insights pt 2017 exclusive - upsc ias exam … pt 2017 exclusive page 2 table of contents a....

Insights PT 2017

Exclusive

Environment and Ecology

June 2016 – March 2017

W W W . I N S I G H T S O N I N D I A . C O M

Insights PT 2017 Exclusive

www.insightsonindia.com www.insightsias.com

Table of Contents

A. Government Programmes 1. Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme……………………….……………………………………………………………………5 2. Pilot programme to run two wheelers on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) …………………………………………..5 3. National Green Highways Mission (NGHM) …………………………………………………………………………………………5 4. Namami Gange Programme (NGP) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 5. River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016…………………………….6 6. Ken-Betwa river linking project……………………………………………………………………………………………………………7 7. National Mission on Bioeconomy………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7 8. Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme……………………………………………………………………………………………7 9. Second Generation Ethanol…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 10. National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020…………………………………………………………………….8 11. Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development (SaCReD) Initiative………………………………………..8 12. National Hydrology Project……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9 13. Green Train Corridors………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 14. 2016 India Biodiversity Award………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 15. Fly Ash Utilization Policy………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 16. Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in Majuli………………………………………………………10 17. Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016……………………………………………………………………………………………..11 18. Graded Response Action Plan………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 19. India-Based Neutrino Observatory (INO) …………………………………………………………………………………………11 20. HCFCs Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP) …………………………………………………………………………………..12 21. Operation Thunder Bird and Operation Save Kurma………………………………………………………………………..12

B. Animal / Wildlife Conservation 1. Gangetic River dolphin (Susu) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 2. Kendrapara sheep (kuji mendha) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 3. Bornean orangutan……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………15 4. India’s First Tiger Repository……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15 5. Protection of Protected Species in India…………………………………………………………………………………………….15 6. Saving the Tiger…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16 7. Kashmiri Red Stag (Hangul) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16 8. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………17 9. Elephant Census………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17

C. Species Discovery / Species Sighted 1. Gymnothorax indicus…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………18 2. Invasive Giant African Land Snail……………………………………………………………………………………………………….18 3. New Species of Pika…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18 4. New Termite species Glyptotermes Chiraharitae……………………………………………………………………………….18 5. Smooth-Coated Otter………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19 6. Fishing Cat…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………19 7. 163 new species in ecologically diverse Greater Mekong region………………………………………………………..19 8. Irrawaddy Dolphins…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..20 9. Balsams (impatiens) plant species……………………………………………………………………………………………………..20 10. Miniature Frog Species…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20 11. Zingiber pseudosquarrosum…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20



D. Pollution 1. National Air Quality Index (AQI) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….22 2. Photocatalyst to degrade industrial dyes…………………………………………………………………………………………..22 3. Arsenic Contamination………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………22 4. Record High CO2 Level in 2016………………………………………………………………………………………………………….23 5. Ammonia detected in the upper Troposphere…………………………………………………………………………………..23 6. Bio-medical waste…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….23 7. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………24 8. Endosulfan………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..24

E. Events / Celebrations 1. World Environment Day (WED) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………25 2. World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) ………………………………………………………………………………….25 3. World Oceans Day…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….25 4. World Hydrography Day……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………26 5. International Tiger Day……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..26 6. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer………………………………………………………………..26 7. World Sustainable Development Summit………………………………………………………………………………………….27 8. World Food Day…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………27 9. Earth Hour…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………27 10. World Tsunami Awareness Day……………………………………………………………………………………………………….28 11. World Wetlands Day……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….28 12. National Biodiversity Congress 2017 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….28 13. World Wildlife Day…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..29

F. Reports / Releases 1. The Birds of Banni Grassland…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….30 2. Inheriting a sustainable world: Atlas on children’s health and the environment……………………………….30 3. Endemic Vascular Plants of India………………………………………………………………………………………………………30 4. Living Planet Report………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….30 5. Energy Efficiency Implementation Readiness…………………………………………………………………………………….31

G. International Efforts 1. Norway - First country to ban deforestation………………………………………………………………………………………32 2. Udaipur Declaration on disaster………………………………………………………………………………………………………..32 3. World’s largest Marine Protected Area……………………………………………………………………………………………..32 4. International Solar Alliance (ISA) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………32 5. Environment Tax ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………33 6. TanSat satellite………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….33 7. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)………………33

8. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)…………………………………………………………………….34

9. BirdLife International………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..34 10. Kyoto Protocol………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..35 11. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants…………………………………………………………………35

H. Climate Change 1. Climate Change Impact on Animals……………………………………………………………………………………………………36 2. Coral bleaching………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….36



3. Forest Fires in India…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..36 4. Climate change programme………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..37

I. Organizations 1. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)………………………………………………………………………………………………………….38 2. Botanical Survey of India (BSI)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..38 3. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………38 4. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA) ………………………………………………………………………………….39 5. Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) ……………………………………………………………………………………………..39 6. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT) ………………………………………40 7. Central Water Commission (CWC) …………………………………………………………………………………………………….40 8. India Meteorological Department (IMD) …………………………………………………………………………………………..40 9. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) …………………………………………………………………………………………41 10. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) …………………………………………………………………………………..41 11. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) …………………………41 12. National Green Tribunal (NGT) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….42 13. Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) …………………………………………………………….42 14. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) ……………………………………………………………………………………………42 15. Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS) ………………………………………………………………………………………….43

J. Protocols / Conventions 1. Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer……………………………………………………….44 2. Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer ………………………………………………………………..44 3. Kigali Agreement……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….44 4. Paris Agreement on climate change ………………………………………………………………………………………………….45 5. Marrakech Action Proclamation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….45 6. Doha Amendments to the Kyoto Protocol…………………………………………………………………………………………46

K. Miscellaneous 1. Rhino horn verification process………………………………………………………………………………………………………….47 2. Ganga and Yamuna Rivers as living entity………………………………………………………………………………………….47 3. Coal Bed Methane (CBM) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….47 4. Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..47 5. Loktak Lake………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..48 6. Genetic Garden of Halophytes …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..48 7. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….48 8. Sambhar Salt Lake………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………49 9. Chilika lake…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………49 10. Seemai Karuvelam trees…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..49 11. Barren Island…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….50



NOTES

Government Programmes

1. Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme Haryana Government has launched Asia’s

first ‘Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme’.

2 captive bred Himalayan Griffons vultures were released as part of the soft release or reintroduction programme.

Himalayan Griffon vultures: o The IUCN has listed these species as

Near Threatened. o They are scavengers, preying on dead animals as they have a robust

digestive system which can digest disease-causing pathogens found in rotting meat of dead. Thus, they help in keeping environment clean.

Decline in vulture population: o The main reason for rapid decline in population of vulture is due to

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which is given to cattle in inflammation and pain.

o Vultures are not able to break down Diclofenac and die of renal failure or kidney failure after eating carcasses of cattle administered with the drug.

o The Diclofenac drug was banned by Union Government of India for veterinary use in 2006.

2. Pilot programme to run two wheelers on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) In a major step to curb rising air pollution in Indian cities the government launched

first of its kind Pilot Programme in the country to run two wheelers on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in New Delhi.

It is being implemented by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) under its “Hawa Badlo” movement along with one of its parent company, GAIL (India) Limited.

These CNG two-wheelers are substantially economical as compared to similar variant of petrol vehicles.

They emit 75% less hydrocarbon and 20% less CO (Carbon monoxide), compared to their petrol variants.

These CNG retrofitted two wheelers can drive upto 120 kms in a single fill.

3. National Green Highways Mission (NGHM) The Union Government has launched National Green Highways Mission (NGHM), a

plantation drive around 1500 km of National Highways.

It was launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

NGHM was launched under the Green Highways Policy, 2015 to provide a holistic vision of developing eco-friendly and green National Highways.

The mission aims to provide a green canopy along 100,000 km of highways and create jobs for 1 million youth.

It has been initiated to engage corporates, Public Sector units, Government organizations and other institutions for developing green corridor along National Highways through plantation and allied activities.

The Afforestation across National Highways is expected to help in sequestering approximately 12 lakh metric ton carbon annually.



NOTES The mission will be linked with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme in future.

Besides this the ‘Kisan Harit Rajmarg Yojana’ was also launched. The Yojana is a pilot scheme to extend green belt beyond the existing ‘Right of Way’ of highways by engaging farmers and providing alternative livelihood option to the nearby communities.

4. Namami Gange Programme (NGP)

Namami Gange programme was launched as a mission to achieve the target of cleaning river Ganga in an effective manner with the unceasing involvement of all stakeholders, especially five major Ganga basin States – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

It was launched by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

The programme envisages River Surface Cleaning, Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure, River Front Development, Bio-Diversity, Afforestation and Public Awareness.

The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).

In order to improve implementation, a three-tier mechanism has been proposed for project monitoring comprising of a) High level task force chaired by Cabinet Secretary assisted by NMCG at national level, b) State level committee chaired by Chief Secretary assisted by SPMG at state level and c) District level committee chaired by the District Magistrate.

The program emphasizes on improved coordination mechanisms between various Ministries/Agencies of Central and State governments.

Across-the-river survey: o The Union Government has launched the first ever across-the-river survey

in River Ganga to determine the population of aquatic life, including that of the endangered Gangetic dolphin.

o It is being conducted by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) through Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under Namami Gange programme.

o The survey will create a baseline scientific data for the government to take suitable measures to improve quality of the Ganga’s water.

5. River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016

The Order empowers National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to take action against polluting industries. So far, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had powers to take actions.

It envisages creation of National Council for River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) as an Authority under Prime Minister as Chairperson.

The new authority will be replacing the existing NGRBA (National Ganga River Basin Authority).

Declares NMCG as an Authority with powers to issue directions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Sets up an Empowered Task Force chaired by Union Minister of Water Resources along with other ministries, departments and State governments concerned in protection of Ganga.



NOTES

Delegates financial and administrative powers to NMCG to accelerate the process of project implementation for Ganga rejuvenation.

6. Ken-Betwa river linking project

The Ken-Betwa River linking project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River to the Betwa basin through concrete canal to irrigate India’s worst drought-prone Bundelkhand region.

The project will benefit Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in terms of meeting irrigation, drinking water and electricity needs.

