The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mohammad Shahidul Islam

Birds --guests or hosts-- are beauties of nature and essential for keeping balance in ecology. Their flight, bathing, wandering around are the key attraction to bird watchers. They feast their eyes on birds' activities. During the winter ponds, rivers, lakes, swamps are strolled with the flocks of migratory birds. The idyllic beauty fuels the feelings of sightseeing into the hearts of juveniles.

The significance of eco-tourism for both balanced ecology and sustainable development through poverty reduction is no more new in Bangladesh. But people remember its importance until occasional functions of tourism take place across Bangladesh and the fashion runs to keep it as a gray matter. At the outset of winter our care and love becomes acute for birds, tourism and environment. Nonetheless the enthusiasm is full of life to turn the nature and environment friendly. Positively, in this connection we have to keep remembering: Bangladesh should go very much a land of tourism besides remains a land of birds and rivers.

Geographically Bangladesh is only country that witnesses the pride of possessing both guest and rich local birds that play a significant part in balancing ecology. Bangladesh has almost every kind of ecological conditions, except desert and high mountains. Birds are flying-guards of nature. Birds' migration superbly demonstrates the complexity and the wonder of the web of life. Making it very responsive to the impacts of human activity, the evolution of individual migratory maneuvers of different bird genera over the past thousands of years corresponds to a delicate balance of nature. One such human influence, global warming, caused basically by the burning of oil and coal since the Industrial Upheaval, is hovering to cause disastrous adjustment to this delicate balance.

Bangladesh welcomes a big number of guest birds from Central Asian States, Europe and India every year. The birds from North pay out winters in different swamplands of Bangladesh, which are distributed almost throughout the country: Tanguar Haor, Jahangir Nagar University, Botanical Garden, Comilla Darma Shagar are well known. After winters they go back to their native territories.

Gifted with a remarkable geology, Bangladesh spans several of the world's ecological regions and is spread over wide latitude. February is the high time of their arrival and by March they start flying back home. These periods may vary depending upon weather affairs in Siberia and or in Bangladesh. The bird watching has become an all the time more popular quest in Bangladesh; huge people have started making appointment and are seen on rendezvous with birds.

Other locations that have started to attract global and foreign bird watchers, in the shape of tourists to Bangladesh, are narrow belts in North-South Areas when trees sprout, floral buds open, honey sucking nectars and other tiny insects swarm the air there and a range of avifauna concentrates in foothills on the start of summers. This is to certify here, Sundarban is also bird rich area and fantastic for eco-tourism.

In different Bangladesh habitats the guest birds live ethically with the message of beauty and humanity what are very much present in pictorial verses of Romantic Poets. As a host it is our duties to provide them contented and nonviolent environment, which can be done professionally by listed government- natural resource pool. All swamplands are dynamic agents for recharging water tables and aquifers besides being home to birds. Human activities around the birds' dwellings, wars, deforestation, hunting, water pollution, introduction of exotic fish species and up warding the swamplands for fisheries' production on profit-making amount are some of the common mêlée that cause frustration to birds anywhere. Immediately they need to be stopped.

This is good to know that ministry of environment and forest, a few NGOs and some birds lovers are actively working in the field. A careful role of counting the birds, though a tiring job can be recommended. The database must produce important results. The experts have already opined that the migratory birds have ecological benefits as they prey on insects and weeds thus contributing towards the betterment of agriculture. Similarly, the waste materials of birds' bowels contain organic matters that contribute towards the fertility of the soil. An account of birds is important to observe their existence whether their stay is fine in Bangladesh or do they face any threat? The concerned authorities should count the birds when they are on their way back home: how many came in and how many are flying back.

(Mohammad Shahidul Islam is a freelance travel writer. )

Am Johal

Over the past year, honey bees have been dying across North America in unprecedented numbers and, until this month, no one seemed to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt what the cause may have been.

What has been dubbed "colony collapse disorder" can work through a honey bee colony in a matter of weeks. Bees fly off to collect pollen, but never return -- or simply weaken and die in the hives. Beyond the larger effects on the food chain, the economic implications of these deaths are immediate because honey bees are integral to the pollination of tens of millions of dollars of cash crops in North America.

