Note: Alpine Convention provides a precedent for a similar effort to be made for saving Himalayan glaciers. The eight Alpine countries – France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Slovenia, and Hungary – are taking action through the Alpine Convention. Besides this Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians too can act as an example to initiate steps for conservation of the Himalayas. The Carpathian Convnetion aims to strengthen regional co-operation and support local projects in the mountain areas of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia and Ukraine.
The Himalayan system stretches across six countries: India, Bhutan, Tibet, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Pakistan. Some of the world's major rivers, the Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, and the Yangtze, rise in the Himalayas.
NOtably, Mekong-Ganga have historic and geographical links with Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar is significant since Mekong that runs through China, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, and becomes a gigantic mass of water in the delta that covers Cambodia and southern Vietnam arises out of western Tibet.
Gopal Krishna
The Alps Divided: National Borders Altered Due to Climate Change
A major publication from the EU’s Convention on the Protection of the Alps in June 2009, revealed the dramatic effects of climate change on the Alps region. The Convention on the Protection of the Alps was established in 1991 and is headquartered out of Bolzano, Italy.
The Convention report published on 17 June 2009 is its second magisterial report. It reveals that the northern ranges of the Alps are suffering serious flooding while southern ranges are generally seeing huge reductions in snow fall. Average Precipitation levels have decreased 10 % in the south-east of the region.
The current analysis of changes to be made to the Swiss-Italian border is a prime example of such geo-political changes driven by climate change.
The Italian military has been tracking changes as glaciers on the border melt over the last thirty years. Italian Brig. General, Carlo Colella (Florence) suggests that in some places the border could change up to 100 m. It is also believed that Italy will gain territory as the glaciers in the Southern Alps are melting at a faster rate.
The border in question was last changed in 1861 when Italy became a unified state. Now the Italian government is involved in changing their national legislation to allow such a border change; Switzerland requires no such change to law.
Outside of creating complex border issues, climate change in the Alps has begun to have profound implications for agriculture and tourism. Northern villages already face flooding and water shortages and decreased snowfall in the south have already started to hit the tourism industry. Additionally, Alpine species are being driven further up the mountains; thus, exotic and invasive plant species are starting to take hold lower down in the Alpine system.
The Convention report points to the environmental burden, especially with regards to expediting climate change, from the increased demand for artificial snow by the tourism industry. This is a necessary step in order to sustain the winter sports industry, which is the economic mainstay of the area. But it is a catch-22 scenario, under which generation of artificial snow further burdens already stressed water and energy supplies.
Ultimately, changing patterns of rain and snowfall, shrinking glaciers, and raising temperatures are seen by the Convention report as the greatest challenges to Alpine villages. The Convention report cites Italy’s 178 mile-long Tagliamento (in the northeast of the country) as the only Alpine river to not suffer drastic modifications to date.
Only time will tell how national borders will change and whether climate change will lead to intense battles between tourism and the survival of Alpine villages.
There may be time and the means to manage and mitigate some of the most extreme effects of climate change in the Alps
Source: http://www.whitebandaction.org/
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Notes on Ganga River Basin Authority
In the matter of Ganga River Basin Authority, on July 20, 2009, Minister of State for the Ministry of Environment and Forests (Independent charge)Jairam Ramesh replied to a written question by Shobhana Bhartia and Vijay Jawaharlal Darda in the Rajya Sabha.
He informed that "The Central Government by a Notification dated 20.02.2009, has set up the ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority’ (NGRBA) as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga River. Its purpose is to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga. It will adopt a holistic approach with the river basin as the unit of planning. A notification to this effect was issued on 20.02.2009 which provides for a Corpus of funds to be provided by the Central Government for implementing the projects, programmes and other activities of the NGRBA. No decision has been taken on the amount of funds to be provided for the Corpus."
Addressing the National Conference of Ministers of Environment & Forests, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on August 18, 2009 informed that "a special provision of Rs.250 crores for the river Ganga." He added that NGRBA model will be adopted for other major rivers in our country based on the experience we gain in its implementation. A "budgetary allocation under national river and lake conservation plans are being increased from Rs.335 crore ($67 million) in 2008-09 to Rs.562 crore ($112 million) in 2009-10".
This illustrates how Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is simply indulging in shadow boxing with empty and hollow notifications to save Ganga basin. The ongoing amputation of Ganga basin rivers and mutilated environment clearance mechanism is in keeping with the objective of CCEA. It appears that CCEA and Dr Manmohan Singh who is also the Environment Minister since 2007 are allergic to any genuine sensitivity towards Ganga basin's ecosystem, environmental governance and the existence of Ganga with its natural flow intact.
