prelims academy for civil services pressthe chandrabhaga beach on the konark coast of odisha is the...

ENVIRONMENT

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Environment and Ecology

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Blue Flag Certification

2. Ganga Praharis

3. Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve

4. Green Corridor in Railways

5. Zero Budget Natural Farming

6. India‘s National REDD+ Strategy

7. Cheetah reintroduction project

8. Genetic Resource Bank

9. Pet coke

10. PARIVESH

11. 3D Printed Artificial Reef

12. Pesticides Banned

13. Green, Good Deeds Movement

14. Animal Welfare Board of India

15. Bomb Cyclone

16. Environment Ministry Notifies Rules To Regulate The Use Of Persistent

Organic Pollutants

17. Coastal Regulation Zone

18. Environment Performance Index (EPI)

19. Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust, Odisha

20. Breathe India

21. Ecosystem Service Improvement Project

22. Meghalayan Age

23. Sagar Nidhi

24. Biodiversity under alien attack

25. Mankidia denied habitat in Simlipal

26. International Tiger Day

27. India Ratifies 2nd Commitment Period Of Kyoto Protocol

28. Gaj Yatra Campaign

29. Lantana

30. Wood Is Good Campaign

31. Phyto-Pharma Plant Mission

32. National Wildlife Action Plan(NWAP) 2017-2031

33. STATE OF THE FOREST REPORT, 2017

34. Minmata Convention

35. National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Bill 2017

36. India‘s E-Waste Generation


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37. UN World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

38. India Committed To Eliminate All Single-Use Plastic In The Country By 2022.

39. Uttarakhand HC Declares Animals To Be ‗Legal Persons

40. Recovery Programme By Wildlife Board

41. Genetically Modified Crops

42. System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR)

43. India To Expand Polar Research To Arctic

44. Uranium Contamination In India‘s Groundwater

45. The International Nitrogen Initiative

46. Cheetah Reintroduction Project

47. India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

48. WAYU

49. PM Narendra Modi Gets Top United Nations Environmental Honor

50. MoEFCC‘s National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds and their

Habitats along Central Asian Flyway (CAF) for the period 2018-23

51. Death of Gujarat Lions

52. STAPCOR – 2018

53. IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change) Report On The Health Of

World Ocean

54. ACROSS Scheme

55. Climate Vulnerable Forum

56. Fly Ash

57. Deep Ocean Mission

58. Black Carbon


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Blue Flag Certification

Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and

Climate Change has embarked upon a programme for Blue flag certification of one Blue Flag beach in

each of the 13 coastal States /UTs

It is under the World Bank-assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP)

named BEAMS (Beach Management Services).

The Chandrabhaga beach on the Konark coast of Odisha is the first in Asia to get the

Blue Flag certification.

To achieve the Blue Flag standards, a beach must be

o Plastic-free and equipped with a waste management system.

o Clean water should be available for tourists, apart from international amenities.

o The beach should have facilities for studying the environmental impact around

the area.

The Blue Flag programme was first started in Paris and its main objective was to make all

the beaches environment-friendly.

In the span of two years, all the beaches of Europe were Blue Flag certified.

Asia remained untouched by the concept until December 2017 when a pilot

project was launched to develop Indian beaches.

Ganga Praharis

Ganga Praharis have been roped-in by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun as part of the

―Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation‖.

Will function under Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga

Rejuvenation.

Ganga Prahari is a new grassroot-level volunteer workforce

It seeks to protect the deteriorating bio-diversity of river Ganga.

They are spread over Ganga basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,

Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

they also motivate other people (each Prahari shall work on the model of ‗Each One Make

Ten‘) to spread the clean Ganga message, thus, contributing in making clean

Ganga mission a mass movement.

Three livelihood centers have been established in villages around Varanasi

(Rampur, Tantepur and Dhakka). Ganga Praharis particularly women are being

imparted trainings in these centers.

Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve

The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India that has

been included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).

Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim is one of the highest ecosystems in the

world.

It includes a range of ecoclines, varying from subtropics to Arctic, as well as

natural forests in different biomes


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The core zone – Khangchendzonga National Park was designated a World Heritage Site in

2016 under the ‗mixed‘ category

World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR): a program under Man and Biosphere

program consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence

Composed of 686 biosphere reserves in 122 countries, including 20 trans boundary sites.

UNESCO‘s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an Intergovernmental Scientific

Programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships

between people and their environments.

11 of India‘s 18 biosphere reserves are a part of WBNR.

Green Corridor in Railways

Indian Railways is proliferating bio-toilets on its coaching stock so that no human waste is discharged

from coaches on to the track.

introduction of bio-toilets in coaches

All the human excreta is collected in an eco-friendly bio-tank fitted under each toilet

The 114 km long Rameswaram-Manamadurai stretch in Tamil Nadu is the country's first

green rail corridor.

The North Western Railway has declared the Barmer - Munawab and Pipad Road - Bilara rail

routes in Rajasthan as Green Corridors.

National Energy Storage Mission

An Expert Committee was constituted by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy to propose draft for

setting up National Energy Storage Mission (NESM) for India.

Objective is to strive for leadership in energy storage sector

NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute‘s joint report on India‘s Energy Storage

Mission has proposed three stage solution approach

Additional Facts:

Key areas for energy storage application include:

Integrating renewable energy with distribution and transmission grids;

Setting Rural micro grids with diversified loads or stand-alone systems; and

Developing Storage component of electric mobility plans.

Zero Budget Natural Farming

NITI Aayog has advised States to adopt zero-budget natural farming.

ZBNF is a set of natural farming methods where the cost of growing and harvesting plants is

zero.

It is a farming practice that believes in the natural growth of crops without adding any

fertilizers and pesticides or any other foreign elements.

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is also a grassroots peasant movement.

It has attained wide success in southern India, especially the southern Indian state of

Karnataka where it first evolved.


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The word ‗budget‘ refers to credit and expenses, thus the phrase 'Zero Budget' means without

using any credit, and without spending any money on purchased inputs.

‗Zero budget‘ farming promises to end a reliance on loans and drastically cut production

costs, ending the debt cycle for desperate farmers.

India‘s National REDD+ Strategy

Environment Ministry Released India‘s National REDD+ Strategy.

The strategy seeks to address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.

Developing a roadmap for enhancement of forest carbon stocks and achieving sustainable

management of forests through REDD+ actions.

