1 Eco News, Vol. 18, No. 4 January - March 2013 · Eco News, Vol. 18, No. 4 January - March 2013 2 Established in 1989 1980 ... Tamilnadu Puducherry NGO Network CPREEC has …

1Eco News, Vol. 18, No. 4 January - March 2013

Eco News, Vol. 18, No. 4 January - March 20132

Established in 1989

✯ 1980 - The C.P. Ramaswami AiyarFoundation starts nature education forteachers and students.

✯ 1989 - C.P.R. Environmental Educa-tion Centre (CPREEC) established joint-l yby the Ministry of Environment andForests and the C.P. Ramaswami AiyarFoundation as a Centre of Excellenceof the Ministry of Environment and For-ests. Government of India.

Our Mission

✯ To increase knowledge, awareness andinterest among the public about theenvironment in all its aspects

✯ To develop resource materials forenvironmental education andawareness raising

✯ To conduct training programmes for awide cross-section of people

✯ To take up environmental projects fordemonstration and research

Our Activities

✯ Training and awareness raising✯ Awareness to and through action✯ Awareness programmes in ecologically

fragile areas✯ Conservation of the ecological heritage✯ Research and surveys✯ Generation of resource materials✯ Exhibitions✯ Courses, seminars and symposia

Facilities

✯ Environmental Laboratory✯ Library✯ Computer Division✯ Publications Division

Geographical Spread

CPREEC’s activities extend to

✯ Andaman & Nicobar Islands✯ Andhra Pradesh✯ Goa

C.P.R. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE

✯ Karnataka✯ Kerala✯ Maharashtra✯ Orissa✯ Tamilnadu✯ Puducherry

NGO Network

CPREEC has an extensive network of about600 NGOs. All educational programmes arecarried out in partnership with selectNGOs, Universities, Colleges and Schools.

Publications

✯ Activity and information books andpamphlets for children

✯ Environmental training guides and kitsfor teachers

✯ Researched Publications✯ Colourful and informative posters✯ ECONEWS - A quarterly magazine✯ Indian Journal of Environmental

Education, a peer-reviewed journal

Exhibitions

CPREEC designs three new exhibitions ev-ery year and has a bank of mobileexhibitions that travel all over India.

Environmental Education

✯ Green Schools of India (GSI)✯ Training programmes for Teachers✯ Training programmes for School and

College Students✯ Environmental Law Education

Special Projects

✯ National Green Corps (NGC)✯ Biomedical Waste✯ Biodiversity Conservation

Research and Surveys

✯ Sustainable Technologies✯ Surveys of Natural Resources✯ Socio-Economic Surveys✯ Lab to Field Technology Transfer


Although Eco News is printed

on tree-free paper made of bagasse,

we would like to cut down our carbon

footprint even further. Those who

would prefer to receive Eco News by

e-mail, please let us know by sending

an e-mail to [email protected].

We come to an end of very difficult year

when the rains have failed several

parts of India and water and famine

stalked the land. This is because of

the mismanagement of natural

resources. Water is meant for drinking

and agriculture, but it has been

ECONEWS welcomes articles and news items from its readers. Please send them to

The EditorC.P.R. Environmental Education Centre

1, Eldams Road, Alwarpet, Chennai – 600 018, India.Phone : 91-44-24337023 / 24346526 Fax : 91-44-24320756

www.cpreec.org / www.cpreecenvis.nic.inEmail: [email protected] / [email protected]

diverted for industries - all in the

name of development.

We have to decide whether the goal of

a 9% rate of growth which is derived

from industry is essential for an

agricultural country like India. Lands

are infertile and water scarce. In this

scenario, we should pay greater

attention to conserving natural

resources, rather than development.

But this is not happening.

Nanditha Krishna

Editor


Contents

Ornamental Gardens ..................................................................................... 5

Conservation and Education initiative in the river basins of Northern Tamil Nadu

with special emphasis on Water resources for school students .......................... 7

Ecosystem Services Provided by Sacred Plants .................................................. 13

International Day for Biodiversity ................................................................... 17

Industrial Ecology- Principles and Practices ...................................................... 20

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre is a Centre of Excellence of the

Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, established

jointly by the Ministry and the C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation.

The Centre has been set up to increase consciousness and knowledge

about the environment and the major environmental problems facing

the country today. It has been conducting a variety of programmes to

spread awareness and interest among the public, including, teachers,

students, voluntary workers, educators, farmers, women and youth, on

all aspects of the environment and ecology, with the purpose of promoting

conservation of nature and natural resources.

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Ornamental GardensP. Sudhakar

Ornamental gardening is an aestheticblend of art, nature and science.Gardens formed an important feature oflandscapes in all ancient humancivilisations. All religious mythologiesdepict gardens as important places formajor events in history. The Biblementions the Garden of Eden created byGod for Adam and Eve. The Ramayanatalks about ashoka vana, a place whereSita was imprisoned. The Sabhaparva ofthe Mahabharata describes the layout ofgardens, parks and artificial lakes in thecity of Indraprastha.

The terms garden and park are often usedinterchangeably. The meaning of gardenaccording to the Oxford dictionary is a‘piece of ground for growing flowers, fruitsor vegetables and as a place of recreation.’Similarly, it also refers to a park as a‘large public garden in a town forrecreation’. These terms are also usedfor a variety of meanings.

History of Gardening

The earliest physical evidence ofornamental landscape comes from theEgyptian tomb paintings of about 3500years ago. Gardens have existedthroughout the world in most ancientcivilisations.