On the other hand, about 20,000 people in 38 villages will be affected due to the submergence by Daudhan reservoir and Makodia reservoir.

The main feature of the project is a 230-km long canal and a series of barrages and dams connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers.

Ken-Betwa river interlinking project will be the first river project that will be located within a tiger reserve.

It will submerge about 10% of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh which has been feted as a model tiger-conservation reserve.

7. National Mission on Bioeconomy

The National Mission on Bioeconomy was launched in Shillong, Meghalaya by the Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD).

The purpose of the mission is to boost rural economy by utilizing bio-resources and create a large number of jobs at village level.

It also focuses on sustainable utilization of renewable biological resources for food, bio-energy and bio-based products through knowledge-based approach.

It has potential to generate new solutions for the planet’s major challenges in the field of energy, food, health, water, climate change and deliver social, economic and environmental benefits.

Bioeconomy is a new concept and few countries like US, Canada, European Union (EU) and Australia have started initiatives in this field.

The Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) functions under the Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

8. Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme was launched by the Union Government in 2003 to promote the use of alternative and environment friendly fuels.

It was started to reduce import dependency for energy requirements and environment friendly measure to reduce vehicular pollution.

The Government, through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), is implementing the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme under which, OMCs sell ethanol blended petrol with percentage of ethanol upto 10%.

In order to improve the availability of ethanol and encourage ethanol blending, the Government has taken following steps:



NOTES o The Government has fixed the delivered price of ethanol. o Ethanol produced from other non-food feed-stocks besides molasses, like

cellulosic and ligno cellulosic materials including petrochemical route, have been allowed.

o Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has asked OMCs to target ten percent blending of ethanol in Petrol in as many States as possible.

o Excise duty has been waived on ethanol supplies to OMCs.

Ethanol Blending: o Ethanol blending is the practice of blending petrol with ethanol in order to

reduce vehicle exhaust emissions especially carbon monoxide emissions. o Ethanol is bio-fuel derived from Sugarcane molasses (by-product in the

conversion of sugarcane to sugar), corn, sorghum, wheat etc. o Ethanol is also considered as renewable fuel.

9. Second Generation Ethanol 2nd generation ethanol is a fuel that can be manufactured from various types of

biomass.

First generation biofuels are made from the sugars and vegetable oils found in arable crops, which can be easily extracted using conventional technology.

In comparison, second generation biofuels are made from lignocellulosic biomass or woody crops, agricultural residues or waste, which makes it harder to extract the required fuel.

The Foundation Stone laying ceremony for setting up the first Second Generation (2G) Ethanol Bio-refinery in India was held at village Tarkhanwala, Bathinda (Punjab).

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), a Central Government Public Sector Undertaking, is setting up the project.

The project shall also help in reducing CO2 emissions from the paddy straw which currently is being burnt after harvesting.

The Bio-refinery at Bathinda is the first step towards achieving 10% blending of Ethanol in petrol.

10. National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020

National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 aims to achieve national fuel security by promoting hybrid and electric vehicles in the country.

There is an ambitious target to achieve 6-7 million sales of hybrid and electric vehicles year on year from 2020 onwards.

Government has launched the scheme Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME India) under NEMMP 2020 to provide fiscal and monetary incentives for adoption and market creation of both hybrid and electric technologies vehicles in the country.

Ashok Leyland has unveiled country’s first 100 per cent indigenously made electric bus which are non-polluting and have zero-emissions.

11. Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development (SaCReD) Initiative

Assam Government launched Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development (SaCReD) Initiative to develop Majuli, the world’s largest river island (recognised by Guinness Book of World Records), as the country’s first carbon neutral district.

SaCReD Initiative will ensure that infrastructure in Majuli has less carbon. It aims to



NOTES battle climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It aims to make the Majuli island a biodiversity heritage site (BHS), first in the state in order to preserve its rich heritage and legacy.

“Forests are Lives campaign” was also launched to underline the importance of Assam’s rich forest and biodiversity.

Majuli Island: o Majuli Island is the biggest river island in the world in the Brahmaputra

River, Assam, and also 1st island district of the country. o The island is formed by the Brahmaputra River in the south and Subanisri

River in the North. o Majuli Island is inhabited by Mishing, Deori, Sonowal and Kacharis tribal

people. It has been the hub of Assamese neo-Vaishnavite culture. o Some of the surviving satras (monasteries adhering to Vaishnavism)

are Garamurh, Dakhinpat, Kamalabari, Auniati and Bengenaati.

12. National Hydrology Project

The project has been central to improve the planning, development, and management of water resources, as well as flood forecasting and reservoir operations in real-time.

The project has led to a significant change in the availability and reliability of hydro-meteorological data in India.

The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation/ Central Water Commission have been implementing the National Hydrology Project in two phases viz. Hydrology Project I (1995-2003) and Hydrology Project II (2004-2014) with the assistance of World Bank.

Project-I and Project-II were limited only to large river systems viz. Krishna and Sutlej-Beas.

The World Bank has approved $175 million for India’s National Hydrology Project.

It is expected to take forward the success of the Hydrology Project-I and Hydrology Project-II by covering the entire country, including the states along the Ganga and Brahmaputra-Barak basins.

13. Green Train Corridors

Green Train Corridors are sections of the railways which will be free of human waste discharge on the tracks.

Trains running on these corridors will be equipped with bio-toilets.

It will completely stop discharge of human waste from trains onto the ground which in turn would help in improving cleanliness and hygiene.

The 114-km long Rameswaram-Manamadurai section of Tamil Nadu was made the India’s first Green Rail Corridor in July 2016.

The Railway Ministry has declared the Okha-Kanalus and the Porbandar-Wansjaliya railway sections of Gujarat as Green Train Corridors.

The Union Ministry of Railways has taken up the task of equipping human discharge free bio-toilets in all its coaches by 2021-22.

Biotoilets: o Bio-toilets for passenger coaches were developed jointly by Indian Railways

and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). o Human waste is collected in bio-digester tanks below the toilets and is

decomposed by anaerobic bacteria. o The anaerobic bacteria convert human faecal matter into water and small



NOTES

amount of gases (including methane).

14. 2016 India Biodiversity Award

Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh has won the India Biodiversity Award 2016.

The tiger reserve was selected in the conservation of threatened species category for its Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme.

Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme is a joint collaboration of Ghora-Aabhe Society, Nature Conservation Foundation and the State Forest Department.

Under it, urban citizens contribute money to protect hornbill nests around Pakke Tiger Reserve.

India Biodiversity Award: o India Biodiversity Award is given under four categories: Conservation of

Threatened Species, Sustainable use of biological resources, Successful models for access and benefit sharing and Biodiversity Management Committees.

o It is joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United Nations Development programme (UNDP).

15. Fly Ash Utilization Policy

Maharashtra became the first state in the country to adopt the Fly Ash Utilization Policy.

The policy paves the way for prosperity by generating wealth from waste and also environment protection.

The policy seeks 100% use of fly ash generated from thermal power plants and biogas plants for construction activities.

Facilitates use of fly ash to make bricks, blocks, tiles, wall panels, cement and other construction materials.

It will help in environment protection and save soil excavation. It will also make raw material available for construction at low cost to help government’s ‘Housing for All’ projects.

Fly Ash: o Fly ash is one of the coal combustion products, composed of the fine

particles. o They are micron sized earth elements primarily consisting of silicon

dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO). o The Fly ash causes air pollution; contaminate water and soil systems and the

wet disposal of Fly ash results in leaching of toxic heavy metals in ground water system.

16. Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in Majuli Assam government has launched “Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient

Development in Majuli” (SaCReD) to make Majuli, the world’s largest river island as country’s first ever Carbon Neutral district by 2020.

The project has been initiated by Assam’s department of Environment and Forest to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.



NOTES SaCReD, Majuli project is part of the French Development Agency assisted Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC).

Mitigation through forestry activities and biodiversity conservation will be the starting points for carbon neutral agenda followed by other interventions over the next three years.

17. Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

The Environment Ministry has revised Solid Waste Management Rules.

The Rules are now applicable beyond municipal areas and will extend to urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of Indian Railways, airports, airbase, port and harbour, defence establishments, special economic zones, State and Central government organizations, places of pilgrims, religious & historical importance.

The responsibility of generators has been introduced to segregate waste into three categories – Wet, Dry and Hazardous Waste.

The generator will have to pay ‘User Fee’ to the waste collector and a ‘Spot Fine’ for littering and non-segregation, the quantum of which will be decided by the local bodies.

Integration of waste pickers/ rag pickers and waste dealers/ Kabadiwalas in the formal system should be done by State Governments.

No person should throw, burn, or bury the solid waste generated by him, on streets, open public spaces outside his premises, or in the drain, or water bodies.

All Resident Welfare and market Associations, Gated communities and institution with an area >5,000 sq. m should segregate waste at source.

The developers of Special Economic Zone, industrial estate, industrial park to earmark at least 5% of the total area of the plot or minimum 5 plots/ sheds for recovery and recycling facility.

18. Graded Response Action Plan The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the

Graded Response Action Plan to combat air pollution in NCR Delhi region.

The comprehensive plan is prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Graded Response Action Plan defines the measures to taken based on air quality on the basis of PM2.5 and PM10 in the atmosphere.

Based on the air quality the grades have been classified as Emergency, Severe, Very poor and Moderate poor.

It will be enforced by Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Under this plan emergency measures will be automatically enforced in NCR if level of PM2.5 breaches 300 micrograms per cubic metre (µgm/m3) and PM10 levels stay above 500 (µgm/m3)for two consecutive days.

During ‘very poor’ air quality, it recommends banning diesel generators and parking fee increased by three to four times.

19. India-Based Neutrino Observatory (INO) India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a particle physics research project under

construction to primarily study atmospheric neutrinos in a 1,300 meters (4,300 ft) deep cave under Bodi West Hills in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_physics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_project

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino#Atmospheric_neutrinos



NOTES This project is anticipated to provide a precise measurement of neutrino mixing

parameters.

The project is a multi-institute collaboration and one of the biggest experimental particle physics projects undertaken in India.

