The Kerala government on Monday decided to waive off rent for three months for all the IT/ITeS companies who have taken up to 10,000 square ft of space for operating in government-owned buildings.

Various industry associations flagged concerns related to salaries, labour and liquidity, and sought structural reforms to be instituted at the earliest

TGBL has transitioned its complete infrastructure landscape on public cloud to enable digital transformation across our business. It translated into benefits like infrastructure flexibility and elasticity and what’s more helped TGBL realize 15% reduction in infrastructure hosting and managed services cost.

In conversation with ETCIO, Biswabrata Chakravorty, CIO, IndusInd bank shares how innovative and cutting-edge modes of banking such as video, gesture, and Whatsapp are all adding to customer experience.

Realising that Public Cloud is not the single solution towards their digital journey, 91 per cent of Indian enterprises are already in the process of rebalancing their Cloud strategy, a new report said on Thursday.

How India Inc is navigating the challenges of taking production applications to the cloud.

Misconfigurations are the primary cause of cyber security issues in the Cloud, according to a new report.

The data centre market, currently pegged at around $4 billion, is likely to grow to $7 billion by 2020 or 2022, say industry players.

In an interaction with ETCIO, Krishnan Venkateswaran, Chief Digital & Information Officer, Titan, explains how augmented intelligence and machine learning are being leveraged for innovating design & creativity in the company.

In a free-wheeling conversation with ETCIO, Krishnan Venkateswaran, Chief Digital & Information Officer, Titan, reveals how working closely with multiple best-of-breed technology providers has helped the company in serving customers better.

In conversation with ETCIO, Subodh Kumar, CTO, Magicbricks, shares how data comprising 75 attributes has helped the company generate 60% more quality leads

New research indicates that successful integration of conservation into local land-use planning needs a combination of regulatory measures and community values. This could be encouraged by better education on conservation, and greater collaboration between neighbouring geographical areas.

Assessing the environmental condition of sediments and bottom waters of coastal and marine ecosystems over wide geographic areas can be a problem when indicators used to evaluate specific ecological conditions cannot be easily compared. A recent study suggests that a common scale of assessment can be established by experts from different regions using "best professional judgement".

A new study of European river restoration projects has indicated that their impact on the physical characteristics of rivers depends on the region, river type and restoration approach. However, regardless of the river, region or approach, impacts on the biodiversity of riverbed species is limited. Larger scale projects could be more effective.

Ponds are considered to be ideal early warning systems that can be used to assess the effects of climate change at the local level. A recent study suggests warmer temperatures are likely to significantly increase the number of species found in ponds in temperate areas, especially at high altitudes. However, despite an overall increase, some species would also become extinct.

Restoring ecosystems in estuaries and along coasts is an important part of European environmental policy. A new analysis of degraded ecosystems has indicated that, although some restoration can take less than five years, when there has been a century of degradation, it can take a minimum of 15-25 years.

As the climate changes, animal species are predicted to adapt by moving northwards so they can remain within their preferred temperature range. Now, researchers have found that bird and butterfly populations are not keeping up with changing temperatures and, on average, European bird and butterfly species lag around 212km and 135km, respectively, behind climate changes.

New research has outlined a four-step approach to multipurpose wetland creation or restoration: clarifying the objectives, defining the scale and analysing possible conflicts, before finally defining a strategy.

Conservation policy needs to take account of diverse cultural views about the value of different species, according to the results of a new study. Widely differing views of the relative importance of marine species ??? from algae to mammals ??? emerged when the researchers surveyed people across Europe.

There is a recognised need for a more comprehensive system to observe, track and compare biodiversity across the world. Three years ago a global network was established to help reach this goal. It has identified the necessary characteristics for such an integrated system and possible ways in which integration can occur.

New research suggests that many Ruffs are changing their migratory route when flying north to their breeding grounds in northern Europe and to Asia from Africa. This is because their food supply has been reduced by the effects of intensive agriculture in the Netherlands, where they commonly stop off, causing them to shift eastwards to stopping-off points in Eastern Europe instead.

It is possible to balance agricultural production with improved biodiversity on farmland, according to researchers. A new study suggests using a combination of land sharing techniques, which enhance biodiversity on existing farmland, with land separation techniques, which designate separate areas for conservation and farmland production.

