Environment Flashcards
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
It is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan – and based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
polar vortex
US mid-west experienced sub-zero temperatures due to a breakdown in the polar vortex.
It is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth’s North and South Pole.
The term refers to the counterclockwise flow (clockwise over south pole) of air that helps keep the colder air close to the poles.
There are not one but two polar vortexes in each
hemisphere.
o One exists in the lowest layer of the atmosphere,
the troposphere. The tropospheric polar vortex is
the one that affects our weather.
o The other exists in the second-lowest, called the
stratosphere. It is much more compact than its
stropospheric counterpart.
o If the two polar vortexes line up just right, very
deep freeze conditions may occur.
The Montreux Record
It is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
It is maintained as part of the Ramsar List.
Sites from India included in this are Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan and Loktak Lake, Manipur
Indian Sunderbans
wetlands of International Importance, making it the 27th site in India
comprise almost 43% of the mangrove cover in the country according to a 2017 Forest Survey of India report. It is the largest tidal halophytic mangrove
forest in the world.
It is located in delta region of Padma, Meghna and
Brahmaputra river basins.
Sundarbans has now become the largest Ramsar Site in India.
The Sundarbans was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
They are the only mangrove habitat which supports a
significant population of tigers (Royal Bengal Tigers), and they have unique aquatic hunting skills.
The Site is also home to a large number of rare and globally threatened species such as the critically endangered northern river terrapin, the endangered
Irrawaddy dolphin, and the endangered fishing cat.
KELP FORESTS
They are large brown algae seaweeds. They grow in “underwater forests” (kelp forests) in shallow oceans.
Generally speaking, kelps live further from the tropics than coral reefs, mangrove forests, and warm-water
seagrass beds.
Although kelp forests are unknown in tropical surface waters, a few species have been known to occur exclusively in tropical deep waters.
Kelps and coral reefs are composed of algae that grow in the shallow parts of the ocean in warm and sunny waters. However, kelp forest grows in nutrient-rich waters while corals can develop in low nutrient waters.
The environmental factors necessary for kelp to
survive include hard substrate (usually rock), high nutrients, clear shallow coastal waters and light.
The productive kelp forests tend to be associated with areas of significant oceanographic upwelling.
Asian Elephant Alliance
The Asian Elephant Alliance has come together to secure 96 existing corridors used by elephants across 12 States in India by raising £20 million in the next 10 years.
It was launched in July 2015 in London, United Kingdom.
It is an umbrella of five NGOs-Elephant Family, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), IUCN Netherlands, World Land Trust (WLT) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
It aims to secure a safe future for the wild elephants of India, which make up approximately half of the world’s wild Asian elephants.
Nauradehi wildlife sanctuary
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has reported to the Supreme Court that African cheetahs, to be translocated in India from Namibia, will be kept at Nauradehi wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh
Kuno-Palpur and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
in MP
Velavadar National Park
Gujarat
Shahgarh bulge
Rajasthan
African Cheetah
It is a large cat that occurs in Southern, North and East Africa. Also some localities in Iran.
It inhabits different habitats like dry forests, scrub forests, and savannahs
IUCN status: Vulnerable (Asiatic Cheetah – Critically endangered)
India was once home to many cheetahs, but it was declared extinct in India in 1952 and last spotted in Chhattisgarh 1947.
The only mammal to become extinct in India in last 1,000 years.
If successful, this project will make India the only country in the world to host six of the world’s eight large cats, including lions, tigers, jaguars, panthers and leopards.
Indus Dolphin
Government of Punjab declared the Indus Dolphin as Punjab’s ‘State Aquatic Animal’
Endangered.
Except for a tiny, isolated population of about 30 in India’s Beas River (185 km stretch between Talwara and Harike), Indus river dolphins live exclusively in the Indus river in Pakistan.
The Punjab Government also declared the Kanjli Wetland and Kali Bein as a wildlife conservation reserve.
Punjab State Animal
Blackbuck
Punjab’s State Bird
Northern Goshawk
Punjab’s state Tree
Sheesham
Punjab’s State Flower
Gladious
The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019.
Recently, 2nd Asian Rhino Range Countries (i.e. India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia and Malaysia) meeting, has signed- The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019.
It intends to conserve and review the population of the Greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran rhinos (three species of Asian Rhino) every four years.
Javan and Sumatran rhinos are currently classified as critically endangered.
The Sumatran rhino, the smallest of all rhino species and the only Asian rhino with two horns, became extinct in the wild in Malaysia.
The Great One-Horned Rhinoceros
The great one-horned rhino or Indian Rhino is the largest of the rhino species found commonly in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and India.
In India, it is found in Assam – Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Pobitora Reserve Forest, Orang National Park, Laokhowa Reserve Forest etc.
It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN yojana
JAIV INDHAN- VATAVARAN ANUKOOL FASAL AWASHESH NIVARAN) YOJANA
The scheme under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) will provide financial support to Integrated Bioethanol Projects using lignocellulosic biomass and other renewable feedstock.
12 commercial scale and 10 demonstration scale Second Generation (2G) ethanol projects will be provided viability gap funding support over the next six years in two phases.
It also seeks to increase Research & Development in this area.
Centre for High Technology (CHT), a technical body under the aegis of MoP&NG, will be the implementation Agency for the scheme.
Small Grants Programme (SGP)
This program was launched alongside the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
This initiative provides direct financial and technical support to communities and Civil Society Organizations for various projects that conserve and restore the environment while enhancing people’s well- being and livelihoods.
The program is funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and executed by the United Nation Development Program (UNDP).
Eathquake swarm
It is a series of low magnitude earthquakes that occur in a localized region and over a period of time ranging from days, weeks to even months.
When seismic energy piles up inside the Earth and is released in small amounts from certain points, such a series of earthquakes can occur.
The Palghar district in northern Maharashtra has been witnessing an unusual frequency of earthquakes since November, 2018
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• It is a pollution control initiative to cut the concentration of particles (PM10 & PM2.5) by 20-30% by 2024. It will have 2017 as the base year for comparison and 2019 as the first year.
• It is to be implemented in 102 non-attainment cities. These cities are chosen on the basis of Ambient Air Quality India (2011-2015) and WHO report 2014/2018.
Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
Recently a session was held at United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to review the first global assessment of land degradation which seeks to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030.
LDN is a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales.
• It is a unique approach that counterbalances the expected loss of productive land with the recovery of degraded areas.
The overarching principle of LDN includes:
- Avoid
- Reduce
- Reverse
Syndemic
The three pandemics— obesity, undernutrition, and climate change- affect most people in every country and region worldwide. They are said to constitute a “Syndemic” i.e a synergy of epidemics because:
• they co-occur in time and place
• interact with each other to produce complex pathological conditions
• share common societal drivers.
Kinshasa Resolution of 1975
The Kinshasa Resolution of 1975 (under IUCN) provides international recognition to cultural model of conservation. It acknowledges the importance of traditional ways of life and land ownership, and called on governments to maintain and encourage customary ways of living.
Sarus Crane
As per the State Forest and Wildlife department’s latest 2018 census (summer), there has been 5.2% increase in population of Sarus Crane in Uttar Pradesh which has 73% of Indian population of Sarus
.
The sarus crane (Antigone Antigone) is a large non-migratory crane found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has marked it as ‘vulnerable’ in its list of threatened species.
• It generally inhabits natural wetlands with low water depth, marshy and fallow areas and agricultural fields.
• It is a social creature, found mostly in pairs or small groups of three or four.
• It is the tallest (average 5 feet) flying bird in the world and also India’s only resident breeding crane, as per the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)
• Sarus is omnivorous, feeding on fish and insects, as well as roots and plants.
