Year – 1/Issue – 11/ July – August’16
World after 5th Extinction Featured Topic : We are at…. WAR RISK (Part – 9) Editors’ Desk : Our forest Story Room : Lovely Langkawi Theme Poster : Oriental Honey Buzzard
Arnab Basu
Fortifications and Sieges Throughout medieval Europe, in the decentralized society that succeeded the Roman era, lords of the land built massive fortifications surrounded by earthen ramparts with wooden palisades. Each required rock from quarries and timber from forests; each had moats and ramparts that disturbed the soil. Hundreds of manorial castles and fortified towns dotted the land, and each was surrounded by crop lands, pastures and forests. Sieges of these fortresses and fortified towns often lasted for entire summer seasons, when invading armies could be maintained. Attacks and counter-attacks left more severe damage to surrounding lands than the simple passage of a moving army. Rebuilding settlements after the end of a war required yet another round of timber supplies. Warfare coincided with disease and helped spread epidemics of plague, typhus and other diseases; in tandem war and epidemics reduced population. The greatest example in Eurasian history was the 1348–51 bubonic plague, which killed something like one third of Europe's people in the midst of the Hundred Years War. The mortality was likely intensified for both military and civilian populations in the disrupted conditions of war zones. In the postwar stillness once-tilled farms were deserted, reverting to pasture or more gradually to secondary woodlands where wildlife 1|Page
flourished and local biodiversity increased in semi-wild habitats. But in the longer run these changes were usually reversed, for farmers sooner or later renewed agricultural landscapes with the return of peace and security. The destructive power of weapons began to accelerate when gunpowder, was introduced into Europe in the 1300s, and was followed by the development of steadily more powerful cannons. In response, fortifications became far more elaborate by the 1500s. The Military Revolution was in full swing, accelerating arms races on both land and sea. In the Thirty Years War (1618–48) northern Europe degenerated into chaos, as anarchic military bands repeatedly pillaged the
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land until the region reached a point of general exhaustion. In the aftermath much of Europe saw the emergence of centralizing states with ever-expanding professional armies, supported by vastly expanded fiscal administration and government revenues. Disciplined armies with better organized supply lines meant reduced environmental damage in the lands of neutral populations. Though there had always been close relations between rulers and civilian suppliers, this era showed the clear emergence of a "military-industrial complex," in which governments coordinated closely with their suppliers. Taxation became more regular, as military economies became more systematized and provided support for accelerating lethality. Bankers and merchants could follow the temptations of profiteering on a previously unknown scale – a driving force behind warfare, though not always visible. In all, Europe's expanding imperial states would lead toward both global conquest and ever-greater scale of destructive power in the industrial era.
Editors’ Desk :
Our Forest Forest is a biological entity in the fascinating web of nature and always in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Forestry sector is an important ingredient in the economic and social fabrics of a country. The importance of this sector is more pronounced in developing countries of tropics. Forest in tropics play very significant role in regulating water cycle and in conserving soils. The demand for forest products and services in tropical countries increased rapidly in the recent past with the growth of population and rural economy. This increasing demand of forest produce and land hunger by the growing population and poverty in tropics are the main causes of deterioration in forest cover. The deterioration is the result of disproportionate withdrawals of forest produce as compared to its carrying capacity and regenerative capacity. India, the seventh largest country, covers about 2% of total global land about 1% forest area and about 0.5% pasture land of the world, but supports about 16% of human and about 15% of cattle population of the world and this population is always in the process of increase. India is one of the 12 mega diversity countries commanding 7% of world biodiversity and supports 16 major forest types varying from alpine pastures in Himalayas to temperate, sub-tropical, tropical forests and mangroves in coastal areas. But nearly half of the country's area are degraded, affected with the problems of soil degradation and erosion. We have reasons to rejoice as we have gained more than sixty thousand square kilometre forest cover in past thirty years. In last two years we have earned an area of impressive 3775 sq. km and unfortunately lost only 654 sq. km of our dense forest (data source : FSI report 2015). But is that enough? In India, we have only 28 trees per person and that is much less than the global average of 422 trees per person. There are only 35 billion trees to
