Quantification of green-blue ratios, impervious surface area and pace of urbanisation for sustainable management of urban lake – land zones in India -a case study from Bengaluru city

Quantification of the ecosystem services of blue and green infrastructure in urban centres with the perspective of planning sustainable development is usually data-intensive, includes use of multi-platform datasets and adds to the complexities in deriving effective and reproducible metrics. The present study describes the creation of four simple metrics to estimate: 1. the ratio of ‘green’ vegetated areas to the ‘blue’ water spread areas, defined as the ‘Green-blue ratio’ (GBA); 2. The ratio of ‘blue’ water spread areas to ‘built-up’ ratio around the lakes, defined as the ‘Blue to Built-up ratio’ (BBA), 3. the percentage of impervious surface area (ISA) and 4. the pace of urbanisation in the dynamic zones (DZ) of urban lake environments. These new metrics were evaluated using landcover areas mapped from satellite imageries. Visual interpretation-based method was adopted to delineate the green, blue and built-up areas from Google Earth, which is suitable for wide range of users. The use of these metrics has been illustrated using available datasets for four representative lakes in Bengaluru city, India: Sankey tank, Ulsoor lake, Nagavarakere and Puttenahallikere. Significant spatio-temporal variations in the ratios of GBA and BBA as well as %ISA were observed and satisfactorily reflected the ecological status of these lakes in concurrence with earlier studies. Detailed analyses constrained a permissible rate of annual increase in the built-up area within the DZs to ∼ 3% for sustainable development of the lakes. The present set of metrics can be recommended as useful tools for urban planners and citizen scientists for seasonal monitoring of urban lake environments

Assessment of Socio-technical Constraints of Marine Fishers in the Utilisation of Marine Fishery Advisories in Southern Odisha, India

Sustainable marine fishing practices are often hindered by local-level factors in areas with high fishery potentials, such as Odisha, India. Scientific services to fishing, such as Marine Fishery Advisories (MFAs) on the Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) and weather information in the form of Ocean State Forecast (OSF) advisories provided by INCOIS, India, are valuable knowledge products which can help the fishers to overcome several socio-technical constraints (STCs) to effective fishing practices. The present investigation provides a critical analysis of five STCs prevailing in 4 districts (Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam) of Southern Odisha which can possibly hinder the effective assimilation of the MFAs. These five STCs are the hierarchy of fishers in fishing operations, pathways of transition to new fishing technologies, the adaptive capacity of the fishers to use scientific advisories, the need to achieve economic resilience from fishing as well as the contribution to the preservation of ecosystem sustainability. Stakeholder mapping based on the ground-based observations revealed that inadequate transitions pathways, varying hierarchical positions and low adaptive capacities contributed to higher STCs in general. Sensitivity of the fishers to achieving economic as well as environmental sustainability in their enterprise leads to lower STCs and greater assimilation capacities. The analyses of STCs presented here provide a robust methodology to manage the social cost of carbon which can be useful to achieve sustainability targets with respect to marine fisheries by adopting regular use of MFAs

Use of Geospatial Technology for Sustainable Development of Small Scale Fisheries in India: Challenges and Way Forward

The total fish production in India is estimated to be 13.42 million metric tons (Mt) of which nearly 3.71 Mt are contributed by marine fisheries. The fisheries sector provides direct livelihood support to approximately 16 million people, of which marine fishers constitute a dominant subset and almost double the number along the value chain. In the past, the fisheries community in India had relied on traditional indicators of fish abundance such as the congregation of birds, colour of sea water, bubble breaking in the sea water and muddy/oily water on the sea surface in their traditionally known fishing grounds. The increased frequency of extreme weather events observed in recent times, have been related to major losses in marine ecosystem services. Further, the livelihoods of Small Scale Fisheries (SSF) communities are endangered not only by their limited understanding of the magnitude of the risks associated with natural hazards but also by the diminishing returns of relying on traditional knowledge for accurate prediction of the fishing stock at their usual locations. Therefore, the Government of India has launched several programs to use geospatial technologies for the benefit of marine pelagic fisheries in India for the sustainable development of the SSF communities. However, the lives of SSF communities are also challenged by complex, inter-linked socio-economic factors. In this paper, we focus on the maritime state of Odisha which is affected by several extreme weather events (cyclones) in the Bay of Bengal. We describe the socio-economic and technological factors which determine the degree of assimilation of the Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) and Ocean State Forecast (OSF) advisories provided by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) with a focus on the threads linking natural and anthropocentric factors that produce significant changes in the Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) and net profit for pelagic fisheries of Odisha. More importantly, we identify the research and implementation gaps that must be addressed so that science, technology, and societal interactions can be used to enhance the sustainable development of the SSF communities. Keywords: Potential fishing zone, Catch per unit effort, Ocean state forecast, Geospatial technology

Coal Mining and Environment: A Case Study of Dorli Opencast Coal Mines (NIAS/NSE/EEP/U/RR/06/ 2020)

