INDIA
Mixing it up to save Banni grasslands
GUJARAT’S PASTORAL Maldhari community is trying to revive the Banni grasslands that are fast degrading due to the onslaught of invasive plant species Prosopis julifora. The members, along with non-profit Sahjeevan, started a project earlier this year where they are replacing the invasive species they call gando babool with mixed varieties of native seeds in six plots spread over 125 hectares (ha). “Rainfall is erratic. So we are using a seed mix that can withstand heavy, normal and low rainfall,” says Pankaj Joshi of Sahjeevan. They are also reclaiming the grassland portions where some of the community members started illegal farming. “We are sowing small pellet balls of mixed seeds, manure, soil and water in 15 ha,” says Joshi. The members are also sensitizing the young members of the community to draw them back to livestock rearing.
TUNISIA
Acacia to Tunisia’s rescue
THE PROJECT Acacia For All is a boon for the farmers of Bir Sala village in the north African country Tunisia. Farmers here traditionally grow almond and olive crops, which take up a lot of water. But climate change has made rain scarce in this arid and semi-arid region. In 2012, social entrepreneur Sarah Mag Toumi provided them a new farming opportunity with acacia. The tree can grow in desert areas and has roots up to 100 m, providing the soil with nitrogen that restores fertility. Its plantation is an internationally recognized method to halt desertification. In 2012, the farmers planted 1,500 trees and another 5,000 the next year. The aim is to create two green belts through the country that will prevent desertification, fertilize the soil, and enable people to sell the Arabic gum that the trees will bear.
AUSTRALIA
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Denne historien er fra September 01, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara