Eight ecological observatories to be set up

Launching the Long Term Ecological Observatories (LETO) Programme, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said India would set up eight new ecological observatories, as compared to just one at present, to map the long-term impacts of climate change. 

“We will be putting up 8 new observatories in eight different biomes. We have fortunately tremendous diversity in India. We have 17 per cent of world’s population, 17 per cent of cattle population but we have only 2.5 per cent of world’s landmass but still we have eight per cent of biodiversity in India,” Javadekar said.

“Climate change impacts everything. It does not only impact air, water or weather, it does impact biodiversity as well. To really judge, the long-term ecological impacts, we need long term ecological observatories. India believes in science. We will be putting them up in Himalayas, Western Ghats, central India to Sunderbans and from Jammu and Kashmir to Rajasthan and Gujarat,” he said.

He also launched a booklet on climate-friendly lifestyle practices in India which highlights the Indian ethos of conservation, saving, and not wasting anything. Javadekar said that at present many countries assess the situation based on model studies but India will do it on practical basis.