The ecological impacts of micro wind turbines (up to 50 kW) are treated in a diverse way by different local authorities in the UK during the planning approval process, research suggests. The study calls for ecologists, policymakers, planners and industry representatives to improve the integration of ecological information within planning, and for greater guidance for local authorities on the ecological considerations of micro-turbines.

Seagrass restoration projects could effectively mitigate climate change, capturing up to 1337 tons of CO₂ per hectare after 50 years, new research suggests. If a carbon tax system was in place, the researchers add, these schemes would likely provide returns at least equal to the initial investment needed, assuming the tax was set at an appropriate level.

A new approach to predicting whether a degraded ecosystem can be successfully restored is presented in a recent study. The researchers who developed it show how it works with the case of peatland restoration. Their method uses a computer model to link restoration success or failure with plant species and management techniques on the sites.

Increasing temperatures and rising ocean acidification could reduce the health and survival of young sharks, new research has shown. Bamboo shark embryos incubated under ocean temperatures and acidity predicted for 2100 showed survival rates of 80% compared to 100% survival under present-day conditions. Once hatched, survival measured at 30 days was only 44% for those under predicted climate change conditions, again compared to 100% for those experiencing current temperature and acidity.

Conserving West African coastal waters is also important for conserving European seabirds, suggests new research. The study shows that both adult and juvenile northern gannets and Scopoli’s shearwaters migrate to coastal waters of West Africa for winter. However, they are at risk of death from unsustainable and illegal fishing activities in this region.

Bumblebees are negatively affected by the insecticide azadirachtin even at concentrations 50 times lower than the recommended levels used by farmers, recent laboratory experiments have revealed. No males hatched in laboratory colonies that were fed on recommended levels of the pesticide and, even at concentrations 50 times lower, the males that did hatch were deformed, and there were significantly fewer compared to an untreated colony.

The invasion of the American mink (Neovison vison) is linked to a shift in the adult sex ratio of the native European polecat (Mustela putorius) across its entire range, a new study has discovered. Through aggressive competition, the American mink has decreased the number of reproductive female European polecats. This is the first study to identify such an effect upon a native species across its entire range in Europe.

A new long-term monitoring study is the first to demonstrate that climate changes are having divergent effects on populations of bird species across Europe and the United States. The study identifies broad-scale impacts on the abundance of common bird species over a 30-year period, to show that, overall, populations of bird species across both continents are being affected by changes in climate. The research adds to a growing body of evidence that climate change is affecting biodiversity either positively or adversely, depending on species’ climate preferences.

The impact of ocean acidification — caused by increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions dissolving in sea water — on Atlantic cod larvae has been assessed in a new study. The researchers estimate that, under scenarios which might be reached at the end of the century, ocean acidification could double the mortality rate of cod larvae, reducing replenishment of juvenile fish into cod fisheries to 24% of previous recruitment.

A team of UK researchers has analysed interviews with a selection of farmers from across England in an effort to determine the sociocultural factors influencing their decisions to cooperate with each other on collaborative agri-environment schemes (cAES). Results from this study have significance for the success of AES in the region, as it may be that only by collaborating on such schemes can farmers adequately conserve crucial landscape-scale ecological processes. The study finds that cAES which provide greater flexibility, with opportunities for farmer involvement in scheme design and locally targeted and clearly defined aims, are more likely to gain support from farmers. Farmers might also be more receptive to environmental interventions if they could be partially involved in cAES.

Results-based agri-environment measures are an alternative to management-based measures that, in certain circumstances, could be both more effective and more cost-efficient, since their payment depends on the provision of the desired conservation outcome. This study reviews the success of a scheme, introduced in Germany in 2000, to preserve biodiversity in species-rich grassland.

A new study suggests that Earth’s ongoing mass extinction episode is more severe than generally perceived. Rather than focusing on the complete extinction of entire species, researchers analysed the losses and declines of populations in a sample of 27 600 vertebrate species. Population declines and losses are often a prelude to species extinctions. Researchers also conducted a more in-depth analysis of population losses between 1900–2015 in 177 mammal species. The results reveal that rates of population loss and decline in vertebrates are extremely high, even in common “species of low concern”. The data indicates that, in addition to significant species extinction rates, the Earth is experiencing a huge episode of population decline and loss, which will have a significant effect on ecosystem functioning and services. The researchers warn that the window for effective action is closing rapidly and emphasise the need for an urgent response.