Coal continues to fuel more than 72 percent of the country’s electricity generation and is also a vital input for other core industries like steel and cement.  However, the coal sector must incorporate social and ecological sensitivities into the mining process from the planning stage up to final mine closure. In this report, the authors present the results of a study on the water and air environment spread over an area of 163 km2 in and around four opencast coal mines in the Dorli - Bellampalli coalfield located in the State of Telangana. This study is based inter alia on the ambient air concentrations and water quality data extracted from the half-yearly compliance reports submitted by SCCL’s four opencast coal mines between June 2012 and September 2019. In this study, the variations in airborne concentrations and water quality before and after stoppage of coal production from these opencast coal mines have also been compared in order to develop policy recommendations as well as areas for future research. In general, the particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations in the buffer zone around the opencast coal mines in the study area are slightly higher than the corresponding CPCB standards (60 and 40 µg/m3, respectively) when these mines are in operation. Therefore, opencast coal mines must implement more effective dust controls during all phases of the mining and mineral transportation processes and also maintain a suitable thick green belt to separate the core and buffer zones. The pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids values in the water samples exceed the pre-mining values but are within the prescribed BIS/CPCB limits. The dissolved oxygen values indicate optimal levels of aeration in the surface water. Pit lake systems evolved from open-cast coal mine voids have the potential to be a more cost-effective, environment-friendly and beneficial option for coal mine closure as opposed to the current mandate of backfilling the final void by re-handling the previously excavated and vegetated overburden dumps. According to the designated best use classes specified by the Central Pollution Control Board, the water quality around the opencast coal mines studied indicates the probable use of water for drinking (Class C) after adequate tertiary treatment, Class D for propagation of wildlife and fisheries, and Class E for irrigation. Therefore, it is possible to transform these final voids into water reservoirs for the benefit of the local communities by implementing a scientific approach to the design and management of pit lakes

Short-term desalination of Pulicat lagoon (Southeast India) due to the 2015 extreme flood event: insights from Land-Ocean Interactions in Coastal Zone (LOICZ) models

Abstract Introduction We investigated the magnitude and duration of desalination of Pulicat—a coastal lagoon ecosystem connected to the Bay of Bengal on the South-eastern coast of India—during the 2015 South India flood event which was a period of high-magnitude precipitation and riverine flooding. Methods We estimated freshwater runoff into the lagoon using flow accumulation models for a period of 55 days (November 1 to December 25, 2015) using daily gridded precipitation data from the Global Precipitation Measurement and a digital elevation model. Using the estimates of freshwater runoff, direct precipitation and observed salinities, we simulated water and salinity fluxes of the lagoon using the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone model. Further, we also used Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the uncertainty in system salinity, the residual salinity at the boundary and the freshwater residence times in the lagoon. Results We estimated that a high volume (~ 760 × 106 m3) of relatively low salinity waters (residual salinity = 23.47 psu) had been exported from the lagoon to the Bay of Bengal during the period which is likely to have caused a strong dip in the daily salinity profile of the coastal sea. We contend that the lagoon experienced ~ 40% desalination due to the 2015 event with a freshwater residence time of 18.5 days. Conclusions The study highlighted the short-term, high-magnitude desalination undergone by Pulicat lagoon during the 2015 South India floods. Considering the high residual and exchange volumes obtained from the study, we conclude that Pulicat could be a major exporter of relatively low salinity waters to the Bay of Bengal during monsoons

PIT lakes as sustainable post-closure interventions for open-cast coal mines in the Indian context

Coal is a pivotal link in balancing India’s increasing energy demands as well as infrastructure development, catering to about three-fourths of the country’s power generation. Ninety four percent of the coal produced in India is mined from more than 200 open cast mines in various parts of the country. While open-cast coal mines also have positive spinoffs for the local population in terms of infrastructure creation, jobs and business opportunities during the operation period,their impacts on the local ecology have been well documented. The changes to ecology during operative and post-closure phases demonstrate the need for improved mine closure planning so that the adverse impacts of opencast mining can be controlled in a more scientific manner compared to current mining practices in India. With the introduction of Section 20A in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act in January 2015, Parliament has empowered the Central Government to issue policy directives for “promoting restoration and reclamation activities so as to make optimal use of mined-out land for the benefit of the local communities.” Pit lakes are artificial waterscapes developed by filling-up of the voids with water via natural and/or artificial recharge. The sustainability of these ecosystems, however,is under investigation owing to the complexity of their interactions across the long-term geological and biological realms. In India, such approaches are quite novel and there is a need to evolve scientific measures to adopt pit lakes as sustainable alternatives to backfilling with excavated soil. The present study is an assessment of the efforts and plans of utilising pit lake ecosystems in India ascreative post-closure solutions for open-cast mining. Using examples of environmental statuses of the existing pit-lake ecosystems in India, analyses of their potentials as sustainable alternatives for backfilling has been explored. For the first time, the study will provide an understanding of the desired criteria to be planned while creating pit lakes. Using data from a compilation of scientific investigations, the impact of factors such as the mine closure planning, diversion of stream-flows, adoption of natural recharge, and the need for technological interventions for stabilising the ecosystem flows and conservation in these ecosystemswill be closely examined. Critical design factors such as lake depth, management of the monimolimnion, biological interventions, balancing the lake leakance versus seepage to aquifers, long-term contaminant transport etc. will be discussed. Finally, the need for policy changes to design the final mine void as part of a self-sustained ecosystem to serve the needs of the local communities will also be discussed with the idea of imparting long-term sustainability to these ecosystems

