World Environment Day: Value of eco-crimes soars to USD 258bn - report

Eco-crimes hit record high at up to $258 billion, outstripping the illegal trade in small arms,
says a joint UNEP-Interpol report.
[Image: Interpol] 

By News Desk | Nairobi, Kenya: According to a joint UNEP-Interpol report, the value of environmental crime is 26 per cent larger than previous estimates, at $91-258 billion today compared to $70-213 billion in 2014.

The Rise of Environmental Crime, released on the eve of World Environment Day, finds that weak laws and poorly funded security forces are enabling international criminal networks and armed rebels to profit from a trade that fuels conflicts, devastates ecosystems and is threatening species with extinction.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, "Interpol and UNEP have joined forces to bring to the attention of the world the sheer scale of environmental crime. The vast sums of money generated from these crimes keep sophisticated international criminal gangs in business, and fuel insecurity around the world.

"The result is not only devastating to the environment and local economies, but to all those who are menaced by these criminal enterprises. The world needs to come together now to take strong national and international action to bring environmental crime to an end."

Environmental crime dwarfs the illegal trade in small arms, which is valued at about $3 billion. It is the world's fourth-largest criminal enterprise after drug smuggling, counterfeiting and human trafficking. The amount of money lost due to environmental crime is 10,000 times greater than the amount of money spent by international agencies on combating it - just $20-30 million.

"Environmental crime is growing at an alarming pace. The complexity of this type of criminality requires a multi-sector response underpinned by collaboration across borders. Through its global policing capabilities, Interpol is resolutely committed to working with its member countries to combat the organized crime networks active in environmental crime," said Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

The report recommends strong action, legislation and sanctions at the national and international level, including measures targeted at disrupting overseas tax havens; an increase in financial support commensurate with the serious threat that environmental crime poses to sustainable development; and economic incentives and alternative livelihoods for those at the bottom of the environmental crime chain.

The last decade has seen environmental crime rise by at least 5-7 per cent per year. This means that environmental crime - which includes the illegal trade in wildlife, corporate crime in the forestry sector, the illegal exploitation and sale of gold and other minerals, illegal fisheries, the trafficking of hazardous waste and carbon credit fraud - is growing two to three times faster than global GDP.

To combat the illegal trade in wildlife, the United Nations system and partners have launched their Wild For Life campaign, which draws on support from celebrities such as Gisele Bündchen, Yaya Touré and Neymar Jr. to mobilize millions to take action against poaching and the trafficking of illegal wildlife products.

Already, thousands of people and more than 25 ministers have chosen a species to show their commitment to protecting wildlife. The host of this year's World Environment Day, Angola, has joined the fight, promising to shut down its domestic trade in illegal ivory, toughen border controls and restore its elephant population through conservation measures.

More than one quarter of the world's elephant population has been killed in a decade. Some of world's most vulnerable wildlife, like rhinos and elephants, are being killed at a rate that has grown by more than 25 per cent every year in the last decade.

The report also looks at how money generated from the illegal exploitation of natural resources funds rebel groups, terrorist networks and international criminal cartels. In the last decade, for example, poachers have killed an average of 3,000 elephants per year in Tanzania. That's an annual street market value for ivory traffickers of $10.5 million, an amount that is five times greater than the entire national budget of the country's wildlife division.

It's official: 2015 was Earth's hottest year on record, scientists confirm

[PHOTO: Ellen Munro/Flickr/CC BY 2.0] 

Washington, DC: Earth’s 2015 surface temperatures were the warmest since modern record keeping began in 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Globally-averaged temperatures in 2015 shattered the previous mark set in 2014 by 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit (0.13 Celsius). Only once before, in 1998, has the new record been greater than the old record by this much.

The 2015 temperatures continue a long-term warming trend, according to analyses by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York (GISTEMP). NOAA scientists concur with the finding that 2015 was the warmest year on record based on separate, independent analyses of the data. Because weather station locations and measurements change over time, there is some uncertainty in the individual values in the GISTEMP index. Taking this into account, NASA analysis estimates 2015 was the warmest year with 94 percent certainty. 

"Climate change is the challenge of our generation, and NASA’s vital work on this important issue affects every person on Earth," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "Today’s announcement not only underscores how critical NASA’s Earth observation program is, it is a key data point that should make policy makers stand up and take notice - now is the time to act on climate."

The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1.0 degree Celsius) since the late-19th century, a change largely driven by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere.

Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with 15 of the 16 warmest years on record occurring since 2001. Last year was the first time the global average temperatures were 1 degree Celsius or more above the 1880-1899 average.

Phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña, which warm or cool the tropical Pacific Ocean, can contribute to short-term variations in global average temperature. A warming El Niño was in effect for most of 2015.

"2015 was remarkable even in the context of the ongoing El Niño," said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. "Last year’s temperatures had an assist from El Niño, but it is the cumulative effect of the long-term trend that has resulted in the record warming that we are seeing."

Weather dynamics often affect regional temperatures, so not every region on Earth experienced record average temperatures last year. For example, NASA and NOAA found that the 2015 annual mean temperature for the contiguous 48 United States was the second warmest on record.

NASA’s analyses incorporate surface temperature measurements from 6,300 weather stations, ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations. These raw measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the conclusions if left unaccounted for. The result of these calculations is an estimate of the global average temperature difference from a baseline period of 1951 to 1980.

NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data, but a different baseline period, and different methods to analyze Earth’s polar regions and global temperatures.

World Wildlife Day: Interpol calls for global action

[PHOTO: U.S. Army Environmental Command/Flickr/CC BY 2.0] 

Lyon: INTERPOL is backing World Wildlife Day as part of the Organization’s ongoing efforts to support law enforcement around the globe in promoting environmental security.

With the theme ‘Wildlife crime is serious’, World Wildlife Day 2015 aims to raise awareness of the positive role which local communities can also play in helping curb this illegal trade, which is often linked to other forms of crime, including corruption and drug trafficking.

INTERPOL’s Environmental Security unit works with all 190 member countries to protect and conserve the world’s natural resources from exploitation by criminals.

“The criminal networks behind wildlife crime make large illicit profits while their actions damage the environment and the economies of affected countries. Ultimately we are all poorer as our iconic wildlife and biodiversity are damaged irreparably,” said Glyn Lewis, INTERPOL’s Director of Specialized Crime and Analysis.

“Effectively combating environmental crime requires a collective effort and World Wildlife Day provides us with an opportunity to show our unity in this fight,” added Mr Lewis.

As a member of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime which includes the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and World Customs Organization (WCO), INTERPOL strongly supports this powerful alliance to fight wildlife crime.

In 2014, a five-month-long INTERPOL-coordinated operation involving 13 countries targeting wildlife trafficking in tigers and other big cats across Asia resulted in the seizure of hundreds of animals and more than 160 arrests.

Last year also saw the launch of the first INTERPOL operation focusing on environmental crime fugitives, targeting more than 130 suspects wanted by 36 countries for crimes including illegal fishing, wildlife trafficking, illegal trade and disposal of waste, illegal logging and trading in illicit ivory.

Operation Infra (International Fugitive Round Up and Arrest) Terra, coordinated by INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support unit, has already led to several high-profile arrests including Feisal Ali, a Kenyan national suspected of leading an international ivory smuggling syndicate, and Rajkumar Praja, the ringleader of a rhino poaching network in Nepal.

One of the aims of INTERPOL’s Turn Back Crime campaign is to raise public awareness of the connection between organized crime and the illicit wildlife trade, encouraging people not to buy items which come from threatened species.

The campaign also encourages the private sector and the public to join forces and take an active role in supporting police activities to form a global alliance against organized crime.

At least 28 dead in Afghanistan avalanches: Officials

[FILE PHOTO: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr/CC BY 2.0] 

| RFE/RL

Kabul: A series of avalanches caused by heavy snowfall have killed at least 28 people to the northeast of Kabul in Afghanistan's mountainous province of Panjshir.

Officials said on February 25 that dozens of people also are missing and that the death toll is expected to rise.

Two days of heavy snow have blocked main roads in the province, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the affected villages.

Provincial Police Chief Abdul Aziz Ghairat said houses were buried beneath snow and ice in the districts of Pariyan, Darah, and Bazarak.

The heavy snowfall also has blocked a key highway that leads to the Salang tunnel, which connects Kabul with provinces to the north of the Hindu Kush mountains.

Deadly avalanches are common in Afghanistan's high mountains during the winter.

Copyright (c) 2015. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Scientists warn of 'mega-drought' risk in parts of US

[PHOTO: Anthony Quintano/Flickr/CC BY 2.0] 

Washington: Droughts in the U.S. Southwest and Central Plains during the last half of this century could be drier and longer than drought conditions seen in those regions in the last 1,000 years, according to a new NASA study.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, is based on projections from several climate models, including one sponsored by NASA. The research found continued increases in human-produced greenhouse gas emissions drives up the risk of severe droughts in these regions.

"Natural droughts like the 1930s Dust Bowl and the current drought in the Southwest have historically lasted maybe a decade or a little less," said Ben Cook, climate scientist at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and lead author of the study.

