As on August 20, 2020 there were 29.05 lakh confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. The halfway stage to this number was crossed on July 27, which means the present doubling has happened in 24 days. But the next doubling, at the current rate of growth, would happen only after 30 days, signalling a possible slowdown. Close to three-quarters of the infected people have already recovered from the disease. However, till date around 60,500 people have succumbed to the disease. This suggests that: the infection is still increasing but at a lower pace than before; most people recover, but there is (low?) mortality. This means we need to learn to live with COVID-19-much as we have learnt to live with common cold (also a coronavirus) from which also most people recover, but to which some of the infected people do succumb. Consequently, today personal safety is important-include the wearing of masks, social distancing, and frequent hand washing, sanitization of workplaces and temperature screening. I would stress that we need to reclaim and regain our lives and lifestyles-but with these significant changes.

In this issue of TerraGreen, we look at conserving turtles as part of fishing. Each year, many sea turtles are accidentally captured, injured or killed by fishermen. Many of these injuries and deaths take place while turtles are migrating through fishing areas. The turtles, attracted to the bait, get caught on the hooks used to catch fish. With each passing day, due to different anthropogenic activities and climatic conditions, the turtle population is declining throughout the world. This month’s cover story ‘Conserving Turtles in Tamil Nadu’s Fishing Village’ highlights that in the small coastal fishing village of Vanagiri, in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, some fishermen have turned into environmental conservationists by conserving turtles since 2009, while continuing their own fishing lifestyles. Part of this is by adapting changed fishing practices. This is because turtles face many hurdles due to current fishing practices. Modern fishing nets and speeding boats challenge their very survival today. With the collaborative efforts of the Forest Department and NGOs, local fishermen have modified their fishing habits due to the increased awareness, and their actions conserve turtles in this village. This is a good omen- and this practice should be followed in other coastal areas, not only in India but globally as well.

In this month’s feature article, ‘Making Space for Nature in Our Cities, the author makes a strong case for preserving and enhancing urban biodiversity, not only to ensure a proper functioning of ecological processes, but also for the capacity of the urban area to absorb changing ecological conditions. Biodiversity in cities also helps in regulation of ecosystem processes such as urban temperature regulation, noise reduction, air purification, run-off mitigation and pollination, pest regulation, seed dispersal and waste treatment. Ecological infrastructure like water areas and vegetation in cities regulates local temperatures and buffers the effects of urban heat islands. Significantly, maintaining healthy biodiversity contributes significantly to the enhanced resilience of a city in the face of climate emergency. Trees in cities act as carbon sinks by storing carbon as biomass during photosynthesis that can potentially slow down the accumulation of atmospheric carbon. Biodiversity parks, theme gardens and parks are good public spaces within cities that are home to large tree cover, as well as provide environmental, economically and recreational benefits.

With these articles and many other current stories, we hope that you enjoy reading this issue of TerraGreen. Do share your feedback with us.