Science in thiruvananthapuram

摘要

Kerala. Viewed from the skies is lush green, white surf lapping the coastline and aptly described as 'God's own country'. 'Keralam' is 'land of coconut trees'. But, can this remain so? Kerala is beset with problems; those requiring intervention of scientists. A 570 km coastline, several rivers and estuaries need scientific monitoring. A high population density means more erosion and more landslides. Improved land use, alternate building materials, pollution checks, water budgeting, watershed development, terrain analysis, soil studies, materials development and biodiversity protection need attention. Geoscientific studies of minerals, seismology and understanding natural radioactivity occurring on the Kerala coast are necessary for Kerala's continued health. Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala's capital city has several institutions involved in scientific and medical research. Kerala is the first state in the country to have a State Committee on Science and Technology, which now includes Environment also, and is known as STEC (Box 1).