Ecology

Hosting G20 Presidency in 2023 is a fitting aspiration and a welcome challenge for India. A major economy and a developing country with a mature democracy, heading into its 76th year of its independence, India has the unique opportunity to set ‘Agenda 2023’ with a focus on equitable green and resilient recovery.

24 मार्च 2020 को केन्द्र सरकार ने भारत भर में लाकडाउन की घोषणा कर दी ताकि एक्यूट रेसपिरेटोरी सिन्ड्रोम कोरोनावाईरस 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) से उपजने वाले कोरोनावाईरस के नए रुप कोविड-19 (novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)) बिमारी को भारत में फैलने से रोका जा सके। राज्य द्वारा सामाजिक और आर्थिक सहयोग दिए जाने के अभाव में लाकडाउन काफी कठोर साबित हुआ, हालांकि सामाजिक-स्वास्थ्य की दृष्टी से यह अहम था। पहले से चरमराई अर्थव्यवस्था को इस  विश्व्यापी महामारी के कारण भारी नुकसान उठाना पड़ा। इससे अंर्तराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर होनेवाले विभिन्न प्रकार के माल के व्यापार लगभग बंद हो गए। इसके कारण लाखों मघ्यम व लघु उद्योग और सेवाप्रदाता उद्यम बंद हो गए। इसके साथ-साथ असंगठित और दिहाड़ी मजदूर अचानक बेरोजगार हो गए। दूसरी तरफ, पर्यावरण में काफी तबदीलियां भी आईं जैसे कि प्रदूषित शहरों में ताज़ी हवा का बहना, नदियों का बहना और पक्षियों और पशुओं का वापस अपने उजड़े ठौर-ठिकाने पर वापस लौट जाना। औद्योगिकरण और शहरी इलाकों में होने वाले निमार्ण-कार्य का प्रभाव पर्यावरणिय प्रदूषण बढ़ाने में किस हद तक योगदान देता है, यह बात कोविड-19 के दौरान हुई लाकडाउन के दौरान पर्यावरण में जो तबदीली देखी गई उसी से समझ में आती है।

The beginning of the ‘urban age’ comes along with a worldwide decline of insects –due to human impact on the environment. Especially alarming is the loss of bees and other pollinators, because of their importance for agriculture and thus for our food security as well as for the stability of ecosystems. Considering the worsening conditions on farmland, growing urban areas might function as refuges for endangered bees. In this article, we describe the situation of wild giant honey bees in the rapidly developing megacity Bengaluru (also called Bangalore), the high-tech capital of the Indian state Karnataka. Naturally nesting in the open in big trees and at cliffs, these bees use high-rise buildings as nesting sites in the city. Excerpts from interviews with citizens of Bengaluru give insights into increasing conflicts between humans and bees, but also show possibilities of coexistence.

On 24 March 2020, the central government declared a nationwide lockdown to deal with the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in India. The lockdown, implemented without the necessary social and economic support by the state, represented a harsh ‘tradeoff’ in favour of public health. The country’s already sluggish economy took a massive hit due to the global pandemic and the near complete closure of international and domestic trade of goods and commodities. However, when the government began its unlocking efforts, it relied on incentivising highly environmentally damaging extractive projects to stimulate the economy. This article analyses the environmental and mining sector reforms and the key legal amendments proposed by the government as part of its post-COVID-19 economic recovery plans. The process, timing and content of these legal changes show that the government used the COVID-19 lockdown as an opportunity to push through undemocratic legal changes that would result in more long term environmental and social costs to society.