Persian Gardens

The gardens of Persia were well knownfor their engineering marvels and noveldesigns. The Hanging Gardens ofBabylon (in modern Iraq), one of theSeven Wonders of the Ancient World,were a landmark in the history ofgardening. Persian gardens were

designed with underground aqua ductscalled ‘qanats’ that helped to create lushgardens in a dry region.

Gardens of Europe

Ornamental gardens have becomeimmensely popular in Europe right fromthe medieval period. Italy was known forits Renaissance gardens of the late 15th

and 16th centuries. Each country inEurope such as Britain, Portugal, Greece,France and Spain has developed uniquedesigns of gardening. From the 17th

century onwards, Europe has witnesseda rapid growth of public gardens whichharboured plant collections from severalparts of the world. These botanicalgardens have also become centres ofgermplasm collection, nature educationand economic activity.

Gardens of Asia

There is a lot of literature available onthe gardens of China, India and Japan.Chinese gardens were initially developedas medicinal gardens and expandedlater with a larger scope. These gardenshave also become places for solitudeand contemplation, festivities, socialgatherings, study, leisure, romance,painting, poetry, music and everydayactivities. Bamboo, pine, lotus,chrysanthemum, banana and sweetolives were among the plants cultivatedin Chinese gardens.

Japanese gardens were developed basedon the designs of Chinese gardens tosome extent. In Japanese gardens, thetrees were sheared into mountainshapes. The technique of Bonsai was


introduced by the Japanese. Stoneelements formed an integral part ofJapanese landscape. The water sourcein Japanese gardens isfound to appear as part of naturalsurroundings. Japanese gardens havealso been adapted to Western settingsfrom the 19th century onwards.

India was a forerunner in having wellplanned urban landscapes dating backto 3000 BCE. Features of naturallandscapes were incorporated in royalgardens and urban p etublic parks ofancient India. Systematic establishmentof parks and avenues was done duringthe rule of King Ashoka who meticulouslyplanned both location and componentsof the parks which included a water pool,arbour, creepers and shaded pavements.There are numerous references inSanskrit literature to the early gardensof India and different types of gardenssuch as pramadodyan, udyan,vrikshavatika and nandanavana.

The Mughals in India established aunique style of garden which reflected theQuranic idea of paradise. Mughalgardens are of three types, namely tombgardens, pleasure gardens and courtyardgardens. These gardens were also asymbol of power and wealth of theempire.

The British colonial period was anothermilestone in the history of gardens inIndia. It is during the British period thatthe distinction between parks andgardens was established. Scientificgardens were established with a numberof introduced species of economic andaesthetic importance as well as nativespecies of conservation importance,whereas parks as primary recreationspaces were established in the urbanlandscapes. Spacious lawns became amajor focal feature of British gardens.British gardens spread the passion forhorticulture and were resources for seedsand other planting material for the public.

The major botanic gardens establishedby them include the Acharya JagadishChandra Bose, the Indian BotanicGarden at Kolkota, Lal Bagh atBengaluru, Sim’s Park at Coonoor andthe Botanical Garden at Ooty.

Gardens of Chennai

Dr. James Anderson started the firstBotanical Garden at Madras in 1769.Starting his botanical researches in1771, he established a Nopalry (Nopaleacochenellifera) in Saidapet, its location intoday’s terms along the western edge ofMount Road from approximately theLong Tank Drain to the Saidapet Bridge.By 1791, it had been developed as abotanical garden, the first in India, andflourished till 1800. Anderson,meanwhile, had developed between 1778and 1792 his private botanical gardensin the111 acres around his house inNungambakkam, bound by CollegeRoad, Graeme’s Road, Graeme’s Laneand Haddow’s Road. Anderson’sGardens survived till at least 1828,long after his death, pioneering thedevelopment of botanical gardens inIndia.

According to the Chennai Corporation,whenever the Open Space Reserve(OSR) lands are handed over to theCorporation they are converted into parks(www.chennaicorporation.gov.in).

Reference

Prakash, J, 2001. History of Flowers &Gardening in India. City Farmer, Canada.

Pearsal, J, 2011. Dictionaries (UKAcademic, OED, and OUP-USA). OxfordUniversity Press, UK.

Turner, T, 2005. Garden History,Philosophy and Design, 2000 BC – 2000AD., Spon Press, New York.


Khonsari,M., Moghtader, M., Reza,Yavari, Minouch, 1998. The PersianGarden: Echoes of Paradise. MagePublishers Newton, 1979.

Attlee, H, 2006. Italian Gardens – ACultural History. pp. 10, Frances Lincoln.

Huxley, A., 1992. The New RoyalHorticultural Society Dictionary ofGardening, Macmillan, London.

Chen and Gang, 2011. LandscapeArchitecture: Planting Design Illustrated,pp. 141, 3rd Edition, Archite G. Inc.Japan.

Smith, K., 2009. Oh garden of freshpossibilities! p. 34, David R. Godine,Publisher, Boston.

Miller, P., 2005. The Japanese Garden:Gateway to the Human Spirit. Intl. J.Humanities & Peace. 21. Issue 1.

Thapar, R. 1966, 2010. A History of India.Penguin Books, p. 24, New York.

Sinha, Amita and R.P. Sinha, 2001. TheCosmic Tree in Buddhist Landscapes,Geographical Review of India, Vol. 63, No.1, Pp. 1 – 15.

Prabhakar, B.B., 1993. The Gardens ofIndia. pp. 54 – 61. www.international.icomos.org/publications 93 gardens 5 pdf.

Wescoat Jr. Jim, 1986. The IslamicGarden: Issues for Landscape Research.In: Petruccioli, A. (Ed.), EnvironmentDesign – The Garden as a City, the Cityas a Garden 1: 10 – 19.

Khanna, N.P., 2008. Urban Sprawl andits impact on Heritage spaces. 44thISoCaRP Congress.