NORTH INDIAN ROSEWOOD/Shisham
India has proposed to remove rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) from Appendix II of CITES.
The entire genus of Dalbergia was put in the appendix based on the “lookalike” criterion.
Shisham is a deciduous tree found in tropical to subtropical climates and is economically important for its value in forestry, agroforestry, and horticulture.
India has also proposed to transfer small clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus), smooth coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata), Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone elegans) from Appendix II to Appendix I, and inclusion of Gekko gecko and Wedge fish (Rhinidae) in Appendix II of CITES. Gekko gecko is traded highly for Chinese traditional medicine.
CITES
It is an inter-governmental agreement which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
• It has three appendices.
o Appendix I has species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
o Appendix II has species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival.
o Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES parties for assistance in controlling trade.
• CITES is legally binding on the Parties.
3 March, the day of signature of the CITES has been proclaimed as UN World Wildlife Day
MUGGER CROCODILE
Recently, government of Gujarat relocated the Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) from Sardar Sarovar dam to facilitate a seaplane service at the Statue of Unity.
It is a reptilian species also called marsh crocodile or broad-snouted crocodile and is one of the three-crocodile species (Saltwater Crocodile and Gharial) found in India.
• It is extinct in Myanmar and Bhutan, and possibly extinct in Bangladesh.
• Its habitat includes wetlands (inland), marine neritic (shallow part of ocean), artificial/aquatic & marine.
• It is a hole-nesting species, with egg-laying taking place during the annual dry season.
• Vadodara is the only city in India where crocodiles live in their natural habitat amidst human population
It has been listed under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I, categorized as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
o Project Crocodile was started in 1975 with the aid of the United Nations Development Programme and Food and Agricultural Organization. This includes the captive breeding programme and also involvement of local community in conservation efforts.
Humpback dolphins
Recently, Humpback dolphins were spotted near the Mumbai coast.
• Range: Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin is known to occur within the Indian Ocean from South Africa to India.
• Habitat: Species are among the most adaptive ones due to their habitat preference for shallow waters places them in some of the world’s most intensively utilised, fished, shipped, modified and polluted waters.
• IUCN status: Endangered.
• WPA Protection: Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
“Double counting
“Double counting” means counted once by the country of origin when reporting its emissions inventory, and again by the receiving country (or other entity) when justifying emissions above their pledged climate effort, usually via “offsetting” provisions.
Allowing trades to be double counted means that, in actuality, none of the reported emissions reductions are achieved.
Overall Mitigation in Global Emissions (OMGE):
The primary purpose of OMGE is to deliver on cost-effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions, rather than creating carbon markets for their own sake.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
It seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change.
• It aims to promote the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
• It’s a near universal convention with a participation of 196 member countries.
Protocols adopted under the Convention.
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: It seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
• Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing: It aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies.
Seabed 2030
The U.N.-backed project Seabed 2030 is pooling data from the countries and companies to create a map of the entire ocean floor.
• It aims to bring together all available bathymetric data (measures of depth and shape of the seafloor) to
produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030 and make it available to all.
• It is a collaborative project between the Nippon Foundation and General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO).
GANGETIC DOLPHIN
Recently, study showed that rising salinity in Sunderbans region of India is causing a decrease in population of the Ganges River Dolphins.
It inhabits the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
• It is among the four freshwater dolphins found in the world – the other three are found in the Yangtze River (China), the ‘bhulan’ of the Indus (Pakistan) and the ‘boto’ of the Amazon River (Latin America).
• It is fluviatile (riverine) in habitat, it may also be found in brackish water. It never enters the sea.
• A long thin snout, rounded belly and large flippers are its characteristics.
• It is a mammal and cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30-120 seconds.
• Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the ‘Susu’.
- It is the national aquatic animal and had been granted non-human personhood status by government in 2017.
- It is also protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
- Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) in Bihar is India’s only sanctuary for the Gangetic dolphin.
- It has been categorised as endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species by the IUCN.
- It is listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I
GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD
A recent study suggests that, Great Indian Bustard population has been falling continuously, from around 1,260 in 1969 to less than 200 in 2018.
• It’s among the heaviest bird with a horizontal body and long bare legs giving it an ostrich like appearance.
• Habitat: Arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, tall grass interspersed with cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas.
• It is endemic to Indian Sub-continent, found in central India, western India and eastern Pakistan.
Currently, it is found in only six states in the country — Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka.
• Protection: Listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List
• It is also listed in Appendix I of CITES and covered under CMS or Bonn Convention.
GIB is an indicator species for grassland habitats and its gradual disappearance from such environments shows their deterioration.
Great Indian Bustard, popularly known as ‘Godawan’, is Rajasthan’s state bird. The state government has started “Project Godawan” for its conservation at Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer. It’s one of the Species for The Recovery Programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Bustard Species Found In India:
Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican; Houbara also belong to Bustard family but it’s a migratory species
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) or Bonn convention
- It is the only convention under UNEP which provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats ( and their migration routes). India is a member of the convention.
- Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I of the Convention.
The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI):
It was launched in 2008 as a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society, the conservation and scientific communities and the private sector and includes organization like the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), etc. It aims to work together to save wild tigers from extinction. In 2013, the scope was broadened to include Snow Leopards. The initiative is led by the 13 tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam).
The Global Tiger Forum (GTF)
It is the only inter- governmental international body established with members from willing countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger.
TX2
In 2010, the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation was adopted under the GTI and the Global Tiger Recovery Programme or TX2 was endorsed. Its goal was to double the number of wild tigers across their geographical areas. The WWF is implementing the programme in 13 tiger range countries
Conservation Assured Tiger Standards CA|TS:
It is a new tool for tiger conservation management. It is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation. It is an important part of Tx2 programme
“Asiatic Lion Conservation Project
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the “Asiatic Lion Conservation Project” with an aim to protect and conserve the world’s last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.
It will be funded from the Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of Central and State share.
Recently 23 Lions died in short period of 20 days, due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) and tick-bore Babesiosis, again raising a concern for their conservation.
Asiatic Lion
Asiatic Lion, Panthera Leo Persica is listed in Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protect Act, 1972 and in Appendix-I of CITES, while IUCN lists it in endangered category. • The lion is one of five pantherine cats inhabiting India, along with the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard. • Their population is limited to only five protected areas in Gujarat – Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary and Girnar Sanctuary.
Asiatic vs African Lions
Asiatic lions tend to be smaller than their African cousins.
Compared to the African lion, the male Asiatic lion has a relatively short, sparse mane. As a result, the male Asiatic lion’s ears tend to remain visible at all times. In addition to being less well-developed, the mane is generally darker than that of African lions.
The most distinguishing characteristic of the Asiatic lion is a longitudinal fold of skin that runs along the belly. This trait is found in all Asiatic lions. While it is absent in African Lions.
Asiatic prides tend to be smaller than their African counterparts.
Which HC became first to launch Environment Fund?
Madras HC
Amounts received from various courts, in the form of costs ordered to parties, would be used for planting and nurturing trees as well as cleaning water bodies
Green Good Deeds campaign
launched by the MoEFCC, it’s a social movement to protect environment and promote healthy living.
South Asia’s Hotspots: The Impact of
Temperature and Precipitation changes on
living standards
published by World Bank,
identifies “hotspots” as the states /districts
where these changes will have a notable effect
on living standards.
o States in central, north and northwestern
parts of India will be the most vulnerable to climate change, with Chhattisgarh and
Madhya Pradesh likely to be the top two
climate hotspots
Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered
Species (LaCONES)
Recently, National Wildlife
Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB) was
established at Laboratory for Conservation of
Endangered Species (LaCONES).
o LaCONES is a dedicated laboratory of the
CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. It is the only
institute in the country working towards
conservation of endangered wildlife using modern biotechnologies to save
endangered wildlife species of India.
