“CDRI Promotes Resilient Infrastructure to Withstand Climate and Disaster Risks”

Sandeep Poundrik is the Director-General, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Here, he is in an exclusive email conversation with Abhas Mukherjee for TerraGreen.

Inviting Birds of All Feathers

What We Must Do for the Birds. Urbanization poses a major threat to bird diversity. Preeti Mehra tells us about a study backed by Azim Premji University that suggests ways to help combat it.

Sultanpur National Park

A Paradise for Birds and Birdwatchers. In this series of articles, Amarjeetsingh Bishnoi and Shakti Bishnoi share their wonderful experiences with their family in the lap of nature in Sultanpur National Park in Haryana. Last month, you read that they went to visit the sanctuary from their home in Delhi during the winter season. Now, read more about their vivid experiences there from winter to summer season…

Green Warrior

Risking Life and Limb to Save Plants. Amid the chaos caused by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, only a handful of ‘unsung’ green warriors such as Dharmesh Barai have risen to the occasion to ensure lives, beyond human, stay protected too. Read on to know more about his green endeavour…

Antarctica Gives Birth to World's Largest Iceberg

A giant slab of ice bigger than the Spanish island of Majorca has sheared off from the frozen edge of Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg currently afloat in the world, the European Space Agency said recently.

Altered River Flows and Nature's Fury

Need for Efficient Water Resources Management The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystem restoration can take many forms, such as growing trees, greening cities, rewilding gardens, changing diets or cleaning up rivers and coasts. In this regard, Simi S Nair says that human-induced drivers, such as dams, sand mining, over-extraction of groundwater, land use land cover changes, and indiscriminate disposal of untreated non-biodegradable solid wastes have significantly altered river ecosystems, impaired river water quality, and simultaneously increased the severity of disasters, such as droughts and floods.

Electronic Pollution - An Environmental Monster

Air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution—these forms of pollution have been widely written about and spoken on. Ironically, not many know about electronic pollution, that poses a major challenge to the environment. What makes it even more detrimental for the environment is that it significantly contributes to all the other forms of pollution. Namrata Gulati Sapra talks about the monster called electronic pollution, which has been digging its toxic claws throughout Planet Earth and feeding off its energy more rapidly than the mind can imagine…

‘Heat Hampers Productivity at Work'

While weather conditions are known to impact productivity, a recent study has revealed that it gets harder for people to work when it gets hot, and this may lead to a reduction in national output in warmer years. Dr Anant Sudarshan, South Asia Director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), co-authored this study with E Somanathan of the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi; Rohini Somanathan of Delhi School of Economics; and Meenu Tewari of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sweet and Sticky Success - Sundarbans' Honey, for Nature and People

This article talks about an initiative by WWF India with the support of multiple partners across 16 villages of Sundarbans, which is enabling the moulis in the region to reduce incidents of human–tiger conflict with innovative apiary management practices. From collecting wild honey inside mangrove forests, members of the cooperatives are now harvesting apiary honey from Sundarbans forest camps and packaging bottles of honey, which are sold under the brand name Bonphool Natural Mangrove Honey

Sultanpur National Park - A Paradise for Birds and Birdwatchers

In this series of articles starting this month, Amarjeetsingh Bishnoi and Shakti Bishnoi share their wonderful experiences with their family in the lap of nature in Sultanpur National Park in Haryana.

Rejuvenating Kedia - Using Multipoint Intervention

Although the Ganga–Yamuna doab is known to be the most fertile region of India, one is persistently struck at the impoverishment among agriculturists here. Delving into the problem some years ago, Greenpeace activists decided to look into the dynamics that lie at the root of it. Dr Rina Mukherji brings out the fact that it is to Kedia village’s credit that her farmers and householders are showing the way by fighting climate change, using re-discovered, time-tested, home-grown methods on small landholdings.

Rajaji National Park - A Biodiversity-rich Landscape in the Lap of River Ganga

Rajaji National Park is a magnificent ecosystem nestled in the Shivalik range and the beginning of the vast Indo-Gangetic Plains, representing rich floral and faunal diversity. The Park constitutes an important repository of the wild fauna and the last refuge of a number of threatened animal species in the lesser Himalayan zone and upper Gangetic plains. Considering the abundance of nature’s bounties heaped in and around the Park, the area attracts a large number of wildlife conservationists, nature lovers, and eco-tourists. On the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22), Dr Ritesh Joshi and Kanchan Puri have expressed their views about the wilderness and biodiversity of the Rajaji’s landscape, which is also a haven for Asian elephants.

Pointless Plants - Incredible Story of Nathan from Planes to Plants

Twenty-three-year-old Nathan Raab lost his job as a commercial airline pilot during COVID-19, and decided to make a change from spraying jet-fuel over the planet to set up his own eco-friendly company instead, Pointless Plants. Here, we present his amazing journey and his pioneering initiative.

