A to Z - Day 3 - Conservation efforts in Bengaluru

Image credit:
Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust 

From an environmental and ecological perspective, conservation refers to the protection and management of natural resources, ecosystems, and biodiversity.

It's about balancing our needs with environmental well-being. We can achieve this in many ways, such as minimizing the wastage of natural resources, controlling pollution, and preserving greenery.

In the face of major environmental challenges brought on by rapid urbanization, the government and institutions in Bengaluru are striving to stem the decline and improve the situation.

INSTITUTIONAL EFFORTS

For example, Bengaluru has a comprehensive Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against climate change. 

According to the Karnataka government, "Over the next few years, the BCAP will be implemented as a multi-sectoral collaborative effort, drawing participation from various departments of the Government of Karnataka, civil society, and the private sector."

Earlier this month, the Karnataka government announced the Karnataka Forest, Wildlife, and Climate Change Mitigation Foundation, which aims to mitigate the effects of climate change and increase green cover.

COMMUNITY EFFORTS

There are also several community-led initiatives focused on lake rejuvenation and rainwater harvesting. The rejuvenation of Puttenahalli Lake and Kaikondrahalli Lake are two success stories.

United Way Bengaluru, an NGO, is working to restore, revive, and rejuvenate lakes. According to them, they have restored over 50 lakes in collaboration with local authorities, focusing on improving water quality and biodiversity.

Eco-Watch is an organization that works on environmental conservation. They are involved in various projects to increase green cover and biodiversity in peri-urban areas, such as planting saplings around lakes and industrial zones.

BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH

These are just a few of the initiatives. However, the problem is becoming more serious every day.

While the government must recognize biodiversity conservation as a top-priority area, many more institutions will need to actively engage in these efforts.

(This post is part of the A to Z Challenge. The theme is ecology and environment.)

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A to Z - Day 2 - Biodiversity of Bengaluru

Cubbon Park in Bengaluru.
Photo source: Karnataka Tourism

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is a term that encompasses a whole lot of things. 

It refers to all forms of life on Earth, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. It also includes the systems they inhabit, like terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments. 

Biodiversity also refers to the diversity of existence, like genetic diversity (variation within species), species diversity (variety of species in a region), and ecosystem diversity (different ecosystems like forests, coral reefs, and wetlands). 

It also includes the interactions among organisms and their environments. 

So, it is a whole lot of things.

ITS IMPORTANCE

The richness of biodiversity is important for us.

It ensures the variety of crops, livestock, and marine species that provide us with nutrition.

Several modern medicines, including antibiotics and painkillers, are derived from natural sources. Biodiversity loss would mean less chances of discovering new medical treatments.

Biodiversity ensures balanced ecosystems which in turn means fewer diseases.

Forests and wetlands filter air and water, thus reducing pollution-related health risks. 

"The degradation of wetlands, which filter freshwater, has led to a 35% decline in global wetland coverage since 1970, increasing waterborne diseases and reducing water availability for over 2 billion people," says the World Health Organisation.

Forests also absorb carbon dioxide mitigating climate change impacts like extreme weather events.

Access to biodiverse natural areas improves mental health by reducing stress and enhancing cognitive function. It also supports physical health by encouraging outdoor activities and reducing chronic diseases, according to this article on "Benefits of Biodiversity to Human Health and Well-being".

BENGALURU'S BIODIVERSITY

Bengaluru (earlier Bangalore) commonly referred to by many epithets like India’s Silicon Valley, Pub Capital, Pensioners’ Paradise, Garden City, etc., boasts a surprisingly rich biodiversity.

Slender Loris on the Indian Institute Science
campus, Bengaluru.
Photo source: Kalyan Varma/JLR Explore.

Surprising, because over the last two decades, the city has seen an unimaginable pace of urbanisation.

Some statistics about what Bengaluru has are quite striking.

• 41 species of mammals, including the slender loris, leopards, jungle cats, and several species of bats and rodents. (Bengaluru Sustainability Forum)
  
  
• Over 300 species of birds have been documented, including long-distance migratory birds from the Himalayas, Central Asia, and Siberia. (Bengaluru Sustainability Forum)
  
  
• The grasslands of Hesarghatta in Bengaluru alone host around 235 species of birds. (Oorvani)
  
  
• The city has 52 species of reptiles and 17 species of amphibians. (Bengaluru Sustainability Forum)
  
  
• Bengaluru is home to 1,707 species of insects and arachnids, along with thousands of plant species. (Bengaluru Sustainability Forum)
  
  
• Despite a decline from 400 to 227 lakes, Bengaluru's lakes remain crucial biodiversity hotspots. For example, Dorekere Lake supports 230 species of flora and fauna, including 74 bird species. (Deccan Herald)

While I knew Bengaluru had a pleasant climate, these figures surprised me.

The city has a number of citizen activist groups, besides resident welfare associations and similar community organisations that work to protect and enhance urban biodiversity through surveys, conservation projects, and awareness campaigns.

That's something really good about this city.

(This post is part of the A to Z Challenge. The theme is environment)

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A to Z - Day 1 - Air quality of Bengaluru

A conceptual AI illustration representing air quality.

Understanding "air" can be tricky, especially when you can't see it. 

In school, I remember struggling to know what 'air' looked like! How could one only feel it if we can't touch it or see it, I wondered!

Air is more than just a feeling, like a cool breeze or foul odour.

Air quality is fundamental to healthy environments and ecosystems, and it directly impacts our well-being.

Poor air quality can be a matter of life and death. Air pollution, caused by substances like sulphur, nitrogen, and particulate matter, damages our lungs and the environment.

BENGALURU IS BETTER

Bengaluru generally has better air quality than many other major cities in India. For instance, as of today, Bengaluru's AQI was around 63 classified as satisfactory. In contrast, cities like Delhi are worse. 

One reason could be that the city has a lot of parks and tree-lined streets which help absorb pollutants. 

This website tracks live the air quality index as well other parameters like particulate matter -- https://www.aqi.in/in

BUT STILL MANY CHALLENGES

Things aren’t looking up, with so much construction and increased vehicle numbers. 

This September 2024 report quoted a Greenpeace study to indicate that Bengaluru was among the cities where air quality had dipped significantly.

Globally too, Bengaluru isn’t doing good. It is ranked the 673rd most polluted city among the 7,812 cities assessed.

Cities like Tokyo, Singapore, and Zurich often have much better air quality due to stricter regulations and environmental policies.

WHAT CAN BE DONE

At the individual level and government level, a lot needs to be done. 

Vehicle exhaust is among the main reasons for air pollution. So, as far as possible, let’s use public transport. I rarely take my car. I use the metro or the bus or an autorickshaw or just walk.

There is a lot of dust in the city. If the civic administration deploys mechanical sweepers to clean roads, that can reduce dust emissions significantly.

The 3Rs -- reduce, reuse and recycle -- is a good practice. I try my best to stick to the 3Rs rule.

To be fair to governments, they are doing a lot. For example, the electric vehicle policies have been made attractive enough and we can see more and more EVs on the roads. 

Mere policies aren't enough. Parallelly, there has to be a stricter regulatory framework and enforcement to improve air quality. That's something not to the required extent.

While such governmental measures are important, individual efforts can't be underestimated since their cumulative effect adds up to make some difference.

(This post is part of the A to Z Challenge. The theme is environment)

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