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ENVIRONMENT
Table of Contents
1. CLIMATE CHANGE __________________ 3 2.4.2. Plastic Waste Management Amendment
1.1. Global Scenario ____________________ 3 Rules, 2021 _____________________________ 38
1.1.1. IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report ________ 3 2.4.3. Other Initiatives in news to tackle Plastic
1.1.2. Emissions Gap Report ________________ 5 Waste _________________________________ 39
1.1.3. The Adaptation Gap Report 2021: The 2.5. Concepts in Brief __________________ 40
Gathering Storm _________________________ 5 2.6. Reports and Indices ________________ 40
1.1.4. Greenhouse Gas Bulletin _____________ 7 3. BIODIVERSITY ____________________ 42
1.1.5. Global Methane Assessment __________ 7 3.1. 15th COP to the Convention on Biological
1.1.6. India on Course to Exceed Paris Climate Diversity ____________________________ 42
Change Commitments _____________________ 8 3.2. Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act,
1.2. International Conventions and Initiatives 9 2021________________________________ 44
1.2.1. COP26 ____________________________ 9
3.3. Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill,
1.2.2. Pledges/Declarations/Agendas released at
COP26 ________________________________ 11
2021________________________________ 45
1.2.3. Major Initiatives launched during COP26 13 3.4. Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’
1.2.3.1. Global Resilience Index Initiative (GRII) Rights Act, 2001 ______________________ 47
____________________________________ 13 3.5. Wildlife and Conservation ___________ 48
1.2.3.2. Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero 3.5.1. Possibly Extinct Species ______________ 48
(GFANZ) _____________________________ 13 3.5.2. Conservation Assured Tiger Standards
1.2.3.3. Infrastructure for Resilient Island (CATS) _________________________________ 50
States (IRIS) __________________________ 14 3.5.3. All India Elephant and Tiger Population
1.2.3.4. The Green Grids Initiative-One Sun One Estimation Exercise ______________________ 52
World One Grid project _________________ 14 3.5.4. National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC)
1.2.3.5. Other Initiatives ________________ 14 ______________________________________ 53
1.2.4. Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol 15 3.5.5. Cheetah Reintroduction Plan _________ 55
1.2.5. International Solar Alliance___________ 16 3.5.6. Red Sanders _______________________ 56
1.2.6. Other Initiatives in News ____________ 17 3.5.7. Mahseer __________________________ 57
1.3. Climate Mitigation and Adaptation ___ 19 3.5.8. India’s first cryptogamic garden _______ 58
1.3.1. Climate Finance Mechanisms _________ 19 3.5.9. Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) ________ 59
1.4. Concepts in Brief __________________ 20 3.5.10. World’s first 5-country biosphere reserve
1.5. Reports and Indices ________________ 22 ______________________________________ 59
3.5.11. Geo-tourism Sites _________________ 60
2. POLLUTION ______________________ 26 3.5.12. Dihing Patkai National Park __________ 61
2.1. Air Pollution______________________ 26 3.5.13. Protected Areas in News ____________ 63
2.1.1. New Fly Ash Utilization Rules for Coal and 3.5.14. Key Fauna and Flora in News _________ 68
Lignite Based Thermal Power Plants ________ 26 3.6. Forests __________________________ 77
2.1.2. Commission for Air Quality Management 3.6.1. India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 _ 77
(CAQM) _______________________________ 27 3.6.2. Amendments in Forest Conservation Act 79
2.1.3. World Health Organisation (WHO) Air 3.6.3. World Heritage Forests ______________ 80
Pollution Standards ______________________ 28
3.7. Lakes, Wetlands and Coastlands ______ 82
2.1.4. National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) _ 30
3.7.1. Coral Reef _________________________ 82
2.1.5. Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles
3.7.2. New Ramsar Sites __________________ 83
(PCFV) ________________________________ 31
3.7.3. Blue Flag Certification _______________ 85
2.2. Water Pollution and Conservation ____ 31 3.7.4. Amendments to the Coastal Regulation
2.2.1. Capacity Building Initiative on ‘Making Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019 ______________ 86
Water Sensitive Cities in Ganga Basin’ _______ 31
3.8. Other Biodiversity Initiatives in News _ 86
2.2.2. Water Commodification _____________ 32
2.2.3. Bio-monitoring using environmental DNA
3.9. Concepts in Brief __________________ 88
(eDNA) ________________________________ 33 3.10. Reports and Indices _______________ 88
2.2.4. Initiatives in News for Water Conservation 4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT _______ 91
and Management _______________________ 34 4.1. Gross Environment Product _________ 91
2.3. Land Degradation _________________ 35 4.2. Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) ___ 92
2.4. Plastic Pollution ___________________ 38 4.3. Green Day Ahead Market (GDAM) Portal
2.4.1. India Plastics Pact __________________ 38 ____________________________________ 92
4.4. Energy Efficiency __________________ 93
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4.4.1. Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) __ 93 5.3. Flash Floods _____________________ 110
4.4.2. Energy Accounting (EA) ______________ 93 5.4. Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS)
4.5. Alternative Fuels and Energy Resources 94 under trial __________________________ 110
4.5.1. Methanol Economy _________________ 94 5.5. Flood Plain Zoning ________________ 111
4.5.2. Ethanol Blending in India ____________ 95 5.6. Reports and Indices _______________ 112
4.5.3. Used Cooking Oil Based Biodiesel _____ 97
4.5.4. National Coal Gasification Mission _____ 98
6. GEOGRAPHY ____________________ 114
4.5.5. Energy Storage System (ESS) _________ 98 6.1. Atlantic Meridional Overturning
4.6. Miscellaneous ____________________ 99 Circulation (AMOC) ___________________ 114
4.6.1. Dam Safety Act, 2019 _______________ 99 6.2. Glacial Lake Atlas of Ganga River Basin 115
4.6.1.1. Dams/Hydroelectric Projects in News 6.3. Shift in Earth’s Axis _______________ 116
___________________________________ 102 6.4. Long Range Forecast (LRF)__________ 117
4.6.2. National Interlinking of Rivers Authority 6.5. Deep Ocean Mission ______________ 118
(NIRA) ________________________________ 103 6.6. Other News _____________________ 119
4.7. Other Sustainable Initiatives in News 105 6.7. Rivers in News ___________________ 120
4.8. Concepts in Brief _________________ 107 6.8. Places in News ___________________ 122
4.9. Reports and Indices _______________ 107 6.8.1. Places in News India________________ 122
5. DISASTER MANAGEMENT __________ 109 6.8.2. Geographical Features- International __ 125
5.1. State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)_ 109 6.8.3. Countries in News _________________ 128
5.2. 1st Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas
of India ____________________________ 109
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© Vision IAS DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH | GUWAHATI
1. CLIMATE CHANGE
1.1. GLOBAL SCENARIO
1.1.1. IPCC’S SIXTH ASSESSMENT REPORT
Why in News?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released its report of Working Group I of the
Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) titled- ‘AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis’.
About the report
• The IPCC prepares comprehensive
Assessment Reports about the state of
scientific, technical and socio-economic
knowledge on climate change, its impacts
and future risks, and options for reducing
the rate at which climate change is taking
place.
• So far, five assessment reports have been
produced, the first one being released in
1990.
• This AR6 will be an update of the AR5
released in 2013.
• Improvements since AR5:
o Improvements in observation-based
estimates and information from
paleoclimate archives provide a
comprehensive view of each
component of the climate system and
its changes to date.
o New climate model simulations, new
analyses, and methods combining
multiple lines of evidence lead to
improved understanding of human
influence on a wider range of climate variables, including weather and climate extremes.
Key Findings
Observations Related Data and Statistics
Current State of the Climate
Human influence has unequivocally warmed the • Global surface temperature was 1.09 °C higher in
atmosphere, ocean and land: 2011– 2020 than 1850–1900, with larger increases over
• Observed increases in well-mixed greenhouse gas land (1.59 °C) than over the ocean (0.88 °C).
(GHG) concentrations since around 1750 are • Each of the last four decades has been successively
unequivocally caused by human activities. warmer than any decade that preceded it since 1850.
• Human influence has been linked with widespread • Human-caused global surface temperature increase
and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, from 1850–1900 to 2010–2019 is estimated to be
cryosphere and biosphere such as- 1.07°C.
o Global retreat of glaciers. • The Arctic Sea ice area has decreased (about 40% in
o Sea level rise. September and about 10% in March) in between 1979–
o Drop in oxygen levels in many upper ocean 1988 and 2010–2019.
regions. • Global mean sea level increased by 0.20 m between
o Observed precipitation changes. 1901 and 2018.
o Changes in near-surface ocean salinity. • Climate zones have shifted poleward in both
o Global acidification of the surface open ocean. hemispheres, and the growing season has on
o Decrease in Northern Hemisphere spring snow average lengthened by up to two days per decade
cover. since the 1950s in the Northern Hemisphere
extratropics.
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Scale of recent changes across the climate system are unprecedented.
• Concentrations of CO2 unmatched for at least 2 million years.
• Glacial retreat unmatched for 2,000+ years.
• Sea level rise faster than any prior century for 3,000 years.
• Summer Arctic ice coverage smaller than smaller than any time in the last 1,000 years.
• Ocean warming faster at any time since end of the last ice age.
• Ocean acidification at highest level in the last 26,000 years.
Human-induced climate change is already affecting many • Hot extremes (including heatwaves) have become
weather and climate extremes in every region across the more frequent and more intense across most land
globe: regions since the 1950s.
• It has been linked to extreme weather events such as • Marine heatwaves have approximately doubled in
heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and frequency since the 1980s.
tropical cyclones etc. • The frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation
events have increased since the 1950s over most land
area.
• Tropical cyclone occurrence has increased over the
last four decades.
• Human-caused net positive radiative forcing causes an accumulation of additional energy (heating) in the climate
system.
o Radiative forcing is the change in energy flux in the atmosphere caused by natural and/or anthropogenic
factors of climate change. Positive radiative forcing means Earth receives more incoming energy from sunlight
than it radiates to space.
• Heating of the climate system has caused global mean sea level rise through ice loss on land and thermal expansion
from ocean warming.
o Ocean warming accounted for 91% of the heating in the climate system, with land warming, ice loss and
atmospheric warming accounting for about 5%, 3% and 1%, respectively.
o Thermal expansion explained 50% of sea level rise during 1971– 2018, while ice loss from glaciers contributed
22%, ice sheets 20% and changes in land water storage 8%.
o The equilibrium climate sensitivity (the global mean surface air temperature increase that follows a doubling
of atmospheric carbon dioxide) is estimated to be 3°C.
• Global surface temperature will continue to increase until 2050 under all emissions scenarios and target of 1.5°C
and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.
• With every increment of global warming, changes get larger in regional mean temperature, precipitation and soil
moisture.
• Continued global warming is projected to further intensify the global water cycle, including its variability, global
monsoon precipitation and the severity of wet and dry events.
• With increase in CO2 emissions, the ocean and land carbon sinks will become less effective at absorption of CO 2
from the atmosphere.
• Many changes due to past and future greenhouse gas emissions are irreversible, especially changes in the ocean,
ice sheets and global sea level.
Climate Information for Risk Assessment and Regional Adaptation
• Multiple climatic impact-drivers are projected to change in all regions of the world with changes being more
widespread at 2°C compared to 1.5°C global warming.
o Climatic impact-drivers (CIDs) are physical climate system conditions (e.g., means, events, extremes) that
affect an element of society or ecosystem.
• With every increment of Gloval Warming, changes get larger in regional mean temperautee, precipitation and soil
moisture.
• Low-likelihood outcomes, such as ice sheet collapse, abrupt ocean circulation changes, some compound extreme
events and warming substantially larger than the assessed very likely range of future warming cannot be ruled
out and are part of risk assessment.
Regional findings for India

Following impacts are likely to be seen in India (South Asian region)-
• Heatwaves and humid heat stress will be more intense and frequent during the 21st century all over South
Asia.
• Both annual and summer monsoon precipitation will increase during the 21st century, with enhanced
interannual variability.
• Increases in precipitation and rivers floods.
• Fire weather seasons are projected to lengthen and intensify.
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• Covered areas and snow volumes will decrease in most regions of the Hindu Kush Himalaya during the
21st century and snowline elevations will rise and glacier volumes are likely to decline with greater mass
loss in higher CO2 emissions scenarios.
• Regional-mean Sea level continues to rise and will contribute to more frequent coastal flooding and
higher Extreme Total Water Level (ETWL) in low-lying areas and coastal erosion along sandy beaches.
1.1.2. EMISSIONS GAP REPORT
Why in news?
Emissions Gap Report 2021 was recently released by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
About the report
The report in an annual series that provides an overview of the Emission gap- difference between where
greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avert the worst impacts of
climate change.
Key highlights
• Limited impact of New or updated NDCs and announced pledges for 2030: Projected to reduce 2030
emissions by only 7.5 per cent, resulting in warming of 2.7°C (slightly less than the 3°C UNEP forecast in its
last report).
• Emission reductions needed: A 30% cut to limit warming to 2°C and a 55% cut to limit to 1.5°C.
• Current net-zero targets could limit global warming to around 2.2°C by century’s end.
• The reduction of methane emissions from the fossil fuel, waste and agriculture sectors could help close
the emissions gap and reduce warming in the short term.
• The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented 5.4 per cent drop in global fossil carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions in 2020.
o A strong rebound in emissions is expected in 2021.
1.1.3. THE ADAPTATION GAP REPORT 2021: THE GATHERING STORM

