Category Archives: Environmental regulations

Dependence Of The Poor On Commons

A 1999 NSSO study on the role of land, water and forest commons in the life and economy of rural Indians revealed that CPRs provide as much as 58% of fuelwood requirements and up to 25% of fodder requirements. It also provides evidence of large-scale depletion of CPRs, with CPR lands in rural India declining […]

Cancun clinches deal—for polluters

Cancun has restored the sanctity of multilateral negotiations under the UN climate convention. People had lost faith in it by the end of the Copenhagen meet last year. But what is the cost of the Cancun success? The new deal erases the difference between developed and developing nations. Developed countries no more have to commit legally […]

India’s Forests And REDD+: A Primer

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Wetlands Rules 2010 Notified

The Ministry of Environment and Forests today notified the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010. These Rules, which for the first time lay down legally enforceable provisions for the conservation and management of Wetlands, have been drafted to ensure better conservation and management and to prevent further degradation of existing wetlands in India.

Indian Minister’s Statement At Cancun

Transcript of speech of Environment Minister Shri Jairam Ramesh at the United Nations Climate Change Conference at Cancun. Read minister’s statement

Carping At Cancun

The government’s offer at the United Nations Climate Change Conference at Cancun – to submit India to international measurement, review and verification – makes for a welcome change after Japan’s decision last week not to extend the Kyoto Protocol. The only international treaty obliging rich countries to cut their emissions, Kyoto is not perfect. But it was a start […]

On Day 1, Copenhagen ghost haunts Cancun

On the first day of the 16th annual climate change conference that began in Cancun on Monday, it became clear that the countries had made little progress from the failed previous meet in Copenhagen, but had actually moved backwards on certain issues. The opening day of the two-week conference saw countries restating their old positions and […]

Karnataka To Divert Mahadayi Water

Karnataka’s irrigation department has fast-tracked construction work to divert water from the Mahadayi river to the Malaprabha. The canal project is under dispute but the state’s water resources department is adamant that it is crucial to meet the drinking water needs of the twin towns, Hubli and Dharwad, that aim to be the first in […]

The State of Environment Report India-2009

The State of Environment Report India-2009 presents an overview of the environmental scenario of our country. Its objective is to serve as a base line document to help assist decision making and policy formulation. Read the report

Draft Regulatory Framework for Wetlands Conservation

The Ministry has released a draft of the Regulatory Framework for Wetland Conservation for feedback from all stakeholders. The draft framework was prepared by a multi-disciplinary expert group.The date of inviting the comments has been extended to July 31st, 2010. A background note and the draft framework is appended. Read background note and regulatory framework