Roberts, J., 1998. English Gardens inIndia in Garden History, 26: 115 – 135.Raman, A., 2011. Economic Biology andJames Anderson in Eighteenth CenturyCoromandel, Curr. Sci. 100: 1092 – 1096.

Conservation and Education initiative in theriver basins of Northern Tamil Nadu withspecial emphasis on Water resources for

school students

U. Thirunavukkarasu & R. Selvapandian

The Kosasthalaiyar sub-basin ofChennai Basin is very important forthe water security of Chennai andsurrounding areas. The river system iscomparatively clean until it enters thecity. On entry to the urban area itis subjected to various threats. TheKosasthalaiyar sub basin is 136 km long,originating in Kaveripakkam in Velloredistrict. It drains into the Bay of

Bengal. The river has catchment areasnear North Arcot district and a branchflowing down into Chennai as the Cooumriver. The main Kosasthalaiyar entersinto the Poondi reservoir.

Varahanadhi sub basin

The Varahanadhi basin is located inTamil Nadu and Puducherry with a


total catchment area of 4498.5 sq.km.

and spread over many districts

viz., Villupuram, Thiruvannamalai,

Kancheepuram and Cuddalore. It is one

of the important river basins among

the 17 major river basins in the above

mentioned districts. The Varahanadhi

sub basin is geographically surrounded

by the Ponnaiyar basin in the south and

west, Palar basin and Nallavur sub basin

in the north and Bay of Bengal in the

east. The total length of the Varahanadhi

river is about 78.50 kms.

Sensitization programmes onEnvironment and Importance ofWater Resources

The Environment Cell, Public WorksDepartment / Water ResourcesDepartment (PWD/WRD-IAMWARM),in association with C.P.R. EnvironmentalEducation Centre (CPREEC), organisedand conducted awareness programmesfor school students in Ongur sub-basinof Varahanadhi river basins of NorthTamilnadu. Secondary and seniorsecondary students participated in theprogrammes.

S.No. River basin Sub basin Project area

1 Varahanadhi Ongur Sub-basin Government Girls’ Higherriver basin Secondary School,

A c h i r u p a k k a mKanchipuram

district2 Varahanadhi Nallavur sub-basin Government Higher

river basin. Secondary School, Olakkur,Villuppuram district

3 Varahanadhi Nallavur sub-basin Government Higherriver basin. Secondary School,

Marakkanam, Villuppuramdistrict

4 Chennai Kosasthalaiyar Government Girls’ Higherriver basin. sub-basin Secondary School, Nemili,

Vellore district5 Chennai Kosasthalaiyar Government Higher

river basin. sub-basin Secondary School,Thiruvalangadu, Thiruvallurdistrict

6 Chennai Kosasthalaiyar Government Higherriver basin. sub-basin Secondary School, Poondi,

Thiruvallur district7 Chennai Araniyar sub-basin K.L.K. Government Boys’

river basin Higher Secondary School,Gummidipoondi, Thiruvallurdistrict

8 Chennairiver basin Araniyar sub-basin Government Higher

Secondary School,Periyapalayam, Thiruvallurdistrict


Environmental Educationrequirement survey andinteraction

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre(CPREEC), Chennai, constituted a teamof experts to study the environmentaleducation requirements of the projectarea by interacting with the teachers andstudents. CPREEC’s project teamconsisted of subject experts, pedagogues,monitoring experts, field officers andheaded by a supervisor.

Based on the needs identified and withinput from the PWD – Environmental Cellexperts, the thrust areas were identifiedfor the region. The team, guided by thetraining experts from CPREEC, Chennai,formulated and designed the learningmodules for the proposed programmes.

Objectives of the programme

The objectives of the environmentalawareness programmes were:

❍ To raise awareness among theschool students about theVarahanadhi river basin about theimportance of environmentalresources

❍ To motivate the students onenvironmental conservation issuesof the region

❍ To orient them about the pivotalr o l e

played by the river system inensuring the water security of thearea

❍ To pass on the skills and to initiateenvironmental activities inconservation and protection ofwater and water resources

❍ To interact and to elicit their

responseResource Materials designed anddeveloped for the EnvironmentalAwareness programmes for thestudents

The materials designed and developedfor the Environmental Awarenessprogrammes for the students were:

❍ A documentary on conservation ofwater resources

❍ Illustrated animated film clippingson rainwater harvesting, waterconservation methods and organicfarming

❍ Carefully selected tree speciessaplings for demonstration andlaunch of environmental action

❍ An interactive – animatedmultimedia presentation on thesubject of global warming, wastemanagement and the importance

o fthe environment

❍ An illustrated power pointpresentation on the Ongur Subbasin of the Varhanadhi river

basin

❍ Power point on rainwaterharvesting

An effective audio – visual multimediafacility including demonstration wereprepared and set for the programme.

Target group

The orientation programme targetedselected secondary and higher secondarystudents of Government HigherSecondary Schools in Kanchipuram,


Villupuram and Vellore districts who wereinvolved in National Green Corps and EcoClub activities of the school. The targetareas covered Achirupakkam inKanchipuram district. Marakkanam &O l a k k u rin Villuppuram district, Nemili inVellore district and Thiruvalangadu,Gummidipoondi & Periyapalayam inThiruvallur district. The target areaswere selected by random sampling andgiving priority to the two river basins.

Methodology

Awareness Orientation Programmes

Environmental awareness programmefor the students of selected schoolswere conducted. The programme coveredmajor concepts (themes) as per thelearning design devised. Various expertsdeliberated and spoke about the issueof water conservation with relevance tothe river.

