WWF - WWF India office

Flying frog among hundreds of new species discovered in Eastern Himalayas

2009-08-10

Kathmandu, Nepal - Over 350 new species including the world’s smallest deer, a “flying frog” and a 100 million-year old gecko have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas, a biological treasure trove now threatened by climate change.

A decade of research carried out by scientists in remote mountain areas endangered by rising global temperatures brought exciting discoveries such as a bright green frog (Rhacophorus suffry) which uses its red and long webbed feet to glide in the air.

One of the most significant findings was not exactly “new” in the classic sense. A 100-million year-old gecko, the oldest fossil gecko species known to science, was discovered in an amber mine in the Hukawng Valley in Himalayan regions of far northern Myanmar.

The WWF report The Eastern Himalayas – Where Worlds Collide details discoveries made by scientists from various organizations between 1998 and 2008 in a region reaching across Bhutan and north-east India to the far north of Myanmar as well as Nepal and southern parts of Tibet Autonomus Region (China).

“This enormous cultural and biological diversity underscores the fragile nature of an environment which risks being lost forever unless the impacts of climate change are reversed,” said Tariq Aziz, the leader of WWF's Living Himalayas Initiative.

“People and wildlife form a rich mosaic of life across this rugged and remarkable landscape, making it among the biologically richest areas on Earth. But the Himalayas are also among the most vulnerable to global climate change.”

In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to reach an agreement on a new climate deal, which will replace the existing Kyoto Protocol.

“Only an ambitious and fair deal based on an agreement between rich and poor countries can save the planet and its treasures such as the Himalayas from devastating climate change,” said Kim Carstensen, the Leader of the WWF’s Global Climate Initiative.

The Eastern Himalayas report also mentions the miniature muntjac, also called the “leaf deer” (Muntiacus putaoensis) which is one of the world’s oldest and smallest deer species.

Scientists initially believed the small creature found in the world’s largest mountain range was a juvenile of another species but DNA tests confirmed the light brown animal with innocent dark eyes was a distinct and new species.

The Eastern Himalayas are now known to harbour a staggering 10,000 plant species, 300 mammal species, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 types of freshwater fish. The region also has the highest density of the Bengal tiger and is the last bastion of the charismatic greater one-horned rhino.

WWF aims to conserve the habitat of endangered species such as the majestic snow leopard, Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, red pandas, takins, golden langurs, rare Gangetic dolphins and one-horned rhinos as well as thousands of plant and animal species left to discover in the Eastern Himalayas region.

Eastern Himalayas- Where Worlds Collide describes more than 350 new species discovered - including 244 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, 2 birds, 2 mammals and at least 60 new invertebrates.

Historically, the rugged and largely inaccessible landscape of the Eastern Himalayas has made biological surveys in the region extremely difficult. As a result, wildlife has remained poorly surveyed and there are large areas that are still biologically unexplored.

Today further species continue to be unearthed and many more species of amphibians, reptiles and fish are currently in the process of being officially named by scientists. The Eastern Himalayas is certainly one of the last biological frontiers of Asia with many new discoveries waiting to be made.

New Species Discoveries - Eastern Himalayas

2009-08-10

The Eastern Himalayas is at the crossroads of 2 continental plates represented by 2 biogeographical realms: the lowland Indo-Malayan Realm and to the north, the elevated Palearctic Realm.

The meeting of these worlds has created one of the biologically richest areas on Earth.

Spanning Bhutan, the north-eastern Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, North Bengaland Sikkim, the far north of Myanmar (Burma), Nepal and southern parts of Tibet, the regionincludes 4 Global 200 ecoregions with their critical landscapes of international biologicalimportance.

The Himalayas are home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, 300 mammalspecies, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 freshwater fish.

The region supports a high density of the Bengal tiger and is the last bastion for the charismatic greaterone-horned rhinoceros.

Even today the rugged, and largely inaccessible landscape of the Eastern Himalayas, hides the real extent of the region’s biodiversity, with extraordinary new species continuing to bediscovered year-on-year.

Between 1998 and 2008, at least 353 new species have beendiscovered in the Eastern Himalayas.

That's 35 new species finds on average every year for the last 10 years.The extent of the new species finds place the Eastern Himalayas on a par with more well knownbiological hotspots such as Borneo.

What's in the report

This report celebrates these unique and fascinating species discoveries.

It also highlights growing pressures on the ecosystems and species as a consequence of unsustainabledevelopment in the region.

Despite protection efforts, in the last half-century, this area of South Asia has faced a wave of pressures as a result of population growth and the increasingdemand for commodities by global and regional markets.

The host of threats include

forest destruction as a result of unsustainable and illegal logging,
agriculture,
unsustainable fuelwood collection,
overgrazing by domestic livestock,
illegal poaching and wildlife trade,
mining,
pollution,
hydropower development, and
poorly planned infrastructure.

Under threat from climate change
The region is also among the most vulnerable to global climate change, which will amplify the impacts of these threats.

Only 25% of the original habitats in the region remain intact and 163 species that live in theEastern Himalayas are considered globally threatened.

Many of WWF’s established priority conservation landscapes are being impacted by the current unsustainable development in the Eastern Himalayas, and so we consider that a newlayer of strategic action is needed to augment our long standing field projects.

This includes asking the governments of Bhutan, India and Nepal to commit to a shared tripartite vision that recognises the global significance of the region and supports the implementation of a unified conservation and sustainable development plan that ensures the landscapes within the Eastern Himalayas are connected.

By promoting a shared sustainable development vision, WWF believes that real progress can be made in tackling huge poverty-impacting issues in the Eastern Himalayas such as climate change, deforestation, the illegal wildlife and timber trade, poor infrastructure development, and thereby secure the livelihoods, subsistence and fresh water essential to millions of peoplethroughout the region.

Only a concerted focus and a shared vision can maintain a living Himalayas, for people and nature, whether discovered or yet to be discovered.

Improving sugarcane cultivation in India

2009-05-01

Scarcity of freshwater is affecting the productivity and profitability of sugarcane growers and millers in India.

As many as 35 million farmers in this country grow sugarcane and rely on it for their livelihoods. Another 50 million depend on employment generated by the 571 sugar factories and other related industries using sugar. In Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, sugarcane plays a major role in the state economy.

During the last 10 years, sugarcane production in India has fluctuated between 233 million tonnes and 355 million tonnes per year. Similarly, the productivity at the farm level is as low as 40 tonnes/ha. With such low yields and fluctuations in production, and predicted increases in the variability of rainfall due to climate change, the industry is in for big trouble.

