Freshwater animals are vanishing faster than those on land or at sea. But captive-breeding programs hold out hope.

The Ousteri Lake is the most important fresh-water lake of Puducherry region. It is also one of the most important wetlands of Asia. The lake is situated near Oussudu village and is part of both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. As per the Government of Puducherry records, the total water spread of the lake, when full after the monsoons, is about 390 ha.

The article traces the history of global initiatives on assessing present and projections of climate change (CC), describes the scope/status of current activities and program in hand for mitigation and adaptation in near future. It brings out the extent of adverse impacts of CC on water resources alongwith shortcomings of present investigations.

Coastal ecosystems are sensitive to changes in the quantity and lability of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (DOM) delivered by rivers. The lability of DOM is thought to decrease with age, but this view stems from work in watersheds where terrestrial plant and soil sources dominate streamwater DOM.

As far as water goes, climate change changes everything. Past experience of rainfall, snowfall, runoff and streamflow is no longer a reliable guide for the future. We'll all be affected, but especially small farmers and the poor and marginalized, who have the least ability to protect themselves against the depredations of droughts, floods and food shortages.