Sagar Nidhi
Recently, Indian Ocean Research Vehicle (IORV)
Sagar Nidhi as part of India- US expedition
seeking to find answers to vagaries of Bay of
Bengal fed South-West Monsoon was set out in
Indian Ocean. The project is funded by the
Ministry of Earth Sciences and the US Office on
Naval Research.
CUSAT Stratosphere Troposphere-205 Radar
Situated at Cochin, it is fully indigenously built
radar to scan stratosphere over the Indian
Ocean for movement of air and monsoon winds.
GREEN SKILL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME (GSDP)
• Launched by MoEFCCC in 2017, it is an initiative
for skill development in the environment and
forest sector to enable India’s youth to get
gainful employment and/or self-employment.
• All courses are National Skills Qualifications
Framework (NSQF) compliant.
• GDSP utilises vast network of Environmental
Information System (ENVIS) hubs and Resource
Partners (RPs).
Environmental Information System (ENVIS)
• It is a central sector scheme, being implemented by
MoEF&CC since 1982-83.
• It is a decentralized network of centres of which
o some centres dealing with ‘‘State of the Environment and Related Issues’’ are hosted by State Government /UT Administrations, called ENVIS Hubs.
o some are hosted by environment-related governmental and non-governmental organisations/ institutes of professional excellence, with varied thematic mandates pertaining to environment, called the ENVIS Resource Partners (RPs).
• ENVIS will conduct India’s first ever National Environment Survey (NES) in 55 districts across 24 states and three Union Territories.
O It will collect comprehensive data on various environmental parameters such as air, water, soil quality; emission inventory; solid, hazardous and e-waste; forest & wildlife; flora & fauna; wetlands, lakes, rivers and other water bodies.
o It will also assess carbon sequestration potential of all the districts across the country.
o It will rank all the districts on their environmental performance and document their best green practices.
GREEN AGRICULTURE (GREEN-AG) PROJECT
• Government of India in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), launched a Global Environment Facility (GEF) assisted project, Green–Ag: Transforming Indian agriculture for global environment
benefits and the conservation of critical biodiversity and forest landscapes.
- It was launched in high-conservation-value landscapes of five states, namely Madhya Pradesh (Chambal landscape), Mizoram (Dampa landscape), Odisha (Similipal landscape), Rajasthan (Desert National Park landscape) and Uttarakhand (Corbett-Rajaji landscape).
- Executive Agencies: Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
Port State Measures
Agreement.
UN FAO Created and led adoption of the first ever binding international accord to combat illegal fishing, the Port State Measures Agreement.
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage
Systems
▪ These are outstanding landscapes of aesthetic beauty that combine agricultural biodiversity, resilient
ecosystems and a valuable cultural heritage.
▪ GIAHS from India: Saffron Heritage of Kashmir; Koraput Traditional Agriculture; Kuttanad Below Sea Level Farming System
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
- Recently, United Nation Environment Program has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) with Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018.
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory body, under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country and was constituted in 2007 by amending the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
o It coordinated “Operation Thunder Bird” (INTERPOL’s multi-national and multispecies enforcement operation) in India.
o It has launched Operation wildnet to counter the menace of the illegal trade through internet.
STAPCOR-2018
- The International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs (STAPCOR)-2018 took place recently at Bangaram Coral Island of Lakshadweep. Theme of the conference was “Reef for Life”.
- It takes place every 10 year after the foundation of STAPCOR in 1998
• Other prominent developments
o Year 2018 has been declared as 3rd decadal International year of Reefs.
o An International Atoll Research Centre for scientific research on corals will be established in Lakshadweep.
o World’s largest artificial coral reef installed in Maldives.
SOUTH ASIA WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT NETWORK (SAWEN)
- Recently the fourth meeting of SAWEN (first in India) was held in Kolkata.
- SAWEN is an inter-governmental wildlife law enforcement support body of South Asian countries namely- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- It aims at working as a strong regional intergovernmental body for combating wildlife crime by attempting common goals and approaches for combating illegal trade in the region.
- It was officially launched in January, 2011 in Paro, Bhutan. It operates its activities from the Secretariat based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The network is based on “ASEAN-WEN”
Eons
Eons are the largest intervals of geologic
time and are hundreds of millions of years in
duration. For e.g. Phanerozoic Eon is the
most recent eon and began more than 500
million years ago.
• Eons are divided into smaller time intervals
known as eras
• Eras are subdivided into periods.
o Each period corresponds to significant events such as the break-up of continents, shifts in climate, and the emergence of particular types of animals and plant life.
Periods are further subdivided into epochs
which are further divided into ages.
DEEP OCEAN MISSION
In a recently unveiled Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) blueprint, Centre has drawn up a five year, Rs. 8000 Crore plan on lines of ISRO in designing and launching satellite.
• Its focus will be on technologies for deep-sea mining, under water vehicles, under water robotics and ocean climate change advisory services, among others.
• Key deliverables to achieve these goals:
o Offshore tidal energy desalination plant that will work with tidal energy.
o Developing a submersible vehicle to explore depths of at least 6000 Meters with three people on board.
• It will promote exploration by India in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
It will also help India in exploration of site allotted to it in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN ISBA for exploitation of Poly-Metallic Nodules.
ENSEMBLE PREDICTION
SYSTEMS (EPS)
IMD recently launched the Ensemble Prediction
Systems (EPS) to provide probabilistic weather
forecasts upto next 10 days.
• It has been developed jointly by the IMD,
National Centre for Medium Range Weather
Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the Indian
Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
• Under this, the area of spatial resolution,
which is 23 km presently, will reduce to 12 km,
enabling the meteorological department to
give district-level warning.
• With this new model, India joins the US with a
model that predicts with a 12 km resolution.
Only the ‘European Center for Medium Range
Weather Forecast’ has a better 9km
resolution.
HINDU KUSH HIMALAYA
ASSESSMENT REPORT
released by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
- Eastern Himalaya glaciers have tended to shrink faster than glaciers in the central or western Himalaya.
- Karakoram Anomaly: In contrast to the Himalayan glaciers, on average, glacier areas in the Karakoram
have not changed significantly - Area loss also leads to glacier fragmentation; the number of glaciers in the Himalaya is reported to have
increased over the past five decades. - Glacier volumes are projected to decline
by up to 90% in response to decreased snowfall, increased snowline elevations, and longer melt seasons - Even if warming can be limited to the ambitious target of +1.5 °C (Paris Climate Deal), this will lead to a 2.1°C rise in the HKH region due to elevation-dependent warming.
Elevation-dependent warming (EDW)
• It is one of the expressions of global warming
wherein there is an enhancement of warming rates
with elevation.
• One of the possible reasons could be that
reductions in mountain snow cover exposes the
dark coloured earth beneath. This reduces the
surface albedo and increases the absorbed solar
radiation that can lead to elevation-dependent
amplification of warming via the snow albedo
feedback (SAF)
International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD)
It is a regional intergovernmental learning and
knowledge sharing centre based in Kathmandu,
Nepal
• It is serving the eight regional member countries
of the Hindu Kush Himalaya – Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar,
Nepal, and Pakistan.
• It aims to assist mountain people to understand
the influence climate change have on the stability
of fragile mountain ecosystems, adapt to them,
and make the most of new opportunities, while
addressing upstream-downstream issues.
TITLI CYCLONE
made landfall in Odisha
it is considered rarest of the rare cyclone because:
1. it made recurvature after landfall
2. recurvature away from the coastal areas
3. retained its destructive potential after landfall.
Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning
System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)
• It is an international organisation on disaster
warning, formed in the aftermath of 2004 Indian
Ocean Tsunami by the efforts of African and Asian
countries.
• It operates from the early warning centres located
at the campus of the Asian Institute of Technology
in Pathumthani, Thailand.
• It is registered with United Nations and is also
supported by UNESCAP and Danish International
Development Agency (DANIDA).
• Member Countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia,
Comoros, India, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri
Lanka and Timor-Leste.
INDIAN OCEAN WAVE EXERCISE 2018 (IOWAVE18)
India along with 23 countries participated in this
major Indian ocean-wide tsunami mock drill,
namely IOWAVE18.
• It is being organised by the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO).
The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), based out of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, participated in it. o INCOIS is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences. o ITEWS acts as a Regional Tsunami Advisory Service Provider along with Australia and Indonesia for the Indian Ocean region.
ACROSS SCHEME
“Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)”
• It pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and addresses different aspects of weather and climate services, which includes warnings for cyclone, storm surges, heat
waves, thunderstorms etc
• Each of these aspects is incorporated as nine sub-schemes under the umbrella scheme “ACROSS”
o Atmospheric, Climate Science and Services.
o Numerical Modeling of Weather & Climate.
o Physics and Dynamics of Tropical Clouds.
o Agro Meteorology.
o Aviation Services.
o Center for Atmospheric Technology.
o High Impact Severe Weather Warning System.
o Metropolitan Air Quality and Weather Service.
o Monsoon Mission of India.
• It is implemented in an integrated manner through the four institutes - India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (NCOIS).
National Facility for Airborne Research (NFAR)
• NAFR comes under Indian Institute of
Tropical Management (IITM), Pune. Under
this a state-of-the-art research aircraft
equipped with instruments will be used for
atmospheric research.
• It will take simultaneous measurements of
aerosols, trace gases, cloud microphysics and
large-scale meteorological parameters at high
temporal resolution and at different altitudes
in different seasons over the Indian subcontinent.
Glacial Lakes Outburst Floods (GLOFs)?
• Floods caused due to outburst of glacial lakes
is known as GLOF.
• The moraine wall act as a natural dam,
trapping the melt water from the glacier and
leading to the formation of a glacial lake.
Disaster managers and scientists in Sikkim are
siphoning out excess water from South Lhonak
lake to prevent it from Glacial Lakes Outburst
Floods.
NATIONAL DISASTER RISK
INDEX
The Union ministry of home affairs with the
support of United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) have prepared for the first
time a national disaster risk index for India
• It mapped hazards and vulnerabilities
including economic vulnerabilities across 640
districts and all states including UTs.
• The index factors in exposure of population,
agriculture and livestock and environmental
risk.
• It will be used to prepare a composite disaster
scorecard (DSC).
• The index is in line with India’s commitment to
the Sendai Framework.
PARIVESH
Recently, government launched an integrated environmental management system named PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single window Hub)
It is a web based, role-based workflow application which has been developed for online submission and
monitoring of the proposals submitted by the proponents for seeking Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ Clearances from Central, State and district level authorities.
STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
PREPAREDNESS INDEX 2018
The Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy
(AEEE) under the leadership of the Bureau of
Energy Efficiency (BEE) and NITI Aayog has
recently released the first Nationwide ‘State
Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’.
Eco Nivas Samhita, 2018
• Recently Ministry of Power has launched Energy
Conversation Building Code for residential
buildings named Eco Nivas Samhita, 2018 in order
to promote energy efficiency in design and
construction of homes and generate awareness
towards conservation.
• This new code is applicable to all residential
buildings built on a plot area of ≥500 m2. However,
states and municipal bodies may reduce the plot
area.
• Energy Conversation Building Code is formulated
and implemented by Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
SOVEREIGN BLUE BOND
Recently, Republic of Seychelles launched the world’s first sovereign blue bond (SBB).
The Bond and the programs of marine activities have been developed by the support of World Bank and Global Environment Facility.
- It is part of the project under the World Bank’s South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Program (SWIOFish).
- They are debt instruments issued by the governments, development banks etc. to raise capital from impact investors to finance marine and ocean-based projects that have positive environmental, economic and climate benefits.
GREEN BONDS
• Green bonds are debt instruments like normal
bonds, but the proceeds are used for
renewable energy projects, or for services
that are ecologically sustainable.
• The bond is voluntary and may be issued by a
financial institution, the government or even a
company to raise funds for a defined period.
• The first Green bond was issued by the
European Investment Bank (EIB) in 2007.
The Indian Green Bond Market
• In 2015, YES Bank issued the first green bond
in India for financing the renewable and clean
energy projects particularly, for wind and
solar.
• Gradually, the market has expanded to several
public sector undertakings, state-owned
commercial banks, state-owned financial
institutions, corporates, and the banking
sector.
• SEBI published its official green bonds
requirements for Indian issuers making India
the second country (after China) to provide
national level guidelines.
EARMARKING ECOSENSITIVE
AREA
It proposes nearly 37% of Western Ghats as ‘no go’ zone, as recommended by Kasturirangan Committee. (The Madhav Gadgil panel had recommended 64% of western ghats as ESA).
These are ecologically important areas notified under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to be protected from industrial pollution and unregulated development. The government can prohibit industrial operations such as mining, sand quarrying and building thermal power plants in sensitive areas.
- The Act does not mention the word ‘Eco Sensitive Zone’. However, section 3(2)(v) gives authority to the central government to restrict areas
- To categorise an area as ecologically sensitive, the government looks at topography, climate and rainfall, land use and land cover, roads and settlements, human population, biodiversity corridors and data of plants and animal species.
- As per orders of the Supreme Court, no project can be allowed within 10 km of the boundary of national parks and sanctuaries without the approval of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL), unless a site-specific ESZ is notified around that park or sanctuary.
- Purpose: They would also act as transition zone (shock absorber) from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
• Nature of Activities in ESZ: While some of the activities could be allowed in all the ESAs, others will need to be regulated/ prohibited:
o Prohibited- commercial mining, polluting industries, major hydroelectric projects etc.
o Restricted with safeguards (Regulated) - Felling of trees, Establishment of hotels and resorts, Drastic change of agriculture system, widening of roads, introduction of exotic species etc.
o Permissible- Rain Water Harvesting, Organic farming, Ongoing Agricultural Practices etc.
GANGA PRAHARIS (GUARDIANS OF THE GANGA)
Recently, a grassroot-level workforce – Ganga Praharis, was launched by the Ministry of Water Resources.
- To conserve the biodiversity of River Ganga and reduce the direct dependency of local communities on the river, Wildlife Institute of India (an autonomous institution of the MoEFCC) and National Mission for Clean Ganga under the “Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation” have roped in the local community of five Ganga states (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttarakhand) known as Ganga Praharis.
- They are a cadre of self-motivated and trained volunteers from local communities working for biodiversity conservation and cleanliness of Ganga with an objective of Nirmal and Aviral Ganga.
Ganga Praharis of all the five Ganga basin states will be connected through Bhuvan Ganga App, mygov App and Swachhta app thus creating a broadband network among them.
Ganga Gram
It’s a concept to transform the villages on the bank of river Ganga into ideal villages with emphasis on Open Defecation Free, Solid and Liquid Waste Management, Water Conservation, Ground Water Recharge, modern crematorium tree plantation, organic and medicinal plants.
• Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is the nodal agency for its implementation.
Asita Project (Asita is another name of Yamuna)
It’s a Yamuna River Front Development Project, aims to restore, revive and rejuvenate the river’s floodplains and make them accessible to the people of Delhi.
• Reviving Ecosystem by creating a wetland, to store the flood waters and to improve the groundwater recharge which will eventually result in the flourishing of biodiversity in the floodplains.
• NMCG is monitoring the development of project.
