Frozen landscapes: climate-adaptive design interventions in Ladakh and Zanskar

During the course of the past three decades, a number of subsistence agricultural villages in the Himalayan mountain range have witnessed ever-shrinking glaciers and an increasingly erratic supply of glacial meltwater. Having relied on these relatively stable reserves for crop irrigation for centuries, today’s high-Himalayan farmers must now contend with irregular weather patterns and events, such as drought, mudslides and cloudbursts. In the face of this shifting landscape, many farming villages have responded by altering long-standing agricultural practices in an effort to adapt to a changing climate. In this context, the incorporation of frozen landscape infrastructures can help to control the flow of surface meltwater, direct valuable water resources and stockpile irrigation reserves in the form of ice and snow. This article describes three types of frozen landscape design interventions currently employed in northern India: artificial glaciers, ice stupas and snow barrier bands. Although these constructs have been designed by engineers rather than landscape architects, they contribute to a larger body of climate-adaptive design solutions that suggest a way forward in the face of the unstable environmental pressures of the future. As landscape architects and designers look for opportunities to intervene in the climate crisis, the nascent frozen landscapes of northern India present ideas for climate change adaptive design work to build upon.     

中印城市发展之对比

从城市在经济发展中的作用的角度,从城市发展、城市化过程中的主要特点、根本结构差异、相同利益等方面,对中国和印度这两个世界上人口最多的国家的城市进行比较,并与西方发达国家进行简要对比,在现有数据基础上对比分析两者的异同点.两国城市发展的经验再次证明,城市既是国家发展的动力也是经济发展的结果,城市化与社会经济发展过程直接相关.     

Effects of a Barite Mine on Ground Water Quality in Andhra Pradesh,India

Abstract.  An investigation was undertaken to determine the effects of a large barite mining operation on local ground water quality near Mangampeta,Andhra Pradesh, India.Water samples were collected from drinking water wells in the mining and adjacent regions. The drinking water in the mining region had sulphate concentrations that ranged from 211 to 589 mg/L, compared to sulphate concentrations of 25 mg/L or less in the non-mined areas. The natural existence of barite and the widespread mine waste dumps at Mangampeta are believed to be responsible for the higher levels of sulphate in the ground water.     

Contextuality and computer-mediated communication: a cross cultural comparison

The purpose of this study is to assess the applicability of Hall’s cultural dimension of contextuality to computer-mediated communication (CMC) in internet forums. A content analysis of 376 postings from German (a low-context culture) and Indian (a high-context culture) internet forums was conducted. The results partially validate the explanatory power of contextuality. Congruent with Hall’s cultural perspective, it was found that Indians disclose less private information in online discussions than Germans. Furthermore, Indians used more emoticons than their German counterparts, reflecting the higher importance of nonverbal communication in high-context cultures.     

印度木材工业现状与中国木工机械的竞争优势

介绍印度森林资源状况、木材工业现状及其发展前景,分析中国木工机械在印度的市场机会。     

Rehabilitation and Preservation of the St. Lourdes Church, Tiruchirappalli

This paper reports the rehabilitation of the historic St. Lourdes Church in Tiruchirappalli, India. The structure is a critical landmark and a significant representation of religious buildings in the area. Inspections of the Gothic style masonry church were completed in 1998, where distress and decay due to water damages were identified and repaired using lime-based materials. A subsequent inspection 10 years later indicated that remains a critical issue. This case study demonstrates the importance of rehabilitation of historic structures using appropriate construction techniques including possible alternative rehabilitation approaches to ensure the preservation of these structures.     

Public involvement in environmental impact assessment: a case study of hydro development in Kullu District,Himachal Pradesh,India

The Governments of India and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh (HP) recently adopted policy changes intended to expedite development approvals for power projects. This paper focuses on the 1997 changes to the Environmental Protection Act that establish procedures for public hearings as a component of EIA. Three hydro project public hearings in the Kullu District (HP) in 1998 show that public involvement andpublic hearing processes are in their nascent stages despite the rapid pace of development. Many constraints, such as inaccessibility of information, lack of familiarity with EIA, and lack of institutional capacity, hinder serious public involvement. Public concerns focused on safety issues (blasting), new road construction and jobs, with little consideration of environmental impact.     

Robert Gill and his Circle of Friends in India

The author examines a series of photographic albums in different collections: The ‘Biden Albums’ numbered 1 to 7, and the Gill/Johnston album, all of which are in the Alkazi Collection, New Delhi, as well as the British Library's Allardyce Album. The albums contain photographs of and by Robert Gill, James Johnston, Horatio Biden and others, taken in Western India during the 1860s. Through a close analysis of the images, the author reveals Robert Gill's professional and social connections, and presents a more comprehensive account of his work and life than has hitherto been given.     

About Aluminium India 2008

Aluminium India 2008 International Trade Show ＆ Conference supported by the Ministry of Mines and Cosponsored by the Ministry of Science ＆ Technology, Govt. of India was held during February 22-24, 2008 at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India.     

Enhancing urban planning using simplified models: SIMPLAN for Ahmedabad,India

Urban planners are faced with the decision of what planning policy to pursue in order to achieve the best possible future. Many cities in developed nations use comprehensive models that simulate various aspects of the urban system, capable of predicting implications of a given set of policy inputs, to assist the planning process. However, in developing countries, demographic and socioeconomic data with appropriate spatial disaggregation are difficult to obtain. This constrains the development of such comprehensive urban models to support planning decisions. In the absence of models, the plan-making process usually inclines towards a more intuitive approach.