Events, reports and announcements

2011, International Year of Forests

The United Nations General Assembly designated 2011 the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.

“Forests for People” is the main theme of the Year, highlighting the dynamic relationship between forests and the people who depend on them. The UN Forum on Forests Secretariat (UNFF) is serving as the focal point for Forests 2011, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization, in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organizations.

Forests are important to nearly all kinds of human activity: providing shelter to people and habitat to biodiversity; as a source of food, medicine and clean water; and play a vital role in maintaining a stable global climate and environment. Forests 2011 provides the opportunity to bring attention to the inter connectivity between people and forests. National, regional and local organizations around the world are encouraged to plan Forests 2011 events in line with their own interests and, in particular, to reach out to those in fields not traditionally considered directly related to forests.

For more information visit:
http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011

Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (CRZ) 
 6th Jaunuary, 2011

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has issued the CRZ Notification, 2011 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. In addition, MoEF has also issues the Island Protection Zone (IPZ) Notification, 2011 covering Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Both these new Notifications reconcile three objectives:

• protection of livelihoods of traditional fisherfolk communities
• preservation of coastal ecology
• promotion of economic activity that have necessarily to be located in coastal regions.

For detailed reports on the consultation and queries on the CRZ visit:
http://tinyurl.com/CRZ-Notification and
http://tinyurl.com/FAQs-on-the-CRZ

Brochure on critically endangered species in India released

India has staggering variety of flora and fauna, including some of the rarest species in existence on the planet. There is so far a paucity of information for the general public on the status, biology, and major threats to the endangered species of our country. As per the latest (2011) quantitative evaluation done by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) there are 57 critically endangered species of animals in India.

In an joint effort, the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Zoological Survey of India has catalogued and share information on these species, which is aimed at raising awareness among people from all walks of life and strengthen efforts at conservation.

The brochure was released on 9th March 2011.

To download the brochure visit:
http://tinyurl.com/critically-endangered-booklet

4th Annual Urban Mobility Conference cum Exhibition-2011 and Sixth Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Sixth Regional (EST) Forum in Asia: 3-6 December 2011

Theme: 'Sustainable Mobility'.

An Annual Conference-cum-exhibition on 'Urban Mobility' is held in Delhi every year (UMI). The event is being organized by the Institute of Urban Transport, India New Delhi in association with Mirabilis advisory an Economic development consultancy. The conference focuses on

       Dissemination of information and to facilitate exchange of ideas, and
       it recognizes good urban transport initiatives by giving awards to selected good practice projects.

The conference would also be co-hosting the Sixth Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia under the aegis of the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) with participation from 23 Asian countries.

The Conference cum Exhibition aims to bring together technology and service providers in urban transport from India and abroad in various modes; Pedestrians, non motorized transport, Bus operations, BRT, LRT, metro rail, Environment and traffic management, congestion management, Ropeways, Parking and ITS etc. as well as the policy makers, practitioners and officials under one roof.

For more information visit:

http://iutindia.org/urban2011/index.php/conference/programme

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