Northern species- the male Redpoll
Sleeping Mourning Dove
Tame Black-capped chickadee
Gastrotrich micro-animal collected under the ice
Ciliate protist from under the ice
Images by Michael Leveille
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Friday, January 30, 2015
MESSAGE OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY BRAULIO FERREIRA DE SOUZA DIAS on the occasion of the WORLD WETLANDS DAY
2 February 2015
“Wetlands for Our Future”
Wetlands are among our most valuable ecosystems. The values of benefits provided by wetlands, per unit area, have been consistently shown to be orders of magnitude higher than for other ecosystems, with the major benefit delivered through improved water security. They provide enormous benefits to society including: freshwater and purifying and filtering harmful wastes from water; a source of foods, including fish and rice which account for about 20% of the world’s nutritional supply; act as buffers for extreme events and help reduce risks from flooding and drought; help combat climate change through providing protection from extreme weather events, with peatlands alone storing more than twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests; as a source of livelihoods for countless numbers of people; as well as supporting a vast array of biodiversity. Despite these benefits, wetlands continue to be lost at an alarming rate with estimates that 64% have disappeared since 1900 and 87% lost since 1700.
Throughout 2015 the global community will continue to discuss its aspirations for sustainable development culminating in the adoption of a new post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. These discussions are rightfully characterized by attention to various prominent themes which include food and nutrition security, water security, disaster risk reduction, sustainable cities, combating climate change and its impacts, conserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, and eradicating poverty. Notably, the future of wetlands will be a key determinant of whether our aspirations for a sustainable future will be met. This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day, “Wetlands for our Future”, is therefore a timely reminder that while paying attention to our future, and that of our children, we must also recognise the critical action that needs to be taken in order to ensure it. In this regard, the conservation and restoration of wetlands must be a high priority.
Wetlands have always been implicitly recognised, as a cross-cutting ecosystem type, in the deliberations of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and there is a long history of their importance being explicitly recognised in decisions. Most recently, the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12), held October 2014 in the Republic of Korea, emphasised the critical importance of coastal wetlands for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, in particular for migratory bird species, sustainable livelihoods, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
The COP invited Parties to give due attention to the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands, and welcomed the work of the Ramsar Convention and initiatives that support the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands, including options to build a “Caring for Coasts” initiative, as part of a global movement to restore coastal wetlands. Important linkages between wetlands and human health were also recognised. These illustrate the long-standing recognition of wetlands as critical to our future.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is the lead implementation partner for wetlands for the Convention on Biological Diversity and for actions to support wetlands in the context of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 – 2020 and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. I am pleased to acknowledge the continuing efforts of the Ramsar Convention in these regards, and recognise that the working relationship between the two conventions, and their Secretariats, continues to flourish.
On this important day I ask us all to reflect on how our society has been affected through the loss and degradation of wetlands, recognise what wetlands do for us now, consider the future challenges we face and do all we can to ensure that wetlands play a central role in shaping our sustainable future.
“Wetlands for Our Future”
Wetlands are among our most valuable ecosystems. The values of benefits provided by wetlands, per unit area, have been consistently shown to be orders of magnitude higher than for other ecosystems, with the major benefit delivered through improved water security. They provide enormous benefits to society including: freshwater and purifying and filtering harmful wastes from water; a source of foods, including fish and rice which account for about 20% of the world’s nutritional supply; act as buffers for extreme events and help reduce risks from flooding and drought; help combat climate change through providing protection from extreme weather events, with peatlands alone storing more than twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests; as a source of livelihoods for countless numbers of people; as well as supporting a vast array of biodiversity. Despite these benefits, wetlands continue to be lost at an alarming rate with estimates that 64% have disappeared since 1900 and 87% lost since 1700.
