–INDEX–
1.
EASTERN HIMALAYAN NATURENOMICSTM FORUM A Conservation Dialogue Since 2013 by Karishma Ahmed
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2.
Climate Reality: The Grim New IPCC Report by Rituraj Phukan
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3.
China's Global Infrastructure Initiative Could Bring Environmental Catastrophe An interview with conservation biologist William F. Laurance by Nexus Media, with William F. Laurance
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4.
India's Faces its Worst Water Crisis in History NITI Aayog Report by Rituraj Phukan
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5.
Water – The Glocal Crisis of 21ST Century by Rhea Hussain and Saurav Malhotra, Balipara Foundation, Assam, India
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6.
WORLDVIEW In Defense of Biodiversity: Why Protecting Species from Extinction Matters by Carl Sana
7.
Meditations on the Handloom: Visiting Garobasti by Sachin Bhatia
8.
The GEF-Satoyama Project: Bringing Landscapes and Seascapes with People to the Center of Conservation by Yoji Natori, Ph.D., Conservation International Japan
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9.
Technology and Conservation by Joanna Dawson, Balipara Foundation
10.
Efforts and Challenges to Conduct Appropriate Balance on Coexistence between Environment and Human Beings in Bangladesh by Hideki SATO (Dr.) (JEEF: Japan Environmental Education Forum) Md. Maksudur Rahman (Mr.) (BEDS: Bangladesh Environment and Development Society)
11.
Relationship between Conservation Behavior and Zoo Visits ShoeZ's program based on conservation psychology by Misako Namiki, Teikyo University of Science
40
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12.
Eco Village project in Bangladesh by Md. Maksudur Rahman
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13.
Can Nature Capital help reduce Human Trafď€ cking in Assam? by Rhea Hussain, Balipara Foundation
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EASTERN HIMALAYAN NATURENOMICSTM FORUM A Conservation Dialogue Since 2013 by Karishma Ahmed
W
ith a goal to make the communities in the Eastern Himalayan region the stewards of the conservation agenda by creating economic and social mobility, Balipara Foundation focuses on creating community-based conservation models in the Eastern Himalayas using a proprietary approach, Naturenomics™, to enhance Rural Futures and the heritage of our ecology. We achieve this through a series of community-based conservation programmes anchored in our conservation center at the Eastern Himalayan Botanic Ark, nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, Balipara, Assam, India. These programmes are human centric & realised through iterative prototypes to RURAL adapt to rapidly FUTURES evolving human needs & landscapes. Our ELEPHANT EASTERN hidden treasures are COUNTRY HIMALAYAN the case studies we NATURENOMICS publish & the FORUM publications we KNOWLEDGE s u p p o r t t o i n s p i r e EASTERN c o l l a b o r a t i v e & HIMALAYAN PUBLICATIONS exploration, dialogue & BOTANIC innovation. ARK Understanding the need for exploring the ingredients of success in conservation and sustainable livelihoods, Eastern Himalayan NaturenomicsTM Forum was launched in 2013 to ď€ nd solutions leading to important lessons for communities Balipara Foundation and its verticals
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and others, at all levels, from local to global. Starting the dialogue with Asian Elephant Conservation to exploring the crucial role of Rural communities in the Eastern Himalayas, in conserving the environment and at the same time supporting rural economies and livelihoods, at 5th Eastern Himalayan NaturenomicsTM Forum, we have now introduced the concept of Rural Futures. WHY EASTERN HIMALAYAN NATURENOMICSTM FORUM? The breadth of natural biodiversity in the Eastern Himalayas is complemented by a rich mosaic of cultures, traditions and people. Livelihoods of many communities remain woven into the balanced use of natural resources. They depend on these resources for their livelihoods, and value ecosystem services such as freshwater, erosion control, and agricultural and subsistence harvests. The Forum aims to address key challenges on developing social mobility assets to forge a sustainable future for the communities in the Eastern Himalayas. Ü
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Design & Innovate conservation programmes in conjunction with local communities & the knowledge that they possess to ensure successful localized solutions to complex problems & integrate it with modern technologies & systems Learn traditional modes of accessing water in the Eastern Himalayas and leveraging this knowledge to develop efcient systems for sanitation & potable water Solutions on how tourism can be used to fuel conservation efforts and leveraging our rich natural heritage to generate alternate sources of revenue
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Join hands with governments, local communities and supporters around the world, to progress and pave a pathway for the Rural Futures in the Eastern Himalayas.
THE JOURNEY SO FAR IMPACTS Social: Ÿ
Balipara Foundation Winners have created numerous opportunities for sustainable livelihoods, skill development programmes and successful eco-tourism models.
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70 Case Studies of Eco- Champions across 10 categories since 2013.
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Action Driven, multidisciplinary, multi- stake holder dialogue between 2800+ participants from 22 countries.
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Rural Futures framework launched for social and economic mobility for Eastern Himalayan Communities.
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Occupancy Modelling in the Kaziranga – Karbi Anglong being conducted in partnership with WTI.
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Balipara Foundation Award Winners creating impact through unique education models.
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Balipara Foundation Award Winners have published 17+ books, 500+ scientic articles.
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Welfare Programmes for Mahouts in Assam announced by WWF India in partnership with Balipara Foundation.
Economics: Ÿ
Elephant Country Brand launched to support the creation of projects & services benetting Asian Elephants and their habitats.
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Elephant Country: Asian Elephant Secretariat, a technology platform, launched for Asian Elephant Conservation. Elephant FriendlyTM Certication launched by Lisa Mills and Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network to encourage and empower an interdependence between economies and environment.
Environmental: Ÿ
Over 1500 + ha of forest saved, 15+ National Parks established by Balipara Foundation Award Winners.
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Elephant Radio Collaring on the Indo Bhutan Border launched with the Government of Bhutan, in 2014.
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Elephant Country: Udalguri Landscape Mission launched to restore prime Asian Elephant Habitats.
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First Eastern Himalayan Biological Inventories launched in partnership with ATREE, Balipara Foundation, KTK- BELT, National Biodiversity Centre, Bhutan.
LOOKING AHEAD Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum 2018- Rural Futures: SocialEnvironmental – Economic Interdependence will be a highlyparticipatory gathering to explore the crucial role of local communities in the Eastern Himalayas, in conserving local environmentalists and at the same time supporting local economies and livelihoods. The conference will bring together indigenous, community, university, government, and NGO people from around the world, aiming to produce lessons of relevance to communities, policy- makers, researchers and range of organizationsat all levels from local to global. Carrying forward the legacy and keeping up the inherent spirit of Rural Futures through NaturenomicsTM, We at Balipara Foundation through Balipara Foundation Awards 2018 will once again acknowledge and recognize the Real Community Heroes of the Eastern Himalayas- people who have dedicated themselves to preserving the rich BioCultural Heritage and are the environmental crusaders of the Eastern Himalayas.
IN THE FUTURE
EASTERN HIMALAYAN NATURENOMICS FORUM TM
4th & 5th November, 2019 Guwahati, Assam, India THE HIMALAYAN | 3
CLIMATE CHANGE
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Climate Reality: The Grim New IPCC Report by Rituraj Phukan
T
he new assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reiterates the fact that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society. The IPCC said that without a radical transformation of energy, transportation and agriculture systems, the world will hurtle past the 1.5°C target of the Paris climate agreement by the middle of the century, with dramatically increased risks to human civilization and the life sustaining ecosystems on Earth. The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C was released recently at Incheon, South Korea and will be a key scientic input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change. The sobering report has some stark choices for human civilization, and some of the authors believe the catastrophic climate change can yet be avoided. The report declares that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching 'net zero' around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2 from the air. “The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C are already underway around the world, but they 6 | THE HIMALAYAN
would need to accelerate,” said Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair of Working Group I. The report also highlights the impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C. Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas over 99 percent would be lost with 2°C. It is evident that rapid action is essential and the next ten years will be crucial. If the planet continues to warm at the current rate of 0.2°C per decade, the 1.5°C threshold will be reached around 2040. At current emissions rates, there is a high probability that we will have used up our entire carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C within the next 10 to 14 years.
The IPCC has emphasized the need to signicantly reduce short-lived climate pollutants, including methane, black carbon and hydrouorocarbons, or HFCs. The report's summary for policymakers' points to three industries for reducing short-lived climate pollutants: energy, agriculture and waste. The report also nds that, in the likelihood that governments fail to avert 1.5°C degrees of warming, the world could overshoot that target, and then work to bring it back down through a combination of lowering emissions and deploying carbon capture technology. In such a scenario, some damage would be irreversible, the report found, including the total die-off of coral reefs. However, the sea ice that would disappear in the hotter scenario would return once temperatures had cooled off. The IPCC is the leading world body for assessing the science related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options. The report was prepared under the scientic leadership of all three IPCC working groups. Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II addresses impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III deals with the mitigation of climate change. The Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 included the aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and
pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” As part of the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the IPCC was invited to produce, in 2018, a Special Report on global warming of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. The IPCC accepted the invitation, adding that the Special Report would look at these issues in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Global Warming of 1.5°C is the rst in a series of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle. Next year the IPCC will release the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, and Climate Change and Land, which looks at how climate change affects land use. The landmark report from the United Nations' scientic panel on climate change paints a dire picture of the immediate consequences of climate change, far worse than previously thought. The authors of the report stated that avoiding the most serious damage requires transforming the world economy within just a few years. But while they conclude that it is technically possible to achieve the rapid changes required to avoid 1.5°C degrees of warming, they concede that it may be politically unlikely. Unless there is an unprecedented mass mobilization of people demanding decisive action.
About Author: Rituraj Phukan is the Chief Operating Ofcer of Walk For Water, Mentor & District Manager, The Climate Reality Project and Secretary General of Green Guard Nature Organization THE HIMALAYAN | 7
China's Global Infrastructure Initiative Could Bring Environmental Catastrophe An interview with conservation biologist William F. Laurance by Nexus Media, with William F. Laurance
Source: Pexels
H
umans are ravaging tropical forests by hunting, logging and building roads, and the threats are mounting by the day. China is planning a series of massive infrastructure projects across four continents, an initiative that conservation biologist William Laurance described as “environmentally, the riskiest venture ever undertaken.” In a commentary published in the journal Nature Sustainability, he and an international team of researchers urge China to weigh the possibly disastrous consequences of its Belt and Road Initiative. Laurance, a research professor at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, recently spoke with Nexus Media about the potential dangers, including the impact on climate change. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You used some strong language to describe this project's potential impact on the environment. Why do you feel so strongly about it? The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) simply blows out of the water anything else that's been attempted in human history. As currently planned, it will involve some 7,000 separate infrastructure or extractive industry projects scattered across 70-odd nations, with a total price-tag of $8 trillion. It'll span half the planet — from Asia to Africa, Europe and the South Pacic. It'll affect every facet of human endeavor, in one way or another.
William F. Laurence. Source: Marcos Guerra
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In biodiversity and environmental terms, again, it's the worst thing we've seen anywhere — and in the past forty years, I and my colleagues have seen some pretty horric stuff in the Amazon, Africa, Southeast Asia and the South Pacic.
I actually think the BRI will have a greater net impact on ecosystems than it does global warming, at least for the duration of this century. [But it] will also be a major contributor to global warming, by promoting massive land-use changes, deforestation, industrial and transport emissions, and emissions from project construction. It'll use more concrete — a major source of greenhouse gas emissions — than all pre-existing infrastructure projects on the planet. Why is China investing this heavily in infrastructure? For the Chinese, this is a part of a long-term gambit to broaden their geopolitical inuence and economic might. They see it as a means to inuence — both via friendly and, if necessary, more coercive means — other nations to align with their views and support their very ambitious international agendas for Chinese trade, political expansionism and economic dominance. The BRI will be one of the main means by which China attempts to supplant the U.S. dollar and other major international currencies with the Yuan as the primary currency of global trade.
