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The present study focuses on the unprecedented flood situation captured through multi-temporal satellite images, witnessed along the Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh during September 2010
. At three gauge stations (Kannauj, Ankinghat and Kanpur), river water level exceeded the previous high-flood level attained by river more than a decade ago. The present communication with the aid of pre- and post-flood satellite images, coupled with hydrological (river water level) and meteorological (rainfall) data, explains about the unprecedented flood situation. In the latter part of the study, a novel and cost-effective method for building a library of flood inundation extents based on historical satellite data analysis and tagging the inundation layer with observed water level is demonstrated. During flood season, based on the forecasted water level, the library can be accessed to fetch the spatial inundation layer corresponding to the forecasted stage and anticipate in advance, likely spatial inundation pattern and submergence of villages and hence in alerting the habitation at risk. This method can be helpful in anticipating the areas to be affected in situations where satellite images cannot be effectively utilized due to cloud cover and also for providing information about the areas being partially covered in satellite data
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Sen, A.; Ahammed, Y. N.; Banerjee, T.; Chatterjee, A.; Choudhuri, A. K.; Das, T.; Chandara Deb, N.; Dhir, A.; Goel, S.; Khan, A. H.; Mandal, T. K.; Murari, V.; Pal, S.; Rao, P. S.; Saxena, M.; Sharma, S. K.; Sharma, A.; Vachaspati, C. V.
Enhanced transport of dust with the prevailing mid to upper tropospheric westerly winds from arid regions in South-west Asia and North-west India into the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and the influx of marine aerosol from the Arabian Sea (AS), Tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) and Southern Bay of Bengal (SBoB) into India along with the low level south-west wind flow during the onset of the South-west (SW) monsoon, 2014 was observed in campaign mode
. Ambient airborne particulates (PM2.5 and PM10) were collected at 9 sites in and around IGP, India, viz. Patiala, Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Giridih, Kolkata, Darjeeling, Bhubaneswar and Nagpur; over AS, TIO and SBoB providing a glimpse into the aerosol loading and its transport mechanisms. The highest average PM2.5 (61.8 ± 18.6 μg m−3) and PM10 (182.2 ± 58.0 μg m−3) mass concentrations were recorded at Delhi (upper IGP) and Lucknow (middle IGP) respectively. Average PM2.5 (18.1 ± 10.1 μg m−3) and PM10 (39.6 ± 15.8 μg m−3) levels recorded over the open oceanic regions in AS, TIO and SBoB were much lower than those observed over the land stations and the average PM2.5 recorded over coastal AS and SBoB (49.1 ± 28.7 μg m−3). Cluster analysis, Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) and Concentration Weighted Trajectory (CWT) analysis portray that PM2.5 and PM10 levels at the land stations were influenced by weak to moderate contributions from AS, BoB, the arid South-west Asia and North-west India, peninsular India and from the polluted IGP region
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Sreenivas, K.; Sekhar, N. S.; Saxena, M.; Paliwal, R.; Pathak, S.; Porwal, M. C.; Fyzee, M. A.; Rao, S. V. C. K.; Wadodkar, M.; Anasuya, T.; Murthy, M. S. R.; Ravisankar, T.; Dadhwal, V. K.
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Fluoride (F−) content varies from 0
.60 to 1.80 mg/L in the coastal region between Chirala and Ongole of Andhra Pradesh, India. It exceeds the threshold limit of 1.20 mg/L in 20 % of the total groundwater samples. The aim of the present study is to assess the controlling factors of F− content. The study area experiences a dry climate and is underlain by Charnockite Group of rocks over which the river and coastal alluvium occur. The results of the study identify the four factors that control the high F− content. First one is related to alkalinity, leading to active dissolution and leaching of F−-bearing minerals, which supports the positive correlation of F− with pH and HCO3 −. A longer water residence time in the clays is the second factor, which activates not only solubility and dissolution of F−-bearing minerals, but also anion exchange between F− and OH−. Third factor is a result of higher Na+ due to impact of saline water, ion exchange between Na+ and Ca2+, and precipitation of CaCO3. This reduces the Ca2+ content, causing dissolution of CaF2 to maintain the chemical equilibria, which is supported by positive correlation between Na2+ and F−. The influence of anthropogenic activities is the last factor, which acts as an additional source of F−. Thus, the shallow groundwater shows higher content of F− and the hydrogeochemical facies also support this hypothesis. The study suggests the remedial measures to reduce the F− content
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Bauer, N.; Bosetti, V.; Hamdi-Cherif, M.; Kitous, A.; Mccollum, D.; Méjean, A.; Rao, S.; Turton, H.; Paroussos, L.; Ashina, S.; Calvin, K.; Wada, K.; Van Vuuren, D.