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shed a population of nearly 1.3 billion. Was it worse before? The data if increase of forest cover is sceptical. Take Delhi, for example. The first FSI report recorded only 15 sq.km of forests in the capital. The latest report found 189 sq.km, an over 12-fold increase in three decades. Nearly a third of this is recorded under the “dense” category. But is it the real scenario of oxygen starved Delhi? Actually FSI analyses and finalises its result on the basis of Satellite Images to identify green cover and does not discriminate between natural forests, plantations, thickets of weeds such as juliflora and lantana, and longstanding commercial crops such as palm, coconut, coffee or even sugarcane. Moreover, another fallacy of this statistics is in the 1980s, satellite imagery mapped forests at a 1:1 million scale, missing details of land units smaller than 4 sq km. Now, the refined 1:50,000 scale can scan patches as small as 1 hectare (100 metres x 100 metres), and any unit showing 10 per cent canopy density is considered forest. So millions of these tiny plots that earlier went unnoticed, now contribute to India’s official forest cover. Another aspect is the quality of the forest. If we look into the statistics, we can see that the wild forest is being replaced by urban forestry day by day. The “No-go” forest areas in various parts of the country is reducing day by day. For an example, a total of 60,000 sq.km area of Western Ghats, which is one of the most important forest area of the country due to its biodiversity, across six Indian states was declared, covered under “No-Go” forest area in the year 2013. But with the power shift, the new government started reducing it since 2015 for mining and power and already approximately 10% of
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the previously declared “No-Go” area (approximately 6,000 sq.km) has been allowed for Mining and Power industries. This is happening across the country in the name of development and area of urban forest area in many cities and towns are increasing and contributing its value in total forest cover area of the country. But these artificial urban forests are not at all actual replacement of the actual wild forest. Wild animals are losing their habitats and getting involved in human wildlife conflict day by day. We Exploring Nature never oppose urban forestry move and development. The only thing we are concerned about is the reduction of wild habitats across the country. We have only one Earth and merely one chance to save it. Mother Nature need our help. Let’s join hand.
Story Room :
Piyali Ganguly
The car zipped through the wide shining highway past rows of palm & rubber tree cultivations. Cold blooded that I am, I volunteered for the rear seat to escape the chilling AC. Wrapping myself in my Air Asia blanket I positioned myself in the back seat of the Avanza, amidst a pile of baggage, mostly stuffed with readyto-eat food (our humble effort to save a few Ringets). The tropical sun was characteristically blazing even in this early hour. At regular intervals on the highway, men were seen cleaning the road, watering the plants & removing dried, fallen leaves. The road & the roadside foliage all looked clean & fresh. Not a speck of dust anywhere. A few days in Malaysia, and we were already accustomed to cleanliness. We were driving at 150Km/hr. It didn’t allow a novice (technologically challenged at that) like me to take pictures. Hindi songs were playing on the radio, courtesy the Bollywood slot on the local F.M. It was a delight to know that the Malaysian people are crazy about Bollywood, so much so that they have regular Bollywood programmes on radio & television. Shah Rukh khan & Rani Mukherjee are a huge craze among the local people. Mithu da pointed our attention to the series of limestone quarries visible 3|Page
in the background. Having one of Asia’s top shot geo-mining experts with us, we learnt a great deal about the functioning of such quarries. Starting from Kuala Lumpur in the morning we reached Kuala Kedah in the late afternoon, stopping only at gas stations to visit ‘tandas’(Malay word for toilet) & gorge on whatever snack was available. It would be unfair not to mention the lip smacking prawn chips that we bought on our way. Kuala Kedah is a small fishing port where we parked our car to take a ferry ride to Langkawi, ‘the jewel of Kedah’. Langkawi is a combination of two Malay words, ‘helang’ (shortened to ‘lang’) meaning eagle & ‘kawi’ meaning reddish brown. It is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, nearly 30Km off the mainland coast of Northwestern Malaysia, separated from the mainland by the Straits of Malacca. It was a sleepy backwater until 1987 when it was granted the tax free status to promote tourism. The AC boat cruised through the dark blue water leaving a trail of white foam behind. For the next 1.5 hrs my eyes restlessly scanned the water hoping to catch sight of dolphins. The harmony created by the blue sky & the blue water glistening in the late afternoon sun was breathtaking. Slowly one by one we passed by the smaller islands. Suddenly Sonu screamed “Oi dakho mami pregnant lady (look at the pregnant lady, mom)”. He was pointing toward a huge island which resembled a pregnant lady lying on her back. Master Rajarshi Bose had been to Langkwai on his school trip, so he kind of acted like my guide. We also caught sight of the gorilla mountain. It reminded me of King Kong sitting.
