Environment & People| May 2020

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Editorial

Advisors Narne Prabhakar Kaza Krishna Rao Dr. N. Harinath Dr. V. Haraprasad

Advisory Board M. Gopala Krishna, IAS (Retd.) C.S. Ramalakshmi, I.F.S, Dr. N. Bhaskara Rao Prof. P.G. Sastry Er. G. Prabhakar Prof. D.N. Reddy Dr. Rameshwar Rao S. Raghupathy Prof. I.V. Muralikrishna

BIODIVERSITY AND PEOPLES' HEALTH he United Nations proclaimed May 22 as the International Day for Biological Diversity to

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increase understanding and awareness about biodiversity and pledge to conserve bioresources on our planet. Sustainable Development Goal 15 says that to preserve life on land,

we have to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt biodiversity loss. Coronavirus is zoonotic disease passed on from animals to humans. SARS, MERS and Ebola epidemics have the origins in wild

Editor

animals. Immediately after the zoonotic origin of the virus was confirmed, China closed the

Dr. P. Narayana Rao

Hunan wildlife market. As the pressure from international community is mounting China is

Associate Editors

thinking of a proposal to provide a legal framework for a permanent ban on the trade of wild ani-

Sweta Pendyala

mals throughout the country. Deforestation and loss of biodiversity is also linked to virus.

Dr. B.Ramana Naik

According to Chief of Wildlife at UNEP "Human health is connected to animal health and also

Sub - editor Swarajyam P.

to the health of the forests". The Global Forest Watch monitoring center has found that tropical countries have lost 12 million hectares of forest cover in 2018 on account of forest fires, clearing of forest growth for extending cultivation, mining, extracting forest resources.. etc.

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Deforestation leads to loss of habitat, more human- animal interaction and transmission of virus. The Directive Principle of State Policy 48-A, mandate that the State shall endeavor to protect and

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improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. According to

P. Narayana Rao on behalf of society for

Article 51 A(g), a part of Fundamental Duties read as "it shall be the duty of every citizen of India

environment and education, hyderabad.

to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and

Address for communication

to have compassion for living creature." These two are often read together with Article 21 A, the

302, Padma Nilayam,

judicially enforceable right to life by courts. The National Forest Policy of 1988 set the national

St.No. 1, Shanti Nagar,

goal" to have a minimum of one third of the total land area of the country under forest or tree

Hyderabad - 500 028.

cover" is still a distantdream.Forests are a good source of medicinal plants some of which may

email: nraopotturi@yahoo.com

be useful for producing antiviral drugs in future. Two important currently used antimalarial drugs

contact: 9247385331

are derived from plants. Eg; Artemisinin from Qinghaoplant, China and Quinine from Cinchona

(The views expressed by authors may not

tree, South America. Traditional medicines were being used by the humans since centuries. So it

be necessarily be the same as those of

is high time to preserve our biodiversity for protecting the peoples' health while saving the

magazine)

planet. May 2020

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content

The yellow superhero – Is banana a superfood?

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Impact of aquaculture on environment and economy

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Meet the Indian Pangolin, an Unlikely Actor in the Coronavirus Arena

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COVID-19: How Vaccines and Antivirals Work, and What They Do Differently

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Why We Need the World Health Organisation Now More Than Ever

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Bird’s-eye view: These creatures

Lockdown Effect: A pristine river Ganges

are humankind’s oldest fortune tellers

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Health emergency collides with water crisis in the Himalayas

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Eco IQ

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IT Engineer Leaves US Job to Turn Organic Farmer,

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Uses 50% Less Water & Earns Lakhs

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Rajasthan Uncovers Chinkara Poaching Racket

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Youth worldwide call for action

The positive effects of lockdown on nature

on climate change, here's how India responded

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Eco cartoons

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10 Meet the new ECO buddy in town!

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Banana is probably one of the most well-known and popular fruits on the planet. Not only it is delicious and widely available, but it is also quite healthy. In fact, it is the number one consumed fruit in the United States. Also, this delicious and amazing fruit is considered to be a superfood by many! n this article, we will discuss some of the banana benefits and utilization of bananas, as well as show, why we believe this is fruit has earned the status of a “superfood”. Why is it a superfood? Well, there are many good reasons this fruit is considered to be not only healthy and nutritious, but also a superfood. Firstly, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a superfood is defined as “a food that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fiber, or fatty acids) considered beneficial to a person’s health”. In other words, a superfood is a food that can provide plenty of benefits to the human body, and prevent it from various diseases and sicknesses.

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Why is banana a superfood? Banana is delicious, widely available, and can be eaten raw or cooked in various forms. This makes the fruit highly desir-

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Th ey e l lo ws

upe rhero – Is banana

able, and practical to consume. There are many studies on this fruit that prove that banana has plenty of benefits for our human body. First, it has plenty of vitamins and nutrients. Vitamin B6, C, Magnesium, Potassium, Fiber, Folate, can be found in a banana. Also, according to the Harvard School Of Public Health, eating a banana can help treat conditions like celiac disease and diabetes. It is easily digested, and also helps the body maintain a constant heartbeat. In addition, it helps with lowering blood pressure and is highly recommended for people who have diabetes. Who should eat bananas? Unless you have a special condition or allergy to it, banana is recommended to incorporate in your daily or weekly diet. As stated above, it is ideal for pretty much everyone to enjoy. However, it is even more beneficial and highly recommended for the following group of people: People with diabetes: Because banana helps to lower the blood sugar, it is highly recommended for people with diabetes. Therefore, if you have diabetes, feel free to enjoy it as a snack, and skip the sugary sweets! This one is healthy, natural, and will help you and your body in the long run! To boost energy: Also, it is a great energy booster and it

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is recommended to consume prior to working out, or if you feel tired or lacking energy. Based on various studies, two bananas will provide enough calories for about 90 minutes of workout or walk. So next time you want to hit the gym, consider substituting the expensive energy booster, with a natural, and healthy banana! Alternatively, if you work long hours, feel free to enjoy one banana when you are tired or feeling weak, or without energy. It should boost your energy quickly! Fight hunger: Similarly, if you are always hungry and trying to lose some weight, banana might be the right solution. Because it is high in fiber, eating this fruit will keep you fuller for longer. Hearth healthy: Another reason to eat banana is because it helps your heart stay healthy. High fiber foods are known to be good for the heart. Therefore, eating fiber-rich foods like banana can lower the risk of heart disease. Children: Banana is easy to digest and helps build up the metabolism, especially for children. Also, it has more vitamins than apples, which makes it even a healthier and better alternative to apples!

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How many bananas can you eat in a day? Between one to three bananas per day is considered acceptable and a normal intake for a human. Also, if you are looking to consume it on a daily basis, it is best to incorporate and balance it with other ingredients. Ways to serve banana: The most common way to serve the banana is basically peeling, and eating it right away. You can enjoy it for breakfast with cereal or yogurt, or as a healthy snack after lunch. However, if you are looking for more fun ways to incorporate this superfood into your menu, here are some great alternatives: Chocolate Banana Bread: A fun way to utilize ripe bananas. This recipe is great if you are looking to satisfy your sweet tooth. It is practical, delicious, and can be served during the whole week if properly stored. Strawberry Banana Smoothie: If you like smoothies this is the perfect recipe to try. You can make it in the morning or enjoy it with some protein powder after a workout. Also, it is an easy drink to make, and very refreshing! Banana Pancakes: The perfect way to start a weekend morning! These pancakes are delicious and can be served pretty much for any occasion. Banana Pudding: A great dish to make some pudding with meringue topping. Catalina Castravet With a passion for cooking and baking that I inherited from my highly talented grandma and mom, I decided to start a journey and share all the delicious recipes with my beloved followers. I love spending time in the kitchen, cooking family favorites and traditional meals, as well to mix and match ingredients. Over the past ten years, I dedicated most of my time learning, testing, and growing my knowledge in the kitchen. I always strive to learn and improve my cooking skills. I took a few culinary boot camps at NYC culinary school. Also, whenever possible, I meet with various local and International private chefs to learn and also share about the art of cooking. (Source: healthlogus.com/)

3 Simple Ways to Make the Earth Healthier

Producing beef on factory farms emits 20 times more greenhouse gases than beans—for the same amount of protein. But if you aren’t a vegan or vegetarian, what can you do? We all want a healthier planet, but the impact of our diets on the environment isn’t well understood. A Yale University survey of more than 1,000 American adults found that 51 percent said they would eat more plantbased foods if they knew how this simple change would impact the environment. Relevant fact: Producing beef on factory farms emits 20 times more greenhouse gases than beans—for the same amount of protein. But if you aren’t part of the four percent of Americans who are vegan or vegetarian, what can you do? Choose Meat Wisely Researchers at the University of Minnesota examined the environmental impact of more than 90 types of food and found that conventional beef production has 3–10 times the negative environmental impact of pork, poultry, and fish. In addition, beef that’s raised with regenerative farming methods can reduce greenhouse gases. Make Plant Foods Count The more plant foods you eat, the more important it is to choose organic. A French study of more than 34,000 people found that the environmental benefits of organic were greatest from people who ate the most vegetables. Get Creative with Your Clothes Closet There’s a good reason why Jane Fonda has stopped buying clothes and instead wears what’s already in her closet. Making 1 kilogram of fabric generates an average of 23 kilograms of greenhouse gases, according to global consultants McKinsey & Company, yet nearly 60 percent of clothing goes into incinerators or landfills within a few years of being purchased. Making the most of what you own, recycling, and finding gems in used clothing stores can help to reverse the trend. (Source: betternutrition.com)