Sites of planned infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. Source: Nature Sustainability
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Can you further describe its effects on climate change? In terms of climate change, one of the biggest impacts will be all the habitat loss and degradation that will occur as a result of so much infrastructure — new roads and other projects that will open up vast new frontiers for landclearing, logging, mining, res, land speculation and other human pressures. We know that forests and other native habitats store billions of tons of carbon in their biomass, and they also pump out great quantities of water vapor. This vegetation vapor promotes local precipitation, crucial for vegetation growth and limiting res, and it creates much of the Earth's clouds, which in turn reect a great deal of solar energy back into space, reducing global warming. And the BRI projects will be slashing across many of the most carbon-rich forests and
ecosystems on Earth, especially in the vast tropical and subtropical regions across southern, central, and southeast Asia, the South Pacic and equatorial Africa. The construction of the avalanche of projects themselves will be a major source of greenhouse gases. Enormous quantities of concrete, metal, minerals and other raw materials will be consumed for project construction. Concrete is one of the most energy and carbon-expensive products that humans create. The lime in concrete, for example, has to be baked at high temperatures, which is very energy consuming. The BRI projects are so massive that people are even worrying about them consuming enormous quantities of sand — mostly for concrete — which will have major impacts on coastal and river systems. This is the rst time I've ever heard people worrying about sand, per se — and it is an indication of just what a massive venture this will be.
Deforestation in Thailand’s Chiang Mai Province, 2013. Source: Takeaway
How does this project square with China's climate goals? In the utter climate-policy vacuum created by the Trump Administration, China is stepping up belatedly to take some leadership on climate. But remember how much China's 10 | THE HIMALAYAN
emissions have grown — they've completely blown past the United States, historically the biggest emitter — and now produce more than twice as much greenhouse-gas emissions than the United States. And that's only considering China's domestic carbon footprint. If you also consider
everything China is doing or promoting overseas in terms of extractive industries and large-scale infrastructure, they utterly overwhelm any other nation as climate changers. In real terms — digging through a great deal of greenwashing— I don't see anything in the BRI that squares with China's stated climate goals. They certainly won't take any blame for the emissions being produced by their activities in other nations — even if it will be their hand on the axe and cement mixer. What will it mean for biodiversity? The World Wildlife Fund, in an extremely conservative analysis that only considers the backbone BRI projects, estimates that it will directly impact 265 threatened species, including
endangered Saiga antelopes, tigers, giant pandas, gorillas and orangutans. The major BRI corridors, ignoring all their side-projects, will cut through or broadly overlap with 1,739 Important Bird Areas or Key Biodiversity Areas, as well as 46 biodiversity hotspots or Global 200 Ecoregions. To a biologist, this is a staggering list — essentially the biologically richest realestate on the planet. There are way too many notable places to list, but to mention just a few — there are the endangered Central Spine forests of peninsular Malaysia, the enormously rich forests of Myanmar, the species-rich ecosystems of the Himalayas, the vanishing rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, and the megafauna of the greater Congo Basin. And that’s just making a tiny scratch in the surface.
Dongying in China’s Shandong Province was the site of a major afforestation effort from 2011 to 2016. Source: The World Bank
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You also say that China's doing a better job environmentally on its own turf than outside its borders. Please elaborate. China deserves credit for implementing the largest afforestation program in human history, replanting denuded lands with exotic, not-native tree species, and they've put on hold plans to build another 150 coal-red generating plants, because they already have an excess of domestic energy production.
China is also making a few high-prole efforts to conserve wildlife, such as expanding the panda reserves in southwest China and outlawing its huge domestic trade of ivory — although China still has a great deal of blood on its hands from the trade of ivory, not to mention its massive consumption of Pangolins, shark ns, jaguar teeth, tiger pelts and body parts, wild birds and myriad other wildlife products.
China is a world-leader in technologies around solar energy, batteries and wind energy, and it has invested hugely in science generally. Their growth as a scientic superpower is nothing short of amazing.
This interview was conducted by Marlene Cimons, who writes for Nexus Media, a syndicated newswire covering climate, energy, politics, art and culture. 12 | THE HIMALAYAN
WATER
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India's Faces its Worst Water Crisis in History NITI Aayog Report by Rituraj Phukan
T
he report on the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) published by the National Institution for Transforming India, or the NITI Aayog, has revealed the extent of the water crisis in India. The report released by the Indian minister for water resources on 14th June has stated that India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history and millions of lives and livelihoods are under threat. The CWMI is a ď€ rst-of-itskind, comprehensive scorecard for identifying, targeting, and solving problems in the water sector across the country. The NITI Aayog is the premier policy 'think-tank' of the Government of India and it was formed to replace the Planning Commission in 2015. The report on the CWMI states that 600 million people in India are now in the grip of high to extreme water stress and predicted that the crisis is only 14 | THE HIMALAYAN
going to get worse. It also projected that by 2030, the country's water demand will be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people. India is placed at 120th among 122 countries in the water quality index and up to 70% of all supplied water in the country is likely to be contaminated, with around two lakh deaths every year attributed to inadequate safe water access.
management is improving across-theboard, but all states can do better. Most states have achieved a score below 50% and could signicantly improve their water resource management practices. Scarcity and need are driving positive action and several water-scarce states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana are the leaders in Index performance.
Critical groundwater resources, which account for 40% of the country's water supply, are being depleted at unsustainable rates. Droughts are becoming more frequent, creating severe problems for farmers, with 53% of agriculture in India being rainfall dependent. Regional disagreements are on the rise and there is an urgent need for suitable frameworks for national water governance. The economic costs for the country will be enormous, with predictions of up to 6% loss in the Gross Domestic Product eventually.
The low performing states on the CWMI are home to 50% of the country's population and its agricultural baskets. The poor performance of the populous northern states of UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, and others, on the Index highlights a signicant water management risk for the country. Further, these states also account for 2030% of India's agricultural output. Given the combination of rapidly declining groundwater levels and limited policy action, this is also likely to be a signicant food security risk for the country going forward.
The CWMI comprises nine themes covering groundwater and surface water restoration, major and medium irrigation, watershed development, participatory irrigation management, on-farm water use, rural and urban water supply, and policy and governance. The themes are further sub-divided into 28 indicators. The Indian states were divided into two special groups – NonHimalayan states and North-Eastern and Himalayan states, to account for the different hydrological conditions across these groups. Despite the ongoing water crisis, Gujarat has topped the CWMI among the nonHimalayan states, while Tripura has been adjudged as the best among the northeastern and Himalayan states. The key results of the Index indicate water
Most states have achieved less than 50% of the total score in the augmentation of groundwater resources, highlighting the growing national crisis—54% of India's groundwater wells are declining, and 21 major cities are expected to run out of groundwater as soon as 2020, affecting 100 million people. Further, 70% of states have also achieved scores of less than 50% on managing on-farm water effectively. Given the fact that agriculture accounts for 80% of all water use, this poses signicant water and food security risks for the country. Finally, states have also performed averagely on providing safe drinking water to rural areas. With 70% of the country's population living in rural areas, this is one of the most critical service delivery challenges in the world. THE HIMALAYAN | 15
The NITI Aayog has developed the CWMI to enable effective water management in the country. This Index is expected to establish a public, national platform providing information on key water indicators across states. The identication of high-performers and under-performers among the Indian states will expectedly inculcate a culture of constructive competition among them. Further, the data can also be used by researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to enable broader ecosystem innovation for water in India.
Further, global events and examples have highlighted both the potential implications of water scarcity and the pathways to achieve water security. The worsening water crisis in Cape Town, with the city hovering dangerously close to 'Day Zero' has highlighted the risks and challenges that lie ahead for many Indian cities, including Bangalore. Therefore, the momentum around effective water management has been increasing and that the sector is being accorded a high priority in the national policy agenda.
Despite the worsening water crisis in the country and signicant challenges, there is room for optimism, with water management receiving increased policy attention over the past few years. From 2014 onwards, the Indian government has taken key policy decisions like the consolidation of several river authorities into the central Ministry of Water Resources for basin-level governance, drafting of a model groundwater bill, renewed focus on innovative microirrigation under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and the partnership with Israel to leverage the country's global leadership in water governance and knowledge.
About Author : Rituraj Phukan is the Chief Operating Ofcer of Walk For Water, Mentor & District Manager, The Climate Reality Project and Secretary General of Green Guard Nature Organization 16 | THE HIMALAYAN
Water – The Glocal Crisis of 21ST Century by Rhea Hussain and Saurav Malhotra, Balipara Foundation, Assam, India
W
ater is the lifeblood of the biosphere. Life on Earth exists either on land, atmosphere or water. It is remarkable as to how water plays a major role in carrying out the most important activities for us on Earth. It carries blood and nutrients in the human body, allows plants and animals to do similar bodily activities as that of the human body. But water could also be a carrier of diseases. Rivers and reservoirs introduce pathogens that causes serious water related diseases. With that said there are serious water conicts that are taking place since the population is increasing, thus leading to the reduction of use of water in the elds of agriculture and industry. In the Water Cycle, there are two types of water that enters the Earth. They are termed as exogenous and endogenous. The water from snow or rain is known as endogenous water and are 'local' in nature. But on the other hand, exogenous water is produced elsewhere through rain or snow and carried to another region by rivers or groundwater.
6.7 billion people consuming fresh water
4.5 teralitres of freshwater consumed annually
10% = domestic use 70% = food production 20% = industrial use
Infographics 1: Water Metrics
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We can see many ways through which climate change has had a negative impact on water and its reduction. There is a decreasing availability of glacier water. When glaciers melt vertically, they tend to shrink further. Now, ‘vertically melting glaciers’ are principally found in the Himalayas. The constant changes due to global warming are creating huge lapses in the structure of the glaciers, displacing their actual positions and shapes and hence the weight along with the melting of the glacier leads to different ways in which water availability reduces. Besides decrease in the availability of water from glaciers, ground water resources are also reducing to the extent of its complete absence. We pump water from the ground more frequently than it can replenish itself. Aquifers do not get enough time to absorb the water that has been extracted. If aquifers do not play a role at any point in the absorption of water, we then must understand the role of the forests. It is widely recognized that forests and water resources are linked very closely. The increase in urban settlements and the decrease in forest covers are acting as a major challenge for any form of water management. Therefore, it is essential to carry out reviewing of responses in terms of hydrological, physiological, biological, human and ecological health responses to the changing schematics from forests to agricultural and urban land uses which will also benet water management. Stress on water can lead to stress on ecology. India has vast natural resources of water but due to the neglect and misuse, the subcontinent may soon become a water stressed state despite having perennial rivers from the Himalayas and in the Peninsular region. In the current 18 | THE HIMALAYAN
business process, it is imperative for the maintenance and survival of the ecosystems keeping in mind water as a natural resource. As already mentioned, the mismanagement of water has led to water scarcity and the deterioration in quality. In India, or rather under the scheme of the Constitution, ‘Water’ is a subject of the state and the Union jurisdiction will play its part only in the cases of inter state river waters. The natural water resources have been categorized into two sections: 1) Rivers and 2) Rain. Rain is the most important source of water in India. The levels of precipitation in the country have led to oods, ash oods and drought. Most of our agricultural and harvesting patterns depend on the coming of the monsoon season. Here, it would be appropriate to mention the glaciers that make the rivers perennial in India providing constant supply of water to billions. The Himalayas in India are known as the “Water Tower of Asia”. In the Indian Himalayas, the Gangotri, which forms and feeds the Ganga, is melting three times faster than it was in the last century. Balipara Foundation has been established at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, namely the state of Assam in India, with the mightiest river owing through the city of Guwahati. Guwahati also hosts eight major lakes, namely Deepor Beel, Silpukhuri, Dighalipukhuri, Jorpukhuri, Borsola Beel, Sorusala Beel and Silsako Beel. The lakes are man-made in nature and have a historical backdrop to its existence. If we go back to our history books, we will be reminded of civilizations who emerged near water bodies as they helped in transportation, trade and so on.
