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 Source : www.livemint.com Date : 2018-11-19

OPINION
Relevant for: Environment & Disaster Management | Topic: Environmental Conservation, Sustainable
Development & EIA

Earlier this year, when French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing, he looked at the
clear blue skies above and exclaimed: “I’ve never seen Beijing like this!” Macron was not off the
mark. Ten years ago, the city’s air was so polluted that the sun appeared to be a fading dot in
the sky.

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Looking back, when I first landed at Beijing airport in 2008, dawn had broken but the intensity of
sunlight was feeble at best. The frail sunlight in Beijing touched a chord with people from Delhi,
used to the capital’s tepid sunlight in the winter. A few days ago, I read in The New York Times
that cancer caused by industrial pollution is claiming lives in large numbers in this Asian

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superpower. Millions of people meet an untimely death owing to air pollution and only 1% of
residents in the world’s most populous country are able to live in an environment free of
pollution.

Five years after my visit, in 2013, China evolved a national working strategy to fight pollution.
Under this, they placed a number of restrictions on the use of coal. Thermal power stations were
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shut down and people were not allowed to burn coal even for household consumption. Also,
apart from creating norms for vehicular emissions, a number of precautionary measures that
could keep air pollution in check were put in place. For the record, 137,000 people in China lost
their lives because of PM 2.5 vehicular emissions just this year.
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While it is true that Beijing’s air quality has improved, the government is far from achieving its
targets. The Chinese government has acknowledged that pollution has not reduced to the extent
that it was targeting in as many as 231 out of 338 Chinese cities. To overcome this, another
three-year working strategy has been prepared.
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The question is: If China can launch a fierce war on pollution, why can’t India? Until when will we
keep lamenting that the form of governance in China is very different from India, that their
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government can do what it wants, while we are a democracy? To get approval for its projects,
our government requires no-objection-certificates from its own departments. This leads to
development plans getting entangled in red tape and facing legal bottlenecks.

Can these hollow arguments by India’s politicians compensate for the loss of lives and money
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caused by pollution? A recent report by The Lancet Commission on pollution and health reveals
that the scourge of pollution claimed the lives of 2.51 million Indians in 2015 alone. It is
frightening to discover that 28% of pollution deaths worldwide are of Indian citizens and 75% of
these victims stay in rural India. India may not be topping the charts in any other sphere, but we
are miles ahead of others on this dubious front.

How bereft of sensitivity our politicians are on this issue is evident in the verbal skirmishes that
the chief ministers of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana engaged in. Pay attention! Three different
parties are in power in the three states, but they appear to be united when it comes to brushing
this subject under the carpet.

The numbers made public by the Central Pollution Control Board last week affirm as much. After
examining the air quality of 65 cities, they discovered that the quality of 60 of these was poor.

Delhi and the areas adjoining it are in the grip of a serious pollution crisis. These numbers are
scary, but let me help you get acquainted with another scary statistic. Isn’t it a matter of shame
that just 65 cities in such a large country as ours have government facilities to measure
pollution?

If the pollution levels of every city in the county were to be evaluated, the statistic will be enough
to make every citizen anxious.

It isn’t surprising that even migratory birds from distant countries such as Siberia have begun to
give India a skip? The number of migratory birds at Delhi’s Yamuna Biodiversity Park has been
reducing over the last three years. If the pollution continues, even birds will turn their back on us.
Needless to say, it is birds that initiate the process of migration and the process often ends with

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human beings.

This could be the reason why a recent study discovered that 35% of its residents want to
migrate from Delhi. Clearly, the capital has lost some of its sheen.

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Nature is sending out a clear signal: Mend your ways or you’ll perish.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. His Twitter handle is @shekarkahin

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 Source : www.livemint.com Date : 2018-11-19

OPINION
Relevant for: Science & Technology | Topic: IT, Internet and Communications

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technological revolution that transcends individual technology
siloes and in the process, brings about the transformation of any industry it touches. According
to Realizing 2030: A Divided Vision of the Future research, around four in ten leaders in Asia-
Pacific region. are already investing in IoT.

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We know that some organizations are already on the road to realizing the promise of IoT
solutions, but for many, technological and strategic roadblocks are at play. The Asia-Pacific
region is set to become the front line for IoT, with spending on the rise and the number of
connected devices reaching unprecedented levels, it’s important that businesses understand
what these roadblocks are and how to take the best step forward on harnessing IoT.

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New compliance challenges

In the quest to digitalize, the healthcare industry has major scope for using IoT solutions, with
benefits on offer such as better patient outcomes leading to shorter hospital stays, and lower
mortality rates.
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Yet the regulatory landscape is strict—our electronic patient records are sensitive documents
that must be handled with security at the top of mind.
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Finance, another highly regulated industry, also has the opportunity to benefit from adopting IoT
solutions—for example with the use of telematics in insurance. Deloitte predicts that 50% of all
sensors would be useful for financial services by 2020.