 "What these results are saying is we're going to get a drought similar to those events, but it is probably going to last at least 30 to 35 years, " he added. 

North American map of estimated ground moisture in 2095 based on a moderate emissions scenario Soil moisture 30 cm below ground projected through 2100 for moderate emissions scenario RCP 4.5. The soil moisture data are standardized to the Palmer Drought Severity Index and are deviations from the 20th century average.

However, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase along current trajectories throughout the 21st century, there is an 80 percent likelihood of a decades-long megadrought in the Southwest and Central Plains between the years 2050 and 2099.

The scientists analyzed a drought severity index and two soil moisture data sets from 17 climate models that were run for both emissions scenarios. 

The high emissions scenario projects the equivalent of an atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration of 1,370 parts per million (ppm) by 2100, while the moderate emissions scenario projects the equivalent of 650 ppm by 2100. Currently, the atmosphere contains 400 ppm of CO2.

NASA scientists used tree rings to understand past droughts and climate models 

incorporating soil moisture data to estimate future drought risk in the 21st century 

In the Southwest, climate change would likely cause reduced rainfall and increased temperatures that will evaporate more water from the soil. In the Central Plains, drying would largely be caused by the same temperature-driven increase in evaporation.

The Fifth Assessment Report, issued by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2013, synthesized the available scientific studies and reported that increases in evaporation over arid lands are likely throughout the 21st century. But the IPCC report had low confidence in projected changes to soil moisture, one of the main indicators of drought.

Until this study, much of the previous research included analysis of only one drought indicator and results from fewer climate models, Cook said, making this a more robust drought projection than any previously published.

This study also is the first to compare future drought projections directly to drought records from the last 1,000 years.

The scientists were interested in megadroughts that took place between 1100 and 1300 in North America. These medieval-period droughts, on a year-to-year basis, were no worse than droughts seen in the recent past. But they lasted, in some cases, 30 to 50 years.

When these past megadroughts are compared side-by-side with computer model projections of the 21st century, both the moderate and business-as-usual emissions scenarios are drier, and the risk of droughts lasting 30 years or longer increases significantly.

Connecting the past, present and future in this way shows that 21st century droughts in the region are likely to be even worse than those seen in medieval times, according to Anchukaitis.

"Those droughts had profound ramifications for societies living in North America at the time. These findings require us to think about how we would adapt if even more severe droughts lasting over a decade were to occur in our future," Anchukaitis said.

NASA monitors Earth's vital signs from land, air and space with a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based observation campaigns. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. 

The agency shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.

'India can lead global effort to tackle climate change'

[PHOTO: Nattu/Flickr/CC BY 2.0] 

New Delhi: Environmentalists and policy makers met at the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit to set the agendas for the 2015 climate change summit in Paris scheduled to be held in December.

India has the potential to emerge as a global leader towards clean energy and tackling climate change, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday.

Speaking at the inaugural session of 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), Fabius said "no doubt that India will play a leading role in this effort (dealing with climate change)" under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"India's need for growth could be reconciled with a sustainable model of development, " he further said.

As speaker Indian Minister of State (IC) of Environment, Forests & Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said that the year was historic for climate change negotiations with three main global events lined up in 2015.

As the chairperson of the COP21 - the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris later this year - Fabius shared his vision and expectations from Paris 2015 at the three-day summit organised by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) here.

He hoped that the Paris talks will have a smooth passage and a new agreement will be reached: "I hope the world will deliver at Paris."

Javadekar stressed that sustainable development goals or SDGs cannot be uniform for all countries. "Their will have to be different targets for different countries, as countries are at different stages of development." Each country's right to development should be respected keeping in view the larger vision of sustainable development.

According to Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI and Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said: "With global impetus on finalizing the Sustainable Development Goals and an agreement on climate change expected at the 21st Paris Conference of the Parties, there is need for a timely initiative in these areas. The summit will provide momentum to such global developments and hopes to chart a roadmap for the post-2015 development agenda.”

Over the past 14 years, the DSDS has been serving as an annual platform to discuss issues of sustainability and relevant policy interventions to ensure a sustainable future.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon will participate via video conference in the summit with the theme "Sustainable Development Goals and Dealing with Climate Change".

The 15th edition of the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, one of the foremost calendar events on climate change in the world, is underway in New Delhi. The two-day Summit supported by UNDP will focus on sustainable development amidst the complex challenges of climate change.

$100mn WB loan to help clean-up China's iconic Lijiang river

[PHOTO: David Boté Estrada/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0] 

Washington/Beijing: World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $100 million loan to the People’s Republic of China to support water management and anti-pollution efforts for the Lijiang River in Guilin, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.