One of the world's thirstiest crops, approximately 25,000 kg of water is needed to produce 100 kg of sugarcane. Unless sugarcane farmers are introduced to new methods for producing higher yields using much less water, the country will find it difficult to meet the growing demand for sugar.

The Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) aims to:

provide practical options to farmers for improving the productivity of land, water, and labour
reduce crop duration, providing factories a longer crushing season and increased employment opportunities for workers
reduce the overall pressure on water resources and ecosystems.

The SSI is a package of practices based on the principles of ‘more with less’ in agriculture. It stresses a practical approach that originates from farmers and civil society to improve productivity while reducing pressures on natural resources.

It's estimated that by adopting SSI, a farmer will be able to produce at least 20% more sugarcane while reducing water inputs by 30% and chemical inputs by 25%.

Vulnerable Sundarbans islanders use technology against climate change threats

2009-04-09

Mousuni, India: The 20,000 residents of tiny, vulnerable Mousuni Island in the Indian Sundarbans are using technology to protect themselves from climate change-related threats – including deadly cyclones and rising sea levels – now impacting more and more severely upon them.

WWF recently inaugurated a Climate Adaptation Centre on the island, which aims to help Mousuni villagers better handle climate change by providing integral services such as an electronic early warning system, disaster preparedness kits, knowledge, resources and skills for adapting to climate impacts and educational materials for students.

Low lying Mousuni Island, at 24 sq km, is the second most vulnerable of the islands, but the information gathered by the new station will assist Mousuni and neighbouring sea-facing islands in the Sundarbans.

Additional climate change threats to Mousuni include tidal surges, increased soil and water salinity and sea-level rise. The southern part of the island is expected to lose more than 15 percent of its landmass by 2020 because of rising sea levels, according to WWF-India

While the population on the island has been on the increase, the size of the island has diminished because of sea-level rise. The cyclones and tidal surges have destroyed the communities by breaching embankments, wrecking homes and destroying harvests because of salt-water incursion from the sea.

“Mousuni island is in peril,” said Anurag Danda, Head of WWF India’s Sundarbans Programme. “Its neighbouring island, Sagar, is recording a relative sea level rise of 3.14 mm which is alarming. We have to work towards increasing the adaptive capacities of the communities before it is too late.”

Other adaptation strategies introduced by WWF have included the re-introduction of indigenous salt-tolerant rice plants to farmers on the island. As the market value of this variety (tal mugur) is not far behind other high-yielding varieties, farmers on the island have been successful in maintaining their livelihoods without having to worry about losing crops to salt water incursion.

The Climate Adaptation Centre provides rice seeds to the farmers and also holds information about the various varieties of rice, their market values and benefits of government schemes and programmes.

“These problems are similar in deltas all over the world,” said Arjan Berkhuysen, Delta Expert with WWF-Netherlands. “WWF is looking for natural solutions that respect the dynamics of the system while helping people towards sustainable development in the face of climate change.”

WWF-India, in partnership with WWF-Netherlands, Hewlett Packard and GTZ inaugurated the center on March 29. It houses an electronic early warning system – to warn villagers of impending environmental disasters – information on livelihood diversification through salt tolerant rice and inland fisheries and a book bank to loan students on the island material to help further their education.

The early warning system has been linked to Jadavpur University in Kolkata and will receive messages whenever there is an oncoming disaster. The Centre also houses relief material such as stretchers, torches and medical aid.

An organized Disaster Management Team, comprising village youths, also has been put together to physically mobilize the community towards safety in the event of a disaster.

These efforts have been made possible by organizations and corporations that have partnered with WWF.

“Climate change is probably one of the most significant environmental challenges that the world faces today,” said Bina Raj-Debur, Director, Corporate Marketing, HP India. “Hewlett Packard’s collaboration with WWF and investments in their projects are part of our comprehensive social investments and environmental strategies that makes use of HP technology to help reduce our own environmental impact, as well as that of our partners, suppliers and customers.”

Civil society wants sustainable growth package from G-20

2009-04-02

WWF International Director General James Leape and others have signed an open letter addressed to G-20 heads of state on behalf of an "international global coalition for a green economy” asking the group to pick an economic stimulus package that supports sustainable growth.

Signatories include top leaders from environment, development, business and labour groups, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Bellagio Forum for Sustainable Development.

“We urge you to ensure that the entirety of the G20 emergency package supports three goals: (1) building economic resilience; (2) social justice and distributional equity by promoting decent work for all; (3) protection and sustainable use of the environment,” Leape and others wrote in the letter.

The letter goes on to ask G-20 leaders “to allocate $750 billion of this stimulus package, which is around 1% of global GDP, to investments that will build an inclusive and green economy.”

Established in 1999, the Group of Twenty, known better as the G-20, is composed of finance ministers, political leaders and central bank governors and aims to bring together industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy, according to its website. Heads of state are currently meeting to participate in the G-20 in London.

Download the letter here.

Gharials get back into the Ganges

2009-02-26

Lucknow, India - No fewer than 131 gharials, the critically endangered long-snouted crocodile native to the Northern Indian sub-continent, were recently re-introduced to the river Ganges at the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh by WWF-India officials.

Assisted by the Uttar Pradesh State Forest Department, the operation was carried out in two phases, on 29 January and 12 February. Since then the gharials have been monitored by the WWF team and are responding well.

“An estimate indicates that barely 1,400 individuals survive in the wild [in India],” said Dr Parikshit Gautam, Director, Freshwater & Wetlands Conservation Programme, WWF-India. “For its conservation it is essential to locate viable alternative habitats for this species in crisis.”

The target reintroduction area was carefully selected. A female gharial (3.63m) inhabited the area as recently as 1994 while another was rescued there in 2006-07 and released into the Ganges at a spot further up-stream. Furthermore, easily recognizable features of gharial habitat occur in this stretch of the river.

An awareness drive among the local communities was also conducted to ensure community participation in the operation and to reassure people that gharials have never been known to attack humans and feed only on fish.

The presence of the gharials will help maintain the biodiversity of the river and the objectives of the reintroduction will be achieved through people participation and regular monitoring of sections of the river and studying the response of the released gharials in terms of ability to permanently adapt to the environment. Rescue operations will also be carried out if the gharials drift downstream of protected areas.