Strategy builds upon existing national circumstances which have been updated in line with

India‘s National Action Plan on Climate Change, Green India Mission and India‘s Nationally

Determined Contribution (NDC) to UNFCCC.

REDD+ actions are not used for the conversion of natural forests, but are instead used to

incentivize the protection and conservation of natural forests and their ecosystem services,

and to enhance other social and environmental benefits.

REDD was first and foremost focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and

forest degradation.

In 2007 the Bali Action Plan, stated that a comprehensive approach to mitigating climate

change should include policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to

reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries, role of conservation,

sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing

countries.

Finally, in 2010, at COP-16 as set out in the Cancun Agreements, REDD became REDD-plus

(REDD+), to reflect the new components.

REDD+ now includes:

Reducing emissions from deforestation;

Reducing emissions from forest degradation;

Conservation of forest carbon stocks;

Sustainable management of forests;

Enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Within its remit, REDD+ has the potential to simultaneously contribute to climate change mitigation

and poverty alleviation, whilst also conserving biodiversity and sustaining vital ecosystem services.

Cheetah reintroduction project

The wildlife institute of India, has shortlisted three sites as possible habitats for reintroduction of

cheetahs.

The Asiatic cheetah became extinct in India in 1952

Cheetah Conservation of Fud (CCF) model of Namibia is considered to be one of the best

approach for their conservation

Shahgarh area in Rajasthan, Kuno Palpur and Neoradehi Sanctuaries in Madhya

Pradesh are the three sites in India.


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Genetic Resource Bank

Science and Technology Ministry dedicated to the nation, the first National Wildlife Genetic Resource

Bank in Hyderabad.

It is the systematic collection and preservation of tissues, sperm, eggs and embryos, genetic

material (DNA/RNA) of Indian species.

It will help maintain genetic diversity and conservation management made accessible to

scientists and wildlife managers

CCMB-LaCONES (Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species) is the only

laboratory in India that has developed methods for collection and cryopreservation of semen

and oocytes from wildlife and successfully reproducing endangered black buck, spotted deer

and Nicobar pigeons

Cryopreservation: The process of cooling and storing cells, tissues, or organs at very low

temperatures to maintain their viability

Petcoke

India recently banned the import of pet coke for use as fuel, but said shipments for use as feedstock

in some industries was allowed.

Petcoke is an exceptionally polluting form of carbon which is banned in several countries due

to its severe toxicity.

Petroleum coke or petcoke, is a final carbon-rich solid material that derives from oil refining.

It is categorized as a ―bottom of the barrel‖ fuel as it is essentially residual waste material

which is obtained after refining coal to extract lighter fuels like petrol.

Petcoke is abundantly used in India in several manufacturing industries such as cement,

steel and textile and it is generated in vast quantities by refineries as it is significantly

cheaper that coal, has high calorific value and is easier to transport and store.

Petcoke is over 90 percent carbon and emits 5 to 10 percent more carbon dioxide (CO2) than

coal on a per-unit-of-energy basis when it is burned.

Import of Petcoke is allowed for only cement, lime kiln, calcium carbide and gasification

industries.

PARIVESH

The Prime Minister, recently launched PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by

Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub) on the occasion of World Biofuel Day.

PARIVESH is an Environmental Management System, developed in pursuance of the spirit of

‗Digital India‘

It is a single window hub for Environment, Forest, Wildlife and Coastal Regulation

Zone (CRZ) clearances.

―PARIVESH‖ is a workflow based application, based on the concept of web architecture.

3D Printed Artificial Reef

The world‘s largest 3-D printed reef has been submerged at Summer Island Maldives by

Australian group Reef Design Labs (RDL).


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It is regarded as a new technology-driven method to help coral reefs survive climate change

and warming waters

It resembles atoll reef of Maldives.

Coral Reefs:

An underwater ecosystem formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by Calcium

Carbonates

One of the most productive ecosystem is also called tropical rainforest of oceans.

Pesticides Banned

Government of India recently banned 18 toxic pesticides citing the harmful effects they could cause

humans and animals on the recommendation of Anupama Verma Committee.

Of the 18 pesticides, the registration, manufacture, import, sale and use of 11 were banned

with immediate effect while six will be phased out by December 2020.

One, the herbicide trifluralin, has also been immediately banned except for use in wheat.

The Verma committee had recommended a complete ban on trifluralin and DDT.

The ban neither includes monocrotophos and mancozeb, both of which were implicated

in the deaths of dozens of cotton farmers in Central India last year nor DDT, commonly

sprayed by civic administrations as a mosquito repellent and used in farming.

The Verma panel did not review the use of endosulfan, as it is being examined by the

Supreme Court.

Green, Good Deeds Movement

Green Good Deeds‖ campaign, launched by the MOEFCC Ministry to sensitize the people and

students, in particular, about climate change and global warming. It‘s a people-oriented

campaign. The plan is to broad-base it with the involvement of teachers, students and other

voluntary organizations.

Animal Welfare Board of India headquarters shifted from Chennai to

Haryana

Rule 3 of the Animal Welfare Board (Administrative) Rules, 1962 reads as -- 'The

Headquarter of the Board hall be at New Delhi or at such other place as the central

government, may, after consultation with the Board direct.

After consultation with the board, the headquarters of the AWBI has been shifted to Haryana

for "better coordination between the ministry and the AWBI for carrying out the

animal welfare activities.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), headquartered at Ballabhgarh in Haryana state, is

a statutory advisory body advising the Government of India's Ministry of Environment,

Forest and Climate Change. It was previously based at Chennai.

The Animal Welfare Board of India was established in 1962 under Section 4 of The Prevention

of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.Well-known humanitarian Rukmini Devi Arundale was

instrumental in setting up the board and was its first chair.

The Board oversees Animal Welfare Organizations (AWOs) by granting recognition to them if

they meet its guidelines.


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The Board provides financial assistance to recognized Animal Welfare Organizations (AWOs),

who submit applications to the Board.

The Board suggests changes to laws and rules about animal welfare issue.

The Board issues publications to raise awareness of various animal welfare issues.

Bomb Cyclone

If a winter storm is dubbed a bomb cyclone, or ―bombogenesis,‖ by meteorologists, it means it

is expected to rapidly intensify. The term bombogenesis is used by meteorologists to refer to a

rapidly intensifying area of low pressure.