❍ Importance of water resources❍ Environmental threats to river

basin: Indiscriminate disposal ofsolid waste, plastics , sewage, sandmining, chemical farming and

o t h e rpolluting factors.

❍ Influence of consumerism andother developmental activities

❍ Conservation of water❍ Rainwater harvesting, sanitation.

natural farming, solid wastemanagement

❍ Individuals’ role in conserving theriver basins

The concept orientation andawareness module delivery

The focus of awareness module was onwater conservation, factors responsiblefor destruction of the river beds-

encroachment, dumping of garbage,pollution by mixing of sewage andindustrial effluents, sand mining and thehealth and hygiene of the people livingin the river basin. The frame work ofmodule delivery is given as under;

❍ Importance of Environmentalresources: Importance of theenvironment, biosphere anddifferent roles played by variousspecies. The importance ofenvironmental resources for life, inparticular – water as the fluid ofthe life support system

❍ Conservation of water resources:The importance of the initiativeand the need to conserve waterresources in particular the riversystems of Tamilnadu to ensurewater security. Water being theprimary resource in supportinglife forms continues to be the

s a m e .Unfortunately, the life supportingrole of water has been long ignoredand the base has been destroyed,encroached, depleted andcontaminated beyond nature’scapacity to recuperate the same.

❍ Protection of water resources iso n e

of the duties of the citizens andhealthy living depends on it.

❍ Water scarcity and demand:W a t e r

scarcity in Tamilnadu. The recentmonsoon failure; the need toprotect the remaining waterresources.

❍ Destructive human activities inthe river basins: The destructionof resources by human activities.Encroachment of lakes, river bedsand river courses are additions.


❍ River Pollution: A classic exampleof the ‘biomagnifying effect ofheavy metal pollution’ is thetanneries of Vellore district whichare polluted the undergroundwater resources and surface water.The effects are reaped in terms oftoxicity of the drinking water andplant products.

❍ The Kosasthalaiyar sub basin isdevastated with encroachments

a n dmining and garbage accumulation.

❍ The environmental threats facedby the districts of the two riverbasins.

❍ Solid waste management atv a r i o u s

levels and the necessity ofsegregating it into variouscategories, viz., biodegradable,recyclable and other wastes.

❍ The health perspective toenvironmental threats faced bythe population. Personal healthand hazards of smoking

❍ The food security of any regiondepends upon the pattern ofagriculture. Due to excessiveuse of chemical fertilizers, the soiland water gets contaminated.Bio-magnification, resistance tochemical pesticides werehappening due to intensivefarming. Organic farming,promoting the use of bio-fertilizersand bio-pesticides are the needof the hour.

❍ Conservation of water resources:Role of Pollution Control Boards

i nprotecting water resources and

preventing air pollution. Thelegal mandate of TNPCB andenvironmental monitoring effortsof TNPCB in ensuring the qualityof air and water.

❍ The resource depletion and theimportance of environmentalconservation. The issue of climatechange and its impact on watersecurity

❍ Techniques of vermicomposting❍ Role of students inc o n s e r v a t i o n :

Role needed to be played by thestudent community. The role ofNGC students in protecting thewater resources of the districts.

❍ The students were finally taughtthe technique of planting bydemonstrating it in the schoolgrounds as a mark of

e n v i r o n m e n t a lconservation initiative.

Multimedia method of environmentaleducation: Animation and colourfulpictures, filmlets were played to highlightthe interaction of environmental

Mr. U. Thirunavukkarasu,Environmental Education Officer,CPREEC addressing the students


resources and resource depletion. As areview, an animated picture of the‘transformation of a river based agrariansociety degenerating into industry basedpolluting society’was shown to the students.

Summarizing the entire event andeliciting responses from the students inthe form of a feedback. All theparticipants were provided with a copyof the pamphlet in Tamil on land andwatershed management along the riverbasins in Tamilnadu. The questionnaireand response obtainedfrom the students were analysed for theimpact.Discussion

The participants of the awarenessinteraction in the schools could achievethe majority of the objectives set for theproject. Through the interactions, aprofile of awareness pattern emerged.

1. Majority of the secondary andsenior secondary students ofsuburban and town areas aregenerally aware about theenvironmental problems facedby them.

2. The conceptual knowledgebases for the environmentalproblems were found to beoptimal.

3. The connectivity between localenvironmental challenges and thestatus of environment could not beestablished by the students. Theenvironmental orientation

r e v o l v e daround it and tried to link thestatus and challenges faced bythe people.

Of the total number of students whoparticipated, around 90% were found tobe aware of the impacts of garbage onthe river system and its basin. Thestudents opined that there is no proper

Mr. R. Selvapandian,Education Officer, CPREEC addressing

the students

A view of students attendingthe interactive sessions

Tree plantation at the school campus


system of disposal existing in the townsand cities. The information about erraticseasonal rains, failing crops and risingfood prices were known to 95% of thestudents after the orientation. Since rainwater harvesting systems are compulsoryin schools, the students are familiar withthe terminology. 80% of the studentscould connect rain water harvesting andgroundwater table improvement in largercommunity setting.

The students could visualize the entireriver basin as an entity after theorientation programmes. The entirestudent community unanimously agreedthat indiscriminate disposal of plastic asa major problem and was interested tolearn about the alternatives. Recyclingof plastic, avoidance, and reuse wasaccepted by 87% of the students. Energyefficiency was a new initiating actionpoint for most of them and further

reinforcement is needed to guide themfurther.

On actionable criteria on environmentalmatters relating to water and theindividuals’ role brought out manymissing links between their conceptlearning and extending it to field basedaction. They agreed on planting moretrees, reducing garbage, recharging theground water, recognizing the importanceof a pollution free environment, impactof garbage on the river system and healthissues related to sanitation and personalhabits.