Immediately below the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary the Ganges River and its environs have been declared as a Ramsar Site and the area is currently the focus of a WWF-India dolphin conservation programme which will also benefit gharial conservation, monitoring and protection.

Carbon reporting on the rise in India

2008-12-19

Delhi, India - Significantly more of India’s leading companies have signed up to voluntarily disclose carbon emissions and climate policies, a second round of reporting has shown.

The quality of reporting is up as well as the quantity, project sponsor WWF-India noted at the release of the India Carbon Disclosure Project Report 2008. (CDP-India 2008)

“The report demonstrates a positive and proactive attitude among the Indian companies towards addressing the challenges of climate change,” said Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India.

“It shows an encouraging trend that companies are not only aware of the various threats and risks presented by climate change, but are also becoming increasingly sensitive towards its commercial and financial opportunities.”

Among companies reporting for the first time are HPCL, the Fortune 500 oil refining & marketing business; the State Bank of India; Tata Power, India’s largest private sector electricity generating company; Tata Motors, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles; Mahindra & Mahindra, India’s largest SUV maker; and major cement maker Ambuja Cements.

The disclosure process was carried out by WWF-India in partnership with The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the Confederation of Indian Industry’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development. The Global CDP project represents 385 institutional investors with around $US 57 trillion in funds under management who view corporate responses to the climate challenge as a significant investment variable.

But while reporting by Indian companies is up from 37 in 2007 to 51 and includes some of the country’s leading and highest climate impact companies, overall reporting remains low. CDP invited some 200 companies to participate and of 61 respondents, 10 refused.

The sectors with the highest response rates were Household & Personal Products (43% of the companies contacted in the sector responded), Materials (41%) and Banks and Diversified Financials (39%), with the worst being telecommunications and consumer durables and clothing companies.

Some 80% of the companies saw existing regulatory mechanisms not as a risk but rather as an opportunity for triggering long term investment in energy efficient technologies. However, these companies do acknowledge that in future, the regulations may affect their businesses.

Three quarters of the organizations have either taken up or have planned to manage or mitigate risks due to climate change by formulating relevant policies, changing operations, design and consumption patterns as well as strengthening supply chains and shifting to cleaner fuels. However the report noted a “significantly low or almost negligible (3.4%) use of energy purchased or generated from renewable sources” and said Indian corporate use of renewable energy was “quite poor” compared to multinational companies

Around 40% of the companies acknowledge physical risks such as damage, disruption and displacement resulting due to climate change as major challenges that could result in financial losses.

Humans and elephants on collision course in South Asia

2008-11-17

Kathmandu, Nepal: Massive international investment in large-scale infrastructure projects in southern Asia will increase human-elephant conflict and cause more deaths on both sides unless much greater care is taken.

A new report released today, funded by the World Bank as part of the World Bank-WWF Alliance for Forest Conservation & Sustainable Use, warns international investors that a clear strategy for keeping human-elephant conflict under control makes economic as well as environmental sense.

It is estimated that the economic damage caused by human-elephant conflict amounts to millions of dollars in some countries and in many cases it is those responsible for new land developments that have to foot the bill.

“Billions of dollars lined up for regional and national level infrastructural investments such as the Trans-Asian highway project and various hydro-power and irrigation projects are going to significantly increase human-elephant conflict across Asia,” said Christy Williams, Coordinator of WWF’s Asian elephant and rhino conservation program.

“Banks and investors need to show leadership when it comes to human-elephant conflict by adding mitigation options into their large infrastructure plans in places where elephants are found from the beginning.”

Human-animal conflict is exacerbated whenever land where the animals traditionally find food and living space is taken away as human population and aspiration increases. In this situation elephants frequently raid crop fields and break down houses to get at stored crops.

Chance encounters between elephants and people, as well as efforts of people to guard against elephants, result in injury and death of humans. Harmful methods employed by people in the process result in death and injury of elephants, thereby escalating the conflict.

The report – Review of Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation Measures Practised in South Asia – was compiled by WWF-Nepal, the Centre for Conservation and Research Sri Lanka (CCR) and the Nature Conservation Foundation.

It analyses case by case the methods local people are using to keep elephants away from their houses and finds that, in order to reduce the many costs of human-elephant conflict, a strategy that explains the most effective ways to mitigate the conflict is urgently needed.

The report notes that a comprehensive strategy could help investors planning infrastructure projects in south Asia to include human-elephant conflict mitigation options from the beginning, which would lead to both economic and conservation gains.

"Most mitigation measures currently being used are just akin to bandaging the wounds and not treating the root cause,” said Prithiviraj Fernando, chairman of CCR-Sri Lanka. “Good land-use planning that takes both people and elephant needs into account is the only long-term solution.”

Rhino recovered from wanderlust

2008-10-13

Assam, India: A young rhino that went on a 14-day trek across India, through villages as well as countryside, was finally persuaded to abandon its wanderlust by conservation specialists and return to where its journey began.

The five-year-old rhino, one of the two relocated earlier this year to Assam world heritage site Manas National Park had strayed as far as 68 kilometres away to Kalseni in Guwahati.

The animal had to be tranquilised and put back to its natural habitat before it could be harmed by curious onlookers and poachers. It is believed it was trying to find its way to its previous home in Pobitora wildlife sanctuary.

"The rhino was being tracked all the while with the help of the signals transmitted from his radio collar," said Sujoy Banerjee, Species Conservation Programme Director for WWF-India.

He said the radio signals were superimposed on a map of the area using global positioning system to pinpoint his exact location.

All through its journey the rhino had many curious onlookers, eager to catch a glimpse of it while some even wanted to touch its sacred horn. Others asked WWF personnel for its hair or a piece of its skin, both of which have religious significance in the region.

Not even its dung was left undisturbed! Since it is considered auspicious to keep rhino dung in the granaries, its dung just vanished.

Officials suspect that the animal might again go on a similar "adventure" and move eastward towards Pobitora wildlife sanctuary.

"There is sufficient food for the animal in the Manas park but still the rhino has been attempting to move out of the area,” Banerjee said.

The return of rhinos to Manas this year was an emotional moment for local residents, who lost their last rhinos a decade ago during a 20-year period of civil disturbance that wrecked infrastructure in the famed National Park and allowed poachers free reign.

Officials at the park have been asked to keep a constant vigil on the two male rhinos to ensure they settle down well in the region as it would take some time to subside the "homing instinct" in the animals, which were translocated under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 programme.