Tourism accounted for close to 20 percent of economic output in 2012 for the city known for the iconic river and surrounding karst formations in southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In recent years, the Guilin Municipal Government has taken many steps to maintain the water quality and prevent pollution of the Lijiang River through such measures as relocating industries, building wastewater treatment plants and landfills, and rehabilitating tributaries.

“The new project will support these efforts, building on our past experience from the World Bank-supported Guangxi Urban Environment Project,” said Sing Cho, World Bank’s Urban Specialist and task team leader for this project.

Implemented between 1998 and 2007, the earlier project focused on improving the environmental conditions in Guilin’s core urban area by improving wastewater collection and treatment, as well as effluent regulations and solid waste management.

The new Guilin Integrated Environment Management Project, to be implemented from 2015 to 2020, will focus on improving the water supply system and the collection and treatment capacity of Guilin’s wastewater treatment plants. It will also enhance sludge management, and strengthening water quality monitoring and pollution management to benefit local communities, as well as tourists.

Clean energy keeps Sri Lanka's lights on

Chandrika Sreemathie Serasinghe says she has increased job security because electricity is more reliable at the store in Sri Lanka where she works
[PHOTO: Pushpa Kumara/ADB] 

Mahiyangana, Sri Lanka: Chandrika Sreemathie Serasinghe, who works at a grocery store in the town of Mahiyangana, in central Sri Lanka, knows what it is like to have unstable electricity. The 43-year-old woman said during the power outages that used to frequent her area the store would have to keep freezers closed in order to save the food from getting spoiled.

Generators would keep the lights and cash registers working but the heavy freezers, which store meat and other items, used so much power that they needed electricity from the main power grid to stay on. When the power went down, the freezers could not be opened and the items inside could not be sold. In some cases, whole freezers full of ice cream had to be thrown away because they melted.

As a result of the ADB-supported Clean Energy and Access Improvement Project, the lights now stay on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she said. This has increased her sense of job security.

"I support my family with my income from this store," she said. "When the power was unreliable, business was down and I was worried that I could lose my job."

"Sri Lanka has been a success story in terms of bringing electricity to its people. The country's electrification rate is 98 percent and the work of bringing electricity to rural communities is almost complete," said Ranishka Yasanga Wimalasena, a Senior Project Officer specializing in energy in ADB's South Asia Department.

ADB has played a major role in bringing electricity to communities across Sri Lanka. Projects in partnership with the government have installed 163 megawatts of energy generation capacity; installed or upgraded 7,830 kilometers of transmission lines and 380 kilometers of distribution lines.

Keeping the lights on

At the small SBTex fabric store, also in the town of Mahiyangana, 22-year-old Geethika Samanthi recalls when the power would go out three or four times per day. When the electricity went off, customers could not see the intricate woven fabrics sold by the store and they did not want to shop in the sweltering heat.

Geethika Samanthi says business in her Shop in Central Sri Lanka came to a halt when the power went out.
[PHOTO: Pushpa Kumara/ADB] 

To keep the lights on, the store, which is run by her relatives and is her principal source of income, had to use expensive and dirty diesel-powered generators. That would sometimes cost more than what the store was earning, she said.

In the last year, the power supply situation for the small store has improved due to the ADB-supported energy project. The lights have stayed on and fans steadily hum to keep customers cool and comfortable. The reliable electricity has increased business and the store, which supports three families, is earning more.

"I use my salary to pay my tuition," she said. "I'm studying to be a beautician. I don't want my parents to be burdened by having to pay for my education." 

2014 ranks as Earth's warmest year

This color-coded map displays global temperature anomaly data from 2014
[Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center] 

Washington/New York: The year 2014 ranks as Earth’s warmest since 1880, according to two separate analyses by NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists.

The 10 warmest years in the instrumental record, with the exception of 1998, have now occurred since 2000. This trend continues a long-term warming of the planet, according to an analysis of surface temperature measurements by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS) in New York.

In an independent analysis of the raw data, also released Friday, NOAA scientists also found 2014 to be the warmest on record.

“NASA is at the forefront of the scientific investigation of the dynamics of the Earth’s climate on a global scale,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The observed long-term warming trend and the ranking of 2014 as the warmest year on record reinforces the importance for NASA to study Earth as a complete system, and particularly to understand the role and impacts of human activity.”


Since 1880, Earth’s average surface temperature has warmed by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius), a trend that is largely driven by the increase in carbon dioxide and other human emissions into the planet’s atmosphere. The majority of that warming has occurred in the past three decades.

“This is the latest in a series of warm years, in a series of warm decades. While the ranking of individual years can be affected by chaotic weather patterns, the long-term trends are attributable to drivers of climate change that right now are dominated by human emissions of greenhouse gases,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt.

