Indian Wildlife Club Forum

"Despite its overwhelming biological diversity and tropical ecosystems, Malaysia lacks lakes. There are only two natural freshwater bodies in the entire country: Tasik Bera and Tasik Chini. Most of the others are the result of manmade dams and former tin mine pools……………………..

 In 1995, Tasik Chini was dealt a near fatal blow in an attempt to increase tourism. This oxymoronic consequence illustrates the failure of consultants to recognize the delicate nature of lake ecosystems and the often-indelicate decisions of bureaucrats. Sediments from logging and oil palm estate clearance ended up in the lake, causing some sections to become too shallow to ferry tourists during the two-month dry season. Thus, boatmen requested a rise in the water level by building a dam. One year after dam construction, thousands of trees rimming the lake died due to inundation. Fish that used the lake to nest and breed were cut off; hence species such as arowana and the giant featherback were exhausted………………………..

Bishan Singh, a tireless activist in his sixties, sits on a stump in front of seventy school children seated on reed mats in the compound of a Jakun village in Kampung Putut. He has several messages for the youngsters. "Everyday we are confronted with ecological destruction," he tells the attentive faces before they embark on a tour of the lake. "Every campaign needs a hero, someone who is brave enough to take action." After 20 years of teaching and decades more working with grassroots community groups, Bishan has seen many heroes emerge. "You can do ordinary things and become extraordinary."…………….

Read the full article at

 http://wildasia.net/main/article.cfm?articleID=271

http://petitions.aidindia.org/narmada/

Above is a site where you may send a free fax to the Prime Minister to save 35,000 families from submergence without rehabilitation in the coming monsoon by STOPPING the SSP dam from going up to 121 m as passed by the Narmada Control Authority in March.

 NOTE PLEASE SIGN AND IF POSSIBLE SEND A PERSONAL FAX.

 http://petitions.aidindia.org/narmada/

Thanks so much to Raghavendra Rao for the insight about my questions on Lions and Tigers. I'm sorry I haven't been back on this site for months, but I greatly appreciate the answer. Many thanks to you.

I think it's awesome that both Tigers and Lions have great respect and religious reverence there in India. I hope in your country that wildlife habitat and all the wonderful species can be saved and some like the Cheetah can be reintroduced.

Your nation has the tough task of keeping the economy going and providing needs for the growing population. I see similar conflicts of interest in the United States. In our world there seems to be more people with respect to money ($$$) than the environment. And my country has done more than it's share of destruction of natural areas.

There is a thought provoking article on riverlinking by Atma Bharati at the following link. It is worth spending time to read it.

http://geodexter.blogspot.com/2006/01/interlinking-of-rivers.html

This article appeared in http://www.thinkcycle.org

The article details an initiative launched in February 2003 in Phon Kham, a village in the jungles of northern Laos: a human-powered computer called the Jhai Computer (Jhai means hearts and minds working together in Laotian).

 A villager on a stationary bicycle will make it possible for the village to connect to the Internet via wireless remote. The idea is to provide communication, because every day they sell their ducks, rice, weaving and chickens, and sell for less money than they should because they can't know the real price down in the towns.

Organisers claim that this project is unique in that it relies on simple materials like foot pedals and wireless antennas rather than high-tech devices (or even electricity). All 200 residents of Phon Kham live in bamboo houses with thatch roofs, none of which have electricity or telephone access.

Laos is the 10th-poorest country worldwide. The bike-pedaled generator will power a battery that in turn runs the computer, which sits in an 8-by-10-inch box. The computer will run on only 12 watts (compared to a typical computer's 90 watts). A wireless card (an 802.11b, the current industry standard) will be hooked up to an antenna bolted on the roof of a bamboo house; the signal will be beamed from there to an antenna nailed to a tree on top of a mountain. The signal will be bounced to Phon Hong, which sits 25 miles from Phon Kham and is the nearest big village with phone lines. The phone lines then hook to an Internet service provider. The Jhai runs on Linux software.