Why in news? Related News: First Movers Coalition (FMC)
The report was recently released by UN • It is a public-private partnership launched by World
Environment Programme (UNEP). Economic Forum in partnership with US and over 30
global businesses.
About the report • It brings together global companies, with supply chains
across carbon-intensive sectors, to invest in innovative
• Report assesses national and global green technologies so they are available for massive
progress on adaptation, covering 3 central scale-up by 2030 to enable net-zero emissions by 2050.
elements of adaptation process: planning,
financing and implementation.
• Key findings of the report
o Climate change adaptation is increasingly being embedded in policy and planning.
✓ Around 79% of countries have adopted at least one national-level adaptation planning instrument
(an increase of 7% since 2020).
o Adaptation costs and financing needs in developing countries are 5 to 10 times greater than current
finance flows.
✓ Adaptation finance gap is larger than indicated in 2020 and widening.
o Opportunities provided by COVID-19 recovery stimulus packages, for green and resilient recoveries,
are not currently being realized.
Related terms
Adaptation It is the process of reducing countries’ and communities’ vulnerability to climate change by
increasing their ability to absorb impacts and remain resilient.
Adaptation Gap It is defined as the difference between actually implemented adaptation and a societal set goal,
determined largely by preferences related to tolerated climate change impacts, and reflecting
resource limitations and competing priorities.
Adaptation Costs of planning, preparing for, facilitating, and implementing adaptation measures, including
costs transaction costs.
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1.1.4. GREENHOUSE GAS BULLETIN
Why in news?
World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) recently
released Greenhouse Gas
Bulletin.
Key Highlights
• Concentration of carbon
dioxide (CO2): Reached
413.2 parts per million in
2020 and is 149% of the
pre-industrial level.
• Methane (CH4) is 262%
and nitrous oxide (N2O) is
123% of the levels in 1750.
• From 1990 to 2020,
radiative forcing – the
warming effect on our
climate - by long-lived
greenhouse gases
increased by 47%, with
CO2 accounting for about
80% of this increase.
• The numbers are based
on monitoring by WMO’s
Global Atmosphere
Watch network.
1.1.5. GLOBAL METHANE ASSESSMENT

Why in news?
“Global Methane Assessment: Benefits
and Costs of Mitigating Methane
Emissions” was published by the
United Nations Environment
Programme in association with the
Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
Key findings of the report
• Increasing Concentration of
Methane: Methane’s atmospheric
concentration has more than
doubled since pre-industrial times.
o Second only to carbon dioxide
in driving climate change.
o Methane in the atmosphere
reached record levels last year
even though CO2 levels
dropped during the pandemic.
• Reducing anthropogenic
emissions: Reduction of
anthropogenic emissions by 45%
would prevent a rise in global
warming by up to 0.3 degrees Celsius by 2045.
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• Varying mitigation potential: The mitigation potential varied between countries and regions. For
example, China’s mitigation potential was best in coal production and livestock, India’s in the waste sector.
o The fossil fuel industry had the greatest potential for low-cost methane cuts.
• Recommendations to reduce
Methane Emissions:
o Behavioural change
measures (to prevent
emissions from
agriculture) like:
✓ reducing food waste
and loss,
✓ improving livestock
management
✓ adoption of healthy
diets (vegetarian or
with a lower meat
and dairy content)
o Other measures like:
✓ Improved treatment and disposal of solid waste.
✓ Transition to renewable energy,
✓ A global tax on methane emissions
Related News
Global Methane Initiative (GMI)
• India recently co-chaired GMI Steering Leadership Meeting.
• GMI is a voluntary Government and an informal international partnership created to achieve global reduction in
anthropogenic methane emission through partnership among developed and developing countries having
economies in transition.
o It was created in 2004 and has membership from 45 countries.
About Methane
• Methane is a short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) with an atmospheric lifetime of roughly a decade.
• Sources of methane:
o Natural: Wetlands, Inland waters, geological oceans, termites, wild animals, permafrost, and vegetation.
o Anthropogenic: Fossil fuel production and use, agriculture, and waste.
• Methane contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone, a dangerous air pollutant.
o Ozone attributable to anthropogenic methane emissions causes approximately half a million premature
deaths per year globally and harms ecosystems and crops by suppressing growth and diminishing production.
• Methane’s short atmospheric lifetime means taking action now can quickly reduce atmospheric concentrations
and result in similarly rapid reductions in climate forcing (an imbalance in radiation at the top of the Earth's
atmosphere) and ozone pollution.
About Short-lived climate pollutants
• They are powerful climate forcers that remain in the atmosphere for a much shorter period of time than carbon
dioxide (CO2), yet their potential to warm the atmosphere can be many times greater.
• Certain short-lived climate pollutants are also dangerous air pollutants that have harmful effects for people,
ecosystems and agricultural productivity.
• The short-lived climate pollutants- black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons are the
most important contributors to the man-made global greenhouse effect after carbon dioxide, responsible for up
to 45% of current global warming.
o Black carbon is the second-largest contributor to warming the planet behind carbon dioxide (CO2).
1.1.6. INDIA ON COURSE TO EXCEED PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITMENTS

Why in News?
At India-ISA (International Solar Alliance) Energy Transition Dialogue 2021, Union Minister of Power and New
& Renewable Energy highlighted gains made by India in energy transition.
India’s NDC
• To achieve 40% of cumulative electric power installed capacity from non fossil fuel by 2030,
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• Reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% from 2005 levels by 2030, and
• To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and
tree cover.
India’s achievements so far
• Achieved coveted milestone of 100 GW of installed Renewable Energy Capacity.
o 38.5% of India’s installed power generation capacity is based on clean renewable energy source.( 4th
position in the world in terms of installed RE capacity and 5th in Solar.)
• India has achieved emission reduction of 28% over 2005 levels, against the target of 35% by 2030
committed in its NDC (Nationally determined contributions).
Related News:
• Only 110 countries that are party to the Paris accord have submitted updated NDCs for limiting their carbon
emissions.
• China and India have missed U.N. deadline.
1.2. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND INITIATIVES

1.2.1. COP26
Why in News?
The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) in Glasgow, hosted by the UK, recently concluded.
More on the news
• The Conference also included the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of
the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 16), and the third session of the Conference of the Parties serving
as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 3).
• The COP26 holds significance as it aims to finalize the Paris rulebook, following the 2019 COP25 summit in
Madrid, where many issues had not been agreed and had been pushed into the next year under the “Rule
16” of the UN climate process.
• The conference ended with all 197
parties to the UNFCCC agreeing to
Glasgow Climate Pact (GCP), the
global agreement which will
accelerate action on climate this
decade and completes the Paris
Rulebook.
o The pact aims to limit global
warming to 1.5 degree Celsius
by 2030, as agreed under the
2015 Paris Agreement and cut
Global greenhouse gas
emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and to zero overall by 2050.
Key Outcomes of the COP26
Areas of discussion Important Decisions and Developments
Ambition • By the end of COP26, 153 countries had submitted new climate plans (known as nationally
determined contributions, or NDCs) to slash their emissions by 2030.
• Countries requested to revisit and strengthen their climate pledges by the end of 2022.
Target action • First-ever COP decision to explicitly target action against fossil fuels, calling for a
against fossil fuels “phasedown of unabated coal” and “phase-out” of inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies.
Adaptation • Countries have been urged to at least double their collective provision of climate finance
for adaptation from 2019 levels by 2025.
• $352 million were pledged for the UN’s Adaptation Fund, the highest single mobilisation to
the fund.
o The fund has the advantage of being focused exclusively on adaptation projects and
also being 100% grant-based rather than providing loans to poorer nations.
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• Sharm el-Sheikh Work Programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation to reduce
vulnerability, strengthen resilience and increase the capacity of people and the planet to
adapt to the impacts of climate change.
International • Article 6, which covers Market- and non-market-based mechanisms of the Paris Agreement,
Carbon Markets was finalized. Key decisions regarding the Article include-
under Article 6 o Carbon credits generated under the Kyoto Protocol since 2013 (amounting to ~
320m tonnes of CO2 equivalent), will be carried over into the Paris mechanism but
must be used by 2030.
o 5% of proceeds under traditional market mechanisms (Article 6.4), must mandatorily
go toward funding adaptation.
o Contributing funds toward adaptation under bilateral trading of credits between
countries (Article 6.2) is voluntary.
o Avoidance of double counting, in which more than one country could claim the same
emissions reductions as counting toward their own climate commitments.
o Exclusion of the use of credits generated historically, between 2015 and 2021,
from reduced deforestation and forest degradation, under the UN scheme known
as REDD+.
Loss and damage • Glasgow Dialogue created on funding for loss and damage.
• Developed countries pledged to support the Santiago network, a website set up by the
UNFCCC, with links to organisations such as development banks that could support loss and
damage.
Rules on • All countries agreed to submit information about their emissions and financial,
transparency of technological and capacity-building support using a common and standardized set of
climate action and formats and tables.
support
Common Time • Countries were encouraged to use common timeframes for their national climate
Frames commitments.
o This means that new NDCs that countries put forward in 2025 should have an end-date
of 2035, in 2030 they will put forward commitments with a 2040 end-date, and so on.
Glossary
• Loss and Damage: It refers to impacts of climate change that cannot be adapted to, and where losses are
permanent. It covers both slow-onset processes like sea-level and temperature rise, and extreme events such as
floods, hurricanes and tropical cyclones.
• Market- and non-market-based mechanisms under Article 6: It contains three separate mechanisms for “voluntary
cooperation” towards climate goals, with the overarching aim of raising ambition. Two of the mechanisms are
based on markets and a third is based on “non-market approaches”.
o Article 6.2 governs bilateral cooperation via “internationally traded mitigation outcomes” (ITMOs), which
could include emissions cuts measured in tonnes of CO2 or kilowatt hours of renewable electricity.
✓ It could see countries link their emissions trading schemes, for example, or buying offsets towards their
national climate goals.
o Article 6.4 will lead to the creation of a new international carbon market for the trade of emissions cuts,
created by the public or private sector anywhere in the world, also known as the “Sustainable Development
Mechanism” (SDM).
o Article 6.8 offers a formal framework for climate cooperation between countries, where no trade is involved,
such as development aid.
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1.2.2. PLEDGES/DECLARATIONS/AGENDAS RELEASED AT COP26
Name Details Is India a
signatory?
Breakthrough • It commits countries to work together to make clean technologies and
Agenda sustainable solutions the most affordable, accessible and attractive
option in each emitting sector (power, road transport, steel,
agriculture etc.) globally before 2030.
Global Methane • A voluntary non-binding agreement under which signatory countries
Pledge have promised to cut their methane emissions by at least 30 per cent
by 2030.
Glasgow Leaders’ • Voluntary declaration signed among countries committed to working
Declaration on collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by
Forests and Land Use 2030 while delivering sustainable development and promoting an
inclusive rural transformation.
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Forest, agriculture • Jointly led by the UK and Indonesia.
and commodity trade • Aim: to support sustainable trade between commodity-producing and
(FACT) statement -consuming countries.
Sustainable • Signatories have agreed to urgent action and investment to protect
Agriculture Policy nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming.
Action Agenda for • Policy Action Agenda sets out pathways and actions that countries can
the Transition to take to repurpose public policies and support to food and agriculture,
Sustainable to deliver these outcomes and enable a just rural transition.
Agriculture and • Global Action Agenda is supported by World Bank, WWF, World Food
Global Action Agenda Programme, UN Foundation, Columbia Climate School, Bayer,
for Innovation in Rainforest Alliance, World Economic Forum, Asian Development Bank,
Agriculture European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, etc.
Declaration on • Non-binding agreement among governments, automotive
“accelerating the manufacturers, financial institutions, and civil society organisations.
transition to 100% • Aim: To work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero
zero-emission cars emission globally by 2040, and by no later than 2035 in leading markets.
and vans”
Beyond Oil and Gas • Led by: the governments of Denmark and Costa Rica.
Alliance (BOGA) • It is an international alliance of governments and stakeholders
working together to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas
production.
• Aim: To elevate the issue of oil and gas production phase-out in
international climate dialogues, mobilize action and commitments, and
create an international community of practice on this issue.
Clydebank • A coalition of 22 countries have agreed to create zero emissions
Declaration for Green shipping trade routes between ports to speed up the decarbonisation
Shipping Corridors of the global maritime industry.
• The signatory
countries signed the
'Clydebank
Declaration for
Green Shipping
Corridors' (launched
at the COP26 climate
summit in Glasgow)
and agreed to
support the
establishment of at
least 6 green
corridors by 2025.
o A green corridor is defined as a shipping route between two major
port hubs on which the technological, economic and regulatory
feasibility of zero-emissions ships is accelerated by public and
private action.
India’s Panchamrita • Prime Minister of -
India laid
out India’s climate
change action plan
(panchamrita) at
the 26th United
Nations
Framework
Convention on
Climate Change’s
Conference of
Parties (COP26) in
Glasgow.
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1.2.3. MAJOR INITIATIVES LAUNCHED DURING COP26
1.2.3.1. GLOBAL
RESILIENCE INDEX
INITIATIVE (GRII)
• Launched by: 10 global
organisations.
• Partners of GRII: Insurance
Development Forum (IDF);
Coalition for Climate
Resilient Investment;
Coalition for Disaster
Resilient Infrastructure;
GEM Foundation; UK
Centre for Greening
Finance and Investment
and the United Nations
Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction.
• Goals of GRI:
o Offer global open
reference risk data
using metrics built on
insurance risk
modelling principles;
o Provide shared
standards and
facilities applicable to
a wide range of uses,
including corporate
climate risk disclosure,
national adaptation
planning and
reporting, and the
planning of pre-
arranged
humanitarian finance.
1.2.3.2. GLASGOW FINANCIAL ALLIANCE FOR NET ZERO (GFANZ)

• Launched by: UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, along with UNFCCC Climate Action
Champions, and the COP26 Presidency.
• GFANZ was originally unveiled in 2021 as a forum for leading financial institutions to accelerate transition
to a net-zero global economy through de-carbonization of the economy in line with the Paris agreement.
o The Objective of ‘net Zero’ is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
• The target is in line with Race to Zero campaign of UN that rallies non-state actors, including companies,
cities, regions, financial and educational institutions to take rigorous and immediate action to halve global
emissions by 2030.
• Members under GFANZ include net zero banking alliance, net zero asset managers initiative, net zero
asset owners alliance, net zero insurance alliance, Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance etc.
o The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), hosted by United Nations Environment Programme-Finance
Initiative (UNEP FI) is the newest net zero alliance.
o Other net zero alliances include - the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative and the UN-convened Net-
Zero Asset Owner Alliance etc.
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• Earlier, in 2019, the UN General Assembly had also launched its principles of responsible banking (PRBs)
whereby banks had agreed to “work with their clients to encourage sustainable practices” and to align
business strategy to UN sustainable development goals.
1.2.3.3. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RESILIENT ISLAND STATES (IRI S)

