On shrimp,salt and security: livelihood risks and responses in South Bangladesh and East India

Bangladesh and India are among the world’s most populous but also most vulnerable countries to environmental risks. In addition to storms, sea-level rise, floods and droughts, local communities face a multitude of pre-existing and concomitant economic and socio-political risks. To understand these risks and how communities respond to them is critical in securing community livelihoods. We therefore ask what are the livelihood risks; how do they impact the human security of environment sensitive communities in Satkhira, Bangladesh and in Odisha, India; and, what are the responses of these communities to the livelihood risks? The communities studied in Bangladesh depend mainly on the shrimp and fish resources of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. The two communities researched at Lake Chilika in India depend on fishing and salt farming, respectively. The field research, conducted in 2012 and 2013, shows that the communities face multiple and interacting livelihood risks. While storms and floods are common environmental risks in both countries, related livelihood risks are case-specific. In Bangladesh, attacks by criminals are the major threat to human well-being, while in India, it is violent conflict between lake users. Unsustainable resource extraction is found in both study countries. In Bangladesh, shrimp farming weakens the flood protection, while in India, illegal prawn farming marginalizes poorer lake users. Accessing loans and labor migration are responses observed in both countries. We conclude that adaptation to environmental changes needs to be sensitive to the interaction between governance, local institutions and socio-economic developments.     

Effect of a high strength chemical industry wastewater on microbial community dynamics and mesophilic methane generation

A high strength chemical industry wastewater was assessed for its impact on anaerobic microbial com- munity dynamics and consequently mesophilic methane generation. Cumulative methane production was 251 mL/g total chemical oxygen demand removed at standard temperature and pressure at the end of 30 days experimental period with a highest recorded methane percentage of 80.6% of total biogas volume. Volatile fatty acids （VFAs） analysis revealed that acetic acid was the major intermediate VFAs produced with propionic acid accumulating over the experimental period. Quantitative analysis of microbial communities in the test and control groups with quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction highlighted that in the test group, Eubacteria （96.3%） was dominant in comparison with methanogens （3.7%）. The latter were dominated by Methanomicrobiales and Methanobacteriales while in test groups increased over the experimental period, reaching a maximum on day 30. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile was performed, targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Eubacteria and Archaea, with the DNA samples extracted at 3 different time points from the test groups. A phylogenetic tree was constructed for the sequences using the neighborhood joining method. The analysis revealed that the presence of organisms resembling Syntrophomonadaceae could have contributed to increased production of acetic and propionic acid intermediates while decrease of organisms resembling Pelotomaculum sp. could have most likely contributed to accumulation of propionic acid. This study suggested that the degradation of organic components within the high strength industrial wastewater is closely linked with the activity of certain niche microbial communities within eubacteria and methanogens.     

Reconstituting “America”: The Clean Energy Economy Ventriloquized

With the foregrounding of “clean energy” policies by climate change concerns, the rhetorical constitution of “America” as a collective subject, mobilized to adopt the clean energy economy (CEE), becomes crucial. Here, I analyze the constitutive rhetoric of Pew Charitable Trusts’ landmark 2009 report on the CEE, drawing from the ventriloqual perspective to communication. I argue that this approach provides a more pragmatic, conversational understanding of the interpellative process constituting “America,” noting it to be hybridized and composed of various human and nonhuman agents. Tracing the ingoing interaction among agents—some manifest in the text, others spectral—sheds light on the complex relations of power at stake, recognizes the open-ended possibilities (and restrictions) of agency, and the role of material structures shaping environmental communication and policy.     

Distribution of vehicular pollutants in street canyons of Varanasi, India: a different case

In present study horizontal and vertical distribution of traffic-related pollutants (CO and SO(2)) within the street canyons in (CO and SO(2)) Varanasi, India was monitored. The results showed that average horizontal profiles of traffic-related pollutant concentrations within street canyon at leeward side were approximately same as that of windward side. However, the vertical concentration of both the pollutants decreases with height above the ground and study indicated that CO and SO(2) concentrations at different heights below the roof showed clear vertical self-gradient. CO and SO(2) concentration decreased with height and the minimum value occurred at the roof. It was concluded from the observed results that pollutants from vehicular exhaust emissions in the street canyon of Varanasi were evenly distributed. This result may be due to the fact that wind vortices are not formed. Therefore, urban planners can use this type of streets so that there is proper ventilation and dispersal of pollutants.     