It is jointly supported by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Department of Science & Technology (DST), with DAE acting as the nodal agency.

The observatory will be located underground in order to provide adequate shielding to the neutrino detector from cosmic background radiation.

The operation of INO will have no release of radioactive or toxic substances.

It is not a weapons laboratory and will have no strategic or defence applications.

INO laboratory will be used only for the purpose of basic science research in the field of neutrino physics.

20. HCFCs Phase Out Management Plan (HPMP) Under the Montreal Protocol, various initiatives to phase out Hydro

chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were taken up with an aim to complete phase out by 2030.

India is undertaking phase-out of HCFCs through the implementation of HCFC Phase out Management Plan (HPMP).

As a signatory to the Montreal Protocol, the HPMP Stage-I has been already implemented in India, which has successfully met all the Ozone Depleting Substances phase-out targets.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched Stage II of HCFCs Phase out Management Plan (HPMP) for the 2017-23 periods.

It aims to phase out use of Hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), harmful ozone-depleting substances (ODS) by switching over to non-ozone depleting and low global warming potential technologies.

India has secured $44.1 million from Multilateral Fund for implementation of Montreal Protocol for phasing out 8,190 MT of HCFC consumption between 2017 to 2023.

The plan gives adequate attention to synergize the Refrigeration and Servicing (RAC) servicing sector trainings under the Skill India Mission.

It is estimated that with this plan, there would be a net direct CO2-equivalent emission reductions of about 8.5 million metric tonnes annually from 2023.

21. Operation Thunder Bird and Operation Save Kurma OPERATION THUNDER BIRD:

o Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has coordinated “OPERATION THUNDER BIRD” in India, from January 30-February 19, 2017 in its fight to end poaching of India’s wildlife animals.

o Operation Thunderbird is the code-name for INTERPOL’s multi-national and multi-species enforcement operation.

o It has resulted in huge seizures of 2, 524 Live species of scheduled animals, 9 wild animal carcasses, 19.2 kg elephant ivory, 1 tiger skin, 1 organ pipe coral, 1 jar snake venom, 8 leopard skins and 1 Indian Mujtac skin.

OPERATION SAVE KURMA: o WCCB had convened a species specific operation on turtles, code named

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_physics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India



NOTES OPERATION SAVE KURMA. o A total of 15, 739 live turtles were recovered from 45 suspects, having inter-

state linkages. o The operation brought about an awareness among the enforcement

agencies to focus on the existing trade routes and major trade hubs in the country.



NOTES Animal / Wildlife Conservation

1. Gangetic River dolphin (Susu) Guwahati in Assam became the first

city in the country to declare Gangetic River dolphin as the city animal.

Gangetic River Dolphin locally in Guwahati is known as ‘Sihu’ and it is on the verge of extinction.

Ganges River dolphin has been officially declared as National Aquatic Animal of India.

The Gangetic Dolphin is also called as the ‘Tigers of Ganga’ as it enjoys the position in Ganga that is equivalent to that of the tiger in the forest.

Habitat: o Being freshwater dolphin they prefer deep waters in and around the

confluence of two or more rivers. They share their habitat with fresh water turtles, crocodiles and wetland birds.

o They are found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan

Gangetic Dolphins are generally blind and use ultrasonic sound to catch their prey.

Protection status: IUCN has listed it as ‘endangered‘. It is also placed in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Threats: Entanglement in fishing nets, hunting for their oil and meat, poisoning of rivers from industrial and agricultural chemicals and building of dams along the upper course of their habitable rivers.

Conservation Programme: o Union Government (MoEFCC) had launched Ganges River Dolphin

Conservation Programme in 1997 to build a scientific database of their population status and also study their habitat quality.

o International trade is prohibited by the listing of the South Asian river dolphin on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

o The species is listed on Appendix I and Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

2. Kendrapara sheep (kuji mendha)

The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) has conferred rare and singular species genetic recognition tag to the threatened breed of Kendrapara sheep found in Odisha.

The genetically rare status will help boost conservation effort to protect these domesticated threatened sheep.

Kendrapara sheep is found only in coastal Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts of Odisha. Locally it is called kuji mendha.

Kuji Mendha sheep are fast breeders giving multiple births. Sheep in other parts of Odisha are not known for giving multiple births. This characteristic makes them distinctive from other species.

The rare genetic traits lead to the multiple birth syndrome in them. These animals



NOTES

are dwarf in built with the body covered with coarse hair. The average adult sheep weighs 18-20 kg.

Kendrapada sheep are primarily used for production of mutton. They are well adapted to high ambient temperature, high humidity and heavy rains.

3. Bornean orangutan

Bornean orangutan, a primate species has been declared critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

IUCN assessment has found that population of Bornean orangutans has dropped by nearly two-third since the early 1970s.

Bornean orangutan is a primate species native to the island of Borneo.

Orangutans share approximately 97% of their DNA with humans. They are highly intelligent and display advanced tool use and distinct cultural patterns in the wild.

The reasons for the decline in their population are: Deforestation, hunting and slow breeding.

4. India’s First Tiger Repository

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will house the India’s first repository on tigers, under its new Tiger Cell.

The repository will consist of huge database on tiger conservation and population estimation which has been prepared with collaborated effort with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The Tiger Cell will assist in population assessment of tigers, law enforcement, wildlife forensics, infrastructural development and mitigation, smart patrolling and advisory role in policy formulation.

India’s first tiger cell was set up at the WII campus in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The cell will house a database of tigers as well as DNA and stripes samples of the big cats from over 50 tiger reserves. It will aid conservation efforts by preventing poaching and providing an update on tiger numbers.

5. Protection of Protected Species in India Various steps have been taken by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and

Climate Change (MoEFCC) to protect the protected species in India. They are:

The names of protected species of animals, birds and plants have been mentioned in Schedule I of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The Union Government has established a country-wide protected area network for protection of these species and their habitats of threatened flora and fauna under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Legal protection has been provided to wild animals under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 against hunting and commercial exploitation.

Special programmes like ‘Project Elephant’ and ‘Project Tiger’ have been launched for conservation of these endangered species and their habitats.

Financial and technical assistance is provided to the State/ UTs under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSC) for providing better protection to wildlife including endangered species.

Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders.



NOTES

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has been set up to ensure co-ordination among various officers and State Governments for the enforcement of law for control of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products.

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has brought a number of endemic/threatened plants under cultivation (ex-situ conservation).

National Biological Diversity Act (NBA), 2002 has been enacted to ensure protection of threatened species and their habitats.

6. Saving the Tiger The number of wild tigers has gone up globally by 22 per cent to 3,890, from the

earlier 2010 estimate of 3200, based on the best available data, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Global Tiger Forum (GTF).

WWF Tx2 Tiger Initiative: o According to the WWF, hundred years ago there were 100,000 wild tigers.

By 2010, there were as few as 3,200. o In 2010, tiger range governments agreed to act to double wild tigers by

2022. This goal is known as Tx2.

In the past century, with 97% of their population dying out, shows how much work remains to be done.

As per latest official count, India is home to 2,226 tigers, representing 70 per cent of the global population of the endangered big cat species.

The Government of India launched the ‘Project Tiger’ in 1973.

From 9 tiger reserves since its formative years, the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 47 at present, spread out in 18 of our tiger range states.

Project Tiger is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves.

The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy. o The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary,

whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area.

o The Project Tiger aims to foster an exclusive tiger agenda in the core areas of tiger reserves, with an inclusive people oriented agenda in the buffer.

7. Kashmiri Red Stag (Hangul)

The Kashmir Stag or Hangul is a subspecies of elk native to India.

Earlier believed to be a subspecies of red deer, a number of mitochondrial DNA genetic studies have revealed that the hangul is part of the Asian clade of the elk.

It is found in dense riverine forests in the high valleys and mountains of Kashmir Valley and northern Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.

As per Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) nearly 3000 to 5000 Hanguls existed around the 1940s.

But since then habitat destruction, over-grazing by domestic livestock and poaching have greatly reduced their population dramatically.

At present, only about 150 of them survive in Dachigam National Park, Srinagar, J&K.



NOTES

It has been listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and J&K Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978.

It also has been listed among the top 15 species of high conservation priority by the Central Government.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is going to declare the Kashmiri Red Stag as a Critically Endangered species.

The critically endangered status to the Kashmiri Red Stag will help it to get more protection and enhance the conservation efforts.

8. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

These turtles, along with their cousin the Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.

Though found in abundance, their numbers have been declining over the past few years, and the species is recognized as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red list.

In India, it is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

They are carnivores, and feed mainly on jellyfish, shrimp, snails, crabs, molluscs and a variety of fish and their eggs.

These turtles spend their entire lives in the ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometres between feeding and mating grounds in the course of a year.

A single female can lay upto 100 to 150 eggs in a pit dug on the beaches.

The destination for majority of the turtles for laying egg is Gahirmatha in Odisha.

The sandy stretches of Hope Island of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh also have turned into a breeding area.

International trade in these turtles and their products is banned under CITES Appendix I.

Olive-ridleys face serious threats due to human activities such as turtle unfriendly fishing practices, development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centres.

9. Elephant Census

For the first time, the States of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have decided to conduct a synchronised elephant census.

The four States together have the maximum number of human-elephant conflict-prone regions in India.

These states will conduct the census based on an identical set of rules using the direct and indirect counting methods.

The direct counting method is based on sighting of elephants while the indirect method uses the elephant ‘dung decay’ formula, in which the analysis of dung is used to estimate the population.

The second method has already been used by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

As per the 2015 census, Odisha has 1,954 elephants while Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal had approximately 700, 275 and 130 elephants, respectively.



NOTES

Species Discovery / Species Sighted

1. Gymnothorax indicus Scientists from have discovered Gymnothorax indicus

(called Indian unpatterened moray), a new species of eel (a snake-like fish) in the northern Bay of Bengal region along the West Bengal coast.

Scientists believe that these newly discovered eel species may contribute to food security in the future.

Eels are found mostly at the bottom of rivers and seas.

Globally, about 1,000 species of eels have been identified. In India their number is around 125.

Eels are local delicacy in many countries like Japan. But consumption of eels in India is limited to coastal areas.

