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Unscientific management of municipal solid waste is one of the direct sources of contamination in developing countries, such as India. The present investigation carried out during Oct–Dec 2019 attempts to assess the parameters, such as quality of groundwater and soil along three depths (0–5, 5–15 and 15–30 cm), in proximity to a dumping site in Silchar, a rapidly evolving city of North-East India. Standard protocols of soil and water quality assessments were carried out. The pH values of the surface soils were found to be slightly acidic. Decrease in acidity with increasing depth was observed in the study site. The relative abundance of the analyzed elements at all soil depths was Zn > Fe > Ni > Cu > Cr. Weak correlation between the concentration of Cu, Fe and Zn, and the bulk density of the soil highlighted the micronutrient status of the soil. The impact of the nearby dumpsite on trace element contamination is indicated by the ‘extremely contaminated’ status of the soils with respect to geo-accumulation index. Majority of the groundwater samples exhibited pH levels below the desired limits, making it unfit for consumption by local communities. While Fe, Cu and Ni levels in groundwater samples exceeded the guideline values, Cr and Zn concentrations were found to be within limits except one sample. Principal Component Analysis of the observed data was carried out to ascertain the predominant sources of contamination. The observations indicate the negative impacts of nearby dumpsite on environmental parameters, such as groundwater and soil quality, as highlighted in this research. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42108-021-00117-5.

Background: In addition to its impact on public health, COVID-19 has had a major impact on the Indian economy and the employment and education on the field of environmental sciences and engineering This survey study has a mission to focus on how COVID-19 affects PAN India employment and the likely impact on education on the different environmental fields Methodology: We have surveyed on PAN India basis by considering different working sectors on environmental field In our survey, questionnaires circulated by email and different social media like Facebook, WhatsApp and their opinion have been analyzed by analyzing the frequency of the words from their texts / Word Cloud Analysis Results and Conclusion: This survey report convey highest frequency of the word “life”, “affecting”, “Covid”, “work” which is similar with “job”, “time” “day”, “home”, “very”, “lockdown” by all environmental professionals, students and researchers This study suggests a need for more comprehensive and longitudinal evaluation of population needs, allowing the country to design holistic initiatives for affected people [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science is the property of Ibn Sina Medical College, Ibn Sina Trust and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )

Plastic has been ingrained in our society. Repercussions on the usage of nonbiodegradable plastics and their problems have been recently realized. Despite its detrimental environmental impact, the COVID-19 epidemic has compelled worldwide citizens to increase their plastic use due to affordability and availability. The volume of hospital solid waste, particularly plastics, is overgrowing due to an unexpected increase in medical waste, culminating in the global waste management catastrophe. Henceforth, adopting good waste management practices along with appropriate technologies and viewing the current issue from a fresh perspective would be an opportunity in this current scenario. Accordingly, this review study will focus on the plastic waste scenario before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. This review also disseminates alternative disposal options and recommends practical solutions to lessen human reliance on traditional plastics. Further, the responsibilities of various legislative and regulatory authorities at the local, regional, and worldwide levels are addressed.

Non-wood forest products or NWFP is one of the most important forest resources that nourish the Indian rural economy. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) constitute an important source of livelihood for millions of people from forest fringe communities across the world. In India, NTFPs are associated with socio-economic and cultural life of forest dependent communities inhabiting in wide ecological and geo-climatic conditions throughout the country. It is estimated that 275 million poor rural people in India, depend on NTFPs for at least part of their subsistence and cash livelihoods (Pandey, et al., 2016).Food and agricultural organization (FAO) of the United Nations defines NWFP as goods of biological origin other than wood derived from forests, other wooded land and trees outside forests. NWFPs are important in household food security. They are particularly important in reducing the shortages suffered during the hunger periods of the agricultural cycle. In rural India, NWFP is valued as component of social and agricultural identity. However, these use and values vary enormously from one area to the next (FAO, 1994). NWFPs are derived from a variety of sources such as plants (trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, palms), animals, (insects, birds, reptiles, large animals ), and a range of other sources. Different plant parts (e.g. roots, stems, barks, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits) often provide different NWFPs at different seasons of the year. Furthermore, NWFPs exhibit considerable variation in their use, with some consumed immediately on harvest ( e.g. fruits, fodder, wild meat), others after primary processing (e.g. edible nuts, bamboo, and rattans products), and still other proceedings through a series of downstream processing to meet market

