Profiting from disaster
Zoramthanga , the chief minister of Mizoram, has many reasons to reminisce the birth of his party, the Mizo National Front, an insurgent group …
Deforestation, agriculture triggered soil erosion 4,000 years ago: Study
Increased sediment deposits and changes in land use showed the degradation of soil during the last four millenia
Tractors can change farming in good ways and bad: lessons from four African countries
Insights from 87 villages reveal transformative power of agricultural mechanisation, but there are challenges too — like soil erosion, …
The forgotten environmental crisis: How 20th century settler writers foreshadowed the Anthropocene
Almost a century ago, New Zealand and Australia were at the forefront of an environmental crisis that was also profoundly geological in nature: …
Wetlands in Kashmir shrinking due to urbanisation: Study
An analysis of land cover data from 2016 shows that the catchment of Narkara wetland in near Srinagar is now predominantly an urban setting, with …
When the Sharda flows wild
Villages on its path prepare for the recurrent misery of inundation as an apathetic government looks on
Losing ground
Across the world, the deserts are advancing, threatening the lives and livelihoods of about one billion people
Saving the earth
Techniques developed by villagers in Himachal Pradesh can be integrated into plans to reclaim rocky wasteland in the hills
Engulfed by the ravines
Once a throbbing rural business centre, Birahrua, in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, is now haunted by devilish gullies
In pics: Sea ingress has left this Odisha coastal town a shell of its former self
The marching sea has taken a toll on Podampeta’s agriculture and fishing communities through rapid sea ingress and consequent cyclones. Now, …
New method developed to measure soil erosion
This method can help monitor the effects of soil erosion and effectiveness of soil conservation strategies
Microplastics in soil threatens earthworms’ growth: Study
Earthworms exposed to plastic chemicals from bottles and carry bags lost on average 3.1% in weight, while those without added microplastics had a …
Excess nitrogen fertilisers hamper germination, root growth in rice: study
Indian scientists have now identified rice varieties that are efficient in nitrogen use
Disappearing Majuli, India’s first river island district
Floods in the Brahmaputra threaten to submerge this river island in Assam which is home to rich biodiversity and culture
For a terra firma
Earth, the cradle of all lifeforms, should not be transformed into a graveyard for want of serious monitoring of soil degradation all over India …
In search of an alternative
Drastic reduction in the cycle of shifting cultivation and soil erosion are forcing the Karbi tribe of Assam to explore sustainable agricultural …
The good earth
SOIL CONSERVATION EXTENSION: FROM CONCEPTS TO ADOPTION· Edited by S Sombatpanit, M A Zobisch et al·Oxford and IBH Publishing …
Soiled future
At a time when agricultural topsoil continues to be eroded, researchers make efforts to put an end to the crisis
The Yellow River has been known as ‘China’s sorrow’. Now we know who was responsible
Deforestation, erosion on the Loess Plateau caused the Chinese to construct levees to tame the river, in turn, worsening the risk of flooding
Himachal Pradesh: Floods hit 16th state this monsoon, to impact crop yield
The hill state got 15 times its normal rainfall on Sunday owing to a depression settled over west MP and east Rajasthan
Dust storms to become more intense if degradation of Aravallis continues
Withering of Aravallis, mainly due to erosion of forests along the northern and central tracts, is making dust storms more intense
Combating soil pollution vital for addressing climate change
Soil pollution refers to the presence of chemicals in soils that are either out of place or at higher-than-normal concentrations
Human activity causes increase in landslides
Indiscriminate tree felling, mining and quarrying, and widespread wastage of land resources seem to be increasing the incidence of landslides in …
How to stabilise sand dunes in Thoothukudi’s theri land
A wind break or shelter belt is a carefully raised tree and shrub structure that can prevent the wind from beating on the land surface and …
Soil erosion triggers ravine expansion in Gujarat
Ravines have increased by 60-70 per cent in four districts of Gujarat in the last 4-5 decades and this threatens agriculture and livelihood there