As part of this ambitious project, the Assam government and conservation groups including WWF-India are working to translocate up to 20 rhinos to the park over the years from their homes in both Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

Climate Witness: Dilip Hazra, India

2008-09-27

My name is Dilip Hazra. I earn my livelihood through agriculture and inland fishery. I have lived on this island for the last 15 years. I was born and brought up on the mainland which is almost 100 kilometres away. I came here initially to cultivate land owned by someone else.

English | हिन्दी
Later, I managed to purchase almost three hectares of agricultural land from that same person. Over time, I have developed some ponds for fishery and I have also have planted almost 109 coconut trees. Coconuts fetch me 15,000 rupees every year. Initially I had one cow but now I have nine cows and ten goats.

Rising water levels eroding land
Unfortunately, almost one hectare of my land had been washed away by sea. It seems this island is undergoing some geophysical changes and it’s being eroded everyday. In the year 2005 I witnessed a breach of a 900 metre stretch of embankment on the western part of this island which extensively damaged my house. I was forced to take refuge in Baliara Kishore High School for a couple of days. When the situation normalised, I built a temporary shelter over the embankment until I finished repairing my old house. The size of this island has also reduced significantly.

Changing weather patterns affecting agriculture
According to my observation there are some obvious changes in climate and it has implications over agriculture and the dependent agrarian population.

When I came here 15 years back, storms were not so frequent during the months of April and May as they are today. Due to this, our agricultural productivity is suffering a lot. We never had to use chemical fertilizers in the past but now we are heavily dependent on extensive use of chemical fertilizers. Usage of chemical fertilizer has become essential to ensure good crop productivity.

Incidences of pest attack have also increased. For instance, last year I harvested 480 kilograms of potatoes after sowing 42 kilograms of seed potatoes, but this year I am able to harvest only 240 kilograms of potatoes after showing 50 kilograms of seed potatoes. Similarly, I harvested 150 kilograms of onions after sowing 3000 pieces of seed onions previously, but this year I harvested only 100 kilograms of onions even after sowing 5000 pieces of seed onions. Many farmers are compelled to change their agricultural practices in accordance with the changing weather.

These days I cultivate oil seeds, sunflower, mustard, chilly, potato, onion and other vegetables. Due to periodic changes in weather, we used to get six seasons a year, but now we only witness three seasons; summer, winter and the rainy season.

Safeguarding lives and livelihoods
Apart from strengthening embankments, planting mangroves along the coast is very important for safeguarding our lives and livelihoods.

This island had a very good network of canals for drainage and irrigation but most of them are now either silted or encroached. This results in salt water intrusion whenever there is flooding as well as lack of fresh water for irrigation.

Re-excavation, cleaning and making the stretches of canals encroachment free is very important for storage of valuable fresh water in this island. Furthermore, farmers’ cooperative formation, improvement of access roads, training and capacity building for improved agriculture and inland fishery as well as enhancing public awareness is also equally important.

Scientific review

A scientific review by a member of the Climate Witness Science Advisory Panel is pending.

An independent scientific peer review of this Climate Witness story has been coordinated by the WWF India office. Please contact Claire Carlton if you would like more details.

Climate Witness: Hamid Bander, India

2008-09-25

My name is Hamid Bander. I am 58 years old and have lived on Mousuni Island since birth. I completed secondary level education but was not able to continue higher studies due to financial constraint.

English | 中国
My father had six hectares of agricultural land but almost five hectares have been washed away by the sea. We are 11 brothers and sisters and had to share one hectare land among us. Unfortunately my share was recently washed away and now I am rendered landless and compelled to live over my brother’s share of land.

At the age of 17, I ran away from home to work in Kolkata city. I worked there for the next five years. Later, I had to return to the island as my father wanted me at home. At the age of 22, I started fishing in coastal waters.

In 1960, when I was 10 years old, my house was around two kilometres away from the coast. We had 45 households in our neighbourhood. The coast had good vegetative cover.

Increase of severe weather events

Almost three decades back we seldom witnessed such fury of nature and devastation in terms of tidal surges, breach of embankment and low pressure. Cyclones and storms were of shorter duration, wind speed was low and hence the embankment height was also maintained lower (five to six feet). However, for last 15-20 years we are witnessing natural disasters of various magnitudes almost every year. We have already lost three houses. The height of the embankment is almost 25 feet but still the tidal water manages to gush into the communities.

Every day we are fighting with nature and this is how we have managed to survive until now. We are compelled to build a new embankment after five embankments are washed away by tidal water. Large expanse of vegetative cover as well as agricultural land has been lost to the sea.

The number of family members is increasing but the land area is decreasing which is creating socioeconomic problems for us. My homestead is over 0.06 hectare land area which I had bought from my brother. These days I go deep sea fishing for four months and the rest of the time I work as a labourer on farms and this is how I manage to earn my livelihood.

I have two sons who work in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). I am living my life in extreme hardship. We live in darkness as there is no electricity. Whatever little solar energy is available is only limited to a select few households. We have become used to complete darkness and roaring tides at nights.

Scientific review

Climate Witness: Sheikh Kalimuddin, India

2008-09-23

I am Sheikh Kalimuddin and I am 45 years old. I had been living in Gangapalli mouza of Mousuni Island in the Sundarbans Delta of West Bengal, India since I was born. My father was born in Kanthi in the East Midnapore district. He originally moved to this island because of the easy availability of cultivatable land, but much has changed since then.

English | हिन्दी
I have a wife, two son and three daughters. I am primarily dependent on agriculture and I farm 0.3 hectares of land. I also work as a labourer.

I grew up under extreme hardship. My parents died when I was only one year old. Still I managed to complete primary level education. During childhood, I was supported by my brother’s family. Later, we had differences and got separated and I settled near the river. In early days, I earned my livelihood repairing the embankment.

Impact of flooding

I have witnessed many incidences of natural disasters due to flooding, and two of them in 2000 and 2005 were major.

Embankments were breached and salt water gushed into Mousini Island, which caused a lot of damage. In the 2005, a 900 metre stretch of embankment was broken and many houses as well as standing crops were damaged.

Farmers mostly suffer due to the after-effect of flooding as salt water flooded land remains fallow for the next two to three years. Minor incidences of flooding are quite frequent these days. It mostly happens through overflow or breach of embankment. We somehow manage to survive under these circumstances.