All pain and no gain: Factors impacting local and regional sustainability due to COVID-19 pandemic with respect to the Indian marine fisheries

Monitoring frameworks under a non-disaster scenario can be helpful to identify the various socio-technical constraints of local and regional origin which influence the economics and resources management of marine fisheries. However, local-scale manifestations of regional/global changes due to the rapid onset of a disaster scenario may lead to unprecedented distortion of the market demand-supply value chains for the fisheries sector at shorter temporal scales. The global pandemic of COronaVIrus Disease (COVID-19) provided a unique short, temporal window to study the evolution of socio-economic challenges to sustainable fishing in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), India. The present study provides a detailed multi-source assessment of the factors that lead to massive complications of market disruption beginning with a public curfew on 22nd March 2020, followed by a nationwide complete lockdown of 54 days beginning from 25th March 2020, indicating an “all-pain no-gain” scenario for the fishers. Aggravating factors as a cessation of food services, and the restriction of exports of perishable commodities indicated negative spin-offs for allied activities sectors such as food processing due to low or negligible demand. The present investigation also indicated that as part of rehabilitation, policies related to overfishing are necessary to promote sustainable fishing practices in the BoB region in a post-pandemic period. New policy frameworks must consider the community-centric factors which facilitated the alleviation of the impacts of anthropogenic activities related to fishing and the slow restoration of the demand-supply chain, with long-term benefits for natural resources sustenance and to aid marine conservation efforts

Scaling-up Nature based solutions for mainstreaming urban resilience in Indian cities

Rapid growth of urban areas has attracted foremost global attention in the last few decades. By 2050, India is expected to be the center of urbanization with 68 Indian cities having population of around a million. Rapid urbanization has resulted in huge loss of urban blue-green infrastructure (BGI) resulting in loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. There is growing need of disaster proofing fast expanding Indian cities. It is fundamental to explore, customize and integrate Nature-based Solutions (NbS) based resilience planning by restoring existing BGI in Tier I Indian megacities to curb the growing risks within acceptable limits. There is huge scope for exploration and mainstreaming of NbS in Tier II and Tier III cities that have space to plan BGI as per the growing population requirements and anticipated future risks. Scientifically planned NbS can help towards building resilience by maintaining the socio-cultural, economic, and ecosystem sustainability. The present chapter provides an overview of BGI as an efficient NbS and mainstreaming of nature-based interventions to ensure sustainable habitat in Indian megacities and growing small cities. The chapter highlights the factors that determine the use of urban NbS and underlines the problems associated with the implementation of Nb

Saturation indices of aqueous mineral phases as proxies of seasonal dynamics of a transitional water ecosystem using a geochemical modeling approach

The geochemistry and saturation indices (SI) of carbonate and non-carbonate mineral phases under standard thermodynamic conditions in an aqueous environment are largely infuenced by the dynamic physico-chemical parameters. Based on the known feedback mechanisms of environmental parameters on the rates of mineralisation, the changes in environmental parameters such as pH, dissolved ionic concentrations and salinity were modelled as a function of their spatial and temporal distributions (dry and wet seasons) in a transitional aquatic ecosystem in South India, Pulicat lagoon. The investigation revealed the strong seasonal infuence of these parameters on the magnitude and values of the SIs signalling dissolution or mineralisation. Hydroxyapatite and Talc were found to have higher positive SIs. Co-precipitation of calcite and aragonite were evident and found to be constrained by high salinities. Among the carbonates, dolomites and magnesium-calcites showed high SIs compared to calcite and aragonite, indicating that magnesium ions were incorporated into the mineral phases possibly due to the availability of nucleation sites through heterotrophic reactions. The formation of apatite was strongly infuenced by pH changes, corresponding to low calcite precipitation in the wet season. High SI of hydroxyapatite, talc and silicate minerals indicate the low bioavailability of dissolved phosphate and silicates in the water during both the seasons. Strong evidences of seasonal control of pH, salinity and Total Dissolved Solids on the dissolution and mineralisation characteristics further infuence nutrient bioavailability over varied spatio-temporal scales. The present study supports the potential application of the saturation indices as proxies to understand the complex biogeochemical dynamics of transitional water ecosystems