In 2015, Gymnothorax mishrai (Bengal moray eel), a short brown unpatterned moray eel was discovered.

2. Invasive Giant African Land Snail Invasive species of Giant African Land Snail (GALS) was

sighted near Goa University campus at Taleigao plateau.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources (IUCN) has listed GALS (Achatina fulica) as one of the world’s 100 most invasive species.

They are known to be dangerous, as they can reproduce faster and take over entire ecosystems.

They act as potential threat to agro-horticultural crops and local flora in Goa; could also displace local land snails species and pose a health threat as they are vectors of human disease such as brain fever.

3. New Species of Pika

Scientists have discovered a new species of Pika, a mammal belonging to the rabbit and hare family in the Himalayas in Sikkim. It has been identified as ‘Ochotona sikimaria’.

It is quite distinctive from all other pika species genetically and not in physical observation.

Pikas are members of the rabbit family and look like tailless rats.

They live in the mountains or in temperate regions.

They do not hibernate unlike other mammalian species inhabiting such cold climates.

They are a keystone species and ecosystem engineers.

4. New Termite species Glyptotermes Chiraharitae

A new termite species Glyptotermes Chiraharitae was discovered at Kakkayam in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala.

It has been named ‘Chiraharitae’ after the tropical evergreen



NOTES

forests of the Western Ghats, where it was spotted.

Termites are of three types —damp wood, dry wood and subterranean. Glyptotermes Chiraharitae species are of the damp wood category.

They are exclusively wood dwelling and do not require any contact with soil.

In India there 285 species of termites and among them 61 are documented from Kerala.

5. Smooth-Coated Otter

Smooth-coated otter was sighted for the first time in the mangrove forest adjacent to the Krishna wildlife sanctuary (KWS) in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh.

The presence of the otter is a key indicator for rise of the mangrove cover in the Krishna wildlife sanctuary.

The smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is a species of otter, the only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale.

The species is found in most of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. An isolated population of the species is also found in the marshes of Iraq.

As its name indicates, the fur of this species is smoother and shorter than that of other otters.

Otter is a carnivorous mammal. Otters are social and hunt in groups.

The otter lives in rivers, lakes, peat swamp forests, mangroves and estuaries. It uses swamps as natal den sites and nursery during the breeding season in early winter.

It has been categorised ‘vulnerable’ in the red data book of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Lutrogale perspicillata is listed on CITES Appendix II.

Smooth-coated otters are protected in India under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

6. Fishing Cat

A fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) was sighted in the moderately dense mangroves surrounding of the Gilalakalandi harbour near Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia.

Since 2016, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

Fishing cat populations are threatened by destruction of wetlands and declined severely over the last decade.

Fishing cats live foremost in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps and mangroves.

The fishing cat is the state animal of West Bengal.

7. 163 new species in ecologically diverse Greater Mekong region

Scientists have discovered 163 new species in the ecologically diverse Greater Mekong region of the Southeast Asia region.

These species were discovered in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand according to a report from the World Wildlife Fund.



NOTES

The new species include Phuket Horned Tree Agamid, Leptolalax isos, Rainbow-headed Snake and Klingon Newt.

The Greater Mekong region is one of the most diverse regions and biodiversity hotspot on the planet. It is a magnet for the world’s conservation because of the incredible diversity of species.

8. Irrawaddy Dolphins

According to new census carried out by the Odisha State Forest and Environment department in 2016, as many as 181 Irrawaddy dolphins have been sighted in the state.

This marks a significant drop from 2015 survey which had recorded 450 dolphins.

Irrawaddy dolphins are euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia.

Its habitat range extends from the Bay of Bengal to New Guinea and the Philippines.

It has established subpopulations in freshwater rivers, including the Ganges and the Mekong, as well as the Irrawaddy River from which it takes its name.

IUNC has classified it as Vulnerable in Red Data list.

The majority of dolphin deaths is due to accidental capture and drowning in gillnets and dragnets, noise pollution from high speed vessels, developmental projects like construction of dams, tourism and diseases.

9. Balsams (impatiens) plant species Two new critically endangered balsams (impatiens)

plant species were spotted on the peripheries of the Eravikulam National Park in Kerala.

Impatiens plants are also called jewel weeds. They are seen in pristine forests where moisture content and relative humidity are high.

They have been included in the critically endangered category of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

10. Miniature Frog Species

Scientists have discovered four new miniature night frogs’ species, no bigger than a human thumbnail in Western Ghats.

The four new species of miniature night frogs are Athirappilly Night Frog, Sabarimala Night Frog, Radcliffe’s Night frog and Kadalar Night Frog.

Night Frogs are endemic to the Western Ghats.

Over 32% of the frog species in the Western Ghats are threatened with extinction.

11. Zingiber pseudosquarrosum

Scientists of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have found a new species of Zingiber (commonly referred as Ginger) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The species Zingiber pseudosquarrosum, new to



NOTES science, belonging to genus Zingiber, was already used by the local Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of the Andaman’s for its medicinal values.

This pseudo stem of the new species is predominantly red in colour. Flowers have a vermilion tinge and dehisced fruit [fully mature fruits] are lotus shaped.

The species has got tuberous root.

Like other species of Gingers, it is edible and can be propagated vegetatively from the rhizome.

The new species possesses ethno-medicinal uses, used to treat abdominal pain and anti-helminthic troubles by native tribal communities.

As per scientific information available, 141 species of genus Zingiber are distributed throughout tropical Asia, including China, Japan and tropical Australia.

Of these, 20 are reported from India, which include seven (latest being Zingiber pseudosquarrosum) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Most of the species of these Gingers are endemic to India.



NOTES Pollution

1. National Air Quality Index (AQI) The Minister for Environment, Forests & Climate Change launched The National Air

Quality Index (AQI) in 2014 under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

It is outlined as ‘One Number- One Colour-One Description’ for the common man to judge the air quality within his vicinity.

The National AQI is published for every month by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) along with a numerical value and a colour code which helps in comparing air pollution levels in cities.

It is determined on the basis of concentration of 8 pollutants, including Particulate Matter (PM 2.5, PM 10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), ammonia (NH3) and lead (Pb).

The colour categories are classified into 6 categories depending upon numerical value as Good (0-50), Satisfactory (51-100), moderately polluted (101-200), Poor (201-300), Very poor (301-400) and Severe (401-500).

2. Photocatalyst to degrade industrial dyes Researchers from the Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI),

Bhavanagar, Gujarat have developed photocatalyst that can completely degrade three industrial dyes (methyl orange, methylene blue and reactive black-5) in the presence of sunlight.

The researchers doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles with sulphur and carbon by treating it with red seaweed polymer carrageenan to develop the photocatalyst.

It can safely and completely treat harmful dyes in an eco-friendly and cost-effective manner.

The research is very significant because annually, more than 500 tonnes of non-degradable textile colour wastes without adequate treatments are being disposed of in natural streams.

3. Arsenic Contamination

Arsenic is a natural component in the earth’s crust. It is widely distributed

throughout the environment in air, water and land. It is highly toxic in its inorganic form.



NOTES Contaminated water used for drinking, irrigation and food preparation poses the greatest threat to public health from arsenic.

Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can lead to chronic arsenic poisoning.

It is a high-profile problem in the Ganges Delta, due to the use of deep tube-wells for water supply. The groundwater in the tube-wells have high concentrations of arsenic in deeper levels.

4. Record High CO2 Level in 2016 According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual Greenhouse

Gas Bulletin, the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere has reached a record high.

The globally averaged concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 2015.

This is for the first time CO2 levels have reached the 400 ppm on a global average basis for the entire year.

According to WMO, the growth spurt in CO2 was fuelled by the El Niño event, which started in 2015 and had a strong impact in 2016.

The El Niño event had triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of “sinks” like forests, vegetation and the oceans to absorb CO2.

Once these sinks become saturated it will increase the fraction of emitted CO2 which stays in the atmosphere.

5. Ammonia detected in the upper Troposphere Scientists for the first time have detected ammonia in the upper troposphere.

It was detected by team of researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.

It was found in highest concentrations above Asian monsoon regions of India and China.

The ammonia (NH3) was released into the atmosphere as agricultural emission from livestock farming and fertilisation.

The detected ammonia may be playing a role in the formation of aerosol in the troposphere.

The aerosol may have an influence on the cloud formation and altering properties of existing clouds.

6. Bio-medical waste Bio-medical waste is any solid or liquid waste including any intermediate product

generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or research activities.

In 2016, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had issued new Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 for proper discarding of the bio-medical waste.

Bio Medical waste consists of human anatomical waste like organs, tissues and body parts, waste sharps like needles, syringes, discarded medicines, liquid waste from any of infected areas etc.



NOTES 7. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), organic compounds that contain fluorine and

hydrogen atoms, are the most common type of organofluorine compounds.

They are commonly used in air conditioning and as refrigerants in place of the older chlorofluorocarbons and hydro chlorofluorocarbons.

These gases had replaced CFCs under the 1987 Montreal Protocol to protect Earth’s Ozone layer.

In recent times, it was found that HFCs have several thousand times capacity in retaining heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), a potent GHG.

Thus, it can be said that HFCs have helped ozone layer but exacerbated global warming.

In September 2016, the so-called New York Declaration urged a global reduction in the use of HFCs.

On 15 October 2016, at the summit of the United Nations Environment Programme in Kigali, Rwanda reached a legally-binding accord to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in an amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

8. Endosulfan

Endosulfan is the most toxic pesticide having hazardous effects on human genetic and endocrine systems.

Endosulfan became a highly controversial agrichemical due to its acute toxicity, potential for bioaccumulation, and role as an endocrine disruptor.

A global ban on the manufacture and use of endosulfan was negotiated under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in April 2011.

It is still used extensively in India, China, and few other countries.

It is sprayed as pesticide on crops like cotton, fruits, tea, paddy, cashew, tobacco etc. for control of pests in agriculture such as whiteflies, aphids, beetles, worms etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorofluorocarbon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Environment_Programme


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol



NOTES Events / Celebrations

1. World Environment Day (WED) World Environment Day (WED) is observed on 5 June every year. This day

celebrates the natural environment and allows a global platform to raise awareness on the environmental issues worldwide, with plans to mitigate these issues as a global community.

