Saving Sikkim’s Shangri La

A community  in northeast India has fought off the tree-felling, pollution, poaching and tourism 

Cheap airline fares and package tours since the 1990s led to a flood of tourists but the consequent decline of the Khangchendzonga national park and biosphere reserve. Over the last 15 years a community effort in Yuksom has fought off the tree-felling, pollution and poaching that were destroying their Shangri La.

From on the northeast borders of the Khangchendzonga biosphere reserve I proceeded southwest to Yuksom in the Ratong Chu valley, the official entry point to the Khangchendzonga national park.

Lorded over by the mighty and most sacred Mount Khangchendzonga, the third highest peak (8,586 metres) in the world, Yuksom at 1,780metres sits comfortably at the ankles of the great mountain, nestled in forests of broad-leaved oak, birch, maple, chestnut, magnolia, rhododendron, silver fir, ash and alder trees.

 

http://www.thethirdpole.net/saving-sikkims-shangri-la/

The most important milestone to be set at Warsaw is on climate finance,” says Jayanthi Natarajan, Union Environment and Forests Minister, in an interview ahead of the climate negotiations beginning November 11.

What are your thoughts on the view that historical emissions should not play a role in deciding responsibilities under the 2015 agreement?

India has consistently held the view that historical emissions are a very important pillar of issues of equity under the UNFCCC. This was part of the 2009 Bali Action Plan. I believe historical emissions account for vast percentage, well over 70% of the emissions that are currently swirling around. The developed countries for long had no obligations or commitments to reduce emissions and have contributed largely to the levels of emissions today. Even today, those countries which are responsible for historical emissions have not made any attempt or are not even inclined to make any attempt to cap their emissions. They only talk about the world at large working towards the goal of capping the global temperature rise at 2 degree Celsius. They have not taken any concrete steps towards capping their own emissions. The important and significant achievement that I see has come out of the negotiations where India played an important role in Durban and Doha – particularly in Durban – is the fact that the EU countries – except for those who jumped off – did extend the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. It amounts only to about 15% of the total emissions. But, in terms of intention and as a signal in the right direction, I think, the extension of the 2nd commitment period of the protocol is very important.

So yes, historical emissions and the principle of common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR) are non-negotiable pillars of Indian strategy.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/india-is-not-a-naysayer-on-climate-change/article5323166.ece

 

The Union Cabinet is likely to decide the non-negotiables for the upcoming climate change negotiations on Thursday. The Cabinet will take a call on the shape of the new global agreement that India would push for at these talks and over the next two years till the pact is signed in 2015.

The External Affairs and Environment Ministries have together recommended that India should seek to ensure that the new agreement remains firmly embedded within the existing U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. They have recommended that the principle of historical emissions should remain one of the critical parameters in deciding the responsibilities of countries to cut emissions under the 2015 agreement.

 

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/cabinet-to-decide-on-climate-talks-parameters-today/article5322265.ece

 

Furthering the daunting picture painted by the changing atmospheric conditions, the latest report by risk consultancy firm Mapelcroft has Mumbai among its list of cities that are at extreme physical and economic risk due to changes in climactic conditions. According to it, Mumbai’s proximity to the coast and the surrounding hilly terrain are the reasons why it is featured in Maplecroft’s sixth annual Climate Change Vulnerability Index.

“Pollution generated locally is usually swept away by wind blowing in from the sea. In Mumbai’s case, however, it is surrounded by hilly terrains and numerous mountain ranges that lock this air within the area. Also, the extreme humidity tends to hold on to particulate matter for a longer time.

We think it’s factors that put it at risk of extreme weather events and climate change,” explained Gufran Beig, scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

 http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-under-threat-from-climate-change-1913166

 

Climate change will pose sharp risks to the world’s food supply in coming decades, potentially undermining crop production and driving up prices at a time when the demand for food is expected to soar, scientists have found.

In a departure from an earlier assessment, the scientists concluded that rising temperatures will have some beneficial effects on crops in some places, but that globally they will make it harder for crops to thrive — perhaps reducing production over all by as much as 2 percent each decade for the rest of this century, compared with what it would be without climate change.

 

And, the scientists say, they are already seeing the harmful effects in some regions.

 

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Panel-warns-of-risks-to-food-supply-from-climate-change/articleshow/25108913.cms

LONDON: India is among the “extreme risk” countries of the world where economic impacts of climate change will be most keenly felt by 2025, according to new research released on Wedesday.

Kolkata and Mumbai are among the cities where the economic exposure to the impacts of extreme climate related events will be highest over the next 30 years, the report found.he annual release of British risk consultancy Maplecroft’s ‘Climate Change and Environmental Risk Atlas’ reveals that 31 per cent of global economic output will be based in countries facing “high” or “extreme risks” from the impacts of climate change by the year 2025.

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/India-among-world-economies-at-risk-of-climate-change-impact/articleshow/24938473.cms

 

 

NEW DELHI: In what appears to be another grim outcome of climate change, a study has found that forests in eastern Himalayas are gradually ‘browning’, with trees withering and foliage declining even during productive seasons. Similar changes were noted in tropical mountain forests across the world.

Among the 47 protected areas across five biodiversity hotspots selected for the study, were Kangchendzonga national park in Sikkim and Namdapha national park in Arunachal Pradesh. It used satellite images from 1982 to 2006, which revealed a common trend: there was mild greening till the mid 1990s and then came a sudden and steady reversal which is making these forests appear drier and brown.

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/East-Himalayan-forests-turning-brown-Study/articleshow/24455913.cms

Climate change is hitting closer to home than earlier expected. Agriculture production has seen a significant drop due to the effects of climate change such as increased temperature, floods and drought.

In a country struggling with rising population and the need to feed people ore every year, farm production is taking a big hit, according to Sanjoy Bandyopadhyay, Principal Scientist, Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

He was addressing a meet here on Friday on the ‘Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture’ organised by The Energy Research Institute (TERI).

He said that the production of wheat has dropped by six per cent, while rice and mustard production have narrowed by four per cent each.

Climate change has resulted in 70 per cent of India’s land becoming drought-prone, 12 per cent flood-prone, while eight per cent is affected by cyclones.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/climate-change-affecting-major-food-crops/article5247583.ece

Even as life continued to remain out of gear in cyclone-hit districts of Odisha, the flood situation remained grim on Tuesday in five districts — Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Jajpur.

Heavy floods in Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha and Baitarani rivers affected lakhs of people in marooned areas.

Relief and restoration work was stepped up in areas hit by the cyclone and consequent floods.

While 21 people died due to the cyclone in Ganjam and other districts, the government said five persons had been washed away in floods.

Over 1.2 crore people were affected by the disaster. Initial estimates indicated that the cyclone and flood together have affected 16,487 villages in 148 blocks and 43 urban local bodies. So far, 3,33,070 dwelling houses have been reported damaged.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/26-people-dead-in-odisha-12-cr-hit/article5237844.ece

Eight persons were killed in Odisha as the very severe cyclonic storm Phailin hit the State’s coast near Gopalpur in Ganjam district at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, government officials said on Sunday morning.

Lakhs of people were affected by the cyclone that caused major damage in Ganjam and other districts.

According to State Special Relief Commissioner P.K. Mohapatra, two persons each were killed in Ganjam and Khurda, and one each in Jagatsinghpur, Balasore, Jajpur and Puri.

 

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/phailin-wanes-90-lakh-affected-crops-worth-rs-2400-cr-destroyed/article5230926.ece