After the rains and the perennial rivers, comes ground water in India. As ground water acts as a reservoir for long term use, its role is dynamic in nature. India is the largest user of groundwater in the world. the usage of ground water in the rural areas is the highest at ninety percent. If the usage of groundwater goes unchecked, the country will fall into an uncontrollable crisis. (Correspondent, 2017) The Indian Perspective: According to Ayurveda, water is seen to be the second element out of all the ve elements that helps compose life. It is a representation of the mind and likes to think without limits. According to Indian traditional knowledge, water has the power to destroy and to create – as a primary building block of life.
Purity
Fertility when combined with milk
Medical Virtues
Water as a divine agency
Mediator between God and Humans
Infographics: Water as a symbol in the religious context
Sikkim is known for its rich and clear environment. There are sacred landscapes that include holy mountains, rivers and lakes. According to legend, only certain incarnate persons can nd the treasures and open the gateway to Shangri-La or an imaginary remote paradise where peace, beauty and nature reigns.
In Assam, the Manas Biosphere Reserve spans across 2837 sq km covering a large tract of forest land. The Reserve has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its natural beauty. This area in Assam is decit of multiple water source and the Pagladiya river is its only respite. As mentioned above, India is dependent on rainfed water for irritation on their agricultural land. In a similar manner, the poor people of this region are also dependent on the rain gods for their agricultural lands – another reason being the remoteness and accessibility piped water ways. As water is the embodiment of the human existence, the lives of the people in and around Manas Biosphere Reserve have limits to the kind of improvement they would like to see in their vicinity and lives. Some of the inhabitants of the region, built dongbandhs or small canals on the Pagladiya river with the help of local materials such as bamboo, timber and boulders. Traditional practices in India, are not dead yet. Rural India has all the technology possible which will enable its people and the community to sustain themselves especially when it comes to water conservation, but the water paradox lies at the constant change in climatic conditions due to global warming at present times. The process of managing forests and land collectively will help in the management of water on a community level as well. Households will work together to restore habitat and, generate livelihoods and manage the usage of water through traditional practices.
Infographics: Water provides for life and livelihood and hence the need for water security
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Healthy people 1. Universal access Increased to Safe prosperity Drinking Water 2. Sustainable use and development of water resources Protected 3. Robust water Equitable ecosystems governance society
Resilient communities
Infographics: Sustainable Development Goals on Water
If the aim of the SDG on water is to help societies become equitable in nature, then it should be equally important to emphasize on the local and traditional modes of managing and using water in the developing countries. For example, the question of the hour should be on how to customize the water management techniques to ensure the suitability and survivability of the people of the rural communities. Dongbandhs or small canals are the best way to channelize water from rivers in some areas of Assam which may not have heavy rainfall during the monsoon season, but on the other hand, there are other places such as Xadiya in the same state which receives heavy rainfall along with a rivulet owing some 8 to 10 kms away from the villages in Ambikapur. Comparatively, rural communities in Udalguri district have dong-bandhs and the water is stored in reservoirs for winter months when there is no rainfall at all. In a similar manner the farmers in Baksa district of Assam in the Indo-Bhutan border, have difculty cultivating due to the absence of irrigation facilities and again, the erratic monsoon rains. 20 | THE HIMALAYAN
The age old indigenous system of water management for various purposes, especially irrigation – which largely caters to agricultural purposes of the rural people – will serve the rural commune in the best way possible. There are committees or groups who are assigned one canal for its damage or repair. This committee holds meetings about decisions being made for the system. The tenure of the committee is usually one year. Besides the President, Vice President and Secretary, there is a watchman who inspects the canal daily. For those who work on the canal must show their presence every day, and their absence would lead to a ne of INR 100 (GBP 1.1) per day. Every household that uses the canal or the dong will have to pay an annual fee every year which is done in the form of 40 kgs of rice. Thus, we can see the existence of the barter system the trend of 'cashless economy' in the most remote areas of Assam.
Image source: http://www.ourstories.org.in/2016/3056/
References authors, M. (2010, November 13). Water prospects in the 21st Century. Retrieved from Our World : https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/waterprospects-in-the-21st-century
Source: http://www.cpreecenvis.nic.in/Database/ Indigenousirrigationsystem-DongBandh_3808.aspx
As we can see, modes of water accessibility will vary from region to region and so will the types of intervention. Therefore, the emphasis on stronger traditional knowledge will not only help to build greater water management systems but also encourage the rural community to take the ownership of developing sustainable modes of conserving water and natural habitat – water cannot be owned, but it can be managed as 'one' resource allowing the ground water to replenish as well. Just as we conclude everything around us, the crisis that we face around availability of water for life to sustain on the ironical “Blue Planet”, cannot stop here. When movies are made with subtexts of environmental degradation, the audience tends to get a grasp of the context in an instance – like Mad Max, Fury Road or Interstellar or Avatar – because we are already engaging and experiencing the evidences of a dead world like the ones portrayed. We would not want obsessive, violent despots or for that matter 'water barons' to grab hold of the water supply around the world, building a new class system – those who have water and those who don't.
Correspondent, S. (2017, July 11). The Alarming levels of India's Ground Water. Retrieved from The Hindu : http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities /mumbai/the-alarming-levels-ofindias-groundwater/article 19253949.ece Ghosh, S., Das, B., Lahkar, B., & Kumar, C. B. (2014). Traditional knowledge, ecosystem services and disaster risk reduction, Manas World Heritage Site And Biosphere Reserve, India. In (. R. Buyck, Safe Havens (p. 167). Gland: IUCN. Wikipedia (), Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moul in_(geomorphology) (Accessed: 8th June 2018). Richard A. Lovett () Melting Glaciers Mean Double Trouble for Water Supplies, Available at: https://news.nationalgeographic.co m/news/2011/12/1112-meltingglaciers-mean-double-trouble-forwater-supplies/ (Accessed: 8th June 2018). Balipara Foundation (April 2018) Rural Futures: Water - Partnering for Water Security in Eastern Himalayan Communities, Assam. Amarjyoti Borah () Do-It-Yourself irrigation in an absent state, Available at: http://www.ourstories.org.in/2016/ 3056/ (Accessed: 12th June 2018).
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FORESTS
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WORLDVIEW In Defense of Biodiversity: Why Protecting Species from Extinction Matters by Carl Sana
A number of biologists have recently made the argument that extinction is part of evolution and that saving species need not be a conservation priority. But this revisionist thinking shows a lack of understanding of evolution and an ignorance of the natural world.
A
few years ago, I helped lead a ship-based expedition along south Alaska during which several scientists and noted artists documented and made art from the voluminous plastic trash that washes ashore even there. At Katmai National Park, we packed off several tons of trash from as distant as South Asia. But what made Katmai most memorable was: huge brown bears. Mothers and cubs were out on the ats digging clams. Others were snoozing on dunes. Others were patrolling.
During a rest, several of us were sitting on an enormous drift-log, watching one mother who'd been clamming with three cubs. As the tide ooded the at, we watched in disbelief as she brought her cubs up to where we were sitting — and stepped up on the log we were on. There was no aggression, no tension; she was relaxed. We gave her some room as she paused on the log, and then she took her cubs past us into a sedge meadow. Because she was so calm, I felt no fear. I felt the gift. THE HIMALAYAN | 23
In this protected refuge, bears could afford a generous view of humans. Whoever protected this land certainly had my gratitude. In the early 20th century, a botanist named Robert F. Griggs discovered Katmai’s volcanic “Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.” In love with the area, he spearheaded efforts to preserve the region’s wonders and wildlife. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson established Katmai National Monument (now Katmai National Park and Preserve), protecting 1,700 square miles, thus ensuring a home for bear cubs born a century later, and making possible my indelible experience that day. As a legacy for Griggs’ proclivity to share his love of living things, George Washington University later established the Robert F. Griggs Chair in Biology. That chair is now occupied by a young professor whose recent writing probably has Griggs spinning in his grave. He is R. Alexander Pyron. A few months ago, The Washington Post published a “Perspective” piece by Pyron that is an extreme example of a growing minority opinion in the conservation community, one that might be summarized as, “Humans are profoundly altering the planet, so let’s just make peace with the degradation of the natural world.”
administration. Pyron's sentiments weren't merely oddly out of keeping with the legacy of the man whose name graces his job title. Much of what Pyron wrote is scientically inaccurate. And where he stepped out of his eld into ethics, what he wrote was conceptually confused. Pyron has since posted, on his website and Facebook page, 1,100 words of frantic backpedaling that land somewhere between apology and retraction, including mea culpas that he “sensationalized” parts of his own argument and “cavalierly glossed over several complex issues.” But Pyron’s original essay and his muddled apology do not change the fact that the beliefs he expressed reect a disturbing trend that has taken hold among segments of the conservation community. And his article comes at a time when conservation is being assailed from other quarters, with a half-century of federal protections of land being rolled back, the Endangered Species Act now more endangered than ever, and the relationship between extinction and evolution being subjected to confused, book-length mistreatment.
No biologist is entitled to butcher the scientic fundamentals on which they hang their opinions.
Pyron's original opinion piece, so clear and unequivocal in its assertions, is a good place to unpack and disentangle accelerating misconceptions about the “desirability” of extinction that are starting to pop up like hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Pyron's essay – with lines such as, “The only reason we should conserve biodiversity is for ourselves, to create a stable future for human beings” and “[T]he impulse to conserve for conservation's sake has taken on an unthinking, unsupported, unnecessary urgency” – left the impression that it was written in a conservative think tank, perhaps by one of the anti-regulatory zealots now lling posts throughout the Trump
In recent years, some biologists and writers have been distancing themselves from conservation's bedrock idea that in an increasingly human-dominated world we must nd ways to protect and perpetuate natural beauty, wild places, and the living endowment of the planet. In their stead, we are offered visions of human-dominated landscapes in which the stresses of destruction and fragmentation spur evolution.
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White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). SOURCE: HERMAN PIJPERS/FLICKR
Conservation International ditched its exuberant tropical forest graphic for a new corporate logo whose circle and line were designed to suggest a human head and outstretched arms. A few years ago, Peter Kareiva, then chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy, said, “conservationists will have to jettison their idealized notions of nature, parks, and wilderness,” for “a more optimistic, human-friendly vision.” Human annihilation of the passenger pigeon, he wrote, caused “no catastrophic or even measurable effects,” characterizing the total extinction of the hemisphere’s most abundant bird — whose population went from billions to zero inside a century (certainly a “measurable effect” in itself) — as an example of nature’s “resilience.” British ecologist Chris Thomas's recent book, Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature is Thriving in an Age of Extinction,
argues that the destruction of nature creates opportunities for evolution of new lifeforms that counterbalance any losses we create, an idea that is certainly optimistic considering the burgeoning lists of endangered species. Are we really ready to consider that disappearing rhinos are somehow counterbalanced by a new subspecies of daisy in a railroad track? Maybe it would be simpler if Thomas and his comrades just said, “We don't care about nature.'' Enter Pyron, who — at least in his initial essay — basically said he doesn't. He's entitled to his apathy, but no biologist is entitled to butcher the scientic fundamentals on which they hang their opinions. Pyron began with a resonant story about his nocturnal rediscovery of a South American frog that had been thought recently extinct. He and colleagues THE HIMALAYAN | 25
collected several that, he reassured us, “are now breeding safely in captivity.” As we breathed a sigh of relief, Pyron added, “But they will go extinct one day, and the world will be none the poorer for it.” The conviction that today's slides toward mass extinction are not inevitable spurred the founding of the conservation movement. I happen to be writing this in the Peruvian Amazon, having just returned from a night walk to a light-trap where I helped a biologist collect moths. No one yet knows how many species live here. Moths are important pollinators. Knowing them helps detangle a little bit of how this rainforest works. So it's a good night to mention that the number of species in an area carries the technical term “species richness.” More is richer, and fewer is, indeed, poorer. Pyron's view lies outside scientic consensus and societal values. Pyron wasn't concerned about his frogs going extinct, because, “Eventually, they
will be replaced by a dozen or a hundred new species that evolve later.” But the timescale would be millennia at best — meaningless in human terms — and perhaps never; hundreds of amphibians worldwide are suffering declines and extinctions, raising the possibility that major lineages and whole groups of species will vanish. Pyron seemed to have no concerns about that possibility, writing, “Mass extinctions periodically wipe out up to 95 percent of all species in one fell swoop; these come every 50 million to 100 million years.” But that's misleading. “Periodically” implies regularity. There's no regularity to mass extinctions. Not in their timing, nor in their causes. The mass extinctions are not related. Three causes of mass extinctions — prolonged worldwide atmosphere-altering volcanic eruptions; a dinosaur-snufng asteroid hit; and the spreading agriculture, settlement, and sheer human appetite driving extinctions today — are unrelated.