The increase in the volume and location of data creation means that for these and other highly
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regulated industries, compliance requirements must remain a priority.

From an infrastructure perspective, solutions located at the source of data creation that focus on
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data protection measures whilst allowing data to be moved quickly and simply, help ensure the
benefits of IoT projects without creating compliance challenges.

Organizational structures
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IoT projects have pan-organizational impact, with the power to transform business strategies
and how we work, involving multiple departments in its conception, planning and
implementation.

Standing in the way are obstacles such as organizational silos that impede the successful
deployment of Internet of Things projects. A lack of ownership is also common: In the Realizing
2030 research, six in 10 Asia-Pacific region leaders cited a lack of digital vision and strategy as
the number-one barrier to shaping successful digital businesses.

The challenge of ownership can be solved through the creation of cross-functional teams that
have representation from IT (information technology), operations, customer and partner
advocates and importantly the executive leadership team. Those teams should work together to
complete initial projects, assess the lessons learned, and scale up or repeat as required.

To support this, flexible and scalable infrastructure that links the edge to the data centre core
and cloud while offering flexibility is needed.

Expectations around business benefit

Setting expectations is important. Defining the potential benefits of IoT is a challenge, and like
any IT project, it has to go through multiple assessments before it is deemed to be worthwhile.

Helpfully, some industry sectors have sped ahead, creating examples of best practice that can
be used to benefit future projects. Those examples help other organizations to find solid ways to
demonstrate the business benefit, and to assess all aspects of infrastructure costs. Looking
outside the organization to the wider ecosystem and seeking best practice is a key way to

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establish the expected outcomes and set those expectations internally.

A focus on demonstrating short-term return on investment is a key strategy for teams to make
sure those business benefits are easily demonstrated, shared, and understood by the business.

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Asset tracking and utilization are of particular interest because it enables a shorter payback
window.

The ecosystem is complex

Today, there is no one-size-fits-all IoT solution, and the Internet of Things landscape is vast.
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Solutions can come from many different sources and are far too complex for most organizations
to navigate, compounded by a lack of standards.

To create solutions, organizations need to work with multiple technologies and solution
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providers, which is ultimately time consuming and a resource drain.

This can be daunting, but the IoT ecosystem can also be used to its advantage. Through
engaging with partners and advisers on best practice, organizations can simplify the process of
finding solutions.
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By pulling together wider expertise from outside of the organization, the ecosystem can be
leveraged to create bespoke solutions using creative technology mash-ups that ultimately
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provide competitive advantage. All of this must be built on infrastructure designed for an Internet
of Things connected world.

Readying infrastructure
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The value of IoT to the business is extracted not only in connecting things, but also in how data
is used and acted upon. To extract value, organizations need to transform infrastructure with an
architecture that is simultaneously centralized and decentralized.

Data centre strategies have to link the data centre with the edge and cloud, supporting a fast
deployment of IoT projects, and helping reduce complexity. As IoT projects evolve, are
replicated, and expanded upon, this flexible base will allow further growth without inhibiting
organizational dexterity.

Addressing these five challenges is an important first step for Asia-Pacific region organizations
looking to implement IoT solutions. To turn these roadblocks into opportunities, look to the
industry and beyond for examples of best practice and business benefits, form cross-functional
teams, and ready infrastructure for IoT projects.

Through collaboration and awareness of these challenges, organizations can start to reap the
vast benefits of Internet of Things .

Rajesh Janey is managing director and president, India Enterprise, Dell EMC

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 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2018-11-19

NEW SPACE INDUSTRY EMERGES: SERVICING

SATELLITES ON ORBIT
Relevant for: Science & Technology | Topic: Space Technology & related matters

Of the 23,000 space objects counted by the U.S. military, just 1,900 are active satellites.

Imagine an airport where thousands of planes, empty of fuel, are left abandoned on the tarmac.
That is what has been happening for decades with satellites that circle the Earth.

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When satellites run out of fuel, they can no longer maintain their precise orbit, rendering them
useless even if their hardware is still intact.

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In recent years, new aerospace companies have been founded to try and extend the lifespan of
satellites, on the hunch that many clients would find this more profitable than relaunching new
ones.

“It’s literally throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars,” Al Tadros, vice president of space
infrastructure and civil Space at a company called SSL, said.
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In 2021, his company will launch a vehicle that is capable of servicing two to three dozen
satellites in a distant geostationary orbit, some 36,000 km from the earth.

This unmanned spacecraft will be able to latch onto a satellite to inspect it, refuel it, and possibly
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even repair it or change components, and put it back in the correct orbit.

Mr. Tadros describes it as “equivalent to a AAA servicing truck in geostationary orbit.”

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“It’s financially a very, very big opportunity,” said Mr. Tadros.