Conclusion

The environmental awareness orientationfor the school students on river basins ofnorth Tamilnadu has helped them invisualizing the Varahanadhi and Chennairiver basins in a holistic perspective andin relating the impact of environmentalchallenges to it. The student communityperceived the threats posed to the riversystem and water resources because ofhuman intervention and developmentalactivities. Most of the students wereattracted towards the multimediapresentation on water and environment.The short intervention should besupported further by follow-up activitiesand environmental skill training toteachers to sustain and to institutionalizethe efforts.

References

1. www.iamwarm.gov.in2. www.tn.gov.in

Ecosystem Services Provided bySacred Plants

M. Amirthalingam

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment(MEA) report, 2005, defines ecosystemservices as “benefits people obtain fromecosystems” and distinguishes fourbroad categories of ecosystem services:(i) provisioning, such as the productionof non timber forest products, timberand water; (2) regulating, such as thecontrol of carbon sequestration, climate,disease and maintaining hydrologicalbalance; (3) supporting, such as nutrientcycles, pollination and biodiversity;and (4) cultural, such as spiritual andrecreational benefits. Ecosystem services

of sacred forests are perhaps the greatestand the most crucial contribution tosociety and community. However, so farno serious studies have been conductedon the subject of sacred plants.

A plant that is equally venerated fromtime immemorial by devotees as holyas the presiding deity of a temple is thesacred plant or sthala vriksha. Thispractice has played a vital role in theconservation of certain native plantspecies. Although the medicinal andmythological importance of sacred


deities, such as the Bengal quince toLord Siva, banana and arjuna to LordGanesha, and amaltas (Indian laburnum)to all the gods and goddesses. The red

flowers of the Indian coral tree are used

in the worship of Lord Vishnu and Lord

Shiva; Indian oleander is used in the

worship of Lord Shiva and the Sun-god;

ketaki (Yucca gloriosa) in the worship of

Laksmi, and jackfruit in the worship of

Lord Vishnu.

The use of the flowers of the sirisa or

parrot tree is prohibited during the

worship of Lord Ganesa; in the worship

of Lord Shiva the leaves of the Indian

kino tree are banned from use. However,

areca nut, which symbolizes Lord

Ganesha, is commonly used in various

rites. Banana is offered to Lord Vishnu

and Lakshmi on the eleventh day of the

bright half of Pausa (December-January)

and to the Sun god on the sixth day of

the bright fortnight of Kartika (October-

November). Mango and Bengal quince

fruits are also included in the worship

material; the former is offered to all gods,

the latter especially to Lord Shiva.

Several temples plant the Indian butter tree

in and around the compound. This is

because, in the past, oil from the tree was

used to light lamps in the temple.

Trees provide livelihood to the people

during times of scarcity. The people

believed that trees sheltered or harboured

village gods and goddesses. The local people

never destroy or harm these trees. Johad

(ponds) bunds in Alwar district of Rajasthan

i n

India support several Pipal trees protected

by the village community. These trees are

plants is recorded, their taxonomicalidentification and conservation value areyet to be examined.

Due to their ecological value andefficacious properties, sacred plantsconstitute apart of the genetic resources for theconservation of species diversity. Sacredplants are symbolic of a single geneticresource and play an important role inthe conservation of biodiversity. Theprocess of conserving economically,e c o l o g i c a l l yand medicinally important plants bydeclaring them as sacred also protectedthe genetic value of several plant species.Thus the preservation of sacred plantsmay also help in the conservation oflocal floral wealth.

Many living organisms, including man,depend upon plants for their food, shelterand medicine. That is why the plant isheld on par with the prime deity in atemple.

Non-Timber Products

Sacred plants continue to be used in thereligious and social ceremonies of theHindus. The trunk of the banana is usedto erect welcoming gates and its leavesto make the ceremonial pavilion in thecase of all religious and culturalceremonies. The five most sacred leavesof Pipal,Indian fig, Java fig, banyan and mangoare ubiquitously employed in makingprayers and offerings. On auspiciousoccasions, mango leaves are hung ondoors as a toran; leaves of the flame ofthe forest (palasa) and banyan makeworkable plates and bowls duringcommunity feasts. Leaves of some othertrees are also customarily offered to


never felled; however, the leaves are lopped

for fodder and small twigs are used as fuel

wood. Trees also provide protection to

bunds of the sacred ponds.

Devotees of Shiva wear the seeds of therudraksha as rosaries which are used inmeditation. Mesquite is the most fearedand respected tree because it representsthe dangerous planet Saturn and Agni(the powerful fire god).

All individuals of certain species aretotally protected. For example, theBanyan, Pipal and Indian Fig afford totalprotection in the Southern Aravallis.Ficus is now considered a keystoneresource playinga significant role in the conservation ofmany insects, birds, and mammals,flying-foxes, peafowl and spotted owletslive amidst the branches of these sacredtrees (Terborgh 1986), and thus theyprovide food and shelter. These are animportant species providing homes forbeehive to honeybees. Thus sacred plantssupport several species of primates, birds,reptiles, insects and mammals. They areliving without any disturbance in thetrees and plants since these are heldsacred. These are an important speciesproviding thesite for beehives to honeybees in theAravallis. The inhabitants of the Aravallisalso protect Indian frankincense(Boswellia serrata), Mountain persimon(Diospyros montana), Wood-apple (Feronia

limonia) and the Indian gooseberry(Emblica officinalis).