Rio Pescado stubfoot toad (Atelopus balios). SOURCE: DE INVESTIGACIÓN Y CONSERVACIÓN DE ANFIBIOS/FLICKR
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The conviction that today's slides toward mass extinction are not inevitable, and could be lessened or avoided, spurred the founding of the conservation movement and created the discipline of conservation biology.
instance, directly causes the evolution of many types of highly specialized pollinating insects, hummingbirds, and pollinating bats, who visit only the “right” trees. Many owering plants are pollinated by just one specialized species.
But Pyron seems unmoved. “Extinction is the engine of evolution, the mechanism by which natural selection prunes the poorly adapted and allows the hardiest to ourish,” he declared. “Species constantly go extinct, and every species that is alive today will one day follow suit. There is no such thing as an 'endangered species,' except for all species.”
Pyron muddles several kinds of extinctions, then serves up further misunderstanding of how evolution works. So let’s clarify. Mass extinctions are global; they involve the whole planet. There have been ve mass extinctions and we’ve created a sixth. Past mass extinctions happened when the entire planet became more hostile. Regional wipeouts, as occurred during the ice ages, are not considered mass extinctions, even though many species can go extinct. Even without these major upheavals there are always a few species blinking out due to environmental changes or new competitors. And there are pseudoextinctions where old forms no longer exist, but only because their descendants have changed through time.
Let us unpack. Extinction is not evolution’s driver; survival is. The engine of evolution is survival amidst competition. It’s a little like what drives innovation in business. To see this, let’s simply compare the species diversity of the Northern Hemisphere, where periodic ice sheets largely wiped the slate clean, with those of the tropics, where the evolutionary time clock continued running throughout. A couple of acres in eastern temperate North America might have a dozen tree species or fewer. In the Amazon a similar area can have 300 tree species. All of North American has 1,400 species of trees; Brazil has 8,800. All of North America has just over 900 birds; Colombia has 1,900 species. All of North America has 722 buttery species. Where I am right now, along the Tambopata River in Peru, biologists have tallied around 1,200 buttery species. Competition among living species drives proliferation into diversied specialties. Specialists increasingly exploit narrowing niches. We can think of this as a marketplace of life, where little competition necessitates little specialization, thus little proliferation. An area with many types of trees, for
New species do not suddenly “arise,” nor are they really new. They evolve from existing species, as population gene pools change. Crucially for understanding the relationship between extinction and evolution is this: New species do not suddenly “arise,” nor are they really new. New species evolve from existing species, as population gene pools change. Many “extinct” species never really died out; they just changed into what lives now. Not all the dinosaurs went extinct; theropod dinosaurs survived. They no longer exist because they evolved into what we call birds. Australopithecines no longer exist, but they did not all go extinct. Their children morphed into the genus Homo, and the tool- and remaking Homo erectus may well have survived to become us. If they indeed are THE HIMALAYAN | 27
our direct ancestor — as some species was — they are gone now, but no more “extinct” than our own childhood. All species come from ancestors, in lineages that have survived. Pyron's contention that the “hardiest” ourish is a common misconception. A sloth needs to be slow; a faster sloth is going to wind up as dinner in a harpy eagle nest. A white bear is not “hardier” than a brown one; the same white fur that provides camouage in a snowy place will scare away prey in green meadow. Bears with genes for white fur ourished in the Arctic, while brown bears did well amidst tundra and forests. Polar bears evolved from brown bears of the tundra; they got so specialized that they separated, then specialized further.
Becoming a species is a process, not an event. “New” species are simply specialized descendants of old species. True extinctions beget nothing. Humans have recently sped the extinction rate by about a thousand times compared to the fossil record. The fact that the extinction of dinosaurs was followed, over tens of millions of years, by a proliferation of mammals, is irrelevant to present-day decisions about rhinos, elephant populations, or monarch butteries. Pyron’s statement, “There is no such thing as an ‘endangered species,’ except for all species,” is like saying there are no endangered children except for all children. It’s like answering “Black lives matter” with “All lives matter.” It’s a way of intentionally missing the point.
Chestnut-sided warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica). SOURCE: FRANCESCO VERONESI/WIKIMEDIA
Here's the point: All life today represents non-extinctions; each species, every living individual, is part of a lineage that has not gone extinct in a billion years. Pyron also expressed the opinion that “the only reason we should conserve biodiversity is for ourselves …” I don't know of another biologist who shares this opinion. Pyron's statement makes little practical sense, because reducing the diversity and abundance of the living world will rob human generations of choices, as values change. Save the passenger pigeon? Too late 28 | THE HIMALAYAN
for that. Whales? A few people acted in time to keep most of them. Elephants? Our descendants will either revile or revere us for what we do while we have the planet's reins in our hands for a few minutes. We are each newly arrived and temporary tourists on this planet, yet we nd ourselves custodians of the world for all people yet unborn. A little humility, and forbearance, might comport. Thus Pyron’s most jarring assertion: “Extinction does not carry moral signicance, even when we have caused it.” That statement is a stranger to thousands of years of philosophy on moral agency and reveals an ignorance of human moral thinking. Moral agency issues from an ability to consider consequences. Humans are the species most capable of such consideration. Thus many philosophers consider humans the only creatures capable of acting as moral agents. An asteroid strike, despite its consequences, has no moral signicance. Protecting bears by declaring Katmai National Monument, or un-protecting Bears Ears National Monument, are acts of moral agency. Ending genetic lineages millions of years old, either actively or by the willful neglect that Pyron advocates, certainly qualies as morally signicant. Do we really wish a world with only what we “rely on for food and shelter?” Do animals have no value if we don't eat them? How can we even decide which species we “directly depend'' upon? We don't directly depend on peacocks or housecats, leopards or leopard frogs, humpback whales or hummingbirds or chestnut-sided warblers or millions of others. Do we really wish a world with only what we “rely on for food and shelter,” as Pyron seemed to advocate? Do animals have no value if we don't eat them? I happen not to view my dogs as food, for instance. Things we “rely
on” make life possible, sure, but the things we don't need make life worthwhile. When Pyron wrote, “Conservation is needed for ourselves and only ourselves… If this means fewer dazzling species, fewer unspoiled forests, less untamed wilderness, so be it,” he expressed a dereliction of the love, fascination, and perspective that motivates the practice of biology. Here is a real biologist, Alfred Russell Wallace, co-discoverer of evolution by natural selection: I thought of the long ages of the past during which the successive generations of these things of beauty had run their course … with no intelligent eye to gaze upon their loveliness, to all appearances such a wanton waste of beauty… . This consideration must surely tell us that all living things were not made for man… . Their happiness and enjoyments, their loves and hates, their struggles for existence, their vigorous life and early death, would seem to be immediately related to their own well-being and perpetuation alone. —The Malay Archipelago, 1869 At the opposite pole of Wallace’s human insight and wonder, Pyron asked us to become complicit in extinction. “The goals of species conservation have to be aligned with the acceptance that large numbers of animals will go extinct,” he asserted. “Thirty to 40 percent of species may be threatened with extinction in the near future, and their loss may be inevitable. But both the planet and humanity can probably survive or even thrive in a world with fewer species … The species that we rely on for food and shelter are a tiny proportion of total biodiversity, and most humans live in — and rely on — areas of only moderate biodiversity, not the Amazon or the Congo Basin.” THE HIMALAYAN | 29
African elephant (Loxodonta africana). SOURCE: FLOWCOMM/FLICKR
Right now, in the Amazon as I type, listening to nocturnal birds and bugs and frogs in this towering emerald cathedral of life, thinking such as Pyron's strikes me as failing to grasp both the living world and the human spirit. The massive destruction that Pyron seems to so cavalierly accept isn't necessary. When I was a kid, there were no ospreys, no bald eagles, no peregrine falcons left around New York City and Long Island where I lived. DDT and other hard pesticides were erasing them from the world. A small handful of passionate people sued to get those pesticides banned, others began breeding captive falcons for later release, and one biologist brought osprey eggs to nests of toxically infertile parents to keep faltering populations on life support. These projects succeeded. All three of these species have recovered spectacularly and now again nest near my Long Island home. Extinction wasn't a cost of progress; it was an unnecessary cost of carelessness. Humans could work around the needs of these birds, and these creatures could exist around development. But it took some thinking, some hard work, and some tinkering.
