Dubbing mangrove forests the "most productive ecosystems" of the world, India joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) at the 27th Summit of the Conference of Parties (COP27) at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. UAE, Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Spain and Sri Lanka are the other MAC supporters.
A mangrove is a shrub or a small tree that grows along the coastlines and has roots in salty sediments, often underwater. They also grow in swamps. Mangrove forests can survive extreme weather conditions and require low oxygen levels to survive.
The mangroves cannot survive freezing temperatures and thus are found mainly in tropical and subtropical latitudes. Sundarbans in West Bengal in India is the largest mangrove forest in the world.
Spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in partnership with Indonesia, MAC was launched at the COP27 Summit in Egypt to scale up and accelerate the conservation and restoration of the mangrove forests.
The alliance will raise awareness about the role of mangroves as a "nature-based solution to climate change".
Nov 09, 2022
Tamil Nadu Notifies Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary as 17th Sanctuary
The Tamil Nadu government notified the Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary on 68,640 hectares as the state's 17th wildlife sanctuary.
The sanctuary, covering reserve forest areas in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, is home to 35 species of mammals, 238 species of birds, Leith's soft shelled turtles, smooth coated otters, marsh crocodile and four horned antelopes, and is a wildlife paradise.
Grizzled giant squirrel, four-horned antelope, and Lesser Fish Eagle which are exclusively dependent on the Cauvery River and its riverine forest ecosystem, are also found here. These are also red-listed and in urgent need for focused conservation and protection of their habitat.
The sanctuary was notified under Section 26-A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Nov 08, 2022
Over 25 Countries Pledge to End Deforestation by 2030
More than 25 countries at the COP27 climate talks launched a group they said would ensure they hold each other accountable for a pledge to end deforestation by 2030, and announced billions of dollars to finance their efforts.
The first meeting of the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership, chaired by Ghana and the United States, took place a year after more than 140 leaders promised at COP26 in Britain to end deforestation by the end of the decade.
Progress since has been patchy, with only a few countries instituting more aggressive policies on deforestation and financing.
The new group, which includes Japan, Pakistan, the Republic of Congo, the United Kingdom and others, accounts for roughly 35% of the world's forests and aims to meet twice a year to track progress.
Nov 07, 2022
Haryana Forest Department and USAID Launch Initiative to Increase tree Coverage
Haryana State Government's Forest Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of the "Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI)" program in the state. The new program would enhance carbon sequestration, support local communities and strengthen the climate resilience of agriculture.
Supporting global climate change mitigation and adaptation goals, this initiative will bring together farmers, companies and other private institutions to rapidly expand tree coverage outside of traditional forests in the state.
The Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) program will take forward Haryana's State Action Plan on Climate Change and will build on the state's progress and harness agro forestry to bolster the resilience of farming systems, while also increasing the income of farmers in the state.
Adani New Industries Installs India's Largest Wind Turbine, Taller than Statue of Unity
Adani New Industries Ltd. constructed a wind turbine in Mundra in Gujarat as part of its growth plans for renewable energy that is taller than the Statue of Unity and has blades that are broader than the wingspan of a jumbo jet. Adani New Industries Limited (ANIL) announced the installation of the largest wind turbine generator (WTG) in the nation in Mundra, Gujarat.
Mundra Windtech Ltd (MWL), an Adani Enterprises Ltd. wholly-owned company, installed the turbine (AEL). This prototype is also Adani New Industries Ltd.'s (ANIL) first addition to its portfolio and has paved the way for the installation of even larger wind turbine generators, according to the company.
The wind turbine, which is 200 metres tall, can power over 4,000 households with 5.2 MW of electricity.
Nov 06, 2022
Scientists Discover Huge River Hidden under Antarctica
In a startling discovery, scientists found a huge river hidden under the sheets of ice in Antarctica. The team of glaciologists, who are studying the impact of climate change on glaciers, came to know about the river during an airborne radar surveys. Experts say that the river runs for 460 kilometres deep beneath the ice, a distance longer than the river Thames that flows through southern England, including London.
The discovery was made by researchers at Imperial College London, the University of Waterloo, Canada, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, and Newcastle University.
The glaciologists are saying that the river has the potential to substantially affect the way the glacial ice above it flows and melts.