This paper explores a multi-model scenario ensemble to assess the impacts of idealized and non-idealized climate change stabilization policies on fossil fuel markets
. Under idealized conditions climate policies significantly reduce coal use in the short- and long-term. Reductions in oil and gas use are much smaller, particularly until 2030, but revenues decrease much more because oil and gas prices are higher than coal prices. A first deviation from optimal transition pathways is delayed action that relaxes global emission targets until 2030 in accordance with the Copenhagen pledges. Fossil fuel markets revert back to the no-policy case: though coal use increases strongest, revenue gains are higher for oil and gas. To balance the carbon budget over the 21st century, the long-term reallocation of fossil fuels is significantly larger—twice and more—than the short-term distortion. This amplifying effect results from coal lock-in and inter-fuel substitution effects to balance the full-century carbon budget. The second deviation from the optimal transition pathway relaxes the global participation assumption. The result here is less clear-cut across models, as we find carbon leakage effects ranging from positive to negative because trade and substitution patterns of coal, oil, and gas differ across models. In summary, distortions of fossil fuel markets resulting from relaxed short-term global emission targets are more important and less uncertain than the issue of carbon leakage from early mover action
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TanDEM-X SAR mission was launched in June, 2010 with an aim to generate high resolution global DEMs of HRTI-3 specification
. Considering this, it is very important to evaluate the accuracy of the DEM generated using TanDEM-X InSAR data over the rugged terrains of Indian Himalayas. This paper presents the results of an evaluation study of the DEMs generated through interferometric technique using TanDEM-X data over two Indian Himalayan glaciers viz. Hamtah and Gangotri. The two generated DEMs have been compared with the corresponding accurate Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) values. On the basis of comparison of the elevation values between TanDEM-X DEM and DGPS data, it is observed that the Hamtah and Gangotri glacier DEMs show RMSE values 7.0 m and 8.2 m respectively. To evaluate the performance between TanDEM-X DEM and SRTM DEM, the SRTM DEM of the Hamtah glacier has also been compared with the DPGS points of Hamtah glacier and found to have a RMSE of 13.5m. Overall, the obtained results indicate that the generated TanDEM-X DEMs are of superior quality
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Forests of the South Asian region, including major ‘hotspots’ of biodiversity, have been sustainably managed for generations by ethnically and culturally diverse traditional societies
. The rich traditional forest-related knowledge possessed by the traditional societies in the region is closely linked to cultural diversity as well as to biodiversity in all its scalar dimensions (i.e., genetic, species, ecosystem, and landscape diversity). This knowledge, generated through an experiential process, has ensured sustainability of diverse forested ecosystems as well as livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. In recent times this knowledge base has been severely eroded, due in large part to deforestation and associated land degradation, processes triggered by forces external to traditional socio-ecological systems. Successful efforts have been made towards conserving traditional forest-related knowledge and linking it with formal scientific forest knowledge to develop ‘hybrid technologies’ relevant to sustainable forest management. To facilitate this process, it has been helpful to elucidate broad, generalizable, principles of traditional forest-related knowledge, rather than viewing this knowledge stream as ‘local knowledge.’ One such key principle that has contributed towards community participation in sustainable forest management initiatives relates to socially valued species that typically have important ecological keystone values. The protected ‘sacred groves’ that are abundant in the region are important learning sites both for understanding ecosystem dynamics and as a resource base for sustainable forest management practices. This is the context in which emerging institutional arrangements in the South Asian region, such as community forestry, joint forest management, and forest user groups are to be seen
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This paper summarizes the main characteristics of the RCP8
.5 scenario. The RCP8.5 combines assumptions about high population and relatively slow income growth with modest rates of technological change and energy intensity improvements, leading in the long term to high energy demand and GHG emissions in absence of climate change policies. Compared to the total set of Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), RCP8.5 thus corresponds to the pathway with the highest greenhouse gas emissions. Using the IIASA Integrated Assessment Framework and the MESSAGE model for the development of the RCP8.5, we focus in this paper on two important extensions compared to earlier scenarios: 1) the development of spatially explicit air pollution projections, and 2) enhancements in the land-use and land-cover change projections. In addition, we explore scenario variants that use RCP8.5 as a baseline, and assume different degrees of greenhouse gas mitigation policies to reduce radiative forcing. Based on our modeling framework, we find it technically possible to limit forcing from RCP8.5 to lower levels comparable to the other RCPs (2.6 to 6 W/m 2 ). Our scenario analysis further indicates that climate policy-induced changes of global energy supply and demand may lead to significant co-benefits for other policy priorities, such as local air pollution
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Supported by the MacArthur Foundation, ICIMOD undertook a series of research activities together with partners in the Eastern Himalayas from 2007 to 2008 to provide a preliminary assessment of the impacts and vulnerability of this region to climate change
. Activities included rapid surveys at country level, thematic workshops, interaction with stakeholders at national and regional levels, and development of technical papers by individual experts in collaboration with institutions that synthesised the available information on the region. A summary of the findings of the rapid assessment was published in 2009. The present publication is one of six technical papers used in the assessment. The main synthesis report is being published separately.
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