About Author: Carl Sana, a marine ecologist and environmental writer, is the author of seven books, including the award-winning Song for the Blue Ocean and Eye of the Albatross. Sana is the founding president of The Sana Center at Stony Brook University, where he is also a professor of nature and humanity. He is a winner of the 2012 Orion Award and a MacArthur Prize, among others. 30 | THE HIMALAYAN
COMMUNITIES
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Meditations on the Handloom: Visiting Garobasti by Sachin Bhatia
Sushila Sangma
S
uhsila Sangma is a resident of Garobasti, Sonitpur district, Assam. A Balipara based NGO Mahila Shakti Kendra(MASK) has promoted and nurtured self-help groups that have vitalised the village. We were curious to learn about their handlooms and the cloth they weaved, and we were fortunate to have Sushila as our guide. Handlooms are very relevant. The handloom industry has a pan-India presence and as per Ministry of Textiles', 2017-18 Annual Report it employed 43 lakh people, contributing to nearly 15% of the country's cloth production. Majority of the looms in the North East are engaged in domestic production and as per 2009-10 data majority of the weavers in the North East were female. 32 | THE HIMALAYAN
The Central Government is in the process of setting up 195 Handloom Clusters in the North East with a ď€ nancial outlay of 98.7 crores. Sualkuchi, in Kamrup District, is already renowned for its Muga Silk Sarees produced at its Handloom Cluster. Innovations that increased productivity and improved quality developed here to meet growing demand. Deepak Bharali from Sualkuchi has been recognised and interviewed many times for his contributions. Setting up handloom clusters is an attempt to bring the skill out of the domestic sphere into the commercial. Our guide took us to Pinky Sangma's house, who is considered to be a particularly skilled weaver. It was interesting to learn and hear about the
natural methods the Garo community employed to obtain thread and dyes. Eri Silk, the product of the domesticated silkworm, is cultivated and its protein rich pupae is a delicacy. Thread is spun on a spinning device locally known as Takuri and dyed using a concoction of crushed leaves, alum and boiling water. Cloth produced on their handlooms is versatile being used to make wrap around skirts known locally as Dakmanda, shawls as well as cushion covers. The breeding bulls, contrary to the general wisdom are loosely attached to the herds and enter a herd in search of primed females ready to serve being in oestrous. The same dominant bull can shuttle between neighboring herds for the breeding purpose and would have his access to the harem only till he could establish dominance over other adult bulls living in or around the herds. Whenever any other bull challenges his dominance, the previous bull will either have to defeat him to continue to remain the accepted breeding bull or will have to leave the status to the challenger. This is in a way an excellent breeding behaviour seen in the elephants, which ensures that only the best genes pass down the generations and the weak genes are eliminated from the succeeding generations. The experts attribute this natural selection in the form of their breeding behaviour to be the most important reason for the survival of the species against so many odds. As human population explode in this elephant country; roads, railway tracks and channels are built in their territory, we see the more courageous and stronger breeding bulls leading the herds in their movements which we can observe as altered behavior. Natural habitat, which is a most important part in the survival of the elephants, is reducing day by day due to the human population growth. Encroachment of the
wild ranges for construction of buildings and houses made these huge mammals to be enclosed in a natural conď€ nement where even their primary needs are restricted. Indirectly the natural drifting behaviour of those animals for search of food and water are also limited. So the human inhabited areas also have become their grazing ď€ elds in ravenous seasons. The delicious food materials such as sugarcane, maize, paddy,banana etc.attracts these huge vegetarians to the human dwelling areas. But the villagers would not allow them to stay there during the day. But there natural habitats are almost gone. So where do they go for the day shelter? The only place they can rest in reasonable safety during the day are the tea plantations, as anybody approaching them are easily noticed by the herd in a tea garden. Though the elephants in tea estates are photographers delight and looks gorgeous, tea gardens are not safe heavens for the elephants either. All monocultures in the gardens do not provide them any food for the whole day as even the undergrowths are sprayed with weedicides! Remember their huge food requirement and biological peculiarity that what they eat they pass out within six to eight hours! So the animals entering a garden in the wee hours, forced to spend at least nine to ten hours without any food and often even water and by late afternoon, the hunger becomes unbearable and as they come out to raid the paddy ď€ elds or village orchards, the intense hunger makes them unstoppable, like tsunami waves overcoming all physical barriers. So senseless destruction of their habitat and the corridors is the result of this kind of aggressive behavior induced by man! They grow so frustrated that some of them have even started attacking cows or other domestic animals which was quite unheard of in the past. THE HIMALAYAN | 33
In not so distant past, we have seen villagers driving wild herds with res on the elephant paths, now they have stopped being scared of re, in fact many a times they have douched the re with water that they carry in their trunks for this purpose! We have created power fencing, they have also learnt to overcome that. We have seen them breaking sides of trenches put up as barriers to cross without difculty. So it is not a rocket science not to understand why they do all these! Hunger is the greatest motivation! They
have started to cross railway tracks which were not their traditional corridors, because of total damage or encroachments on their habitats and train hit cases started happening in nontraditional areas. So our behavior induces changes in the behavior of wild elephants, because they are intelligent animals. They will innovate ideas to survive. So we must do serious introspection to keep wild elephants within their behavioral domain, otherwise both of us are bound to suffer serious losses in coming future.
Pinky Sangma operating the pit loom
It made us immensely happy to hear the pride with which members of the Garo community attached with their handiwork. What we refer to as "products" are items essential to the dignied existence of the community. It is no doubt an illustration of the wonderful relationship they share with their environment. Our conversation often involved references to the medicinal uses
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of the plant as well as the utility of bamboo in making sieves as well as furniture. Each community has its own distinctive style. Despite the many responsibilities women had - maintaining the house, cooking meals, gathering vegetables, ensuring the children went to school- some of them still took out time to weave. Being Christians the Garo community weaved their best cloth to celebrate Christmas.
In Garobasti, handloom weaving is a domestic activity. Not all houses keep handlooms nowadays, or more precisely not all houses required a handloom. Competition from machine made cloth in the market has played the biggest role in dampening weaving activity in the village. Sushila illustrated this with the example of a simple men's wrap-around that costs them 150Rs. to produce but similar machine made cloth is available for not more than 90Rs. Their hand woven dakmanda and shawls would have to retail at much higher prices to sustain a village industry - 1200Rs. and 3000Rs. respectively, and this makes it difcult to get buyers. Where is the market that would appreciate the signicance as well as the
quality of their product? What kind of setup would ensure that the women weaving would receive the largest share of the prots, hence vitalising the industry? Having access to capital is empowering and ensuring that women received their well-deserved earnings is an important step. We truly have much to learn from the members of the many hard working and intelligent communities in India. NGOs as well as central organisations like the Handloom Export Promotion Council(HEPC) will have to work in sync to lead grassroot transformation. The sooner they are connected with the right markets the greater the chances that they will proudly retain their identity as India enters the future.
From left: Rithvik URS, Sachin Bhatia, Pinky Sangma's mother, daughter, Suhsila Sangma, Pinky Sangma, Ayush Kukreja
About Author: I'm Sachin Bhatia. With interests in the intersection of History, Environmental Science and Computer Science, I nds that this leaves me with a lot to think. Ensuring that every human being can lead a life of dignity should be humanity's aim. Photographs by Rithvik URS. THE HIMALAYAN | 35
The GEF-Satoyama Project: Bringing Landscapes and Seascapes with People to the Center of Conservation by Yoji Natori, Ph.D., Conservation International Japan
G
EF-Satoyama Project is a project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), that aims to achieve societies in harmony with nature, with sustainable primary production sector based on traditional and modern wisdom, and to make signicant contributions to global targets for conservation of biological diversity. While protecting pristine natural areas and other high conservation value areas continue to be important, global conservation of biodiversity will not be achieved without the sustainable management of areas in which people and nature interact. Production landscapes and seascapes refer to the space in which primary industry activities (agriculture, forestry and sheries) take place in general. Such landscapes and seascapes are important 1
as buffers and provide vital connection between protected areas. They are also important for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in their own right. Among the production landscapes and seascapes, those that integrate the values of biodiversity and social aspects harmoniously with production activities, such that production activities support biodiversity and vice versa, are termed the socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS). They are called “Satoyama” in Japan, where their values have been recognized and made into an international initiative. This project intends to address the barriers that many SEPLSs face globally, such as insufcient recognition of their values, disappearing traditional knowledge and weak governance.
Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) are dynamic mosaic of habitats and land and sea uses where the harmonious interaction between people and nature maintains biodiversity while providing humans with the goods and services needed for their livelihoods, survival and well-being in a sustainable manner, and are found in many places in the world under different names and are deeply linked to local culture and knowledge (from the IPSI Charter). 36 | THE HIMALAYAN
The GEF-Satoyama Project consists of three interrelated, mutually-informing components. First, the Project supports ten on-the-ground projects in three Biodiversity Hotspots of the world (IndoBurma, Tropical Andes and Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands). In total, the Project covers 216,682 ha of land and 3,903,677 ha of sea, which are home to at least 120 threatened species. In India speciď€ cally, we are supporting the work of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in creating the network of Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) with villages in Nagaland where wildlife hunting is an important part of their cultural identity. Villagers realized that they had overly used their wildlife to the point that their own cultural identity could be lost. They decided to protect their wildlife to protect their culture by creating the no-hunting zone as a community conserved area (CCA). TERI
supports villagers in alternative livelihood means, including ecotourism, and trains youths in biodiversity monitoring. This project covers 3,751 ha of land. This activity of the local villages in Nagaland received a special mention of the 2018 National Biodiversity Award. The second component is the knowledge generation component, which focuses on mapping and case studies. Mapping attempts to identify global distribution of priority SEPLS, which will facilitate policy dialogues and project development, as well as identify the aspects in need of further research. The mapping results will be made available online to facilitate further discussion. The case study analysis, which are studying the ten site-based projects mentioned above in depth, addresses the following themes to overcome the barriers SEPLS faces globally: THE HIMALAYAN | 37
Ÿ
How can we have the values of SEPLS recognized?
Ÿ
How can we capture and make use of the traditional knowledge in the SEPLS?
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How can we improve the governance of SEPLS?
The third component is the capacity building and outreach component. The Project had offered training sessions on the use of the “Indicators of Resilience in SEPLS” to understand better people's relationships with landscapes. Major international conferences, such as those of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative, are used as platforms of outreach and experience sharing. In August 2018, the Project held the Consolidation Workshop in Mauritius
with 40 people, including representatives from all ten site-based projects under the Project. One of the interesting nding from this workshop was that provisioning services of ecosystems are the agent that help the value of SEPLS recognized; food was discussed to be particularly effective in this value recognition. Another valuable learning was the differences that existed among the global set of projects about the practice and importance of rotational farming, such as jhuming. In India and Thailand, it is a traditional and sustainable land use. In other parts of the world, rotational farming is equated with unsustainable slush and burn. This difference was considered as an issue worthy of further experience-exchange. The potential of SEPLS for sustainable development is huge. We intend to continue working in India to capture this potential in coming years.
A view of the community conserved area in Zuniboto District, Nagaland. (Courtesy: TERI) Project website: http://gef-satoyama.net/
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TECHNOLOGY
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Technology and Conservation by Joanna Dawson, Balipara Foundation
A
s environmental degradation and burgeoning regional development eats into natural habitats around the world, conservation has become one of the pressing needs of the hour for those looking to create a sustainable future for the following generations. At present, we are still struggling to comprehend the full consequences of biodiversity loss across the globe: the disruptions of existing natural systems are only just beginning to make themselves felt and as biodiversity loss accelerates, it is likely that these effects will worsen. In addition to biodiversity loss, many of these habitats have a signiď€ cant role in serving as carbon sinks for countries, mitigating the worst effects of climate change and atmospheric pollution. The potential of these natural resources is still being researched and understood, particularly in the ď€ eld of medicine. Others form a core part of indigenous communities' lives, serving as both livelihood support and centres of religious and community life among these communities. It is crucial, then, to move towards conservation methods that can achieve the best results in restoring natural biodiversity and habitats around the world, while facilitating the sustainable and responsible uses of the resources they present to the world. 40 | THE HIMALAYAN
Technology has formed the backbone of conservation efforts since early efforts began in the 19th century. Along with the formulation of scientiď€ c principles and thoughts in the West, attention turned to the question of effectively managing forest and timber resources in Europe and the emerging colonies. Early efforts included the use of medical topography reports, used to map the climate, habitats and disease prevalence in India, to establish the impact of deforestation and desiccation on local environments. These reports formed the earliest rationale behind systematic efforts to protect India's forest lands. As technological innovations accelerate today, they have opened up new vistas for conservation activities. Their uses have been proved in meeting the challenges of older conservation efforts, such as monitoring habitats and species and in managing their preservation. But newer innovations have also paved the way towards facilitating large-scale habitat clean-up and restoration, particularly in inaccessible environments or hazardous situations such as oil spills. Technology has also made the process of conservation accessible, inviting citizen scientists to participate in conservation work globally via the internet and crowdsourcing methods, whether in recording species or in reporting habitat damage as it occurs.
Balipara Foundation Awardee, Zakhuma Don
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Camera traps & bioacoustics One of the biggest challenges facing conservationists in the eld is recording and observing the natural behavior of species and habitats, without spurring behavioral changes in species or stressing the environment by the use of intrusive technology. Camera traps and bioacoustics sensor recordings have made this easier to achieve: camera traps have sensors designed to “trip” the camera shutter when they register an animal's presence and bioacoustic sensors continuously record habitat soundscapes. In mapping soundscape and visual data in the eld, it is possible to determine the health and diversity of a habitat area and provide data that can be used to determine if changes need to be made to existing conservation spaces. Camera traps provide further information and possibilities beyond the visual record and study of species in their natural habitat. Images collected from traps are used in awareness creation efforts, to encourage action amongst various stakeholders towards conservation efforts. In India, Zakhuma Don, working with the Mizoram forest department, has collected these images to create a repository of natural history images that are used for conservation outreach, awareness and action. On the other hand, videographers and photographers are crucial in using photo and video in documenting rare species and their behaviours – such as the videos of Hiskiya Sangma for the Pigmy Hog Conservation Program. Through his videos project authorities were able to record and understand the behaviour of this endangered animal.