Notification of "National" Ganga River Basin Authority just prior to the last parliamentary elections was preceded by Government of India confession that "The setting up of the authority will help replace the current piecemeal efforts to clean up the Ganga with an integrated approach that sees the river as an ecological entity" when elections are on the horizon.
One would be quite gullible to think of the announcement of a Ganga River Basin Authority to be of any significance when the government's more significant steps such as Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 1994 have been made impotent by the corporate funded political parties.
Union Government's February 20, 2009 announcement in the Parliament for the setting up of a National Ganga River Basin Authority, proposal for State Ganga River Conservation Authorities and its concern for Ganga cleaning program does not have even an iota of seriousness. It betrays its lack of any concern when it refers to the need for "Maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the river
Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development" after discussing "pollution abatement measures through ensuring adequate ecological flow in the river" on February 10, 2009.
This notification was issued almost in tandem with the last report of the Parliamentary standing committee on environment & forests which was presented to Rajya Sabha on Feb 17, 2009. It expressed serious concern over the ineffective implementation of Ganga Action Plan and Yamuna Action Plan. This report of the committee deals with the action taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on the recommendations contained in the One hundred and eighty-eighth report of the department-related parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, Environment and Forests on the demands for grants (2008-2009) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests which was presented to the Rajya Sabha on 29th April, 2008. There were twenty-one recommendations in the report of the committee.
Notably, the total expenditure incurred on conservation of river Ganga under the GAP Phase – I & II so far, is Rs. 816.47 crore. The only achievement the environment minister could state was that a Sewage treatment capacity of 1007 million liters per day (mld) has been created.
In the meanwhile, two experts- Prof Veer Bhadra Mishra and Prof B D Tripathi-both from Varanasi have received the letter sent by the secretary of the environment and forest and member secretary of NGRBA informing that their names have been approved by the the chairman of the newly constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) i.e. the Prime Minister. Besides them, seven other experts from different places and organisations have been nominated as members of the NGRBA.
Prof Veer Bhadra Mishra is the founding president of the Sankat Mochan Foundation, is a former professor of hydraulic engineering and former head of the civil engineering department, Institute of Technology, BHU. And Prof B D Tripathi is the coordinator of the Centre for Environmental Science and Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has specialised in environmental pollution control technologies, ecological conservation, biodiversity and resource management.
GBRA Facts
# The Central government declared the Ganga as the national river and set up National Ganga River Basin Authority as an empowered planning, financing monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
# The authority is chaired by the Prime Minister. The members are the chief ministers of the states through which the Ganga flows, the ministers of environment and forests, finance, urban development, water resources, power, science and technology, the deputy chairman, Planning Commission and experts in the fields of river conservation, hydrology, environmental engineering, social mobilisation and such other fields
# The NGRBA would be responsible for addressing the problem of pollution in the Ganga in a holistic and comprehensive manner. This will include water quality, minimum ecological flows, sustainable access and other issues relevant to river ecology and management. Under the new approach, the river basin will be the unit of planning. The authority would seek to maintain minimum ecological flows in the Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development
Functions of NGRBA
# Development of river basin management plan and regulation of activities aimed at the prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the Ganga to maintain its water quality and to take other such measures relevant to river ecology and management in the Ganga basin states
# Maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development
# Measures necessary for planning, financing and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the Ganga, including augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, catchment area treatment, protection of flood plains, creating public awareness and such other measures for promoting environmentally sustainable river conservation
# Collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to environmental pollution in the Ganga
# Investigations and research regarding problems of environmental pollution and conservation of the Ganga
# Creation of special purpose vehicles, as appropriate, for implementation of work vested with the authority
# Promotion of water conservation practices including recycling and reuse, rainwater harvesting and decentralised sewage treatment systems
# Monitoring and review of the implementation of various programmes or activities taken up for prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the Ganga
He informed that "The Central Government by a Notification dated 20.02.2009, has set up the ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority’ (NGRBA) as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga River. Its purpose is to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga. It will adopt a holistic approach with the river basin as the unit of planning. A notification to this effect was issued on 20.02.2009 which provides for a Corpus of funds to be provided by the Central Government for implementing the projects, programmes and other activities of the NGRBA. No decision has been taken on the amount of funds to be provided for the Corpus."
Addressing the National Conference of Ministers of Environment & Forests, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh on August 18, 2009 informed that "a special provision of Rs.250 crores for the river Ganga." He added that NGRBA model will be adopted for other major rivers in our country based on the experience we gain in its implementation. A "budgetary allocation under national river and lake conservation plans are being increased from Rs.335 crore ($67 million) in 2008-09 to Rs.562 crore ($112 million) in 2009-10".