While 2014 temperatures continue the planet’s long-term warming trend, scientists still expect to see year-to-year fluctuations in average global temperature caused by phenomena such as El Niño or La Niña. These phenomena warm or cool the tropical Pacific and are thought to have played a role in the flattening of the long-term warming trend over the past 15 years. However, 2014’s record warmth occurred during an El Niño-neutral year.

“NOAA provides decision makers with timely and trusted science-based information about our changing world,” said Richard Spinrad, NOAA chief scientist. “As we monitor changes in our climate, demand for the environmental intelligence NOAA provides is only growing. It's critical that we continue to work with our partners, like NASA, to observe these changes and to provide the information communities need to build resiliency.”

Regional differences in temperature are more strongly affected by weather dynamics than the global mean. For example, in the U.S. in 2014, parts of the Midwest and East Coast were unusually cool, while Alaska and three western states – California, Arizona and Nevada – experienced their warmest year on record, according to NOAA.

The GISS analysis incorporates surface temperature measurements from 6,300 weather stations, ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, and temperature measurements from Antarctic research stations. This raw data is analyzed using an algorithm that takes into account the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the calculation. The result is an estimate of the global average temperature difference from a baseline period of 1951 to 1980.

NOAA scientists used much of the same raw temperature data, but a different baseline period. They also employ their own methods to estimate global temperatures.

Illegal fishing: Interpol issues notice against IUU vessels

INTERPOL Purple Notices have been slapped against three vessels fishing illegally in the Southern Ocean,
including the ‘Kunlun
[PHOTO: Special Arrangements]

Lyon/Wellington: At the request of New Zealand, INTERPOL Purple Notices have been issued to seek information on the individuals and networks behind three vessels fishing illegally in the Southern Ocean.

The Purple Notices, which are used to seek or provide information on modi operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals, have been circulated to all 190 INTERPOL member countries.

Between 6 and 13 January, a Royal New Zealand Naval Patrol spotted the vessels – the Yongding, the Kunlun and the Songhua – hauling gill nets laden with toothfish in an area regulated by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) where such fishing methods are prohibited.

The Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) vessels, which were sighted travelling together in December 2014, have all changed their names, national registration and other identifying characteristics on multiple occasions to try and avoid detection.

One of the vessels, the Songhua, has been on the CCAMLR non-contracting party IUU vessel list following an investigation in 2008 when it was named the Paloma V, which was previously associated with the Vidal Armadores syndicate. Since then, the Songhua has used at least eight names under six flags and is currently purported to be owned by Eastern Holdings Ltd, believed to be a shell company based out of Belize.

Both the Yongding, which has operated under at least 11 different names and nine flags since 2001, and the Kunlun, which has been spotted using at least 10 different names and five flags since 2006, are allegedly owned by Stanley Management Inc., thought to be a shell company based out of Panama.

“New Zealand is committed to doing its part to protect the Southern Ocean and we will continue to work with international partners to take every possible action to deter illegal fishing and prosecute those responsible,” said New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully, announcing the decision to request the INTERPOL Purple Notices.

The methods used by the owners of the Kunlun, Songhua and Yongding to try and avoid detection by law enforcement are among those highlighted as major modi operadi in the INTERPOL Study on Fisheries Crime in the West African Coastal region.

The report, which will be released shortly, underlines the abuse of registries and licensing regimes within the West African region and beyond, and the need for increased transparency and procedures to enable the swift verification of statehood for a vessel.

AirAsia QZ8501: Bad weather complicates recovery of bodies

Jakarta: Indonesian officials has confirmed that bodies and debris that were found in the Java Sea off Borneo are from AirAsia flight QZ8501 the flight that had lost contact with air traffic control on the morning of 28th December 2014.

Indonesian television footage showed a body floating in the sea during aerial searches for the plane. The debris of the aircraft was found in the Karimata Strait around 110 nautical miles south west from Pangkalan Bun.

Following release of video AirAsia released a press note expressing regret and condolence over the mishap.

AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said he was "devastated" by the news.

President Joko Widodo told media he had instructed all search teams to focus on finding the passengers and crew.

The first trace of the plane was discovered Tuesday, not far from where the Airbus A320 disappeared during a storm en route from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

Investigators hope to determine the cause of the crash once divers locate and recover the plane's cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

Indonesia's search and rescue agency says sonar images suggest the main body of the plane is lying upside down on the bottom of the sea, which is only 20 to 30 meters deep.

Local television Tuesday showed rescue helicopters pulling bodies from the Java Sea, in the same area where pieces of the plane were found.

