Page 3 - Forests

1 person dead in Athens wildfires; firefighter continue as winds drop

A major wildfire has raged across the northern suburbs of Athens, leaving at least one person dead and triggering multiple evacuations as swirling winds hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters and dozens of water-dropping planes. The fire department said shortly after midnight that firefighters found a body in a burnt building in the suburb of Vrilissia, but was unable to immediately provide further details. The blaze started Sunday near Lake Marathon, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of Athens, coursed across Mount Pendeli and reached the capital's northern suburbs. It burnt several homes and businesses in the city suburbs and in communities near the lake. Greece went on high alert but by late night Monday, a drop in winds offered hope and officials reported progress against the massive, fast-moving blaze that spawned flames over 25 metres (80 feet) high. Fire Department spokesperson Col Vassileios Vathrakogiannis said firefighters were longer battling a single fr

Deforestation in Amazon forest at its lowest level since 2016: Brazil govt

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest slowed by nearly half compared to the year before, according to government satellite data released Wednesday. It's the largest reduction since 2016, when officials began using the current method of measurement. In the past 12 months, the Amazon rainforest lost 4,300 square kilometers (1,700 square miles), an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. That's a nearly 46% decrease compared to the previous period. Brazil's deforestation surveillance year runs from August 1 to July 30. Still, much remains to be done to end the destruction and the month of July showed a 33% increase in tree cutting over July 2023. A strike by officials at federal environmental agencies contributed to this surge, said Joo Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary for the Environment Ministry, during a press conference in Braslia. The figures are preliminary and come from the Deter satellite sytem, managed by the National Institute for Space Research and used by ...

Sunderbans tigers count to rise in conducive habitat with no threat

The number of tigers in the Sunderbans is likely to rise in the next census as there is no threat of saturation and sufficient prey base in the 4,200 sq km area of the mangrove forest, a senior forest official said. The number of Royal Bengal Tigers in West Bengal's Sunderbans as per the 2022 census was 101. "The 2022 tiger census count of 101 is nowhere close to carrying capacity in near future... ," Chief Wildlife Warden Debal Roy told PTI. "On a terrain like the Sunderbans carrying capacity means the number of tigers per 100 sq km. If you keep in mind that Sunderbans has an area of 4,200 sq km and calculate, the carrying capacity of tigers will be far below than any saturation level," he said. Roy said the prey bass consisting of spotted deer is regularly replenished for the tiger population and the forest department is working on steps like anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and barring entry of fishermen, honey collectors, wood collectors and other villagers living in contiguous

India among top 3 countries in most significant forest area gains: FAO

India gained 2,66,000 hectares of forest area annually from 2010 to 2020, securing the third spot among the top 10 countries with the most significant forest area gains during this period, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The report, released on Monday, said that China led the world with the maximum forest area gain of 1,937,000 hectares, followed by Australia with 4,46,000 hectares, and then India. Other countries in the top 10 include Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the United States, France, Italy and Romania. The UN agency praised India for its efforts in restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry through innovative approaches. This includes the development of a new national policy aimed at better supporting agroforestry in the country. The report highlighted a significant reduction in deforestation in some countries. For example, Indonesia saw an 8.4 per cent decline in deforestation from 2021 to 2022, while Brazil's Amazon experienced

Over 200 investors join forces to push for policy action on nature loss

Spring initiative comes ahead of global talks in Colombia in October that aim to accelerate efforts to protect and restore nature

Goa's forest min warns of FIRs for violators of Preservation of Trees Act

Goa Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said his department will register first information reports (FIRs) against persons violating the Preservation of Trees Act. People take permission from the deputy conservators of forest from the North and South Goa divisions to fell trees citing some requirements, but end up violating the Preservation of Trees Act, the minister told PTI. "Once they get permission, people go completely against the rules," he said. Rane said directions have been issued to the principal chief conservator of Forest to register FIRs against violators, and the department will come down heavily on them. Rane, who heads the Town and Country Planning (TCP) department, said action will be taken against people involved in illegal landfilling. Several cases of illegal landfilling have been brought to the government's notice, and the department is probing them, he said. The minister said that Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye had recently filed a complaint against th

Forest conservation saw advancement over last 15 year: India informs UNFF

India informed the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) that it has made significant advancements in forest conservation and management, leading to a consistent increase in forest cover over the past 15 years. The country participated in the 19th Session of the UNFF held at the UN headquarters in New York from May 6 to 10. Globally, India ranks third in the net gain in average annual forest area between 2010 and 2020. During the session, India said it gives high priority to biodiversity and wildlife conservation, having expanded the network of protected areas to over a thousand wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserves, biosphere reserves, and other wildlife habitats. The recent celebrations marking 50 years of Project Tiger' and 30 years of Project Elephant' underscore India's commitment to species conservation and habitat protection, the environment ministry said in a statement. India also highlighted the creation of the International Big Cat Alliance, a global ...

Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on deploying forces for protection of forests

The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre's stand on a petition about whether any force can be deployed for the protection of forests in the national capital from illegal activities or encroachments by land grabbers and mafia. The court's direction came on a petition seeking a direction to the Central government to post an adequate number of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers with the Delhi government's Department of Forests and Wildlife. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, in the reply, said forest officials were facing constant threats from land grabbers and mafia who make rampant encroachment on forest land, and a proposal has been made for engaging the CISF in forest areas. The counsel for the Centre, however, said CISF rules don't permit such deployment. "Counsel for Union of India is directed to take instructions as to whether any other force can be deployed for the protection of forest so as to ensure that no illegal activities or encroachments in the forest area

International Day of Forests 2024: All about importance of greenery in life

World Forest Day 2024 is marked internationally on 21 March 2024. It intends to bring issues to light of the value of forests and their various advantages in our society

Climate change: World's forests are doing much better than we think

The destruction of tropical forests gets so much (justified) attention that we're at risk of missing how much progress we're making in cooler climates.

Leopardess with two cubs roaming Indore Infosys campus: Forest officials

Forest department personnel searching for a leopardess around IT giant Infosys' campus in Indore widened their rescue operation after getting information on Wednesday about the presence of two cubs of the wild cat in a nearby agriculture field, an official said. The wild cat was first spotted on Tuesday between 11 am and 12 pm in the Super Corridor area, where the Infosys' campus is located, prompting the forest department to launch a rescue operation. Later, a local farmer told the forest department he had spotted two leopard cubs in an agriculture field located adjacent to the premises. Indore Forest Divisional Officer (DFO) MS Solanki told PTI, "We have been searching for the leopard since Tuesday in and around the Infosys campus. We were told by a farmer on Wednesday morning that he spotted two leopard cubs in a wheat field adjacent to the compound." According to the DFO, this indicates a female leopard is roaming in the Infosys premises and has kept her cubs in a wheat field .

People who lost lives protecting forests, to get 'Sammaan Nidhi': Chouhan

The CM also urged the people to offer prayers in their respective temples according to their traditions

Tiger cubs found dead in TN's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve; probe ordered

Two tiger cubs were found dead at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and a probe has been ordered to ascertain the reason for their death, Forest Department officials said on Thursday. The cubs were found dead during a patrolling by officials. An autopsy will be carried out as part of the probe to ascertain the reason for the cubs' death, they said, without elaborating.

In search for cause of Hawaii wildfires, lawyers probe power lines

Hawaiian Electric said it doesn't have information on what caused the fires, according to an email statement from spokesman Darren Pai

Monsoon Session: Lok Sabha nod to Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill

Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to exempt land within 100 km of the country's borders from the purview of the forest conservation laws and permit setting up of zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities in forest areas. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill-2023 was passed after a brief debate which was responded to by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after the passage of the bill, which amends the Forest (Conservation) Act, amid continued protests by opposition members over the ethnic violence in Manipur. The bill exempts certain types of land from the provisions of the Act such as forest land along a rail line or a public road maintained by the government providing access to a habitation, or to a rail, and roadside amenity up to a maximum size of 0.10 hectare. Forest land that will also be exempted includes land situated within 100 km along the international borders, Line of Control, or Line of Actual Control, proposed to

460 village forest societies, over 900 SHGs in 7 Himachal districts

As many as 460 village forest development societies and more than 900 self-help groups have been established across seven districts of Himachal Pradesh, a statement issued here on Thursday said. The development has taken place under the forestry and natural resource management projects funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). These projects have been instrumental in augmenting the lush greenery of the region, it said, adding that they also prioritise the skill enhancement and capacity building of forest-dependent communities and field staff. With over 15,000 individuals trained in livelihood activities and forest regeneration, the project mitigates the risks posed by climate change and related disasters, the statement added. Employing advanced techniques and technological interventions, over 4,600 hectares of land have been adorned with carefully planned plantations over the past two years. Furthermore, the project places great emphasis on developing nurseries

Pench Tiger Reserve starts dairy project in buffer zone of forest areas

The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra's Nagpur district has started a cooperative dairy project in its buffer zone to enhance the livelihood of people living there and reduce the pressure on the protected forest, officials said. Under the project, 40 high-yielding milch cattle have been distributed in Awaleghat, Makardhokda and Chargaon villages and a milk collection centre has been established at Awaleghat, a release by Pench tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, deputy director Prabhu Nath Shukla said on Saturday. Apart from helping the villagers earn more, the move is also aimed at stopping cattle from grazing in the forest by promoting stall feeding and reducing potential conflicts with wild animals, he said. The Pench reserve, which derives its name from the river Pench, is spread over 741.41 square kilometres. At last count, it had 41 tigers, said officials. Shukla said the project has come up with funding of Rs 25 lakh from the Forest Development Corporation Of Maharashtra under its

The Chipko legacy

Alienating people whose identities are linked to the forest and trees around them is not only unfair, but also short-sighted

Research shows ants play an important part in forest regeneration

Ants have a significant role in forest regeneration, according to a recent paper from Binghamton University, State University of New York

Rehabilitation of ST communities living on fringes of forests: Karnataka CM

Bommai informed that several schemes like Kisan Samman for farmers, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Aatmanirbhar, and Ayushman Bharath have been implemented