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Alighting at the jetty I discovered how beautiful our boat was. In the hurry of boarding I had missed it. The beautiful boat together with the sky painted in different hues by the slowly setting sun provided a perfect photo opportunity. I remember making it my Facebook cover photo. Since there is no public transport on the island tourists have to rent motorbikes or cars. Anybody with a Malaysian or an International Driving Licence can rent a car. We opted for a Nissan Centra, which was good enough for the five of us. Armed with a GPRS we drove toward Pantai Cenang, our home for the next two days. The beauty & the serenity of the island touched our hearts. We rolled down the car windows to breathe in the Langkawi air. Cluster of hotels alternated with vast stretches of forested land on both sides of the road. It was dark by the time we reached our hotel. The area was colourful & vibrant. The bright lights, the chain of restaurants & shops and above all the hustle bustle, reminded me of Goa. I was happy. My happiness doubled when I learnt that our cottage was on the beach. No sooner had we dumped our stuff in the room, we changed from jeans to shorts & from shoes to slippers. We were ready for the beach. Like three excited teenagers myself, hubby & Sonu ran to the sea. So what if it evening & dark? We could not wait till morning to get a feel of the sea. Didi & Mithu da chose to sit back on the beach & watch over us. We had our dinner on the beach, under the open sky. Dinner was same as lunch: ruti (Indian bread), alur dam (potato curry) & chicken. Didi & I had woken up at the crack of dawn to prepare this meal, our humble effort to save on a few Ringets. After some hearty post-dinner ‘adda’ (chat) we all hit the bed. Mithu da was the first one to get up the next morning, followed by me. Brushing over, I wasted no time inside the cottage. The sea was calling. The sun was smiling over the greenish blue sea & fine white sand. Smaller islands were seen at a distance. I waddled into the water. Waves were low & the water was not very clear. Soon I was waist deep in water, enjoying myself thoroughly. There were a few other tourists on the beach, mostly whites. As a young woman alone on the beach in a foreign country, I did not feel insecure, even for a moment, not even in my wet clothes. No lewd comment, no groping, nothing at all. A French guy wished me good morning & we had a brief conversation. That was all about it. No evil intention. I wonder whether I could have such an experience in our own Digha or Puri. Finishing our breakfast with Maggi cupamania & muffins that we brought with us, we headed for the beach again. This time it was teeming with tourists. Jet skis & banana boats that I earlier saw stationed on the beach now dotted the sea. Egged on by his 4|Page
‘mama’ Master Rajarshi Bose went for parasailing. With a rapidly fluttering heart I craned my neck & watched him sailing in the clear blue sky; my heart swaying between a desire for adventure & a little fear lurking inside. To keep a balance between the two I suggested my hubby that we do it together. Keeping my hubby’s size in mind, the instructor advised us against it. Why not enjoy it singly when you have to pay the same price, he added. Trying to gather enough courage I volunteered to go first. The man fitted the harness over my swimsuit & pointing at the rope instructed me to listen carefully when he says ‘khincho (pull)’ & ‘chhoro (leave)’. His knowledge of Hindi left me amused. Another pointer how the Indian tourists enrich the tourism industry of Malaysia. As instructed, holding the straps I slowly started walking toward the sea and soon accelerated into running. Even before I knew, my feet were above the ground. Slowly & steadily I ascended. The island looked like a painted landscape from above, a tiny speck of green in the middle of a greenish blue sea. All of a sudden I started going down rapidly. I panicked, not knowing what to do. There was nobody to help me & there was no point screaming either. Before I could understand what was happening, my feet touched the sea & water splashed all over me. Now I could see that my parachute was towed behind a boat. So, the fall was deliberate, a part of the adventure. I was relieved. Once again I started soaring just as rapidly as I had descended. This time my confidence was a little higher. Naturally I could enjoy more. But I have a regret that I could not capture the breathtaking ariel view on camera.