This illustrates how Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is simply indulging in shadow boxing with empty and hollow notifications to save Ganga basin. The ongoing amputation of Ganga basin rivers and mutilated environment clearance mechanism is in keeping with the objective of CCEA. It appears that CCEA and Dr Manmohan Singh who is also the Environment Minister since 2007 are allergic to any genuine sensitivity towards Ganga basin's ecosystem, environmental governance and the existence of Ganga with its natural flow intact.
Notification of "National" Ganga River Basin Authority just prior to the last parliamentary elections was preceded by Government of India confession that "The setting up of the authority will help replace the current piecemeal efforts to clean up the Ganga with an integrated approach that sees the river as an ecological entity" when elections are on the horizon.
One would be quite gullible to think of the announcement of a Ganga River Basin Authority to be of any significance when the government's more significant steps such as Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 1994 have been made impotent by the corporate funded political parties.
Union Government's February 20, 2009 announcement in the Parliament for the setting up of a National Ganga River Basin Authority, proposal for State Ganga River Conservation Authorities and its concern for Ganga cleaning program does not have even an iota of seriousness. It betrays its lack of any concern when it refers to the need for "Maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the river
Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development" after discussing "pollution abatement measures through ensuring adequate ecological flow in the river" on February 10, 2009.
This notification was issued almost in tandem with the last report of the Parliamentary standing committee on environment & forests which was presented to Rajya Sabha on Feb 17, 2009. It expressed serious concern over the ineffective implementation of Ganga Action Plan and Yamuna Action Plan. This report of the committee deals with the action taken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on the recommendations contained in the One hundred and eighty-eighth report of the department-related parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, Environment and Forests on the demands for grants (2008-2009) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests which was presented to the Rajya Sabha on 29th April, 2008. There were twenty-one recommendations in the report of the committee.
Notably, the total expenditure incurred on conservation of river Ganga under the GAP Phase – I & II so far, is Rs. 816.47 crore. The only achievement the environment minister could state was that a Sewage treatment capacity of 1007 million liters per day (mld) has been created.
In the meanwhile, two experts- Prof Veer Bhadra Mishra and Prof B D Tripathi-both from Varanasi have received the letter sent by the secretary of the environment and forest and member secretary of NGRBA informing that their names have been approved by the the chairman of the newly constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) i.e. the Prime Minister. Besides them, seven other experts from different places and organisations have been nominated as members of the NGRBA.
Prof Veer Bhadra Mishra is the founding president of the Sankat Mochan Foundation, is a former professor of hydraulic engineering and former head of the civil engineering department, Institute of Technology, BHU. And Prof B D Tripathi is the coordinator of the Centre for Environmental Science and Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has specialised in environmental pollution control technologies, ecological conservation, biodiversity and resource management.
GBRA Facts
# The Central government declared the Ganga as the national river and set up National Ganga River Basin Authority as an empowered planning, financing monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
# The authority is chaired by the Prime Minister. The members are the chief ministers of the states through which the Ganga flows, the ministers of environment and forests, finance, urban development, water resources, power, science and technology, the deputy chairman, Planning Commission and experts in the fields of river conservation, hydrology, environmental engineering, social mobilisation and such other fields
# The NGRBA would be responsible for addressing the problem of pollution in the Ganga in a holistic and comprehensive manner. This will include water quality, minimum ecological flows, sustainable access and other issues relevant to river ecology and management. Under the new approach, the river basin will be the unit of planning. The authority would seek to maintain minimum ecological flows in the Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development
Functions of NGRBA
# Development of river basin management plan and regulation of activities aimed at the prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the Ganga to maintain its water quality and to take other such measures relevant to river ecology and management in the Ganga basin states
# Maintenance of minimum ecological flows in the Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development
# Measures necessary for planning, financing and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the Ganga, including augmentation of sewerage infrastructure, catchment area treatment, protection of flood plains, creating public awareness and such other measures for promoting environmentally sustainable river conservation
# Collection, analysis and dissemination of information relating to environmental pollution in the Ganga
# Investigations and research regarding problems of environmental pollution and conservation of the Ganga
# Creation of special purpose vehicles, as appropriate, for implementation of work vested with the authority
# Promotion of water conservation practices including recycling and reuse, rainwater harvesting and decentralised sewage treatment systems
# Monitoring and review of the implementation of various programmes or activities taken up for prevention, control and abatement of pollution in the Ganga
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