The central pressure of an area of low pressure [winter storm] must drop at least 24 millibars

in 24 hours to qualify,

The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called

‗bombogenesis,‘ which creates what is known as a bomb cyclone.

A bombogenesis storm can be tropical or non-tropical.

In 2018, two winter storms hit the northeastern coast of the U.S. that were classified as bomb

cyclones (In January and in March).

Environment Ministry Notifies Rules To Regulate The Use Of Persistent

Organic Pollutants

The environment ministry has notified new Regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants

(POP) Rules, 2018 which ban the manufacture, trade, use, import and export of the seven

toxic chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention.

POPs are organic chemical substances—toxic to both humans and wildlife—which once

released into the environment remain intact for years on end, become widely

distributed throughout the environment as a result of natural processes involving soil, water

and air, and accumulate in the fatty tissues of living organisms including humans.

seven chemicals—Chlordecone, Hexabromobiphenyl, Hexabromodiphenyl ether and

heptabromodiphenyl ether, Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether,

Pentachlorobenzene, Hexabromocyclododecane and Hexachlorobutadine.

It further held that the waste containing these chemicals ―shall be disposed of as per the

provisions of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary

Movement) Rules, 2016.

Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty,

signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use

of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

The Stockholm Convention aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of all

intentionally produced POPs found in industrial chemicals and pesticides. India signed the

Convention in May 2002 and ratified it in January 2006.

Specific effects of POPs can include cancer, allergies and hypersensitivity, damage to the

central and peripheral nervous systems, reproductive disorders, and disruption of the

immune system.


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Coastal Regulation Zone

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has framed a new draft

Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018.

Coastal Regulation Zone or CRZ is a coastal land up to 500m from the High Tide

Line and a range of 100m along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwaters and rivers

subject to tidal fluctuations is CRZ. According to Coastal Regulation Zone

notifications, it is divided into 4 zones:

CRZ I – It refers to the ecologically sensitive areas, essential in maintaining ecosystem

of the coast. These lie between the HTL and LTL. Only exploration of natural gas and

extraction of salt is permitted.

CRZ II – These areas form up to the shoreline of the coast. Authorized structures are

not allowed to be constructed in this zone.

CRZ III – This includes rural and urban localities. Only certain activities relating to

agriculture and public utilities allowed here.

CRZ IV – This includes the aquatic area up to the territorial limit (12 nautical miles).

Fishing and allied activities permitted in this zone. Solid waste can be let off in this zone.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX (EPI)

• India ranked 177 out of 180 in EPI2018, making it fourth worst performer incurbing environmental

pollution

• India has slipped from 141 position in 2016 report.

• This report has been released on the sidelines of World Economic Forum meet in Davos.

• Top 5 countries: Switzerland, France, Denmark, Malta and Sweden

• Top bottom countries: Nepal, India, Congo, Bangladesh, Burundi

ABOUT EPI

•This index has been developed by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the

World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

• It is calculated on the basis of data gathered from 24 individual metrics of environmental

performance.

•These 24 individual metrics are then aggregated into a hierarchy that begins with 10 major

environmental issues categories.

MANGALAJODI ECOTOURISM TRUST, ODISHA

• It has won prestigious United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Award for Innovation in

Tourism Enterprise at 14th UNWTO Awards ceremony held in Madrid, Spain.

• The award was given in recognition of Mangalajodi‘s business model that is both economically viable

and environmentally sustainable based on principles of community ownership and Eco Tourism.

ABOUT MANGALAJODI ECOTOURISM TRUST

• Mangalajodi is a village located on the northern banks of Chilika Lake in Odisha.

•It hosts more than 3, 00,000 birds in its marshy waters, especially in winters.

• Mangalajodi Ecotourism Trust is community owned and managed venture promoted by RBS

Foundation India and Indian Grameen Services.


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•Due to coordinated efforts by the community the number of migratory birds in the region has been

restored since 2000.

Breathe India

15 - Point action plan proposed by NITI Aayog for combating air pollution in ten most polluted cities in

the country.

Ecosystem Service Improvement Project

India to sign Global Environment Facility (GEF) Grant Agreement with the World Bank for ―Ecosystem

Service Improvement Project‖.

Ecosystem Service Improvement Project - to strengthen the institutional capacity of

the Departments of Forestry and Community Organizations to enhance forest ecosystem

services and improve the livelihoods of forest dependent communities in Central Indian

Highlands.

Global Environment Facility (GEF) – established on eve of 1992 Rio Earth Summit is an

international partnership of 183 countries, international institutions, civil society

organizations and the private sector that addresses global environmental issues.

Meghalayan Age

Last 4,200 years till present has been named Meghalayan Age and was officially added to the

International Geologic Time Scale.

The geologic time scale (GTS) is a system of chronological dating that relates geological strata

(stratigraphy) to time.

The primary defined divisions of time are eons, in sequence the Hadean, the Archean,

the Proterozoic and the Phanerozoic. The first three of these can be referred to

collectively as the Precambrian super eon.

Eons are divided into eras, which are in turn divided into periods, epochs and ages.


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The current epoch i.e. Holocene epoch is expected to come to an end and a new

epoch Anthropocene has been coined to describe new age.

The Meghalayan is named for a stalagmite in a Mawmluh Cave in the northeast Indian state

of Meghalaya that is used as the geologic standard that marks the exact start of the age.

Sagar Nidhi

Biodiversity under alien attack

• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has for the firsttime compiled a list of alien invasive animal species,

totaling 157.This number excludes invasive microbe species.

• Just as alien plant species such as Parthenium hysterophorus(cotton grass) and Lantana

camara(Lantana) are known to harm agriculture and biodiversity, invasive animal species pose a

threat to biodiversity and human well-being.

• Phenacoccussolenopsis(Cotton Mealybug) is a native of North America buthas severely affected

cotton crops in the Deccan. Among the invasive fish species, Pterygoplichthys pardalis(Amazon

sailfin catfish) has been destroying fish populations in the wetlands of Kolkata.

• Achatinafulica (African apple snail) is said to be most invasive among all alien fauna. It is a mollusc

and was first reported in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. But today it is found all across the

country and is threatening the habitats of several native species.

Mankidia denied habitat in Simlipal

• Mankidia, one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Odisha, weredenied habitat

rights inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)under the historic Scheduled Tribes and Other

Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006,


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• State Forest Department has objected on grounds that tribal could be attacked by wild animals,

especially tigers.