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Parasailing over, it was time for banana boat. Mithu da opted out. We could understand the reason later. The banana boat was a disaster. It proved to be extremely difficult for the four of us to keep ourselves seated on the boat. And the young chap riding the jetski left no stone unturned to throw us off the boat at every turn. As long as we rode on a straight line it was still manageable, but the turns proved a little too difficult & we kept on falling off. Though armed with life jacket & swimming skills, I could not appreciate the huge & repeated splash of water & the rush of saline water through my nostrils & mouth. Climbing back on the boat was no less difficult. The more we tried to climb, the more it slipped away. No wonder it is called banana boat. Disgusted with the repeated falls, I decided to swim my way back to the shore. We were late. A car was about to pick us up for island hopping. There was no time for lunch. We could only manage a quick shower. The car had three young & boisterous guys from Yemen & I disliked them at first sight. But I had no choice. I would have to tolerate them for the rest of the tour. Before getting into the boat we hurriedly packed two boxes of seafood noodles available at the jetty. We were probably the last to board. With two cameras, a tripod, a backpack & two boxes of noodles it was too difficult to tie the life jacket. The boat was in motion, merrily bouncing on the waves. The wind was strong. It almost blew my hat away. My hair fluttered, covering my eyes & my life jacket turned out to be defective. As I was holding the lunch boxes in one hand (hubby holding the other things) & struggling with the jacket, one of the Yemeni guys volunteered to help. At that time I had no choice. Somehow he fastened the life jacket. The other guy took the lunch boxes from my hand so that I could adjust my hat. My perception changed. They may be boisterous but they are good. I thanked them with genuine warmth. The island hopping trip took us to the most illustrious islets. At Pulao Singa Besar we watched eagles soaring overhead. We fed them with fish skins. The fresh water lake at Pulao Dayang Bunting was a major attraction for tourists. Since I did not carry my swimsuit I could not enjoy swimming in the lake. The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park & the lake of the Pregnant Maiden are some other places that we visited. I particularly enjoyed picking up corals in one of the islands. On returning home I gifted them as souveneirs to friends. At dusk the car dropped us back to our hotel. Exhausted from the day long tour we lazed on the beach chairs. The sun does not set here before 7pm. The sea was still dotted with banana boats & jet skis. The cool breeze, the lights of the beach restaurants & the cheerful noise of the tourists created a refreshing ambience. Hubby set his tripod on the beach & remained glued to the camera. The sunset shots that he took were truly spectacular, good enough to be sent to some photography competition. We spent the rest of the evening shopping. Three cheers for Ida Man Suri, the super large departmental store. Being a duty free island Langkawi is a shoppers’ paradise. I lost count of the kilos of chocolates that I bought. Apart from chocolates, I bought crockery, handbags, shoes, gift items & a lot of knick knacks. Shopping was followed by a lip smacking dinner at a Thai restaurant. 5|Page
The next morning we boarded a boat from the Kilim Jetty & set out on a mangrove tour. The vast stretches of lush green mangrove, white beaches & blue lagoons looked like a painting. Unique limestone rock formations have emerged from the floor of the mangrove & the seabed. They have been given various names such as the Temple of Borabadour, the Elephant Stone & the Hanging Gardens. We visited the Bat Cave first. The Bat Cave is about 420m away from the Kilim River. It was totally dark inside. With the help of torches we could see hundreds of bats hanging from the ceiling. Next we visited Gua Buaya or the Crocodile Cave, accessible by a small boat, only during a low tide. The cave resembles the head of a crocodile. Once upon it was supposed to be inhabited by crocodiles. The Gua Landak or the Porcupine Cave was another cave that we visited. Then we headed toward the Pirate Lagoon. It is said that about 1000 years ago Langkawi pirates used to hide their stolen treasure here. Our final stop was the floating fish farm. Though we got familiar with so many different types of fish, I particularly liked the archer fish. As guided by a farm boy, every time I held a small bit of bread in my fingers, the archer fish shot a spray of water at the bread & as soon as the bread dropped in the water the archer fish gobbled it up. It was amazing. Perfect aim, no misses. But the best & most unforgettable experience was with the sting rays. Steve Irwin’s death was still fresh in my mind. Yet, encouraged by the staff I dared to put my hand into the water to caress them. Trust me, they are so adorable. They just love to get caressed & pampered. Notwithstanding their rough skin & the memory of Steve Irwin, I fell in love with
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them. Later I posted the pictures on Facebook After a sumptuous lunch at the fish farm, the boat dropped us back to the Kilim jetty from where we headed to our hotel, packed our bags & set out on our return journey. This time I did not enjoy the cruise. My heart was heavy. Bidding farewell to Langkawi was tough. Teary eyed, I promised Langkawi, sooner or later, I will come back to you.
For Team Exploring Nature Editors’ Desk : Dwaipayan Ghosh Arnab Basu Title & Logo Design : Arijit Das Majumder Saitak Chakraborty Newsletter Design : Dwaipayan Ghosh
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Theme Poster
:: Oriental Honey Buzzard – Photography by Rajan Dey :
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