• Launched by: India, along with Australia, UK, Fiji, Jamaica and Jamaica.
• It has been co-created by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
(CDRI) with support from Member Countries and organizations and Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
representatives.
• It is a dedicated initiative that will provide technical support on the multifaceted issues posed by
infrastructure systems and promote disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure assets in SIDS, and
share latest knowledge and learnings targeted to specific infrastructure sectors.
• While contributing to the SAMOA Pathway (SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action), IRIS targets to deliver
three intended outcomes as
o Improve resilience of SIDS infrastructure to climate change and disaster risk.
o Strengthen knowledge and partnerships for integrating resilience in SIDS infrastructure.
o Promote gender equality and disability inclusion through resilient SIDS infrastructure.
• SIDS, comprising countries in the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South
China Sea regions, are among the most vulnerable to geophysical and hydro-meteorological hazards.
o SIDS accounts for two-thirds of the countries that suffer the highest relative losses due to disasters.
1.2.3.4. THE GREEN GRIDS INITIATIVE-ONE SUN ONE WORLD ONE GRID PROJECT
• It was a multi-layered dialogue between the OSOWOG initiative by India in
partnership with COP26 Presidency, International Solar Alliance (ISA), World
Bank, UK government and Wilton Park.
• OSOWOG is India’s initiative to build a global ecosystem of interconnected renewable energy resources
that connects 140 countries through a common grid.
o The blueprint for the OSOWOG has been developed under the World Bank’s technical assistance
programme that is implemented to accelerate the deployment of grid connected rooftop solar
installations.
o Vision behind the OSOWOG mantra is “the Sun never sets” and is a constant at some geographical
location, globally, at any given point of time.
o Implementation is divided into three main phases
✓ Phase 1 ensures interconnectivity in the Asian continent.
✓ Phase 2 connects the functional first phase to the pool of renewable resources in Africa.
✓ Phase 3 aims to achieve a global interconnection.
• Significance of OSOWOG
o Assist all its participating bodies to attract effective investments in renewable energy sources by
utilising technology, finance and skill.
o Global collaboration will bring in increased investment into research and development centres.
1.2.3.5. OTHER INITIATIVES

E-Amrit Portal • Launched by: India at the COP26 Summit
• It is a web portal functioning as a one-stop destination for all information on electric vehicles—
busting myths around the adoption of EVs and complement initiatives of government on raising
awareness on EVs.
• The portal has been developed and hosted by NITI Aayog under a collaborative knowledge
exchange programme with the UK government and as part of the UK–India Joint Roadmap 2030.
COP26 Charter • Launched by: Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) ahead of the Glasgow climate change
of Actions conference.
• It assimilates questions and challenges concerning key themes for India such as equity, green
finance, adaptation & resilience, nature-based solutions, energy, clean transport, and business
and industry.
Global • The event was co-organised by TMG Think Tank for Sustainability, the German Federal Ministry
Landscapes of Economic Cooperation and Development, and others.
Forum Climate • It highlighted that infestation of desert locusts was closely linked to climate change.
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hybrid • TMG called for a paradigm shift including the following measures:
conference o A well-functioning early warning system
(GLF climate o Counting the environmental and human costs through True Cost Accounting
2021) o Developing an efficient governance model.
1.2.4. KIGALI AMENDMENT TO MONTREAL PROTOCOL

Why in News?
Recently, the Union Cabinet
approved the ratification to the
Kigali Amendment of the Montreal
Protocol.
About Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer
• It is a multilateral
environmental agreement that
regulates the production and
consumption of nearly 100
man-made chemicals referred
to as ozone depleting substances (ODS).
• It was adopted in 1987 and entered into force in 1989.
• It is the only UN treaty to be ratified by all
About Vienna Convention on Protection of Ozone Layer
UN members.
• The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone
• It is based on the regulatory framework Layer was a multilateral environmental agreement signed
provided by the Vienna Convention on in 1985 (entered into force in 1988), aimed at:
Protection of Ozone Layer. o Promoting research and monitoring of human
• Under the protocol, developing and activities on the ozone layer.
developed countries have equal but o Taking concrete action against activities with adverse
differentiated responsibilities reflected in effects on ozone layer.
different timetables, but
both groups of countries
have binding, time-
targeted and
measurable
commitments.
• The Montreal Protocol
also led to the adoption
of a Multilateral Fund to
aid developing countries
in implementation of
the protocol.
• In 1990 the Technology
and Economic
Assessment Panel
(TEAP) was established
as the technology and
economics advisory
body to the Montreal
Protocol Parties.
• Several Amendments
have been made to the
protocol since its
adoption (see
infographic).
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About Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol
• The Kigali Agreement was adopted in 2016 to phase-down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
• It entered into force in 2019.
• It divides nations into 3 groups with a four-step path to achieve 80% reduction in HFCs consumption by
2047 (see infographic).
o It is a legally binding agreement designed to create rights and obligations in international law.
o Up till July 2021, 122 countries have ratified the Kigali amendment.
• Being under Group 2, India will develop its national strategy for phasing down of Hydrofluorocarbons by
2023 (after consultation with industry stakeholders).
India and Montreal Protocol
• India became Party to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol in 1991 and 1992 respectively.
• India has proactively phased out the production and consumption of CFCs except use in Metered Dose
Inhalers (MDIs) used for treatment of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
ailments from 2008.
o Subsequently, the use of CFCs in MDIs has been phased out from 2012.
• An Ozone Cell has been setup (under the Environment Ministry) as a National Ozone Unit (NOU) to render
necessary services for effective and timely implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its ODS phase-
out program in India.
About Ozone layer and ozone depleting substances
• Ozone (O3) layer is a high ozone concentration region in the stratosphere (15-35 km above earth surface),
protecting life on earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiations from the Sun.
• Ozone depletion, i.e., thinning of the ozone
layer by ozone depleting substances was
confirmed in 1985 through formation of
ozone hole over the Antarctic during the
Southern Hemisphere spring.
• Major ozone depleting substances
o chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
o halon
o carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)
o methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3)
o hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs)
o hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
o methyl bromide (CH3Br)
o bromochloromethane
About hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• HFCs are a group of industrial chemicals primarily used for cooling and refrigeration as replacements for ozone-
depleting substances.
• Though they are not ozone depleting substances, they are part of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) with high
global warming potential (ranging from 12 to 14,000 of carbon dioxide Global Warming Potential).
Related news: Quito Adjustment
• Adjustment to the Montreal Protocol agreed in 2018 in Quito (13th Meeting of the Parties) called for:
o Strengthening enforcement mechanisms of the Protocol in response to an unexpected rise in global
emissions of the banned chemical trichlorofluoromethane (CFC-11),
o Arrangements for the implementation of the Kigali Amendment (to cut projected production and
consumption of climate change-inducing hydrofluorocarbons/HFCs).
1.2.5. INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE

Why in News?
UN General Assembly (UNGA) confers Observer Status on the International Solar Alliance (ISA)
More on the news
• Granting of the status would help provide for a well-defined cooperation between the Alliance and UN
that would benefit global energy growth and development.
o It will also provide choice to ISA to have permanent office in the UN HQ (New York).
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• About Observer status of UN
o It started in 1946 with the Swiss Government as first permanent observer, a number of regional and
international organizations are given observer status by UNGA.
o Other observers include non-member states (e.g. Holy See); Intergovernmental and other
organizations (e.g. ISA by resolution 76/123); and Specialized Agencies (e.g. FAO).
About ISA
• It was launched at Paris Climate Change Conference in 2015 by the
President of France and the Prime Minister of India.
• It is a multi-country partnership organization with membership from solar resource rich countries
between the two tropics, where the global community can make a positive contribution towards
increasing the use of solar energy.
o It has now been decided to extend the membership of the alliance to all the UN member states.
• The body aims to scale up solar energy applications, take coordinated action through programmes and
activities launched on a voluntary
basis and facilitate collaborative
research and development
activities in solar energy
technologies.
o Each Member shares and
updates, for those solar
applications for which it seeks
the benefits of collective action
under the ISA.
• Till October 2021, 101 countries have
signed the ISA Framework
Agreement and 80 countries have
signed and ratified the ISA
Framework Agreement.
o At the COP26 in Glasgow, US
announced joining the ISA as its 101st member.
• ISA is the first international organization headquartered in India.
Initiatives taken by ISA
• Green Grids Initiative - One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG): It is launched by India at the global
climate conference COP26 with an aim to harness solar energy wherever the Sun is shining, ensuring that
generated electricity flows to areas that need it most.
• ISA partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to mobilize $1 trillion in global investments for solar energy
across ISA’s member countries.
• Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launched at COP26 with USD10 billions of
committed capital to accelerate investment in green energy transitions and renewable energy solutions in
developing and emerging economies.
• ISA’s Programme on Scaling Solar Applications for Agriculture Use (SSAAU) focuses on providing greater
energy access and a sustainable irrigation solution to farmers through deployment of Solar Water
Pumping Systems in member countries.
1.2.6. OTHER INITIATIVES IN NEWS

Forest Carbon • China has issued its first batch of forest carbon credit stamps to use market mechanisms to
Credit Stamps reduce carbon emissions.
• Forest carbon credits stamps are permits for companies to emit a certain amount of carbon
dioxide. They are converted from added forest areas and the amount of carbon they can
capture.
• These credits can also serve as collateral for bank credit and loans.
• The forest carbon credit system harbors great potential amid China's pursuit of peaking
carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
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Carbon Border • As part of the European Union (EU)
Adjustment ambitious target of reducing 55% of Working of CBAM
Mechanism carbon emissions compared to 1990
(CBAM) levels by 2030 (Fit for 55 Initiative), it is
pushing for the world’s first carbon
border tax on imported goods- Carbon
Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
from 2026.
o It seeks to address carbon leakages
i.e. companies decamp to places
with cheaper pollution costs and
looser climate regulations.
• A carbon border tax is a tax on carbon
emissions imposed on imported goods
from countries with less strict climate
policies. It aims to create a level playing
field between imports and domestic
production.
Climate Action • CAFMD is one of the two main tracks (other track is strategic clean energy partnership) of
and Finance the US-India Agenda 2030 partnership that was announced in April 2021.
Mobilization • CAFMD will have three pillars:
Dialogue o Climate action pillar to look at ways to reduce emissions in the next decade.
(CAFMD) o Pillar for setting out a roadmap to achieve 450GW renewable energy (RE) in
transportation, buildings and industry.
o Finance Pillar to collaborate on attracting finance to deploy 450 GW of RE and
demonstrate at scale clean energy technologies.
Climate Resilience • Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj jointly launched CRISP-M tool.
Information o It helps in integration of climate information in Geographic Information System (GIS)
System and based watershed planning under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Planning (CRISP- Guarantee Act (NREGA).
M) Tool • This tool will be used in seven states where in the Government of UK and India is jointly
working towards climate resilience.
o The states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
and Rajasthan
Forum for • NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute (WRI) India Jointly Launch ‘Forum for
Decarbonizing Decarbonizing Transport’ in India.
Transport • It is part of the Nationally Determined Contribution-Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA)
project.
o NDC-TIA is a joint programme of seven organisations that will engage China, India, and
Vietnam with the objective to facilitate a paradigm shift to zero-emission transport
across Asia.
✓ The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and NITI Aayog is the
implementing partner for India.
• Transport in India is the third most CO2 emitting sector.
Clean Energy • Launched by- India and UK
Ministerial’s • IDDI is a global coalition of public and private organisations who are working to stimulate
(CEM) – Industrial demand for low carbon industrial materials.
Deep • It is coordinated by UNIDO and countries like Germany and Canada have also joined the
Decarbonization initiative.
Initiative (IDDI) • It works to
o Standardise carbon assessments
o Establish ambitious public and private sector procurement targets
o Incentivise investment into low-carbon product development and design industry
guidelines.
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• It brings together a strong coalition of related initiatives and organizations to tackle carbon
intensive construction materials such as steel and cement like-
o The Mission Possible Platform
o The Leadership Group for the Industry Transition
o The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
o World Bank
Climate Equity • It is an online dashboard for assessing, at the international level, equity in climate action,
Monitor inequalities in emissions, energy and resource consumption across the world.
o It is developed by independent researchers from India.
• It is aimed at monitoring the performance of Annex-I Parties under UNFCCC (developed
countries) based on equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities
and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC).
• Performance and policies of Non-Annex-I Parties (developing countries) will also be
provided for comparison.
Water and • The Water and Climate Coalition is a multi-stakeholder initiative to provide tangible action,
Climate Coalition activities and policy support, for an integrated water and climate agenda with a special focus
on data, information, monitoring systems and operational capacity.
• WCC is open for a wide range of members from scientific organizations, private sector,
NGOs, UN Organizations, governments and the civil society that are on equal footing to
generate momentum through implementing concrete hydrological activities at national,
regional and global scale.
• Its Secretariat is hosted within the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Cotton 2040 • According to study by Cotton 2040 initiative, climate change could expose half of all global
initiative cotton-growing regions, including India, to increased risk from at least one climate hazard
by 2040.
o Climate hazards include temperature increases, changes in rainfall patterns and
extreme weather events.
• Cotton 2040 is an initiative by forum for the future (an NGO) that aims to create a resilient
cotton industry in an increasingly climate-disrupted world.
Earthshot Prize • Indian agri-waste recycling project has won Prince William’s Earthshot Prize 2021.
2021 • The Earthshot Prize is an award set up by Prince William and the Royal Foundation, the
charity founded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and historian David Attenborough
to honour five finalists between 2021 and 2030 for developing solutions to fight the climate
crisis.
o Established in 2020, 2021 was the first year when awards were handed out to finalists
for their contributions towards the five UN Sustainable Development Goals —
restoration and protection of nature, air cleanliness, ocean revival, waste-free living and
climate action.
Prime Minister’s • PMCCC has not met in almost 7 years.
Council on • Initially constituted in 2008, PMCCC chaired by Prime Minister, was formed to coordinate
Climate Change national action for assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
(PMCCC) o PMCCC includes both government as well as non-government members.
o PMCCC was reconstituted in 2014.
• Committee focuses on the following tasks:
o Evolve a coordinated response to issues relating to climate change at the national level.
• Provide oversight for formulation of action plans in the area of assessment, adaptation and
mitigation of climate change.
1.3. CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION

