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Protect soldiers -who contribute without expecting returns
Highlights
The varieties of life on earth are its soldiers. These soldiers are contributing from millions of years to protect the earth. This variety of life on earth
The varieties of life on earth are its soldiers. These soldiers are contributing from millions of years to protect the earth. This variety of life on earth and its interdependence is termed as biodiversity. Human life on earth has been possible only because of this biodiversity. It saves earth from various hazards and maintains an atmosphere suitable for survival of life on earth. If this biodiversity is endangered and if we don’t give a thought about the disturbances we are creating from the past five decades-the question of Human survival will arise in no time. This year it is 43rd earth day celebration on 22nd April, and this calls for realization and for action to protect biodiversity, not only on this day, but year through.
Biodiversity creates ecosystem and it is the backbone of life on earth. Every species contributes its part for a healthy ecosystem. It has been computed that one pair of house rats would increase at the end of the year to 880. Rats destroy crops causing heavy losses in cultivation, birds feed on rats and thus every pair of rat killed by birds means the annual suppression of a potential increase of 880 rats. For the same act man has to spend at least Rs 50/- to kill a single rat. Trees are the habitat for thousands of birds .Trees play a major role in controlling air pollution, it is estimated that one tree removes about 74 kgs of pollution in an year.Guana of 1000 Canadian geese 58 days in straight is sufficient to cultivate 2.5 acres wheat, This straight away reduces the cost of fertilizers for cultivation. About 80% of developing nations use plants as a primary source of medicine, 57% of the most prescribed drugs have their origin in biodiversity. Apart from these the nature in form of wet lands, fisheries, forestry, mines etc. are yielding crores of rupees annually along with balancing the eco system and protecting the earth from natural calamities.
These are some of the many direct uses of biodiversity. The list of indirect advantage is more than this- regulating global processes such as atmosphere and climate, soil and water conservation, nutrient cycling, pollination and seed dispersal, control of agricultural pests, genetic library, tourism and recreation etc.
Inspite of the numerous advantages given by various species and nature, expecting nothing in return, human beings tend to exploit them for their short term monetary benefits causing imbalance of the ecosystem –habitat loss and fragmentation, reduction of fresh water, overexploitation of resources, industrial effluents and agriculture discharges, conversion for aqua culture, disturbance due to traffic, effect of shipping noises, industries etc. In the race for accumulating treasures, the natural treasure of earth is overlooked, exploited ,the result of which will be the question o f our own survival.
On the occasion of ‘EARTH DAY’ Dr P.Sathiya selvam (M.Sc,Phd),conservation biologists in UNDP(united nations development programme),coastal and marine biodiversity conservation, a government initiated project - EGREE(East Godavari Riverine Estuarine ecosystem )spoke on the coastal and marine diversity and their protection in Andhra Pradesh and globally also.
The Godavari Delta on the east coast of India is an important component of India’s coastal and marine heritage. The region is unique in its biological diversity. It also generates significant ecological services to sustain fisheries, lively hoods and sequestering carbon. At the estuarine of gowtami river near the Kakinada bay at coringa a wet land formed and a species of locally called mada trees or mangroves covering an area of 321 square kilometres which is approximately 32,506 hectares of area. This is the second largest in India after sunder ban of west Bengal. The govt of India (GoI) ,United Nations Development Programme(UNDP),Global Environment facility(GEF) and Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) is jointly implementing the project “Mainstreaming Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Conservation into Production sectors in the East Godavari Riverine Estuarine Ecosystem (EGREE) with a grant of US$ 6,023,636 since 17-03-2012. Mangroves are the shelter for thousands of species which create and maintain the ecosystem. This area also supports a wide range of other faunal elements that include 277 benthic organisms, 540 fish species, 27 reptile species, 5 species of whales and dolphins and 28 species of terrestrial mammals. In recognition of its national and global biodiversity significance, part f the mangrove area is gazetted as CORINGA WILD LIFE SANCTUARY (CWLS) in 1998.