During natural disasters, which are mostly in the form of flooding, we take refuge in Baliara Kishore High School. Mousuni Island has four administrative divisions (Baliara, Kushumtala, Bagdanga and Mousuni). Baliara is the most vulnerable division as it is situated near the confluence of Bottala river and the Bay of Bengal. The situation is deteriorating as sea level seems to be rising.

Sometimes incidences of minor flooding happen but I am fortunate enough not to loose my house so far. But when I get information regarding incoming cyclones and storms from the radio I get worried as I live dangerously close to the river.

Shift in farming practices

The agricultural pattern is changing due to the erratic behaviour of monsoons. More stress is on cultivation of hybrid and high yielding varieties of crops. Traditional and indigenous crop varieties are mostly marginalised. We are now using more chemical fertilisers and pesticides as the productivity is falling and also due to increased risk of crop disease outbreaks. Our rivers don’t have enough fish to catch these days.

I cultivate paddy rice (also known as rough rice) twice a year. This year the winter paddy rice crop fetched me 800 kgs of paddy rice from 0.13 hectare of land. However, lack of rain and an extremely hot summer damaged my chilly crop. Subsequent disease outbreaks killed chilly plants. Paddy rice and vegetable cultivation, poultry and cattle rearing provide me with a livelihood. I have 4 cows and 10 chickens.

There is also a sharp contrast between the present and past biodiversity level on this island. I don’t see dolphins or the same variety of birds and fishes any more.

We are aware that different organisations are coming ahead to help us and I request them to think of an alternative for us which will be of great help.

Scientific review

Climate Witness: Jyotsna Giri, India

2008-09-18

I am 55 years old and married. My five daughters are married and my three sons live with me in the same house. Presently I have six family members.

English | Español

I studied until fifth grade and then got married at the age of twelve. My husband had a house at Lohachara Island and that’s where we settled after marriage. In fact my husband’s ancestral house was in the mainland but he shifted to this Island as there was plenty of productive agricultural land.

Lohachara had three more adjoining islands: Sagar, Ghoramara and Suparibhanga. Lohachara and Suparibhanga Islands don’t exist anymore, while Ghoramara is almost on the verge of extinction due to accelerated coastal erosion. Suparibhanga Island was densely forested and never had any human habitation. However, Ghoramara and Suparibhanga had a significant number of households in the past before these islands got wiped out fully or partly.

During the 1960s Lohachara Island was divided into 5 administrative zones and the total population was almost five or six thousand. Agriculture and fishing were our primary source of livelihood during those days. We also owned three hectares of agricultural land on this Island. We use to cultivate paddy [rice] as well as variety of vegetables on these lands. Land was extremely fertile and we had a bountiful harvest every season without using fertiliser. Soil was very soft, fertile and sandy. Even the embankments near the river were used for growing vegetables. Coastal waters were stashed with fishes and crabs and that provided us with a good catch.

Lohachara Island did not have any source of drinking water. The only tube well we had was eroded away by the river and the government never installed another one. So, we use to cross the river and fetch drinking water from a nearby island.

High sand content in the soil made this island prone to coastal erosion during regular tidal action. The river was slowly eating away the entire island and later we were only left with our homestead land and some domestic animals. We had 20 cows, 150 sheep, 35 goats and some poultry.

I still remember that fateful day, when I lost everything.

I was on the neighbouring island to fetch some drinking water. My husband was not present that day and so I locked the house and took my son with me. While coming back, I found that the only ferry service available was cancelled for the day due to some kind of engine snag. So, I decided to stay back at my parent’s house for that night. The ferry service started the very next day and I boarded the morning ferryboat. When we approached Lohachara Island, I suddenly noticed that my sheep were all drifting in the river.

I started to panic and rushed to rescue them. I was about to jump in the river when some fellow passengers stopped me from doing so. I felt helpless and started crying. After landing at Lohachara Island I found that half of my house was washed away by the river. Slowly the entire island got submerged.

We were rescued and went to Gangasagar Island refugee colony which is on the south of that island. We stayed there for a few days and then shifted to northern parts of the island where we constructed a new house. We have been living here for the last 15 years. We don’t have any agricultural land and have to work as labourers. My son has grown up and now he works on a ship.

Unpredictable weather patterns and fast deteriorating environmental conditions are making our life miserable.

I am not even able to grow enough vegetables in my kitchen garden as there are no rains for the last couple of months. Soil fertility as well as productivity is gradually declining. Earlier we used to follow the broadcast method for paddy [rice] cultivation. Now farmers have to invest a lot in terms of hiring labour, purchasing fertiliser and continuous monitoring. Similarly, fishing has been badly affected as we don’t even get much fishes in the river to catch.

I feel that the natural regeneration rate has declined. We have already lost much of our natural resources in this region and which may be attributed to erratic weather patterns and changing temperature. It seems that monsoons are delayed while summers are extended these days.

Scientific review

A scientific review by a member of the Climate Witness Science Advisory Panel is pending.

Background

Lohachara Island was an islet which was permanently flooded in the 1980s. It was located in the Hooghly River as part of the Sundarban delta in the Sundarban National Park, located near the Indian state of West Bengal. The definite disappearance of the island was reported by Indian researchers in December 2006, which lead to international press coverage.

The islet is one of a number of "vanishing islands" in India's part of the delta: in the past two decades, four islands – Bedford, Lohachara, Kabasgadi and Suparibhanga – have been permanently flooded and 6,000 families have been made homeless. The loss of land has created thousands of refugees in the area.

An independent scientific peer review of this Climate Witness story has been coordinated by the WWF India office. Please contact Claire Carlton if you would like more details.

India’s endangered species get time on their side

2008-09-17

Never mind having a tiger in your tank, if you visit India you can now have a rhino on your wrist courtesy of WWF-India and Titan, the sixth largest watch manufacturer in the world.

The Titan–WWF collection, a range of wrist-watches inspired by some of India’s endangered species, was launched in Mumbai last week.

The watches, on sale only in India, feature six endangered species: the Tiger, Indian Rhino, Ganges River Dolphin, Red Panda, Whale Shark and Olive Ridley Turtle.

“WWF India views this association as a unique awareness campaign for saving some of India's endangered species,” said Ravi Singh, Secretary General & CEO, WWF India.

“Very few individuals are coming forward to understand the issues involved in protection of these species and Titan's endangered species collection is not only an attempt to illustrate the plight of some of India's iconic species but also a commitment for conservation.”

The collection was designed by Titan’s in-house studio in close consultation with WWF. It is a unisex collection targeted at new generation Indian consumers who want to express their concern for the species by wearing one of the watches, priced between 3,000-3,800 rupees (US$65-80).