Intelsat, which operates 50 geostationary satellites, chose a different option and signed a
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contract with Space Logistics for its Mission Extension Vehicle.

When it launches in 2019, the spacecraft will attach itself to a broken down satellite, and
reposition it in its correct orbit. The MEV will stay attached and use its own engine to stay in
orbit.
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On-orbit servicing could also help cut down on the perplexing problem of mounting space debris.

Of the 23,000 space objects counted by the U.S. military, just 1,900 are active satellites.

The rest includes nearly 3,000 inactive satellites, 2,000 pieces of rockets and thousands of
fragments produced by two key events: the deliberate missile explosion of a Chinese satellite in
2007, and the 2009 collision of an Iridium satellite with an ageing Russian one.

No short term solution has been identified for small-scale space junk, but some companies
would like to be able to remove defunct satellites from orbit.

Since 2008, France has required satellite operators to take steps to “deorbit” their spacecrafts by
programming them to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere in 25 years so that they burn up,
according to the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES).
When it comes to satellites in geostationary orbits, their end-of-life option is to go farther from
the earth to a “graveyard orbit” 200 miles (300 kilometers) further away.

“We are trying to promote these principles” in other countries, Francillout told AFP.

A small Japanese company founded in 2013, Astroscale, is developing a system to approach

and capture space debris and broken satellites.

Though it doesn’t have a clientele yet, director of operations Chris Blackerby anticipates the
business would be “very viable.”

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A test launch is planned for 2020.

Airbus’s future “Space Tug,” planned for 2023, is being built to grab old satellites and push them
down to 125 miles (200 kilometers) above Earth so they burn up.

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The problem of space junk is only getting worse.

The number of satellites in space has already risen 50 percent in five years, according to the
Satellite Industry Association, and growth continues.
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Meanwhile, debate is roiling in the United States over the need for better international regulation
of space traffic, aimed at avoiding accidents and managing future conflicts.

“We don’t want the Wild West,” said Fred Kennedy, director of the Tactical Technology Office at
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DARPA, the technological research arm of the Pentagon, noting that the United States, with its
fleet of military satellites, is keen to establish sound practices beyond the boundaries of Earth.

Fun facts or complex puzzles, science contains mysteries ranging from the minute to the
magnificent. Taste science! Take this quiz!
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On the eve of World Diabetes Day, WHO said that will continue to support all member states to
empower families to tackle diabetes head-on and ensure
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 Source : www.livemint.com Date : 2018-11-19

OPINION
Relevant for: Environment & Disaster Management | Topic: Environmental Degradation - GHGs, Ozone
Depletion & Climate Change

When we hear of climate change, it often triggers images of melting icebergs and long periods of
drought. What we often miss is the slow and gradual trend of rising temperatures that directly
impacts people’s lives, livelihoods and productivity. Heat is an invisible climate risk that catches
communities unaware. In most cases, vulnerable people have limited or no knowledge of how
they can protect themselves from heat stress or treat themselves when exposed to extreme

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heat. Recent research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that heat
waves in South Asia could push heat and humidity levels beyond survivability thresholds of
35°C.

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The latest Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) special report presents the
difference between two scenarios of global warming at 1.5°C and at 2°C above pre-industrial
levels. Under the 1.5°C scenario, 14% of the global population will be exposed to severe heat at
least once in five years. This increases 2.6 times under a 2°C scenario, exposing 37% of the
world’s population to severe heat. Recent research shows that over the last decade, heat waves
have impacted the mortality of more urban than rural residents. Studies show that urban heat
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islands may result in a projected 8°C increase in temperature in cities by the end of the century.

In response to these trends, the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC)
recently released a draft of the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) for public comment and
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suggestions. The ICAP is an opportunity for cities, state governments and policy makers to
address ‘cooling’ as a national adaptation need: to develop an institutionally coherent approach,
addressing technology, regulating future urban growth, protecting natural ecosystems,
retrofitting existing built forms and planning for vulnerable people. However, the ICAP in its
current form fails to move beyond the first—that is, addressing future cooling demand through
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technology innovations. It must consider three critical interventions to integrate heat action and
cooling strategies towards a sustainable, equitable and climate resilient future.
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First, the ICAP fails to integrate future climate trends in its projection of heat risk under different
geographic conditions. Cooling requirements in dry and arid regions as opposed to humid
coastal regions will vary drastically; so will the technology and planning. Integrating climate
projections in city and regional plans can emphasize the need for climate sensitive urban
environments and potentially reduce ambient temperatures. In addition to land use plans, cities
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can use remote sensing data to produce vulnerability maps that corelate urban heat islands with
depleted tree covers, under different temperature scenarios. This can help cities identify highly
exposed areas and target interventions such as increasing tree cover and mandating building
regulations towards climate sensitive urban development. Heat vulnerability maps under
different climate scenarios can be used to inform decision makers of the costs of inaction by
corelating data on health impacts, economic productivity loss and risks of emigration.

