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NEWS March-April 2013 LETTER KERALA 2013 Newsletter of WWF - India, Kerala State Office FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR’S DESK come all the way to the southern tip of the country and visit the so called ‘God’s Own Country’ and see its land, people Coming to the close of the financial year, the months of and natural wealth. For most of the participants from the March and April were rather very hectic with a lot at hand to Ramsar Sites from outside the State, it was their first visit complete. In the background of the ESD Workshops organized to Kerala and they really appreciated the organizers for in February by WWF with the support of MoEF, Govt. of India having taken up such a noble initiative. After many months in Kottayam and Kasargod, we could make another landmark of meticulous planning, we could finally conduct the three achievement. WWF has brought out an ESD Handbook titled ‘Media Workshops on Human Animal Conflicts and Wildlife ‘Methodologies for the Future: a guide to develop education Trade’ at Wayanad, Periyar and Shendurney. Without the for sustainable development’ in the foreign context. WWF- cooperation of the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department India decided to translate and bring out the publication in this would not have been possible and I take this opportunity selected local languages including Malayalam. The task of to thank the Chief Wildlife Warden and all the other officers translating the text, finding local images and substituting for all their support. The proactive role of the Press Clubs case studies with Kerala specific scenarios was assigned to ensured adequate participation also. The success of the the State Office. When taking up the assignment, we did not workshops was in the resource persons from WWF-India, fully understand the gravity of the work. But it was indeed TRAFFIC, ZOO and MINT Publications. As in previous years, a Herculean task to complete it, even though the work span we celebrated Earth Hour 2013 in Thiruvananthapuram and extended much more than expected. I take this opportunity Kochi. We had immense support from the Energy Management to thank Shalini and Hari for faithfully completing the Centre (EMC) and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) translation work as committed. Sivakumar was instrumental wherein they gave 5000 CFLs to be distributed freely to all the in making the Kerala specific case studies. The final proofing households in the slums of Thiruvananthapuram City. The was done by Mr. Jayakumar. The handbook has come out in launch of this unique scheme was conducted along with the print, 1500 copies, and we plan to make use of this material Earth Hour observation at Gandhi Park by Sri. M. Sivasankar, in our upcoming Teachers Training Workshops and other IAS, Chairman, KSEB and Sri. Dhareshan Unnithan, Director, capacity building programmes, mainly aimed at Teachers and EMC. We could also distribute free solar lanterns to the Teacher Trainees. Ramsar India 2013 organised by ATREE community institutions in these five slums. Earth Hour was in Alappuzha as a joint venture with WWF and others was indeed very successful and meaningful this year in its full a unique experience for all. With an established national essence. WWF-India was invited by the Vice-Chairman of presence of WWF-India, that too, mainly working in almost the State Planning Board to partner in the efforts to revive all the Ramsar Sites, with regard to landscape conservation, Kerala’s rivers, especially the holy river Pamba. A meeting biodiversity enhancement, sustainable livelihoods etc, WWF was organized on April 29 and Mr. Ravi Singh, SG&CEO, was instrumental in bringing together the real stakeholders WWF-India, Mr. Suresh Babu, Director, River Basins and from most of the Ramsar Sites from across the country. It Water Policy and others attended. was a unique experience for us to meet the people from far away, as far as Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, understand Renjan Mathew Varghese, the unique conditions there, wetland dependent livelihoods, State Director biodiversity etc. It was also an exciting occasion for them to member states backed restrictions on three types of the IMPORTANT NEWS ON neonicotinoid insecticides that manufacturers insist are ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE safe but environmental campaigners say are devastating populations of the insects around the world. The ban will GLOBAL take effect on December 1 for two years, unless any new scientific evidence emerges. (Source: The Hindu, 30 April EU to ban ‘bee-harming’ pesticides 2013) The EU is to temporarily ban three widely used pesticides blamed for a sharp fall in bee numbers, in what is ‘Black carbon from South Asia melting Tibetan glaciers’ believed to be the first continent-wide moratorium on Pollutants brought in by monsoon winds from South Asia such chemicals. The move comes after 15 of