Timbers of the Sacred Plants

The wood of sacred trees like Bengalquince, banyan, mesquite tree (sami),

palasa (flame of the forest) and pipal isnever used as fuel as it invites the wrathof the gods. But they are employed inother ways in sacrificial rites andceremonies. Sandalwood is turned intopaste and applied to the forehead. Thewooden seat used during the sacredthread ceremony is made of mango or

palasa (flame of the forest); thebrahmacarin is also made to walk with a

stick of palasa. During the sacred threadceremony, the brahmacarin has to

perform a sacrifice using pipal twigscalled samit. After a person dies, the twigs

of bel are placed near the central pillar ofthe house and those of neem scattered

near the corpse.

Medicinal and Economical Use

Sacred plants (sthalavrikshas) and thebeliefs associated with them contribute

to conserving plant and animalbiodiversity. Almost all the plants and

trees are used for medicinal purposes bypeople in the surrounding rural areas.

The vilva (Bengal quince) tree, forinstance, is believed to cure fever,

diabetes, ulcer and diarrhoea.

Religious and Cultural Use

Sacred plants support several species ofprimates, birds, reptiles and insects.

Animals and birds can live undisturbedin these trees since the sthalavirkshas

are considered sacred. However, thesespecies play a key role in nutrient cycling,

conservation as well as ensuring waterbalance in the soil. The utilization value

recognized by the ecological knowledgesystem could be viewed as a more recent

product in the social evolutionary scale


(Ramakrishnan, et al., 1994). Socially,

culturally or religiously important sacredspecies are worshipped in villages and

rural areas even today.

Their regeneration, growth and bearing

of fruit are regarded as mysterious godlyactions. The larger trees are worshipped

as the abode of the gods and they protect

the worshippers from evil spirits. The

sacred trees are also considered as

abodes of ancestral spirits and to appease

them special offerings are made at the

time of festivities.

Kapila Vatsyayan (1992) has drawn

attention to the sacredness of plants seen

in all parts of India. Gupta (1991), have

pointed out that the deodar is considered

the abode of the gods; the sal tree is

venerated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and

Madhya Pradesh and similarly

rudraksha, vilva (Bengal quince), ashoka,

Seaside Indian oak (Anthocephalus

chinensis) and pipal are considered sacred

in Rajasthan.

Conservation practices

Certain vulnerable stages in the life

history or the phenological cycle of a plant

may be offered protection. Thus, the Kols

who live in the Vindhya hills refrain from

eating the unripe fruits of vila (wood-

apple) and the Indian gooseberry before

the Dussehra festival in the month of

October. This

saves the species from getting locally

extinct, for the fruits might otherwise be

consumed even before the tree has

produced viable seeds.

Conclusion

Sacred plants are very important as they

play a key role in regulating various

functions such as hydrological cycles,

rainfall, temperatures, local climatic

conditions and supporting bio-diversity.

Of course, they also provide significant

economic support to society and to local

people in various ways. Socially,

culturally or religiously important sacred

s p e c i e s

are worshipped in villages and rural areas

even today. In many temples, sacred

plants are neglected and in danger of

becoming extinct. Hence, it is necessary

to create awareness among the devotees

to restore this ancient practice.

Reference

1. The Millennium Ecosystem

Assessment (MEA) report, 2005.

2. Ramakrishnan, P.S., Campbell, J.,

Demierre, L., Gyi, A., Mathotra,

K.C., Mehndiratta, S., Raj, S.N.,

a n d

E.M. Sashidharan, 1994,

Ecosystem Rehabilitation of the

Rural Landscape in South and

Central Asia: An Analysis of

I s s u e s ,

Special Publication, UNESCO

(ROSTCA), New Delhi.

3. Sukumaran, S. and A.D.S. Raj,

2008, Evolution of sthalavriksha

worship concept through the

sacred

groves in Kanyakumari district,

Tamil Nadu, India, J. Basic Appl.

Bio., Vol. 2, No. 1, Pp. 40 – 48.

4. Vatsyayan, Kapila, 1992, Ecology

and Indian Myth, in India

International Quarterly, 19, Pp. 157


International Day for BiodiversityDr. T. Sundaramoorthy

Introduction

The United Nations Conference onEnvironment and Development (alsoknown as Earth Summit) was held in1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In thissummit the leaders of various countriesof the world agreed on a strategy forsustainable development. Sustainabledevelopment is a way to meet the basicneeds of peopleall over the world and ensuring thatplanet earth remains healthy and viablefor future generations. During the EarthSummit, one of the most importantagreements reached was the Conventionon Biological Diversity.

Background on International Day forBiodiversity

The Convention on Biological Diversitycame into force on December 29, 1993.Each anniversary of this date has beendesignated as the International Day for

Biodiversity. From the year 2001, the dateof the celebration on the International dayfor Biodiversity was moved to May 22.Since many holidays fall in the last weekof December, this decision was taken.A n dalso since 2003, a specific theme was alsosuggested to observe the InternationalDay for Biodiversity. The InternationalDay for Biodiversity is part of a series ofa c t i v i t i e sto focus the attention on the Conventionof Biological Diversity. A symbol is alsoattached to this convention. The symbolof this convention is a stylized image of atwig or branch with three green leaves.Depending upon the background theleaves may be outlines or green blocks.Each year a piece of artwork iscommissioned to reflect the theme.Details of the artwork are used assymbols for different aspects of theInternational Dayfor Biodiversity.