Throughout 2015 the global community will continue to discuss its aspirations for sustainable development culminating in the adoption of a new post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. These discussions are rightfully characterized by attention to various prominent themes which include food and nutrition security, water security, disaster risk reduction, sustainable cities, combating climate change and its impacts, conserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, and eradicating poverty. Notably, the future of wetlands will be a key determinant of whether our aspirations for a sustainable future will be met. This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day, “Wetlands for our Future”, is therefore a timely reminder that while paying attention to our future, and that of our children, we must also recognise the critical action that needs to be taken in order to ensure it. In this regard, the conservation and restoration of wetlands must be a high priority.
Wetlands have always been implicitly recognised, as a cross-cutting ecosystem type, in the deliberations of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and there is a long history of their importance being explicitly recognised in decisions. Most recently, the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12), held October 2014 in the Republic of Korea, emphasised the critical importance of coastal wetlands for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, in particular for migratory bird species, sustainable livelihoods, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
The COP invited Parties to give due attention to the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands, and welcomed the work of the Ramsar Convention and initiatives that support the conservation and restoration of coastal wetlands, including options to build a “Caring for Coasts” initiative, as part of a global movement to restore coastal wetlands. Important linkages between wetlands and human health were also recognised. These illustrate the long-standing recognition of wetlands as critical to our future.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is the lead implementation partner for wetlands for the Convention on Biological Diversity and for actions to support wetlands in the context of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 – 2020 and the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. I am pleased to acknowledge the continuing efforts of the Ramsar Convention in these regards, and recognise that the working relationship between the two conventions, and their Secretariats, continues to flourish.
On this important day I ask us all to reflect on how our society has been affected through the loss and degradation of wetlands, recognise what wetlands do for us now, consider the future challenges we face and do all we can to ensure that wetlands play a central role in shaping our sustainable future.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
BAMBOO CULTIVATION IN RADHI- BHUTAN
Cultivation of bamboo, in Radhi, Trashigang district in eastern
Bhutan has benefitted the local farmers to an unexpected extent. The
cultivation was started about seven years ago through agriculture ministry's
sustainable land management project and at present a bamboo pole is sold at Nu
100 and its rhizome costs about Nu 75. However, the farmers are afraid to start
its commercial farming since the demand of the plant is fluctuating throughout
the year.
January 23
http://www.kuenselonline.com/commercial-cultivation-of-bamboo-yet-to-take-off-in-radhi/#.VMH2VSxkDcs
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM IN TIBET- CHINA
A weather monitoring system has currently been
established in Tibet, southwestern China which is expected to release warnings
on natural disasters about 15 to 30 minutes earlier. According to the
authority, Tibetans will receive text messages prior to the hazard so that they
can escape to safer places. Currently, Tibet is providing trainings to the
disaster monitoring personnel and setting up means to disseminate the
information.
January
21
http://eng.tibet.cn/2012sy/xw/201501/t20150121_2226077.html
HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICTS- INDIA
Uttarakhand in northern India has been experiencing
wildlife depredation each year and the human wildlife conflict in the area
worsens with the arrival of winter. Shrinking habitat due to human encroachment
as well as rising population of leopards are considered to be the main reasons
for the increased number of wildlife attacks. According to an earlier census, there were around 2000 leopards in
the area.
January 22
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/uttarakhand/man-animal-conflicts-rise-in-winter-months/33251.html
EXTREME WEATHER IN HIMANCHAL- INDIA
Continuous snowfall in Himalchal Pradesh, northern India
has affected lives of people in the entire tribal belt of Lahaul and Spitii. Kufri and Narkanda in Shimla district also had
mild to heavy snowfall. Poor visibility due to thick fog has affecting local
transportation. At the same time threat of avalanches has also loomed large
over the high-altitude tribal areas of the state.
January 22
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/
GARBAGE DUMPED IN BAGMATI RIVER- NEPAL
Although numbers of campaigns are being conducted in Kathmandu,
central Nepal to control the pollution in Bagmati River, Kirtipur municipality continues
to dump garbage into the river irresponsibly. The municipality generates around 10 tons of
garbage daily which is supposed to be dumped in landfill site of Sisdole area.
But instead, they are being dumped into the river since the last four months.
According to the municipality officials there are no designated transfer
stations thus they are compelled to dump the waste temporarily in the river.
January 24
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=90928
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