the bloc’s 27 — and not industrial emissions from China — are behind Mruthika/ March - April 2013 / 1 the melting of glaciers on the Tibetan plateau, a leading the 97-sq.km. stretch of the Eravikulam National Park in Chinese scientist has claimed. Yao Tandong, Director of the Munnar. The census is being held after the two-month Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research at the official Chinese breeding season of Nilgiri tahr for which the park was Academy of Sciences (CAS), warned that about 90 per closed. The area inhabited by Nilgiri tahr is divided cent of the glaciers on the plateau — known as the world’s into 13 blocks for census, which will be conducted by “third pole” — were shrinking. The process, he claimed, environmentalists and officials of the Forest Department. was being accelerated by black carbon being transferred It will conclude on April 28. Since Nilgiri tahr faces from South Asia to the Tibetan Plateau, as reported in threat from carnivorous animals and natural factors, the the state-run China Daily newspaper. An investigation by Forest Department has adopted strict measures for their researchers at CAS, using topographic maps and satellite protection. A preliminary unofficial survey this season images, had revealed the retreat of 82 glaciers, area found 47 newborns. An official of the Forest Department reduction by 7,090 glaciers and the mass-balance change said that though the census may not yield an exact figure, of 15 glaciers, the newspaper said. (Source: The Hindu, 26 it would provide a clear picture of whether there was an March 2013) increase in their number. This in turn would help the authorities adopt strategies for the animal’s protection. National (Source: The Hindu, 23 April 2013) Boats pose pollution threat to Mattupetty lake A rare phenomenon in the sea Very few of the tourists enjoying a visit to the hill station at Coral spawning, a rare phenomenon that is popularly Munnar with a boat safari in the scenic Mattupetty reservoir referred to as ‘sex-on-the-reef,’ has been recorded are aware of the impact of boating on the environment scientifically for the first time along the Lakshadweep and wildlife. The State Biodiversity Board and the Forest islands on India’s west coast, a researcher of the Wildlife Department has raised alarm about the pollution caused Trust of India (WTI) has reported. The occurrence, by motorised boats plying in the reservoir and the litter left generally observed after full-moon nights once a year, is a behind by tourists. KSEB has sought steps to stop the motor magnificent phenomenon, which involves mass expulsion boat service in the interests of the aquatic environment of colourful eggs and sperm clouds into the water by corals. and biodiversity. In a letter to the Principal Secretary The gametes then rise to the ocean surface, spreading a (Environment), the KSBB Chairman said the boats were colourful slick. The slick was first observed by WTI Marine polluting the reservoir with kerosene residue. This, he Biologist Subburaman S last week, and also by a team from says, had deprived wildlife of natural source of water. Wild the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). elephants frequently break into the dairy farm located near Environment Wardens Abdul Raheem and Sayeed Ali the reservoir to drink water from pipes. “They break open said the finding proved that Lakshadweep’s corals were the pipes and also raid the fodder cultivated for the cows recovering from the stress they suffered after El Nino 2010. in the farm. We suspect this behaviour has something to (Source: The Hindu, 27 March 2013) do with the pollution of the lake,” says Managing Director, Kerala Livestock Development Board. KLDB incurs a Conservation efforts pay off, Rhinos thrive in heavy loss to repair the damage caused by elephants. “The West Bengal animals avoid drinking from the reservoir because of the smell of kerosene”, says the KSBB Chairman. (Source: The The rhinoceros population in the Jaldapara National Park Hindu, 29 March 2013) in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district has increased to 186 — a rise of about 25 per cent — since 2011, when census was High alert around tiger-bearing forests in the State last conducted, senior forest officials said. Chief Wildlife A high alert has been declared in the tiger-bearing forest Warden of the State S.B. Mondal said that a census by the areas of the State as part of a countrywide exercise Forest Department over the past two months revealed that following an advice from the National Tiger Conservation the number of rhinoceros in the national park had increased Authority (NTCA) to step up vigil in such areas. The NTCA by 37. Spread over an area of 216.5 sq.km., the park is the advice to the Chief Wildlife Wardens and other authorities second-largest habitat of the One-horned Rhinoceros in of tiger range States came in the wake of an incident last the country after the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.