1.3.1. CLIMATE FINANCE MECHANISMS
Why in News?
During COP26, India has demanded a trillion dollars of climate finance over the next decade from developed
countries to adapt to, and mitigate, the challenges arising from global warming.
About Climate Finance
• Climate finance refers to local, national or transnational financing—drawn from public, private and
alternative sources of financing—that seeks to support mitigation (reducing GHG emissions) and
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adaptation (adapting to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of a changing climate) actions that
will address climate change.
• Climate financing will essentially help the world to reach the target of limiting global warming to an
increase of 1.5°C above pre-industrial level.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and the
Paris Agreement call for financial assistance from Parties with more financial resources to those that are
less endowed and more vulnerable.
Financial mechanisms established UNFCCC and related Agreements
Global • It has served as an operating entity of the financial mechanism since the Convention’s entry
Environment into force in 1994. It manages two funds-
Facility (GEF) o Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), established in 2001, to finance projects relating to:
adaptation; technology transfer and capacity building; energy, transport, industry,
agriculture, forestry and waste management; and economic diversification.
o Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), established to support a work programme to
assist Least Developed Country Parties (LDCs) carry out the preparation and
implementation of national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs).
Adaptation • It was established in 2001 to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in
Fund (AF) developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol that are particularly vulnerable to the
adverse effects of climate change.
Green Climate • It was established in COP 16, in 2010 and developed countries had pledged to mobilise US$ 100
Fund (GCF) billion per year by 2020 through this fund to support developing countries raise and realize
their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) ambitions towards low-emissions, climate-
resilient pathways.
Other Funds and instruments of financing
UN-backed • Clean Technology Fund (CTF): It aims at empowering transformation in developing countries
international by providing resources to scale up low carbon technologies.
climate funds • Climate Investment Funds (CIFs): It aims to accelerate climate action by empowering
transformations in clean technology, energy access, climate resilience, and sustainable forests
in developing and middle-income countries.
• UN- Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD): It aims to protect
forests, a pre-eminent nature-based solution to the climate emergency.
• Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance: It has 29 members, including pension funds, insurance
companies, and sovereign wealth funds, and is working on substantial methodologies to align
portfolios with net zero Paris targets.
Other • Climate Change Fund of Asian Development Bank (ADB): It was established in 2008 to
international facilitate greater investments in developing member countries (DMCs) to effectively address
funds the causes and consequences of climate change, by strengthening support to low-carbon and
climate-resilient development.
• Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF): It is a global partnership of governments,
businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples focused on reducing emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, the sustainable
management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries,
activities commonly referred to as REDD+.
Other National • Allocations from National Governments: For example, National Adaptation Fund for Climate
and local Change (NAFCC) is a Central Sector Scheme which was set up in the year 2015-16 to support
Sources of concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
raising finances • Carbon pricing instruments: These include a carbon market approach (where an Emissions
Trading Scheme is established, and carbon credits are bought and sold based on a market price
per tCO2e); Carbon emissions tax approach (that can also be in the form of a fossil fuel tax or
removal of fossil fuel subsidies) etc.
1.4. CONCEPTS IN BRIEF

Carbon intensity • Carbon intensity is measured as carbon dioxide emissions per unit of gross domestic product.
Micro-Climatic • Recently, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) report finds that rise in cyclone
Changes intensity, frequency in India is due to micro-climatic changes.
• Micro-climates are the local interplays between factors such as soil temperature, air
temperature, wind directions, soil moisture and air humidity—affected by day-night effects
and seasonal effects.
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• The effects of microclimate may either provide a buffer against climate change or they may
amplify its effects in the form of temperature peaks, droughts, irregular rains or delayed
rainfall.
‘Net zero’ carbon • Net zero emissions, also referred to as carbon neutrality, are achieved when anthropogenic
targets emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere are balanced by anthropogenic removals
over a specified period.
o It is even possible for a country (Ex: Bhutan) to have negative emissions, if the
absorption and removal exceed the actual emissions.
o Some of the strategies to achieve carbon neutrality are using Renewable energy in the
electricity sector (single largest source of CO2 emissions), Carbon capture, utilisation
and storage (CCUS) etc.
Karakoram • Karakoram anomaly is termed as stability or anomalous growth of glaciers in the central
anomaly Karakoram range, in contrast to retreat of glaciers in other nearby mountainous ranges of
Himalayas and other mountainous ranges of the world.
Transboundary • A recent study has attempted to assess impact of climate change on transboundary stocks
fish stocks of fisheries operating within exclusive economic zones (EEZ).
• About Shared stock
• The concept of shared stocks was developed following the ratification of the UN Convention
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the claiming of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) by
Coastal States.
• As per Food and Agriculture Organization, shared stocks can be classified into four non-
exclusive categories:
o Transboundary stocks, which cross neighbouring EEZs;
o Straddling stocks that, in addition to neighbouring EEZs, also visit the adjacent high seas
(i.e., areas beyond national jurisdiction);
o Highly migratory stocks, that migrate across vast oceanic regions including both the
high seas and EEZs; and
o Discrete stocks that are only present on the high seas.
Orca plant- • World’s largest plant capturing carbon from air recently started in Iceland.
World’s largest • Swiss start-up Climeworks AG, which specialises in capturing carbon dioxide directly from
Direct air capture the air, has partnered with Icelandic carbon storage firm Carbfix to develop a plant that
plant sucks out up to 4,000 tons of CO2 per year.
o The isolated carbon is then mixed with water and pumped deep underground, where it
slowly turns into rock. Both technologies are powered by renewable energy sourced
from a nearby geothermal power plant.
• Direct air capture is one of the few technologies extracting carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere.
Permafrost • The latest IPCC report has warned that increasing global warming will result in reductions
Thawing in Arctic permafrost and the thawing of the ground is expected to release greenhouse gases
like methane and carbon dioxide.
o It is believed that some bacteria and viruses can lie dormant for thousands of years in
permafrost.
o Defreezing of permafrost may release these microbes into the environment which may
have potential to cause new diseases.
• About Permafrost
o Permafrost is defined as ground (soil, rock and any included ice or organic material) that
remains at or below zero degree Celsius for at least two consecutive years.
o Permafrost is spread across an area of over 23 million square kilometers, covering about
15% of the land area of the globe.
o In terms of area, permafrost can be characterized as continuous, discontinuous,
sporadic, or isolated.
o Most permafrost in the Northern Hemisphere occurs between latitudes of 60°N and
68°N. (North of 67°N, permafrost declines sharply, as the exposed land surface gives way
to the Arctic Ocean.)
o In the Northern Hemisphere, 24% of the ice-free land area, is more or less influenced by
permafrost. Most of this area is found in Siberia, Canada, Alaska and Greenland.
• Other impacts of permafrost thawing
o A reduction in bearing capacity (the ability of frozen ground to carry structural loads) of
the structural foundations in the Arctic.
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o Water released may cause soil collapse and increase transport of solutes, including
organic matter, nutrients and pollution, which may be carried long distances by river or
sea water.
1.5. REPORTS AND INDICES

Report/Index Details
The State of Cities Climate • Released by: Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance and the World Bank.
Finance • About Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance
• It is a coalition of leaders committed to deploying finance for city level
climate action at scale by 2030.
• It is the only multi-level and multi-stakeholder coalition aimed at closing
the investment gap for urban subnational climate projects and
infrastructure worldwide.
• Key Highlights of the report
o Urban climate finance flows are heavily concentrated in OECD countries
and China.
o Vastly insufficient amounts of urban climate finance were invested in many
developing economy regions, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
o Finance for adaptation projects amounted to 9 per cent of investments
tracked at the project level in 2017-2018, representing, against the 91 per
cent for mitigation and dual uses.
Glaciers of the Himalayas: • Released by: World Bank
Climate Change, Black Carbon, • According to the research paper full implementation of current policies to
and Regional Resilience mitigate Black Carbon (BC) can achieve a 23% reduction but enacting new
policies and incorporating them through regional cooperation among
countries can achieve enhanced benefits.
o Report covers the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountain
ranges, where, it says, glaciers are melting faster than the global average
ice mass.
Groundswell Report • Released by: World Bank
• Key findings
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o Hotspots of internal climate migration can emerge as early as 2030 and
continue to spread and intensify by 2050.
o Sub-Saharan Africa will have the largest number of internal climate
refugees by 2050.
The State of the Climate in Asia • Released by: World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and other United
2020 Report Nations agencies.
• It highlights lessons for climate action in Asia and identifies pathways for
addressing critical gaps and challenges.
• According to the report, the carbon dioxide levels surged to 413.2 parts per
million in 2020, rising more than the average rate over the last decade despite
a temporary dip in emissions during COVID-19 lockdowns.
The Atlas of Mortality and • Released by: World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Economic Losses from • Key findings:
Weather, Climate and Water o Over the last 50 years, 50% of all recorded disasters, 45% of related deaths
Extremes (1970–2019) and 74% of related economic losses were due to weather, climate and
water hazards.
o More than 91% of all deaths occurred in developing countries.
o The number of disasters had risen by a factor of five. But the number of
deaths decreased.
• There were gaps in weather observations. Only half of the 193 WMO members
have multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWSs).
The state of Climate services • Released by: World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
report, 2021 • These annual reports focus on the state of climate services for assessing
adaptation needs in climate-sensitive socio economic sectors. 2021 edition
focuses on water.
• Key findings
o 3.6 billion people had inadequate access to water at least one month per
year in 2018. By 2050, this is expected to rise to more than five billion.
o Since 2000, flood-related disasters have risen by 134% and duration of
droughts also increased by 29% compared with the two previous decades.
o End-to-end riverine flood and drought forecasting and warning systems
are absent or inadequate in 34% and 54% of WMO Members respectively.
The Climate Crisis is a Child • Released by: UNICEF

Rights Crisis: Introducing the • The report presents a conceptual framework, a tool and an initial assessment
Children's Climate Risk Index' at a global level of children’s exposure and vulnerability to climate and
(CCRI) environmental hazards in order to help prioritize action for those most at risk.
• Report introduces CCRI which ranks countries based on how vulnerable
children are to environmental stresses and extreme weather events.
o CCRI is structured according to two central pillars (Refer infographic).
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o Central African Republic tops the index of 163 countries.
o Pakistan(14th), Bangladesh (15th), Afghanistan(25th) and India(26th) are

among four South Asian countries where children are at extremely high
risk of the impacts of the climate crisis.
• Key Highlights:
o Children are more vulnerable than adults.
o Globally, approximately 1 billion children (nearly half of all children) are at
‘extremely high risk’ of the impacts of climate change.
Climate Change Performance • Developed by: Germanwatch
Index (CCPI) • Aim: Increasing transparency in international climate change policy.
• India has retained its spot in the top 10 best performing countries in CCPI.
o Denmark is the highest ranked country (top three places remained
empty).
• CCPI evaluated 60 countries and European Union (which together generate
90%+ of global GHG emissions) in four categories — GHG emissions, renewable
energy, energy use and climate policy.
Production Gap Report 2021 • Released by: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Report measures the gap between governments’ planned production of fossil
fuels and the global production levels consistent with meeting the Paris
Agreement temperature limits (limiting warming to 1.5°C or 2°C).
• Key Findings
o As countries set net-zero emission targets, and increase their climate
ambitions under the Paris Agreement, they have not explicitly recognized
or planned for the rapid reduction in fossil fuel production that these
targets will require.
o World’s governments plan to produce around 110% more fossil fuels in 2030
than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, and 45% more than
consistent with 2°C.
24
Mission 2070: A Green New • Released by- World Economic Forum (WEF)
Deal for a Net-Zero India • Paper by WEF argues that India's transition to a net-zero economy could create
over 50 million jobs and contribute more than $1 trillion in economic impact by
2030 and around $15 trillion by 2070.
• It also lists decarbonizing strategies for major sectors that contribute to almost
all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in India.
Mapping India’s Climate • Released by: Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)
Vulnerability Report and • It analysed 640 districts in India for their vulnerability to extreme floods,
Climate Vulnerability Index droughts and cyclones.
o It ranks districts on Climate Vulnerability Index, based on its exposure,
sensitivity, and adaptive capacity using spatio-temporal analysis.
• Key findings
o More than 80% of Indians live in districts vulnerable to climate risks, out
of which every five Indians live in areas that are extremely vulnerable.
o The most vulnerable districts are Dhemaji and Nagaon (Assam),
Khammam (Telangana), Gajapati (Odisha), Vizianagaram (Andhra
Pradesh), Sangli (Maharashtra) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).
25
2. POLLUTION
2.1. AIR POLLUTION
2.1.1. NEW FLY ASH UTILIZATION RULES FOR COAL AND LIGNITE BASED
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
Why in News?
The Ministry of Environment, Forests
and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has
extended fly ash utilization deadline
for thermal power plants with the
introduction of penalties for non-
compliance.
Composition, Generation and
Utilization of Fly Ash in India
• Fly ash is a by-product of coal-
based power generation.
o It is a fine powder with
substantial amounts of
oxides of silica, aluminium
and calcium.
o It also contains traces of
Arsenic, Boron, Chromium,
lead etc. which leads to air and water pollution if disposed on land.
• With low grade of Indian coal, its ash content is as high as 30-45% in comparison to imported coal with 10-
15%.
• With nearly 55% of our total power production through coal and lignite based Thermal Power Plants (TPP),
the fly ash generation in India is very high.
• About 83% of Fly Ash is utilized. (Refer infographic for the sectoral utilization of Fly Ash).
Key Highlights of the New Notification
First fly ash notification was issued in 1999 to ensure 100% fly ash utilization in India by 2009. This was followed
by a similar notification in 2016. The current notification aims to achieve the objective of 100% utilization in 3
to 5 years.
• Shorter Fly-ash utilization cycle: Existing provisions allow TPPs to fully utilize fly ash in a four-year cycle in
a staggered manner. The new policy will follow a three-year cycle for 100% utilization of Fly-ash with a
grace period of a year if the percentage of ash utilization is between 60-80% and two years if it is below
60%.
o In the near future, all TPPs will have to stick to average ash utilization of 100% in a 3-year cycle.
• Legacy Fly Ash Utilization: The progressive utilization of legacy fly ash has been extended by another 10
years.
o Fly ash which remains unutilized and consequently gets accumulated is referred to as legacy ash.
• Introduction of Polluter Pays Principle: A fine of Rs 1,000 per tonne of unutilized ash has been introduced
if the plant does not achieve at least 80% ash utilization annually or in three years.
• Construction and Transportation: The non-complying power plants will provide ash free-of-cost to
agencies engaged in construction activities within a 300 km radius with all transportation cost to be borne
by TPPs.
• Role of Central Pollution Control Board: A committee under the chairmanship of CPCB chairman will
examine, review and recommend eco-friendly ways on fly ash utilization. Also, CPCB will have real-time
data on ash availability.
26
Related News: National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants
• It has been proposed by the Ministry of Power to address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble burning
and to reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation.
• Once launched, it will help in achieving objectives of:
o Increasing the level of co-firing (combustion of two different fuels in the same combustion system) from
present 5% to higher levels for carbon neutral power generation by TPPs.
o Taking up R&D activities in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets.
o Facilitating overcoming the constraints in supply chain of biomass pellets and agro- residue and its transport
upto to the power plants.
o Addressing regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.
• There are three different concepts for co-firing biomass in coal boilers.
o Direct co-firing: The biomass and the coal are burned in the same furnace.
o Indirect co-firing: In this concept, the solid biomass is converted to a clean fuel gas, using a biomass gasifier.
The gas can be burnt in the same furnace as the coal.
o Parallel co-firing: It is also possible to install a completely separate biomass boiler in addition to the
conventional boiler.
2.1.2. COMMISSION FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT (CAQM)