Balipara Foundation Awardee, Hiskiya Sangma
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In Papua New Guinea, bioacoustics have been found to be useful in developing land conservation plans in cooperation with local communities in the Adelbert Mountains. The majority of the land in the region is owned by local communities and in this region, the largest cause of deforestation has come from locals clearing forest land for agricultural purposes. Bioacoustics have proved helpful in studying communally designated conservation lands, mapping the patterns of biodiversity health through the complexity of the forest soundscape to determine the optimum size of a conservation area and the patterns of biodiversity in spatial zone overlaps i.e. where hunting and conservation areas or agricultural land and conservation areas meet. Real time monitoring With the advent of satellite transfer, both images and recordings from camera traps and bioacoustics recorders can be dispatched in real time – instead of being stored and retrieved at xed points in times. This has facilitated real time monitoring of these habitats for intrusions of poachers, encroachers, illegal loggers and for other environmental stressors that might negatively impact species in the area. There are other monitoring tools that have gained popularity in recent years. Improvements in GPS tracking have made it easier to track animal movement, resources and demographics over time, slowly phasing out the older and riskier radio-based tracking technologies. GPS tracking can be complemented with other miniature sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, micro cameras, barometers etc. which can measure the animal's speed and heart rate, as well as information about the
animal's immediate environment such as air or water temperature. With this information, it is now possible for conservationists and ecologists to track hard to nd species spread out across difcult terrains and environments as well as answer questions about the physiology, behavior and ecology of animals in their natural habitats – and to track shifts in any of these measurements. These shifts, in turn, can be used to determine whether there are threats present in the species' habitats: whether via humans, invasive species or environmental changes. Mapping Conservation has always been intimately linked with the development of new maps and mapping technologies such as the medico-topological maps mentioned earlier, which were used to create a body of evidence in favour of instituting protections on India's forestlands. Mapping techniques have improved signicantly since then, with the advent of new technologies such as 3D rendering, satellite imagery, autonomous vehicles & drones, geothermal and laser technology. It is possible now to frequently map and monitor vast areas, to ensure that forest cover has remained intact. In the oceans, remote-controlled robots such as the Wave Glider SV3, powered by waves and solar power, are proving crucial to efforts to understand deep ocean ecosystems and better develop conservation efforts in the deep seas. Additional mapping softwares have also signicantly increased the amount of information that can be conveyed via maps. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping, for example, is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface. In doing so, THE HIMALAYAN | 43
GIS maps enable a better understanding of spatial patterns and relationships. The World Wildlife Fund has used GIS powered maps of the snow leopard's habitats, ranging across the eastern Himalayas, to develop a repository of knowledge shared via their ThirdPole GeoLab. These maps indicate shifts in habitat, climate-based change, environmental degradation, watersheds, land use and others. The digital nature of this database facilitates knowledge sharing among experts and professionals – the database therefore serves as both an educational tool and a tool to understand the snow leopard's habitats in a way that will help facilitate future conservation efforts for the creature. The digital turn With the advent of cloud computing, conservationists have been able to develop apps that encourage allow for conservationists to aggregate and share detailed analyses and data in real time, allowing them to respond to immediate threats to species and create systematic studies of areas under protection. In India, for example, the M-STrIPES app allows eld patrols to quickly upload and collect data on tigers and their ecosystem to a central system, facilitating the modernization of the country's tiger population estimates. The Zoological Society of London's SMART technology has a similar function, in giving rangers and wildlife managers the tools to record and analyze data such as sick animals, poacher camps and any details observed on their patrols. This data is then aggregated and standardized to map things like patrol coverage and hotspots of illicit activity – making it possible for preservation areas to allocate resources effectively across the habitats they protect. The open source nature of this technology means 44 | THE HIMALAYAN
that it can be implemented with relative ease and little expense around the world. In Bhutan, this technology has been implemented with great effect in the Royal Manas National Park, with the help of the forest guard, Jhampel Lendup. By using smartphones to log data across the park, ofcials from the Forest department are better able to monitor and respond to biodiversity threats in the region. as New data-crunching software can also be used to assess current conservation efforts of protected species, particularly in ascertaining whether there is a match between their habitats – high priority conservation areas – and currently designated protected areas. In the eastern Himalayas, for example, a recent study by Dorji et al (2018), using various softwares such as letsR and Zonation, was used to assess the synchronicity between endangered species' habitats and protected areas and was able to ascertain a mismatch between the two. Through their analysis they were able to arrive at a better understanding of the areas that require protection for various species and recommendations for improvements. With the digitization of knowledge, the creation of large and shareable databases of information that can be accessed globally has made knowledge sharing among conservation groups easier than ever. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility, for example, is a database that provides free online access to occurrence records on nearly two million species, encouraging large-scale data analysis that would otherwise be impossible. In India, the Balipara Foundation's Asian Elephant Secretariat facilitates knowledge sharing between conservationists involved in efforts to preserve Asian
Elephant populations and mitigate the worst of human-elephant conict in these creatures' habitats. The Secretariat also serves as a knowledge repository, collecting journal articles and data related to the conservation, health, behavior and habitats of elephants across decades. Through this, conservationists interested in protecting elephants, especially in the eastern Himalayan region, can share best practices and relevant data to build sustainable and effective conservation plans for the Asian elephant. These innovations are only the tip of the iceberg of technological efforts to protect habitats and biodiversity globally. Technology innovations are playing a signicant role in habitat restoration efforts, especially in ocean clean-up where access is difcult, the scale is
immense and humans may end up exposed to toxins (as during oil spills) that are detrimental to their health. The role of robotics and nanotechnology in such arenas are as yet to be fully explored. As the rate of habitat and biodiversity loss accelerates exponentially, the scale of the effort required to conserve habitat and biodiversity globally has mandated the need for newer and more powerful systems and methods to mitigate the worst of these losses. However, as newer technologies and innovations enter the eld as shown, expanding the possibilities of conservation to a truly globalized operation, it is possible to imagine a world in which we can meet these challenges head-on and preserve our world for generations to come.
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References: Ÿ
https://blog.nature.org/science/2015/09/14/bioacoustics-for-conservation-land-use-planning/
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https://blog.nature.org/science/2015/09/14/eavesdropping-on-the-sounds-of-the-rainforest/
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https://www.wwf.org.uk/conservationtechnology/lidar.html
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https://singularityhub.com/2018/05/11/from-drone-swarms-to-tree-batteries-new-tech-is-revolutionizingecology-and-conservation/
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Wilmers, C. C., Nickel, B., Bryce, C. M., Smith, J. A., Wheat, R. E. and Yovovich, V. (2015), The golden age of bio‐logging: how animal‐borne sensors are advancing the frontiers of ecology. Ecology, 96: 1741-1753.
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Allan, B. M., D. G. Nimmo, D. Ierodiaconou, J. VanDerWal, L. P. Koh, and E. G. Ritchie. 2018. Futurecasting ecological research: the rise of technoecology. Ecosphere 9(5):e02163.
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https://www.liquid-robotics.com/wave-glider/overview/
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https://www.zsl.org/conservation/how-we-work/conservation-technology
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https://www.hufngtonpost.co.uk/louise-hartley/tech-wildlife-conservation_b_10106996.html? guccounter=1&guce_referrer_us=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_cs=YXkBP QlCuUq3mbwp5W6yOA
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https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2018/01/10-top-conservation-tech-innovations-from-2017/
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https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2017/12/counting-tigers-on-smartphones/
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https://blog.nature.org/science/2016/06/02/10-innovations-changing-conservation/
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/federicoguerrini/2015/10/27/halting-biodiversity-loss-with-drones-andsmartphones-not-just-wishful-thinking/#1439302255ef
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https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/third-pole-geolab
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http://www.thirdpolegeolab.org/india
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https://baliparafoundation.com/en/blog/case-study-hiskiya-sangma-india
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https://baliparafoundation.com/en/blog/case-study-forest-guard-jampel-lhendup-bhutan
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https://baliparafoundation.com/en/blog/case-study-forest-guard-zakhuma-don-mizoram
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Dorji, S. , Rajaratnam, R. , Falconi, L. , Williams, S. E., Sinha, P. and Vernes, K. (2018), Identifying conservation priorities for threatened Eastern Himalayan mammals. Conservation Biology, 32: 1162-1173.
Further Reading: Ÿ
https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2017/08/smartphone-app-combines-computer-vision-andcrowdsourcing-to-explore-earths-biodiversity-one-photo-at-a-time/
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https://singularityhub.com/2018/05/20/5-organizations-using-cool-tech-solutions-and-research-to-clean-upthe-oceans/
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https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/09/ocean-cleanup-plastic-pacic-garbage-patchnews/
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https://www.techinasia.com/autonomous-shapeshifting-boat-clean-worlds-oceans
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https://www.computerworld.com/article/2514966/emerging-technology/mit-builds-swimming--oil-eatingrobots.html
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https://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/21/tech/oil-spill-magnets/index.html
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https://www.greenbiz.com/article/5-lessons-eld-technology-and-conservation
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/02/how-technology-is-taking-conservation-science-tothe-next-level
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https://blog.nature.org/science/2016/02/12/mapping-reduced-impact-logging-lidar-forests-carbon-climate/
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https://blog.nature.org/science/2017/04/17/7-science-innovations-changing-conservation/
46 | THE HIMALAYAN
EDUCATION
Photo Credit: Hari Badale
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Efforts and Challenges to Conduct Appropriate Balance on Coexistence between Environment and Human Beings in Bangladesh by Hideki SATO (Dr.) (JEEF: Japan Environmental Education Forum) Md. Maksudur Rahman (Mr.) (BEDS: Bangladesh Environment and Development Society)
F
rom January 2013, JEEF and BEDS started conducting some grassroots projects for conducting appropriate balance on coexistence between environment and human beings in the rural and urban areas of Khulna division, Bangladesh. Especially, we have been focused on the following two approaches, sufď€ ciently considering the socioeconomic conditions of the country: 1) H u m a n a n d c o m m u n i t y development for developing sustainable society. 2) Often combining with providing alternative income sources.
In addition, we have tried to include the following three viewpoints in any activities; 1) Involve multi-stakeholders such as government, company, community people (especially, social vulnerable people such as children, females), university professors, school teachers, NGO, etc. 2) Respect the regionality and uniqueness of the project sites. Photo Credit: Hari Badale 3) Introduce the experience-based training programs, with nature observation, board and card game, study tour, etc. We have conducted the following main activities up to now: 1. Activities on coexistence between nature and human beings in Sundarbans (Rural areas) (A) Developing educational materials on Sundarbans mangrove biodiversity conservation and raising awareness of the teachers, students and community people Funding source: Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program Period: Period: January 2013 ~ December 2018 Outline: In order to achieve sustainable mangrove and biodiversity conservation of Sundarbans region (UNESCO World Natural Heritage and Ramsar convention
48 | THE HIMALAYAN
sites) in Bangladesh, the educational materials on biodiversity conservation (text books, board and card game, DVD, miniature of Sundarbans) which could be suitable for all formal elementary schools (third, fourth, fth grade) in the national level have been developed and tried to 82 elementary schools. Based on it, the developed educational materials will aim to being approved as supporting learning tools by Bangladesh government.
such as Mangrove fruit pickle and crafts, considering home stay program, conducting dolphin and turtle conservation training program, and planting trees, etc. Through the project, we have contributed to strength the capacity building of wisely use of natural resources.