Anticipated Performance Index of some tree species considered for green belt development in and around an urban area: a case study of Varanasi city, India

It is well established that trees help to reduce air pollution, and there is a growing impetus for green belt expansion in urban areas. Identification of suitable plant species for green belts is very important. In the present study, the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) of many plant species has been evaluated by analyzing important biochemical parameters. The Anticipated Performance Index (API) of these plant species was also calculated by considering their APTI values together with other socio-economic and biological parameters. Based on these two indices, the most suitable plant species for green belt development in urban areas were identified and recommended for long-term air pollution management.     

A comparison of sediment quality guidelines for toxicity assessment in the Sunderban wetlands (Bay of Bengal, India)

The aim of this paper was to obtain the first screening ecotoxicological risk evaluation in the Sunderban wetlands, the largest prograding delta in the estuarine phase of the River Ganges. The characterization of exposure was conducted by means of an extensive survey of several persistent organic pollutants (PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, PBDEs, HCHs, HCB) measured in seven core sediments from the Sunderban wetlands, obtaining a dataset with more than 2200 analyses. The pollutant effects were assessed by the use of three different sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) previously developed in the literature to evaluate toxicity induced in sediment-dwelling organisms. The three different approaches chosen for risk assessment of the Sunderban were the consensus SQGs obtained by TEC (threshold effect concentration), PEC (probable effect concentration) and EEC (extreme effect concentration), the threshold/probable effect level (TEL/PEL) approach and, finally, the ERL-ERM guidelines, including the m-ERM-Q (mean ERM quotient). The evaluation of the toxicity induced by a mixture of the target pollutants indicated the importance of gamma-HCH contamination in the Sunderban sediments despite the very low concentrations measured in core sediments. A different sensitivity for toxicity assessment due to quality guidelines was obtained, as the consensus SQGs based on TEC were less conservative and protective than the TEL and ERL approaches, while the use of m-ERM-Q seems to be the most powerful tool to predict the toxicity related to a contaminant mixture.     

Seasonal variations in species composition,abundance, biomass and production rate of tintinnids (Ciliata: Protozoa) along the Hooghly (Ganges) River Estuary,India: a multivariate approach

The study is the first documentation of seasonal variations in species composition, abundance and diversity of tintinnid (Ciliata: Protozoa), in relation to water quality parameters along the stretch of the Hooghly (Ganges) River Estuary (HRE), eastern coastal part of India. A total of 26 species (22 agglomerated and 4 non-agglomerated) belonging to 8 genera has been identified from 8 study sites where Tintinnopsis (17 species) represented the most dominant genera, contributing up to 65 % of total tintinnid community followed by Tintinnidium (2 species), Leprotintinnus (2 species) and Dadayiella, Favella, Metacylis, Eutintinnus and Helicostomella (each with solitary species). The maximum (1,666 ind.?l^?1) and minimum (62 ind.?l^?1) abundance of tintinnids was recorded during post-monsoon and monsoon, respectively. A distinct seasonal dynamics in terms of biomass (0.005–2.465 μg C l^?1) and daily production rate (0.04–3.13 μg C l^?1 day^?1) was also noticed, accounting highest value during pre-monsoon. Chlorophyll a and nitrate were found to be potential causative factors for the seasonal variations of tintinnids as revealed by a stepwise multiple regression model. The result of ANOVA showed a significant variation between species abundance and months (F?=?2.36, P?≤?0.05). k-dominance curves were plotted to determine the comparison of tintinnid dominance between the investigated stations. Based on a principal component analysis (PCA), three main groups were delineated with tintinnid ciliates and environmental parameters. The changes in lorica morphology in terms of temperature and salinity, recorded for three dominant species, provided information on the ecological characteristics of the species assemblage in this estuarine system.