Why in news
The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021, was
recently passed by both Houses of the Parliament. It replaces the Ordinance that was promulgated in April
2021.
Key highlights of the Act
• Functions of the commission: To have better co-ordination, research, identification, and resolution of
problems related to air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas (Haryana, Punjab,
Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, adjoining the National Capital Territory of Delhi and NCR).
o The Commission will be the sole authority with jurisdiction over matters defined in the Bill (such as air
quality management).
o In case of conflicts, directions of the Commission will prevail over the orders of the respective state
governments, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), state PCBs, and state-level statutory bodies.
• Composition: The Commission will consist of a Chairperson, an officer of the rank of a Joint Secretary as
the member-secretary and Chief Coordinating Officer, a full time member and 3 independent technical
members, 3 members from NGOs among others.
• Powers of the Commission:
o Restricting activities influencing air quality,
o Investigating and conducting research related to environmental pollution impacting air quality,
o Preparing codes and guidelines to prevent and control air pollution,
o Issuing directions on matters including inspections, or regulation which will be binding on the
concerned person or authority.
• Penalties: Contravention of provisions of the Bill, or orders and directions of the Commission will be
punishable with imprisonment of up to five years, or fine of up to one crore rupees, or both.
o The Bill excludes farmers from the scope of these penalties. However, the Commission may collect
an environmental compensation from farmers causing pollution by stubble burning.
• Appeals against the Commission’s orders will lie with the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
• Selection Committee for full-time members: The Committee will be headed by the Minister in charge of
the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
Other Steps taken to tackle pollution in Delhi NCR
Graded Response • Recently, States in the National Capital Region were directed to be ready to implement
Action Plan (GRAP) actions under the ‘emergency’ category of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to
control air pollution.
• GRAP is essentially a step-by-step guide for what to do when air in Delhi-NCR gets heavily
polluted (see infographic).
• It was approved by the Supreme Court in 2016 in pursuance to Supreme Court order in M.
C. Mehta vs. Union of India. and notified by the Union Environment Ministry in 2017.
27
• It includes
extreme measures
such as shutting
down schools and
implementing the
odd-even road-
space rationing
scheme in case of
severe
degradation of air
quality.
• It is based on
different National
Air Quality Index
(AQI) categories
namely, Moderate
& Poor, Very Poor,
and Severe and
“Severe+ or
Emergency”.
ISRO protocol to • Ahead of the harvesting season, the Commission has asked Delhi and Adjoining states
track stubble (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh) to ensure the uniform adoption and
burning data application of a standard protocol developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
for estimation of crop residue burning fire events using satellite data.
o Protocol developed by ISRO is based on remote sensing technology by which all states
can collect data in a cohesive manner to provide a better picture of ground realities.
Banned • SC, in 2018 judgement on firecrackers banned manufacture, sale and use of joined
firecrackers and e firecrackers (series crackers or ‘laris’) as they caused air, noise and solid waste problems.
Green Crackers • Also, SC banned certain chemicals in composition of firecrackers - Barium (imparts green
colour), lithium (red), arsenic, antimony (for glitters), lead or mercury and Strontium
Chromate.
• However, SC allowed the manufacture and sale of only “green” (safe water and air
sprinklers that emit less sound and light) or “improved” crackers (avoid the use of ash as
filler material).
About Green Crackers
• They are made using less polluting raw materials. Their chemical formulation ensures
reduced particle emission into the atmosphere by suppressing the dust produced.
• Green crackers were researched and developed by CSIR-NEERI.
• Different types of green crackers available in India: Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe
Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL) crackers.
PUSA Bio- • Developed by ICAR, it is a low-cost microbial bio-enzyme solution which accelerates the
Decomposer decomposition of crop residue, including stubble from paddy crops into manure within 15-
20 days.
• It is emerging as a potent solution towards curbing stubble burning.
• Also, it provides additional manure through decomposed stubble, improving the soil quality
as well.
Related News: India at top in Emissions related to Crop Burning Report
• The report is released by climate tech startup Blue Sky Analytics, which is also part of global coalition “Climate
TRACE”.
o Climate TRACE accelerates climate action by providing independent high-resolution and near-real-time (GHG)
emissions data.
2.1.3. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) AIR POLLUTION STANDARDS

Why in news?
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its first-ever update since 2005 has tightened global air pollution
standards.
28
About World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution standards
• Since 1987, WHO has
periodically issued health-
based air quality guidelines
(AQG) to assist governments
and civil society to reduce
human exposure to air
pollution.
• The WHO air quality
guidelines were last
published in 2006: Air quality
guidelines – global update
2005. Since then, there has been a marked increase in evidence on the adverse health effects of air
pollution, built on advances in air pollution measurement and exposure assessment.
• The overall objective of the updated global guidelines is to offer
quantitative health-based recommendations for air quality
management, expressed as long or short-term concentrations for a
number of key air pollutants.
• In this guideline update, recommendations on AQG levels are
formulated, together with interim targets, as can be seen in the table:
• The guidelines also highlight good practices for the management of
certain types of particulate matter (for example, black
carbon/elemental carbon, ultrafine particles, and particles originating
from sand and dust storms) for which there is currently insufficient
quantitative evidence to set air quality guideline levels.
• The present guidelines are applicable to both outdoor and indoor
environments globally. However, these guidelines do not cover
occupational settings, owing to the specific characteristics of the
relevant exposures and risk reduction policies.
Whilst not legally-binding, like all WHO guidelines, AQGs are an evidence-informed tool for policy-makers to
guide legislation and policies, in order to reduce levels of air pollutants and decrease the burden of disease
that results from exposure to air pollution worldwide.
Air pollution measurement in India and comparison with international standards
• Air monitoring network and agencies involved: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) initiated National
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (NAAQM) programme in the year 1984 with 7 stations at Agra and
Anpara. Subsequently the programme was renamed as National Air Quality Monitoring Programme
(NAMP).
o The network currently consists of 804 operating stations covering 344 cities/towns in 28 states and 6
Union Territories of the country.
o The monitoring is being carried out with the help of Central Pollution Control Board; State Pollution
Control Boards; Pollution Control Committees; National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI), Nagpur.
o CPCB co-ordinates with these agencies to ensure the uniformity, consistency of air quality data and
provides technical and financial support to them for operating the monitoring stations
• Air quality standards: CPCB air quality standards in form of NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality
Standards) are notified for 12 parameters (carbon monoxide (CO) nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide
(SO2), particulate matter (PM) of less than 2.5 microns size (PM2.5), PM of less than 10 microns size
(PM10), Ozone (O3), Lead (Pb), Ammonia (NH3), Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP), Benzene (C6H6), Arsenic (As),
and Nickel (Ni)).
29
o NAAQS doesn’t meet the WHO’s existing standards (2005 guidelines) and considerably differ from
updated guidelines. For instance, NAAQS specify an annual limit of 60 microgram per cubic metre for
PM 10 and 100 for a 24-hour period which are 15 and 45 respectively in revised WHO guidelines.
Related News:
National air quality index (NAQI)
• NAQI is tool that uses numbers
to simplify air quality data by
classifying pollution levels into
6 categories—good,
satisfactory, moderate, poor,
very poor and severe—and
denotes a color code on the
basis of how harmful the
pollution in a specific area is.
• Each of the pollutants— PM10,
PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3—are assigned an air quality index (AQI).
• AQI informs the public about environmental conditions. It is especially useful for people suffering from illnesses
aggravated or caused by air pollution.
Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS)
• The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, has developed a new Decision Support System (DSS)
and extended the ability of the existing AQEWS to have decision-making capability for air quality management.
o IITM is an autonomous Institute of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Air warning System integrated with DSS will become a user-friendly tool for air-quality management in and around
Delhi.
2.1.4. NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (NCAP)

Why in News?
First meeting of National Apex Committee under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) held.
Key highlights of meet
• Adopting airshed approach to deal with air pollution: Under this, policymakers will plan actions keeping
in view geographical, meteorological and other factors which pollute air within the airshed instead of
making policies guided by states'
boundaries.
o Currently, airshed approach is
being implemented for "Delhi-NCR
and adjoining areas".
• ‘Clean Air for All’ Mission: To be
launched in 2022, objective is to
increase the target of reducing levels
of particulate matters (PM2.5 and
PM10), from 20-30% by 2024 over 2017
levels to 35-50% by 2025-26 in cities
identified under NCAP.
About NCAP
• Launched by Ministry of Environment,
forest and climate change in 2019.
• It seeks to reduce concentration of PM
10 and PM 2.5 by at least 20%by 2024,
with 2017 as the base year for
comparison. (Refer infographic).
• It is being implemented in targeted 132
cities which did not confirm to national
ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) consecutively for five years.
o NAAQs are the standards for ambient air quality with reference to identified pollutant notified by
CPCB under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
30
2.1.5. PARTNERSHIP FOR CLEAN FUELS AND VEHICLES (PCFV)
Why in News?
Recently, leaded petrol has been eradicated
from the world as Algeria- the last country to use
this fuel, exhausted its supplies following the
two decades long campaign by the UNEP-led
global Partnership for Clean Fuels and
Vehicles (PCFV).
About Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles
(PCFV) initiative
• PCFV is a global public-private initiative
launched in 2002 at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development by UNEP.
• Aim: to reduce vehicular air pollution
through promotion of cleaner fuels and
vehicles in developing countries.
• PCFV worked towards global elimination of
leaded petrol (graduated decline of Sulphur
as well) by providing support in different areas. (In India, it was phased out in 2000).
About Leaded Petrol
• Tetraethyl lead (TEL), or Organic lead, is used as a petrol additive in leaded petrol to improve engine
performance.
• TEL is a colorless liquid whose antiknock properties were first found in 1921.
• It improves the octane rating of fuel as compared to unleaded petrol.
• As a result, it became a popular additive in petrol and jet fuels as knocking in engine causes loss of power
with risks of damage to the engine.
About Octane Rating
• Health Impacts of Leaded Petrol • Octane rating, also known as Octane number or Octane Value,
o Tetraethyl lead is toxic in nature, is defined as the percentage or volume fraction of isooctane in a
and it is absorbed rapidly by the mixture of isooctane and normal heptane fuel where knock is
skin, the lungs, and the initiated at the same compression ratio as in the fuel.
gastrointestinal tract. • It measures the fuel’s ability to resist unwanted sounds due to
o It contaminates the air, dust, soil, auto-ignition with higher octane number. E.g., adding ethanol
water, and crops on release to petrol helps in reducing knocking as ethanol octane rating is
through exhaust fumes, around 109.
evaporation losses and • For diesel fuel, Cetane number is used to measure the ignition
delay property of the fuel, with higher cetane number meaning
accidental spills.
reduced ignition delay to avoid knocking.
o Exposure to it can cause Heart
disease, Cancer, stroke, and lower IQ (especially in children) by impacting brain development.
2.2. WATER POLLUTION AND CONSERVATION

2.2.1. CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVE ON ‘MAKING National Mission for Clean
WATER SENSITIVE CITIES IN GANGA BASIN’ Ganga (NMCG)
It is a society under the
Why in News? Societies Registration Act,
1860 working with National
It has been launched by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in Ganga Council and other
association with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Union, State and District
About the initiative committees for prevention,
control and abatement of
• A water sensitive city is based on the idea of holistic management of the environmental pollution
water cycle to deliver basic services of supply and sanitation, while and rejuvenation of river
mitigating flood risk and protecting and enhancing the health of receiving Ganga.
waterways.
31
• It forms part of the ongoing efforts by NMCG aimed to ensuring convergence of the Namami Gange
Mission with national flagship urban missions (AMRUT, Smart Cities etc.).
o Namami Gange is a comprehensive
river rejuvenation program including
all rivers in Ganga basin, to ensure
AviralDhara(Continuous Flow),
NirmalDhara(Unpolluted Flow).
• It is to be implemented in 3-4 pilot cities in
the Ganga basin.
• Training programs, field visits, webinars and technical support to urban local bodies (ULBs) to be
provided.
Related News:
Capacity Building on Integrated River Basin Management with a focus on Geospatial Technology in Riverine
Ecosystem
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) signed a MoU with South Asian Institute for Advanced Research and
Development (SAIARD) to strengthen river basin management by using geospatial technology.
• Application of geospatial technology in India’s water
sector Geospatial technology
o Indian Remote Sensing Portals for the Water Sector • It allows tracking a questioned object and
✓ Bhuvan–WBIS (Water Bodies Info System): referring it to a specific location.
Sensor derived water bodies information is • It helps in studying real earth geographic
utilized to generate spatial map of surface water information using Geographical Information
bodies. System (GIS), Remote Sensing, Artificial
✓ National Information System for Climate and intelligence, Internet of things (IoT) etc.
Environment Studies (NICES) provides national
level accurate and long- term climate database generation.
✓ India-WRIS (Water Resources Info System): Contains information related to Water Resources through
dashboards as well as modules on water resources projects and tools for GIS layer editing.
o JalJeevan Mission - For GIS Mapping of Water Supply and Sewerage Infrastructure etc.
o NamamiGange - Preparation of base maps and 3D Models.
o Dam Rehabilitation and improvement project - Remote Sensing and GIS for dam site selection and monitoring
progress.
o National River Linking Project (NRLP) - Understand the characteristic of rivers during monsoon and non-
monsoon season
Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP)
• CLAP was launched on the inaugural day of ‘Ganga Utsav – the River Festival 2021’.
• CLAP is an interactive portal that is working towards initiating conversations and action around the rivers in India.
o It is an initiative by Namami Gange, created and executed by TREE Craze Foundation and funded and
supported by World Bank.
• Portal is also a platform to facilitate debates and discussions and express ideas on various issues pertaining to
environment, water, rivers etc.
• Also, National Mission for Clean Ganga got registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for most photos of
handwritten notes uploaded to Facebook in one hour.
2.2.2. WATER COMMODIFICATION

