EDITORIAL : THE HINDU, INDIA

Saving the western jewels

The inclusion of the Western Ghats in the World Heritage List by UNESCO is a fitting tribute to one of the most fragile and ecologically sensitive areas of the world. These montane forests and their rich biological diversity were included in the very first list of ‘global biodiversity hotspots’ drawn up by scientists at the turn of the century. Today, the Ghats are considered one of eight “hottest hotspots”. With their official listing as natural heritage, India commits itself under the UNESCO Convention to conserve, protect and transmit the 39 chosen sites spread across nearly 8,000 square kilometres to future generations. The challenge to protect the Western Ghats, however, is much bigger because the area of these mountains assessed by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel encompasses a total of 129,037 sq km. This is a vast swathe of ecologically unique habitat, which significantly influences the Indian monsoon. The WGEEP has, in its report, treated the entire region as an ecologically sensitive zone, while recommending that some sub-regions be treated as more sensitive and given higher levels of protection.

India is required by virtue of its participation in the UNESCO Convention to let the listed natural heritage sites “function in the life of the community” and promote scientific and technical studies to counteract harm. The national record on both these counts has been uninspiring and often negative. On the one hand, the Centre has been unable to foster an effective people-driven conservation paradigm using the Forest Rights Act, while on the other, it has been consistently hostile to independent scientific research in protected areas. The new global recognition accorded to some parts of the Western Ghats should help change that, and secure international assistance for conservation. What comes as a source of worry is the approach of some State governments to the larger question of nature protection. Karnataka wanted 10 sites withdrawn from the list submitted to UNESCO, presumably because it wanted to avoid greater scrutiny of incompatible activities such as mining. Kerala, which is keen to have a hydroelectric project at Athirapilly in the forests, has also reacted negatively to the idea of conservation. These trends do not bode well for natural heritage protection. It is beyond argument that the Western Ghats in their entirety represent irreplaceable natural capital, and any people-friendly policy should spare them damaging, extractive pressures that can only aid short-term commerce. Moreover, it should be less problematic now to compensate any financial loss resulting from protection, as India can seek international assistance for a World Heritage site.

Viva La Roja!

If Spain’s status as the greatest football side of this generation was ever in any doubt, its emphatic Euro 2012 triumph should settle the matter once and for all. Vicente del Bosque’s outfit put on a compelling exhibition of belligerence in Kiev to conquer the continent again, silencing critics and destroying a spent Italian team. No other country has defended the European championships or won three major international tournaments on the trot; it can safely be assumed that these feats will not be matched in the foreseeable future. But beyond the results and the mountain of statistical firsts, it is del Bosque and Spain’s unflinching commitment to their style of play — the tiki-taka, a game built on absolute control of the ball and demanding fiendish levels of skill — that deserves to be lauded. It has prompted accusations — born mostly out of resentment – of Spain being boring, but if games have seemed dull, it is simply because opponents have been unable to win the ball back. No praise is too high for the masterful midfielders Xavi Hernández and Andres Iniesta, who have been pillars of their Barcelona side for a while now. They were exemplary on Sunday night for their nation, playing a direct hand in three of the four goals.

For Italy, there is no humiliation in defeat. This team has demolished clichés by playing fine attacking football, and undoubtedly deserved to be in the final. Were it not for the quality of the opposition, another journey that began with scandal in the backdrop could have ended in a trophy. Coach Cesare Prandelli must take a lot of the credit for the turnaround. He picked the side up from the depths of the 2010 World Cup campaign and set out to “make people fall in love with the Azzurri again”. He will take pride in the outcome. Euro 2012 will be remembered as one of the better international competitions of recent times, and with more thrilling encounters in the knock-out rounds could have gone down as one of the great ones. There were numerous standout individual performances, while the group stages made for thoroughly entertaining viewing. Hosts Ukraine and Poland can pat themselves on a job well done for the most part. There was the ugly fracas involving Polish and Russian fans, and alleged racist behaviour from supporters that saw the Spanish, Russian, Croatian and German national football associations fined. But reports on locals and their hospitality have largely been glowing. In the aftermath of the tournament, the Spanish position in the pantheon of the best teams ever will be debated. Wherever they may rank del Bosque’s charges, it won’t be very far from the top.