Less is More

Most people don’t need more protein. They need less. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi exposes the mythology of protein and explains why it should come from plants, not animals.

India's RE Capacity Goal by 2030 - To Offset Major Carbon Emissions

In this article, Ramya Ranganath says that once all the sanctioned renewable energy projects attain fruition in 2021, and all the gaps are plugged, India is well underway towards achieving both its 2022 and 2030 target of 175 GW and 450 GW of renewable capacity, respectively. It will help India in achieving its intended nationally determined contributions.

A Circular Economy for All - ‘What Goes Around Comes Around!'

In this article, Sarah Berry highlights that for a rapidly developing country such as India, the adoption of a circular economy is of paramount importance, not only because of the rate of growth the country is undergoing and projecting, but also because of the numerous benefits this concept brings with it.

Joining the Dots Ecosystem services. Climate change. Global pandemic.

In this article, Biba Jasmine reflects on the linkages among ecosystem services, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. The important components of ecosystems are also discussed with a focus on policies in place.

The Elf of Plants They Call Mushroom

Thomas Carlyle had said once, ‘Thou fool! Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom; the idle crag thou sittest on is six thousand years of age.’ Isn’t it a fact that we haven’t yet grown big enough to realize the benevolence of nature that has long been arming us to the teeth against all odds?—writes Rajshekhar Pant.

Calamitous Earth Reheats International Efforts to Curb Emissions are Needed

‘The year 2020 has been an unprecedented year for people and planet. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives worldwide. At the same time, the heating of our planet and climate disruption has continued apace. Record heat, ice loss, wildfires, floods and droughts continue to worsen, affecting communities, nations, and economies around the world,’ United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, said recently. In this article, Dr Anil Pratap Singh discusses the urgent need to accelerate and deepen global actions with the political commitment and governments’ willingness. It would forge new partnerships while maintaining the tempo for mitigation and ways of cooperation to support international efforts to curb emissions.

Young Women Lead the Green Brigade in India

India, like the rest of the world, is facing the scourge of rising pollution levels, particularly in the urban pockets of the country. In the fight against pollution and environmental degradation, many youngsters are proactively working towards spreading environmental awareness, designing ‘green’ products and technology to prevent environmental degradation and reduce pollution and creating ‘sustainable’ enterprises for a cleaner and greener planet. Among the youngsters, it is the women who stand out for their sheer conviction and drive.

Railway Children India

Who might have ever wondered that locking down ourselves in our own little spaces of comfort would someday be out of an obligation than a personal choice made? During the lockdown when everyone was asked to stay home, where do you think the children living on railway platforms went who knew of platforms as their only home ever since they woke up to this life?

Recycled Plastic Bricks

Some Environmental Initiatives

Earthquake Risk Signs of Nature Should Not be Ignored

In this article, Baseera Rafiqi talks about earthquake risk factors in Jammu and Kashmir while reiterating that ignoring signs of nature could prove detrimental for the region in the long run.

WSDS 2021 Redefining Our Common Future: Safe and Secure Environment for All

Due to the unprecedented global impact of COVID-19, the 20th edition of TERI’s flagship event the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) was held entirely online from February 10–12, 2021. In two decades, the Summit series has achieved a position of repute in bringing together governments, policymakers, business leaders, academicians, scientists, youth and civil society in the fight against climate change and in promoting the agenda of sustainable development.

Avian Flu Protect Yourself from the Virus

Avian influenza is also a contagious viral flu disease of a similar nature to the coronavirus, says Maneka Sanjay Gandhi. Cooking contaminated chicken will not save you from infection because so many people and you handle the uncooked bird.

‘My Job is to Tell Stories that Need to be Told'

Gautam Pandey, a popular name in wildlife film festivals, such as the Wildscreen Festival, Jacksonhole, Jagran Film Festival, Woodpecker International Film Festival and many more, speaks to Elsa Lycias Joel about his passion, success, parents, and his love for the wild and untamed.

Paris Climate Pact Retrospect And Prospects

There is now a sense of a global urgency emerging towards keeping the promise of the Paris Agreement and securing our future on this planet. Net-zero emissions is becoming the new normal on the horizon. Several major economies have committed to climate neutrality or net zero emissions in the coming decades. Arvind Kumar discusses such related issues in this article.

Tourism Hits Reset Button After Lockdown As Tourists Become More Responsible Now

In this article, Manu Shrivastava says that lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country had dealt a big blow to tourism-dependent economies, leaving them struggling to survive. However, after the restrictions were lifted up most of the tourists have become more disciplined and responsible for the good as they have realized that dirtying tourist places is like cutting the branch they’re sitting on.

The Plastic Pandemic The Looming Challenge

In this article, Rashi Goel highlights the issue of increased waste created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Meat Paradox Connecting the Head and the Heart

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi says that people consuming meat shy away from making the connection that animals have been harmed in the process. Meat eaters and sellers resolve this dilemma by deliberately dissociating meat from its animal origins.