R.N. 70269/98 Postal Registration No.: DL-SW-1/4082/12-14 ISSN : 0972-169X Date of posting: 26-27 of advance month Date of publication: 24 of advance month September 2014 Vol. 16 No. 12 Rs. 5.00 Monsoon Blues: Are We Prepared? Editorial: Valuable snapshots on 43 citizen science Monsoon Blues: 42 Are We Prepared? The Siberian crane 38 Save the Great Indian Bustard 36 Green energy options for India 33 Mystery of Dark Matter 31 Uterine fibroids— 27 Symptoms and diagnosis Recent developments 25 in science and technology Editorial Valuable snapshots on citizen science Dr. R. Gopichandran he objective of this editorial is to help science and technology References cited accessed on 22.7.2014 Tcommunicators take note of some recent analyses about the 1. Karl C Clarke Defining one’s role in citizen science, An concept of citizen science. The eight references provide invaluable investigation of the roles, perceptions and outcomes of insights on the spread and depth of the dynamics of engagement citizen scientists and public engagement in science with stakeholders through targeted communication in this facilitators https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/ context. handle/1957/35837/ClarkeKarlC2012.pdf?sequence=1 The citizen science approach arguably optimises interactions 2. Broadening the definition of the expert: Citizen Science and mutually reinforcing learning between scientists and citizens for Natural Resource Management http://lwa.gov.au/files/ with an eye/propensity for scientific observations. Clarke1 presents products/innovation/pn30175/broadening-definition-expert- an excellent overview of initiatives in ecology, technology and summary.pdf policy interfaces and research areas regarding outcomes and 3. Wiggins A & Crowston K From Conservation to roles of stakeholders that need special attention. Land & Water Crowdsourcing: A Typology of Citizen Science http:// Australia2 re-emphasises hands-on approach of citizen science to andreawiggins.com/research/Wiggins2011HICSS.pdf gather evidences and investigate to assist decision making. Wiggins 4. Green Paper on Citizen Science. Citizen Science for Europe & Crowston3 define a typology of interventions based on the Towards a better society of empowered citizens and enhanced expected outcomes. The European Commission4 recognises this research http://socientize.eu/sites/default/files/Green%20Pap unique interface in its strategic planning over the present decade er%20on%20Citizen%20Science%202013.pdf only to strengthen the policy interface of science and society. 5. UNEP Year Book 2014 emerging issues update Realizing An essential element of this coming together is the democratic the Potential of Citizen Science http://www.unep.org/ engagement process substantiated with evidence based decision yearbook/2014/PDF/chapt6.pdf making. These are captured in a unique snapshot presented by 6. UK Environmental Observation Framework, Understanding Citizen Science & Environmental Monitoring http://www.ceh. the UNEP5, the UK Environmental Observation Framework6, the ac.uk/products/publications/documents/citizensciencereview. European Commission7 and the framework of public participation pdf & related sites http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news/news_archive/ in scientific research by Cooper8 only to help understand the citizen-science-review-guide_2012_59.html & https://p2pu. ubiquitous and comparable contexts of engagement across org/en/groups/environmental-citizen-science/content/ the world, unmindful of geographic and political boundaries. defining-calculated-variables/ These could pertain even to the need to tackle environmental 7. Science for Environmental Policy, In – depth report, consequences of natural or artificially induced disasters. Environmental Citizen Science. Issue 9 http://www2.mnhn. It is important to recognise that this paradigm of engagement fr/cersp/IMG/pdf/IR9.pdf is significantly more broad based than theme-specific top-down 8. Cooper CB Links and Distinctions Among Citizenship, Science, approaches to stimulate and reinforce scientific temper in citizens. and Citizen Science http://democracyeducationjournal.org/ A real-life connect with natural phenomena with observations cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=home and empirical evidences could reinforce and probably expedite outcomes of such engagement initiatives. Email: [email protected] n Editor : R Gopichandran Vigyan Prasar is not responsible for the statements/opinions expressed and photographs used by the authors in their articles/write-ups published in Associate editor : Rintu Nath “Dream 2047” Production : Manish Mohan Gore and Pradeep Kumar Articles, excerpts from articles published in “Dream 2047” may be freely Expert member : Biman Basu reproduced with due acknowledgement/credit, provided periodicals in Address for Vigyan Prasar, C-24, which they are reproduced are distributed free. correspondence : Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110 016 Published and Printed by Dr. Subodh Mahanti on behalf of Vigyan Prasar, Tel : 011-26967532; Fax : 0120-2404437 C-24, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110 016 and Printed at Aravali e-mail : [email protected] Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd., W-30, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, website : http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in New Delhi-110 020 Phone: 011-26388830-32. 