Scientists from Penn State University say they have found a connection between Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) and colony collapse disorder. In a conference call last week, researchers argued that the virus, in conjunction with other stress factors, is likely the cause of the disorder, which has resulted in a loss of 50-90 percent of North American bee colonies. It was originally discovered in Israel in 2004, the same year that Australian bees were imported in to the United States.

Colony collapse disorder has also been observed in Poland, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, and unverified reports have surfaced in Switzerland and Germany. Cases have also been reported in India and Brazil.

David Hackenburg, a beekeeper near Tampa Bay, Florida, lost nearly 2,000 of his 3,000 hives in a matter of weeks last winter. He has since been raising the issue with university researchers, bureaucrats at state agencies and elected politicians. He has told a number of media outlets that new synthetic nicotine-based pesticides known as neonicotinoids, or neonics, are the major contributing factor. Researchers told IPS that further studies will include these pesticides as possible contributing factors. Some large environmental groups, like the Sierra Club, also believe that genetically modified food production could be a contributing factor. A comprehensive British study found that genetically modified crops in conjunction with powerful chemicals were harmful to bees, butterflies and birds.

Researchers from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and other U.S. states have been conducting geographic database tests to understand the magnitude of the problem and whether linkages exist with colony collapse disorder.

But other scientists argue that there is scant evidence that the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin produced by genetically modified crops is a factor in the mass deaths of bees.

According to Science Daily, a team of scientists from Edgewood Chemical Biological Centre and the University of California at San Francisco have identified a virus and a parasite that are likely culprits in the recent deaths.

Penn State University's Colony Collapse Working Group had drawn no clear conclusions as to what the causative factors may be until this week. In July 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a "Colony Collapse Disorder Action Plan" which states, "The current strategy for addressing the CCD crisis involves four main components: 1) survey and data collection; 2) analysis of samples; 3) hypothesis-driven research; and, 4) mitigation and preventative action."

Dr. Mariano Higes, a scientist based in Guadalajara, Spain, has concluded that European honey bees suffering from colony collapse disorder fell victim to Nosema ceranae, a micro-sporidian fungus. The research team led by Higes has been investigating the issue since 2000 and ruled out any other causes. U.S. scientists have stated that although it may be a factor, it is not the only cause of the disorder.

Eric Mussen, a University of California Davis apiculture expert, believes that small variations in weather caused by climate change could affect the water, nectar and pollen the bees rely on. Mussen also argues that bees have many viruses, but it is their weakened immune systems that are making them susceptible to death. The first cases came to public view in late 2006. Since then, speculation has ranged about the causes from a diverse set of theories which range from new pesticides, genetically modified crops, agricultural products, climate change, viruses cell phones.

In the 1940s, there were an estimated 5 million managed bee colonies in North America. Now there are just over 2 million. Adverse weather conditions and hurricanes have also contributed to the heavy losses of bee colonies in recent years.

For example, the almond season begins in February for the bees, a cold season in North America which can affect their endurance. The economy of the almond season is particularly lucrative for those raising bee colonies. Migratory beekeeping is also widespread in the United States. Beekeepers earn more money renting bees out for pollination than they do from honey production. Bee keepers often truck their colonies to Florida, Texas, California and other states. Migratory beekeeping has been in practice in the United States since 1908. Climate change could also be a factor in weakening the bees and has affected the pollination of crops in many agricultural areas in North America. The value of crops for which honey bees are the prime pollinator is estimated to be in the 15-billion-dollar range in the United States. California's almond industry alone, which relies on pollination from honey bees, is worth 1.5 billion dollars.

Honey bees are not native to North America. Though indigenous plants can survive without them, the pollination from honey bees is instrumental for growing fruit and vegetables like apples, cherries, tomatoes, zucchinis, cantaloupes and many other crops. Dr. Leonard Foster, a University of British Columbia Assistant Professor of Biochemistry told IPS, "There is certainly something happening in the United States and it is difficult to say if it is due to a bacteria or fungus -- it is difficult to detect with the current methods."

