Gangtok, Feb. 3: The Sikkim forest department will receive Rs 13.12 crore from a Japanese government agency to rebuild the infrastructure damaged in last year’s earthquake. The amount has been sanctioned by the Japanese International Co-operation Agency that is funding a project to ensure alternative livelihood for people living on forest fringes in Sikkim. The release of the amount was announced by JICA representative Vineet Sarin during a review of the Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP) here today.

JAMMU: Highlighting the State's rich bio-diversity and uniqueness of being land of rich fauna and flora, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Friday emphasized the need for protection and preservation of this individuality of Jammu and Kashmir.

Chairing the 2nd meeting of State Board for Wildlife (SBW), the Chief Minister, who is also its Chairman, said that measures should be in place to minimize wild animal-human conflict.

In the run-up to the Rio+20 Earth Summit, India continues to emphasise the principle of equity as forming the foundation for climate change negotiations.

“I would like to reiterate that the bottom line remains equity,” said minister of environment Jayanthi Natarajan addressing a special session on Biodiversity at the 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. Ms Natarajan’s statement came a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had endorsed her stand at the UNFCCC meet at Durban conference

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, Centre for Environment Education and Paryavaran Mitra celebrated the Gharana Wetland Birding Fair, in connection with the World Wetlands Day at the Gharana Wetland today. Various non-governmental organisations, including the Association for Welfare of Senior Citizens, Jammu, the Ayurvedic Society for Health Awareness (ASHA), Jammu, and the Karan Ishav Social Welfare Society, RS Pura, took part in the event.

Despite rapid urbanization, the herpetofauna population of Guwahati has not been severely affected. There are some 63 species of herpetiles in this Assam city. "This is good news and can be termed as one of the best average populations," said herpetofauna researcher Jayaditya Purkayastha after release of his book "Urban Herpetofauna: Amphibians and Reptiles of Guwahati" on World Wetland Day on Thursday.

MUSHALPUR: Eastern Himalayan region is identified as one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Manas Tiger Reserve, which is included under Eastern Himalayan region, is also known as the habitat of flagship species like Asian elephant and Indian rhinoceros. This tiger reserve, also adorned as a biosphere reserve, Elephant Reserve National Park and World Heritage Site (core zone) is overlapped by conservation zones like North Bank Landscape and Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex.

The world is running out of time to make sure there is enough food, water and energy to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population and to avoid sending up to 3 billion people into poverty, a U.N. report warned on Monday.

As the world's population looks set to grow to nearly 9 billion by 2040 from 7 billion now, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by 3 billion over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially.

The future of biodiversity parks (BDPs) is in limbo, thanks to petty politics by parties, bureaucrats and those who will benefit from its constructions on the hills.
The environmentalists insist that no construction be allowed on these hills. However, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said he wants 4% construction on the hills. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) city chief, Vandana Chavan, joined the activists, but the party leadership favours 4% construction.