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Aquaculture can be a very effective alternative to fishing. It can be scaled to meet the global demands for marine produce without over-exploiting fishery resources Sourav Das he world has witnessed a series of disastrous forest fires last year, be it the one in Amazon of Brazil or the tragic Australian fires that rendered many plant and animal species endangered. On investigation, it was found

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that human activities and explicitly farm activities were responsible for the fire. Farmers usually burn small swaths of land to increase the available arable land area. There has been a spike of 278 per cent in the burning and clearing of the Amazon rainforest for farming in the last one year. It is a well-accepted fact that forests are the lungs of our planet, absorbing most of the carbon dioxide released through natural sources and anthropogenic activities. Yet, we fail to digest the fact that decimating these green lungs will be catastrophic to humanity and life form in general. This has resulted in an alarming upward trend in clearing forest lands in the last century, mainly for commercial farming and animal husbandry. Nonetheless, it is unfair to wholly blame the farmers for the sorry state of affairs. With the exponential rise in population over the years, commercialised farming seems like the only way to feed the growing number of hungry mouths. While conventional plant based farming and cattle rearing are the most adopted ways, there is a growing drift towards aquaculture in Asia in the last five decades or so. Aquaculture provides a cheaper source of protein and the production value per unit area is much higher than cattle rearing or any other animal husbandry activities. This helps meet food demands of the rising population in under-developed and developing countries, without having to clear more forest lands. Aquaculture produce has a much higher feed conversion ratio which is the ratio of feed to protein output. For instance, every pound of fish requires 1.1 pounds of feed versus 6.8 pounds for cattle, 2.9 pounds for pork and 1.7 pounds for poultry. Thus aquaculture requires fewer resources in terms of maintenance and land area. Furthermore it is relatively far less polluting than other forms of animal husbandry like cattle rearing, poultry, etc, which are major contributors of methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Though aquaculture can never completely replace conventional plant based farming but is a viable or even a better alternative to other forms of commercial farm animal rearing and also can be practiced on a larger scale when supply of plant based farm produce does not meet the demand. Various forms of aquaculture have been

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developed over the years and have greatly influenced the economic landscape of different places. One great example would be the state of Jharkhand where coal mining is a major sector and local economies have been completely dependent on it. The mining process pollutes the environment and also erodes the soil of its essential nutrients thus rendering it unfit for agriculture. With no arable land, once the mines are abandoned the local people lose their only source of income. The government has taken an innovative approach to deal with the situation. The abandoned mining pits turned water reservoirs are being used to introduce cage fish farming for commer-

usually polluted, dry and arid which appear grim. This initiative has led to many positive changes in the picture. Last year 19 more abandoned coal mines were included under this project. Other states have also followed suit, for instance in Asansol, a mining district in Bengal. The global demand for fish and other marine products has increased significantly which has resulted in overfishing. Fishing in the past was more sustainable as fishermen lacked the technologies to explore new shores and deeper waters. Today, fishing is commercialised and is a multimillion dollar hi-tech industry. Fishing companies use technologies like sonar and ultrasound sys-

cialised aquaculture. This pilot project was started in Ramgarh district. An article published in Hindustan Times in 2013 showcases how lives have changed in the village. Farmers who gave away their lands to Central Coal Fields Limited and turned to coal mining have adopted fish farming after a period of unemployment when the mines got abandoned. Government initiatives helped these farmers adopt a new means of livelihood. A fish farmer from the district was quoted saying that a quintal of fish seeds yields 30 quintals of grown fish which fetches Rs. 130 per kilogram in the local markets. This project has not only influenced the local economy for good, but also cleaned the environment. The underground water table has risen thus leading to an end in water shortages and there has also been an increase in overall vegetation of the place. Abandoned coal mine villages are

tems to track fish in the deep sea. These activities have resulted in the over-exploitation of fishery resources. Too much of human interference has wreaked havoc on marine ecology, disrupting food chains and endangering many species. It has played a major role in the destruction of coral reefs. Aquaculture can be a very effective alternative to fishing. It can be scaled to meet the global demands for marine produce. A good example would be farming of sturgeon in North America. Sturgeon is famed for its eggs also known as caviar. All 26 species of wild sturgeon are on the brink of extinction due to overfishing. Farming the fish is a much better option and also economically lucrative, given the prices of caviar which is a luxury food. Talking about the growth of aquaculture in India over the years, Mr Eashwar Anand, CEO, Farmhub/Fishing Chimes, said


"Aquafarming practices have been improving over the past few decades, more so in the last decade. With increased understanding of the physiology of digestion of fish and shrimp, and usage of probiotics, formulated feed, biofloc etc, the amount of waste generated per fish has come down. So this is definitely a positive sign for aquaculture. Ongoing research on alternative sources of nutrition for fish and shrimp like that of insect meal will definitely reduce the environmental footprint of aquaculture." In the recent years farmers have taken up more innovative farming practices like

fish excrement and remains provide a source of nutrients for the plants. The use of technology in this sector has witnessed a sharp rise, increasing the produce. But, humans have an innate nature of exploiting resources. In recent years farmers have introduced several unethical practices to the sector in order to increase the yield. These have caused a lot of damage to the ecology of the place. Use of antibiotics and fertilisers is a major source of water pollution. Waste water with a high concentration of antibiotics is usually dumped into natural water bodies. Moreover, the fertilis-

is affecting the arability of surrounding areas. The overuse of antibiotics and fertilisers are polluting the local water sources. A good alternative to inland aquaculture is using sea cages. These are floating cages in the sea where marine species are bred and reared. The fish grow in their natural habitat causing it to produce better yields and the usage of antibiotics is also low. This is still in the experimental phase in India. Aquaculture is a promising sector in agriculture both economically and environmentally. But like any other industry it needs to be regulated. India is on a rapid

integrated farming and aquaponics. These practices are not only more environment friendly than conventional plant based farming but also highly remunerative. Fish and plant crops are grown in the same farm. The leftovers and byproducts from the crop harvest are used as feed and manure for the fish pond. Similarly, the manure from pond bottom which is rich in nitrogenous compounds of fish excrements and remains are used for the plant crop. This reduces the production costs and also eliminates the need for highly toxic artificial nitrogenous fertilisers which are responsible for pollution of surrounding water bodies as well as the underground water table. Integrated farming is a much organic and non polluting approach to agriculture. Aquaponics is a similar approach; it is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics (cultivating plants in nutrient rich water). Plants are grown in the same water where fish are reared. The plants provide a source of food in the aquatic system by increasing the algal and phytoplankton content and in turn the

ers and antibiotics seep into the underground water table. Another major concern is inland brackish water and marine aquaculture. These require brackish or sea water to be introduced in inland fish ponds thereby, increasing the salt content of the soil and seepage of saltwater into the water table. This causes the water in the entire area to be unfit for drinking and also leaves the soil infertile for agriculture. Brackish and marine aquaculture should be highly regulated and should only be done in coastal areas where there are no arable lands. Unregulated brackish and marine aquaculture can result in long lasting negative impact on the environment. This is a trend observed in the state of Andhra Pradesh where aquaculture is a booming industry. The state is the second largest supplier and the largest exporter of aquaculture produce in India. Large swaths of agricultural land in East and West Godavari districts of the state are being converted into fish and shrimp farms of which many are brackish and marine water fish farms. This

pace due to its export potential (read blue revolution). According to Mr Anand, "The importing nations have very strict standards when it comes to sustainability. Therefore Indian farmers and processors need to adhere to best management practices to make the industry more consumer-driven". The owner of the aquaculture focused knowledge sharing platform also seems hopeful about the future when he adds that most of the stakeholders in the sector are working towards eco-friendly measures and sustainability. Aquaculture also has been a major driving force of South-East Asian economies like Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Aquaculture exports to western hemisphere have turned many historically poorer areas in Asia to prosperous ones. Both government and private entities need to be responsible in their actions so as to create an environment for growth in harmony with nature. It is futile to build an economy if we don't preserve our ecology to survive on this planet.

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While the humans have been struggling to grapple with this virus of potentially catastrophic proportions, preposterous panic and the perennial peddling of fake news, nature seems to have recouped its rightful throne in numerous parts across the world. M Sai Madhur nless you have been living under a rock (actually a safer place in these turbulent times), you must be quite aware of something that ranges between 0.06 - 0.14 microns touted to be the most devastating phenomenon since the 2nd World War. To avoid a looming avalanche, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared a nationwide lockdown from March 25, which has been extended thrice. This risky yet necessary decision sent shockwaves across trade lines, middle-class and the working class, thereby ensuing chaos in different parts of the country. As implausible as it may have sounded a few months ago, a microorganism could actually bring the world economy to its knees (which was already staring helplessly at a recession) and hit a pause button to all our lives.