So if you’re daft over dolphins, potty for pandas, wild about whale sharks or touched as far as turtles are concerned you may find just the watch for you on your next visit to India.

Climate Witness: Jamila Bibi, India

2008-08-25

I am Jamila Bibi. I was born on Rajnagar Island. Almost 30 years ago I got married and moved to my husband's house at Mousuni Island. We settled on the western part of this island. My husband's primary occupation was shrimp seed collection. These seeds used to fetch a good price and were easily available in the coastal waters.

My husband was the sole bread earner for our family but now he can't work much due to physical illness. We are solely dependent on our son who works as a daily labourer.

Our house was behind the old embankment and we never thought that it would give up so easily to regular tidal action. I still remember the moment when we lost our house, goats and important documents when the embankment was breached all of a sudden and we lost everything in a short span of time.

It was a moment of absolute panic and terror for us.

I was sitting in the yard segregating and counting shrimp seeds collected for the day. All of a sudden the embankment was broken and tidal water gushed in with great speed and washed away almost everything we had. I hardly managed to catch hold of my son, while my daughter caught hold of a nearby tree. We were fortunate enough to be rescued by some local people who came in a boat after a long time. After this incident we spent next 15 days in a temporary shelter.

Situations like this always happen whenever embankments are breached and the island gets flooded. It is difficult to describe and remember because the only thing that crosses our mind during that time is to save yourself and your family members. It is especially people like us, living near the embankments, who suffer the most. There is an absolute state of confusion and panic all around. There are human beings and animals floating and struggling in the water. People do not know what to do or what to hold on to especially when everything is suddenly engulfed by tidal water without any prior warning.

The sea level has risen over the years and so has the temperature. The waves rise very high as the tide comes in. The water level during floods is also very high. It is dangerous. The cyclones bring heavy rainfall which devastates many villages on this island. I am witnessing the changing climate over the years but have absolutely no clue why it is happening and how to combat it. My father-in-law used to tell me that there used to be forests in this region and a lot of birds but now most of it is either destroyed or disappeared.

I don't remember getting any help from the Government nor were we offered any sort of financial support after these events. When our houses were washed away by the sea, there's nothing except a temporary shelter just to manage a roof over our heads.

We have no means of preparing ourselves before a climatic event.

How can the sea be stopped? If only we had an indication that the embankment would break, we could have gone somewhere else. I am an illiterate woman and I cannot suggest anything that could be done to save this place. However, I believe that if the embankment is made stronger and if some trees are planted near it, maybe the damage caused can be lessened.

Scientific review

Reviewed by: Dr. A.S. Unnikrishnan, Physical Oceanography DivisionNational Institute of Oceanography, India

This region is highly sensitive due to the sea level rise and occurrence of storm surges. A large number of cyclones that form in the Bay of Bengal hit the coastal regions in the northern side.

Since the Sunderaban areas are highly sensitive due to its location, it is quite possible that the witness had come across a very high storm surge due to the passage of cyclone, when she lost everything.

Moreover, this region lies in the Indo-Gangetic delta region and the subsidence taking place in this region adds to the sea-level rise due to global warming.

The impacts witnessed are closely linked to the latest observations on sea-level rise (given below)

Unnikrishnan, A.S. and Shankar, D. (2007). Are sea-level trends along the north Indian Ocean coasts consistent with global estimates? Global and Planetary Change, 57, 301-307.

All articles are subject to scientific review by a member of the Climate Witness Science Advisory Panel.

An independent scientific peer review of this Climate Witness story has been coordinated by the WWF India office. Please contact Claire Carlton if you would like more details.

An independent scientific peer review of this Climate Witness story has been coordinated by the WWF India office. Please contact Claire Carlton if you would like more details.

Flow plan for less talk and more action as climate change hits rivers

2008-08-21

Managers and stakeholders in freshwater systems need to stop talking about adaptation to climate change and start doing it, WWF told the World Water Week symposium in Stockholm today.

The global conservation group presented a series of case studies from four continents showing that measures to improving the health of stressed water systems now would improve their ability to cope with projected climate impacts in the future.

"There are no regrets to many of the actions we can take now," said WWF freshwater researcher Jamie Pittock. "We are talking about improving river management and restoring the flood holding and drought proofing services of flood plains and wetlands, all of which can be shown to have short term economic, social and environmental pay-offs.

"The fact that they help climate-proof our river basins now is an added benefit."

Launching the new WWF report Water for life: Lessons for climate change adaptation from better management of rivers for people and nature at World Water Week, Mr Pittock said climate adaptation strategies that neglected freshwater systems were asking for trouble.

"Setting biofuel targets without considering where the water to grow biomass crops will come from is a recipe for a worsening water crisis in many regions and freshwater systems less able to cope with extreme weather events," Mr Pittock said.

"More dams for hydropower is a recipe for even more fragmented rivers that will inhibit freshwater species - the food for millions - adapting to climate impacts by migrating up or down river systems."

WWF field studies show that work already begun on opening up Danube River floodplains and wetlands and reconnecting lakes to the river is improving fishing and drinking water availability, bringing back birds and reducing vulnerability to floods.

"Restoration of the 37 sites that make up the Lower Danube Green Corridor is estimated to cost €183 million, compared to damages of €396 million from the 2005 flood and likely earnings of €85.6 million per year," Mr Pittock said. "This is adaptation to climate impacts even if it is not planned or labeled as adaptation."

Perrenial flows in Tanzania's Great Ruaha River stopped in 1993 after years of declining rainfall and increasing water extractions, putting at risk important hydropower generation and tourism and reducing livelihoods for low income upstream and downstream communities.

The establishment of local water users associations and their work in restoring catchments, rescheduling diversions by major agricultural enterprises and the shutting off of illegal diversions resulted in year round river flows to the important Ihefu wetlands beginning again in 2004, with improved water security and livelihood opportunities to local communities.

Restoration of silted-up and abandoned water tanks used from around 1200 years ago to collect monsoon waters in a tributary area of India's Godavari River is lifting depleted groundwater levels, bringing dried out wells back into service and improving soil fertility and crop yields for disadvantaged farmers. Scaling up the project to cover all tanks in the area would cost $US 635 million to store about the same amount of water as a projected dam project costing $US 4 billion with significant adverse social and environmental impacts.

"This is adaptation that involves and respects the needs of local communities and people and provides immediate benefits, Mr Pittock said.