Why in news?
Recently, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for the United
Nations (UN) informed the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that Water is not a commodity and financial asset to
be exploited.
About water commodification
• “Commodification” of water refers to water handled as a commodity under supply and demand market
dynamics as a way of setting the price of market transactions between users.
o In December 2020, for the first time in history, a tradable water price futures index was launched on
the Chicago Stock Exchange on the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index (NQH2O). Nasdaq developed
the NQH2O Index in partnership with Veles Water Limited.
• It is mentioned in the fourth principle of the Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development of
1992 (refer infographic) that water should be recognized as an economic good – an approach that serves
32
as a basis for its consideration as a financial asset, as has been done with economic goods in general, within
the dynamics of the financialization of the economy.
Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable
Development, 1992
• In 1992 the International Conference on Water
and the Environment was held in Dublin,
Ireland.
• The output from this conference was a
declaration regarding water that was
presented to the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED)
that was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992
also known as the “Earth Summit”.
• The inclusion of the Dublin Principles in the
conference debate helped to highlight the
importance of water as a resource for
environmental protection and human
development.
• The Dublin Principles remain the standard for
consideration of the issues surrounding water
resource use and protection.
2.2.3. BIO-MONITORING USING ENVIRONMENTAL DNA (EDNA)

Why in News?
Researchers in ecology are testing
a new method that can vastly
expand bio-monitoring using
eDNA, in rivers to catalogue and
count species.
About bio-monitoring
• Biomonitoring is defined as
the act of observing and
assessing the state and
ongoing changes in
ecosystems, components of
biodiversity and landscape,
including the types of natural habitats, populations and species.
o Biomonitoring has become an indispensable tool for studying occupational and environmental
exposure to chemicals, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
• eDNA is isolated from environmental samples, in contrast to genomic DNA that is extracted directly from
specimens.
o It originates from cellular material shed by organisms (via skin, excrement, etc.) into aquatic or
terrestrial environments that can be sampled and monitored using new molecular methods.
• Potential benefits: restore water quality, save dwindling species from extinction, early detection of
invasive species as well as the detection of rare and cryptic species
• Advantages of eDNA
o Collecting eDNA is easy. One 4-ounce water sample can capture remnant DNA from thousands of
aquatic species.
✓ Traditional bio monitoring methods, scientists count individual species and their abundance at
just a few sites.
o This method doesn’t require killing wildlife for identification.
o It is labour and cost effective. This process requires just a cheap filter, a syringe and vials, and anyone
can do it.
33
2.2.4. INITIATIVES IN NEWS FOR WATER CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT
AIM-ICDK Water • Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in partnership with Innovation Center Denmark
Innovation (ICDK) concluded the global finals of the Next Generation Water Action (NGWA) Water
Challenge Innovation Challenge.
• Innovative ideas were invited in following challenge areas:
o Digital water management solutions,
o Solutions for monitoring and prevention of leakage in city water supply,
o Waste water management across rural belts and urban settlements,
o Rainwater harvesting in rural and urban settlements, and
o Safe and sustained drinking water.
United Nations • NTPC Ltd has become a signatory to the prestigious United Nations Global Compact’s CEO
Global Compact’s Water Mandate.
CEO Water • The Mandate was formed in 2007 to mobilize business leaders to advance water
Mandate stewardship, sanitation, and the Sustainable Development Goals in partnership with
United Nations, governments, peers, civil society, and others.
o The Mandate develops tools and resources, convenes stakeholders, and facilitates
meaningful partnerships and on-the-ground collective actions that improve conditions
in at-risk river basins around the world.
Ocean Clean-up • Ocean Clean-up, a Netherlands based non-profit organization aims at eliminating the Great
Pacific Garbage Patch.
• Also known as the Pacific trash vortex, it is a collection of marine debris/ garbage in the
North Pacific Ocean.
• This garbage patch is actually two distinct collections of debris bounded by the massive
North Pacific
Subtropical Gyre
(gyre as a large
system of swirling
ocean currents).
• It is composed of
the Western
Garbage Patch,
located near Japan,
and the Eastern
Garbage Patch,
located between
the U.S. states of
Hawaii and California.
Indore- First Water • Indore, the country's cleanest city, has now been declared as the first 'water plus' city of
Plus City India under the Swachh Survekshan 2021.
• A city can be declared as Water Plus provided, all wastewater released from households,
commercial establishments etc. is treated to a satisfactory level before releasing the
treated wastewater to the environment.
o Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities
and towns across India launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
River Cities Alliance • Recently, Minister for Jal Shakti launched RCA.
(RCA) • RCA is a dedicated platform for river cities to ideate, discuss and exchange information for
sustainable management of urban rivers.
o It will focus on three broad themes- Networking, Capacity Building and Technical
Support.
• RCA includes cities from both Ganga basin and non-Ganga basin states.
• RCA gives opportunities to these cities to strengthen governance aspects for river cities
and improves their liveability to attract external economic investments.
Puducherry • Puducherry has achieved the target of 100% piped water connection in rural areas under
becomes the JalJeevan Mission.
‘HarGharJal’ Union o With this, the UT became the fourth State/UT after Goa, Telangana and Andaman and
Territory (UT) Nicobar Islands to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home.
• JalJeevan Mission (JJM) envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every
rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024.
34
o FHTC is defined as having infrastructure, i.e. household tap connection providing at
least 55 lpcd (litre per capita per day), of prescribed quality, i.e. BIS:10500 standard,
on regular basis.
o It also aims to provide functional tap connection to Schools, Anganwadi centres,
Health centres, wellness centres, etc.
o Fund sharing pattern: 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States; 50:50 for other
States and 100% for UTs.
SWASTIIK • SWASTIIK (Safe Water and Sustainable Technology Initiative from Indian Knowledgebase)
technology for is a hybrid technology that combines Modern technology and Indian traditional
disinfecting water knowledge to bring safe & healthy drinking water.
• The technique used ---hydrodynamic cavitation combines chemistry, biology, and chemical
engineering along with natural resources in the form of natural oils and plant extracts.
• Disinfection of water is essential for removing pathogenic microorganisms that are
responsible for causing a number of water-borne diseases.
• However, the common drawbacks of chemical methods such as chlorination include
formation of harmful/ carcinogenic disinfection by-products.
WMO Vision and • It identifies target outcomes to WMO’s eight long-term ambitions including Better
Strategy for understanding of flood risk, flood forecasting and warning, reducing adverse impacts of
Hydrology and drought, and use of high-quality hydrological and hydrometeorological data etc.
Action Plan
India Young Water • Recently, the first edition of the India Young Water Professional Programme was launched
Professional virtually.
• This program has been taken up under the National Hydrology Project, a Central Scheme
and supported by the Australian Water Partnership.
• It will be implemented by the Australia India Water Centre (a consortium of Australian and
Indian universities).
• Objective of the programme: To equip water professionals with the necessary skills,
knowledge, behaviors, and networks that will better enable them to contribute to the
development and management of water resources in India.
Recirculatory • Recently, RAS was established at Awantipora, J&K.
Aquaculture • RAS is a technology where water is recycled and reused after mechanical and biological
System (RAS) filtration and removal of suspended matter and metabolites.
• It is used for high- density culture of various species of fish, utilizing minimum land area
and water.
• Instead of the traditional method of growing fish outdoors in open ponds and raceways, in
this system fish are typically reared in indoor/outdoor tanks in a controlled environment.
• Advantages: Reduced dependency on antibiotics, Reduction of direct operational costs,
Risk reduction due to climatic factors, disease and parasite etc.
Saryu Canal • Prime Minister inaugurated the Saryu (tributary of Ghaghara) Canal National Project which
National Project will provide assured water for irrigation to over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about
29 lakh farmers.
o The work on the project started in 1978 and in 2016, the project was brought under
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with the target of completing it in a time-
bound manner.
• The project also involves interlinking of five rivers (Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and
Rohini) to ensure optimum usage of water resources.
2.3. LAND DEGRADATION

Why in news?
The Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India for the year 2018-19 was recently released by Space
Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad (Indian Space Research Organization).
Land degradation and Desertification
• Land degradation is defined as a negative trend in land condition, caused by direct or indirect human-
induced processes including anthropogenic climate change, expressed as long-term reduction or loss of
at least one of the following: biological productivity, ecological integrity, or value to humans.
o Forest degradation is land degradation that occurs in forest land.
o Land degradation within dryland regions (arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions) is termed as
Desertification, which turns fertile land into desert.
35
Impacts of Land Degradation and Desertification
• Socio-Economic impacts:
o Reduces land productivity threatening
food security and livelihoods of
indigenous populations, small farmers
etc.
o Reduces the land’s ability to store water
resulting in water scarcity.
o Exacerbates existing societal tensions
and forces migration.
• Impact on Human health:
o Creates ground for zoonotic disease,
water- and food-borne diseases and
respiratory diseases.
o Higher threats of malnutrition from
reduced food and water supplies.
• Environmental impacts:
o Causes extreme weather events,
accelerates biodiversity loss and
disruption of ecosystem services.
o Contributes to Climate Change: Land
degradation is a driver of climate change
through emission of greenhouse gases
(GHGs) and reduced ability of land to act as a Related Concept: Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
carbon sink. A state whereby the amount and quality of land
✓ Since climate change also exacerbates the resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions
and services and enhance food security, remains stable
rate and magnitude of several ongoing
or increases within specified temporal and spatial
land degradation processes and scales and ecosystems.
introduces new degradation patterns, this
creates a positive feedback cycle.
Status of Land degradation and Desertification in India: Key Findings
of Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India
• Increase in Area under Degradation and desertification: Around
97.85 million ha, (29.77% of the Total Geographic Area (TGA) of
the country) is undergoing land degradation during 2018-19, an
increase from the findings for the years 2011-13 (see figure).
o Also, 83.69 million ha area is observed as undergoing
desertification for the years 2018-19, which is a cumulative
increase of 1.05 million ha area from the timeframe 2011-13.
• Prevalent processes responsible for desertification/ land
degradation in the country: Water Erosion (11.01% in 2018-19),
followed by Vegetation Degradation (9.15% in 2018-19) and Wind
Erosion (5.46% in 2018-19).
• State wise findings: In 2018-19, around 23.79% of the area undergoing desertification/land degradation was
contributed by Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Ladakh UT, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and
Telangana (in descending order).
o States like Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, and Goa are showing more than 50% area under
desertification/land degradation.
International efforts to combat Land degradation

• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD): Established in 1994, it is the sole legally
binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land
management.
o It addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where
some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
o India has signed and ratified the agreement.
o At COP 14 in 2019, the Delhi Declaration was adopted to focus on better access and
stewardship over land, with gender-sensitive transformative projects.
36
• Initiatives launched under the UNCCD to combat land desertification and degradation-
o Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Target Setting Programme: UNCCD in collaboration with multiple
international partners, are supporting interested countries with their national LDN target setting process. To
date, over 120 countries, including India, have committed to setting LDN targets.
o Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN Fund): Officially launched at UNCCD COP 13 in Ordos, China, it is the
first-of-its-kind investment vehicle leveraging public money to raise private capital for sustainable land
projects.
o Global Land Outlook (GLO) is a strategic communications platform and associated publications of the UNCCD
secretariat that demonstrates the central importance of land quality to human well-being.
o Land for Life Programme was launched at the tenth UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP10) in 2011 as part
of the Changwon Initiative. The Programme seeks to address the challenges of land degradation,
desertification and mitigation of drought.
• Other initiatives:
o Bonn Challenge: Launched by the Government of Germany and IUCN in 2011, it is a global goal to bring 150
million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by
2030. India has pledged to restore 21 million ha of degraded and deforested land by 2030.
o Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation: It aims to strengthen the implementation of existing
frameworks to prevent, halt, and reverse land degradation within G20 member states and globally.
o Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+): It is a mechanism developed by
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
✓ It creates a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering incentives for developing countries
to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.
Steps taken by India to tackle the issue of land degradation
• India is a party to UNCCD and has pledged to reach land degradation neutrality targets by 2030 as a part of the
Convention’s Land Degradation Neutrality Strategy.
• India promotes sustainable land management practices in agriculture sector through schemes such as Pradhan
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Soil Health Card Scheme, Soil Health Management Scheme, Pradhan Mantri
Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PKSY), Per Drop More Crop, etc. which are helping to reduce land degradation.
• Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) consolidated the intervention on participatory
forest management through the National Forest Policy, 1988, and then through enabling guidelines in 1990 on
Joint Forest Management (JFM).
o JFM is a partnership involving both the forest departments and local communities in natural forest
management.
• MoEFCC is implementing three major schemes for development of forest areas i.e., National Afforestation
Programme (NAP) scheme, National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and Forest Fire Prevention & Management
Scheme (FFPM).
Related News:
Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought (BOLD) Project
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
launched Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought
(BOLD) Project in Rajasthan.
• Project BOLD seeks to create bamboo-based
green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones
to reduce land degradation and prevent
desertification.
• Bamboo is a grass, fast growing, and typically
woody. It is distributed in tropical, subtropical
and mild temperate zones.
o India is second only to China in terms of
bamboo diversity.
• Benefits of bamboo cultivation:
o Conserves water and reduce evaporation of water from the land surface.
o Ideal for rehabilitating degraded soil with its unique ability to stitch and repair damaged soils.
Great Green Wall (GGW) programme
• GGW is an African-led initiative with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification as a key partner.
• It aims to restore the degraded landscapes of the Sahel from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East (11
countries).
o According to the FAO, for every dollar invested into land restoration, through the GGW programme, yields
investors can expect an average return of $1.20.’
• Once complete, the GGW will be the largest living structure on the planet, 3 times the size of the Great Barrier
Reef, Australia.
37
2.4. PLASTIC POLLUTION
2.4.1. INDIA PLASTICS PACT
Why in news?
India has become the first Asian country to
develop a plastics pact for building a
circular system for plastics.
About India Plastics Pact
• The India Plastics Pact (IPP) has

launched as a collaboration between
WWF India and the Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII).
• The initiative brings together all
stakeholder across the whole value
chain to set time-bound target-based
commitments to transform the
current linear plastics system into a
circular plastics economy.
• The vision, targets and ambition of the
IPP are aligned with the circular
economy principles of the Ellen
MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics
Economy in which ‘plastic never
becomes waste’.
• Plastic pact model is currently implemented in number of countries such as UK, South Africa, Australia.
o The first Plastics Pact was launched in the U.K. in 2018
• The pact is supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and WRAP (Worldwide Responsible
Accredited Production) in providing new technologies and endorsed by the British High Commission in
India.
2.4.2. PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT AMENDMENT RULES, 2021