• Habitat‘ as defined under Section 2(h) of the FRA (Forest Rights Act) includes the area

comprising the customary habitat and such other habitats in reserved forests and protected

forests of primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities and other forest dwelling

Scheduled Tribes.

• Mankidia, a marginalized group that critically depends on making rope with siali fiber that‘s richly

available in Similipal, would now be deprived of the non-timber forest produce.

• Simlipal National Park is a national park and a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian

state of Odisha. It includes three protected areas — Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife

Sanctuary and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary. Simlipal National Park derivesits name from the

abundance of semul (red silk cotton trees) that bloom here. This reserve is part of the UNESCO World

Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.

International Tiger Day Is Observed Annually On 29 July

• India is currently home to 70 per cent of the world's tiger population in over 17 states and 50

sanctuaries across the country.

• India is a part of the St Petersburg target, commonly referred to as the global wildlife conservation

goal TX2, which aims to double the tiger numbers in the Tiger Range countries by 2022.

• There are 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRC), including India, in the world where tigers roam free, but

the big cats continue to remain endangered.

India Ratifies 2nd Commitment Period of Kyoto Protocol

The first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol was from 2008–2012. The

DohaAmendment to the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Qatar in December 2012. The amendment

includes new commitments for parties to the Kyoto Protocol who agreed to take on commitments in a

second commitment period from January 2013 to December 2020 and a revised list of

greenhouse gases to be reported on by Parties in the second commitment period.

The Kyoto Protocol (KP)is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which commits its Parties by setting internationally

binding emission reduction targets. Under the Kyoto Protocol (KP) which had become operational in

2005, only developed nations are mandatorily required to undertake mitigation (emission cuts) targets

and to provide financial resources and transfer of technology to the developing nation The KP was

adopted in 1997, recognizing that the developed countries are principally responsible for the current

high levels of Greenhouse Gas (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Developing countries like India and China

have no mandatory mitigation obligations or targets under the Kyoto Protocol.Unlike the KP which

requires only developed countries to take mandatory actions, the Paris Agreement mandates all

countries to take action to minimize the impact of climate change as per their voluntary commitments

and individual capacity.

Gaj Yatra Campaign


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• The ―GajYatra‖, partnered by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), will take the form of

a roadshow that will move through 12 elephant range states over the next 15 months, with elephant-

sized artworks created by local artists and craftsmen as the centerpiece.

• The campaign was launched by the NGO, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)

• World Elephant Day is an annual global event celebrated across the world on August 12,

dedicated to the preservation and protection of elephants.

• African elephants are listed as ―vulnerable‖ and Asian elephants as ―endangered‖ in the IUCN Red

List of threatened species.

Lantana

•Lantana camara, one of the most invasive of plants that has taken over the country‘s forests, driving

wild animals out for foraging.

•In the Bandipur National Park, an estimated 60% is affected by Lantana. The problem with

lantana camera is that it kills native species of plants on which herbivores such as deer and elephants

feed on. Further, its fruit is toxic to animals.

•Native to South America, Lantana camara was brought to India by the British as ornamental plants,

possibly as long as 200 years ago.

• The forest department is banking on a bug to deal with the Lantana menace in both Bandipur and

Nagarhole. Called Teleonemia scrupulosa, or Lantana Lace, it has made a comeback and has begun

eating the Lantana leaves vigorously.

• The bug has been used as biological control measure against the invasive plant all over the world.

Wood Is Good Campaign

• The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has

launched ―Wood is Good‖ Campaign under Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-Plus).

• The purpose of the campaign is to promote wood as a climate-friendly resource and substitute to

materials like steel and plastic as it is a renewable resource, having zero carbon footprint, unlike

other materials that leave carbon footprint in their production.

• The Partnership for Land Use Science (Forest-Plus) is a joint programme by the United States

Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and

Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to strengthen capacity for REDD (Reducing Emissions from

Deforestation and Forest Degradation) implementation in India.

• The programme brings together experts from India and the United States to develop technologies,

tools and methods of forest management to meet the technical challenges of managing forests

for the health of ecosystem, carbon stocks, biodiversity and livelihood.

Phyto-Pharma Plant Mission

• This is a Rs 50 crore Mission aimed at conservation and cultivation of endangered and

threatened endemic medicinal plants, and discovery of new botanical drugs for unmet medical needs

using the rich traditional ethno-botanical knowledge and biodiversity of the North Eastern


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Region (NER) states. For this Mission, DBT will be the nodal coordinating and implementing

department and work closely with Ministry of DONER and other identified institutions.

• DBT has announced launch ofthe Phyto-pharmaceutical Mission in NER with three major

objectives:

1.Captive cultivation of selected medicinal plants of NER, which have great demand to ensure

supply of authentic and quality botanical raw material to the user industries in the country.

2. Development of technology packages for production of GMP grade medicinal plant extracts

for export markets.

3. Production of safe and efficacious phyto-pharmaceuticals from medicinal plants of NER for

unmet medical needs using modern scientific tools and following global standards.

At school levels, DBT has launched the ‗Biotechnology Labs in Senior Secondary schools

(BLiSS) programme‘, a first of its kind in India, for schools where biotechnology labs have been set up

at 88 Senior Secondary Schools from NER with an investment of Rs. 2.20 crore.

National Wildlife Action Plan(NWAP) 2017-2031

• The Plan focuses on preservation of genetic diversity and sustainable development. The

NWAP has five components, 17 themes, 103 conservation actions and 250 projects. The NWAP has

been made landscape-based, rather than sanctuary, or national park-based.

• The five components are – strengthening and promoting the integrated management of wildlife and

their habitats; adaptation to climate change and promoting integrated sustainable management of

aquatic biodiversity in India; promoting eco-tourism, nature education and participatory

management; strengthening wildlife research and monitoring of development of human

resources in wildlife conservation and enabling policies and resources for conservation of wildlife in

India.

•The Plan will help to mainstream wildlife conservation in development planning processes. Some new

action issues have been considered in the Third National Wildlife Action Plan. These issues include –

climate change and wildlife, wildlife health, inland, coastal and marine conservation and wildlife

conflict mitigation.

• The third action plan comes after the first plan in 1983 and second from 2002 till 2016.

STATE OF THE FOREST REPORT, 2017

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released India State of

Forest Report (ISFR) 2017.

