Environmental Impact of Rat-Hole Coal Mines on the Biodiversity of Meghalaya, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-84
Author(s):  
M.Z.M. Nomani ◽  
Ali Reja Osmani ◽  
Ghazal Salahuddin ◽  
Madiha Tahreem ◽  
Saif A. Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Coal Mines ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
The World ◽  
Jaintia Hills ◽  
Garo Hills ◽  
Mining Laws ◽  
Laws And Policies

The paper appreciates coal mining laws and policies applied by National Green Tribunal to ban traditional, artisanal and rat-hole coal mining in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya (a state in India) in an attempt to conserve its environment and biodiversity. Meghalaya represents an important part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot which is one of the four bio-diversity hotspots of India and ranks 34th among the hotspots in the world. It is equally bestowed with rich deposits of coal, which can be found in the Khasi Hills, Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills districts. Coal mining from these districts is labour-intensive and involves digging narrow rat-hole sized tunnels that are four-feet high. The workers enter into the rat-hole in an extremely hazardous manner, setting aside the ergonomic principles for the extraction of coal. The legal framework of coal mining is governed by Mines Act, 1952, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973, Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 1988 and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015. However, these laws are not applied to Meghalaya because of its constitutional status enshrined in Sixth Schedule and Article 244 of the Constitution of India, 1950. Coal mining has brought employment opportunities, tribal sustenance and economic development that led to environmental degradation, disruption of ecosystems and biological diversity. The hazardous pursuits have been bereft of safety and ergonomic principle besides being oblivious of SDF of mining laws and policies in India.

Land Degradation

2019 ◽  
pp. 437-459
Author(s):  
Ben Boer ◽  
Ian Hannam
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Legal Responses ◽  
The World ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Land Farming ◽  
Laws And Policies

This chapter examines the international legal regime on land degradation. It first provides a brief overview of land degradation as a complex environmental issue around the world before discussing the causes and effects of land degradation. It then analyses a variety of legal responses to land degradation, from global initiatives such as the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the IUCN Covenant on Environment and Development; regional initiatives such as the World Soil Charter 2014 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2015; and national laws and policies. The chapter also explores some of the main elements that need to be taken into consideration when designing legislation to address land degradation, including land tenure, access to land, farming systems and land use, the role of protected areas, and physical planning.

scholarly journals Assessing Sustainability Impact of Autonomous Haul System in Indonesian Open Pit Coal Mining Company

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
Yonta Wasfadhita ◽  
Gembong Baskoro ◽  
Eka Budiarto ◽  
Dena Hendriana ◽  
Henry Nasution
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Coal Mines ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Mining Company ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Dump Trucks ◽  
Haul Truck

Autonomous Haul System (AHS) has been widely developed in the world since 2007. The main objective of AHS is to eliminate human factors, so that AHS productivity is much higher compared to manned dump trucks. The use of AHS in Indonesia will impact the sustainability index of open pit coal mines. Implementation AHS will affect with slightly higher sustainability index than manned haul trucks, AHS sustainability index is 78,712 and manned haul truck is 74,966. However, there are two sustainability dimensions when using AHS will go decrease, those dimensions are the social and economic dimensions, and AHS will be increasing sustainability index for Ecology, Legal dan Infrastructure Technology.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Need to Reinstate the NGT Ban with Respect to Meghalaya’s Rat-Hole Mines

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-48
Author(s):  
Antony Moses
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
State Government ◽  
The State ◽  
The South ◽  
Autonomous District ◽  
Jaintia Hills ◽  
Garo Hills ◽  
The Masses ◽  
Legislative Measures

On 13th December 2018, 15 miners were trapped in a rat-hole mine in the East Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya. This incident happened despite the ban imposed and the detailed guidelines laid down by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014, in response to the South Garo Hills incident. As of date, no concrete legislative measures have been implemented by the State Government of Meghalaya, nor by the respective autonomous District Councils to regulate coal-mining. Clothed with the protection conferred by the Sixth Schedule, the State harbors rampant scientific mining practices, and its administration argues that it is a necessity for the economic development of the State. As a result, agriculture has been brought to a standstill and the coal mafia plaguing the State has received an added impetus. Rehabilitation of citizens remains a distant dream and the Sixth Schedule protection afforded to the State, facilitates exploitation instead of protecting the masses. This article will argue strongly for the continuation of the NGT Ban and analyze and counter popular arguments that have been presented for the legalization of coal mining in Meghalaya.