2016 Theme: Go Wild for Life (Zero tolerance for the illegal trade in wildlife). In India Tiger Express from Safdarjung station, New Delhi was flagged off.

The African country Angola was the host country which seeks to safeguard the environment as it continues to rebuild after more than a quarter-century of civil war.

WED is observed globally by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The UN General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day in 1972, marking the first day of the landmark Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

The theme for 2017 is 'Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator'. The host country will be Canada.

2. World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD)

The World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) is being observed on 17 June across the world to promote public awareness related to international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought.

2016 Theme: Inclusive cooperation for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality. The theme advocates importance of inclusive cooperation to restore and rehabilitate degraded land. It also advocates contributing towards achieving the overall Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

World Oceans Day 2017 Theme: Our Oceans, Our Future. 2016 Slogan: “Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People”. It addresses the

importance of comprehensive cooperation and participation in working towards achieving Land Degradation Neutrality.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had declared June 17 as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in 1994. It was observed for the first time in 1995.

The day is observed globally to promote public awareness of the issue, and the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in those countries experiencing serious desertification or drought, particularly in Africa.

3. World Oceans Day

The World Oceans Day is observed globally on 8th June every year to raise global awareness of the current challenges faced by the international community in connection to the oceans.

The day also seeks to provide a unique opportunity to honour, protect, and conserve the world’s oceans.

2016 Theme: “Healthy oceans, healthy planet”. The theme highlights the urgent need to curb the menace of plastic pollution.

It was celebrated unofficially since its original proposal in 1992 by Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Ocean Project, working in partnership with the World Ocean Network, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and many other partners in its network of 2,000



NOTES organizations, has been promoting World Oceans Day since 2002.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated 8 June as the World Oceans Day in 2008 by passing its resolution 63/111.

World Oceans Day events include a variety of activities and actions, such as special outdoor explorations, beach cleanups, educational and action programs, art contests, film festivals, and sustainable seafood events.

4. World Hydrography Day

World Hydrography Day, 21 June, was adopted by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) as an annual celebration to publicise the work of hydrographers and the importance of hydrography.

The day emphasizes the importance of protection of marine reserves and also promotion of safe navigation in international waters and ports.

2016 Theme: “Hydrography – the key to well-managed seas and waterways“. It is intended to promote the importance of hydrography internationally, multilateral cooperation and effective collaboration in data exchange, charting and standards development.

The theme for 2017 is "Mapping our seas, oceans and waterways - more important than ever".

The idea of observing World Hydrography Day was mooted by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) in 2005. It was officially instituted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the law of the sea in 2005.

Hydrography: o It is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and

description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary purpose of safety of navigation and in support of all other marine activities, including economic development, security and defence, scientific research, and environmental protection.

5. International Tiger Day

The International Tiger Day also known as Global Tiger Day is observed annually on 29 July to raise awareness for tiger conservation.

The goal is to promote the protection and expansion of the wild tiger’s habitats and to gain support through awareness for tiger conservation.

Many international organisations are involved in the celebration of this day, including the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), the IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) etc.

The International Tiger Day was founded in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit. The summit had issued St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation with an aim to double the big cat population by 2022.

Tigers are on the brink of extinction. Many factors have caused their numbers to fall, including habitat loss, hunting, poaching and climate change.

6. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

September 16 was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

This designation had been made in commemoration of the date, in 1987, on which nations signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

2016 theme: “Ozone and climate: Restored by a world united”.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrography



NOTES The theme recognizes the collective efforts of the parties to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol towards the restoration of the ozone layer over the past three decades and the global commitment to combat climate change.

7. World Sustainable Development Summit

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first edition of World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

The summit was organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the theme was Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress.

WSDS has replaced TERI’s earlier Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) which was first organised in 2005.

The aim of the summit is to provide various stakeholders a single platform in order to provide long-term solutions for the benefit of the global community.

It emphasized on the need for businesses and private sector to take lead in poverty reduction and to ensure rapid and sustained adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI): o TERI is a non-profit research institution that conducts research work in the

fields of energy, environment and sustainable development. o Established in 1974 as Tata Energy Research Institute, it was renamed as The

Energy and Resources Institute in 2003. o It aims to focus on formulating local and national level strategies for

shaping global solutions to critical issues.

8. World Food Day

The World Food Day is observed globally on 16 October to mark foundation of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

It aims to raise public awareness about hunger challenges and encourage people around the world to take action in the fight against hunger.

The theme for 2016 is: "Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too". o It highlights the issue of food security related to climate change. o It calls adopting sustainable practices for growing more food with less area

of land and use natural resources wisely.

9. Earth Hour

The 11th edition of the Earth Hour was observed across the world on 25 March 2017 to take a global call on climate change.

To mark this day, cities all over the world turned their lights off from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time.

Environmental activists this year have focused to raise awareness on another problem that gets far less attention that is Light Pollution.

Earth Hour is an annual international event organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The first Earth Hour was held on March 31, 2007 in Sydney, Australia.

It is held annually in end of March to encourage everyone to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Its goal is to raise awareness for sustainable energy use and create a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

Light Pollution: o Light pollution is an artificial brightening of the night sky caused by



NOTES manmade lightening sources. It is also known as photo pollution or luminous pollution.

o This has a disruptive effect on natural cycles and inhibits the observation of stars and planets.

o More than 80% of humanity lives under skies saturated with artificial light. o Light Pollution disturbs the reproductive cycles of some animals and

disturbs migration of birds that navigate using stars. o In humans, it disturbs circadian rhythms that regulate hormones and other

bodily functions. o Excessive blue light emitted from LEDs directly affect the sleep pattern in

Human by suppressing the production of the hormone melatonin, which mediates the sleep-wake cycle in humans.

10. World Tsunami Awareness Day

The First World Tsunami Awareness Day was observed across the world on 5 November 2016 to spread awareness among people across the world about Tsunami.

2016 Theme: “Effective Education and Evacuation Drills”.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had constituted the day by adopting a resolution in December 2015.

The proposal was first mooted by Japan after the 3rd UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan in March 2015.

Background: o The significance of this day, the 5th November, to tsunami awareness can be

traced back to the year 1854. o A villager in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, was concerned about an

impending tsunami after a high-intensity earthquake on November 5, 1854. o He set up a fire to rice sheaves on the top of a hill. Fellow villagers, who

went atop to put off the fire, were saved even as a tsunami destroyed their village down below.

o This was the first documented instance of a tsunami early warning.

Following the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, the Government of India established an Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) under the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) at Hyderabad.

11. World Wetlands Day

The 2 February each year is World Wetlands Day, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands also called as Ramsar Convention on 2 February 1971.

Since then it is observed every year to spread awareness about Ramsar Convention in particular for conservation of Wetlands.

2017 Theme: “Wetlands for Disaster Risk Reduction”.

It seeks to raise awareness and highlight the role of healthy wetlands in reducing the impacts of extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and drought on communities, and in helping to build resilience.

The theme for the World Wetlands day 2016 was “Wetlands for our Future – Sustainable Livelihoods”.

12. National Biodiversity Congress 2017 The National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017 was held in Thiruvananthapuram,



NOTES Kerala. The event was hosted by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board.

It aims to identify practical, evidence-based case studies at regional level to support the plan of action.

2017 theme “Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development”.

Members of academic and research institutions, civil society, biodiversity management committees, NGOs, farmers and students participated in the event.

13. World Wildlife Day

The World Wildlife Day is observed on 3rd March every year to celebrate and raise awareness about the world’s wild fauna and flora.

It is celebrated to mark the adoption of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The World Wildlife Day was designated by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 68th session on 20 December 2013.

2017 theme: “Listen to the Young Voices”. It aims to empower and engage the youth in conservation areas.



NOTES Reports / Releases

1. The Birds of Banni Grassland

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book titled “The Birds of Banni Grassland”.

The book was presented to the Prime Minister by the Scientists of Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE).

The Book is a compilation of the research work, relating to more than 250 species of birds found in the Banni area of Kutch, Gujarat.

The Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, located at Bhuj, has been studying the plant, bird and marine life in the Rann of Kutch for over 15 years.

2. Inheriting a sustainable world: Atlas on children’s health and the environment According to recently released World Health Organisation (WHO) report -

“Inheriting a sustainable world: Atlas on children’s health and the environment”, polluted environment kills around 1.7 million children a year.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the environment’s impact especially air pollution on children’s health.

Most common causes of death among children are diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia due to pollution.

Harmful exposures also increase the risk of premature birth. Exposure to air pollution may also increase their lifelong risk of stroke, heart disease

and cancer.

3. Endemic Vascular Plants of India

According to the recent publication released by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number of flowering plants in the country.

The publication titled “Endemic Vascular Plants of India” revealed that almost one of every four species of flowering plants found in India is endemic to the country.

Of these, Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number of species with 410, followed by Kerala (357 species) and Maharashtra (278 species).

In case of the geographical distribution of endemic plants, Western Ghats tops the list with about 2,116 species, followed by the Eastern Himalayas with 466 species.

Some of the plants species are restricted to only certain areas of the country like an insectivorous plant Nepenthes khasiana which is found only in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya.

4. Living Planet Report The Living Planet Report is published every two years by the World Wide Fund for

Nature since 1998.

It is based on the Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculations.

The Living Planet Report is the world's leading, science-based analysis on the health of our planet and the impact of human activity.

According to recently released study, global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% since 1970 and if the trend continues then two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020.

The study was published as The Living Planet assessment by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Fund_for_Nature


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Planet_Index

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprint



NOTES Human activity, including habitat loss, wildlife trade, pollution and climate change contributed to the decline in global wildlife populations.

5. Energy Efficiency Implementation Readiness

Andhra Pradesh has been ranked number one in the World Bank’s “Energy Efficiency Implementation Readiness”.

The ranking of the states were released in the World Bank’s study report: “India’s State Level Energy Efficiency Implementation Readiness”.

Andhra Pradesh topped with overall score of 42.01 followed by Rajasthan (41.89), Karnataka (39.34) and Maharashtra (39.29).