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While the humans have been struggling to grapple with this virus of potentially catastrophic proportions, preposterous panic and the perennial peddling of fake news, nature seems to have recouped its rightful throne in numerous parts across the world. A major sigh of relief and a ray of hope in these bleak times has been the unprecedented plunge in the air pollution levels across the world, especially in India - which is home to 26 of the 50 most polluted cities in the world, according to the World Air Quality Report by IQAir in 2019. Mumbai and Delhi have witnessed a staggering drop of around 40-50 percent in the average concentration of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) obtained from satellite imagery between January 1 to March 24 2020 and March 25 (the first day of the lockdown) to 20th April 2020 and compared it with the observations from the same period in 2019, which indicated a stark contrast, according to a report by the

University of Leicester believes that there are several lessons to be learnt from this pandemic. "It seems entirely probable that a reduction in air pollution will be beneficial to people in susceptible categories, for example some asthma sufferers," he said in an interview with The Guardian. "It could reduce the spread of disease. A high level of air pollution exacerbates viral uptake because it inflames and lowers immunity." He also added that agriculture could also get a boost because of the drop because pollution stunts plant growth. The lockdown has also been effective in cleaning the rivers of the country. Often cluttered with human waste, industrial pollutants and other effluents, locals and officials have claimed that the closing down of industrial establishments around Delhi and NCR has made Yamuna cleaner. "The stoppage of industrial pollutants and industrial waste has definitely had a positive effect on water qual-

omable love towards the calmness in our environment - posts about the blissful chirping of birds during sunrise, the peaceful sunsets oozing radiance, 'nature is healing' and 'humans being the virus' have become the new trend on the internet. Cashing in on the bandwagon, numerous tweets claiming that drunken elephants had returned to the fields in China, and swans returned to the canals of Venice garnered several retweets and all were shared vociferously on various social media platforms. However, these tweets were later debunked on social media to be regular occurrences and unrelated to the lockdown imposed by the countries to stop the spread of COVID-19. The experts have stated that these radical changes in the pollution levels would be momentary and we would witness a meteoric rise once the industries resume their operations and the automobiles are back on the roads contributing to the ever-increasing car-

European Space Agency (ESA). NO2 is effused from automobiles and industrial establishments and is believed to intensify respiratory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis. NASA has reported that the aerosol levels in Northern India are at an all time low in the last 20 years. "We knew we would see changes in atmospheric composition in many places during the lockdown, but I have never seen aerosol values so low in the IndoGangetic Plain at this time of year." said Pawan Gupta, a Universities Space Research Association scientist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to CNN. Aerosols are particles that are present as tiny fragments in air which can aggravate breathing issues as well as visibility. Paul Monks, professor of air pollution at the

ity. We will conduct testing of the water to ascertain the percentage of improvement in the quality," told ANI, vice-chairman, Raghav Chadha of Delhi Jal Board. The story has been fairly similar with Ganga, which is usually clogged with industry disposal and hordes of religious people taking dips; there has been a striking improvement in the quality of water owing to the lockdown. "One-tenth of the pollution in the Ganga river comes from industries. As industries are shut due to lockdown, the situation has become better. We have seen a 4050 percent improvement in the Ganga. It is a significant development," shared Dr PK Mishra, Professor at Chemical Engineering and Technology, IIT-BHU with the news agency ANI. A lot of us have rediscovered our unfath-

bon footprints. Notwithstanding the pragmatic inevitability of the increase in the pollution levels, this lockdown has been successful in giving us a sliver of hope that there is a way to save our planet. One can't help but be baffled at the thought that it took a global pandemic for all of us to realise that the world doesn't belong to only humans to destroy, and that we cannot take it for granted, irrespective of our advancement in science and technology. Although it is commendable that the world has come together to fight the battle against COVID-19 proving that humanity trumps everything, it is imperative that we come together with the same fervour to tackle issues like pollution that will continue to plague the world - as we have to coexist with nature to deal with the next pandemic. May 2020

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Meet the new ECO buddy in town! A young nature lover began his journey towards environmental protection at the age of 14 by gathering few friends and started restoring lakes in his locality. The idea of conserving environment caught his attention and he then decided to start an N.G.O that mainly strives towards restoring the nature's beauty. Nishitha Pokala eet Tiru Vishal Raj, founder of Environment Conserving Organisation, popularly known

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as ECO. Vishal and his team in ECO majorly work on habitat restoration, tree conservation, animal protection and many more. ECO is known for conducting innovative challenges and projects indulging students and environmental activists focusing on rekindling the nature to its best. This environmental enthusiast was awarded 'Yuva Paryavarana vettha Award' by GHMC Standing committee and' Special Achiever Award' by GITAM University. He was also a keynote speaker in World congress of disaster Management conducted by Government of India. In Conversation with Vishal raj, the C.E.O of Environment Conserving Organisation, we discovered captivating and inspiring story of this organisation and his thoughts on environment conservation.


How did you begin with the idea of starting ECO? The thought of working towards the betterment of my surroundings honestly started with a selfish motive. I am a resident of Kapra and Kapra lake was our usual hangout place. One day, I noticed that the lake was filled with weeds. It was completely eutrophicated with Eichrronia plants (water hyacinth) which produces harmful toxins that may destroy aquatic life. The view of our lake wretched me and that's when I decided to work on restoration of the lake with few of my friends and local environmental minister Joguramanna. While working towards restoring our favorite hangout spot, we immensely fell in love with the thought of conserving and protecting our environment. One thing led to another and I officially registered this eco-club as an NGO in July, 2017. The name ECO has an interesting story behind it. Our team was always called "The Eco Buddies". Hence, we came up with an idea to keep the ECO word intact as an abbreviation. That's how the name Environment Conserving Organisation (ECO) came into existence. How are you encouraging the participation of eco-enthusiasts? One of the most significant and worth remembering competition was "Counter Climate Challenge -CCC". CCC dealt with topics like waste management, innovative ways in making the school more ecofriendly, power conservation etc, This was a six-month challenge in which almost 30 CBSE schools in and around Hyderabad have proactively participated in the competition. This competition was a huge success and it not only drove many students to actively participate, but also come up with new ideas to safeguard our environment. What sort of programmes ECO has been

part of to safeguard environment? We, as an organisation always tried our best to reinstate the environs. Few of them include: bringing traffic awareness (as advised by the UN in 2016), organising plantation drives, periodical cleaning of lakes in the city etc. We have also partnered with the State government for Haritha haram program where our organization has planted nearly 3000 plants in three hours in Hyderabad. We have also received appreciation letter by Shri Jogu Ramananna, Environment minister of the state for our diligence and dedication. Could you please mention the impact ECO has created in citizens so far? We have restored few lakes which were highly contaminated with weeds and domestic waste, turned few parks and open areas into beautiful recreational spaces. We have imparted the sense of environmental responsibility in public and this is quite an achievement in itself. Let me recite an example, there is a local park in Sainkipuri which was in a distressing condition. Our team reached there to revive the park to its original state. Not only did we clean the park, we have also brought awareness among the colony members and how important it is to live in an ecofriendly surrounding. At present, mem-

bers of the society themselves entail in cleaning their own park once a month. What are your future projects as an Organisation? How does support from Government can help you more? Well, we have many projects lined up for the next few years. We are in an idea of starting a chain of environmental friendly stores in Telangana. With the help of these stores, our motto is to make sure that farmers are benefited by selling their organic products directly without the intervention of middlemen. We are also working on the development of sustainable clothing. Here, fabrics would be derived from eco-friendly resources or recycled materials. Our team with the help of Indian government is planning to take up few long term projects where-in we have selected a gram panchayat named "Tukkuguda" (Ranga Reddy district) and attempting to turn this village into an "Eco friendly" village. If everything goes as planned, Tukkuguda will be the first village in Telangana with minimum to zero carbon footprint. Honestly, the government has always been keen in supporting our Organisation. I feel I have taken one small step towards environmental protection. With government joining hands, we can definitely repair and restore the nature in a much larger scale and make the world a better place to live.