The various themes of the InternationalDay for Biodiversity since 2003 are givenbelow:

Year Theme

2002 Dedicated to forest biodiversity2003 Biodiversity and Poverty Alleviation – Challenge for Sustainable

Development2004 Biodiversity : Food, Water and Health for All2005 Biodiversity : Life Insurance for our changing world2006 Protect Biodiversity in dry lands2007 Biodiversity and Climate Change2008 Biodiversity and Agriculture2009 Invasive Alien Species2010 Biodiversity, Development and Poverty Alleviation2011 Forest Biodiversity2012 Marine Biodiversity2013 Water and Biodiversity


International Day for BiologicalDiversity, 2013

The theme for the year 2013 is Water andBiodiversity. This theme was selected tocoincide with the United Nationsdesignation of 2013 as the Internationalyear of Water Cooperation. The themeprovides a lot of scope to raise awarenessabout conservation and protection ofwater as well as biodiversity for thefuture generations and also the linkagebetween water ad biodiversity richness.More over the period between 2005and 2015 has also been declared asInternational Decade for Action ‘WATERFOR LIFE’. Earlier, the United Nationsdeclared the year 2010 as theInternational Year of Biodiversity. Thiswas mainlydone because the internationalcommunity did not achieve the goals setby the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) for the reduction of the current rateof biodiversity loss. For example, lastyear’s IUCN Red List of threatened speciesshowed that there exists a threat ofextinction for 38% of monitored species.The current rate of species extinction isabout 1000 times higher than the naturalrate due to the various activities ofhumans.

Water and Biodiversity – the themefor 2013

Water is the most important resource onthe planet and it supports all life formson Earth including human beings. Wateris the most abundant resource; however,most of it is salt water and is in theoceans. Of the world’s total waterresources, less than 3% is fresh water.The quantity of fresh water available onearth supports a high degree ofbiodiversity. This includes not only thespecies which are living in the water butalso the various other species depending

on an inland water habitat.Inland water biodiversity is veryimportant for poverty reduction. Inlandwater biodiversity is directly linked withfood security of the local people. Aboveall this system plays a vital role in climateregulation, flood mitigation, nutrientrecycling, water purification and varioushuman welfare and developmentmeasures. As per the MillenniumEcosystem Assessment, the importanceof the wetlands is described as follows:

“Estimates for the global economicimportance of wetlands are highlyvariable, with an upper value of$15 trillion (over three times the value ofglobal forest ecosystem services, whichis $4.7 trillion). Intact wetlands have anet value of 1.6 times that of sustainableforests, 5.8 times than that of mangrovesand 4.5 times that of forests undertraditional management”.

The wetlands play a major role in climateregulation. It is unfortunate that thebiodiversity of fresh water ecosystems isdeclining faster than any otherecosystem. This is due to the loss ofinland waters, due to infrastructuredevelopment, pollution, introduction ofinvasive alien species, etc.

Some suggested activities forInternational Day for BiologicalDiversity, 2013

India is very rich in biodiversity; therichness is associated with variousecosystems. The wetland ecosystem of ourcountry (58.2 million hectares) is endowedwith high biological resources and is asource of livelihood for millions of people.Next to coastal water the inland wetlandssupport a high degree of biodiversity.Already within 50 years, we have lostabout 30–40% of inland water bodies.Documentation of wetlands in our countryis available. However, mapping, ecosystemservices, management plan, conservation


priorities have not been made for more than75% of our wetlands. Ramsar sites, large

water bodies, which are supplying drinking

water for cities are well protected but the

smaller water bodies are not at all managed.

Hence, some remedial are suggested:

Communicate the relationshipbetween water and biodiversity tothe stakeholders.

The stakeholders in our country arenumerous. To achieve this goal, all theState Training Institutes should be askedto conduct orientation programme.Currently, the issue related to climatechange, disaster management arehighly discussed. Inland water bodyissues should be discussed with localstakeholders, the benefits received by thelocal people should be made publicised.For example, sand mining in the riverbeds and the ground water rechargemechanism, the invasive alien species inthe lakes and ponds and its effect on fishproductivity, water quality, effect on localagriculture, etc. may be highlighted.

Preparation of biodiversity registersfor wetlands

At present, only biodiversity registers ofthe Ramsar sites are available in ourcountry. The richness of other waterbodies is known to the local people. Thisoral tradition should be documented andverified by experts. The endangered andendemic species of plants and animalsshould be conserved through publicparticipation.

Water quality monitoring

The water bodies which are supplyingdrinking water to the people are

monitored by the concerneddepartments. Periodical monitoring of allwater bodies is essential to correlate withbiodiversity richness and also for effectivemanagement.Awareness for younger generation

School children should be made aware of

the wetland ecosystems and biodiversity

richness. Now, the students are only aware

of flagship species such as, the Gangetic

dolphin, Siberian crane, etc.

Preparation of awareness materials

Currently, a few educational materials areavailable and that too site or habitatspecific. The local competent authoritiesshould be asked to prepare material forawareness and education. Except for fishbiodiversity of inland wetlands, nocomprehensive data on biodiversityrichness is available.

Law and wetland biodiversity

Most of the small wetlands of our countryare used as a dumping ground for solidwaste. In order to stop this activity, thelegal mechanism should be strengthened.

Conclusion

The United Nations had declared theyear 2010 as the International Year ofBiodiversity and has also declared theyears between 2011 and 2020 as UnitedNations Decade on Biodiversity. Theperiod between 2005 and 2015 has beendeclared as International Decade forAction ‘WATER FOR LIFE’. All thesedeclarations are mainly done to sensitizethe importance of water and biodiversityconservation. India is a developingcountry; our population has crossed 1billion. It is imperative to protect ourwater resources and life on it.


