereby accelerating clean energy innovation.
"MI 2.0 highlights the importance of collaborative scientific efforts to realize the vision of an affordable and reliable clean energy system and shall help countries reiterate their pledge to pursue a sustainable future through research-led innovations."
Since 2015, Mission Innovation member governments have increased clean energy innovation investments by a cumulative total of $18bn.
Investment is now $5.8bn per year higher than in 2015. Canada, Chile, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea and the UK have doubled their levels of investment and Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the European Commission have increased investment by 75 per cent or more against their 2015 baselines.
(Courtesy: IANS)
Guwahati, May 30 (IANS) The Guwahati cycling community, which had started its mission a couple of years ago to protect the environment and save fuel, besides popularising cycling as a mode of recreation, is now helping Covid patients, ailing people and senior citizens. The 'Cycling Community' of Guwahati launched the 'Relief Riders' mission two weeks ago to serve Covid patients, ailing people, senior citizens and those in distress with essential items, including food and medicines.
One of the pioneers of the 'Relief Riders' mission, Arshel Akhter, said that riding their bicycles, the members of the cycling community are delivering prepared food, medicines, vegetables, fruits, groceries and other essential items to those in need without charging anything for delivery.
"Through online mode or by making cash payments, the beneficiaries are paying for their required items and our volunteers are delivering the essentials at the doorsteps of the people or at the Covid Care Centres," Akhter told IANS. He said the volunteers are delivering the goods maintaining all the Covid protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs) during non-curfew hours.
According to Akhter, who was named 'Bicycle Mayor', an honourary position conferred by the Amsterdam-based social enterprise BYCS, the Relief Riders mission currently has 16 volunteers in different parts of Guwahati and the numbers are increasing since the mission was launched on May 17.
The volunteers are aged between 22 and 59 years, who are delivering the essential items within a radius of 3 km from their respective homes. He said the Relief Riders mission was started in Guwahati following the footsteps of Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur and a few other cities, where the cycling community got together to help the people in need.
Bikash Doley, an entrepreneur and a volunteer for the Relief Riders mission, said that the Bengaluru team had guided them to devise a simplified process to operate the entire scheme. "We have a few helpline numbers where people can call to place their orders. Once we get the orders, we post them in our internal group alerting the rider staying nearest to the beneficiary. "We try to keep all transactions contact less by encouraging digital modes of payment. We also follow social distancing measures, personal hygiene and wearing of masks etc.," Doley said.
Another volunteer, Siddharth Bhattaroy, said that they are also saving fuel, protecting the environment and preventing carbon dioxide emissions by using bicycles, which can also pass though narrow lanes and by-lanes with ease. Cycling enthusiast Ripunjoy Gogoi said that if a medicine or some essential good is not available near the requester's place, the group forms a relay team to deliver the item to the concerned citizen.
The senior most Relief Rider member, Gautam Choudhury, said that the volunteers' strength is growing daily and they expect more people to join their mission to reach out to more needy people. Meanwhile, 'World Bicycle Day' would be observed on June 3 through numerous events. The Guwahati Active Mobility Forum would organise some competitions for people of different age groups on the occasion.
Akhter said the UN in 2018 had declared June 3 as the 'World Bicycle Day'.
The Covid Crisis in India has affected millions and has severely stressed the health services. The New England Asian American Coalition (NEAAC) has pledged to raise $1 million to support NGOs that are working to help India during this difficult time. The coalition has members of different Ethnic Asian American Groups including, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and others.
As of May 15, 2021, it is estimated that some 28 million have tested positive and the death toll now is around 290,000. The spike in cases over the past few weeks has been huge. Some even estimate that 300 million people may have been infected with the virus. Many Indian American NGOs have been working tirelessly to support India, and many individuals have been donating large amounts of money for the cause. “The challenge in the urban areas has brought support from many NGOs. Sewa International shipped more than 7,250 oxygen concentrators, 250 ventilators and disbursed $6 million in grants to various partner organizations working on the ground in India”, said Raju Datla, who is a volunteer at Sewa. “The challenge in rural India is even greater without viable access to healthcare. With a focus on Rural India, Ekal Vidyalaya has sent over 10,000 medical devices and medical kits to the villages”, said Ranjani Saigal, executive director for Ekal Vidyalaya foundation of USA. Unfortunately, this is far from enough because of the huge number of pandemic victims.
“Asian Americans are coming together and standing with fellow Asian Americans to help with this humanitarian crisis” said George He from the New England Chinese American Alliance, who is one of the founding members of the coalition. While the current focus of the coalition is to provide relief for the current crisis, the coalition’s long-term objective is to lay the foundation for a collective group of Asian Americans who can provide support for any need that gets the attention of New Englanders. “When there is suffering anywhere, in the US or elsewhere, Asian Americans are always at the fore-front of providing support. Whether it be the Pandemic in the US or the hurricanes the Asian Americans who are part of the coalition have provided tremendous support. Together, we can amplify our impact” said Satish Jha, who initiated the coalition.