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What could not be achieved by the flagship clean-up program, 'Namami Gange' was done by nature, with great ease, in just one month. Ruehie Karri t has been proven time and again that nature is a superior force that must not be underestimated or trifled with. Case in point, the improved water quality of the river Ganga and several other rivers during the lockdown period due to COVID-19. What 35 years of cleaning drives like the 'Ganga Action Plan I' couldn't achieve, was easily brought about by the shutting down of cities for a month. It helped provide enough time for the Ganga river to enter its self-healing mode and create wonders! The Central Pollution Control Board

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(CPCB) has released a before and after report regarding the water quality index of the Ganges, amidst others. To be a tad technical, the CPCB's assessment would take into account the increase or decrease in the levels of dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, 36 locations along the river banks have been assessed by the CPCB. The data collected from the real-time water quality monitoring stations present along the 2575 km river stretch, showed that DO levels rose marginally in the fourth week of lockdown, except in Uttar Pradesh. This is a good sign for river health, meaning that it is very capable of supporting aquatic and animal life. The same cannot be said for the concentrations of BOD and COD with the CPCB recording them as, 'not substantial'. How has the lockdown been beneficial


for the environment? Just a few days into the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several images and videos of cleaner skies and even cleaner waters started flooding social media. Air quality index of some very polluted cities such as Delhi was tipping toward the healthier side. This broke a five-year record of very high pollution levels in Delhi. Needless to say, many rivers such as Ganga and Yamuna, started becoming pristine and brimming with biodiversity. Several nearby residents even captured images of fishes swimming around in the Ganges and noticed that the foul smell emanating from the river had decreased to a large extent. The main pollutants to be aware of are‌ The first thing that would pop into anybody's mind as to why such radical changes have been seen, in terms of river health, is that industries have been shut down. Therefore, there has been no dumping of untreated and toxic industrial effluents into these rivers. According to the CPCB's data, industrial effluents account for only 300 million litres per day (MLD) out of the total 3,500 MLD. The rest consists of sewage discharge and, only 1,100 MLD of it is treated waste. Coordinator of SANDRP (South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People) and water expert, Himanshu Thakkar said, "Looking at the figures, it would seem like industrial effluents do not account for much of the pollution caused, which is, in fact, quite wrong. Dumping of untreated sewage has not stopped during this lockdown, yet the rivers are going back to their pre-polluted state. This is mainly because rivers are equipped with the unique self-cleaning properties that

allow them to decompose sewage. Industrial effluents consist of severely toxic chemicals that cannot be dealt with by the rivers. The damage caused by these effluents is ten times that of sewage water." The other reasons contributing to improved river health would be fewer tourist activities, a

huge amount of money to clean it up? The only solution would be to block untreated pollutants from entering the rivers at all.

reduced number of people taking baths in the Ganges and lower irrigation.

activity ensues after things go back to normal," says Vimlendhu Jha, founder of Sweccha, (an NGO that encourages the youth to fight against climate change). While it is not feasible to maintain the current state of the rivers, it is important that we help slow down the rate of decline in the river quality. Having better and more effective environmental strategies in place would be a good place to start. The sightings of clear pristine waters of the Ganges give us hope and a warning to protect our rivers from slipping back into their pre-pandemic, heavily polluted state. It is safe to say that out of all the outcomes envisioned during this lockdown, the healing of our ecosystem has to be the best one.

Years of attempting to clean our rivers yield no noticeable results It is imperative to point out that the 'Ganga Action Plan I' or the 'Namami Gange' could not show such productive results in all the years of organising clean-up drives. This ought to be a wake-up call to protect our rivers from going back to their previously polluted state because second chances are hard to come by. What is the point in polluting the rivers with industrial effluents, sewage and plastic, thereby disrupting a river system that works perfectly, only to spend a

Ecosystem: Temporarily healed! "The effect of this lockdown will be short-lived once rampant economic

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Of the nine years Jawaharlal Nehru spent in prison, 14 ½ months were spent in Dehradun gaol. Forlorn under the moth-eaten rafters of his cell, Nehru became familiar with the prison’s fauna, such that he no longer felt alone in the company of wasps, lizards and birds.

Sidharth Singh ne day, however, on one of his permitted strolls around the premises, Nehru saw a creature he could not recognise. He was confused by this “uncouth animal” being carried by a tribal man across the

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gaol’s gate, and described it as “something between a lizard and a crocodile”. The forest-dweller told Nehru that he would cook bujji of the animal, which he called “bo”. The animal remained alien to Nehru until he read the British naturalist and conservationist F.W. Champion’s The Jungle in Sunlight and Shadow (1933), and realised he had seen an Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata). Unfortunately, the puzzlement around pangolins has only persisted in India. Most people are likely to have seen a pangolin for the first time after it caught the media’s attention as a possible intermediate host for the novel


coronavirus. While there is no conclusive proof that pangolins carry the virus, the possibility invites a fresh analysis of the animal’s relationship with and status within India. In the time of the coronavirus, many imagine the introverted and nocturnal pangolin as a ‘Chinese’ mammal. Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked mammal and have long maintained a presence in Wuhan’s wet markets. China is the leading buyer of illegal pangolin scales and meat. Many in India took to the Internet to condemn China for its culture of non-vegetarianism and its unscientific use of wild animal parts in traditional medicine. But our own history with pangolins is more like that of our Chinese neighbours than we might care to admit. “South of the Himalayas, pangolins live almost everywhere in India,” Vikram Aditya, a postdoctoral research associate at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, Bengaluru, told The Wire Science. “But their population is now so low that they are nearly impossible to find because individual specimens [live] too far apart.” Indian pangolins are listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, and as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN Red List. But there is no census data available on pangolins in India, which makes it difficult to keep track of the population, and the impact of illegal trade. Due to excessive hunting, the animal has become so rare that younger members of tribes that traditionally hunted the creature are no longer acquainted with it. Aditya, who is currently conducting research in the northern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, confirmed that tribes now hunt pangolins only opportunistically. “These days, a group of hunters will encounter pangolin tracks and only then decide to hunt the animal. Pangolins are too difficult to find otherwise. The meat is widely liked and rings are made out of its scales to ward off evil spirits.” The superstitions about pangolin

scales that many Indians have thought to be of Chinese origin are in fact found in India’s jungles, and sometimes in its villages and cities as well. “Pangolins are illegally trapped in forests by poachers,” Saket Badola, the country head of TRAFFIC, a global wildlife trade-monitoring network, said. “Middlemen will purchase one from them and sell it to those looking to protect themselves from bad omens on the word of a tantric.” Known as banrohu in some regions, literally “jungle-carp” because of its fish-like scales, the pangolin is also called bajrkita, “lightning-protected insect”. Even in the wild, a pangolin will make use of its hard scales by rolling into a ball to ward off dangerous predators. The same logic is applied by occultists, who believe pangolin scales can shield them from misfortune. In 2018, TRAFFIC reported that 5,772 pangolins had been relieved from illegal trade in India between 2009 and 2017. The organisation also said its estimate was conservative since only a fraction of illegal trade is ever noticed, indicating that the number of pangolins poached in India was much higher. Badola also said a majority of Indian pangolins do not make their way into China since there is enough demand in India itself. “Considering the size of the pangolin scales market in East and South Asian countries, the contribution of Indian species seems to be small. The majority of products in these global markets are contributed by Africa.” Indeed, in February this year, Nigerian customs officials in Lagos seized 9.5 tonnes of pangolin scales (corresponding roughly to 9,500 pangolins). Both Badola and Aditya said it would be hard to find an Indian pangolin in a Chinese wet market. TRAFFIC’s findings show that the trend of seizures in India has shifted

from northeastern states (such as Manipur) to central and southern states (Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu), suggesting it might have become more difficult to smuggle pangolins across the border into China. The already endangered Indian pangolin, protected only by the feeble enforcement of conservation laws, could also be exposed to unnecessary danger if we imagine it as a Chinese mammal host to the coronavirus. Though scientists have stressed that the invasion of wild habitats is to blame for virus outbreaks – and not animals themselves – popular demand to exterminate bats around the world has only been increasing (because bats are natural reservoirs of coronaviruses). In the event researchers are able to confirm that pangolins do carry the new

coronavirus, Aditya said it shouldn’t “mean that pangolins are treated as pests”, and that though the coronavirus won’t endanger these creatures further, there is a chance how we think of the animal could influence what policies we do – or don’t – enact to conserve them. In 1933, F.W. Champion wrote that the Indian pangolin “seems to have stepped right out of some story book of ancient days.” With their fondness for burrowing deep into the ground, pangolins have successfully evaded public consciousness for centuries. Today, we must urgently acquaint ourselves with this mammal and understand its struggle for survival in our country. We have been a far greater threat to pangolins, than they could ever be to us. (Source: science.thewire.in)

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Dr Sri Krishna accines are one of humanity’s greatest healthcare achievements. A vaccine is simply the administration of parts of a deactivated virus into humans. White blood cells (immune cells) in the body respond to these parts by making antibodies while also developing an “immune memory” against it. So the next time an active virus enters the body, the immune cells remember the previous infection (the vaccine) and know what to do: they quickly make antibodies to beat the virus, and prevent it from entering our cells and establishing an infection. No virus entry = no virus infection = no disease. To prevent viruses from entering the cells, researchers

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As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, researchers around the world have turned to two of the most reliable treatment strategies to counter the virus: vaccines and antivirals. Both vaccines and antivirals can be designed to target SARS-CoV-2 but the way they do so are different – with very different implications for the control of the disease as well. Environment & people