Why in news?
Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has notified the Plastic Waste
Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibits identified single use plastic items which have low
utility and high littering potential by 2022.
About Single-use plastics (SUP)
• India has defined SUP as “a plastic commodity intended to be used once for the same purpose before
being disposed of or recycled” in its Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.
o These include plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging.
o The assessment of SUP was conducted by comparing two pillars — the utility index of a particular
type of SUP and the environmental impact of the same.
o The product that scores low on utility and high on environmental impact should be considered for
immediate phase out.
Key Provisions of Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Amendment Rules, 2021
The new rules will replace the existing Plastic Waste Management Rule, 2016 (PWM Rules, 2016) that was
amended in 2018.
• Prohibition on Manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic, including
polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities with effect from 1st July 2022.
o The ban will not apply to commodities made of compostable plastic.
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• Thickness of plastic carry bags increased from
50 microns to 75 microns with effect from 30th
September 2021and to 120 microns with effect
from the 31st December, 2022.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Plastic
packaging waste not covered under present
notification shall be collected and managed in
an environmentally sustainable way through
EPR of the producer, importer and brand
owner (PIBO) as per PWM Rules, 2016.
o EPR Guidelines have been given legal force
through PWM Amendment Rules, 2021.
• Implementing agency: Along with state
pollution bodies, Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB) will monitor the ban, identify
violations, and impose penalties already
prescribed under the Environmental Protection
Act, 1986. About Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• Task Force: States and UTs had constituted the • It is a policy approach in which producers take
special task force for elimination of SUP and responsibility for management of the disposal of
effective implementation of the PWM Rules, 2016. products they produce once those products are
designated as no longer useful by consumers.
o Environment Ministry has also set up a national-
• The concept was introduced by the Plastic
level task force for making coordinated efforts
Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018.
in this direction. • MoEFCC recently released draft notification for
o State /UT Governments and concerned Central regulations for EPR for waste tyres.
Ministries/Departments have also been
requested to develop a comprehensive action plan for elimination of SUP and its implementation in
a time bound manner.
2.4.3. OTHER INITIATIVES IN NEWS TO TACKLE PLASTIC WAST E

Un-Plastic • It is a voluntary initiative launched by the UN-Environment Program-India, Confederation of
Collective (UPC) Indian Industry and WWF-India to drive corporate action toward solutions on plastic leakage.
GloLitter • It was launched by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Food and
Partnerships Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to assists developing countries to
Project prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from the maritime transport and fisheries sectors
and identifies opportunities for the reduction of plastic uses in both fisheries and maritime
transport sectors.
United Nations • It aims to almost triple its PWM to 100 cities in India by 2024.
Development • UNDP launched this project, in partnership with Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Private
Programme Limited, Hindustan Unilever Limited among others, for building on existing systems to
(UNDP) Plastic reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment in India.
Waste • It promotes collection, segregation, and recycling of all kinds of plastics to move towards a
Management circular economy.
(PWM) (2018- o So far, 83,000 metric tonne of plastic waste has been collected.
2024) programme o The project has reached out to 5500 SafaiSathis, in an effort to institutionalize workers
from the informal sector.
o “Utthaan”, a social protection programme was launched to help 9000 safaisathis.
Uronema • Recently, researchers from University of Madras and Presidency College, Chennai isolated
Africanum Borge UAB as a potential biodegradation agent for plastic sheet.
(UAB) • UAB is a variety of microalga which produce different kinds of extracellular
polysaccharides, enzymes, toxins such as cyanotoxins, hormones to react with polymer
sheets and break them into simpler monomers.
• UAB is commonly found in Africa, Asia and Europe.
• It provides a safe and environment friendly process to dispose plastics over existing
incineration, land-filling and recycling.
Zero Waste Cities • The “WasteAid” has chosen two winners (entrepreneurs from Shree Guru Plastic and Inside
Challenge Out) from Guwahati for their work on promoting circular economy and reducing the usage
of plastics.
39
• Guwahati was among the three cities chosen by WasteAid, a United Kingdom-based non-
profit, to launch a Zero Waste Cities Challenge.
o Other two are Johannesburg and Ho Chi Minh City
o The aim was to find entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas that can help reduce
or recycle waste and create green employment opportunities.
Bubble curtain • This technology is being used for the first time in India to stop plastic from entering the river
Yamuna. It is a non-invasive solution to stop plastic from entering the oceans.
• Ships and fish can pass through the air bubbles, but plastics will be stopped.
• The bubble screen is created by a specially designed air tube which is placed diagonally on
the bed of the canal or river. It brings waste to the surface, channels the plastic onto the
banks where it can be extracted.

Virtual • IIT-Guwahati team recommends Virtual Water analysis for better water management policies
Water in India.
(VW) • Virtual Water (VW) is the water involved in the production and trade of food and non-food
commodities and services. It is that “invisible” water that has been consumed throughout the
lifecycle of the product or service.
o For ex: On an average, 3000 liters of water is required for producing 1 kg of rice.
• Owing to its sizable agricultural exports, India has been losing water thereby putting its water
sustainability at risk. VW analysis could help India in defining its trade characteristics.
The Right • Right to Repair electronic products is a reference to the need for government legislation that is
To Repair intended to allow consumers the ability to repair and modify their own electronic devices.
Movement o The movement traces its roots back to 1950s.
o The concept originated from USA from the automotive industry.
Zero • In the backdrop of World Water Week 2021, National Mission for Clean Ganga hosted a session on
Liquid ‘Zero Liquid Discharge Cities’.
Discharge • ZLD is an engineering approach to water treatment where all water is recovered and contaminants
(ZLD) are reduced to solid waste.
o The focus of ZLD is to reduce wastewater economically and produce clean water that is suitable
for reuse (e.g. irrigation).
o It employs advanced wastewater/desalination treatment technologies to purify and recycle
virtually all of the wastewater produced.

Report Details
State of the world’s land and • Released by: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
water resources for food and • Report aims to take stock of implications for agriculture and recommend
agriculture (SOLAW 2021) solutions for transforming the combined role of land and water in global food
systems.
Impacts of Plastic Pollution on • Released by: Conservation of Migratory Species and the UN Environment
Freshwater Aquatic, Programme as part of the Japan-funded Counter MEASURE II project to
Terrestrial and Avian identify sources and pathways of plastic pollution in river systems in Asia.
Migratory Species • It identifies the impacts of plastic pollution on land and freshwater migratory
species protected by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals (CMS).
• Key highlights
o Study noted that 53 million tonnes of plastic could enter aquatic systems
annually by 2030, which could eventually increase to 90 million tonnes.
o Major threats highlighted by report include - entanglement in plastic
waste such as fishing nets; ingestion of plastic impacting food web; Space
constraint and hindrance for species living on air-water interface owing to
plastic waste etc.
o Migratory birds such as the Black-faced Spoonbill and the Osprey had been
observed making nests out of plastics, often resulting in the entanglement
of their chicks.
40
From Pollution to Solution: A • Released by: UNEP
Global Assessment of Marine • It provides a scientific basis for the need to urgently act to control plastic
Litter and Plastic Pollution emissions into the environment.
• Key findings
o Emissions of plastic waste into aquatic ecosystems are projected to nearly
triple by 2040 without meaningful action.
o Marine litter and plastic pollution present serious threats to the livelihoods
of coastal communities as well as to shipping and port operations.
o The main sources of marine litter and plastic pollution are land-based.
o Plastic recycling rates are less than 10% and plastics-related greenhouse gas
emissions are significant, but some solutions are emerging.
41
3. BIODIVERSITY
3.1. 15TH COP TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Why in News?
Recently, first part of 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held virtually in Kunming, China.
More on the News SPB 2011-2020
• The main objective of the COP 15 was to develop and • It was adopted by the parties to the CBD, during
the tenth meeting of the Conference of the
adopt a post-2020 “Global Biodiversity Framework”
Parties (COP10) in 2010 in Nagoya, Japan, with
to replace and update the Strategic Plan for the purpose of inspiring broad-based action in
Biodiversity (SPB) 2011-2020 and Aichi Biodiversity support of biodiversity over the next decade by
Targets. all countries and stakeholders.
o According to the findings of Fifth Global • It was comprised of a shared vision for 2050, a
Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-5) report, at the mission and 20 targets organized under 5
global level none of the 20 targets have been strategic goals, collectively known as the Aichi
fully achieved. Biodiversity Targets (ABTs).
• Parties will reconvene in at the resumed session of • Vision: Living in Harmony with Nature where by
COP-15, in Kunming, China in mid-2022 for further 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved,
restored and wisely used, maintaining
negotiations and to come to a final agreement on the
ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet
post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. and delivering benefits essential for all people.
Key Outcomes of the conference
• Adoption of Kunming Declaration: The declaration called for urgent and integrated action to reflect
biodiversity considerations in all sectors of the global economy.
o More than 100 nations,
including India, made
commitments to-
✓ ensure the
development,
adoption and
implementation of
an effective post-
2020 global
biodiversity
framework.
✓ reverse the current
loss of biodiversity.
✓ ensure that
biodiversity is put
on a path to
recovery by 2030 at
the latest.
o It also noted the efforts
and commitment of
many countries to
protect 30 percent of their land and sea areas by 2030 (30 by 30 target), which is critical for reversing
a major driver of nature’s decline.
• Kunming Biodiversity Fund: China established the Fund with approximately USD 230 million to support
projects for protecting biodiversity in developing countries.
• Open letter to Private sector: The conference called for increased involvement of the private sector,
including an open letter from business CEOs to world leaders, urging for bold action.
• Global Environment Facility, the UN Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme,
committed to fast-tracking financial and technical support to developing countries for GBF
implementation.
42
Related News:
New Global Framework for Managing Nature Through 2030
• Released by UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the framework guides actions worldwide to preserve
and protect nature and its essential services to people.
o It includes 21 targets for 2030 and 4 Goals to achieve humanity “living in harmony with nature,” vision by
2050.
o It will undergo further refinement at CBD’s COP-15 scheduled for Kunming, China in October 2021.
• Targets includes:
o At least 30% of global land and sea areas to be conserved.
o 50% of greater reduction in the rate of introduction of invasive alien species and their impact.
o Reducing nutrients lost to the environment by at least half, and pesticides by at least two thirds, and
eliminating the discharge of plastic waste.
o $US 200 billion increase in international financial flows from all sources to developing countries for managing
nature.
• Four goals :
o To halt the extinction and decline of biodiversity.
o To enhance and retain nature’s services to humans by conserving.
o To ensure fair and equitable benefits to all from use of genetic resources.
o To close the gap between available financial and other means of implementation.
High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People
• India officially joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People.
• India is the first of the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa) to join the HAC.
43
• It is an intergovernmental group of 70 countries co-chaired by Costa Rica and France and by the United Kingdom
as Ocean co-chair, championing a global deal for nature and people with the central goal of protecting at least 30
percent of world’s land and ocean by 2030.
• The 30x30 target is a global target which aims to halt the accelerating loss of species, and protect vital ecosystems
that are the source of our economic security.
International Conference on Sustainability Science (ICSS)
• 8th ICSS was held recently.
• It will facilitate creative discussions between academics, policy-makers and practitioners on how biodiversity-
based solutions can contribute to sustainable development.
• Outcomes of the conference are expected to feed into the current international discourse of the post-2020
agenda on biodiversity.
o This framework will define targets and pathways for conservation and management of biodiversity for the
next decade and beyond.
• ICSS conference is co-organized by various institutes/organizations including Convention on Biological Diversity
Secretariat, Institute of Future Initiatives, Tokyo university, Future Earth etc.
3.2. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2021