Families of the 162 people on board AirAsia Flight 8501 burst into tears and hugged one another after seeing the images of the wreckage and floating bodies, which were not wearing life jackets.

Now, bad weather is hampering the search for the victims and wreckage of an AirAsia jet that went down in the Java Sea near the Indonesian island of Borneo.

Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said three more corpses were pulled from the sea Wednesday, bringing the total number of bodies recovered to six.

"Today, this morning, we found and retrieved three bodies - two male and a female wearing a stewardess uniform. As for the details, this is not our job. Up until now, we have recovered six bodies," said Soelistyo.

[FEATURE] Amarnath yatra and environment protection

By Obaidur Rehman* and Shabir A Dar*

Kashmir holds not only a distinction of being a picturesque tourist place, but also a melting pot of various religious centers and pilgrimage spots – which makes it a busy religious tourism destination all across the year. In fact, religions have inspired the construction of some of the most spectacular monuments in Valley and all forms of art and architecture find expression in them. It is because of the religious character that the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir have got a unique identification: While Kashmir Valley is known as a land of Sufis, Jammu city is called a land of temples and Ladakh is famous for the gumpas and monasteries. So in all three parts of the state, pilgrim tourism remains the most happening activity besides the normal tourist flows.

Attempts are afoot on part of the government to give proper boost to the religious tourism and make Jammu and Kashmir a hub for spiritual and religious travelers. Special infrastructure is being created to materialize the plan. The tourism ministry is also contemplating to create spiritual circuits in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions.

J&K Tourism has plans for promotion of religious tourism and three mega projects have been conceived for implementation and Detailed Project Report’s (DPR’s) stand submitted to the Government of India. The project worth Rs 150 crores is aimed to develop tourism circuits in three regions. While Rs 50 crore of the stipulated cost is to be utilized to promote Buddhist-related tourism in Ladakh, Rs 100 crore is to be used to boost Sufi tourism in Kashmir and to restore various pilgrimage centers in Jammu.

The famous religious tourism spots of Kashmir include Hazratbal, Kherbawani, and Amarnath Cave. But it is the Amarnath Cave that receives largest number of pilgrims. So we can say that in terms of numerical numbers, Amarnath is largest religious tourism destination. Amarnath Yatra is not only special for Hindus but for Muslims too. Hundreds of Muslims could be seen offering their services for the smooth conduct of the yatra. So the pilgrimage provides a secular tinge in an exclusively religious environment. It provides a chance of interaction and intermingling of intra and inter-religious communities and promotes feelings of communal harmony. 

Amarnath cave is a Hindu shrine dedicated to  Hindu God, Shiva and is located in South Kashmir Himalayas, at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft), about 141 km from Srinagar, and reached via Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The shrine is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism. The cave is surrounded by snowy mountains. The cave itself is covered with snow most of the year except in three summer months (from mid June to mid August) when it is open for pilgrims. Thousands of Hindu devotees make an annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave on challenging mountainous terrain to see an ice stalagmite formed inside the cave.

It is believed that after the middle Ages, this cave was forgotten by people before it was discovered by a shepherd, Butta Malik, in the 15th century once again. Story goes that a saint gave Buta Malik a bag full of coal. On reaching home, to his utter surprise he finds the bag was full of gold coins. Overwhelmed with joy, he wanted to thank the saint. But, he found that the saint had disappeared. Instead he found the Holy Cave and Shiv Lingam there in. He announced the discovery of this to the Villagers. Then onwards this has become the sacred place of Pilgrimage.

Another story relates to Bhrigu Muni. Long time ago, it is believed that the Vale of Kashmir was submerged under water and Kashyapa Muni drained it through a series of rivers and rivulets. Therefore when the waters drained, Bhrigu Muni was the first to have Darshan of Lord Amarnath. Thereafter, when people heard of the Lingam, it became an abode of Lord Bholenath for all believers and a pilgrimage which is performed by lakhs of people every year.

The government is very particular about the arrangements and facilities for the proper performance of worship by the Amarnath pilgrims. Security remains the major concern so special care is being taken to ensure an incident free pilgrimage. Large part of the state machinery is pressed in to service during the Yatra period to ensure that enough arrangements of civic and medical facilities are put in place, for the religious journey. 

The annual pilgrimage is managed by Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) through Jammu and Kashmir Amarnathji Shrine Act 2000. The board is headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor, who is ex-officio chairman of the board. On the directives of SASB and state government, each pilgrim is supposed to carry a valid health certificate issued by a recognized doctor and have to go for prior registration before embarking on Yatra. However, the government finds itself strained in managing and facilitating the huge number of the pilgrims. Good faith ensures spiritual power of the believers and instills a sense of responsibility for the community and environment in them. Here pilgrims hold responsibility of protecting environment and follow directives from administration in this regard. Rules and regulations should be strictly adhered to, because nature’s rule is such that it takes two to make a tango. If we preserve the environment, the environment too will save us and our faith.