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have to carefully pick the virus’s protein that our immune system has to make antibodies against, a.k.a. the target. The target of choice with SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is its spike protein, which the virus uses to enter human cells. Since the vaccine uses a ‘fake’ virus, researchers have to deliver the CoV-2 spike protein alone, not the whole virus. This is easier said than done and is the subject of multiple COVID-19 clinical trials. The vaccine furthest along is the mRNA vaccine developed by the US National Institutes of Health and Moderna, a private medical research company. In this vaccine, the genetic material of the CoV-2 spike protein is encased in a thin double-layer of fat – quite like


a tiny soap bubble. When this bubble is injected into our cells, the cellular machinery reads the genetic code like a recipe to make the CoV-2 spike protein alone, which in turn provokes the immune system to make antibodies against it. This is not the only approach. Researchers in China, the UK, and Germany as well as at a host of other companies are using DNA and microneedle patches to deliver the coronavirus spike protein payload. In India, the Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and Seagull Biosciences have all announced that they will be developing COVID-19 vaccines using the same spike protein. There are also alternative approaches that attempt to isolate antibodies against the spike protein from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, and then administer them in large quantities to patients who are currently critically ill. Because vaccines and antibody therapies have never been deployed against the new coronavirus, we don’t know how safe and effective they can be in humans. So researchers have to monitor volunteers for safety. This is an important point: most vaccines are preventative, not therapeutic. The original 2002 SARS virus vaccine seems to work pretty well, so we are pretty confident that the CoV-2 vaccine will work as well given how similar they are. But to make sure that the new CoV-2 vaccine is safe and immunogenic (i.e. makes antibody memories) will require at least a year’s follow-up before we can be sure it’s safe to manufacture enough doses for the population. Antivirals and inhibitors: The treatment model So what do we do until then? Clearly there are no signs of the disease slowing across countries until clinical trials end. We need drugs that can manage the disease in people who have already been exposed to the virus, and save them. This is where antivirals and inhibitors come into play. The drug that has received the most attention is hydroxychloroquine, a compound of chloroquine that has been successfully used to treat malaria and some

other infections. Chloroquine is a broadspectrum drug that acts on infected cells to reduce viruses’ ability to spread. Although early data from a controversial pilot study in France showed some promise, a bigger trial from Brazil yielded conflicting results suggesting that hydroxychloroquine could actually make things worse at higher doses. So for now we are unsure if hydroxychloroquine derivatives will be useful. Other promising drugs include those that specifically fight dangerous adverse events that actually kill patients. For example, the IL-6 inhibitors specifically mitigate the cytokine storm, an aggressive immune system overreaction that happens in patients critically ill with C O V I D - 1 9 . Inhibiting IL-6 protein levels in patients could reduce inflammation often associated with lung failure. Another class of drugs, the antivirals, are like antibiotics but for viruses. Remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences, Inc., is a type of antiviral called a nucleoside analog. It has been previously shown to work against other coronaviruses. It creates DNA-like molecules (that are not really DNA) that an unsuspecting virus incorporates into its genes as it tries to grow and replicate within our cells. But because the analogs have messed up the new viruses’ genetic code, they are born with defects and become unable to spread to other cells. Late last week, the first results from a study in which researchers administered Remdesivir among severely ill COVID19 patients in the US and Japan were published. They seem promising, with clinical improvement in close to 70% of the participants. However, the trial was not placebo-controlled. Other antiviral candidates have not worked well against COVID-19, and we need bigger randomised control trials to understand if this and many other antivirals have any

effect. A nice advantage here is that since many antivirals have already been approved to treat other diseases, they have been through regulatory requirements, so they can be repurposed faster if they show a response against COVID-19. Which is better? Our goal is to end this pandemic, which means preventing the virus from creating new outbreaks. So it’s not eitheror with vaccines and antivirals. It’s both. The only way to prevent people from ever contracting SARS-CoV-2 in the first place is to generate protective immunity by vaccination. But even if we accelerated all clinical trials (and optimistically

anticipate safe and effective vaccines), it will be 2021 before they enter mass production. Until then, we can’t stay on stand-by as patients struggle through severe respiratory distress. At the same time, we can’t shut everything down and maintain physical distancing forever while what many consider to be the worst economic crisis in a century plays out. We have to reduce the number of people who succumb to the worst of COVID19’s symptoms, or keep people with mild symptoms from progressing towards the worst stages of the disease using antivirals and inhibitors. A short-term strategy of continued social distancing, disease management by repurposed antivirals or inhibitors with a long-term goal of vaccines seems to be, at least in my view, our most promising way out of this disaster. (Source: science.thewire.in)

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US President Donald Trump has raised the world’s hackles by announcing that the US will withhold its contributions to the World Health Organisation (WHO), alleging that WHO has mishandled the COVID-19 crisis. or its part, WHO has the unenviable task of announcing to the world’s people that they’re facing a pandemic while trying to walk a fine line between not causing a panic and not appearing to be blaming any one country. The organisation has been at the forefront of several outbreaks since its inception, often in this manner. WHO’s constitution was ratified on April 7, 1948, under the UN; April 7 has since been celebrated as ‘World Health Day’. According to the organisation, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not just the absence of disease or infirmity, health equity and security are two of its loftier goals. It also assists governments with

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their health services before and during a crisis, whether as a result of disasters, conflicts or pathogens. The organisation acquires operational responsibilities through ‘health emergency program’ during emergencies. The Pandemic Influenza Preparedness framework is set up under this program. In addition, it coordinates many aspects of health data, research, access to vaccines, etc. WHO continues to play an indispensable role during the current COVID-19 outbreak itself. In November 2018, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine organised a

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Why We Need the World Health Organisation Now More Than Ever

workshop to explore lessons from past influenza outbreaks and so develop recommendations for pandemic preparedness for 2030. The salient findings serve well to underscore the critical role of WHO for humankind. The world’s influenza burden has only increased in the last two decades, a period in which there have also been 30 new zoonotic diseases. A warming world with increasing humidity, lost habitats and industrial livestock/poultry farming has many opportunities for pathogens to move from animals and birds to humans. Increasing global connectivity simply catalyses this process, as much as it catalyses economic growth.

How WHO discharges its duties WHO coordinates health research, clinical trials, drug safety, vaccine development, surveillance, virus sharing, etc. The importance of WHO’s work on immunisation across the globe, especially with HIV, can hardly be overstated. It has a rich track record of collaborating with private-sector organisations to advance research and development of health solutions and improving their access in the global south. It discharges its duties while maintaining a dynamic equilibrium between such diverse and powerful forces as national securities, economic interests, human rights and ethics. COVID-19 has highlighted how political calculations can hamper data-sharing and mitigation efforts within and across national borders, and WHO often simply becomes a convenient political scapegoat in such situations. International Health Regulations, a 2005 agreement between 196 countries to work together for global health security, focuses on detection, assessment and

reporting of public health events, and also includes non-pharmaceutical interventions such as travel and trade restrictions. WHO coordinates and helps build capacity to implement IHR. As a part of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness program, WHO officials help the world’s protection against flu via the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). The objective of GISPRS is to deliver a fair, transparent and equitable sharing of information and vaccines. These various frameworks are combined into a One Health initiative to account for the intimate interactions


between people, animals, and plants in their shared environment. Effective responses are possible with this integrated trans-disciplinary approach to facilitate early detection, behavioural interventions, vaccinations, and better approaches to vaccine development. To be better prepared for 2030 COVID-19 is the first global pandemic since the 1918 flu, which killed an estimated 20-100 million people. Many deficiencies have been identified in WHO’s functionality and performance during outbreaks. The US academy report quoted above identifies a few areas for building readiness, with 2030 as a deadline. The workshop focused on different types of influenza outbreaks, in 1918, 1957, 1968, 2003, 2009, 2012-2015 and the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, and concluded that several limitations exist in the international healthcare system. These range from limited potential for improved respiratory care to insufficient hospital beds and ventilators – familiar to us because they’re also playing out in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In effect, WHO needs strong and distributed leadership at the national, regional and global levels. The pandemic response shouldn’t peter away after an outbreak but implement endto-end solutions to reduce future response time and hasten recovery. The WHO network of healthcare facilities should also assist with preparedness exercises at local, community and hospital levels. Public health capacities can only be strengthened by research and development, and with risk maps that account for socioeconomic vulnerabilities to drive financing. WHO has in fact established a ‘Global Pandemic Monitoring Board’ to facilitate this process. Many concerns remain about the decline in sharing of viruses and WHO’s access to vaccines and products needed for pandemic response. Preparedness for 2030 will need more public awareness as well as resources and technologies. The US academy

report filters down the vast literature on related issues to three categories of recommendations for preparedness 2030: country-level core capacities; research, development and knowledge sharing; and the place and role of WHO in the global system. Specific recommendations in the first category are related to detection, prevention, and pandemic response. Each country needs to build capacity and be ready with plans for different outbreak scenarios. Better local surveillance and data gathering and management are critical to build resilience to risk. Increasing the capacity to respond requires training, funding and protecting healthcare workers. Global pandemic readiness should follow the old adage of a chain being only as strong as its weakest link. WHO is the only entity with the credibility to provide a template for global pandemic preparedness, and only WHO can build the capacity to ensure conformity across the globe. The structure and protocol of communications must ensure that public health events of international concern are reported at the earliest stage possible. Incentives and assurances will be needed to avoid reporting being seen as a risk. As for R&D and sharing knowledge, the recommendations argue for reducing impact of pandemics, speeding up commercial production of vaccines, increasing investment in medical R&D and building capacity to deliver medical and pharmaceutical goods. Understanding feedback loops between human and animal health are essential for advancing pandemic knowledge.

