The Response of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme

Arctic: The region spans the Arctic Ocean and covers land areas in parts of Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States (Alaska). Antarctic: With no native population or permanent residents the Antarctic is occupied by a succession of visitors occupying the various scientific bases.

Representing five continents, six faiths, and seven languages a team of eight women from across the Commonwealth countries arrived at the South Pole at 23:09 on 29th December 2009. The first women from India to ski to the South Pole, Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu was selected to be part of the expedition. Skiing 900 kms in 38 days from the coast of Antarctic, the team achieved a number of records.

A region as fluid as the Arctic calls for wider attention and detailed research. Some of the latest development on the research front is briefly presented here.

Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala acquired his doctoral degree in economics from University of Florida at the age of 23. He returned to India and joined Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore as an Assistant Professor. He, at present lives in the lower Himalayas in Uttarakhand. In an eye opening conversation with the editor, G’nY, Dr Jhunjhunwala unravels the complexities of the dam-removal-phenomenon now underway in the US.

An update on recent happenings in the water power sector.

Since high income countries with much less population (sixth of the world’s population) generate nearly two thirds of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, their liability towards protecting the environment has to be proportionate to the damage in keeping with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.