GANGA VRIKSHAROPAN
ABHIYAN
- The campaign has been initiated as part of the Forest Interventions in Ganga component of Namami Gange programme.
- It aims to bring greater awareness among people and other stakeholders regarding the importance of afforestation for the task of Ganga Rejuvenation.
- Schools, colleges and departments have been requested to “Adopt a Plant” to make this campaign into a people’s movement.
- State Forest Departments of respective states have been made the nodal agencies for the smooth and effective execution of the campaign.
- In Uttar Pradesh, the programme is dovetailed with the Ganga Haritima Abhiyan (to enhance the green cover in the catchment areas of the river Ganga and to control the land erosion).
Incineration
uses MSW as a fuel, burning it with high volumes of air to form carbon dioxide and heat to make steam, which is then used to generate electricity.
Gasification
process that converts organic or
fossil fuel based carbonaceous materials into
carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
This is achieved by reacting the material at high
temperatures (>700’C), without combustion, with
a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam. The
syngas produced by gasification can be turned into
higher value commercial products
Pyrolysis
involves application of heat with no
added oxygen in order to generate oils and/or
syngas (as well as solid waste outputs) and
requires more homogenous waste streams.
Biomethanation
a process by which organic
material is microbiologically converted under
anaerobic conditions to biogas. It involves
fermenting bacteria, organic acid oxidizing
bacteria, and methanogenic archaea.
World’s largest solar plant
Ladakh will become the world’s largest singlelocation
solar photo-voltaic plant with a installed
capacity of 5,000 MW Capacity by 2023.
• Other high capacity project In India: Bhadla Solar
Park (2255 MW capacity in Rajasthan); Kurnool
(2000 MW capacity in Andhra Pradesh).
Solar Park scheme
• Launched by Solar Energy Corporation of India
(SECI), to encourage the construction of solar
parks that can generate electricity above between
500 MW and 1000 MW.
• SECI is a CPSU under Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy.
Solar Charkha Mission
It is a Ministry of Micro Small & Medium
Enterprises (MSME) initiative and Khadi & Village
Industries Commission (KVIC) is implementing
agency.
• Aim: To employ artisans in 50 identified clusters.
• It entails a subsidy of Rs 550 crore in the initial two
years for 50 clusters and every cluster will employ
400 to 2000 artisans.
• Solar charkha units have been classified as village
industries.
SATAT (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable
Transportation) initiative
- Launched by MoP&NG, it aimed at setting up of Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plants and make it available in the market for use in automotive fuels.
- Objective: To boost availability of more affordable transport fuels, better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste, as well as to provide an additional revenue source to farmers.
Which State has become the first State in the
country to implement the national policy on
biofuels.
Rajasthan
Bio ethanol:
It is an alcohol produced from
fermentation of carbohydrate and cellulosic
material of crops and other plants and
grasses. It is generally used as an additive to
increase octane number of fuel.
Bio Diesel
It is a methyl or methyl ester of
fatty acids produced by trans esterification of
oils and fats obtained from plants and
animals. It can be directly used as fuel.
Bio gas:
Biogas (primarily a mixture of
methane and other gases like CO2 and N2) is
produced by anaerobic digestion of organic
materials. It can be produced either from
biodegradable waste materials or by the use
of energy crops fed into anaerobic digesters
to supplement gas yields
Biojet:
It is a type of biofuel which are
produced from biomass resources and used in
place of, or blended with air turbine fuel.
o Recently, India’s first ever bio-jet fuel
flight taken off by using the fuel developed by the CSIR-Indian Institute of
Petroleum (IIP).
International Energy Agency (IEA)
• It was founded in 1974 to help countries
collectively respond to oil supply disruptions.
• It is an autonomous body within the OECD
framework.
• Only the OECD member states can become
members of the IEA.
• India is not a member but has joined IEA as an
association country.
• It publishes the World Energy Outlook (WEO).
To become a member of the IEA, a country must
have petroleum product reserves equivalent to 90
days of the previous year’s net imports.
Technology Collaboration Programme on Bioenergy
• Recently the India joined IEA Bioenergy TCP as its
25th member.
• It is an international platform with the aim of improving cooperation and information exchange
between countries that have national programmes
in bioenergy research, development and deployment.
• The primary goal of joining IEA Bioenergy TCP by
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) is
to facilitate the market introduction of advanced
biofuels with an aim to bring down emissions and
reduce crude imports.
• The R&D work in IEA Bioenergy TCP is carried out within well-defined 3-years programmes called “Tasks”.
Which National park got split?
The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) had been split
into two divisions — the existing Eastern Assam
Wildlife and the new Biswanath Wildlife park with
Brahmputra flowing in between.
About the Kaziranga National Park
• Kaziranga protected area is located on the
edge of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity
hotspot. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.
• The park is home to large breeding
populations of elephants, wild water buffalo,
and swamp deer other than the one-horned
rhino.
• Kaziranga is recognized as an ‘Important Bird
Area’ by Birdlife International.
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
It is a statutory body established under the
provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
• It performs facilitative and advisory functions for the Union government on issues of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources.
India Biodiversity Awards
In 2012, the Government of India, in partnership with UNDP India, initiated the India Biodiversity Awards.
Aim: To recognize and honour outstanding models of biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and governance at the grassroots level.
Bugun liocichla
First spotted in 1995 in Arunachal Pradesh, India, it was described as a new species in 2006
critically endangered
Populations may be discovered in other areas of Arunachal Pradesh or neighbouring Bhutan.
KHANGCHENDZONGA
BIOSPHERE RESERVE
Recently, Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve was included in the UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) under the Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB).
- It is one of the highest ecosystems in the world and located at trijunction of India (Sikkim), bordering Nepal to the west and Tibet (China) to the north-west.
- The Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), which comprises the core area of the KBR, was inscribed as India’s first ‘Mixed World Heritage Site’ in 2016.
- Over 118 species of the large number of medicinal plants found in Dzongu Valley in north Sikkim are of ethno-medical utility.
- Fauna: Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear and herbivores species of Musk deer, Great Tibetan Sheep, Blue Sheep, Boral and Barking Deer
UNESCO: Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme
• Launched in 1971, it is an Intergovernmental
Scientific Programme that aims to establish a
scientific basis for the improvement of
relationships between people and their
environments.
• It combines the natural and social sciences,
economics and education to improve human
livelihoods and the equitable sharing of benefits,
and to safeguard natural and managed
ecosystems.
World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) and
India
It covers internationally designated protected areas,
each known as biosphere reserves, that are meant to
demonstrate a balanced relationship between people
and nature.
• India has 18 biospheres reserves, of which 11 have
been included in the WNBR.
• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first reserve
from the country to be included in the WNBR.
Others MAB -WNVR site in India • Nigiri – Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka • Gulf of Mannar- Tamil Nadu • Sundarban- West Bangal • Nanda Devi-Uttrakhand • Nokrek- Meghalaya • Pachmarchi-Madhya Pradesh • Simlipal- Orisa • Achanakmar-Amarkantak- Madhya Pradesh • Great- Nicobar- Andaman and Nicobar Island • Agasthyamala- Kerala and Tamilnadu
GAJ YATRA
• It’s a nationwide campaign to protect elephants, launched on the occasion of World Elephant Day led by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), both NGOs, from Tura in
Garo Hills, Meghalaya.
• It was organized in the Garo Hills in recognition of the people’s initiative of community forests for human-elephant harmony and conservation of animals such as
hoolock gibbon.
NEW ELEPHANT RESERVE
Recently, Nagaland government declared the
Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary as an Elephant
Reserve (30th in total), with the approval of
central government.
• Singhphan Elephant Reserve - It has huge tracts of forest, strategically located in contiguity with the Abhaypur Reserve Forest of Assam.