New research has supported a more thorough integration of toxic mixture assessments into two major pieces of EU legislation: REACH and the Water Framework Directive. It recommended constructing a database of harmful chemicals in the environment which, among other uses, could assess mixture toxicity using a 'Concentration Addition' method.

A new tool that predicts the effects of complex mixtures in water has shown promising results. It correctly predicted the impacts of toxic mixtures on the model species Daphnia magna, or water fleas, in over 90 per cent of cases.

Unprotected workers exposed to airborne nanoparticles face a potential health risk from carbon black and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, according to a recent study. Reducing airborne nanoparticle contamination to acceptable levels can be achieved by using a workplace filter ventilation system and personal respirators.

The use of nanomaterials in consumer goods is growing, as is their presence in waste. A new study is the first to follow the fate of engineered nanoparticles through the entire waste incineration chain. The results indicate current filter technology is effective in removing nanoparticles from flue gas, but that nanoparticles also bind to residues, such as fly ash and slag, which eventually end up in landfill.

To date, it has been difficult to collect data that are robust enough to demonstrate specific effects of chemical pollution in rivers on aquatic wildlife. However, a recent study combining detailed chemical, toxicological and ecological data in three European river basins now provides evidence linking cause and effect by revealing significant differences in the effects of differently polluted sediments on the organisms living in the river basins and the riverbed biodiversity.

Combinations of antibiotics have been found in high enough concentrations to pose a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems, in a recent Spanish study. Antibiotics can have toxic effects on the bacteria and algae that form the basis of aquatic ecosystems.

A model for chemical use that involves collaboration between suppliers and end-users could benefit both parties as well as the environment, according to recent research. In a Serbian case study, a bottled water manufacturer reduced its costs, water and chemicals consumption, and production of hazardous wastewater when it collaborated with its supplier of lubricant for factory conveyor belts using the ‘Chemical Leasing’ model.

Farmers could help to maintain populations of bees and other pollinators by sowing inexpensive seed mixes on their land, a new study suggests. Researchers surveyed pollinators visiting study plots in Berkshire, UK, and explored how sowing different seed mixes and using different management techniques affected the flowers produced and the pollinators visiting them.

Ash from waste incineration can be made safer simply by mixing it with rice husks, water and other forms of waste ash at temperatures under 100 °C, according to new research. Once dried, the end product not only locks away toxic metals lead and zinc, but also stores carbon. Furthermore, it can be used in the polymer industry to lower costs, improve polymer properties and reduce the use of natural resources.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sustainable approach to reduce pesticide use and risks of adverse effects on human health and the environment. However, its adoption by European farmers cannot be based only on mandatory regulation by the European Union, a new study suggests. The research identified four key factors driving IPM adoption; including market forces, policy instruments and farmers’ attitudes to the environment.

Phosphorus can be extracted in viable quantities from fly ash, a by-product created when municipal solid waste is burnt in incinerators, according to research conducted in Sweden. Sufficient phosphorus could be recovered from the country’s incinerators to meet 30% of the Swedish annual demand for mineral fertilisers, say the researchers.

Aeration is an effective means of eliminating antidepressants from landfill leachate, a new study finds. The concentrations of five different drugs were reduced by this treatment process, which could be an effective means of tackling the growing problem of pharmaceutical infiltration into aquatic environments.

Cereal fields provide a staple food, but are also home to a wide array of invertebrates. This study analysed over 40 years of data to investigate the effects of extreme weather, climate and pesticide use on invertebrates in cereal fields in southern England. As pesticide use had a greater effect on abundance than temperature or rainfall, the authors also recommend reducing pesticide use.

Nutrient leaching, the movement of plant nutrients from soil to water, can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems due to eutrophication, which reduces the oxygen available in water, causing species and habitat loss. Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA), which is based on ecological principles and integrates crop production and animal husbandry, may limit this effect. This study investigated the impact of ERA on agricultural fields in Finland, showing that the practice can reduce nitrogen leaching and may help to achieve agricultural nitrogen-reduction targets.

Environmental risk assessment is challenging because of the complexity of the physical and ecological systems around us. Natural disasters, the spread of dangerous substances, ecosystem changes leading to food and health security issues, and the emergence of new materials, new events and new knowledge make it essential to update our understanding continually, to be able to identify threats and opportunities for timely action. This Thematic Issue presents some collaborative and integrated paths towards forward-thinking assessment and management of environmental risks.