• It has revealed that total forest and tree cover in India has increased of over 8,021 sq.km which is

one percent increase from 2015

• The15th state of forest report has been made using Resource-2 satellite data

FOREST COVER

• All tree strands with canopy density of over 10% having an extant of more than 1 hectare including

bamboo, orchards, coconut, palm etc. within recorded forest, private, community or institutional

lands comes under forest cover.

CLASSIFICATION OF FOREST COVER ACCORDING TO CANOPY DENSITY

• Very dense forest: All lands with tree canopy density of 70% and above.


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• Moderately dense forest: All lands with canopy density of 40% and more and less than 70%.

• Open Forest: All lands with tree canopy density of 10% and more but less than 40%.

• Scrub: Degraded forests land with canopy density less than 10%.

• Non forests: The land which is not included in any of the above classes.

2017 REPORT – HIGHLIGHTS

• The total forest cover is 7, 08,273 sq.km which is 21.54% of the geographical area of the country.

• There has been an increase of 1% in forest covers at the national level.

• India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest (21.53%) and tree cover.

• The maximum increase in forest cover has been observed in Very Dense Forest (VDF) followed by

increase in forest cover in open forest (OF).

• The agro-forestry and private forestry has also shown expansion.

• VERY DENSE FOREST (VDF): There is an increase of VDF at national level and total VDF area

comes out to be 2.99% of the total geographical area.

• MODERATELY DENSE FOREST (MDF): This category has seen a decrease in the forest cover and

the total area under MDF is 9.38% of the total geographical area.

• OPEN FOREST (OF): It has also witnessed an increase and the total area comes out to be 9.18% of

total geographical area.

STATE WISE FOREST COVER:

In terms of area, Top 5: Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and

Maharashtra.

In terms of percentage of the total geographical area, Top states: Lakshadweep,

Mizoram,Andaman & Nicobar Island, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya, Nagaland

and Tripura

Top five states with increase in forest cover - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha

and Telangana

Top 5 states with decrease in forest cover - Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh,

Tripura, and Meghalaya

State and UT having forest cover more than 33% - There are 15 states/UT having above

33% of the geographical area under forest cover.

Forest cover in North East:

The region with just 7.98% of the total geographical area of the country accounts for one fourth of

the forest cover. Present forest cover in the region is 65.34% of the total geographical area. 2017

report shows a decrease of forest cover of 630 sq. km in the North Eastern region.

Forest cover in Hill Districts.

The Hill districts include all the districts of the state of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,

Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand.

The total forest cover is 40.22% of the total geographical area.

The current assessment shows an increase of 754 sq. km of forest cover in all hill districts of

the country

Forest cover in tribal districts

The total forest cover is 37.43% of the total geographical area of these districts.

The current assessment shows an increase of 86.89 sq. km in all tribal districts of the

country


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Mangrove cover

The mangrove cover in the country is 0.15% of the total geographical area of the country.

There has been an increase of 181 sq. km as compared to earlier estimates.

This is due to the plantation and regeneration.

7 out of 12 states has shown an increase in the Mangrove cover

Top 3 gainers - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat

None of the states have shown a negative change in the mangrove cover.

Bamboo Cover:

There has been an increase of 1.73 million ha in bamboo area.

The Government has recently taken out bamboo from the tree category, where it is grown

outside forest areas.

ABOUT ISFR

FSI has been assessing the forest and tree resources of our country on a biennial basis since

1987.

The results of the assessment are published in its biennial report titled ―India State of Forest

Report (ISFR)‖.


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MINAMATA CONVENTION

• Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved proposal for ratification of Minamata Convention on

Mercury and depositing instrument of ratification enabling India to become Party of Convention.

• The approval entails ratification of convention along with flexibility for continued use of mercury-

based products and processes involving mercury compound up to 2025.

National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Bill

2017.

• The bill propose to ban the construction of jetties, ports or ―permanent hydraulic structures‖ in

the Ganga, unless permitted by the National Ganga Rejuvenation Authority.

• It proposes to create a management structure that will supervise the health of the 2,500-kilometre

long Ganga which the draft Bill defines as ‗India‘s national river.‘

• The Bill lays down a host of restrictions to ensure the ―uninterrupted, ecological flow‖ of theriver.

• The proposed legislation specifies that ―unauthorized‖ activities that cause obstruction or

discontinuity of water in the River Gang due to engineered diversion of water or stoppage

ofwater. Carrying out such activities are liable to a prison term of 3 years or fines up to₹50

core, orboth.

• The Armed Ganga Protection Corps (GPC) personnel will be provided by the ministry of

homeaffairs and will be deployed by the National Ganga Rejuvenation Authority. The GPC

personnel willhave power to arrest those who pollute the river covering offences like

obstructing the flow of theriver to commercial fishing.

The Bill has listed out a list of offences marked as cognizable which includes:

• Construction activities causing obstruction in the river.

• Withdrawal of ground water for industrial or commercial consumption from the land fronting the

riverand its tributaries.

• Commercial fishing or aqua culture in the river and its tributaries.

• Discharging untreated or treated sewage into the river.

India‘s E-Waste Generation

• Despite the government‘s emphasis on Swatch Bharat Aiyana and Smart Cities project, India

continues to be generating highest e-waste vis-à-vis China, USA, Japan and

Germanyaccording to a recent ASSOCHAM-NEC study .

• In India, Maharashtra contributes the largest e-waste of 19.8%, followed by Tamil Nadu (13%) and

Uttar Pradesh (10.1%).

• Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics

which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste.

• Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful materials such as

lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants. Recycling and disposal of e-waste may

involve significant risk to health of workers and communities in developed countries.Informal

processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to adverse human health effects and

environmental pollution.


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UN World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

• ―Land has true value. Invest in it.‖ This was the theme for the observance of World Day to Combat

Desertification and Drought (WDCD) this year (2018). Each year, WDCD is observed on June 17 to

raise awareness on the global and national actions that address desertification, land degradation and

drought.

• SDG 15 invites everyone to protect life on land, which can be done by restoring and protecting our

forests.

• The UNCCD estimates thata third of all land on Earth is so severely degraded that it does not cover

the basic needs of people living there

• The three Rio Conventions—on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification—derive

directly from the 1992 Earth Summit. Each instrument represents a way of contributing to the

Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 21.

• Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable

development. It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and

Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.

Established in 1994, the United Nations to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally

binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land

management. The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas,

known as the dry lands. The UNCCD is particularly committed to a bottom-up approach, encouraging

the participation of local people in combating desertification and land degradation.