43 Dream 2047, September 2014, Vol. 16 No. 12 Monsoon Blues: Are We Prepared? Dr. M. A. Haque E-mail: [email protected] or the last two months or so current year. But chances are very low Fthe entire country has been in that the target can be met. Estimates a state of uncertainty. The India suggest that there will be reduction Meteorological Department to the extent of 7% in output this and various other agencies are year. working overtime to give accurate predictions about the monsoon. Misconceptions and For some time some experts have misinformation about water been suggesting that the monsoon Are we ready to face the reduced could be affected by El Niño this rains and possible drought-like year. There was another opinion conditions? The answer seems to be too that El Niño was not going “No”, because there does not seem to affect Indian monsoon to a to be any large-scale preparations large extent. Historically, it has on these lines. Our thinking is still been found that the years with El skewed. The text books, even at Niño bring less than normal rains A Himalayan stream in Ladakh is almost totally free of pollution. highest levels, generally talk about in the country. Data for 126 years the fact that about 70% Earth’s (1880-2005) compiled by Skymet, a private them. In all 15 of the 35 districts had to be surface is covered by water. Obviously the weather forecaster, show that in about 90 declared drought hit. About 11,000 villages oceans hold huge quantities of water. But per cent of all El Nino years there were were affected. we generally tend to forget that out of the below-normal rains and in 65 per cent of El It is difficult to comment whether total water present on Earth, about 97.5% Nino years there were droughts. If we take El Niño would show its impact on Indian is saline, containing high concentrations the period of last one decade, during the monsoon this year or not. But one thing is of various salts, mainly sodium chloride. years 2004, 2009, 2012 there were El Niño certain that so far there have been deficient Only about 2.5% is not saline. It is called events and India had less than normal rains rains in large parts of the country. Of course, “fresh water” and only this kind of water (79 to 92%). The years 2004 and 2009 saw there have been fluctuations. A strong can be directly consumed by us and most drought-like conditions. But the tragedy probability is that even if the monsoon of the organisms on Earth. Certainly, fresh is that except the meteorologists and a few conditions improve, deficiency will remain water contains some salts, but in very small scientists no one did take the issue seriously. in several areas and is likely to show its direct concentrations without which we would Also, another group of experts which did not impact on agriculture. Kharif crops will suffer from mineral deficiency. give much importance to El Niño argued be affected the most. Last year the kharif Another issue is that out of the total that in 2013 when there was nothing like El output was 128.07 million tonnes. Initially, fresh water on Earth, around 68.9% is Niño several areas of Maharashtra suffered the Government was anticipating a rise in locked up in the glaciers and about 30.8% is drought, Marathwada region was one of production to 129.37 million tonnes for the groundwater. Only about 0.3% is available In the plains, heavy deposit of silt and sediments often Agriculture on hill slopes often leads to soil erosion shrink a river to a fraction of its original size. and silting of rivers downstream. Dream 2047, September 2014, Vol. 16 No. 12 42 Environment in the rivers, lakes, ponds, streams Wastage of water and other surface sources. This The tragedy is that wherever water fraction has to meet the demand is available in sufficient quantity, of humans and all land organisms. generally there is large-scale misuse Importance of water can be easily and wastage. This explains why during understood by the fact that most the last century global water use has animals, including humans, have grown at more than double the rate to regularly drink water to remain of population growth. It is estimated alive. Similarly, insufficient water that world over during the last 50 years in soil leads to drooping of plants water withdrawals from the ground and if the condition persists for have risen three times. Reasons are long, death of the plants. many. One is our changing lifestyle and food habits. As stated above, food Not enough water to Weed being removed from a lake. The weeds slowly kill the production requires huge quantities meet our needs water body. Weeds appear on account of pollution of the lake.