 A Laotian IBM engineer in New York to customised the software to the Lao language. The Internet connection will enable the Jhai Computer to be used not only for e-mail, but also as a two-way telephone system (through Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VOIP). It has no moving parts, the lid seals up tight, and you can dunk it in water and it will still run...

The idea is to be rugged, last at least 10 years and run in both the monsoon season and the dry season.

 http://www.comminit.com/ctrends2003/sld-7550.html

‘IT for Social Change’ (IT4SC), a network idea by Anil Shaligram who used to run a DTP centre in Maharashtra, is being implemented by him in the State.

His strategy is to conduct community IT literacy campaigns, set up IT Centers in localities. Through village network he plans to collect basic relevant data and contents on various issues, computerize these and use it for analysis, dissemination and broadcasting.

The first Social Process Software that uses these data for analysis and resolution of community problems has been developed called Domestic Women Workers’ Software Tool and it is being used by domestic worker's unions. In addition to employment issues and domestic women workers from cities and towns, they have also taken up the issues of sanitation and water conservation in villages, public distribution system, public health, poverty related issues, destitute people's pensions etc.in the next software application.

Anil also writes about how the grass root movement is being led by youth. In Beed District youth lead IT driven rainwater harvesting and water management. In Parbhani they use IT to guarantee employment to communities. In New Mumbai, they are exercising right to information and communication using internet to win a participation in developmental process. In Satara, IT has become integral part of their education and cultural activism.

 Anil envisages that the concept of IT for Social Change (IT4SC) will become a major Social Sectoral concept and 21st century is going to be a Networking Society and Knowledge Society. This IT enabled community based concept is going to play a major role in the formation and constitution of that society. It can also be a CONVERGING SOCIETY in which organizational solutions like IT4SC will emerge by which backward communities can catch up with the advanced communities by using advance knowledge and technologies to usher into an egalitarian world community.

Anil can be contacted at anilshaligram@yahoo.com

1. Mahanadi-Godavari
2. Godavari-Krishna ( 3 sites)
3.  Krishna-Pennar ( 3 sites)
4.  Pennar-Cauvery
5.  Cauvery-Vagai-Gundar
6.  Ken-Betwa
7.  Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal
8.  Par-Tapi-Narmada
9.  Damanganga-Pinjal
10.  Bedti-Varda
11.  Netravati-Hemavati
12.  Pamba-Achankovil-Vaippar

(Source-The Hindu)

1. Brahmputra-Ganga
2. Kosi-Ghagra
3. Gandak-Ganga
4.  Ghagra-Yamuna
5.  Sarda-Yamuna
6.  Yamuna-Rajasthan
7.  Rajasthan-Sabarmati
8.  Chunar-Sone Barrage
9.  Sone Dam-Southern tributaries of Ganga
10.  Brahmaputra-Ganga
11.  Kosi-Mechi
12.  Farakka-Sunderbans
13.  Ganga-Damodar-Subernrekha
14.  Subernrekha-Mahanadi

( Source-The Hindu)

The renowned biologist A.J.T Johnsingh suggests that the forests of Uttaranchal can easily support about 1000 elephants and 200 tigers as long as this large habitat, now fragmented in three blocks is managed and protected as one continuous habitat for wildlife.

We have uploaded his report " A Road Map for Conservation in Uttaranchal" at the following link

http://www.indianwildlifeclub.com/ResearchPapers/Conservation-Uttaranchal.pdf

Since this is a pdf file, downloading will take some time. But I can assure you it is well worth the wait. Mr. Johnsingh is an academic who is well versed with grassroot level realities and I have heard him passionately pleading the cause of conservation - repeatedly stressing the need for field level awareness before taking up conservation issues.

Ankur Chaturvedi's article on human elephant conflict has been published at the following link

http://www.indianwildlifeclub.com/mainsite/clubreviews4.asp

Please read and post your comments in the blog.