"It could be various factors combined, but it is difficult to verify at this time -- climate change, antibiotics or the use of pesticides where bees may visit. We have various historical records that show that there are fluctuations with beehives every seven or eight years that are affected by weather conditions and crop yields. It is too early to draw conclusions yet."

Troy Fore, president of the American Beekeeping Federation, told IPS, "Lately, we haven't heard much since it is the summer season. The losses seem to be associated with the winter as it's the natural end of a colony's life cycle."

"I hear from beekeepers, but many have been damaged earlier in the year. The colonies that have been affected are not as productive," he added. "But we still have no smoking gun."

(This story is part of a series of features on sustainable development by IPS and IFEJ - International Federation of Environmental Journalists.)

Daniel Howden

Foreign policy-makers are waking up to the impact of climate change on conflict zones worldwide, and added their voice to those calling on governments at the UN conference in Bali to act urgently.

An internal presentation to senior diplomats at the Foreign Office listed every recent, serious breakdown of civil order around the world and mapped it against those countries hardest hit by climate change. The fit was almost perfect. One of the diplomats present said there was an "audible intake of breath" from the audience when the slide was shown.

As the scientific debate has been unequivocally settled by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change this year, it has become increasingly apparent that its effects will have major implications for foreign policy.

"Climate change presents an enormous challenge to the international community, and unless we respond effectively we won't be able to deal with the implications," said John Ashton, the UK's special representative for climate change. "We need to see how we can use the assets at our disposal to something about it."

Those assets include the know-how to build international coalitions, and the kind of influence over governmental decision-making that environment ministers can only dream of. Analysts point out that while environment experts know how to make emissions trading work, it's a "political fact" that you get a quicker response to a security crisis.

Delegations from some 190 countries began talks on the Indonesian island of Bali yesterday, aimed at agreeing a "road map" for a successor to the Kyoto protocol. There are concerns that, despite scientific and business consensus on the urgent need for deep cuts to carbon emissions, Bali will be simply more talks about talks.

From rising sea levels in the Indian Ocean to the increasing spread of desert in Africa's Sahel region and water shortages in the Middle East, global warming will cause new wars across the world and is being described by diplomats as a "threat multiplier" - adding new stress to areas of traditional geopolitical instability.

Mr Ashton was brought into the Foreign Office by the former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett last year as a "climate-change ambassador" to try to instil a sense of urgency on the issue in the diplomatic service. Britain also used its presidency of the UN Security Council to lead its first debate on climate change and conflict. "What makes wars start?" asked Mrs Beckett. "Fights over water. Changing patterns of rainfall. Fights over food production, land use. There are few greater potential threatst to peace and security itself."

Those sentiments were echoed in June by the head of the UN Environment Programme, Achim Steiner, who launched a report revealing the environmental roots of the conflict in Darfur.

Mr Steiner said global warming would produce new wars. "People are being pushed into other people's terrain by the changing climate and it is leading to conflict," he said.

"Societies are not prepared for the scale and the speed with which they will have to decide what they will do with people."

Were global carbon emissions to be cut by half today, any mitigating effects on climate change would take at least two decades to appear. In the short term we are locked into global warming, so efforts to "climate proof" the nations set to be hit hardest by it is one of the biggest tasks facing the UN, and the most effective means of reducing the likelihood of climate-driven wars.

Schemes to mute the impact of climate change, such as wider use of drought-resistant crops, irrigation or better forecasting of storm surges, could help protect hundreds of millions of people.

In parts of Sudan, for instance, a study showed that a shift to small-scale irrigated vegetable gardens and efforts to stabilise sand dunes had raised food output.

For Uruguay and Argentina, the report urged "a review of coastal and city defences, and of early-warning systems and flood-response strategies" along the river Plate. In Gambia, a projected decline in rainfall this century is likely to cut yields of millet. Cases of dengue fever in the Caribbean could triple, and better education about the risks could help. "Adaptation is not an option - it's essential," said Neil Leary of the International Start Secretariat in Washington, who led the studies.