Industrial Ecology- Principles and PracticesR. Sabesh

Introduction

Industrial ecology is the study of materialand energy flows through industrialsystems. Industrial ecology emerged outof several ideas and concepts, which dateback to the 19thcentury. It aims at closingmaterial cycles within industrial systemsby developing symbiotic functions amongsystem components. The key focus ofindustrial ecology relates mainly to howindustrial systems are structured andhow they transform, use and discardnatural resources. The global industrialeconomy can be modeled as a networkof industrial processes which extractresources from the Earth and transformthose resources into commodities whichcan be bought and sold to meet the needsof humanity. Industrial ecology seeks toquantify the material flows and documentthe industrial processes that makemodern society function. Industrialecologists are often concerned with theimpacts of industrial activities on theenvironment, natural resources and theproblems associated with waste disposal.

In short, industrial ecology aims atlooking at the industrial system as awhole. Industrial ecology not onlyaddresses just issues of pollution and theenvironment, but also promotesimportant technologies, processeconomics, inter-relationships ofbusinesses, financing, overallGovernment policy and the entirespectrum of issues involved in themanagement of commercial enterprises.As such, industrial ecology can providea conceptual framework and an

important tool for the process of planningthe field approaches to issues ofsustainability by examining problemsfrom multiple perspectives, usuallyinvolving aspects of sociology, theenvironment, economy, toxicologyengineering and technology.

Principles of Industrial Ecology

The concept of industrial ecology wasevolved as a scientific discipline aroundthree decades ago and the conceptbecame popular during 1989 through aScientific American article by RobertFroschand Nicholas E. Gallopoulos.Frosch and Gallopoulos’ with the focusof “why not our industrial system behavelike an ecosystem, where the wastes ofone species may be the resource foranother species? Why would not theoutputs of an industry be the inputs ofanother? This will help in reducing theuse of raw materials. Pollution resultsin waste minimization and ultimatelyreducing the costs waste treatment.The concept of industrial ecosystemsfunction as an analogue of the biologicalecosystem wherein the plants synthesizenutrients that feed herbivores, which, inturn, feed various species of carnivores,whose wastes and bodies afterdecomposition eventually add nutrientsto the soil. Industrial ecology is concernedwith the shifting of industrial processesfrom linear systems in which resourceand capital investments move throughthe system to become waste, to a closedloop system where wastes can becomeinputs for new processes.


Industrial ecology seeks to understandthe way in which industrial systemsinteract with the biosphere. Naturalecosystems provide a metaphor forunderstanding how different parts ofindustrial systems interact with oneanother, in an “ecosystem” based onresources and infrastructure rather thanon natural resources. It seeks to exploitthe idea that natural systems do not havewaste in them to promote sustainabledesign and practices along with the

conservation of energy, materials, andredefining commodity markets. Atpresent, industrial ecology is beingpursued with unprecedented vigour. It isgaining recognition not only in businesscommunities, but in academic andgovernment circles as well. Ecology isused as a metaphor due to theobservation that natural systems reusematerials and have a largely closed loopcycling of nutrients and industrial ecologyapproaches problems with the hypothesisand similar principles as natural systems.The following table shows the generalmetaphor.Biosphere Industrial atmosphere

Ecology MarketOrganism CompanyNatural Product Industrial ProductSurvival of fittest CompetitionEcosystem Eco-Industrial ParkEcological Niche Market NicheMetabolism Waste ManagementMutation and Selection Design for EnvironmentSuccession Economic GrowthAdaptation InnovationFood Web Product Life Cycle

Source: http://www.amrita.edu/sdg/pdf/intro%20to%20industrial%20ecology.pdf


The principles and the concepts of

industrial ecology can be used by

service as well as manufacturing

companies. Application of industrial

ecology will improve the planning

and performance of government

operations, including local, regional, and

national levels of infrastructure. While

much of the initial work in industrial

ecology has focused on manufacturing,

a full definition of industrial systems

includes service, agricultural,

manufacturing, military, public

operations such infrastructure as

landfills, water

and sewage systems, and transportation

systems.

Conclusion

Industrial ecology principles are

emerging in various policy realms such

as the concept of the circular economy

which is being promoted in China. The

hope is

that such strategies would create more

efficient economy with less pollutants

and other undesirable by products. There

is no doubt that time has come to prepare

for the coming era of technological

advancement, mainly nanotechnology

which contributes to the ultimate goal of

industrial ecology i.e., to promote more

sophisticated and efficient industrial

systems, capable of creating more wealth

and better living standards with less

harmful impacts on the biosphere. A final

and important principle of industrial

ecology is its integrated approach to the

three disciplines namely, the social

sciences including economics, the

technical sciences and the environmental

sciences. The major challenge is to merge

them into a single approach. Nature’s

ecosystems have more than 3.5 billion

years of experience evolving efficient,

complex, adaptive, resilient systems.

Hence, the same nature’s principles can

be adopted in the industrial sector to

retain its sustainability and protect the

biosphere.

References

1. Garner, A, and G.A. Keoleian,

1 9 9 5 ,

Industrial Ecology: An Introduction,

National Pollution Prevention

Centre for Higher Education.

2. Green Chemistry, US EPA,

2007 ,ht tp ://www.epa.gov/

greenchemistry/

3. Kay, J.J, Regier, H.A and M. Boyle,

An ecosystem approach for

sustainability: addressing the

challenge of complexity, Futures

1999, 31: 721-742.

4. Ruth, M. 1998, “Mensch and

M e s h :

Perspectives on Industrial

E c o l o g y ” ,

J. Ind.Ecol., 2(2): 13-22.

5. Harte, M.J. Ecology,

s u s t a i n a b i l i t y ,

and environment as capital,

Ecol.Econ., 1995, 15: 157-164.

6. Ruth, M. A, 2006,”Quest for the

economics of sustainability and

t h e

sustainability of economics”, Ecol.

Econ. 56: 332-342.

7. http://enviroclasses.mit.edu/


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