And in China's central Yangtse, WWF began working with local communities in 2002 to reconnect lakes and wetlands to absorb flood flows and counter sever pollution linked with increased heat and droughts.

Other benefits have been an increased variety and quantity of fish and improved access to safe water for communities.

"Our studies show that it is often a disaster that leads to the river restoration activities that will increase resilience to climate impacts," Mr Pittock said. "It would make more sense to avoid or reduce the impact of disaster by restoring and strengthening our river systems now.

WWF also released an overview on climate change adaptation for freshwater systems, as a guide to planners and managers.

The author of the guide, Dr John Matthews, said "Uncertainty is no reason for not acting on climate change impacts on vital water systems. We are certain there will be significant impacts even if we can't put as many decimal points on them as we would like to."

Notes:
• Adapting Water to a Changing Climate: An Overview by Dr John Matthews & Dr. Tom Le Quesne.

• Water for life: Lessons for Climate change adaptation from better management of rivers for people and nature by Jamie Pittock.

For further information:
Jamie Pittock – Mob: +61 407 265 131, e-mail: jpittock@wwf.org.au

Dr John Matthews – Tel: +1 202 203 8957, e-mail: john.matthews@wwfus.org

Phil Dickie – Mob: +41 79 703 1952, e-mail: pdickie@wwfint.org

About WWF
WWF, the global conservation organization, is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF has a global network active in over 100 countries with almost 5 million supporters.

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

UK citizens using 58 baths of water a day

2008-08-20

While each person in the UK drinks, hoses, flushes and washes their way through around 150 litres of mains water a day, they consume about 30 times as much in “virtual” water embedded in food, clothes and other items – the equivalent of about 58 bathtubs full of water every day.

Launching the report, UK Water Footprint: the impact of the UK’s food and fibre consumption on global water resources, at World Water Week in Stockholm today, Stuart Orr, WWF-UK’s water footprint expert, said the UK was the sixth largest importer of water in the world.

“Only 38 per cent of the UK’s total water use comes from its own rivers, lakes and groundwater reserves,” he said. “The rest is taken from water bodies in many countries across the world to irrigate and process food and fibre crops that people in Britain subsequently consume

“What’s particularly worrying is that huge amounts of these products are grown in drier areas of the world where water resources are either already stressed or very likely to become so in the near future.”

Just one tomato from Morocco takes 13 litres of water to grow while the various ingredients in a cup of coffee collectively use 140 litres. A shirt made from cotton grown in Pakistan or Uzbekistan cotton – and possibly irrigated by water from the Indus river or the rivers that feed the Aral Sea in central Asia – soaks up 2,700 litres of water.

Cotton producing Pakistan has recently experienced its lowest water availability on record and the Indus river often runs dry before it reaches the sea. This affects the communities and critical habitats in the Indus delta as well as endangered species such as the Indus river dolphin. Over abstraction from the rivers that flow into the Aral Sea for the irrigation of cotton fields has led to the loss of 60% of its area and 80% of its volume in the last 40 years.

Closer to home, Spanish oranges and grapes come from a country where, earlier this year, drinking water has been shipped in from France due to acute shortages.

“Most people aren’t even aware that it takes massive amounts of water to grow the food and fibres we consume on top of what is used for drinking and washing and watering the lawn,” Mr Orr said.

”Therefore, it is essential that business and government identify the areas that could potentially suffer water crises and develop solutions so the environment is not overexploited to the point that people and wildlife lose out.”

WWF is encouraging some of the UK’s largest companies, such as Marks and Spencer, to evaluate their water footprints. A water footprint assesses the amount of water a business uses both directly from the tap and virtually through its supply chain. It includes water taken from both UK rivers and aquifers and those in other countries where crops are grown and processed.

WWF also asks companies to promote sustainable water use in areas where water is scarce.

“The private sector has a very important role to play. It can engage with governments and communities along its supply chain to support better water management,” Mr Orr said. “In order to reduce risk, businesses need to do their utmost to encourage more efficient and effective water use in water stressed areas where they operate.”

In India and Pakistan, WWF is working with farmers who grow thirsty crops such as cotton, rice and sugar cane to explore ways in which farmers can use less water to grow more crops. In one sugar cane trial, agricultural water use has dropped by 40 per cent while yields have risen by a third.

“This is not just an issue for food and clothing companies, producers and retailers. Insurers and investors have a vested interest in encouraging efficiency of water use and security of water supply in an ever thirstier world. Water is irreplaceable and climate change and population growth are only going to exacerbate the problem,” said Mr Orr.

He added: “There’s an important role for the public here. As a consumer you can ask businesses, including your local supermarkets, to tell you what they are doing to ensure good water management along their supply chains. As a citizen you can urge your government to make good water management a priority both in this country and overseas. But if we do nothing to alleviate the acute pressures on water resources at home and abroad then our inaction could have far reaching consequences for people and habitats.”

Notes:

A copy of the report is available from http://www.wwf.org.uk/freshwater
To find out more about your own water consumption visit: http://www.waterfootprint.org/

For further information, please contact:

Phil Dickie tel +41 797031952, email: pdickie@wwfint.org
Robin Clegg, tel: +44 7771 818 707, rclegg@wwf.org.uk

Climate Witness: Idris Ali Bandar, India

2008-08-10

I am 42 years old and have been living on Mousini Island in the Sundarbans Delta since birth. I completed my studies from high school and my major subject was science.

Mousuni Island is almost 12 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide and it is situated at the confluence of Chenai and Bottola rivers at the Bay of Bengal.

Island already under pressure

My father used to tell me that the island was a dense jungle almost 70 years back. People started migrating to this island since the 1935. Most of them migrated from Midnapore district in search of better opportunities. They started clearing forests to prepare agricultural land and also to build dwellings.

During our childhood, we use to play near the embankments at a place commonly known as “400 foot”. My father told me that this place was once rich in biodiversity. It had dense mangrove forests along with many species of wildlife such as like crocodiles, leopards, snakes, and wild boar.

Slowly the forest cover has been destroyed as people have exploited the local forest for much needed fuel wood and some of the forest was washed away by tides. As the embankment was devoid of any vegetative cover it was then affected by strong tidal surges hitting it directly. The sandy shoreline has also disappeared.

Homes are washed away again, and again

One night the embankment was breached. We woke up and found brackish water gushing onto our island. It destroyed our homes, agricultural lands, fisheries ponds and other property. A new embankment was again constructed but got flattened within two years.