‘One health’ research programmes – which treat human, environmental and animal health together – must focus on understanding the emergence, prevention, detection and control of pandemics. And as for WHO’s role – the organisation’s capacity to support the Global South must be increased, as well as its relations with non-state entities. WHO’s brandname as a ‘broker’ of knowledge needs to be protected. Transparency of WHO’s management, training and constitution of the healthcare workforce, are essential to maintain credibility. Partnerships with

humanitarian organisations are imperative during health crises, and WHO’s accountability will be improved with regular independent assessments. Humanity cannot escape pandemics but it can escape failures to manage them in effective, efficient and humane ways. The US already has an on-again off-again relationship with UNESCO, but the consequences will be more dire if its relationship with WHO deteriorates as well. The world must unite to stand by WHO because the world is only as safe as the sickest nation. (Source: science.thewire.in)

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From death and good crop to weather patterns and political futures, birds have been used to foretell everything. Felice Wyndham eople around the world and throughout history have used birds to think about and predict the future. In Wales, the call of an early-arriving cuckoo in the spring foretells a good crop of hay later in the year. For Aymara speakers in the South American Andes, seeing a yellow-headed vulture is good luck, while spotting a black vulture is bad. In the Kalahari, southern Africa, !Xõ hunters carefully watch the black-faced babblers after an antelope hunt for signs of where their wounded prey may be. Of all the ecological knowledge people around the world use in their day-to-day lives, an awareness of birds and bird behaviour is among the most ubiquitous. Karen Park and I explored this phenomenon in our research, Listen Carefully to the Birds. Comparing reports from six continents, we found that people from diverse communities pay attention to particular birds and what they

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reveal about the world around us, from approaching weather to illness, mortality and the supernatural. We looked at more than 500 accounts, in 123 languages, of how birds are “read” in this way. Perhaps unsurprisingly, owls were the most commonly cited bird as signs or omens, and were usually related to death, ghosts and fear, but occasionally to something more positive, such as the beginning of summer. People also were found to commonly look to crows, cuckoos, woodpeckers, herons, eagles, nightjars and chickens for signs – but many other species also play a similar role. Half of all bird signs were heard – that is, they related to birds’ calls or song. For example, in Ayoreo communities in northern Paraguay, the calls of the tê plovers and lapwings signal the drying of the landscape after a flood. Visual signs interpreted from the flight or other behaviour of a bird, meanwhile, accounted for a quarter of


the total. This intimate knowledge of what birds can tell us is also often reflected in the names given to them. For example, Arandic speakers in Australia call a type of cuckoo the “bush-banana yeller” in their language because its call brings the rain up the waterways, heralding the ripening of bushbananas. Many more bird signs and multilingual names can be found on the recently launched Ethno-ornithology World Atlas, an online collection of bird knowledge, and a space for collaboration b e t w e e n researchers and the communities where they work. Reading birds In many cases, the “reading” of birds is related to a sophisticated understanding of ecological relationships – black-faced babblers lead hunters to a wounded antelope, for example, by the way they act and the calls they make. Similarly, the Welsh saying about the cuckoo may well be rooted in an awareness of the climate and its impact on animals and agriculture. The particular weather conditions that prompt cuckoos to migrate from North Africa earlier than usual, for example, may also result in good haying conditions. Other connections may either be lost to history, or venture into the unverifiable and the literary. An example is the longstanding practice of European avimancy: foretelling one’s personal or political luck with birds. Two thousand years ago, the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero belonged to the college of augury, which interpreted the flights of birds and other auspices for the Roman state – perhaps with a certain amount of scepticism as to just how

much the gods were involved. Shakespeare also had Lady Macbeth divulge her murderous plans using the connotation of ravens as messengers of death: “The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan...” But ecologists are increasingly documenting the ways that birds are able to predict environmental conditions such as tornados – by avoiding severe storms on their migration paths, possibly through infrasound perception. Ecologists are also confirming direct communication and cooperation between people and honeyguide birds, long known to East African locals, which lead honey hunters to beehives in exchange for the leftovers.

Ecoliteracy Knowledge of these ecological indicators by professionals and local people are examples of sophisticated ecoliteracy – the ability to read landscapes, waterscapes and skyscapes to know what has occurred and thus, what may yet occur. As recently as 50 years ago, ecoliteracy was a taken-for-granted baseline education many around the world experienced as an integral part of their informal childhood learning. Today, however, these skills are on the wane in many communities. It is detrimental if we lose specific bits of ecological knowledge, but it is even worse if we stop paying attention to the natural world altogether. More than one-third of the bird

signs in our sample were reported to be “omens” – and, unfortunately for the recipients, they were mostly bad omens. Omens are signs, usually understood as not coming from any particular entity, that are a feature of humans’ propensity for seeking and finding guidance in the world around us. By looking at the spectrum of bird signs, from those strictly based in ecological fact to those related to more supernatural notions of luck and omens, we are able to speculate about how they are related. People everywhere have traditions for knowing the world. Perhaps the skills honed in natural history observation are adopted into ideas about fate, luck and destiny as well. We are,

after all, constantly trying to learn from the past and to anticipate the future. From the person who depicted, tens of thousands of years ago, an owl on the walls of Chauvet cave, France, to the neighbour I overheard in a cafe talking about how they felt a visiting robin brought them luck, our lives are inextricably intertwined with those of the birds and other beings around us. By chronicling these relationships, we can better understand how people have lived in multi-sensory connection with their worlds – and keep that option open for both us and future generations. (Source: scroll.in)

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The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the long-term neglect of women and marginalised groups in water policies in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region Omair Ahmad y its very definition the impact of Covid-19 was difficult to anticipate. While the SARS and Ebola outbreaks had recently shown the world the dangers of epidemics linked to diseases migrating from animal to human hosts, each disease has its own way of spreading and its own fatality rate, making it difficult to anticipate how to respond beforehand. Nevertheless, the one thing that was predictable was that access to clean water would be

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critically necessary to deal with any health emergency. The current crisis has highlighted this like never before. Covid-19 seems particularly susceptible to soap and water. Not everyone, though, has equal access to water, and in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, the burden of fetching and managing water falls on women. There is little understanding of how this plays out across the Himalayas for a variety of reasons, especially because cooperation across the region is limited. Suman Bisht, senior gender specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), laid out the challenges. The first and foremost being that the eight countries in the HKH region – Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh, and Myanmar – have difficult relationships and contested borders. This makes any work challenging, more


so when it comes to marginalised communities within the region. Locked out of decision-making To make matters worse, in many places women are kept out of decision-making roles when it comes to water management – meaning their needs (and that of the households they manage) are often not taken into consideration when policies and plans are made. This has a direct impact on the lack of research on the subject. In 2012 ICIMOD convened the first conference of its kind in Bhutan in 2012, where researchers reviewed what little research already existed, and discussed anecdotal data on poverty and vulnerability of women. One of the studies discussed was titled, Situational Analysis of Women Water Professionals in South Asia, published in 2009, looked at women in bureaucracy and decision-making in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The numbers were startling (it is unclear whether, and by how much, this has changed in the last decade). Women, as a percentage of employees in major water-related bureaucracies, accounted for somewhere between 2-5% of the staff. There were none in the most senior positions. The absence of women in senior positions has an obvious impact on the maintenance of water because the roles of men and women are interpreted in starkly different terms. In a 2017 study, titled Gendered Responses to Drought in Yunnan Province, China, these differences were clearly brought out. As the Yunnan region suffered 12 years of drought (2002-14), it led to male migration out of the region, but it also showed how the search for water became gendered. Both men and women responded to the crisis by focussing on water gathering, but: “Men understood gathering water to mean looking for new sources of water as old sources dry up, which is their main responsibility, while the actual carrying was primarily women’s responsibility. In this situation, the men believed that they were the person responsible within the household for coping with a domestic water shortage; however, women’s daily labour increased more substantially than men’s although they were not seen as the person responsible for the additional task.” Impossibility of physical distancing

This task, onerous and time consuming, has another aspect. The long walk to the source of the water, and the inevitable contact time it creates, negates the very idea of physical distancing that is being prescribed to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. Will this get the policy attention it needs? It seems unlikely. Men were more likely than women to reach out to the authorities, possibly because decision-making was dominated by men. In the village of Haitang, where the Yunnan study was conducted, “All the heads of the village groups are men. There is a women’s group in the village, but they are not involved in community decision-making.” And China is the country in the HKH where gender discrimination was the least, according to the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme’s comprehensive report. As is inevitable there are other aspects of marginalisation which creep in. Chanda Gurung Goodrich, senior gender specialist at ICIMOD, pointed out that in Nepal’s low-lying Terai region, caste also plays a role. Upper caste families often have their own well, either in their houses, or in areas that are considered upper caste. These are often not accessible to Dalit women. Similarly, lower representation in bureaucracies (where women are already so woefully under-represented) means that women from marginalised communities often lack access to government schemes. As a consequence, they suffer from a variety of avoidable health problems, from uterus prolapse – from carrying heavy loads over long distances – or hygiene related issues, such as urinary tract infections, due to the lack of access to a regular water supply. Female health workers on the front line Speaking from her experience during

her PhD, Goodrich also pointed out that women play a frontline role when it comes to the health bureaucracy, especially in India. These auxiliary nurses and midwifes are the first point of contact for villagers. They are often the lowest paid in the bureaucracy, and often widows, putting them even lower down the social ladder. They often have to deal with harassment and social stigma, more so in a pandemic. These women are often the state’s contact position on health, water, and gender – but their subordinate role in bureaucracy and society means that they have little leverage in changing the way the government works to deal with the issue. A further issue is how bureaucracy responds to disease outbreaks. In South Asia, a breakout of an epidemic means that district authorities have to take certain responsibilities, and they often prefer to

downplay the problems to avoid this. Goodrich mentioned how outbreaks of cholera were sometimes dismissed as “food poisoning” from areas where locals had little socio-political power to gain the attention of the media and politicians. While this may have comparatively little impact when it comes to water-borne diseases such as cholera, for an infectious disease such as Covid-19, a culture of dismissing the health concerns of the socially marginalised can be disastrous. Currently South Asia remains a global outlier when it comes to Covid-19 cases, with a very low number of confirmed cases,