India Committed To Eliminate All Single-Use Plastic in the Country By

2022

• India was the global host of 2018 World Environment Day (June 5, 2018) with ―Beat

Plastic Pollution‖ as the theme, reflecting world commitment to combat single-use plastic pollution.

• Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016 to regulate manufacture, sale,

distribution and use of plastic carry bags

It defines the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags i.e. 50 microns.

Extended Producer Responsibility and responsibility of local bodies

Responsibility of street vendors as well as waste generators

• Single use Plastic account for 50% of the plastic we use, with none states in India have plans in

place to tackle single use plastics

• Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are used only once before they are thrown away or

recycled. These items are things like plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and

most food packaging.

• Petroleum based plastic is not biodegradable and usually goes into a landfill where it is buried or it

gets into the water and finds its way into the ocean. Although plastic will not biodegrade

(decompose into natural substance like soil,) it will degrade (break down) into tiny particles

after many years.

Uttarakhand HC Declares Animals To Be ‗Legal Persons


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• The Uttarakhand High Court has accorded the status of ―legal person or entity‖ to animals in the

State, saying ―they have a distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living

person.‖

• The entire animal kingdom, including avian and aquatic ones, are declared as legal entities

having a distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person .

• The court also ordered for load limits to be draught by animals, various aspects of animal safety

such as right of passage for animal carts, etc.

Recovery Programme By Wildlife Board

• 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 Program for

Critically Endangered Species on the recommendation of a Standing Committee.

• The progamme is one of the three components of the centrally funded scheme, Integrated

Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH). Started in 2008-09, IDWH is meant for providing

support to protected areas (national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and

community reserves except tiger reserves), protection of wildlife outside protected areas, and

recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats.

• The programme, which already covers 17 species across the country, includes legal sanction

against hunting, financial assistance to states to protect the species, creation of sanctuaries, and even

the CBI‘s assistance in prosecuting the poachers. These species include: the Snow Leopard,

Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible

Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures,

Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer and Jerdon‘s Courser.

• National Board for Wild Life is a ―Statutory Organization‖ constituted under the Wildlife

Protection Act, 1972. It is chaired by the Prime Minister and its vice chairman is Minister of

Environment. Theoretically, the board is ―advisory‖ in nature and advises the Central Government on

framing policies and measures for conservation of wildlife in the country. It is a very important body

because it serves as apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and

around national parks and sanctuaries.

• WTI: It is a leading Indian nature conservation organization committed to the service of nature. Its

mission is to conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the welfare of individual wild animals, in

partnership with communities and governments. WTI was formed in November 1998 in response to

the rapidly deteriorating condition of wildlife in India. WTI is a registered charity in India (under

Section 12A of the ITAct, 1961).

Genetically Modified Crops

India has the world‘s fifth largest cultivated area under genetically modified (GM) crops, at 11.4

million hectares (mha) in 2017.

• But unlike other big growers, its entire GM crop area is under a single crop cotton

incorporating genes from the Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt soil bacterium coding for resistance

against heliothis bollworm insect pests.


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• Field trials for 21 GM food crops, including GM vegetables and cereals have been approved by the

government, though commercial cultivation of GM food has not been permitted by any State

Government till now.

• ―Genetic modification‖ or ―genetically modified‖ short for GM involves altering the genes of an

organism, be it a plant, animal or microorganism. This can be done by altering an existing section of

DNA, or inserting a gene from another organism.

• India spends roughly around $12 billion annually on vegetable oil imports. GM mustard has been

considered by agri-experts as a solution for the country’s edible oil deficit because it has yields upto

30% higher than the normal varieties.

• The variety –named as Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 or DMH-11 which has been developed by

a team of scientists from Delhi University led by former Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental by genetically

modifying mustard variety ―Varuna‖ and crossed it with an Eastern European line.

System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR)

• A state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System– SAFAR (System of Air Quality and

Weather Forecasting), first of its kind in the country, has been installed

• In addition to monitoring and forecasting of regular air quality and weather parameters ,

the Chandni Chowk air quality station will also measure sun‘s UV-Index and will provide

measurement of online automatic ultrafine particles PM1 and Mercury, both of which have direct

relevance to human health

• The system was developed indigenously in record time by Indian Institute of Tropical

Meteorology, Pune and operationalized by India Meteorological Department (IMD)

• The system will be an integral part of India‘s first Air Quality Early Warning System operational in

Delhi and will strengthen the existing air quality network of SAFAR, Central Pollution Control

Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

The National Air Quality Index (AQI) was launched in New Delhi on 17 September 2014 under the

Swatch Bharat Abhiyan.

• There are six AQI categories, namely Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and

Severe.

• The proposed AQI will consider eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for

which short-term (up to 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are

prescribed. The Central Pollution Control Board along with State Pollution Control Boards has been

operating National Air Monitoring Program (NAMP) covering 240 cities of the country.

India To Expand Polar Research To Arctic

• Government has renamed the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) —since

1998, charged with conducting expeditions to India‘s base stations to the continent — as the

National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research.

• India only has one Arctic observation station near Norway. It is also in talks with Canada and

Russia, key countries with presence in the Arctic Circle, to establish new observation systems

• It has already established a high-altitude research station in the Himalayas, which it views

the Himalayas as a ―third pole‖ because of the large quantities of snow and ice it holds

called HIMANSH, at Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.


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• While annual missions to maintain India‘s three bases in Antarctica will continue, the new

priorities mean that there will be more expeditions and research focus on the other pole

• Dakshin Gangotri was the first base in Antartica, superceded by Maitri , and Bharati

is the newest base in Antartica.

• India is already an observer at the Arctic Council — a forum of countries that decides on

managing the region‘s resources and popular livelihood and, in 2015, set up an underground

observatory, called IndARC, at the Kongsfjorden fjord, half way between Norway and North Pole.

In 1996, the Ottawa Declaration formally established the Arctic Council as a high-level

intergovernmental forum to provide a means for promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction

among the Arctic States, with the involvement of the Arctic Indigenous communities and other Arctic

inhabitants on common Arctic issues; in particular, issues of sustainable development and

environmental protection in the Arctic. Arctic Council Member States are Canada, the Kingdom of

Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation,

Sweden, and the United States of America.

Uranium Contamination in India‘s Groundwater

• Scientists have found widespread uranium contamination in groundwater from aquifers across 16

states in India, much above the WHO provisional standard for the country.