NOTES International Efforts

1. Norway - First country to ban deforestation Norway has become the first country in the world to ban deforestation.

Henceforth, Norway will no longer procure use or procure products that encourage deforestation.

Under the pledge, Norwegian Government will also not award contracts to any company that cuts down and destroys forests.

2. Udaipur Declaration on disaster Ministers of Disaster Management (MDM) of BRICS countries adoption the

Udaipur Declaration.

This was concluded at the second meeting of BRICS MDM.

The first meeting of the BRICS MDM was convened by Russia in St. Petersburg in April, 2016.

The 2nd BRICS MDM meeting focused on two themes: ‘Flood Risk Management‘ and ‘Forecasting of Extreme Weather Events in the context of Changing Climate‘.

The BRICS nations will set up a dedicated Joint Task Force for Disaster Risk Management for regular dialogue, exchange, mutual support and collaboration among them.

3. World’s largest Marine Protected Area

Ross Sea in Antarctica was declared as world’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) to protect the Earth’s most pristine marine ecosystem.

The deal, sealed by the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) at an annual meeting in Hobart, Australia.

The Ross Sea is one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the world.

MPA status to Ross Sea will bring blanket ban on commercial fishing in about three quarters of its area for 35 years.

Ross Sea in the Southern Ocean is home to Adelie penguins, Antarctic petrels and Antarctic minke whales.

It is also home to huge number of krill, a staple food for species including whales and seals.

4. International Solar Alliance (ISA)

The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of more than 120 countries, most of them being sunshine countries, which come either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

The alliance's primary objective is work for efficient exploitation of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization.

The initiative is brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is India’s first international organization comprising 121 Countries.

The institutional structure of ISA consists of an Assembly, a Council and a Secretariat. The secretariat of the ISA is to be located in India.

Its members will take coordinated actions through programmes and activities that will aggregate demands for solar finance, solar technologies, innovation, R&D and capacity building.

The framework agreement of ISA was opened for signatures on the sidelines of

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Cancer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropic_of_Capricorn

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter-governmental_organization



NOTES CoP22 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at Marrakech, in Morocco.

5. Environment Tax China’s top legislature has passed Environment Tax on polluters, especially on heavy

industries.

The law aims to improve taxpayers’ environmental awareness, force companies to upgrade technology and shift to cleaner production.

China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs), due to its heavy reliance on coal to provide electricity.

Since 1979, China has collected a ‘pollutant discharge fee’ which not enforced by any law.

6. TanSat satellite

China has launched TanSat, a global carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring satellite to understand the effects of climate change.

China became third country after Japan and United States to have its own satellite to monitor greenhouse gases (GHGs).

TanSat will thoroughly examine global CO2 levels every 16 days, accurate to at least 4 ppm (parts per million).

7. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna

and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals.

It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild.

It is administered through United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its secretariat is located in Geneva (Switzerland).

CITES is legally binding on state parties to the convention, which are obliged to adopt their own domestic legislation to implement its goals.

It classifies plants and animals according to three categories, or appendices, based on how they are threatened.

Appendix I: o Appendix I, about 1200 species, are species that are threatened with

extinction and may be affected by trade. o Commercial trade in wild-caught specimens of these species is illegal

(permitted only in exceptional licensed circumstances for scientific or educational reasons).

o Notable animal species listed in Appendix I include the red panda, tigers, Asiatic lion, leopards, jaguar, cheetah, Asian elephant, dugong etc.

Appendix II:

o Appendix II, about 21,000 species are those that are not threatened with extinction but that might suffer a serious decline in number if trade is not restricted.

o International trade in specimens of Appendix II species may be authorized by

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multilateral_treaty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiatic_lion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopards

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_elephant

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugong



NOTES granting of an export permit or re-export certificate.

Appendix III: o Appendix III, about 170 species, protected in at least one country that is a

CITES member states and that has petitioned others for help in controlling international trade in that species.

o The species are not necessarily threatened with extinction globally. o Trade in these species is only permitted with an appropriate export permit

and a certificate of origin from the state of the member country who has listed the species.

8. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 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 Protection of Nature (1948–1956) and the World Conservation Union (1990–2008).

Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.

It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, lobbying and education.

IUCN's mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable."

Over the past decades, IUCN has widened its focus beyond conservation ecology and now incorporates issues related to gender equality, poverty alleviation and sustainable business in its projects.

Unlike other international NGOs, IUCN does not itself aim to mobilize the public in support of nature conservation.

It tries to influence the actions of governments, business and other stakeholders by providing information and advice, and through lobbying and partnerships.

IUCN has observer and consultative status at the United Nations, and plays a role in the implementation of several international conventions on nature conservation and biodiversity.

IUCN is the only international observer organization in the UN General Assembly with expertise in issues concerning the environment.

It was involved in establishing the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

IUCN provides advice to environmental conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES and the Framework Convention on Climate Change. It advises UNESCO on natural world heritage.

It produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.

9. BirdLife International BirdLife International (formerly the International Council for Bird Preservation) is a

global partnership of conservation organisations.

It strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.

It is the world's largest partnership of conservation organisations, with over 120 partner organisations.

BirdLife International has conservation work programmes in the following "regions"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_organization

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_organization

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_conservation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gland,_Switzerland

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_equality

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_reduction

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_reduction

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_status#United_Nations

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consultative_status

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Conservation_Monitoring_Centre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Conservation_Monitoring_Centre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_Biological_Diversity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_Biological_Diversity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CITES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framework_Convention_on_Climate_Change

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_heritage_site

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_movement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity



NOTES - Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Central Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.

BirdLife International is the official Red List authority for birds, for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

BirdLife has nine programmes, some of these programmes are: the Seabird and Marine Programme, the Migratory Birds and Flyways Programme, the Climate Change Programme, and the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas Programme.

10. Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits State Parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 to fight global warming by reducing GHGs emission and came into effect in 2005.

The Protocol is based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities: it puts the obligation to reduce current emissions on developed countries on the basis that they are historically responsible for the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Developing countries like India have no mandatory mitigation obligations or targets under the Kyoto Protocol.

The Protocol's first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012.

A second commitment period (2013 - 2020) was agreed on in 2012, known as the Doha Amendment to the protocol.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to ratify the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. So far, 75 countries have ratified the Second Commitment Period.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol enables developed countries to invest in "clean" projects in developing countries to gain emission credits (Certified Emission Reduction-CER).

11. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a United Nations treaty,

signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

It aims to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on human health or on the environment.

Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) can lead to serious health effects including certain cancers, birth defects, dysfunctional immune and reproductive systems, greater susceptibility to disease and damages to the central and peripheral nervous systems.

The convention listed twelve distinct chemicals in three categories in the beginning. These include:

o 8 pesticides (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, mirex and toxaphene).

o Two industrial chemicals (poly chlorinated biphenyls and hexachlorobenzene)

o Two unintended by-products (poly chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzo furans, commonly referred to as dioxins and furans).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_List

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Union_for_Conservation_of_Nature

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Important_Bird_Area


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Framework_Convention_on_Climate_Change

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Framework_Convention_on_Climate_Change

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistent_organic_pollutant

http://chm.pops.int/TheConvention/ThePOPs/tabid/673/Default.aspx



NOTES Climate Change

1. Climate Change Impact on Animals The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has launched long-term monitoring studies

project to document the effect of climate change on animal biodiversity in five Himalayan states.

These five Himalayan states are Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The project has been funded by the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The duration of the project is for three years.

To study the effect of climate change on animal biodiversity latest technologies such as GIS mapping and bioinformatics will be used.

Under the project, ZSI will monitor indicators in species like butterflies, bees, fish and other insects to find how their distribution has been affected by climate change.

2. Coral bleaching Coral bleaching is the loss of endosymbiotic algae from the coral, either through

expulsion or loss of algal pigmentation.

Above-average sea water temperatures caused by global warming have been identified as a leading cause for coral bleaching worldwide.

Bleached corals continue to live. But as the algae provide the coral with 90% of its energy, after expelling the algae the coral begins to starve.

Between 2014 and 2016, the longest global bleaching events ever were recorded.

In 2016, bleaching hit 90 percent of coral on the Great Barrier Reef and killed more than 20 percent of the reef's coral.

In recent times unusual warm ocean water is mainly heated by man-made climate change and the natural El Niño climate pattern.

Coral reefs: o Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by calcium

carbonate structures secreted by corals. o Coral reefs are built by colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that

contain few nutrients. o Most reefs grow best in warm and shallow waters with minimum

temperature of 20 degree, Oceanic water must be free of sedimentation; it should have relatively low salinity.

o Often called "rainforests of the sea", shallow coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.

o They occupy less than 0.1% of the world's ocean surface. o They are most commonly found at shallow depths in tropical waters,

but deep water and cold water corals also exist on smaller scales in other areas.

3. Forest Fires in India According to report submitted by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science

and Technology, there is alarming rise in forest fires across India. The report primarily focuses on the prevention and containing of fires in the

Himalayan forests spread across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

The three central States Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha contribute a third of the forest fires.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endosymbiont

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystems

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_(biology)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_water_coral



NOTES Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh Forest Fire 2016: o The pine forests of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh caught fire. o Most of the fires in Uttarakhand happen in the Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii)

forests because leaves of this conifer tree catch fire easily. o Natural reasons (high temperatures, no atmospheric moisture and vapour

pressure deficit) might have aggravated the problem. o Earlier, forest fires were accidental. Today, they are intentional. Villagers

would set fire to grassy hillsides so that with the first rains, a new flush of nutritious grass would appear.

o Gases such as Carbon Dioxide, Carbon monoxide, methane, hydrocarbons, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide that lead to serious consequences for local climate.

o Losses due to fires include loss of soil fertility, soil erosion, drying up of water resources, and loss of bio-diversity.

4. Climate change programme The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched climate change

programme to assess the status, distribution and conservation of Pheasants and Finches in Central Himalayas.

The study is funded by Oracle and facilitated by CAF-India.

The Himalayas hold a rich natural heritage with diverse flora and fauna enhancing the beauty of the region.

The study will focus on their conservation in the context of climate change with the help of community participation.