Climate change is a natural phenomenon. It is not something xenobiotic in character, but of course, the intensity and pace with which the series of events is taking place are worth the concern and discussion. With the enhancing temperature and changing climatic conditions, a chain of events has occurred, and issue of water security is one among these. When it comes to climate change, the first thing that comes to mind is the major source of freshwater: glaciers and ice caps. Mountains being at the higher elevations are more vulnerable. Mountains are the first to get affected due to climate change. Glaciers in the mountains start receding first and trigger a domino effect, giving rise to enhanced temperature, melting of glaciers, floods, soil erosion, and scarcity of water resources, drying up of springs and streams, and thus overall degradation of the environment. Thus, the people in the mountains are the first to get affected. In the very beginning, when the scientific community throughout the globe took up this issue called it global warming. But over the period, they realized that the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide brought warming effects and several other consequences like untimely rains, snowfall, cyclones, thunderstorms, heavy storms, crop failure, etc. Severe droughts followed by a chain of reactions were observed at several places. The consensus was reached to call the whole event as climate change. So climate change has brought tremendous problems and pressures and the issue of water shortage is one of them. The water crisis is found in every area ranging from mild deficiency to acute shortage. We are well aware that glaciers are one of the most critical sources of freshwater. Directly or indirectly a large chunk of population is dependent on these lofty mountains. Mountains being the hometown of the big glaciers serve a big portion of society in the hills and yet bigger down streams. We are aware of the fact that one important concerns of climate change is melting glaciers. These melting glaciers directly impact water availability since glaciers are the origin and source of many Himalayan rivers like Chenab, Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Ganga, Yamuna, etc. Mountain people possess the treasure of native knowledge as how to manage their environments. They possess adequate skills required to tackle various problems specific to hill regions which include possession of technical know-how regarding agriculture, pastoralism, and forest and watershed management. As a case study, the Bhaderwah area is taken up, a part of the northwest of the Himalayas with a unique ecosystem. Still, difficulties are similar to any mountain ecosystem. The practice of transhumance is a routine activity in individual pockets of the area. They face challenges that can point to drivers of climate change and seasonal shift over the period. Simultaneously, the knowledge available with these people is unique, which can be used to adapt and overcome various difficulties arising out of changing climatic conditions in the mountains. Their indigenous knowledge can help us understand the problems and solutions present in the hills and lie unexplored with mountain people. Such studies act as a connecting link, a communication channel between the society and government agencies, and help us take up further necessary steps to utilize the mountain people’s knowledge in mitigating the various issues. Thus, the chapter is mainly focused on highlighting the intricate relationship between growing issue of climate change and diminishing water sources, the significant sources and patterns of utilization of water in the hilly regions and the matters of water wastage, public attitude, consequences, and conservation strategies with the help of a case study.

Wetlands are the ecotone with rich ground for the aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna. Wetlands are considered to be a natural ecosystem solution to extreme climate change. Climate resilience reflects as one of the prominent regulating services of wetlands. These are the unique ecosystems providing the unique services to the mankind. Water and its quality are the main factors for regulating the environment of wetlands. Unfortunately, wetlands like any other ecosystems are facing the threat from the increasing population and pollution. Over one such factor responsible for the deterioration is the impact of climate change. The changing climate due to the rise in the greenhouse gases particularly carbon dioxide has also impacted the functioning of the wetlands. Coastal wetlands likewise mangroves are the meeting points of fresh and marine aquatic environment. We know the water bodies around the globe are the worst-hit areas due to climate change and wetlands are no exception to this. On the other hand, the droughts affect the water level of these wetlands leading to their shrinkage and in turn the biodiversity of wetland ecosystem are the worst hit. The wetland ecosystem is significant for various functions such as food storage, water resource, pollution abatement, and the aquatic life, etc. It provides habitat for different species of flora and fauna along with various ecosystem services like environmental protection, pollution mitigation, and protection from cyclones, floods as well as local community livelihood. As the condition of wetland ecosystem of any particular region can give a glimpse of its conservation and management trend. Thus, the significance of the wetlands has been explained through one of the case studies from northeastern part of India. This case study highlights the understanding of climate change aspects related to the lake “Son Beel, wetland, the most significant wetland of Assam in particular and North East India in general with a great potential as Ramsar site designation for its great resource value and by ecosystem services. Son Beel offers a diversity of ecosystem services, which can be directly interlinked with the livelihood. Son Beel wetland is an essential natural infrastructure of disaster risk reduction offering flood mitigation and ensuring water security by recharging under-ground water Communities” access benefits in various ways viz. water, erosion check system, potable water, waste management, climate change policy, and Disaster Risk Reduction. Local inhabitants and communities have deep sacred beliefs in Son Beel because it protects them from the terrible risk of frequent floods and drought every year. People access nonmaterial benefits by spiritual, cognitive developmental, reflectional, recreational, and esthetic values. There is a need to ensure that wetland conservation, judicious use, and restoration are an integral part of sustainable development goals (SDGs) planning and implementation. Integrating wetlands services and benefits in Nationally Determined Contributions for the Paris Agreement on Climate change is critical for achieving SDGs. Rise in population, growing unplanned settlements, low rainfall; unsustainable agricultural practices are the primary cause of this wetland decline. This chapter highlights the significance of wetlands, factors responsible for their degradation with major focus on the climate change as one significant factor, and recommendations.