Environment issue is not restricted to Kashmir only. It has assumed an international challenge and the alarming situation demands a need for a global awakening. But given the fragile nature of Kashmir’s environment, particularly the areas surrounding the Amarnath Cave and the routes that lead to it, authorities are duty bound to ensure that mass flow of pilgrims to an ecologically fragile area doesn’t cause harm to it. But the ground situation presents a different picture. Such remains the scale of the yatra, that at its peak, the two base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam, huge camps with thousands of tents pitched across miles of once green meadows. The enormous numbers directly reflect on the facilities provided to the yatries. There's a lack of toilets and a lot of pilgrims end up relieving themselves into the open by the rivers passing by the base camps. Furthermore a lack of a proper waste disposal system in both the camps and along the routes to the cave means that the whole area is littered with plastic bottles, wrappers and other non-biodegradable pollutants, even much longer after the yatra is over.

The main victims of colossal waste produced by increasing number of pilgrims are the fragile ecologies of Baltal and Pahalgam. These two ecologically sensitive places take much of the pollution onslaught year after year, without repair or rescue. The famous Lidder River too is a victim of the yatra pollution. This onslaught was documented in a 37-page report released by the Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board (JKSPCB) in 2006. The report expressed concern over not regulating the yatra in a manner that protects the environment. It specifically pointed out that the situation in Pahalgam, the main base camp of the yatra, was alarming and called for immediate measures to protect the sensitive ecology of the Pahalgam valley.

However, the fact remain that the pollution onslaught is bound to cause an irreparable loss to the Holy cave and its surrounding ecology. There is a strong need to conduct a proper scientific survey to assess the annual carrying capacity by the Pahalgam and Baltal routes that would serve as reliable and scientific indicators towards arriving at a safe annual pilgrim number. So in order to prevent irreparable harm to the fragile ecology around the Holy cave, there is need to take urgent measures in terms of policy making and willingness to prevent the damage in time. (PIB Features.)

*Obaidur Rehman is Addl. Director General, PIB Srinagar and *Shabir A Dar is Information Assistant, PIB Srinagar. Views expressed by them in this article are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of http://news.BDTV.in.

Record amount of smuggled snake venom seized

The venom – a total of 5 kg – was worth some EUR 2.8 million on the black market.
[PHOTO: Interpol/Handout]

Chișinău/Lyon: In a sting against organized crime, Moldova police have seized a record amount of snake venom destined for sale on the black market and arrested members of the criminal network which smuggled the substance into the country.

Following a month-long investigation into the network’s activities, police with the Moldova General Police Inspectorate, Information and Security Service and General Prosecutor’s Office conducted a joint operation where they seized 9,000 vials of snake venom –  a total of 5 kg of the substance – and arrested six Moldovan nationals.

According to police, the venom was smuggled into Moldova from Afghanistan, and the criminal group was attempting to sell it for some EUR 2.8 million.

“Cooperation among the many law enforcement agencies in Moldova was a key factor leading to the success of this operation,” said Fredolin Licari, Head of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Moldova.

“The safety of our citizens is a priority for all law enforcement in Moldova. Therefore, we will continue to work closely with each other and with our counterparts around the world via INTERPOL to turn back crime and send a strong message to criminals that Moldova will not tolerate any illegal activities,” he concluded.

The venom from vipers and other poisonous snakes is used for medicinal purposes. On the legitimate international market, snake venom is typically sold for EUR 800-2,000 per gram, making it a lucrative substance for criminal groups to smuggle and sell illegally.

“Organized criminal networks seek to exploit many types of illicit or smuggled goods in order to fund themselves, though this is the first case INTERPOL is aware of involving such an unusual and exotic item as snake venom. This exceptional case brings a new dimension to these criminal endeavours,” said Michael Ellis, Head of INTERPOL’s Trafficking in Illicit Goods and Counterfeiting unit.

“The Moldova police and law enforcement authorities should be commended for their success in identifying this smuggling group and preventing them from making any profits from the illicitly obtained venom, which they could have then used to poison society through other serious criminal activities,” added Ellis.

Launched in 2012, INTERPOL’s Trafficking in Illicit Goods and Counterfeiting initiative seeks to identify, disrupt and dismantle the transnational organized networks behind this crime, and also identify the routes used in transporting illicit goods, which are often also used for human trafficking and drug smuggling.

