Veena U. Joshi

Emissions from Burning Biofuels in Metal Cookstoves

Promoting stoves that burn wood and other biofuels more efficiently is one of the means to reduce fuel consumption, but such efficient stoves may also emit more carbon monoxide and total suspended particulates. In an earlier study, a standard chamber method was proposed to estimate emission factors from burning fuelwood (Acacia nilotica). Here that methodology is extended to measure emission factors from burning of dungcakes and crop residues (Brassica or mustard stalks)—common fuels in many developing countries. The amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) and total suspended particulates (TSP) emitted by four different models of stoves, when using each of the three biofuels, are measured.The CO emission factors range from 13–68 (g/kg) for fuelwood to 26–67 g/kg for dungcakes and 20–114 g/kg for crop residues, for particulates they range from 1.1–3.8 to 4.1–7.8 and 2.1–12.0 g/kg for the three fuels, respectively. On a per unit heat delivered basis, the emissions of CO and TSP from both dungcakes and crop residues are two to three times higher compared to those from fuelwood. While for some “improved” stove-fuel combinations, the increase in emission factors was offset by the increase in thermal efficiency, this was not always so and causes a dilemma. The more efficient stoves are found to have higher emission factors of both CO and TSP for all three fuels. Emissions per standard task (i.e, on a unit heat delivered basis) is proposed as a criterion to evaluate cookstoves.

Application of Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) to recently reclaimed badlands along the Adula and Mahalungi Rivers, Pravara Basin, Maharashtra

The rapid erosion of soil by wind and water has been a problem since man began cultivating the land. Moreover soil erosion, as a hazard, has always been associated mainly with agriculture in the tropical and semi-arid areas. Soil loss through rill, gully and sheet erosion is a major environmental problem in India. Among all the predictive equations developed to estimate soil loss, the most accepted, used, convenient and suitable technique, for smaller areas like hillslopes and fields, is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). This method has been applied to the cultivated fields on either side of the gullied banks of the Adula and Mahalungi rivers, to estimate soil loss from fields under different crops. Rainfall data from the IMD has been used for the purpose. Field slope measurements, textural analysis of soil and determination of soil organic matter have also been carried out. Finally the soil loss has been computed from the generated data. The results have been used to ascertain whether the soil loss in the area is within or beyond the tolerance limit. It has been found that the soil loss in these areas have exceeded the tolerance limit and hence require due attention.

The Chambal Badlands

Chambal Badlands of central India are one of the most extensive badlands in the world, and are one of the four severely dissected landscapes within the Middle Alluvial Ganga Plains (MGAP). This extensive dissected landscape with labyrinth of winding gullies has offered refuge to outlaws for centuries. Badlands or ravines generally but not exclusively occur in semi-arid and arid areas with erodible rocks. These areas, dominated by surface erosion by overland flow and gullies, are characterized by heavily dissected terrains with steep slopes and channels separated by sharp ridges. The gullies rapidly incise and extend headward. Evidence suggests that the evolution of the badlands along the Chambal River coincided with the incision of the river as a result of the strengthening of SW monsoon in the early Holocene. Lineament controlled block uplifts might have also affected these areas causing the streams to rejuvenate, inducing widespread gullying in the region. Evidence such as ruins of former settlements, and remains of temple foundations suggests that these badlands were formed and/or rapidly extended during the recent historical period. The possibility of further expansion of the badlands in response to human interference is expected in the future.

Estimating soil loss from a watershed in Western Deccan, India, using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation

USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) is the original and the most widely accepted soil loss estimation technique till date which has evolved from a design tool for conservation planning to a research methodology all across the globe. The equation has been revised and modified over the years and became a foundation for several new soil loss models developed all around the world. The equation has been revised as RUSLE by Renard et al. (1991) and is computed in GIS environment. The Revised equation is landuse independent which makes it a useful technique to apply in a variety of environment. The present paper is an attempt to estimate soil loss from a semi-arid watershed in Western Deccan, India by employing RUSLE. The region is a rocky terrain and sediments are restricted to only a few localities. The result indicates that the region is at the threshold of soil tolerance limit.

Geotouristic Value of Badlands

Abstract Badlands occur in dissected landscapes on all continents and are of interest to tourists for their landscape and aesthetic value. People choose these eroded landforms as tourist destinations to pursue active tourism, movie tourism and geotourism. The geotouristic value of badlands varies across the world: some of them are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and attract hundreds of thousands of tourists per year; others, located in less accessible areas without tourist infrastructure are only known to scientists and adventure tourists. Global geotourism is now developing primarily within geoparks, some of which contain a small number of badlands. Establishing new geoparks containing badland areas will increase the attraction and conservation of these unique geomorphic features on Earth.

Soil Loss Estimation based on RUSLE along the Central Hunter Valley Region, NSW, Australia

Soil erosion by water has been a major problem since man introduced agriculture in the landscape. Soil erosion is a common hazard which is steadily increasing as a result of human activities in many parts of the world. Hunter Valley of NSW is located in subtropical eastern Australia. The region is known for its diversity in landscape that includes wide floodplains, extensive estuarine wetlands, undulating country, escarpments and rugged sandstone gorges. The region is also well known for wine production. The Hunter Valley has a long history of soil erosion following the European settlement 150 years ago. Currently there have been renewed human activities in the south central part of the region for coal mining, leading to clearance of vegetation and disturbance of soil. The present study addresses the issue of soil erosion in a part of Hunter Region by employing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE, Renard et al., 1977) model. The results indicate that the average annual soil loss from the area is 0.7 kg/m2/year, which is well beyond the tolerance limit of the soil. Statistical relationships between soil loss and each parameter of the RUSLE equation were obtained and it was found that C factor has significant influence on the average soil loss in the area. An overall picture that emerges out of the study is that the region is continuing to suffer as a result of disturbance in natural environment from the historical times till present.

Soil loss estimation by field measurements in the badlands along Pravara river (Western India)

Nearly 4 million hectares of land in India is affected by rill and gully erosion. It is a severe form of soil erosion rendering vast tracts of lands into wastelands giving rise to the formation of badlands. Rate of land degradation through gullying is triggered recently due to the ill-advised landuse practices all over the country. The study area represents one such badland locality along the banks of Pravara river and two of its tributaries in the Deccan trap region, Maharashtra. The area is extensively reclaimed in the last two decades for agricultural practices. The rates in the cross profile changes as well as land lowering were measured with the help of a self fabricated micro-profilometer and erosion pin method. Five first order gullies were monitored using the micro-profilometer. Results of the micro-profilometer technique reveal considerable changes in the cross-sectional areas of individual gullies in this area, which shows the dynamic soil removal mechanism operating in this region. In addition to this, two well developed gully catchments were surveyed using a theodolite and erosion pins were installed in these basins in May 2007. After one year, the exposed pinheads were measured and net gain and net loss in the volume of the sediments were calculated for both the basins. The same practice continued in May 2009. After two years of monitoring the sediment yields were calculated. Average of these two years indicates an annual sediment yield of 1.79 kg/m2 for sample basin 1 and 0.76 kg/m2 for sample basin 2. The calculated yield was compared with the threshold values of soil tolerance limits and it was found that the area has crossed the threshold limit of soil tolerance.