(Source: The Independent, UK)

Joyce Mulama

For people who arrive at the international airport in Nairobi, Kenya's fabled wildlife can be glimpsed almost immediately, in the Nairobi National Park which borders the airport. Driving out of this facility en route to the city, there's a chance of sighting black rhino, zebras and giraffe: just some of the many species that inhabit the park.

The reserve is Kenya's oldest, and located within the boundaries of the capital. However, its location is also the source of what some see as a grave threat to it: the proposed construction of a dam.

Earlier this month, a proposal to build a dam in Nairobi National Park was rejected by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), managers of the reserve. This came after the agency studied the findings of an environmental impact assessment of the project, and decided that the dam -- under discussion for several years -- would have negative and irreversible effects on the park.

But this doesn't mean the issue has been permanently resolved, as further investigations into whether a dam could be viable are underway.

Proponents of the dam argue that it is central to addressing water needs in the suburbs of Mavoko, Kitengela and Athi River, where the number of residents and industries is growing at a rate of knots.

Athi River is one of Kenya's Export Processing Zones (EPZs): areas that have been in operation since 1990 in a bid to increase foreign currency earnings for the country, where some 56 percent of people live below the poverty line. The zones house companies that manufacture a wide variety of goods for export, principally textiles.

The parastatal Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA), which proposed the dam alongside the Mavoko Municipal Council, says the Athi River zone requires 10,000 cubic metres of water a day, way above the current supply of around 3,000 cubic metres. And, "The situation will worsen if we do not find a permanent, alternative source," said EPZA Operations Manager John Akara. (The EPZA and Mavoko Municipal Council also hired consultants from the United Kingdom to produce the environmental impact assessment that was considered by the KWS.)

The dam would yield 36,500 cubic metres of water daily, enough to meet the demands of the 100 EPZ industries in Athi River, as well as some 300,000 residents in this region, and in Mavoko and Kitengela.

Currently, the three suburbs rely on surplus water from the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, the same firm that supplies the rest of the capital. The City Council of Nairobi maintains that the suburbs are not in its jurisdiction, and therefore not its responsibility concerning water provision.

"I have lived here for five years now and have no running water," Munyao Joyce, a resident of Kitengela, told IPS. "All this time I have been buying water from people in the area who have dug boreholes. Water has become an expensive affair; the dam will give me rest."

It's a view the KWS does not exactly share.

"We do appreciate the need to provide water to the industries and residents, but that should not be done at the expense of our unique and priceless wildlife. This will set a dangerous precedent for other fragile conservation areas across the country," Paul Udoto, KWS corporate communications manager, said in an interview with IPS. While the dam will cover just 3.5 square kilometers of the park's surface area of 117 square kilometers, it risks introducing significant change to the reserve.

Njogu Kahare of the Greenbelt Movement, an environmental protection group, says the dam is "too huge a project" for the park's ecosystems to tolerate, and that efforts to provide water to areas that would be serviced by the dam have already left a trail of ruin behind them. "For example, in the Athi river catchment, environmental destruction is what has made major rivers like Athi seasonal and inadequate. What reasons does anyone have to jeopardise the environment further?" he asks.

Akara has a counter-argument at the ready. "Obviously a new development of any type and nature affects the environment in one way or another. Any construction will always affect flora and fauna," he told IPS. "We are at the stage where we are doing a detailed analysis of the environment and proposing mitigations."

But environmentalists maintain that proponents of the dam should be investigating other ways of addressing their water needs, such as sinking more boreholes and harvesting rainwater.

And, while the 60-year-old park may be critical to the economic wellbeing of Athi River, it has financial significance of its own. The reserve currently attracts more than 100,000 tourists annually, collecting over 700,000 dollars in the process. Tourism is Kenya's second largest source of foreign income after agriculture.

All in all, concludes Udoto, "it seems sacrilegious for anybody to think of desecrating the jewel in the crown of wildlife conservation efforts".

(This story is part of a series of features on sustainable development by IPS -- Inter Press Service -- and IFEJ, the International Federation of Environmental Journalists.)