Friday, December 3, 2010

India's Wetlands Rules 2010 Notified- dawn of new era.

New Delhi, 2nd December, 2010
The Ministry of Environment and Forests today notified the Wetlands (Con-servation and Management) Rules, 2010. These Rules, which for the first time lay down legally enforceable provisions for the conservation and management of Wetlands, have been drafted to ensure better conservation and management and to prevent further degradation of existing wetlands in India.

[Source: Ministry of Environment and Forests and Facebook wall of Dr. Manmohan Singh]

Antarctic Treaty: 50 Years Later

On Dec. 1, 1959, after more than a year of secret negotiations, 12 nations signed a document that dedicated 10 percent of the Earth's surface — the continent of Antarctica — to peaceful activities.

The Antarctic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C., 51 years ago, was drawn up in four languages — English, French, Spanish and, perhaps most surprising, Russian.

The treaty resulted in Antarctica remaining a relatively pristine area where scientists could study glaciers, the extreme environment and its unique biota.

[Source: ourAmazingplanet]

Fates of coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands around the world, including many on the U.S. Atlantic coast, could be more endangered by climate change and sea-level rise than previously thought, a new study suggests.

Coastal wetlands provide critical services such as absorbing energy from hurricanes and storms, preserving shorelines, protecting human populations and infrastructure, supporting commercial seafood harvests, absorbing pollutants and serving as critical habitat for migratory bird populations. These resources and services will be threatened as sea-level rise inundates wetlands.

[Source: ourAmazingplanet]