(B) Coastal regional conservation activity and eco-green tourism development by shermen and eco-club in schools Funding source: AEON Environmental Foundation Period: April 2015 ~ March 2019 Outline: We aim at building a model case for sustainable community based ecogreen tourism with nature environment conservation, through cultivating the tour guides, developing the souvenir Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)
(C) Project on livelihood improvement for the natural honey collector through coast watershed conservation Funding source: Grant assistance for grassroots projects of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan THE HIMALAYAN | 49
Period: February 2016 ~ February 2019 Outline: The project beneciaries are 50 natural honey collector households (Mowal honey workers cooperative society) living at the 5 target villages around Sundarbans. The project goal is to reduce the poverty of Sundarbans natural honey collector's families and forest conservation through sustainable resource harvesting and using, by creating honey business model in this region, reducing the over-exploitation of natural resources from the Sundarbans and increasing the knowledge on the eco systems, etc. We have contributed to improve natural honey collector's livelihood and to raise their awareness on the biodiversity in this project.
Funding source: SATOYAMA Development Mechanism (SDM) secretary ofce, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Period: October 2016 ~ September 2018 Outline: The main goal of the project is to conserve Sundarbans SATOYAMA ecosystem through promoting traditional food culture of mangrove shrimp, plantation and policy work as follows; (i) To retain and enhance Sundarbans SATOYAMA biodiversity conservation through making and executing sustainable conservation action plan in the policy level. (ii) To build effective network for cooperating to Sundarbans area by making the linkage with each other among governments, NGOs, universities and communities in Sundarbans. (iii) To develop Sundarbans SATOYAMA livelihood model case by shermen families in the local community level through demonstrating and promoting traditional shrimp processing.
(D) Holding the multi-stakeholder meetings for building the collaborative networks and exchanging opinions with community people to support Sundarbans effectively
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(E) Activities on coexistence between environment and human beings in Khulna city (Urban areas) (i) Improvement project on waste management in the community society, targeting waste pickers
animals, shes and trees with the engagement of civil society, government, companies and students for making a bridge between city people and urban biodiversity. We just try to consider how to conserve the urban biodiversity.
Funding source: Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Environment Fund Period: October 2015 ~ September 2018 Outline: The purpose of the project is to develop a model case of the waste management in the community society (17, 24 wards and Rajbandh waste nal dumping site) of Khulna City, focused on the point of view of consideration for disadvantaged members of society of waste pickers (40 families). We have suggested improving waste management with the social inclusion for waste pickers through conducting the sanitation and environmental education programs, etc., together with local people.
In the near future, we will try to challenge more activities for conducting appropriate balance on coexistence between environment and human beings in the rural and urban areas of Bangladesh, sufciently considering the “ownership” of the local people and “sustainability” of the project. In addition, we will emphasize more regional benets for local people in any projects.
(ii) Urban biodiversity conservation activity Funding source: Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund Period: April 2018 ~ March 2019 Outline: This project is being conducted by BEDS (main implementer) and JEEF cooperates with it. The aim of the project is to make an urban biodiversity corridor museum in Khulna city through conserving biodiversity such as birds, THE HIMALAYAN | 51
Relationship between Conservation Behavior and Zoo Visits ShoeZ's program based on conservation psychology by Misako Namiki, Teikyo University of Science
Abstract One of the social roles of zoos and aquariums is known as the “conservation of biodiversity”. This can only be achieved when we consider what a sustainable society will look like and strive to increase the number of people who practice what needs to be done to achieve this. Zoos and aquariums are visited by a wide range of people as outdoor recreational spots with no heightened danger and should consider the aforementioned goal as their major roles as educational institutions. In considering how theories of conservation psychology can be applied to education in zoos to achieve this, and in examining the practical possibilities of the application, we propose a ”participation model“ in promoting educational activities Photovisitors Credit: Hari based on the perspectives of conservation psychology, a model that regards toBadale zoos and aquariums as ”participants in conservation“ rather than ”service recipients.“ ”Conservation psychology“ was formulated in interaction with related elds such as environmental psychology and community psychology, but in this article, we will rst consider its background and examine how it can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and practical aspects of creating a sustainable society. Also, we will touch on ideas fundamental to progressive activities that are actually involved in conservation projects. Combining social science and conservation biology to promote conservation activities Conservation education theme and practical example in zoo. When advancing Japanese stork (nipponia nippon) release to wild, human relations were fostered to promote preservation activity. It was important also to hold a chance of a continual dialogue with local interested people for a technical study of propagation, because stork's food is the small animal which lives in a rice paddy. 52 | THE HIMALAYAN
As an example, Kikuchi (2015) studies various human relations with the progress of the release activity and the psychology change of a situation of people through technique of carefully hearing the people's conversations while local staying. Also there is the study concerned with what kind of psychological change shows among undertakers with a participant of the ecotourism (Fumno,2098). Otherwise, in promoting conservation activities in practice, it is necessary to cooperate with each other while recognizing the differences in various ideas and
positions. It must be inuenced by the existence of diverse emotions due to divisibility and individual wildlife view and nature perspective. Therefore, "mutual dialogue" traces these psychological changes carefully. Relationship between conservation psychology and the zoo's programs Conservation psychology currently has two areas of interest. One is how people behave naturally and how behavioral changes towards sustainability can be improved. Secondly, in fact, people are actually dealing with nature as an important being, that is, the appearance of environmental ethical attitude (Clayton et al, 2013). According to them, people have positive feelings naturally including plants in the zoological park, they are trying to nd personal contact points with animals, and also understand conservation activities can be related to their own lifestyle of urban way of consumption. As an example, they found that exhibition of trade items taken from wildlife brings heightened consciousness to protection What we should learn from above examples is to always be noted on the behavior of each visitor and their words to be issued from the viewpoint of "how to relate to conservation activity".
Conservation Program (World Otters ‘Day 2018), (Yokohama Zoo) Interpretation after observation session © ShoeZ
As for the message of exhibition, it is important that the attendants are actively seeking to think about the visitors' themselves in relation to their daily life and the way of consumption. It will be also important to grasp
"conservation consciousness" found in a little action and words from the visitors. The relationship between emotion and natural environment, and behavior toward conservation can be expressed as shown in Fig1 THE HIMALAYAN | 53
Referring to the activity at Brookeld Zoo in Chicago, they are conducting "conservation psychology" research as to how people can become interested in conservation and the protective behavior. Their main research questions are as follows (from Chicago Zoological Society web site ). A) What is the signicance of people's direct relationship with animals? B) How about adults and children with regard to nature? C) How empathy, ecological sense, interest in the meaning of the eld develops? · D) What motivates them to engage in conservation activities? 54 | THE HIMALAYAN
Thus, the purpose of conservation psychology research is to emphasize "change in behavior" and to try to understand "opportunity and process" of why the change has occurred as a zoo visitor's internal cognition and deeply feelings. The author would like to raise that the opportunity is to be recalled through various facts behind the zoo animals, related to visitor's daily lives. As an example of that method, the author would like to introduce the formation of our ShoeZ's program below (Fig.2, Fig.3 and several photos). ShoeZ is” Shower of educational activities for conservation at the Zoos” which was established in 2014 by me and several members, mainly working in zoos with the cooperation staffs.
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Conclusion It would be more important to consciously pursue the zoo and aquarium management side to ď€ nd out "the sprout of participation in conservation activities" in the behavior of visitors. Zoo's staff carefully picks up elements that lead to conservation in the words and expressions of each visitor and acquire sensitivity to build dialogue relations that visitors can also ask questions. 54 | THE HIMALAYAN 56
Furthermore, it would to be said the visitors are treated as "participants" at the time of entering or using the service, not simply as a recipient of the service. Even though we use public places such as zoos and aquariums for "enjoyment", if we discover something and nd a connection between ourselves and conservation activities, it is already "participating". Also, we assume an unbroken group of a large number of people, such as zoo/aquarium supporters in general. The goal of conservation psychology will be to nd opportunities and processes of conservation activities among people's behavior and to explore "the source of mutual interactive relations” not only at the zoos but also every ecological life including agriculture or traditional culture. Ÿ
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Clayton, S., Litcheld, C., Geller, E Scott.(2013) Psychological science, conservation, and environmental sustainability, Front Ecological Environment 11(7): 377–382. Collado, Silvia and Corraliza José A.(2015) Children's Restorative Experiences and Self- Reported Environmental Behaviors, Environment and Behavior (47): 38-56. Humino Yoh (2008)Environmental Learning for Sustainability in an Ecotour; A Sociocultural Approach, Japanese Journal of Educational Psychology (56): 498-509.
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Kanzaki, Osamu(2011) Moral Psychology for Environmental Ethics Studies for practical philosophy (33), 127-154.
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Kaplan, Rachel (1993) The role of nature in the context of the workplace, Landscape and Urban Planning (26): 193-201.
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Kaplan, Rachel(2001)The Nature of the View from Home: Psychological Benets, Environment and Behavior, 2001: 507-541.
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Naoki, Kikuchi (2015) Residential Research as a Methodology, Japanese journal of qualitative psychology (14): 75-88.
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Schultz, P. W.(2011)Conservation Means Behavior, Conservation Biology, 25 (6): 1080–1083.
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Shibata, Seiji (2013) Psychological research on natural environment; Preference connectedness and restoratives, Japanese Journal of Environmental Psychology 1(1): 38-45.
Web site CZS(Chicago Zoological Society) Web site http://www.czs.org/Centers-ofExcellence/Center-for-ConservationLeadership (2015). (This article is a rewrite of the original thesis in Japanese by the author
Imai, Yoko, Tadoya, Taku, Ueichi, Hideo, and Takamura Noriko(2014) Effects of the awareness of ecosystem services on the behavioral intentions of citizens toward conservation actions: A social psychological approach, Japanese Journal of Conservation Ecology (19) : 15-26. THE HIMALAYAN | 57
ECONOMICS
Pic credit: Rahul Joshi
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Eco Village project in Bangladesh by Md. Maksudur Rahman
Eco Village is to solve the integrated social and environmental regional problems by the local people through comprehensive initiatives considering the ecosystem Background information of the project site: The project site is the Sundarbans coastal region of Bangladesh. The Sundarbans Mangrove Ecosystem (both a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site and a RAMASAR Wetland site) is known as the single largest mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarbans mangrove agship ecosystem is the natural safeguard and livelihood support for 3.5 million climate vulnerable coastal people. The Sundarbans covers 4% of total area of Bangladesh and 40% of the total forest of the country. It is the home of various types of species including many rare and endangered ora and fauna such as the iconic Critically Endangered Royal Bengal Tiger, estuarine crocodile, Turtle, Dolphin, birds etc. Also, the Sundarbans coastal region is disaster prone area and the front line of Global Climate Change. So, the coastal people lose their livelihood, source of drinking water, crops, livestock, farming land etc due to climate change impacts. Safe drinking water is the big crisis for the people. People of this region are completely dependent on ponds and rain water for their drinking purpose. As a result, waterborne diseases break out. Cooking fuel is
another. They mainly depend on mangrove forest for their cooking fuel. River bank erosion is also a massive hazard for these communities. Very often it washes away the embankments and the adjacent households. Lack of electricity is another depravity of the communities which made them backward people. The coastal villagers remain in dark at night due to lack of electricity and increased kerosene price. People of the coast are absolutely reliant on mangrove resources for their livelihood, but they didn't know how to utilize natural resources and manage it properly. They could have made Non-Timber Forest Products. People's unsustainable practice of natural resources and habitat degradation pose critical threats to ecosystem, while local villagers generally don't participate in conservation efforts due to their poverty, lack of education and knowledge. People of the region had lack of environmental education and knowledge. The Sundarbans coastal communities use the traditional diesel and kerosene engine boats for their regular work and transportation, tourism activities inside the agship mangrove ecosystem. Not only the Sundarbans coastal region but also all over the country specially all the coastal THE HIMALAYAN | 59
region people of Bangladesh use the engine boats for their regular work. Because Bangladesh is a riverine country. So, these diesel and kerosene engine boats are critical threat for the mangrove ecosystem especially for the mangrove regeneration process. Everyday these boats lead oil spilling into the water and thus pollute the aquatic ecosystem as well as produce lot of
carbon, which is really harmful to maintain the sound health of the environment. On the other hand, the price of kerosene and diesel is increasing rapidly and very often local people fall in difculty to purchase oil. Sometimes those combustible substances become the reason of re making and spread out it.