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though this is steadily going up. But the long dry season is just about to begin, putting pressure on water resources. In moving forward as the cases rise and water availability goes down the HKH region has a choice: to deal seriously with its water problems, to involve women and marginalised communities in its decisionmaking, or to suffer the consequences of a health emergency boosted by a long neglect of its water policies. See: Community participation is a must for water management It is not as if countries do not understand these concerns. Nepal has introduced water use master plans after the passage of its new Constitution, which explicitly mandates the inclusion of women and marginalised communities, such as repressed castes like Dalits. A study of the working of these by ICIMOD shows that this has made some difference, but social barriers still lead to less than inclusive results. For example, due to the unwillingness of powerful caste groups to share water sources with Dalits, the “solution” was to have different water sources. As a member of the Village Water Sanitation & Hygiene Coordination Committee of Koiralakot explained, “We no longer have to deal with issues of untouchability in drinking water schemes. We now have our own taps and they (Dalits) have their own.” The Covid-19 crisis shows that diseases do not discriminate, but they may have a disproportionate impact on societies and states that do. It is past time for the HKH region to take the concerns of women and marginalised communities seriously, or pay a very high price. (Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

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Eco Eco Facts Only 7% of the of the Atlantic Rainforest remain.

IQ

1. Which uses less water, washing a full load of dishes by hand, or in the dishOnly 28% of the Indonesian Rainforest remain.

washer? A billion trees capture atmospheric carbon equivalent to the emissions of one million cars every year.

Every hour, at least 4,500 acres of forest are burned, cut down, or bulldozed. More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes.

An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.

a. by hand

b. dishwasher

2. True or false? Hybrid cars are slower and less safe than conventional cars.

a. Ture

b. False

3. What type of supermarket bag is more ecofriendly, paper or plastic?

Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness

The average person consumes 168 water bottles a year.

1.5 million barrels of oil are used to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water in the US.

1 Million – Estimated number of plastic bags that are handed out worldwide each minute.

500 Billion to 1 Trillion – Estimated number of plastic bags that end up in landfills each year worldwide.

a. Paper

b. Plastic

c. Either is fine

d. Non of the above

4. True or False? Appliances that are turned off don't use any electricity.

a. Ture

b. False

5. Approximately how much of global electricity output is produced from

renewable sources?

A plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

a. 1 percent

b. 5 percent

The two main sources of energy used to make plastic bags are oil and natural gas.

c. 8 percent

d. 20 percent

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IT Engineer Leaves US Job to Turn Organic Farmer, Uses 50% Less Water & Earns Lakhs Devang represents one of the many people who switched from the corporate world to organic farming with an aim to not only grow their own food but also make organic veggies accessible and affordable to others. GOPI KARELIA hen Suresh Devang, an IT professional working in California told his parents about leaving his job and taking up organic farming in India professionally, he faced protests in place of support. His family members failed to understand why someone at a senior position would want to give all up for farming, a profession that is filled with risks. l For days, the 48-year-old told stories of successful organic farmers to his wife and parents with a hope they would at least consider his decision. But, the tales of farmer suicides and farming debt are so grave in the Indian landscape, that even today four years later, having proved his mettle as a farmer and earning neat profits, his parents

W

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are not fully convinced. But Devang has found his calling. l From Engineering to Organic Farming l In 2016, Devang purchased 6-acre farmland and a year later moved to Mysuru's Pura village of HD Kote taluk. l So, what made the software engineer leave behind a life of comfort and luxury and venture into a profession that he had very little expertise in? l "It was a combination of various things that prompted me to quit my job and return to India. I came across the story of an old Indian lady creating a forest without expecting anything in return. While I felt extremely proud of her, it was also a triggering point for me," Devang tells The Better India. l Devang hails from an agrarian family and grew up eating chemical-free food. Along with many things he had left behind in his childhood, eating fresh food was one. Something he realised after exploring the benefits of organic food. l "All of us want to eat healthy food, but no one actually wants to grow them. Some studies I read even pointed out how we get lifestyle diseases at an early age due to unhealthy food. All the articles on farm-

ing I read during my free time motivated me to go back to my roots," he adds. l Entering Into Farming When Pura was Struggling with a Drought l When Devang finally took the brave step and settled in India, Pura was going through a horrible drought and the distressed farmers were moving to other areas in search of employment. l If the discouragement from family and friends and mockery of other farmers was not enough, the drought dissuaded the engineer further and almost broke his morale. l But, not one to give up, Devang took advantage of this drought to level his land and develop water-conserving methods. For this, Devang hired the farmers who chose to stay behind, thus generating an alternative source of income for them. l He built a farm pond (15Ă—15 feet) with a capacity to store 1.25 lakh litres of rainwater. l In addition to that, he also dug a manhole around a borewell to recharge the groundwater. In the manhole, he kept pebbles of different sizes that filters the rainwater. l He also utilised the time to meet other farmers and officials from the Mysuru agri-


culture and horticulture department to learn about farming techniques. Among all the farming techniques, Devang chose Integrated Farm Management (IFM) to ensure sustainable farming. " Elaborating on this method, he says, "A cycle is formed on the agricultural land, where crop residues are fed to the animals and in turn, animal waste from the livestock is used as an organic fertiliser to grow food. In simpler terms, waste is reused as a useful product." The Benefits of Organic farming: Growing Healthy Food Round the Year For any new entrepreneur, sustaining the business amidst failures and losses is very crucial. Thus, Devang chose to produce food around the year instead of the seasonal harvest. For intercropping (where two or more plants are grown on the same place), he made a blueprint of short-term and longterm vegetables, and crops and shrubs he could grow on his farm. He ordered organic seeds from nurseries across India and started his activities. He dug trenches across the land, deposited organic wastes and covered it, "Trenches retain soil moisture for a longer time, allows only partial sunlight and prevents soil erosion from rain," he adds. Here's how Devang has intercropped the seeds: l He has planted one coconut tree each on four corners of the field at a distance of about 40 feet l He planted 100 lemon trees between two coconut trees l He then planted banana trees at eight feet apart in between lemon trees. l Finally, the space between each banana plant was filled with plants like chillies, beans, marigold, medicinal plants, leafy and green vegetables. As the vegetables in between the banana trees only take three months to grow, he is able to replace vegetables in every cycle. Explaining the reason behind his blueprint farm, Devang says, "Coconut trees give coconut every 5-6 years, whereas it takes three years for lemon trees to give lemons. So I had to plant short-term veggies to sustain myself." One of the biggest advantages of this type of farming, says Devang, is the water that is saved, "When I water the outside trees, the same water runs off in the middle,

watering the vegetables. I save up to 50 per cent of water every time I irrigate the field." Additionally, in the adjacent 11-acre plot, Devang grows rainfed crops such as millets, ragi, rice, maize and so on. Winning Hearts & Accolades For his novel methods, Devang was recently given the 'Best District Farmer'

award by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. In terms of yield, the farm gives an output of 10-15 quintals of vegetables every year and 40 tonnes of bananas. This yield translates into yearly profits of around Rs 6 lakhs. Devang has also tied up with local vegetable vendors, organic food outlets and companies across the state to sell his produce. Like Jeevamrutha, an organic outlet in Mysuru, which has been purchasing vegetables from Devang's farms for the last two

years. It's owner, Smita N tells TBI, "Many of our customers have given positive feedback in terms of the quality of Devang's vegetables. It takes less than an hour to sell the fresh produce every morning." With three years of experience in farming, Devang aims to disperse his knowledge among others, especially farmers and students, "Every child must know the basics of

growing food without chemicals and pesticides. I hope to invite schools for farm visits." Devang represents one of the many people who switched from the corporate world to farming with an aim to not only grow their own food but also make organic veggies accessible and affordable to others. At a time when farmers are quitting agriculture, people like Devang provide hope for a greener future. (Source: thebetterindia.com)

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During the first week of April 2020, the Rajasthan forest department nabbed four people suspected to have killed hundreds of chinkara (the Indian gazelle) and other protected species over the past several years. The latest incident they are suspected to be involved in is the poaching of three chinkara, Rajasthan’s state animal. he four accused, who belong to the local Bhil tribe, live near the Desert National Park (DNP) in the Jaisalmer region, one of India’s largest national parks, located close to the India-Pakistan border. This breakthrough in ongoing chinkara poaching could also lead to further revelations on poaching and trafficking of other wildlife, like the supply of spiny-tailed lizards to southern India from this region. Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Rajasthan government, Balram Sharma, who led the team that nabbed the accused, informed that the incident in the Pokharan region of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan came to light after they received a tip-off about the poaching of chinkaras on April 2 from the local Bishnoi community, which is known for protecting animals. “We got information about the poaching of chinkaras near Ramdewra village (Pokharan). A team was sent to the spot, which discovered remains like head, skin and other body parts of three

