Cyclone saves corals, for now

This year coral bleaching in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve was severe and started early. Even the young corals were affected, which was a bad indication. The rains associated with Cyclone Roanu helped cool down the temperature - temporarily. With northeast monsoon months away, will the corals survive destruction? MORE … 

Endemic trees in Western Ghats show climate resilience

The Western Ghats is the overhead water tank for peninsular India. The health of the forests in the mountains can help preserve the water flow in the peninsular rivers. The current drought and the drying up of even the mighty Godavari and Krishna showed that this relationship was fragile. A recent study shows that the forest ecosystems with endemic tree species of the Western Ghats have remained stable overall for the past 150,000 years. Thus, those habitats if preserved have chances of improving the climate resilience of the mountains and also the rivers flowing into peninsular India. Unfortunately, only a third of these stable environments are covered by the protected area network, and thus are prone to much man-made degradation. MORE … 

Green future

How can a balance be struck between the biodiversity-rich countries that are economically poor and the rich industrialised countries that turn the biological wealth and associated traditional knowledge to commercial products? MORE ...