The Indian subcontinent is home to nearly 50 species of pheasants and 62 species of finches, with several species listed in 'Globally Threatened' category by IUCN.

This project is part of a long-term programme of BNHS which intends to understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity of the Himalayan region.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/IUCN



NOTES Organisations

1. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) was established on 1st July, 1916 to promote

survey, exploration and research on various aspects of animal taxonomy in the Indian subcontinent. It also seeks advancement of knowledge on animal taxonomy.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is a premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies.

The activities of the ZSI are coordinated by the Conservation and Survey Division under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.

It has been declared as the designated repository for the National Zoological Collection as per section 39 of the National Biodiversity Act, 2002.

Primary objectives: o Exploring, Surveying, Inventorying and Monitoring of faunal diversity. o Preparation of Red Data Book, Fauna of India and Fauna of States.

o Maintenance and Development of National Zoological Collections.

o Training, Capacity Building and Human Resource Development.

Secondary objectives: o GIS and Remote Sensing studies on recorded animal diversity as well as on

threatened species.

o Environmental Impact Studies.

o Maintenance of Museum at Headquarters and Regional Centres.

o Development of Environmental Information System (ENVIS) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Centres.

o Collaborative research programmes on Biodiversity with other Organizations in India and abroad.

2. Botanical Survey of India (BSI) The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) is an institution set up by the Government of

India in 1890 to survey the plant resources of the Indian empire.

The British East India Company had already established botanical gardens at Sibpur, Poona, Saharanpur and Madras as centres for improving botanical knowledge and experimentation under the local Governments.

The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta.

In 1954, the Government reorganised the BSI with the objectives of: o Undertaking intensive floristic surveys and collecting accurate and detailed

information on the occurrence, distribution, ecology and economic utility of plants in the country.

o Collecting, identifying and distributing materials that may be of use to educational and research institutions.

o Acting as the custodian of authentic collections in well planned herbaria and documenting plant resources in the form of local, district, state and national flora.

3. Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_India


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_survey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_empire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_East_India_Company

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanical_gardens

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanical_gardens

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibpur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poona

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saharanpur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madras

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_King_(botanist)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Botanic_Garden,_Calcutta

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Botanic_Garden,_Calcutta



NOTES of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of India.

WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling, Eco-development, Habitat Ecology and Climate Change.

It has contributed in studying and protecting wildlife in India and also has popularized wildlife studies and careers.

The institute is based in Dehradun, India.

4. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA)

The National Tiger Conservation Authority was established in December 2005 following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganised management of Project Tiger and the many Tiger Reserves in India.

NTCA is a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change.

It was provided statutory status by the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 which had amended Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

It addresses the administrative as well as ecological concerns for conserving tigers, by providing a statutory basis for protection of tiger reserves.

It ensures enforcing of guidelines for tiger conservation and monitoring compliance of the same.

The functions of NTCA are as follows: o Ensuring normative standards in tiger reserve management o Preparation of reserve specific tiger conservation plan o Laying down annual/ audit report before Parliament o Instituting State level Steering Committees under the Chairmanship of Chief

Minister and establishment of Tiger Conservation Foundation. o According approval for declaring new Tiger Reserves.

5. Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI)

The Animal Welfare Board of India is a statutory advisory body to the Government established in 1962 under Section 4 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Well-known humanitarian Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale was instrumental in setting up the board and was its first chair.

Initially it was within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Later in 1990, the subject of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was transferred to the MoEFCC.

The Board consists of 28 Members, who serve for a period of 3 years. Its headquarters is located at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Several government organisations, along with animal rights activists and parliamentarians, are represented on the Board.

Functions: o It oversees Animal Welfare Organisations (AWOs) by granting them

recognition if they meet its guidelines. o It appoints key people to the positions of (Hon) Animal Welfare Officers,

who serve as the key point of contact between the people, the government and law enforcement agencies.

o It provides financial assistance to recognised AWOs, who submit applications to the Board.



NOTES o It suggests changes to laws and rules about animal welfare issues. It also

offers guidance to organisations and officials such as police to help them interpret and apply the laws.

o It issues publications to raise awareness of various animal welfare issues.

6. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics (ICRISAT)

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international organisation which conducts agricultural research for rural development, headquartered in Patancheru in Hyderabad, Telangana.

It was founded in 1972 by a consortium of organizations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller Foundations.

Its charter was signed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Since its inception, India has granted special status to ICRISAT as a UN Organization operating in the Indian Territory making it eligible for special immunities and tax privileges.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have signed an agreement to work together crop improvement. It will benefit small farmers in India and globally.

ICAR: o ICAR is an autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural

education and research in India. o It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in

the world. o It reports to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education under

the Union Ministry of Agriculture. The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president.

7. Central Water Commission (CWC)

Central Water Commission is an apex Technical Organization of India in the field of Water Resources.

It is functioning as an attached office of Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

It is charged with the responsibilities of initiating, coordinating in consultation of State Governments schemes for control, utilization and conservation of water resources throughout the country.

These schemes are for Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development.

The work of the Commission is divided among 3 wings namely, River Management Wing (RM), Designs and Research Wing (D&R) and Water Planning and Projects Wing (WP&P).

8. India Meteorological Department (IMD)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), also referred to as the Met Department, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.

IMD is headquartered in New Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica.



NOTES IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.

It has the responsibility for forecasting, naming and distribution of warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.

9. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

FAO is an agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.

Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy.

It helps developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring good nutrition and food security for all.

Established: 16 October 1945. Headquarters: Rome, Italy. Motto: “Let there be bread“. Members: 194 member states, along with the European Union. Three main goals are:

o Eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. o Elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social

progress for all. o Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including

land, water, air, climate and genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

10. World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 191 Member States and Territories.

It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873.

Established in 1950, WMO became the specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.

It has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a member of the United Nations Development Group.

The WMO and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) jointly created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

It is also directly responsible for the creation of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW).

11. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)

The CCAMLR was established by an international convention in 1982 with the objective of conserving Antarctic marine life. It is part of the Antarctic Treaty System.

It is also called Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

The goal is to preserve marine life and environmental integrity in and near Antarctica.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_organization

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_organization

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Meteorological_Organization



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteorology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophysics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Development_Group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Development_Group


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intergovernmental_Panel_on_Climate_Change

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Atmosphere_Watch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Atmosphere_Watch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_life

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica



NOTES Headquartered in Tasmania, Australia.

It was established in large part to concerns that an increase in krill catches in the Southern Ocean could have a serious impact on populations of other marine life which are dependent upon krill for food.

It was signed by 14 states and has been ratified by 35 states and the European Community. India has ratified the convention.

12. National Green Tribunal (NGT)

The National Green Tribunal has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.

For effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.

Enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property.

The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.

The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.

It has been established to assure the right to a healthy environment to the citizens of India as enshrined in Article 21 of Constitution.

Members: o The sanctioned strength of the tribunal is currently 10 expert members and

10 judicial members although the act allows for up to 20 of each. o The Chairman of the tribunal who is the administrative head of the

tribunal also serves as a judicial member. o The Chairman of the tribunal is required to be a serving or retired Chief

Justice of a High Court or a judge of the Supreme Court of India.

Jurisdiction: o The Tribunal has Original Jurisdiction on matters of “substantial question

relating to environment”. However there is no specific method defined in Law for determining “substantial” damage to environment, property or public health.

o The powers of tribunal related to an award are equivalent to civil court. o New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune,

Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other 4 place of sitting of the Tribunal.

13. Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)

The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) is an autonomous organisation or governmental agency under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

Headquartered in Dehradun, its functions are to conduct forestry research; transfer the technologies developed to the states of India and other user agencies; and to impart forestry education.

They are engaged in improvement of plantation tree species, improve quality, yield and productivity to meet the demand for domestic consumption by industries.

Three institutes of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun have developed 20 high-yielding varieties of plant species.

14. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) The Government of India constituted a statutory body, the Wildlife Crime Control

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmania

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krill

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Community

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Community

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_agency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Environment_and_Forests_(India)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Environment_and_Forests_(India)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehradun

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forestry



NOTES Bureau (WCCB) on 6 June 2007, by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

It is under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organized wildlife crime in the country.

Functions: o Collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime

activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies.

o To establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank. o Assist foreign authorities and international organization concerned to

facilitate co-ordination and universal action for wildlife crime control. o Capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies for scientific

and professional investigation into wildlife crimes. o Advise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having

national and international ramifications. o Assists and advises the Customs authorities in inspection of the

consignments of flora & fauna as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item.

o WCCB is also partnering with United Nations University and CIESIN-Earth Institute at Columbia University through the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System Initiative.

15. Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS)

The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.

It supports many research efforts through grants and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.

Many prominent naturalists, including the ornithologists Sálim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley, have been associated with it.

BNHS is the partner of BirdLife International in India.

It has been designated as a 'Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation' by the Department of Science and Technology.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_University

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIESIN

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Institute

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Institute

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Enforcement_Monitoring_System

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Enforcement_Monitoring_System



NOTES Protocols / Conventions

1. Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to

the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.

It was agreed on 26 August 1987 in Montreal, Canada and entered into force on 26 August 1989. It was followed by a first meeting in Helsinki, May 1989.

Under it production and consumption of key Ozone Depleting Substances like chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), Methyl Chloroform, CTC halons and Methyl Bromide have been phased-out globally.

2. Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer is a Multilateral

Environmental Agreement.

It was agreed upon at the Vienna Conference of 1985 and entered into force in 1988.

It is one of the most successful treaties of all time, having been ratified by 197 states (all United Nations members) as well as the European Union.

It acts as a framework for the international efforts to protect the ozone layer.

However, it does not include legally binding reduction goals for the use of CFCs, the main chemical agents causing ozone depletion. These are laid out in the accompanying Montreal Protocol.

3. Kigali Agreement

A global climate deal was reached in Kigali, Rwanda at the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP28).

The Kigali Agreement amends the 1987 Montreal Protocol that aims to phase out Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), a family of potent greenhouse gases by the late 2040s.

Around 197 countries, including India, China and the USA, agreed at Kigali to reduce the use of HFCs by roughly 85% of their baselines by 2045.