CORINGA has been declared as a RAMSAR site because of its international importance. There are nine criteria for a site to be declared as RAMSAR site even if one of the nine criteria is satisfied it can be declared as a RAMSAR site. CORINGA has satisfied all the nine criteria. It is a National conservative forest, and has also been declared as a wild life sanctuary because of its vast variety of unique species. It has a stretch of 60 kms mangrove forest which protects the coast from tides. For a site to be declared as ramsar site, it should be a habitat for 20,000-30,000 birds, coringa is a habitat for 60,000-70,000 birds, and 575 species of fishes are there. There are 440 endangered species all over India out of which 88 species (birds, fish, and mammals) are found in coringa. Globally endangered 53 species are found here and 35 near to extinct species are found here. Stating economic benefits, he gave a rough figure of the sea yield which is definitely breath holding-1.75 metric tons to 2.5 metric tons of fish at an average cost of Rs.100/- per kg, 1500 metric tons of wild prawns at an average cost of Rs.500/- per kg, 8oo metric tons of edible crabs at Rs.200 per kg-all this in one day-only in one region-can we imagine the economic benefit throughout the country? There are 44 villages abutting the mangrove forest area with a population of around 0.11 million who are directly and indirectly depending on the coastal and mangrove ecosystem for their livelihood. And nearly 40% of people around coringa are actively involved in fishing. There are 5 fish landing centres around coring wild life sanctuary which gives yield of about 4480tons of sea food annually.
Yields of Kakinada bay.
Speaking about threat on marine life, sathiya selvam said that The international union for conservation of nature (IUCN) Red list or red data list is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species .The IUCN has estimated that over 40% of all living species on earth are at risk of going extinct. Though India has many laws forbidding hunting, restricting land development, or creating preserves only few f the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to the list and obtain legal protection. These are some marine animals which are declining in numbers globally, and which are protected under wildlife (protection), 1972 act.
He went on to say that a study revealed that it took about 400 years for a mammal species to evolve and about 200 years for a bird species to evolve and its very alarming to state that because of disturbing activities by human beings(unknowingly or knowingly) 20-75 species (plants and animals)are reaching extinction in a single day! (Threatened species of EGREE)The reason for their extinction is the disturbing activities such as deep sea mining,drilling,oil prospecting, coastal and offshore developments which causes biodiversity loss, dredging, Trawling -which erodes the treasure of underwater species(as shown in the picture).
The government approved fish nets with a minimum of 2.5 inches holes, but the fishermen are using nets which are below the approved size and of such capacity to wipe out even the minute particles and underwater species, such as sea plants, jelly fishes, corals, sea horses, and even small eggs which are considered as trash and are sold as poultry food. When such nets are used the fishermen obtain trash along with the target fish which doubles their monetary yield. He said that EGREE is conducting educational camps for fishermen to understand the importance of marine life, the loss of which will leave a void place for their future generation and an enormous loss of biodiversity which will ultimately lead to the question of human survival. Illustrating this he narrated that in 1839, a 40 foot tidal wave caused by an enormous wave wiped out the harbour city of coring that was never entirely rebuilt, 20,000 vessels in the bay were destroyed and about 300,000 people were killed .That was the time when hope island was not formed and there were no mangroves which could have acted as natural barriers against such devastating capacity.
Before Trawling After Trawling
He said that EGREE is a government initiated project and he along with his team provides lectures to students in schools and colleges. There are many laws in India (about 15 laws) for protection of natural habitats, natural resources, land, animals etc. But it should be a collective effort, even from individual levels to protect our environment from destruction and our fellow living beings from extinction.september 21st is coastal cleanup day. In 2012 with 750 volunteers EGREE cleaned Kakinada bay of 7 tons and in 2013 with 750 volunteers 5 tons of garbage.
(Dr.sathiya selvam has been trained by USGS(united states geological survey)in tracking 10 species of birds with the help of 48 transmitters, he did a major research work in chilka lake wetlands, on which he obtained his PhD, he worked in Tamil nadu forest department for 3 ½ years).
May be its high tide, the water is raising above our heads, not only young generation, but the politicians who lead the country-whom we call our representatives, should be made aware of the vast importance of this biodiversity-the incomparable, selfless contribution of these soldiers should not go void in view of our short term benefits, the ultimate result of which could be a full STOP of our own self.
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