The Sundarbans coastal region of Bangladesh is a disaster prone area and the frontline of the Global Climate Change. The Sundarbans is the UNESCO d e c l a re d Natural World Heritage as well as RAMSAR Wetland site which is known as the single largest Mangrove forest in the world.. The Sundarbans mangrove flagship ecosystem is the natural safeguard and livelihood support for the 3.5 million climate vulnerable coastal people of Bangladesh. What we did for solving these problems: Korea Green Foundation (KGF) and Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS) have taken a grass-roots initiative to build an Eco Village in Banishanta Union of Dacope sub-district under Khulna district in Bangladesh since 2015. This initiative was addressed to solve the major regional problems like drinking water, cooking fuel, riverbank erosion, electricity, livelihood and education of the Sundarbans coastal communities without harming the mangrove ecosystem. The Eco village project is divided into three components: Green Housing, Green Education, and Green Business. Under the Green Housing component 4,594 people are getting 12,000 litters/day safe drinking water through improving local water purifying technology named Solar Pond, Sand and Filter (SPSF). Fuel-efcient cooking stoves introduced among 300 households. 2,800 solar lamps, 1,700 solar panels and 504 solar home systems have been provided among 3000 families. 11.2 kw/hour and 7.5 kw/hour solar stations have been installed at public institutions as a result almost 17 villages 60 | THE HIMALAYAN
have been electriď€ ed by renewable energy. Communities have started small business by using the electricity of the solar stations. Use of kerosene is almost stopped in the locality. Now students can read at night for a long time. To protect riverbanks from erosion 1,20,000 mangrove saplings have been planted. Under the Green Education component 4,050 students from 25 schools are getting environment, climate change education at schools and 300 villagers are learning the value of nature and emphasize the importance of Sundarbans mangrove ecology, environment friendly farming and ď€ shing through the constructed Green
Education Center and developed innovative, interactive and pragmatic education materials. Under the Green Business component 90 local tour operators were trained in Eco Tourism, 15 professional tour guides have been certiď€ ed by the Bangladesh Tourism Board and Department of Forest, 60 families received training to promote local culture and heritage, and 15 women received handicraft training to make souvenirs from Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP). Trained people are earning by using their developed skill.
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What we want to do: The theme of the Eco Village is to solve the regional social and environmental problems by the local people without harming the ecosystem. Eco village is an ecosystem based adaptation technique to solve the regional problems. It is a great tool for climate change mitigation and adaptation. So, we need to promote such incredible and unique technique for the betterment of both nature and coastal communities. To ensure the sustainability of Eco Village community based social business are needed. According to the present circumstances, we would like to cover 100% families of Banishanta union under solar energy. To do so, we want to introduce small solar gridlines system from our previous installed solar stations and install few new small solar gridlines system. This community based social business using solar energy will ensure the sustainability of our renewable energy promotional initiative. We want to install desalination systems using the solar energy for ensuring the safe drinking
water supply to the drinking water deprived villagers. We want to introduce modern Improved Cooking Stove with the communities which will surely help the villagers to use less fuel than ever and contribute to conserve the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem. It is also a great medium to reduce carbon emission. As oil driven engine boats are the main reason of oil spilling in the Sundarbans coastal region and become the reason of aquatic ecosystem harming, we want to introduce solar powered green boat with the local community. This boat has both environmental and economic importance. Using of this trade mark boat will ensure the sustainable use of renewable energy. We would like to create a mangrove forest in this region. This mangrove forest will be the safe zone for coastal biodiversity. This green belt will directly contribute to protect the embankment from the ferocity of riverbank erosion and to reduce carbon emission to a large extent. All these climate friendly initiatives will assist to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (Goal No.1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13 and 14)
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Reference: 1. National TV (RTV) news on Eco Village https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKRteC7vM9I 2. NatureforAll published success story http://www.natureforall.global/successstories/2017/8/29/bangladesh-environment-and-development-society-beds 3. National TV (RTV) news on impact of Solar activities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK33lqx-Tog 4. National TV (RTV) news on impact of Solar activities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Xh3sFGlvg 5. National TV (RTV) news on impact of drinking water support activities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqb_93w9weU 6. National TV (RTV) news on dialog at national level on Eco Village https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBfqNyM8x4U 7. Connect4Climate published success story https://www.connect4climate.org/article/solar-lamps-brightened-coastal-villagerslives-bangladesh 8. National Daily English Newspaper Daily Star published the success of solar activities 9. http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/solar-lamps-brightened-their-lives-1340548 10. National Daily Bangle Newspaper KalerKantho published the success of solar activities http://www.kalerkantho.com/print-edition/last-page/2016/11/23/432433 11. NGOs news published our success on the effects of our drinking water support activities http://ngonews.com.bd/2016/11/03/bedss-grass-roots-initiative-for-solvingthis-drinking-water-problem/ http://ngonews.com.bd/2016/11/03/why-drinkingwater-crisis-is-so-acute-in-the-coastal-region-initiative-needs-for-sustainablesolution/ 12. Donor webpage about our Eco Village http://www.greenfund.org/en/m51_3.php 13. About our grass-roots activities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBPBmWRNE2c
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Can Nature Capital Help Reduce Human Trafcking In Assam? by Rhea Hussain, Balipara Foundation
H
uman trafcking is one type of modern-day slavery and probably the largest in the North-Eastern India. There are various means and ways of rehabilitating women who have been rescued. But, the need of the hour is to create a model which will be a part of the concept of circular economy. Women could possibly be trafcked for many different reasons.
LABOR
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OR FLESH TRADE
Assam is experiencing human trafcking at large scales and it is getting difcult every year to understand the dynamics of the phenomenon. At the very onset, we must highlight the importance of Guwahati being the hub of trafcking in the entire North-Eastern region of India, which falls under the Eastern Himalayan belt. The question of the hour being “why is there large-scale trafcking from the forest fringe communities or rural Assam in particular?” This monotony needs to be broken in terms of the kind of help that may be given to 'rescued' women and girls in terms of rehabilitation in relative comparison to the conventional and mainstream rehabilitation. If we are to concentrate on the need to rebuild the 'Rural Futures of Assam' and the Eastern Himalayas, we must be able to bring back these girls and women who were sold off mostly by their family members – who in turn have also
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
been victims of ood every year or other kinds of situational victims. Women should be able to nd help once they have been rescued and should not fall into the trap of being re-trafcked. They should be able to gain stature in society for the effort they put in to rebuild their lives. We must highlight the monotony of the concept of 'rescue and 'rehabilitation in the city of Guwahati'. This monotonous cycle has not gained any attention in terms of being able to make a change in society or in the lives of women, communities and mindsets at large. The study emphasizes on the dual role played by the Government and criticizes the private sector for perturbing yet showing the unabridged version of societal dysfunction. In India, when it boils down to providing rescue and rehabilitation, the Immoral Trafc (Prevention) Act. (1956) has played THE HIMALAYAN | 65
a role. The role here was to awaken the State to intervene and allow some action to be taken, such as protection, care, livelihoods provision, shelter and so on. The gap here would be to recognize the continuous practice of trafcking at the present times; even with rehabilitation provided, the esh trade seems to continue with those who may have been rescued before. The question is why and how. Therefore, what could be the possible solution keeping in mind the sustainable socio-economic mobility of the rescued women and their engagement in rehabilitation themselves along with rehabilitation of our environment?
REHABILITATION OF WOMEN
RESEARCH, REHABILITATION & EMPOWERMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WOMEN
ENGAGE IN AGROFORESTRY ACTIVITIES TO GENERATE A LIVELIHOOD
Women & the Environment: a role. The role here was to awaken the State to intervene and allow some action to be taken, such as protection, care, livelihoods provision, shelter and so on. The gap here would be to recognize the continuous practice of trafcking at the present times; even with rehabilitation provided, the esh trade seems to continue with those who may have been rescued before. The question is why and how. Therefore, what could be the 66 | THE HIMALAYAN
THROUGH A MODEL VILLAGE
RESEARCH, REHABILITATION & EMPOWERMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WOMEN
possible solution keeping in mind the sustainable socio-economic mobility of the rescued women and their engagement in rehabilitation themselves along with rehabilitation of our environment? The context in which we see women and the environment in rural India are largely collaborative in nature. Its as if they were 'meant' to take up the responsibility of providing the households with water, food from natural
resources, cultivate crops and so on. But ironically, when an area is struck with natural disasters like oods or an earthquake, women and girls become the major target of the families to be able to sustain themselves by selling them off to far off lands – not knowing the nature of work, not knowing whether they will be provided with their basic rights. In Assam, when women and girls are trafcked, the major cause of this phenomenon is because of the oods that affect rural regions every year. Some of the empirical questions that need strict addressing, would be to help the people of these communities build on an alternate source of livelihood for themselves. This in turn will help them to refrain from treating the girl child or women folk of their communities as commodities.
The means of rehabilitating women from being re-trafcked or those who have been rescued could be seen in the light of a 'model village'. This model village in particular will have involve women from communities in rural areas to help build on nature capital and at the same time rehabilitate trafcked women. There are a couple of major issues being addressed here: Ü
Rehabilitation of rescued (trafcked) women
Ü
Habitat restoration and nature capital as an asset
Ü
Creating safe spaces for the youth of rural India so as to build on the concept of Rural Futures.
Ü
Filling in the Gender Gap
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It is therefore time that we engage women in the eld of habitat restoration along with them becoming recognized as agricultural entrepreneurs. Women have to be seen as the axis of the economy and their values must govern the rural market. The module on Gender Issues in Agricultural Labor by World Bank states that, the gender inequalities in the agricultural sector is extensive and very difcult to address. But at the same time, the involvement of women and most importantly their recognition in this eld helps to increase the bargaining power of women. It is already known through many empirical studies, women in general contribute more time on the eld than men. The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has envisioned a demo or a model village to be a place where disadvantaged groups are going to be the center of attention, by allowing them to work on sustainably inclusive projects and plans hence leading to a more productive life reaching everybody's full potential. Instead of allowing women to be rehabilitated in a city like Guwahati where they could be extremely vulnerable to the process of being rescued and again put through the same situation that they were brought out
from – a demo or model habitat restoration village would provide them with the advantage of healing in nature's lap along with their engagement in generating a livelihood for themselves through agroforestry practices like mushroom cultivation, handloom and handicraft, ghost pepper plantations, lemon plantations, natural dying and so on. The best example is the Ima Keithal market in Manipur, where over 5000 women come together to form the largest market in the whole of Asia. The concept of the market began with ancient Manipuri forced labor system where the men of the Meitei community were sent off to faraway lands to cultivate. With this we can see that, the market is not only a place to trade but also a hub for interaction, exchange of ideas, activities – just like an incubation center! It is important for women to be seen an integral part of the society and the community. They inevitably have the personality to nurture and this has been seen for ages from the very rst movement empowering women and their association with nature – The Chipko Movement. Instead of “caging” rescued women in 'rehabilitation centers', we give them the opportunity to make decisions for themselves and be free in the by empowering their needs and their basic rights.
“The article has been based on a research done as a dissertation submitted in partial fulllment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Social Work in Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Guwahati by Rhea Hussain. The name of the research is – LIFE AFTER RESCUE FOR TRAFFICKED WOMEN (A study in Guwahati).”
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IN THE FUTURE
EASTERN HIMALAYAN NATURENOMICS FORUM TM
5th & 6th November, 2019 Guwahati, Assam, India
Cover picture credit- Ritvik Sharma