• Other Protected areas in Nagaland: Intanki National Park, Puliebadze Wildlife Sanctuary, Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary and Rangapahar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE)
Programme
It was established in 2003, through a
Conference of the Parties (COP) resolution to
the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES).
o It is an international collaboration that tracks
trends in information related to the illegal
killing of elephants across Africa and Asia, to
monitor effectiveness of field conservation
efforts.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority
NTCA
It is a statutory body and has overarching
supervisory/coordination role as provided in the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It implements
major tiger conservation initiatives like project
tiger, Tiger conservation plan etc.
o Minister of MoEFCC is the chairman of the
authority.
The Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), 2008:
A global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society, the conservation and scientific communities and the private sector and includes organization like the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), etc.
o Aim: To work together to save wild tigers from extinction. In 2013, the scope was broadened to include Snow Leopards.
o The initiative is led by the 13 tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam).
TX2:
In 2010, the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation was adopted under the GTI and TX2 was endorsed. Its goal was to double the number of wild tigers across their geographical areas. The WWF is implementing the programme in 13 tiger range countries.
The Global Tiger Forum (GTF)
only intergovernmental
international body established with
members from willing countries to embark on a
global campaign to protect the Tiger
Conservation Assured Tiger Standards CA|TS: It
It is a new tool for tiger conservation management. It is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation. It is an important part of Tx2 programme.
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats
Recently, the government approved continuation
of the scheme beyond the 12thPlan period from
2017-18 to 2019-20.
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme where GoI
provides financial and technical assistance to the
State/UT Governments for activities aimed at
wildlife conservation.
• Component: Scheme consists of Centrally
Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger (CSS-PT),
Development of Wildlife Habitats (CSS-DWH) and
Project Elephant (CSS-PE).
• Implementation of the schemes would be done
through the respective States in designated Tiger
Reserves, Protected Areas and Elephant Reserves.
Sharm El-Sheikh
Declaration.
Recently, Conference of the Parties (COP 14)
to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) was held, adopting Sharm El-Sheikh
Declaration.
• The Honolulu Strategy:
It is a framework for a comprehensive and global collaborative effort to reduce the ecological, human health, and economic impacts of marine debris
worldwide.
Alliance to End Plastic Waste
It is a nonprofit organization which includes
companies from across the globe. From India,
Reliance Industries is a part of the alliance.
• It has committed over $1.0 billion with the goal of
investing $1.5 billion over the next five years to
help end plastic waste in the environment.
Taj Declaration
It aims at gradual phasing out of single-use plastic
water bottles and cutlery in the 500-metre radius
of the Taj Mahal in the next five years and to make
the monument litter-free.
Ocean Clean up
Recently, the Ocean Cleanup project was started in the
Pacific Ocean.
• Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organisation which is
developing advanced technologies to rid the
world’s oceans of plastics.
• It is directed at cleaning The Great Pacific Garbage
Patch (GPGP) which is a zone between Hawaii and
California. About 1.8 Trillion pieces of plastic float
the surface of the GPGP.
NITROGEN POLLUTION
• South Africa’s Mpumalanga province emits the
highest amounts of nitrogen dioxide and the
largest number of hotspots are found in China.
• Hotspot in India: Delhi-NCR, Sonbhadra in UP &
Singrauli in MP (both taken as one entity) and
Talcher-Angul in Odisha.
In India nitrogen emissions grew at 69% from
2001 to 2011 and has replaced methane as the
second largest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from
Indian agriculture
• Health impact: Blue Baby Syndrome, reduced
functioning of the thyroid gland, Vitamin A
shortages etc.
• Excessive nitrogen in the form of fertilizer
brings down the carbon content of the soil,
result in diminishing returns in terms of crop
yield.
• Excessive eutrophication which turns water
body into Dead Zone, substance like nitric acid
is a component of acid rain.
• Nitrous oxide (N2O) is 300 times more potent
as a greenhouse gas as opposed to CO2. It is
also a dominant ozone-depleting substance
and also leads to formation of smog.
Gothenburg Protocol
It aims to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Groundlevel Ozone and is a part of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution.
o Objective: To control and reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH4), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and Particulate Matter (PM) that are caused by human activities.
International Nitrogen Initiative (INI):
It is an international program, set up in 2003 under sponsorship of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and from the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) to optimize nitrogen’s beneficial role in sustainable food production.
NATIONAL WATER
INFORMATICS CENTRE
The government has set up National Water
Informatics Centre (NWIC) to maintain a
comprehensive water resources data.
• It would be a repository of nation-wide water
resources data and would work as a
Subordinate Office under the Ministry of
Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation which is to be headed by
a Joint Secretary level officer.
• It will provide latest and reliable water data
(other than classified data) through webbased
India Water Resources Information
System (India-WRIS) on a GIS platform in
Public Domain.
National Hydrology Project
• It is a central sector scheme. Under this, the Hydrometeorological
data will be stored and analyzed in
real time basis and can be seamlessly accessed by
any user at State, District and Village level.
• Its components include
o In Situ Hydromet Monitoring System and
Hydromet Data Acquisition System.
o Setting up of National Water Informatics
Centre (NWIC).
o Water Resources Operation and Management
System
o Water Resources Institutions and Capacity
Building
India-Water Resource Information System
• It is a joint venture of the Central Water
Commission (CWC), Ministry of Water Resources
and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO),
Department of Space.
• India-WRIS provides ‘Single Window solution’ for
all water resources data & information in a national
GIS framework.
COMPOSITE WATER
MANAGEMENT INDEX
NITI Aayog released Composite Water
Management Index (CWMI) to assess and
improve the performance of states/UTs in
efficient management of water resources.
Status of trace and toxic
metals in Indian rivers 2018
A recent report titled Status of trace and toxic
metals in Indian rivers 2018 by Central Water
Commission.
ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION
(PREVENTION AND CONTROL) AUTHORITY
(EPCA)
It was constituted under Section 3(3) of
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• It was empowered by the Supreme Court for
protecting and improving the quality of the
environment and preventing and controlling
the environmental pollution in the National
Capital Region.
• It was also mandated to enforce Graded
Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and
the NCR region, which comprises the graded
measures for each source framed according
to the AQI categories.
WAYU (WIND AUGMENTATION
PURIFYING UNIT)
• It is developed by Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research – National Environmental
Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI)
as a part of Technology Development Project
being funded by Department of Science and
Technology.
• The device works on two principles mainly
Wind generation for dilution of air pollutants
and Active Pollutants removal.
• It has filters for Particulate Matter removal
and activated carbon (charcoal) and UV lamps
for poisonous gases removal such as VOCs
and Carbon Monoxide.
• It has the capacity to purify air in an area of
500 meter square.
COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION INDEX (CEPI
• It is measured by Central Pollution Control
Board for Monitoring Polluted Industrial Areas
(PIAs).
• It is a rational number between 0 and 100.
• CEPI score of 70 or above is considered as
critically polluted cluster tag.
• Categorization of industrial sectors based on
CEPI score:
o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
score of 60 and above - Red category
o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
score of 41 to 59 – Orange category
o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
score of 21 to 40– Green category
o Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index
score incl. & upto 20- White category
(newly introduced)
NATIONAL AIR QUALITY INDEX
• It transforms complex air quality data of
various pollutants into a single number (index
value) nomenclature and colour.
• There are six AQI categories, namely Good,
Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. AQ sub-index and health
breakpoints are evolved for eight pollutants
(PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb)
for which short-term (upto 24-hours) National
Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
• SAMEER app has been developed to display
AQI at a city and receive complaints.
• Related Information - Pollutants covered
under National Ambient Air Quality Standards
are: Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide, lead,
Ozone, PM10, PM2.5, carbon monoxide.