The appearance and fate of nanomaterials (NMs) also are new area of waste management. Information and techniques for investigations are minimal. Nonetheless, it is incredibly likely that nanomaterials used in several items or papers of one type would be in the waste stream. Environmental and environmental risks related to the treatment of nanowastes remain unexplored. Another factor is whether containing nanomaterials, consisting of recycling processes, will affect the waste management capabilities/performance. In comparison, nanomaterials may substitute certain substances that make products, for example, smarter or more efficient, to get into waste management sooner and potentially play a role in waste reduction. Draw up an overview of nanomaterial and waste-related scientific, health, and environmental problems, and assess the available recycling issues of environmental health significance are needed. One ultimate goal is to consider looking for identical statistics to compare the potential hazards associated with the existence of NMs in the waste. The emphasis is on eliminating consumer goods as waste and not creating waste anymore. Alternatively, instead of other residuals (e.g., cosmetics, containers, etc.), attention can be given to appliances and athletic equipment. Consciousness is usually on product forms and waste sources, where knowledge is at all available. Thus, the papers and studies that are indirectly available statistics are implicit delimitations; this research area is relatively new because of the reality. It has also sought to cover goods, however. Concerning incineration, its miles found it more relevant to observe the load and fate of particular NMs in respect of goods categories. After the initial activities, the spectrum can be similarly oriented and fabricated/designed nanomaterials to offer a selected character in a product. Besides, the commonly considered nanomaterials within the context of the EU concept supported. Nevertheless, most of the evidence sources examined no longer detailed nanomaterials in exercise, and as a result, all known sources of information about nanomaterials were included in the waste.

An expanding need for nanotechnology in different enterprises may cause a vast situation scattering of nanoparticles in the coming years. The most widely recognized recuperation technique utilized so far includes using magnets to isolate iron-containing nanoparticles from complex blends, including wastewater. A few strategies have additionally been produced for the extraction, partition, and re-utilization of costly gold nanoparticles from various fluids. Pollution of multiple contaminants similar to metal nanoparticles (MNPs), Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd Ag, Pb, etc. exists well known to cause toxicity on the aquatic ecosystem. Macrophytes like Trapa spp., Lemna spp., Eichhornia spp., Vallisneria spp., and Pistia spp., etc., will be used to remove the MNPs from the contaminated water in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way. Phytoremediation has been effectively actualized in various areas, including military destinations, agrarian fields, present-day units, mine dumps, sludge, and common wastewater treatment plants, by productive limit concerning expelling different natural and inorganic toxins through procedures, for example, extraction, debasement, or adjustment. Aquatic macrophytes speak to a diverse gathering of plants with a significant probability of expulsion/corruption into an assortment of pollutants, together with overwhelming metals, inorganic/natural poisons, radiogenic wastes, and explosives. The current examination highlights aquatic plants’ work through phytoremediation progressions utilizing reasonable gathering regardless of presence free-swimming, underwater, or developing. Understanding the top capacities of sea-going macrophytes their relevance for more extensive utilization in phytoremediation innovations with developed swamps is underlined.

An interesting aspect of nanotechnology is the remarkable size-dependent physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials that have led to the rise of synthesis procedures for nanomaterials across a range of sizes, shapes, and chemical compositions. This chapter will concentrate on the different methods such as electron irradiation, laser ablation, and chemical reduction, biological methods, photochemical methods; microwave processing, chemical vapour condensation (CVC), arc discharge, hydrogen plasma-metal reaction, and laser pyrolysis in the vapour phase. This chapter will also include the various characterization techniques for the conformation of nanomaterials such as UV-visible spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy (e.g., transmission electron microscopy [TEM], scanning electron microscopy [SEM], and atomic force microscopy [AFM]).