Second, increase awareness on heat stress to influence long-term adaptation action. Heat is an
invisible and slow-moving climate hazard that is yet to be recognized as a ‘natural calamity’ by
the National Disaster Management Act, 2005. Currently, most disaster preparedness action
focuses on flood risk and other natural disasters (sudden shocks). Even citizens perceive heat
as an inconvenience or health risk at best. They retrofit their homes, buildings and
neighbourhoods in response to flood risk, but rarely come together to plant trees and plan for
long-term heat resilience. In response to increasing threats, the ICAP misses a crucial
opportunity to 1) mandate retrofitting guidelines for existing buildings, infrastructure and services
to potentially reduce urban heat island effects; 2) create awareness and encourage informed
participation to plan for collective heat resilience rather than focusing on a greater reliance on
personal cooling solutions; and 3) ensure early warning alerts include heat warnings and
personal resilience strategies that are responsive to dry and humid heat conditions, factoring
temperature and humidity as two simultaneous risk factors.

Third, focus on the needs of vulnerable people living and working in highly exposed places. A
recent study conducted in poor and vulnerable communities in Surat showed that residents living
in poor communities lack the information, awareness, and understanding of the severity of heat
risk on their bodies and their lives. For example, respondents said they lose an average of 7-8
workdays during extreme summers due to illnesses and exhaustion. Some daily-wage workers

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reported job loss and the inability to find new jobs once they had recovered. Unfortunately,
people still perceive heat as an inconvenience and respond to it by adopting personal comfort
habits rather than organize or demand for long-term solutions.

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The ICAP is an opportunity for cities to leverage existing adaptation potential in poor
communities and channel this towards long-term cooling action. It would do this by way of
planting more trees in the neighbourhood, identifying common institutions to be designed as
‘cooling shelters’ and mandating improved labour and housing conditions through labour unions,
companies and pro-poor housing authorities.
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Addressing heat risk through long-term heat resilience strategies will result in more sustainable
and long-term cooling actions for all.

Lubaina Rangwala is manager—urban climate resilience, WRI India

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 Source : www.thehindu.com Date : 2018-11-19

PROJECT MAPS BUTTERFLY MIGRATION IN SOUTH

INDIA
Relevant for: Environment & Disaster Management | Topic: Environmental Degradation - Wildlife related issues

Dark Blue Tiger. Photo: G. Moorthy | Photo Credit: G_Moorthy

The Ferns Naturalists’ Society (FNS), Wayanad, Travancore Natural History Society (TNHS),
and the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) have joined hands to launch a citizen science

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project to map the migratory path of butterflies in south India — the first such initiative in the
country.

Usually butterfly migration starts during October-November with the onset of the northeast

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monsoon, from the plains to the ghats, and during April-May, just before the advent of the
southwest monsoon, from the ghats to the plains.

A recent study revealed that four species of milkweed butterflies are mainly involved in the
migration — the Dakhan Dark Blue Tiger, Oriental Blue Tiger, Double-branded Black Crow and
Indian Common Crow. The migration takes place across the plains of south India to the southern
part of the Western Ghats.
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Migrant butterflies initially remain in reproductive diapause for a few weeks after reaching the
Western Ghats. They breed in the mountain ranges and their progeny migrate to the eastern
plains and Eastern Ghats area. The butterflies leave the Western Ghats just before the onset of
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the southwest monsoon and return after the monsoon. Thus, they avoid the cold weather and
heavy rain in the southern Western Ghats. These butterflies breed during the southwest
monsoon season on the eastern areas of south India and their progeny migrate back to the
Western Ghats in October-November.
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“Information on butterfly migration in India is still patchy,” Jaffer Palot of the MNHS said.
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“What is needed is a careful documentation of migration over a prolonged period from a given
area. For this, a wide network and coordination among butterfly watchers from different localities
are needed,” Dr. Palot said.

“Butterfly migration is one of the least studied natural phenomenon in the country. We
constituted two butterfly migration monitoring groups on WhatsApp last year to study the
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phenomena,” said Kalesh Sadasivan, research associate, TNHS. “Now we have 276 volunteers
in the group from all over southern India who log in reports,” he said.

Each record is followed up at the next place and thus the whole migration track is delineated, he
added

Dr. Sadasivan says the group, Butterflies of Kerala and Butterfly Migration ,would be in a
position to give exact information in this regard from next year.

“We need more people to volunteer and report this, he added. If the Forest Department’s in
Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu would come forward to support the citizen science project,
the MoEF can make it as a nationwide programme,” P.A. Vinayan of the Ferns said. Those
interested in joining the group may contact 94470 44498, he said.
A large number are living outside reserves, making the species vulnerable

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