SYSTEM OF AIR QUALITY AND
WEATHER FORECASTING AND RESEARCH
(SAFAR)
• Recently, most advanced System of Air
Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) was
inaugurated.
• It monitors UV-Index, PM1, PM2.5, PM10,
Mercury, Black Carbon, Sulfur Dioxide, Ozone,
Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, Benzene,
Toluene and Xylene.
• It is implemented in four cities of India –
Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
• It is developed by Indian Institute of Tropical
Meteorology, Pune, and operationalized by
India Meteorological Department (IMD).
CLEAN AIR- INDIA INITIATIVE
Recently, the clean air-India initiative was
launched in Delhi by Prime Minister of
Netherlands.
• It is a collaborative project between Get in the
Ring (a platform for start-ups by the
government of the Netherlands), Start-up
India and INDUS Forum (an online
matchmaking platform of Indian and Dutch
businesses).
• Aim: To curb air pollution in Indian cities by
promoting partnerships between Indian startups
and Dutch companies and build a network
of entrepreneurs working on business
solutions for cleaner air.
StartUpLink
• It was launched by Invest India and Dutch
government for Indian and Dutch start-ups which
offers access to key information, relevant
networks, pilot opportunities, and navigators for
the respective start up ecosystems.
• ‘Clean Air’ India Ring is a critical component of the
Indo-Dutch #StartUpLink.
• As a partner for #StartUpLink, Dutch company
shell has established a Shell E4 Start hub, the first
energy focused start up hub in India.
NATIONAL CLEAN AIR
PROGRAMME
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was
recently launched by Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
It is a pollution control initiative to cut the
concentration of particles (PM10 & PM2.5) by
20-30% by 2024. It will have 2017 as the base
year for comparison and 2019 as the first year.
• It is to be implemented in 102 non-attainment
cities. These cities are chosen on the basis of
Ambient Air Quality India (2011-2015) and
WHO report 2014-2018.
• It is not legally binding.
• Its objectives include o Stringent implementation of mitigation measures for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. o Augment and strengthen air quality monitoring network across the country. o Augment public awareness and capacity building measures.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
shall execute the nation-wide programme for
the prevention, control, and abetment of air
pollution within the framework of the NCAP.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
It is the statutory organization constitutedunder
the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Act, 1974.
• Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and
functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act, 1981.
• It functions under the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change.
It is responsible for the enforcement of
Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling)
Rules 1989.
MARPOL Convention, 1973.
The MARPOL convention was adopted under International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
• International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main
international convention covering prevention of
pollution of the marine environment by ships from
operational or accidental causes.
• It has six technical Annexes:
o Annex I – Regulations for the Prevention of
Pollution by Oil.
o Annex II – Regulations for the Control of
Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in
Bulk.
o Annex III – Prevention of Pollution by Harmful
Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form.
o Annex IV – Prevention of Pollution by Sewage
from Ships.
o Annex V – Prevention of Pollution by Garbage
from Ships.
o Annex VI – Prevention of Air Pollution from
Ships.
• India is a signatory to MARPOL convention
• IMO was tasked with limiting and reducing
emissions from shipping under the Kyoto
Protocol in 1997.
• Despite its major role in polluting the planet,
shipping was not accounted for in the Paris
agreement on climate change.
PETCOKE
Central Government had banned the import of pet
coke for use as fuel. It is allowed only for cement,
lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification
industries, when used as the feedstock or in the
manufacturing process on actual user condition.
• Petroleum coke or pet coke, is a solid carbon rich
(90% carbon and 3% to 6% sulfur) material derived
from oil refining.
• It is categorized as a “bottom of the barrel” fuel.
• It is a dirtier alternative to coal and emits 11% more
greenhouse gases than coal and nearly 17 times
more sulphur than coal.
• Petcoke is a source of fine dust which can get
lodged in the lungs. It may contain vanadium
which is a toxic metal.
• Sulphur-heavy petcoke and other polluting fuels
such as furnace oil are widely used by cement
factories, dyeing units, paper mills, brick kilns and
ceramics businesses.
• India is the world’s largest consumer of petcoke
and imports over half its annual pet coke
consumption mainly from the United States.
BLACK CARBON
A recent study has found that black carbon travelling from Mediterranean countries during the western disturbances and wind trajectories may be one of the contributing factors leading to pollution and receding snowline in the Himalayas.
• It is a short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) with a significant direct and indirect impacts on the climate, glacial regions, agriculture and human health.
✓ SLCP are defined as gases and particles that contribute to warming and that have a lifetime of a few days to approximately 10 years.
✓ Other than black carbon (BC) it includes tropospheric ozone (O3) and its precursors CO, VOC and NOx, methane (CH4), and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short Lived
Climate Pollutants
voluntary partnership of
governments, intergovernmental organizations,
businesses etc. committed to reduce short-lived climate
pollutants with over 120 state and non-state partners. It
was initiated in 2012 by governments of Bangladesh,
Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden and the United States,
along with the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
Global Air Pollution and Health Conference
• WHO organised the first global conference on air
pollution and health in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Theme: ‘Improving Air Quality, Combating Climate
Change: Saving Lives.’
• Target: To reduce the number of deaths from air
pollution by two thirds by 2030 as mandated by
World Health Assembly (decision making body of
WHO).
• Plan: ‘Geneva Action Agenda to Combat Air
Pollution’ has been proposed.
Brown Carbon:
It originates primarily during the combustion of organic biomass and coexists with Black Carbon. It has similar climate effect as Black Carbon due their light absorbing property.
Blue Carbon:
It is the carbon stored and sequestered in coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows or intertidal saltmarshes.
Suva Expert Dialogue on loss and
damage
Recently Suva Expert Dialogue on loss and
damage was held at COP-23 UNFCCC, Bonn.
• In simple terms, loss and damage is a concept
where rich countries, who have historical
responsibility for climate change, are asked to
be liable to developing countries, who are
already facing climate change.
• Initiative under UNFCCC:
o Establishment of the Subsidiary Body of
Implementation (SBI) Work Program on
loss and damage in Cancun (COP 16), 2010
o Establishment of the Warsaw International
Mechanism (WIM) under the Cancun
Adaptation Framework at COP 19, 2013
o It is also anchored in the Article 8 of the
2015 Paris agreement which emphasizes the
“importance of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated
with the adverse effects of climate
change”.
Virtual Climate Summit
• It is organized as part of the Talanoa Dialogue.
• It is a Heads of Government level conference held
entirely online as the first Virtual Summit
(#VirtualClimateSummit) of global political leaders,
eliminating emissions and promoting inclusive
dialogue.
• It was organised by the Climate Action Network
(CAN) and the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF).
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
GEF
• Recently, the Sixth GEF Assembly summit
took place in Da Nang, Vietnam in June 2018.
• It is a financial mechanism established under the
1992 Rio Earth Summit.
• It is managed by World Bank.
• Presently, it involves an international partnership
of 183 countries, international institutions, civil
society organizations and the private sector that
addresses global environmental issues.
• The Council is the GEF’s main governing body,
comprises 32 Members appointed by and from
among GEF member countries (14 from developed
countries, 16 from developing countries and 2 from
economies in transition).
• The GEF Assembly is composed of all 183-member
countries which meets every four years to review
general policies, GEF’s operation and the
membership of the Facility.
• Environmental Conventions under GEF financial
mechanism
o Convention on Bio diversity (CBD)
o Convention to combat desertification
(UNCCD)
o Framework convention on climate change
(UNFCCC)
o Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants
o Minamata Convention
o Montreal Protocol (provides support)
GEF/UNDP Small Grants Programme (SGP)
• The program is funded by Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and executed by the United Nation
Development Program (UNDP).
• It was launched alongside the Rio Earth Summit in
1992.