There's a growing concern in the influence of climate change with temperatures worldwide affecting public health and well-being. Over 50 years of aggregated research data show that human activities mainly led to global warming caused via the greenhouse effect of the high carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. Such impact rises in the ambient temperature and creates massive climatic disruptions like eroding land from raised sea levels because of the melting of the Antarctic and Arctic ice, droughts, spike the extent of storms and hurricanes, and floods in several regions. Universally, such unfavorable outcomes have ongoing damaging influences on almost all nations, however higher on low-middle-income countries, with adverse effects on sustainability and development, including the health and well-being of millions of individuals. Lately, the effect of climate change on waterborne infectious diseases has become clearer. Intense climatic events like storms might contaminate the recreational coastline waters, raising the danger of diarrhea and other waterborne infectious diseases. Polluting drinking water is an obvious reason for transmitting waterborne infectious diseases in intense water-associated climatic conditions. The plant system for treating water might become diminished because of massive rains. Climatic events affect insect vectors’ life cycle by influencing the reproduction and survival rates, habitat, prosperity, and transmission; similarly, it affects the proliferating and survival rates of the infectious agent inside the vector. This chapter explores climate change, effects on public health, and well-being, involving an expected rise of waterborne infectious diseases.

Municipal solid waste management is a humongous problem for majority of developing countries across the world. Spontaneous commercial, residential and infrastructural development due to population explosion has caused negative impacts on the inhabiting environment. Unplanned townscapes and lack of proper scientific and technical expertise in MSW management has complicated the problems further. In the current paper, we tried to investigate the root cause of such common urban problems considering Silchar Mini City as one of the fastest growing population hubs in south Assam. The population of the city is nearly two lakhs according to the census of 2011, thus generating around 85 MT (metric ton) of Municipal waste every day which consists of house hold waste (50%), market waste (39%), street waste (6%), and other commercial wastes including the E-waste in total (5%). The per capita rate of waste generation is 240-250 gram per day on average. The current study assesses the present trends, scopes and the way forward in sustainable municipal solid waste management in coming times in Silchar City. Such studies should also be undertaken for rapidly developing cities across India to generate a database of city wise waste generation across the country. This would also provide a roadmap for the techniques adopted in sustainable management of the waste.

The present study was focused on heavy metal distribution patterns and the associated ecological risk assessment in the adjoining sediment of the Hindon River in Muzaffarnagar Region (U.P.), India. Lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) were estimated from six sediment samples (Atali A and B, Budhana A and B, and Titavi A and B). The concentration of the heavy metals Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cd ranged from 25.5–74.7 mg kg−1, 29.8–40.6 mg kg−1, 7.0–29.2 mg kg−1, 14.7–21.8 mg kg−1, and 0.96–1.2 mg kg−1, respectively and followed the sequence Zn &gt, Pb &gt, Cu &gt, Ni &gt, Cd, while major elements followed the sequence Na &gt, Fe &gt, Al &gt, K. The enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) revealed that Atali A showed the highest enrichment and followed the sequence Zn &gt, Cd. Contamination factor (CF) and contamination degree (CD) depicted that all of the sites (except Titavi B) were moderately to considerably contaminated. The highest degree of contamination (CF, CD, and PLI, pollution load index) was observed at Titavi A followed by Atali A and Budhana A. Eco-toxicological risk assessment (RI) indicated that the sites were moderately contaminated, predominantly by Ni and Pb and Zn. The results revealed that the metal contamination in sediment is alarming and might pose an adverse threat to ecosystem health.

