Bryoflora of Baphalimali hill ranges in Eastern Ghats ... - Vasundhara

EPTRI - ENVIS NewsletterNATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL DAYSWORLD WATER DAYWater is an astonishing substance-centre of life. Itnourishes our nations, drives our industries, washesaway our scrap, satisfies our thirst and brings beautyand pleasure into our lives. It is a paradox that theworld is in inexorably moving towards an era of watershortage despite water constituting three-fourths ofndthe earth’s surface. March 22 was first deemed asWorld Water Day in 1993 by the United NationsConference on Environment and Development(UNCED) as an international day of observance andaction to draw attention to the role that fresh waterplays in our world and lives. Emerging water scarcityhas the potential to wreak economic and ecologicalhavoc on the planet on the coming decades.Unsustainable exploitation of deep aquifers to cater togrowing population, pollution of surface waters byuntreated sewage, pesticides, fertilizers and industrialchemicals, inefficient agriculture use and the impactof climate change are all affecting the world’s wateravailability.Today’s reality is that one in eight people in the worlddon’t have access to safe water. Poor countries are atgreater risk of facing the ravage of water scarcity. TheWorld Heath organization proposed years ago thataccess to water must be made a basic human right witha duty cast on government to take targeted steps for itsrealization, that would include legislative measures tomake the right enforceable.The water is being mismanaged and unsustainablyused. India’s huge economic growth and mountingpopulation is pitting an acute strain on waterresources. The country has seventeen percent of theworld’s population, but only 2 percent of the world’sland and 4 percent of the water resources. It isestimated that 40 percent of communicable diseases inIndia are related to unsafe water. Diarrhea alonecauses more than 2000 deaths. There had already beenan alarming decline in ground water levels in manystates.In Andhra Pradesh , river pollution, depletion ofground water and land ward movement of seawaterhave been noticed. Sea water has already intrudedupto 30 km. in the coastal belt. The intrusion ofseawater in river estuaries upsetting the hydrologicalVol. 15, No.1, 2009balance in nearby villages. The ground water levels aredepleted due to indiscriminate drilling of water.The fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul (Turky)thndstarted on 15 March and ended on 22 March (onWorld Water Day), with a pledge by more than 100countries to strive to provide clean water and propersanitation. The forum is held every three years. around25,000 policymakers and grassroots workers took part.THE WORLD FORESTRY DAYWorld Forestry Day is celebrated around the world onst21 March every year as people take time to considerthe benefits of forest to the community - such ascatchments protection, providing habitat for animalsand plants, areas for recreation, education andscientific study and as a source of many productsincluding timber and honey.The concept of having a World Forestry Day originatedrdat the 23 General Assembly of the EuropeanConfederation of Agriculture in 1971. Later that year,the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizationgave support to the idea of believing that the eventwould contribute a great deal to public awareness onthe importance of forests and agreed that it should bestobserved every year around the world on March 21 .The day is chosen to disseminate information on theimportance of forestry, its protection, production anduse for recreation.stWorld Forestry Day was observed on 21 March, 2009by officials of the Nilgiris South Forest Division at theSree Vivekananda Vidyalaya Primary School,Udhagamandalam, Tamilnadu run by the Rotary Clubof Ootacamund in Theetukkal on Saturday. Addressingthe students, the president of the Club, Mr. B.R.Bhirman, said that "Children should play an active rolein enhancing environmental awareness among varioussections of society". Planting of 50 saplings marked theoccasion.Source: The Hindu, March 22, 2009The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) inassociation with Ministry of Environment and Forestsst(MoEF) celebrated World Forestry Day on 21 March2009. The dignitaries present on the occasion were Mr.Vijai Sharma, Secretary MoEF, Padmashri Dr AnilJoshi, Mr. M.B. Lal, ADGF (Wildlife), Mr. A K Johari,DIG (RT) and Ms. Ranjana Saikia, Fellow TERI.Source: The Economic Times, March 21, 20098