We jointly call on organizations and individuals from all backgrounds to join hands with the #StandWithIndia campaign to create awareness and encourage people to donate. We have identified two wonderful organizations to receive donations, Sewa International and Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA. The following is the donation information - please use #StandWithIndia in the donation notes.
To reduce uncertainty among students, the Central government will take a decision on Sunday over proposals for the conduct of exams for Class 12th and entrance examinations for professional courses.
The decision will be taken in a high-level virtual meeting with Education Ministers, Education Secretaries and Chairpersons of State Examination Boards and all stakeholders of the States and Union Territories (UT), Ministry of Education said on Saturday.
The meeting will be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in presence of Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Zubin Irani and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar.
In view of the prevailing situation, almost all the state education boards, CBSE and ICSE have postponed their Class 12 examinations, 2021. Similarly, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and other National exam conducting institutions have also postponed the entrance exams for admissions to professional courses.
As the conduct of Class 12 examinations impacts upon state board exams and other entrance exams across the country, and to reduce uncertainty among students it is desirable that a considered decision based on inputs of different state governments and UT administrations is taken about Class 12 CBSE examinations in the interest of all the students across the country.
In a letter written by the Union Education Minister to states and UTs, he has stated that the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education and CBSE are exploring options regarding the conduct of examinations, keeping in mind the safety and security of the students and the teachers.
The Department of Higher Education is also deliberating upon the finalization of the dates of examinations for institutions of higher learning.
The letter has noted that Covid-19 pandemic has affected various areas including the education sector, particularly the board exams and entrance exams.
(Courtesy IANS)
New York, May 12 (IANS) Driven to extinction in the US 50 years ago, now is the time to talk about reintroducing jaguars there, a group of scientists say.
In a study published on Tuesday in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, the authors provide a prospective framework for this effort and describe "righting a wrong" done to "America's Great Cat" in the Southwest more than 50 years ago.
The big cats lived for hundreds of years in the central mountains of Arizona and New Mexico but were driven to local extinction by the mid-20th century, in part because of killing by government hunters.
Authors of the study include a diverse set of scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Center for Landscape Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, Wildlands Network, Pace University, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Life Net Nature, and the Center for Biological Diversity.
In March, a separate study suggested that an area in central Arizona and New Mexico spanning two million acres (82,000 sq km) can provide potentially suitable habitat for 90 to 150 jaguars.
This area, roughly the size of South Carolina, was not considered in the 2018 US Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Plan for the jaguar. That plan considered only habitat south of Interstate Highway 10 (an artificial boundary considering historic jaguar records north of that) and therefore concluded there was habitat for only six jaguars in the U.S.
However, habitat destruction, transportation infrastructure, natural constrictions in the landscape, and the border wall mean that natural reestablishment of female jaguars from source populations in Mexico to this recovery region is unlikely over the next 100 years.
The authors of Tuesday's study conclude that reintroduction of jaguars should be examined as a viable alternative. The authors believe that restoring jaguars can be a net benefit to people, including culture and local economies, and nature and would represent the return of an original part of the US fauna.
The study focuses on five dimensions of the reintroduction project: conservation rationale, history, ecological context, human context and practical considerations.
"The jaguar lived in these mountains long before Americans did," said Eric Sanderson, WCS Senior Conservation Ecologist and lead author of the study. "If done collaboratively, reintroduction could enhance the economy of this region and the ecology of this incredible part of jaguar range."
The study notes some key aspects of the reintroduction effort to be discussed with relevant officials and the public in central Arizona and New Mexico, noting that the region is a habitat unique in all of the jaguar's range, representing a special and valuable part of jaguar's ecological diversity.
The Central Arizona and New Mexico Recovery Area (CANRA) is vast, covered with suitable vegetation, and well populated with potential prey. Given its elevation and latitude, it may provide an important climate refuge for the species in the future, though further research is required.
The study says the majority of the land is managed for the public good, mainly (68 per cent) by the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service, with several large designated wilderness areas.
Only 381,000 people live in this area, primarily in towns and cities. The most important economic activities there are government expenditures, accommodation and food services, outdoor recreation, healthcare and social assistance, and retail trade.
The mountains of central Arizona and New Mexico are part of the ancestral and reservation lands for a number of Native American Nations. Currently two tribal nations, the White Mountain Apache and the San Carlos Apache, manage nearly 12 per cent of the CANRA's land area, including wildlife and ecological systems.
It says reintroduction would replace a historic member of the species assemblage of the region. US government agents and private citizens hunted and poisoned the jaguar for most of the 20th century. As a result of persecution here and elsewhere, jaguars were listed under the US Endangered Species Act.
"This represents a turning point for this iconic wild cat, identifying a path forward for restoration of the jaguar to its historic range in the United States," said Sharon Wilcox Ph.D., Texas Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. "It should serve as the starting point for a renewed conversation among stakeholders."
"The Southwest's native wildlife evolved with jaguars," said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. "They have a storied and vital place in our canyons and forests, so we should plan an intelligent and humane reintroduction program."
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