Son Beel wetland is facing ecosystem marginalization where ecosystem services aren’t being priced & reflected in decision making which proves complete market failure. Agricultural produce from converted lake does not reflect values lost due to flood protection, fisheries, biodiversity etc. People who deteriorate are not the same whose livelihoods are affected leading to continued degradation of the wetland. Wetlands governance has so far been failing to address sectoral policies providing incentives leads to wetlands depletion. Son Beel is the home to diversity of fishes in particular to an important habitat for small & tinny fishes. There are about 500 families engaged in the net building & designing and these fisher folk communities are linked this wetland to local market networks. It has been estimated by state government report and records that there are more than 35,000 families directly dependent on the Beel for traditional fishing system. Evergreen Forest comprises 40% peripheral area of the Beel. Son Beel is an important habitat for some reptiles and other various aquatic species. This wetland is home for migrant Siberian birds for 3 months every year. Son Beel is abundantly rich in fish biodiversity and around 69 different fish species are found among which small fishes are the most (D.Kar et. al, 2006). The economic value is the monetary value of goods & services offered by wetlands in which people’s preferences are expressed through choices & trade-offs. Total Economic Value (TEV) is the sum of the values of all wetland ecosystem services flows from providers to beneficiaries over the given spatial & temporal scales. Economic valuation is a powerful tool since it provides means to measure & quantify trade-offs between multiple wetland uses (Barbier et al., 1997) via monetary matrices. Valuation of wetland ecosystem in India has some major gaps likewise; the confusion of terminologies between intermediate & final ecosystem services, has led to double-counting that caninflate values that can seriously impact the credibility of economic valuation. (Johnston & Russel, 2011). The gap of methodological challenges in linking ecosystem characteristics to final ecosystem services is a serious constraint to current valuation process. Lack of clear guidance on relating ecological compensation programmes to conservation targets is a major loophole in ecosystem valuation in India. We tried the best to mitigate these gaps in the ecosystem valuation of Son Beel Wetland. Major aim & objective of our valuation is to provide useful information inputs to the wetland governance to sustain wetland for multiple benefits. Development of ecological production functions & non market valuation methods need ecological & social data which is currently unavailable in India. We shall produce this paper before the State Government of Assam to take adequate measures in protection & conservation of wetlands. We estimated monetary value of Son Beel is from a minimum of $88/Hectare/year to maximum of $29,716/Hectare/Year. Son Beel wetland comprises a vast biodiversity of flora & fauna. This wetland offers a wide range of ecosystem services that helps not only mitigating the impact of climate change but also provides a natural solution to climate related risk reduction. The Son Beel (Shon Beel) is not only an important wetland of Karimganj district of Assam but it is considered as one of the largest wetlands of Asia. The Son Beel wetland lies in Ramkrishna Nagar (Town) block of Karimganj district. Son Beel offers local an agricultural landscape for the production of rice during winter season when water level in the wetland declines drastically to utilize the peripheral regime as paddy bowls of the State. From March onwards, it turns up into an enormous mass of water body. The average depth of this wetland is very less so when there is more rain, the lake overflows and the excess water flows through by Kakra River and finally mix with the Kushira River which eventually goes into Bangladesh (Kar 1990).We did a holistic valuation of this wetland ecosystem from January, 2016 to December, 2018 which signifies significant role of Son Beel in offering multiple ecosystem services that provides water security, climate security, vulnerability reduction against water related disaster risks etc. Ecosystem services are the benefits that the people, society & the economy receive from nature. For example: water provision & purification, flood & storm control, carbon storage & climate regulation, food & materials provision, scientific knowledge, recreation & tourism (MA, 2005a; TEEB, 2010, TEEB, 2011). Wetlands work as natural infrastructure & networks of natural ecosystems that delivers a range of important ecosystem services (Krchnak et al., 2011). Even with active restoration interventions, once wetlands have been disturbed, they either recover slowly (over decades or centuries) or move towards alternate states that differ from their original (pre-disturbance) state (Moreno-Mateos et al. 2012; Mossman et al. 2012). In whatever case may be, loss & degradation of wetlands leads loss of depletion of economic benefits of the ecosystem services, restoration of wetlands can restore some of those benefits & hence deliver high economic benefit. Son Beel Wetland ecosystem services in the management of water & wetland can help identify opportunities for: (1) better harnessing & maintaining the multiple benefits that ecosystem services related to water & Beel provide; (2) developing more cost-effective strategies than conventional technical solutions can offer; & (3) avoiding costs related to biodiversity depletion & ecosystem services. We adopted TEEB, 2010 & TEEB, 2011 for our valuation of Son Beel Wetland. We have studied a set of case studies on wetland valuation in India. Overall 4 valuation methodologies we have considered & put the values in set of variables of Provisioning Services/PS, Regulating Services/RS, Supporting Services/SS & Cultural Services/CS. • Revealed Preference: observing real market behaviour (Market price, production function approaches, surrogate market approaches including travel cost/Hedonic pricing) • Cost Based Approaches: focus on cost related ecosystem services (damage/replacement/maintenance expenditure) • Stated Preferences: observing hypothetical market behaviour • Benefit Transfer: Values imputed from an existing assessment. Agenda 2030 provides a broader roadmap for national & international policy action for governments, civil society, private sector & other State/Non-State actors to achieve SDGs for our present & future generations. Son Beel provides a wide range of natural capital flow in terms ecosystem services for the life & livelihood of people & community. We need to ensure that wetland conservation, wise use & restoration are an integral part to SDGs planning & implementation. Integrating wetlands services & benefits in Nationally Determined Contributions for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is critical for achieving SDGs. Placing a value on nature’s ecosystem services shouldn’t be misconstrued as ‘putting a price on nature. The authors will strongly recommend the site should declare as Ramsar site of Wetland or such constructive steps should take by the authorities for its better conservation.