scholarly journals PROSPECTS OF METHANE MINING IN THE WESTERN REGION OF UKRAINE

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serhii Chukharev ◽  
◽  
Vasyl Lozynskyi ◽  
Vitalii Zaiets ◽  
Liubomyr Solvar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Coal Mines ◽  
Western Region ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Types

Methane reserves of coal mines of Ukraine are analyzed, and comparisons with other coal mining countries of the world are made. It is determined that Ukraine is among the countries with the largest reserves of mine methane. Data on the need to reduce methane emissions and its negative impact as one of the main greenhouse gases on global warming and climate change are presented. The world experience of methane extraction and processing from coal mines is studied, the advantages and disadvantages of different types of methane neutralization are determined. The priority directions of this activity for Ukraine are determined.

Working conditions and occupational pathology of coal miners in the Arctic

2019 ◽  
pp. 452-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Gorbanev ◽  
S. A. Syurin ◽  
N. M. Frolova
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Occupational Diseases ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Coal Mines ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Morbidity Rate ◽  
Coal Miners ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Introduction. Due to the impact of adverse working conditions and climate, workers in coal-mining enterprises in the Arctic are at increased risk of occupational diseases (OD).The aim of the study was to study the working conditions, causes, structure and prevalence of occupational diseases in miners of coal mines in the Arctic.Materials and methods. Th e data of social and hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the population of Vorkuta and Chukotka Autonomous District in 2007–2017 are studied.Results. It was established that in 2007–2017 years, 2,296 ODs were diagnosed for the first time in 1851 coal mines, mainly in the drifters, clearing face miners, repairmen and machinists of mining excavating machines. Most often, the ODs occurred when exposed to the severity of labor, fibrogenic aerosols and hand-arm vibration. The development of professional pathology in 98% of cases was due to design flaws of machines and mechanisms, as well as imperfections of workplaces and technological processes. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system (36.2%), respiratory organs (28.9%) and nervous system (22.5%) prevailed in the structure of professional pathology of miners of coal mines. Among the three most common nosological forms of OD were radiculopathy (32.1%), chronic bronchitis (27.7%) and mono-polyneuropathy (15.4%). In 2017, coal miners in the Arctic had a professional morbidity rate of 2.82 times higher than the national rates for coal mining.Conclusions. To preserve the health of miners of coal mining enterprises, technical measures to improve working conditions and medical interventions aimed at increasing the body’s resistance to the effects of harmful production and climatic factors are necessary.

Barriers to the Use of Neurologic Criteria to Declare Death in Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 104990912110069
Author(s):  
Ariane Lewis ◽  
Andrew Kumpfbeck ◽  
Jordan Liebman ◽  
Sam D. Shemie ◽  
Gene Sung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Death ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Developing Regions ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Life And Death ◽  
The World ◽  
Religious Perspectives ◽  
World Brain ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Death By Neurologic Criteria

There are varying medical, legal, social, religious and philosophical perspectives about the distinction between life and death. Death can be declared using cardiopulmonary or neurologic criteria throughout much of the world. After solicitation of brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) protocols from contacts around the world, we found that the percentage of countries with BD/DNC protocols is much lower in Africa than other developing regions. We performed an informal review of the literature to identify barriers to declaration of BD/DNC in Africa. We found that there are numerous medical, legal, social and religious barriers to the creation of BD/DNC protocols in Africa including 1) limited number of healthcare facilities, critical care resources and clinicians with relevant expertise; 2) absence of a political and legal framework codifying death; and 3) cultural and religious perspectives that present ideological conflict with the idea of BD/DNC, in particular, and between traditional and Western medicine, in general. Because there are a number of unique barriers to the creation of BD/DNC protocols in Africa, it remains to be seen how the World Brain Death Project, which is intended to create minimum standards for BD/DNC around the world, will impact BD/DNC determination in Africa.

Towards the New Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Biodiversity

While 2020 –dubbed the “Super Year for Nature –has seen the world battling an unforeseen global pandemic, this article comes back on the Convention of Biological Diversity and its regime, studies the aim of the negotiations of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the relevance of this framework for the planet, considering that the protection of biological diversity impacts all aspects of human life, including the full enjoying of human rights and protection against future pandemics.

scholarly journals Meta-analysis reveals severe pollen limitation for the flowering plants growing in East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region

BMC Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianfeng Jiang ◽  
Yanping Xie
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Pollen Limitation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Clear Relationship ◽  
Hengduan Mountains ◽  
Independent Data ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Biodiversity