• The WHO has set a provisional safe drinking water standard of 30 micrograms of uranium per liter

for India, a level that is consistent with US Environmental Protection Agency standards.

• Despite this, uranium is not yet included in the list of contaminants monitored under the

Bureau of Indian Standards‘ Drinking Water Specifications.

• Many of India‘s aquifers are composed of clay, silt and gravel carried down from Himalayan

weathering by streams or uranium-rich granitic rocks. When over-pumping of these aquifers‘

groundwater occurs and their water levels decline, it induces oxidation conditions that, in turn,

enhance uranium enrichment in the shallow groundwater that remains.

• While the primary source of uranium is geogenic (naturally occurring), anthropogenic (human

caused) factors such as groundwater table decline and nitrate pollution may further enhance

uranium mobilisation.

The International Nitrogen Initiative

Indian scientist and academician Nandula Raghuram was elected as the Chair of the

International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), a global policy making initiative.

INI 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).

Its main aims are:

Optimize nitrogen‘s beneficial role in sustainable food production, and Minimize nitrogen‘s

negative effects on human health and the environment resulting from food and energy

production.

Cheetah Reintroduction Project


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• Madhya Pradesh forest department has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority

(NTCA) to revive the plan to reintroduce cheetahs in the state's Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.

• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), is nodal agency for the Cheetahs reintroduction

plan

• The country‘s last spottedfeline died in Chhattisgarh in 1947. Later, the cheetah -- which is the

fastest land animal -- was declared extinct in India in 1952.

• Nauradehi was found to be the most suitable area for the cheetahs as its forests are not very dense

to restrict the fast movement of the spotted cat. Besides, the prey base for cheetahs is also in

abundance at the sanctuary. As per the earlier action plan, around 20 cheetahs were to be

translocated to Nauradehi from Namibia in Africa

• MP houses six major reserves for the tiger and is often called as the 'tiger state'. Prominent among

them are Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha tiger reserves.

India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)

• The overarching goal of ICAP is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all

while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits for the society.

• India is the first country in world to develop such a document (ICAP), which addresses cooling

requirement across sectors and lists out actions which can help reduce the cooling demand.

• The broad objectives of the India Cooling Action Plan include –

Reduction of cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25 % by year 2037-38.

Reduction of refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by year 2037-38.

Training of 100,000 service sector technicians by 2022-23 under Pradhan

MantraCausal Vikas Yojana

WAYU

• Wind Augmentation PurifYing Unit (WAYU) 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.

PM Narendra Modi Gets Top United Nations Environmental Honor

•Mr. Modi was awarded the United Nations' Champions of the Earth Award for the year 2018.

• The United Nations recognized Modi with its highest environmental honor in the policy leadership

category for his extensive efforts to ‗Beat Plastic Pollution'- including an ambitious pledge to eliminate

all single-use plastic in the country by 2022.

• President of France, Emmanuel Macron has also been awarded in the same category for his

work on the Global Pact for the Environment.

• Cochin International Airport was also awarded for its leadership in use of sustainable energy in the

category of entrepreneurial vision. The airport is world's first fully solar-powered airport.

The Champions of the Earth award is the United Nations highest environmental honor recognizing

visionary people and organizations all over the world that exemplify leadership and advocate action on

sustainable development, climate change and a life of dignity for all. It was launched in 2005 and is


Page | 23

awarded by UNEP.Past Indians who won it include: Afroz Shah, who led the world‘s largest beach

cleanup (2016).

MoEFCC‘s National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds and

their Habitats along Central Asian Flyway (CAF) for the period 2018-23

• The overall longer-term goal of the National Action Plan is to arrest population decline and secure

habitats of migratory bird species.

• 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.

• The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals -- more commonly

abbreviated to just the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention and

CMS COP is known as Global Wildlife conference aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian

migratory species throughout their range.

Death of Gujarat Lions

• 26-member strong pride of the endangered Asiatic lions in Gujarat. According to the State Forest

Department, of the 23 deaths, four lions died of CDV, and 17 were killed by a tick -borne infection.

• 184 Lions have died in Gujarat since 2006. Recently the lions succumbed to the deadly infection of

canine distemper virus (CDV) and tick-borne babesiosis.

• There is a census of lions in Gir every five years.

• Canine Distemper is a virus that affects a Dog‘s gastrointestinal, respiratory and central

nervous systems as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye.

•Babesiosis: Caused by Babesia, an apicomplexan parasite that infects red blood cells, transmitted by

ticks. Symptoms include dullness, weakness, inappetence, mild paresis of hind quarters.

• The Gujarat government has been resisting their relocation to the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, also

known as Palpur-Kuno, in Madhya Pradesh -- as ordered by the Supreme Court way back in

2013.

STAPCOR – 2018

• Theme: ―Reef for Life‖

• The International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs (STAPCOR – 2018) was held at

Bangaram coral Island of Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

• A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of

colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony

corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.

• The effect of climate change and global warming along with El-Nino on the corals has led to heavy

bleaching internationally during the year 1998. This led to the foundation of STAPCOR with adecision

to have an international conference in every 10 years to review the status and progress of coral reefs

all over the world.


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• The first International Year Of Reef (IYOR) was designated in 1997 in response to the

increasing threats on coral reefs and associated ecosystems. 2007 was designated as the

second IYOR. 2018 has been designated as 3rd decadal International Year of Reef.

• Lakshadweep will establish an International Atoll Research Centre, with world class infrastructures

for scientific research on corals.

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change) Report On The

Health Of World Ocean

• For each of the last 25 years, oceans had absorbed heat energy equivalent to 150 times

the amount of electricity mankind produces annually. That is 60% higher than what previous

studies showed.

• The world‘s oceans have absorbed 90% of the temperature rise caused by man-made carbon

emissions.

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization

working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

• IUCN was established in 1948. It was previously called the International Union for the Protection of

Nature (1948–1956) and the World Conservation Union (1990–2008).

• The organization is best known to the wider public for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List

of Threatened Species, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide.

ACROSS Scheme

• The Cabinet Committee has approved continuation of the nine sub-schemes of the umbrella

scheme ―Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services(ACROSS)‖

during 2017-2020.

• ACROSS scheme pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

• It 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‖and is implemented in an integrated.

Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF)

• Climate Vulnerable Forum meeting is being held in Marshall Islands. This is the first entirely online

Heads of Government level intergovernmental meeting.