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ac

Raja s t h an Unc

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acket R hing

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chinkaras – two male and one female. Subsequently, one of the accused was arrested from his house in the nearby area along with some remains of the animals, including meat. They had shot the animal with a gun which we recovered from them. Following that, three more accused were nabbed over the next few days,” Sharma said. He revealed that some of the accused already have more cases of poaching registered against them. “They used to hunt the animals and then eat their meat and bury away their remains. They have been doing this for years now and kill animals like chinkaras,” said Sharma. Chinkara or the Indian gazelle (Gazella bennettii) is among the list of animals that has the highest protection under India’s Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Asked if they used to supply meat of the hunted animals to the local hotels

We are also investigating to find if they used to supply some parts of animals (to those dealing in animal parts) as well,” Sharma said, while explaining that the region has a healthy thriving population of chinkaras as there is no top-level predator like a tiger in the area.

preparing non-vegetarian dishes, Balram Sharma said, “no such connection has been established as of now but we are investigating all possibilities. We are looking to find out the full chain involved.” The ACF said that they are yet to establish the exact numbers of animals killed by the accused over the years. The initial investigations show that the accused have been operating in the area for nearly a decade. During the investigations, it emerged that the four accused used to hunt nearly every alternate day. “They are estimated to have killed several hundred animals or even a thousand (over 10 years) as they used to kill one – mostly chinkara – every few days.

the wildlife found in the national park are the Indian spiny-tailed lizard, dwarf gecko, Persian gecko, desert monitor, dozens of bird species including the critically endangered great Indian bustard and chinkara, desert fox, desert cat, hairyfooted gerbil and long-eared hedgehog. ACF Balram Sharma said “it is a vast habitat” and “the population density is very less in this area and sometimes one house is more than a kilometre away from the other one.” “But the forest department has been vigilant and especially during the lockdown imposed by the Indian government as protection of forest and its resources including wildlife are included in the list of essential services. Our teams have

Threat to wildlife The Thar Desert in Rajasthan which includes the Desert National Park is also among the tentative list of sites submitted by the Indian government to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to be declared as a world heritage site. Declared a protected area in 1980, the Desert National Park (DNP) covers an area of 3,162-kilometre square and falls in the extreme hot and arid region of a very low rainfall zone. Many species of mammals, birds and reptiles are found in the DNP. Among

intensified patrolling during both day and night time to protect wildlife as there is a huge risk of poaching during this time,” Sharma added. But the forest department alone can’t protect the animals and needs the help of the local community. Even in this case, it was the tip-off from the local community that helped the forest department. Environmentalist Sumit Dookia said that since the last two and a half years, he along with many local community volunteers, has been gathering information on any poaching related cases in this part of the Jaisalmer district. “This work was part of a long term wildlife monitoring and conservation project of the great Indian bustard. In the last two years, we were able to locate many spots where the spiny-tailed lizards were regularly hunted. While narrowing down the information and finding the culprit, we were able to pass information to

the forest department and successfully four cases were booked in the last two years. This current chinkara poaching case is interestingly related with the same gang of culprits,” Dookia said. He said that they believe that this case is a big breakthrough in cracking a national level network of supplying spiny-tailed lizards to southern India, where the desert-dwelling reptiles have been confiscated multiple times. “A thorough investigation on these lines is required and hopefully the forest department will be able to crack the same chain from these notorious chinkara poachers,” said Dookia. (Source: science.thewire.in)

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We must address the intertwined nature of threat multipliers like climate change and pandemics to the physical and mental health of our children Poornima Prabhakaran midst the Covid-19 pandemic, it is often heard that the infection spares children. While statistics reflect this in the age distribution of confirmed cases, preliminary findings from an early study in China suggested that this may not be entirely true. A little over 2,000 children assessed retrospectively based on clinical manifestations and exposure history showed that children of all ages are indeed susceptible, with infants being particularly vulnerable. However, in comparison to adults, children have milder symptoms and a lower case

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fatality. The cases recorded in Karnataka, Kerala and more recently in Delhi further prove that children are less susceptible. While this augurs well for a healthcare system already under pressure, there is another side to the story regarding the health and vulnerabilities of our children in the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic. With all good intentions, in India, directives to close were sent out to all educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities. While applauding the educational system for bailing out to save their academic year by shifting classes online, it also implies other repercussions for children. Grounded children School years encompass a lot more than streamlined in-class lessons — the joy of riding to school with friends, interacting with teachers and buddies, extracurricular activities like music


and sports — were all curtailed in one sweeping measure. A whole generation of youngsters has been grounded and forced to be cooped up for an average of 6-8 hours in front of their computers. The earlier frustrated parents who lamented their gadget-savvy millennials and Gen-Z have now accepted this as possibly the only way to maintain some sanity in their households. The impacts of this forced grounding on the physical and mental health of children has received less than adequate attention. Recent concerns on growing levels of childhood obesity may possibly see some increase with outdoor activity reduced further and recourse to fast foods and sugary beverages during the enhanced screen time. While this speaks to the urban component of our child cohorts, children from rural India face a different set of challenges. Most of them will not have access to online resources and could clearly suffer the consequences of a disrupted academic year. The loss of momentum could further affect educational outcomes and enhance inequities in access to future academic opportunities. For a group largely dependent on school midday meals and nutrition packages distributed through day-care centres, the chaos in these established distribution channels could translate into worsening of our child health indicators in coming months. Pregnant mothers failing to receive their share of the supplemental nutrition packages, antenatal care and infants missing out on immunisation could prove detrimental to future health and well-being. The hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers leaving from Indian cities, many with accompanying children, have no certainty regarding the family’s next meal. Regardless of being infected by the virus itself, the indirect ramifications of absent or poor nourishment coupled with poor access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for preventive measures could sound a death knell of sorts for these vulnerable sections of our society. See: Locked in migrant workers of South Asia cannot see a way out

Fallout of confinement Another concern, often ignored, is the mental health of our children. We could anticipate greater instances of the whole spectrum of anxiety disorders (headaches, palpitations, muscle pains, body aches, sleep disturbances and panic attacks being some manifestations), depression, aggressive behaviour and post-traumatic stress disorders, all from the sheer pressures of confinement, restrained social interaction, reduced outdoor activities and the helplessness of constant parental control over a large part of their waking hours. The loss of privacy and freedom has been especially stressful for the ‘quaranteens’ and can manifest as behavioural changes that are not anticipated under normal circumstances. The excessive, though now necessary focus on frequent handwashing warranted by the pandemic may exacerbate obsessive compulsive disorders in those already suffering from it. Some could be on the edge of requiring professional therapy or counselling for failing mental health. Recent directives of the government to cancel end-of-year academic exams came as a relief to many parents and students alike, but certain cohorts are impacted in more ways than one as they ramp up preparations to appear in competitive exams, often ones that decide their careers and lives going forward. The stress of uncertain futures can take its toll in the months to come. Parents and caregivers must watch out for telling signs of breakdown among their wards and reach out early for assistance with coping strategies. Age of eco-anxiety Only last year, children the world over had begun a clamouring for climate action from world leaders. They sought intervention on a wide range of sectoral issues for curbing and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. A new phrase called eco-anxiety had surfaced. In 2017, the American Psychological Association described it as a “chronic fear of environmental doom”. Anxiety was expressed around environmental issues ranging from risks like extreme weather

events, losses of livelihood or housing, feelings of helplessness and fears for future generations. The current Covid-19 pandemic is a zoonotic disease and is a glaring example of infectious diseases that emerge as fallout of deforestation, land-use changes, captive animal breeding and humaninduced activities leading to climate change. Scientists writing in the medical journal The Lancet had articulated in their reports in the last quarter of 2019 that “the health of a child born today will be impacted by climate change at every stage of their lives”. The eco-anxiety and feelings of helplessness stemming from the current macro- and micro-environment for our children — whether from the pandemic or the climate crisis — needs serious attention. With various forms of lockdown mandated across several locations, the consequent improvement in our air and water quality is obvious. One cannot help but appreciate the pictures of a clean Yamuna river in Delhi. But can these short-term outcomes serve as a predictor of what really is possible in the form of an adequate, appropriate and responsible climate response from every region of the world? The race for growth and political oneupmanship may just succeed in further ravaging our remaining natural resources and feeding into a vicious cycle of disease as well as social and economic fall-outs that could soon become unmanageable. As responsible adults, healthcare providers and policymakers, what can we promise our children? Can our postCovid-19 resurgence strategy chart in a (re-)growth curve that ensures sustainable growth of all sectors decoupled from greenhouse gas intensive operations across our energy, transport, agriculture and even our healthcare systems? Can we finally play a role of responsible adults who can recognise and address the intertwined nature of these global threat multipliers of climate change and the pandemic to the physical and mental health of our children? (Source: indiaclimatedialogue.net)

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Coronavirus Anxiety: How to deal with coronavirus anxiety: wash your mind with warm water and soap for 20 seconds.

Worries: Parents try to hide their worries from their children as the pandemic makes the future uncertain. Environment & people

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