• It provides direct financial and technical support
to communities and Civil Society Organizations for
various projects that conserve and restore the
environment while enhancing people’s well- being
and livelihoods.
• In India the program is hosted through the
National Host Institution (NHI) i.e. - Centre for
Environment Education (CEE)
o It is a national level institution supported by
Ministry of Environment and Forest,
Government of India as a “centre of
excellence”.
Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem
(BOBLME) project
GEF approved a grant of USD 15 million for the
Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem
(BOBLME) project, started by the UN Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2009,
involving all eight countries along its coastline
- Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
o BOBLME project aims to promote
sustainable fishing, reduce marine
pollution and improve the lives of
approximately 400 million people who live
along its coasts.
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UNCCD
• Adopted in 1994 and entered into force in 1996, it
is the only internationally legally binding
framework set up to address the problem of
desertification.
• The Convention addresses specifically the arid,
semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the
drylands.
• UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework has been
launched to improve the condition of affected
ecosystems, combat desertification/land
degradation and to improve the living conditions
of affected populations.
• 2010 to 2020 has been declared as United Nations
Decade for Deserts and the Fight Against
Desertification.
Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
As per the UNCCD definition, LDN is a state
whereby the amount and quality of land
resources, necessary to support ecosystem
functions and services and enhance food
security, remains stable or increases within
specified temporal and spatial scales.
• The overarching principle for LDN includes: o Avoid: By addressing drivers of degradation and through proactive measures to prevent adverse change in land quality and confer resilience, via appropriate regulation, planning and management practices. Reduce: By application of sustainable management practices. o Reverse: Restoring or rehabilitating degraded land through actively assisting the recovery of ecosystem functions
INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL
ON CLIMATE CHANGE
It was established by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) & the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to
provide policymakers with regular scientific
assessments concerning climate change, its
implications and potential future risks, as well as to
put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies.
• India is a member.
Hothouse Earth:
A situation in which a planet has
passed a tipping point (approximately 2 degree Celsius)
beyond which its own natural processes trigger
uncontrollable warming.
Central Asian Flyway (CAF)
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEFCCC) has developed a National
Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds
and their Habitats along Central Asian Flyway
(CAF) for the period 2018-23.
Central Asian Flyway (CAF), one among the nine
flyways in the world, encompasses overlapping
migration routes over 30 countries for different
water birds linking their northern most breeding
grounds in Russia (Siberia) to the southernmost
non-breeding (wintering) grounds in West and
South Asia, the Maldives and the British Indian
Ocean Territory.
• At least 370 species of migratory birds from three
flyways (CAF, The East Asian – Australasian
flyway, and Asian East African flyway) are
reported to visit the Indian subcontinent.
RECOVERY PROGRAMME FOR
WILDLIFE SPECIES
The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) recently
added four species- the Northern River Terrapin,
Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale,
Red Panda- to a Recovery Programme for Critically
Endangered Species.
• It is one of the components of centrally
sponsored scheme - Integrated Development
of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) which provides
assistance to the State/UT governments for
activities aimed at wildlife conservation.
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)
• It is a statutory Board constituted under the Wild
Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is chaired by the Prime Minister. Its vice
chairman is Minister of Environment.
• It has power to review all wildlife-related matters
and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries.
• No alternation of boundaries in national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries can be done without approval of the NBWL.
• It advises the Central Government on framing
policies and measures for conservation of wildlife
in the country.
PROTECTION OF PLANT
VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS
(PPV&FR) ACT, 2001
It’s the world’s only Intellectual Property Rights Legislation on plant varieties that recognised and protected the rights of both breeders as well as farmers maintaining traditional landraces
The protection period is for 15 years, and 18 years in the case of trees and vines.
NATIONAL REDD+ STRATEGY
Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released National REDD+ Strategy
Carbon pools
• A system that has the capacity to store or release
carbon.
• The Marrakesh Accords (regulatory framework for
the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol)
recognize five main carbon pools or reservoirs in
forests: Above-ground biomass, below-ground
biomass, dead wood, litter and soil organic matter.
Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law (CEBPOL)
Government of India in collaboration with
Norwegian Government has established this centre
to develop professional expertise in biodiversity
policies and laws and develop capacity building
UNEP – GEF – MoEF ABS Project
Objective: To increase the institutional, individual
and systemic capacities of stakeholders to
effectively implement the Biological Diversity Act,
2002 and the Rules 2004 to achieve biodiversity
conservation through implementing Access and
Benefit Sharing Agreements in India.
EnviStats India 2018 report
by the Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MOSPI)
BANNI GRASSLAND
Nomadic tribes (Maldhari) are leaving their
villages in Banni region due to water scarcity.
• The Banni grassland of Gujarat (near Rann of
Kutch) is the largest natural grassland in the
Indian subcontinent known for its scarce
rainfall and semi-drought conditions.
• The land of Banni is formed out of ocean clay,
so it includes an element of salt from very
beginning. This land is formed out of alluvial
and clayey sand.
• Migratory pastoralism has been followed
here from centuries
• There are 22 ethnic communities living in the
area called Maldhari pastoralists (’mal’ means
animal stock and ‘dhari’ means keeper).
• It is also known for strange dancing light
phenomena known locally as Chir Batti.
• A huge freshwater lake locally known as
Chhari-Dhand is a prominent feature of the
Banni grassland. It is a legally protected
wetland conservation reserve.
• Irrawaddy Dolphin
o They are Critically Endangered and live in both
salt- and freshwater in South and Southeast
Asia.
o Three exclusively freshwater populations are
found in Irrawaddy/Ayeyarwady River
(Myanmar), Mekong River (Lao PDR,
Cambodia); and Mahakam River (Indonesia).
o In addition, very small numbers survive in the
partially freshwater Songkhla Lake (Thailand)
and the brackish Chilika Lake (India).
Bustard Recovery Programme
• It recommends linking local livelihoods with
bustard conservation.
• For effective conservation, the guidelines direct
state governments to identify the core breeding
areas for bustards and keep them inviolate from
human disturbances.
• The guidelines suggest restriction on
infrastructure development and land use diversion
for roads, high tension electric poles, intensive
agriculture, wind power generators and
construction.
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals (CMS) or Bonn convention
• It is the only convention under UNEP which
provides a global platform for the conservation
and sustainable use of migratory animals and their
habitats (and their migration routes). India is a
member of the convention.
• Appendix I of the Convention: It includes
Migratory species threatened with extinction.
• Appendix II of the Convention: It includes
Migratory species that need or would significantly
benefit from international co-operation
Blue Flag Standards
• The Blue Flag beach standards were established by
Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental
Education (FEE) in 1985 in France.
• The Blue Flag is an environmental award for
beaches, sustainable boating tourism operators,
and marinas.
• Only local authorities or private beach operators
can apply for a Blue Flag for beaches.
• The criteria for Blue Flag beaches cover four main
area:
o water quality,
o environmental management,
o environmental education and
o safety
BLUE FLAG CERTIFICATION
13 Indian beaches have been shortlisted for the
Blue flag certification
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change had started a pilot project
under a Unified Coastal Areas Management
Programme to develop the Indian beaches
according to the Blue Flag standards in
December 2017.
• Chandrabhaga beach of Odisha’s Konark
coast was the first to complete the tag
certification process and will be the first in
Asia to get the Blue Flag certification.
• Apart from it, 12 other beaches across are also
being developed by the Society for
Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) as
blue flag beaches which include
Maharashtra’s Chiwla and Bhogave beaches and one beach each from Puducherry, Goa,
Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Andaman
and Nicobar Islands.
Beach Management Service (BeaMS)
It’s an integrated coastal management scheme
introduced by the MoEFCC to reduce existing
pollutants on beaches and achieve such high
international standards