Frequent embankment breaches and the construction of new embankments has led to the loss of several hundred hectares of land and hundreds of homes. We can’t do anything about this and feel helpless. I have also lost my house as well as 2 hectares of agricultural land due to this. You can still see the remains of the old embankment during low tides.

I feel that the river depth has decreased due to heavy sedimentation and water flow in the river has increased significantly. Tidal surges are very powerful these days and they hit the embankment very hard. This knocks down embankments and floods our island. People’s lives as well as livelihoods are under threat.

I believe that following measures are needed to reduce people’s vulnerability on our island:

Government projects should be implemented timely and the investment should be managed properly.
Mangrove plantations along the vulnerable coastal stretch should be carried out.
Bolder and wooden fences may be laid along the coast which may help deposition of sand on the coast.
A flood relief shelter is much needed.
Local youth should be trained and equipped to take necessary action in case of natural disasters like flooding.
Brackish water resistant crop may be provided.

Scientific review

Climate Witness: Abdul Gaffar Khan, India

2008-08-06

My name is Abdul Gaffar Khan and I am 52 years old. I was born and brought up on Mousuni Island. My father use to cultivate paddy rice and other vegetables as well as rear cattle. In those days we never had to face any kind of economic hardship.

After I completed my schooling, I became a medical practitioner and sometimes I provide free medical services to poor and needy people free of charge. I also practice agriculture over half a hectare land. I have six children and all of them are still studying. The literacy rate has significantly increased on this island.

Storms surges are breaching embankments

Being on the lap of Bay of Bengal, our island is surrounded by rivers from all sides. We frequently witness the fury of nature, and natural disasters are making our lives difficult on this island. Occurrence of natural events like tidal surges, storms, cyclones and flooding has become quite frequent.

Moreover, the frequent breach of embankments on the western side of this island causes flooding which in turn forces us to take refuge at the local high school. For the last couple of decades this school has acted as a flood relief shelter. This is one of only two high schools on this island and when it is utilised as a flood relief shelter the school schedule is suspended for weeks. This hampers our children's studies.

An increase in illness

Summer is getting extremely hot these days. It is really difficult to go outside our houses between 10 am and 3 pm. The local high school declares a holiday during periods of extreme heat.

I have treated people for the last 15 years. According to my observations and experience, the number of critically ill patients has increased drastically. Many of them suffer from cancer, high blood pressure, malaria, tuberculosis, and sunstroke. I am not able to treat them with lower dosage of medicines anymore as this doesn't seem be effective. I treat them with a higher dosage of the same medicines even though it may have some side effects.

Impact on farming

Not long ago our agricultural land was very productive and it gave us a good harvest. Twenty years back, I use to cultivate chilly, paddy rice, watermelon and a host of other vegetables but these days most of the farmers don't cultivate watermelon primarily due to changing weather and cropping pattern. Changing climate has rendered cultivation of some cash crops not profitable.

I am witnessing a gradual reduction in crop productivity for last seven or eight years. Changes to the weather and cropping pattern, along with falling agricultural productivity are major problems. I strongly believe that falling agricultural productivity and subsequent usage of large amounts of harmful pesticides and chemical fertilisers has a direct bearing on human health.

I remember, some time back a government agency took an initiative to test (for harmful chemicals and pesticides residue) agricultural harvests and 23 out of 24 products were found to be unfit for human consumption. Consumption of highly contaminated food products is reducing our natural immunity towards disease.

We need to adapt to the changes

Now, our only option is to try to adapt with the changed/changing scenario. We should start working towards this option at the earliest.

Some of the adaptation measures that we need to employ are:

Strengthen and heighten embankments;
Create mangrove plantations;
Build a flood shelter;
Improve people's livelihood options.

Scientific review

Rhinos poaching is getting worse in India

2008-05-21

Poachers are hitting hard on rhinos in Indian national parks as three of them were killed in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, and two in Kaziranga on the last week of April. No later than April 28, a calf and his mother were poached again in Kaziranga National Park. In 2007, 16 rhinos were killed and four more till February this year.

Rhinos in Nepal are also victims as one was killed last week, making the total of poached one-horned rhino rise to six specimens since January. Until recently, an average of five to ten rhinos were killed each year, but a rise in the number has been recorded recently.

This worrying and tragic upsurge of poaching of rhinos contrasts with WWF-India’s celebration over the successful translocation of two male rhinos from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary back to Manas National Park, opening operations of Indian Rhino Vision 2020, an ambitious plan to give India a population of 3000 rhinos spread over protected areas in the northeastern state of Assam. That project is a joint project with the Government of Assam State.

The situation of the Indian rhinos remains precarious as global market pressures continue to push the demand for their horns currently valued at about US$ 37,000 per kilo in international market.

The recent incidents suggest that poachers are taking advantage of gaps in enforcement efforts at the field level. They are becoming bolder, shooting animals in the vicinity of park camps and villages, suggesting again that the profits from this illegal trade are high enough to take such risks.

Poachers are coming from areas outside Assam. “The criminal cartels poaching rhinos and trading in their horns have become more organized as an international crime syndicate”, said Dr Susan Lieberman, WWF-International Species Programme Director “An organized effort must be launched to stop the poaching, and attack the trade at its roots—the organized smuggling networks taking the horns across the border to end markets, in China and elsewhere in Asia.”.

WWF is committed to the conservation of elephants, rhinos, and tigers across their range—including the tremendously important populations of the Eastern Himalayas . WWF is also especially concerned about protection of the recently translocated rhinos.

“It is clear that the protection staff will need additional help in terms of temporary anti poaching camps that should shift in accordance to the ranging patterns of the translocated rhinos”, said Dr Sujoy Banerjee, WWF India Director of Species Conservation.

“The protection of these rhinos will also call for special arrangements during the monsoon when the operations in the park become difficult.”

To ensure the safety of the Rhinos in Assam, WWF, on behalf of the larger conservation community, urges the government of Assam to rise to the open defiance shown by organized criminal gangs and put in place a set of measures.

“The Central Government must organize a meeting immediately between the state enforcement agencies of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and West Bengal, and NGOs working in the region to devise a response to the problem of interstate traffic of rhino horns. It should also pledge additional support to the state of Assam to counter this crisis”, said Banerjee.

WWF India is committed to continuing to help the government of Assam to support rhino conservation and urges all like-minded and concerned individuals and organizations to extend their support for this purpose.