Abstract Background Pollen limitation occurs widely and has an important effect on flowering plants. The East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region is a global biodiversity hotspot. However, to our knowledge, no study has synthetically assessed the degree of pollen limitation in this area. The present study aims to reveal the degree of pollen limitation for the flowering plants growing on East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains and to test whether the reproductive features or the elevation is closely correlated with the degree of pollen limitation in this area. Results We complied data from 76 studies, which included 96 species and 108 independent data records. We found that the flowering plants in this area undergo severe pollen limitation [overall Hedges’ d = 2.004, with a 95% confidence interval (1.3264, 2.6743)] that is much higher than that of the flowering plants growing in many other regions around the world. The degree of pollen limitation was tested to determine the correlation with the capacity for autonomous self-reproduction and with the pollination pattern (generalized vs. specialized pollination) of plants. In addition, we found a clear relationship between elevation and the degree of pollen limitation, which indicates that plants might undergo more severe pollen limitation in relatively high places. Conclusions This paper is the first to address the severe pollen limitation of the flowering plants growing in East Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains region. Moreover, we reveal the positive correlation between elevation and the degree of pollen limitation.

scholarly journals Big hitting collectors make massive and disproportionate contribution to the discovery of plant species

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1736) ◽  
pp. 2269-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Bebber ◽  
Mark A. Carine ◽  
Gerrit Davidse ◽  
David J. Harris ◽  
Elspeth M. Haston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Type Specimens ◽  
Fundamental Goal ◽  
The World ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
The Right ◽  
Geographical Locations

Discovering biological diversity is a fundamental goal—made urgent by the alarmingly high rate of extinction. We have compiled information from more than 100 000 type specimens to quantify the role of collectors in the discovery of plant diversity. Our results show that more than half of all type specimens were collected by less than 2 per cent of collectors. This highly skewed pattern has persisted through time. We demonstrate that a number of attributes are associated with prolific plant collectors: a long career with increasing productivity and experience in several countries and plant families. These results imply that funding a small number of expert plant collectors in the right geographical locations should be an important element in any effective strategy to find undiscovered plant species and complete the inventory of the world flora.

The benefits and disadvantages of the law on the expansion of the jurisdiction of the DIFC Court

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-232
Author(s):  
Tareq Na’el Al-Tawil ◽  
Prabhakar Gantasala ◽  
Hassan Younies
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Limited Volume ◽  
Financial Centre ◽  
The World ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Law

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the benefits and disadvantages of the law on the expansion of the jurisdiction of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Court. The major role of DIFC Courts in the Arab community is to handle cases related to commerce and business. For a long time, the court had been acting only in their geographical area until a new law was enacted to extend their jurisdiction all over the world. Afterward, a lot of criticism emerged as for why and how the court will benefit from such actions. The law has drawn a harsh response, although most benefits have also been experienced since the court received quite a large number of new signings. Interaction at the world business forum has benefited the economy of Dubai thanks to the law. Design/methodology/approach The following study focuses on a description of such benefits and drawbacks. The study does not evaluate a factual process of expansion but indicates the most distinct evidence of positive, as well as negative consequences of the expansion. Findings It is appropriate to make a general comment on the fact that the expansion of DIFC Court is not sufficiently effective at the current stage. Needless to say, it contains numerous positive aspects, but the gaps are evidently essential because they place the entire Court in a hard circumstance. The Court does not have a well-developed legal framework for its new area of jurisdiction as long as its limited volume of prior precedent is a distinct sign of the Court’s dependence on the UAE’s Law. In such way, DIFC Court will not be able to address issues within new fields of jurisdiction, as it simply lacks an expertise and international law in its legal framework. Moreover, the jurisdiction over new areas of international business was not verified with a plain system of mediation, which is why a current expansion of DIFC Court has to be recognized as redundant. However, its advantages are tending to produce their effects provided that the Court manages to address its current problems. Originality/value The study has described the basic benefits and drawbacks of DIFC Court expansion. To speak about the main benefits, they can be depicted as appliance of the common law, unification of English language for proceedings, presence of a preliminary arbitration and guarantees of award enforcement. In a similar way, the drawbacks of the expansion have been issued. The study has identified such drawbacks as lack of international and sophisticated expertise, untested legal framework, strong influence of forum non conveniens, and existence of a limited volume of prior precedent. The paper has not assessed a success of a factual expansion of DIFC Court jurisdiction, but it has managed to fulfill its primary purpose. Thus, the paper has identified a certain tendency concerning the expansion.

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