The Kigali Agreement will be binding on countries from 2019. The Paris agreement which will come into force by 2020 is not legally binding on countries to cut their emissions.

It also has provisions for penalties for non-compliance. Under it, developed countries will provide funding support globally.

Different timelines under Kigali Amendment: o First group: It includes richest countries like US and those in European

Union (EU). They must reduce their use of HFCs by 10 percent by 2019 from 2011-2013 levels, and then by 85 percent by 2036.

o Second group: It includes countries like China, Brazil and all of Africa etc are committed to launching the transition in 2024. A reduction of 10 percent compared with 2020-2022 levels should be achieved by 2029, to be extended to 80 percent by 2045.

o Third group: It includes countries India, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia etc must begin the process in 2028 and reduce emissions by 10 percent by 2032 from 2024-2026 levels, and then by 85 percent by 2047.

The Kigali Amendment is considered absolutely vital for reaching the Paris


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multilateral_Environmental_Agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multilateral_Environmental_Agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Conference_(1985)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_treaties_by_number_of_parties

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_layer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorofluorocarbon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol



NOTES Agreement target of keeping global temperature rise to below 2-degree Celsius compared to pre-industrial times.

4. Paris Agreement on climate change

The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020 (i.e. in post Kyoto Protocol scenario).

The agreement was negotiated by representatives of 195 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris.

Under it, all countries must pursue to keep global temperature rising below 2°C by 2100 above pre-industrial levels with an ideal target of keeping temperature rise below 1.5°C.

It forces developed countries to provide 100 billion dollars annually to the developing countries beginning in 2020 to deal with climate change.

It empowers countries to determine how to cut their emissions but mandates that they report transparently on those efforts.

Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement is not legally-binding and it does not assign any emission cut targets on any country.

The Paris Agreement officially entered into force after 55 parties to the convention accounting for at least 55% of total GHG emissions ratified it.

India had ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change on the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC): o India has pledged to reduce GHGs emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35

per cent compared to 2005 levels by 2030. o About 40 per cent of country’s electricity requirement will be met through

non-fossil fuel sources. o Increase tree cover across the country to create an additional carbon sink of

2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. o Require about 2.5 trillion dollars in addition to clean technologies to meet

these targets and adaptation to climate change.

5. Marrakech Action Proclamation The Conference of Parties (COP22) to the UNFCC, 12th session of COP to Kyoto

Protocol and first session of COP to the Paris Agreement were held in Marrakech, Morocco.

COP22 to the UNFCC have adopted Marrakech Action Proclamation for our Climate and Sustainable Development.

Countries affirm their commitment to full implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Developed Countries reaffirm their $100 billion mobilisation goal.

India has welcomed Marrakesh Action Proclamation as most of its demands including the issue of providing finance to developing nations to tackle climate change have been incorporated.

The proclamation also said that nations who are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, encourage the ratification of the Doha Amendment.

o It assumes significance as India had asked the developed countries to ratify the Doha amendments to the Kyoto Protocol to raise the ambition of climate actions in the pre-2020 period.



NOTES 6. Doha Amendments to the Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol implemented the objective of the UNFCCC to fight global

warming by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The Protocol is based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

The Protocol's first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012.

A second commitment period to Kyoto Protocol was agreed on in 2012 at Doha climate conference, known as the Doha Amendment to the protocol.

It was made for extending the obligation of the developed countries under Kyoto Protocol to make targeted cuts in their greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions by 2020.

Developing countries are putting pressure on developed countries not to ignore their commitments under Kyoto Protocol which ends in 2020 and after which Paris Agreement come into existence.



NOTES Miscellaneous

1. Rhino horn verification process The Assam Government launched Rhino horn verification process for verifying

rhino horns stored in various treasuries of Assam since 1980.

The process of verification will be conducted by 12-member Rhino Horn Verification Committee which was instituted by state government.

The verification process includes checking the genuineness and updating the complete inventory of rhino horns in the custody of Assam government.

2. Ganga and Yamuna Rivers as living entity The Uttarakhand High Court has recognized the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers as living

entities.

It is for the first time any court in India has recognized a non-human as a living entity in order to protect the recognition and the faith of society.

The Director, Namami Gange project and the Chief Secretary and the Advocate General of Uttarakhand have been charged to protect, conserve and preserve the rivers and their tributaries.

In India, animals, for instance, aren’t considered living entities by law. Only humans are. But recognizing these rivers as a living entity, grants them new legal identity and all rights laid out in the Constitution of India.

Thus, they have the right to be legally protected and not be harmed and destroyed.

It also means that if someone pollutes these rivers, the law will see it equal to harming a human being.

Earlier in March 2017, New Zealand Parliament passed a bill declaring Whanganui River as ‘legal person’, making it as first river to get this status.

3. Coal Bed Methane (CBM)

Coal Bed Methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds.

It is called 'sweet gas' because of its lack of hydrogen sulphide.

Its occurrence in underground coal mining, where it presents a serious safety risk.

It mainly consists of Methane (CH4) with minor amounts of nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and heavier hydrocarbons like such as propane or butane.

It is environmentally safe and clean fuel which on combustion emits only carbon dioxide and water.

It is considered as an efficient fuel and also reduces emission of greenhouse gas from coal mining.

4. Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)

CRZ is the zone along the coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters along the coastline specially demarcated for regulated development activity.

It is for regulation of activities in the coastal area by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

The coastal land up to 500m from the High Tide Line (HTL) and a stage of 100m along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers subject to tidal fluctuations, is called the Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ).

The regulations in this zone are governed by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2011 issued under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.



NOTES In this zone, Government imposes restrictions on setting up and expansion of

industries or other projects.

It is mandatory for getting clearances from ministry and local authorities to start any development project in CRZ.

5. Loktak Lake

Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India, and is famous for the phumdis (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil, and organic matter at various stages of decomposition) floating over it.

Keibul Lamjao National Park is also one of Phumdis in the lake. It is the last natural refuge of endangered Sangai deer.

Keibul Lamjao is the only floating national park in the world. It is located near Moirang in Manipur

Considering the ecological status and its biodiversity values, the lake was designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on 23 March 1990.

It was also listed under the Montreux Record on 16 June 1993, "a record of Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur".

Floating Elementary School: o India’s first floating elementary school named Loktak Elementary Floating

School was inaugurated at Loktak Lake in Manipur. o The first of its kind school aims to provide education to drop outs students

as well as illiterate adults. o It was opened under the initiative of All Loktak Lake Fisherman’s Union

with the support of an NGO People Resources Development Association (PRDA).

6. Genetic Garden of Halophytes The world’s first Genetic Garden of Halophytes was inaugurated at the coastal

town of Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu.

The garden has been set up by M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) founded by eminent agriculture scientist Prof M S Swaminathan, father of Indian Green Revolution.

Halophytes: o Halophytes are salt-tolerant or salt-resistant plants. They can thrive and

complete their life cycles in soils or waters containing high salt concentrations such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs and seashores.

o They constitute 2% of all plant species.

7. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some

mixture of ethane C2H6) that has been converted to liquid form for ease of storage or transport.

It is odourless, colourless, toxic and non-corrosive.

LNG achieves a higher reduction in volume than compressed natural gas (CNG). This makes LNG cost efficient to transport over long distances where pipelines do not exist.

Its relatively high cost of production and the need to store it in expensive cryogenic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odorless

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparency_and_translucency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrosive_substance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_natural_gas



NOTES tanks have hindered widespread commercial use.

LNG is considered to be a cleaner and safer fuel which emits 50% less carbon, for mass transportation.

It is eco-friendly and more economical compared to diesel for public transportation.

India’s first eco-friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG)-driven bus was launched in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

8. Sambhar Salt Lake

The Sambhar Salt Lake, India's largest inland salt lake, is located south west of the city of Jaipur and north east of Ajmer in Rajasthan.

It is not part of the Ganga river basin area and is geographically a separate land locked river basin.

The lake is actually an extensive saline wetland. It has been designated as a Ramsar site.

It is source of most of Rajasthan’s salt production. It produces 196,000 tonnes of clean salt every year.

It is a key wintering area for thousands of flamingos and other birds that migrate from northern Asia.

There is wildlife in the nearby forests, where Nilgai move freely along with deer and foxes.

9. Chilika lake Chilika lake is a brackish water lagoon of the Odisha state on the east coast of

India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.

It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world.

It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.

The lake is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.

The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources.

In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The lagoon is also home to 14 types of raptors.

Around 152 rare and endangered Irrawaddy dolphins have also been reported.

10. Seemai Karuvelam trees

The Madurai bench of the Madras high court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to enact a law with prohibitory and penal clauses to eradicate seemai karuvelam trees (prosopis juliflora).

The seemai karuvelam tree that sucks a lot of water has invaded into water bodies and dry lands of government and private people.

Seema Karuvelam trees: o The Karuvelam tree is a species native to West Africa and was brought to

Tamil Nadu in 1960s as fuelwood. o It disrupts the local ecosystem of its habitation by soaking in all the ground

water near it. o Apparently, the plant is such that no other species can co-exist with it, it is

an invasive species that has infiltrated the water bodies and dry lands of Tamil Nadu.

o It cannot even shelter birds as it produces less oxygen and more carbon dioxide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brackish_water

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagoon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odisha

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daya_River

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Bengal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_sub-continent

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatened

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsar_List_of_Wetlands_of_International_Importance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsar_List_of_Wetlands_of_International_Importance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsar_Convention

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_of_prey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrawaddy_dolphin



NOTES o If it does not have sufficient water it begins absorbing groundwater. o If there is no groundwater, it starts absorbing humidity from the

surroundings. It can also turn the groundwater poisonous.

11. Barren Island

India’s only active volcano — the Barren Island volcano — in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is again spewing lava and ash, according to a team of scientists from the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO).

After lying dormant for 150 years, Barren Island volcano had erupted in 1991 and since then it is showing sporadic activity. Now it is erupting in small episodes of five to 10 minutes.

It’s the only active volcano along a chain of volcanoes from Sumatra to Myanmar.

The volcanic island is part of Andaman Islands. Its northern part is barren and is uninhabited. It is also devoid of vegetation.

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