• Leaders at the CVF have called on world‘s governments to raise the ambition of their climate

targets by 2020 in order to save vulnerable nations threatened by warming beyond 1.5 °C.

• The CVF was founded by Maldives government before 2009 United Nations Climate Change

Conference in Copenhagen, which sought to increase awareness of countries considered vulnerable.

• Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan are its members, whereas India is one of the observer states.

Fly Ash

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed penalties of up to ₹5 crore on thermal

power plants that have not fully disposed of the fly ash they generated.


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• Fly ash is a major source of PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) in summer. It becomes

airborne, and gets transported to a radius of 10 to 20 kms. It can settle on water and

othersurfaces. Fly ash contains heavy metals from coal, a large amount of PM 2.5 and black carbon

(BC). Proper disposal of fly ash is still not happening in many places.

What Can Be Done

Fly ash, the end product of combustion during the process of power generation in the

coalbased thermal power plants, is a proven resource material for many applications of

construction industries and currently is being utilized in manufacturing of Portland

Cement, bricks/blocks/tiles manufacturing, road embankment construction and low lying

area development, etc.

Besides, there is a need to prevent the ash from coming to the power plant by washing the

coal at its place oforigin. The government should also come out with a policy to encourage fly

ash use in cement plant.

Deep Ocean Mission

In a recently unveiled Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) blueprint, Centre has drawn up a five year, Rs.

8000 Crore plan to explore deep resources of the ocean on lines of ISRO in designing and launching

satellite.

DOM blueprint

DOM aims to explore the depths of the Ocean for the possibilities of deep-sea mining. 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:

• Offshore tidal energy desalination plant that will work with tidal energy.

• Developing a submersible vehicle to explore depths of at least 6000 Meters with three people on

board.

Significance of DOM for India

• India‘s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) spreads over 2.2 Million Km2. EEZ are boundaries

prescribed by the UNCLOS which give special rights to a state regarding the exploration and use of

marine resources.

• India has been allotted a site of 75,000 Km2in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the UN

International Sea Bed Authority for exploitation of Poly-Metallic nodules (PMN). A First Generation

Mine-site (FGM) with an area of 18,000 Km2has been identified. Latest technologies for extraction of

metals from the minerals have also been developed.

Black Carbon

• Black carbon is a potent climate warming component of particulate matter formed by the incomplete

combustion of fossil fuels, wood and other fuels.

• Black carbon is a short-lived climate pollutant with a lifetime of only days to weeks after

release in the atmosphere. During this short period of time, black carbon can have significant

direct and indirect impacts on the climate, glacial regions, agriculture and human health.

Impact of Black Carbon


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Climate impact

Black carbon is an important contributor to warming because it is very effective at absorbing

light and heating its surroundings.

It also influences cloud formation and impacts regional circulation and rainfall patterns.

When deposited on ice and snow, black carbon and emitted particles reduce surface

albedo (the ability to reflect sunlight) and heat the surface. The Arctic and glaciated

regions such as the Himalayas are particularly vulnerable to melting as a result.

Health impact

Black carbon and its co-pollutants are key components of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air

pollution.

It has been linked to a number of health impacts including premature death in adults with

heart and lung disease, strokes, heart attacks, chronic respiratory disease suchas bronchitis,

aggravated asthma and other cardio-respiratory symptoms.

Multiple Choice Questions

1.Sagar Nidhi is an initiative between India and

a) US b) UK c) Israel d) Germany

Answer: A 2. Which is the latest Indian Biosphere Reserve to be included in the UNESCO‘s World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) under the Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB)?

a) Gulf of Mannar b) Nanda Devi c) Nokrek d) Khangchendzonga

Answer: D 3. India‘s only Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is in which state?

a) Bihar b) West Bengal c) Uttarakhand d) Uttar Pradesh

Answer: A 4. National Board for Wildlife is chaired by

a) Prime Minister of India b) Environment Minister c) Former Supreme Court Judge d) An environmental activist

Answer: A 5. Which High Court gave legal entity status to the animal kingdom recently?

a) Delhi High Court b) Uttarakhand High Court c) Bombay High Court d) Madras High Court

Answer: B

6. Breathe India action plan is launched by

a) MOEFCC b) Niti Aayog c) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare d) World Health Organization

Answer: B 7. What is the percentage share of forest cover in India‘s total geographical area?

a) 33% b) 21.53 % c) 40 % d) 22.5 %

Answer: B 8. Consider the following statements about Conservation Assured.

1. It is a management tool which sets basic criteria for effective management of tiger conservation reserves or other conservation reserves and protected

areas which have tiger populations. 2. It is based on a set of seven

pillars with 17 minimum standards

and associated criteria for effective management.

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer c 9. State of the Global Climate is released by

a) IUCN b) IPCC c) UNEP d) WMO


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Answer: D 10. Clean Seas Campaign was launched in the year

a) 2015 b) 2016 c) 2017 d) 2018

Answer: C 11. One Planet City Challenge is associated with

a) World Wildlife Fund for Nature(WWF)

b) UNEP c) IUCN d) WMO

Answer: A 12. Which of the following conventions is related with Persistent Organic Pollutants?

a) Rotterdam Convention b) Stockholm Convention c) Basel Convention d) Vienna Convention

Answer: B 13. Consider the following statements about Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

1. It is a statutory organization which was constituted in 1974.

2. It is entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C 14. Ocean Cleanup project is started in?

a) Pacific ocean b) Indian ocean c) Atlantic Ocean d) Southern Ocean

Answer: A

15. Banni Grassland is situated in

a) Gujarat b) Karnataka c) Mizoram d) Maharashtra

Answer: A

16. Consider the following statements about National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).

1) It is a statutory body established under the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

2) It performs facilitative and advisory functions for the Union government on issues of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources.

Which of the above statements is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2

d) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: C 17. SAWEN is associated with which region?

a) South Asia b) South America c) South Africa d) Southern Australia

Answer: A 18. Gaj Yatra was recently carried out in which state?

a) Meghalaya b) Tripura c) Karnataka d) Assam

Answer: A 19. Consider the following statements about

LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities 1) It is an international certification run

by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

2) It provides a framework to building owners and operators for identifying

and implementing practical green building solutions.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

20. Environmental Performance Index is released by

a) UNEP b) IPCC c) Greenpeace d) None of the above

Answer: D


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