UN chief eyes new climate deal

[PHOTO: UNEP]

Nairobi: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, concluding his visit to Kenya in the wake of the first United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), looked forward to the swift agreement on the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals and a new climate deal.

The inaugural UNEA concluded its five-day deliberations at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi on Friday. The meeting agreed 16 decisions and resolutions that encourage international action on major environmental issues ranging from air pollution and the illegal trade in wildlife, to plastic debris in the oceans, chemicals and waste.

The international community participated in the Assembly in record numbers, with high-level delegations from 160 UN Member and Observer States and stakeholders from multiple sectors present.

The Secretary-General, who at the close of UNEA on Friday said we are "poised for the crucial next stage of human development", on Saturday adopted a six-month-old lioness at the Kenya Wildlife Service's animal orphanage.

He named the lioness "Tumaini", the Kiswahili word for "hope", to symbolize his hope for a sustainable future in which "people live harmoniously with nature".

"It is my hope that the post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda will be shaped as soon as possible, and also my sincere hope that a new climate change agreement will be adopted by the end of next year," he said following the adoption of the lion.

The Secretary-General this September is hosting a Climate Summit in New York, aimed at catalyzing action by governments, business, finance, industry, and civil society in areas for new commitments and contributions that will help the world shift toward a low-carbon economy.

The summit is aimed at building a solid foundation upon which to anchor negotiations for a new climate deal, to be agreed in Paris at the end of 2015.

At a lunch organized by UNEP in Nairobi's National Park, the Secretary-General met local business leaders - such as the heads of telecommunications company Safaricom and the Lake Turkana Windpower Project -to discuss how to boost the renewable energy market share, and combat climate change, as part of his Sustainable Energy for All Initiative.

[Photo Feature] How horticulture brings prosperity to farmers

India's National Horticulture Mission (NHM) led by country's agricultural ministry supports a wide range of horticultural activities. This photo-feature showcases three farmers who have become successful farmer-entrepreneurs and role-models in their neighbourhoods by adopting new technologies with NHM assistance.

Ms. Harshida Desai of Uchgaon, Belgaum District, Karnataka, is cultivating garbera in green houses and selling the flowers directly in Bangalore market.

Garbera green house in bloom

Harshita with fresh garbera flowers

Shri Vishwas Chavan of Kohlapur district, Maharashtra, not only grows bananas, he exports bananas too.

Vishwas in his banana orchard

Quality banana ready for export

Shri Dharamveer of Yamunanagar, Haryana, has taken up cultivation and processing of Aloe Vera with NHM assistance.

Dharamveer with aloe sap extraction machine

Some aloe products made by Dharamveer

Prepaid model expands solar energy access in rural India

[PHOTO: Mark Florence/brawnhumus.com/training/CC BY-SA 2.0]

Manila/New Delhi: More than 60,000 households in rural India will have better access to electricity by 2015 as Simpa Networks, a company supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), scales up the sales of its off-grid, pay-as-you-go solar energy solutions.

ADB has signed a $2 million equity investment in Simpa Networks, a company that offers a simple, prepaid payment platform to enable affordable clean energy solutions for underserved consumers in India.

“The success of this entrepreneurial venture could lead to increased venture capital funding for inclusive business models which deliver goods and services to those at the base of the economic pyramid,” said Aniruddha Patil, Investment Specialist with ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department.

Greater access to electricity in rural India will enable children to study beyond sunset, replace smoky fuels such as kerosene with clean solar energy, improve respiratory health of household members, and improve overall productivity of rural households.

“Our mission is to make clean energy simple, affordable, and investible. Our relationship with ADB will help us advance that mission, demonstrate the commercial viability of investing in small scale distributed solar, and mobilize more funds into the sector. The end goal, of course, is to expand access to clean, reliable electricity,” said Paul Needham, President of Simpa Networks.

Simpa’s customers make a small initial downpayment for a high quality solar home system and then pre-pay for their energy service, topping up their systems in small user-defined increments using a mobile phone. Each payment also adds towards their final purchase price. Once fully paid, the system unlocks permanently and continues to produce electricity. The technology is also offered to solar micro-grid developers as an extremely flexible prepaid metering, customer, and revenue management solution.

Simpa Networks was established in 2010 by Paul Needham, Jacob Winiecki, and Michael Macharg—three accomplished and highly regarded entrepreneurs with a proven track record in energy access, micro-payments, and information technology. Simpa’s operations in India are based out of Bengaluru in Karnataka.

Established in 2008, the Energy for All Initiative strengthens ADB’s support for innovative projects that provide energy access, and seeks to identify the best business energy access models and works with entrepreneurs to learn from, replicate and scale up these successes.