Environment India

  Indian coastal cities need to design and build with nature Panaji, the capital city of Goa, was hit by floods in July 2021. Historically, this is not the first time that the city has been flooded since it is built on the marshlands on the floodplains of river Mandovi. A community art project, titled “Mangrave (En)circling the Loss” by The Earthivist Collective highlights the plight of this important ecosystem on the outskirts of Panaji Urbanisation, driven by a rapid increase of Goa’s urban population, has spilled over to Panaji’s neighboring rural areas to accommodate real estate pressures. According to estimations by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Goa’s urban population is expected to grow to 88% in 2036 from the current 62.5%. Unsurprisingly, this sprawl has diminished the city’s green cover as repurposed Khazan farmlands at the fringes of the city have transformed into a concrete jungle along primary arterial roads leading to the city. Recent construction and urba...

  Sloth bear, dhole, tiger most affected among apex predators globally due to road development: Study The sloth bear, tiger and dhole are among 36 apex predators worldwide affected the most due to road construction in their native habitats, a study published February 21, 2022, in the journal Nature, has stated. The sloth bear was the most affected predator as its habitat was in the Indian subcontinent, “where roadless areas are almost non-existent,” the study said. Some 97% of its area of distribution was covered by roads, which led to several instances of roadkills, or deaths due to collisions with vehicles. The sloth bear is followed by the dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog, which is, in turn, followed by the tiger, Asiatic black bear, clouded leopard, sun bear and Sunda clouded leopard. The researchers said Asiatic predators, especially in south Asia, were more exposed to roads. Roads are especially harmful for apex predators because their home ranges are large and thei...