Why in News?
The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2021 was recently
introduced in Lok Sabha and then referred to a joint
parliamentary committee (JPC).
About Biological Diversity Act, 2002
• It was enacted to provide for the conservation of biological
diversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and
equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of
biological resources and knowledge.
• Aim: To fulfill India's obligations under the Convention of
Biological Diversity and Nagoya Protocol on Access and
Benefit Sharing.
• It provides for a decentralized three-tiered mechanism (see infographic) for implementation of the Act.
• Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) are responsible for preparing People's Biodiversity
Registers which keep a record of all flora and fauna including details of traditional knowledge available in
their region.
44
Key Provisions of the Proposed Amendments
• Extension of Exemptions: Registered AYUSH medical Practitioners, people accessing codified traditional
knowledge, cultivated medicinal plants and its products, people who are practicing indigenous medicine
including Indian systems of medicine are exempted from giving prior intimation to SBB for accessing
biological resource from certain purposes.
• Simplifying access to biological resources and intellectual property rights (IPR):
o Certain entities must seek approval from the NBA for obtaining biological resources, including
organizations registered in India, with any non-Indian shareholding or management, which has been
changed to any foreign-controlled company registered in India.
o Applicants can now obtain NBA’s approval before the grant of IPR and not before applying for IPR.
o Anyone who does not need approval from NBA to access biological resources must give prior
intimation to the concerned SBB. Further, they must- register with the NBA before the grant of IPR,
and get prior approval of the NBA before commercializing the granted IPR.
• Reduction of certain offences: The provision which made offences under the act cognizable and non-
bailable was deleted. However, penalties may extend up
What is Access and Benefit-Sharing?
to ₹1 crore.
• When an Indian or foreign company or
• Provisions related to BMC: State government will individual accesses biological resources
prescribe the composition of BMCs, whose strength has such as medicinal plants and associated
been fixed between seven to eleven members. Further, knowledge, it has to take prior consent
state governments may also constitute BMCs at the from the national biodiversity board.
intermediate or district Panchayat level. • The board can impose a benefit-sharing
• States can declare Threatened species: Central fee or royalty or impose conditions so
government can delegate the power to notify any species that the company shares the monetary
which is near-extinction as a threatened species to the benefit from commercial utilisation of
state government. these resources with local people who
are conserving biodiversity in the region.
o However, before notifying any threatened species, the
state government must consult the NBA.
• Expansion of NBA: 11 additional members to be added to NBA, including:
o 6 ex-officio members dealing with wildlife, forestry research, and Panchayati Raj
o 4 representatives from SBBs (on a rotational basis), and
o 1 Member-Secretary (must have experience in biodiversity conservation), who will be the chief
coordinating officer of the NBA.
• Changes in Definitions: For example, ‘bio-utilisation’ has been removed, and ‘bio-survey’ has been
redefined.
3.3. WILDLIFE
(PROTECTION)
AMENDMENT BILL,
2021
Why in News?
A bill to amend the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972 was
recently introduced in Lok
Sabha.
About Wildlife (Protection)
Act, 1972 (WPA)
• The act provides for the
protection of wild animals,
birds, and plants with a
view to ensure the
ecological and
environmental security of
the country.
45
• It empowers the State to declare protected areas, under four categories- National Parks, Wildlife
Sanctuaries, Community Reserves and Conservation Reserves.
• The act has created 6 schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four),
and vermin species (one), which gave varying degrees of protection to classes of flora and fauna.
Proposed Amendments in the
Wildlife (Protection) Amendment
Bill, 2021
• Rationalization of the Schedules:
The Bill reduces the total number
of schedules from 6 to 4 by:
o reducing the number of schedules
for specially protected animals to
two,
o removing the schedule for vermin
species, and
o inserting a new schedule for
specimens listed in the Appendices
under CITES (scheduled
specimens).
• Wild animals to be declared as Vermin
by the way of notification by the
Central Government for any area and
for a specified period.
• Controlling Invasive alien species:
Empowers the central government to
regulate or prohibit the import, trade,
possession or proliferation of invasive
alien species. An officer can be
authorised to seize and dispose the
invasive species.
• New Chapter VB for implementation
of CITES: with following provisions-
o Designation of authorities by the
Central government:
✓ Management Authority,
which grants export or import
permits for trade of scheduled
specimens.
✓ Scientific Authority, which
gives advice on aspects related
to impact on the survival of the
specimens being traded.
o Identification mark: As per CITES,
the Management Authority may
use an identification mark for a
specimen. Modification or
removal of the identification mark is prohibited.
o Registration certificate: Person possessing live specimens of scheduled animals must obtain a
registration certificate from the Management Authority.
• Control of sanctuaries: Chief Wild Life Warden shall control, manage and maintain all sanctuaries in
accordance with the management plan prepared as per guidelines issued by the Central Government.
• New section 42A for Surrender of captive animals: Any person to voluntarily surrender any captive
animals or animal products to the Chief Wild Life Warden.
o No compensation will be paid to the person for surrendering such items and the surrendered items
become property of the state government.
46
• Penalties: The Bill increases fines for violating the provisions of the Act.
• Relaxation of certain restrictions:
o Including film-making (without making any change in the
habitat or causing any adverse impact to the habitat or
wildlife) as one of the purposes for which permits may be
granted to enter or reside in a sanctuary.
o Allow for transfer or transport of live elephants by person
having ownership certificates in accordance with
conditions prescribed by the Central Government.
o Certain activities such as, grazing or movement of livestock, bona fide use of drinking and household
water by local communities, etc., shall be considered as non-prohibitive under section 29 i.e. allowed
without a permit in a sanctuary.
• Other changes:
o State Board for Wildlife permitted to constitute a Standing Committee.
o The Preamble to the Act amended to include the aspects of ‘conservation’ and ‘management’ of
wildlife.
o Allow the Central Government to declare conservation reserves in areas leased or otherwise
transferred to it by the State Government.
o Enable the Central Government to call for information and issue directions for proper
implementation of the Act.
o No renewal of any arms licenses shall be granted to any person residing within ten kilometers of a
sanctuary except under the intimation to the Chief Wildlife Warden or the authorized officer.
Related News: Wildlife Action Plan
• Maharashtra became the first state to release its own Wildlife Action plan (2021-30).
o The plan has suggested integrating climate change adaption in wildlife conservation.
• The plan focuses on 12 areas— Conservation of the species, Control of Poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trade, Wildlife
Health Management etc.
o It has approved an extension of the boundary of Tadoba- Andhari Tiger Reserve.
3.4. PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS ACT ,

2001
Why in news?
Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) under the PPV&FR Act has revoked a
plant variety protection certificate granted to PepsiCo India Holding on FC-5 potato variety (also called as FL-
2027) on multiple grounds.
About the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act
• PPV&FR Act was enacted in 2001 under Article 27(3) (b) of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
• The act is in conformity with International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV),
1978.
o UPOV is an intergovernmental organization, to provide and promote an effective system of plant
variety protection, with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the
benefit of society.
• The Act introduced intellectual property protection in Indian agriculture and is the world’s only IPR
legislation which grants intellectual property rights not only to the plant breeders but also to the
farmers.
• Objectives of the Act
o To recognize and protect the rights of farmers in respect of their contributions in conserving,
improving and making available plant genetic resources for the development of new plant varieties.
o To accelerate agricultural development in the country, protect plant breeders’ rights; stimulate
investment for research and development both in public & private sector for the development new of
plant varieties.
o Facilitate the growth of seed industry in the country, to ensure the availability of high quality seeds
and planting material to the farmers.
47
• Institutional Mechanism:
o Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FR Authority): To implement the
provisions of the Act by Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture. General
Functions of the Authority include:
✓ Registration of new plant varieties
✓ Developing DUS (Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability) test guidelines for new plant species,
✓ Facilitate development and commercialisation of new varieties through formal linkages with
agricultural universities, research institutions and Krishi Vigyan Kendras,
✓ Recognizing and rewarding farmers, community of farmers, particularly tribal and rural
community engaged in conservation and improvement;
✓ Maintenance of National Gene Bank to store the seed material
✓ Preservation of plant genetic resources of economic plants and their wild relatives
o Plant Varieties Protection Appellate Tribunal (PVPAT): The decisions of the PVPAT can be challenged
in High Court. The Tribunal shall dispose of the appeal within one year.
o Eligibility criteria: A variety of seed is eligible for registration under the Act if it fulfils the criteria of
Distinctiveness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS). The protection period is for 15 years for trees and 18
years in the case of vines.
o The Act prescribes the registrable plant varieties that can be registered for protection, namely:
✓ New varieties
✓ Extant variety
✓ Farmers' variety
✓ Essentially derived variety
• Rights under the Act:
Breeders’ • Exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the protected/ registered
Rights variety.
• Can appoint agent/ licensee and may exercise civil remedy in case of infringement of rights.
Researchers’ • Can use any of the registered variety under the Act for conducting experiment or research.
Rights • This includes the use of a variety as an initial source of variety for the purpose of developing
another variety but repeated use needs prior permission of the registered breeder.
Farmers’ • A farmer who has evolved or developed a new variety is entitled for registration and protection
Rights in like manner as a breeder of a variety.
• Section 39(1) of the Act allows all farmers cultivating a registered new variety the right to "save,
use, sow, resow, exchange, share or sell farm produce including seeds" except the branded seeds.
• Section 39 (2) of the Act provides for compensation to the farmers for non-performance of
variety.
• Farmer shall not be liable to pay any fee in any proceeding before the Authority or Registrar or the
Tribunal or the High Court under the Act. It will be paid through National Gene Fund.
3.5. WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION

3.5.1. POSSIBLY EXTINCT SPECIES
Why in news?
A number of animals and plants have been listed as
‘possibly extinct’ in the latest edition of the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species.
What does it mean by ‘Possibly Extinct’?
• The term is taken as a marker to estimate when the
presence / population of the species has declined.
• Species marked as ‘possibly extinct’ have been last
assessed in the 1900s post which their presence and
updates to their population has not been found.
• Those marked ‘Extinct Post-1500’ include Green
peafowl, Cheetah, Hairy-nosed Otter, Banteng, a
48
bovid found today in southeast Asia, the Sumatran and Javan rhino and the Osteobrama Belangeri, a fish
species endemic to Manipur.
• Indian Species that are possibly extinct:
o Tentacled butterfly ray; Dwarf sawfish; Fire coral; Coconut crab (the largest terrestrial arthropod in
the world);
o Fishes: Bovany barb (native to the Cauvery river system), Deolali minnow, the Deccan barb and the
Nilgirimystus ( all 3 are found in the Deccan);
o Birds: Pink-headed duck, Siberian crane, Buffy fish-owl or Malay owl.
49
Other Key updates by IUCN
• Over 900 species of animals have become extinct.
• IUCN also officially launched its "green status" -- the first global standard for assessing species recovery and
measuring conservation impacts.
o They are represented by a Species Recovery Score, and by four conservation impact metrics (Conservation
Legacy, Conservation Dependence, Conservation Gain, Recovery Potential).
o These metrics are quantified as differences between the Green Score of the species in different time steps
or under different scenarios.
o Some of the green status Species: Pink pigeon (Mauritius); Burrowing bettong (Australia); Sumatran rhino
(Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo).
Species whose statuses changed:
• Komodo dragon (world’s largest living lizard, endemic to Indonesia) has been moved from vulnerable to
endangered.
• Albacore Tuna and Yellowfin Tuna were moved from near threatened to least concern.
• Yeracud Day Gecko was moved from least concern to endangered.
• Satara Gecko was moved from vulnerable to critically endangered.
• Yellow Monitor was moved from least concern to endangered.
Recently there has been a change in IUCN status of 5 bird species.
Finn’s weaver • IUCN status: Endangered (Earlier Vulnerable).
• Primarily found in Terai grasslands in Uttarakhand and western Uttar
Pradesh, apart from a few pockets in Assam.
• Destruction of terrai habitat is the primary reason for the sharp decline.
• There are merely 1,000 birds remaining in the world, half of which are in
India.
Lesser Florican • IUCN status: Critically Endangered (Earlier Endangered).
• It is only found in India, particularly in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• It survives in dry grasslands of lowland areas, but rapid conversion of
grassland into agriculture land is the cause of its rapid decline.
Nicobar • IUCN status: Near Threatened (Earlier Least Concerned).
Imperial-pigeon • It is found only in the evergreen forests of the Nicobar Islands.
Green Imperial • IUCN status: Near Threatened (Earlier Least Concerned).

pigeon • It is distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China and
southeast Asia.
• They are found in forests, mangroves and grasslands.
• They are distributed in the states along the coasts, north east India &
Andaman Nicobar Islands.
Mountain Hawk- • IUCN status: Near Threatened (Earlier Least Concerned).
eagle • It is distributed in Indian subcontinent, Indochina, Southeast Asia, China,
Japan and Indonesia.
• They have been observed in mountains at altitude of 4,000 meters i.e.
mainly in Himalayan region.
3.5.2. CONSERVATION ASSURED TIGER STANDARDS (CATS)

Why in news?
On the occasion of Global Tiger Day, 2021, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC)
announced Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS) accreditation for 14 out of India’s 51 tiger reserves.
More on the news
• The 14 reserves are Manas, Kaziranga, and Orang (Assam); Sundarbans (West Bengal); Valmiki(Bihar);
Dudhwa (Uttar Pradesh); Panna, Kanha, Satpura and Pench (Madhya Pradesh); Anamalai and Mudumalai
(Tamil Nadu); Parambikulam (Kerala) and Bandipur (Karnataka).
• The theme for this year International Tiger Day is- "Their Survival is in our hands”.
About CATS
• CATS are globally accepted conservation tool that sets best practices and standards to manage tigers
and assessments to benchmark progress.
50
o Tigers are the first species selected for the initiative.
• It was launched in 2013, implemented across 125 sites, including 94 in India.
o Global Tiger Forum and WWF India are implementing partners of the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA) for CATS assessment in India.
• It is being adopted for use beyond tigers, including potentially jaguars, lions and freshwater dolphins.
About Indian Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris)
Protection status:
• It is the tiger species native to India.

• Habitat: The largest populations of Bengal tigers are in India, but there are some smaller groups in
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. It may also be present in areas of China and Burma.
o India is home to about 70 per cent of global tiger population.
• Distribution of Tiger population in India:
o Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of tigers followed by
Karnataka and Uttarakhand.
o Largest contiguous tiger population in the world of about 724 tigers
was found in the Western Ghats (Nagarhole-Bandipur-Wayanad -
Mudumalai- Satyamangalam-BRT block).
o Corbett TR in Uttarakhand has highest tiger density in the world.
• Characteristics: Tigers are both a Flagship and Umbrella species. As a
Flagship species they are important for conservation and as Umbrella
species, tiger conservation leads to conservation of other species.
• Conservation measures:
o India: Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Project Tiger, M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive
Protection and Ecological Status), declared as the National Animal of India etc.
o Global:
✓ Global Tiger
Initiative (GTI)
led by Tigers
inhabit 13
countries –
Bangladesh,
Bhutan,
Cambodia,
China, India,
Indonesia, Lao
PDR, Malaysia,
Myanmar,
Nepal, Russia,
Thailand, and
Vietnam.
▪ In 2010,
these
countries
pledged to
double the
number of tigers by 2022 (Chinese Year of the Tiger) under Petersburg Declaration.
▪ India already achieved the target of doubling the count.
✓ Global Tiger Forum (GTF), Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP). Global Tiger
Recovery Program (GTRP) etc.
51
Related News: Black Tigers
• They are found only in Simlipal tiger reserve in Odisha.
• According to a recent study, from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, a single genetic mutation in (in
Transmembrane Aminopeptidase Q/Taqpep) in these tigers caused black stripes to broaden or spread.
o Simlipal’s small and isolated tiger population led to inbreeding and the anomalous phenotype characterised
by wide, merged stripes.
o The loss of genetic diversity is evident from the low heterozygosity (chances of inheriting different forms of
a particular gene from each parent) in Simlipal (28%) compared to Central India (36%).
3.5.3. ALL INDIA ELEPHANT AND TIGER POPULATION ESTIMATION EXERCISE

Why in News?
On occasion of World Elephant Day, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has announced joint
exercise for the All-India elephant and tiger population estimation in 2022.
More on the news
• Current population estimation techniques for elephants are largely based on States directly counting the
number of elephants.
• MSTrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers: Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) uses GPS, remote
sensing, GPRS technologies for tiger estimation.
• Other techniques used - Camera sightings and trappings, counting footmarks, etc.
About Asian Elephants
Protection status of Asian Elephants:
• There are three subspecies of Asian elephant which are Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.
• It is the National Heritage Animal of India.
o Project Elephant, a centrally sponsored scheme and was launched in 1992 for the protection of
elephants, their habitats, and corridors.
o Elephant census is conducted once in 5 years
o There are around 32 Elephant Reserves in India.
• Distribution of Elephant population in India: India has more than 60% population of Asian Elephant.
o Southern region (comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra
Pradesh and Maharashtra) accounted for the highest population — 14,612 elephants.
o Highest Population- Karnataka followed by Assam and Kerala respectively.
• Characteristics: Asian elephants are highly intelligent animals characterised by strong family bonds,
sophisticated forms of communication and complex behaviour, including tool use and the ability to feel
grief and compassion.
o They form herds of related females that are led by the oldest female, the 'matriarch'.
o They have longest gestation period of all mammals (18 to 22 months).
o Adult male Asian elephants are less social than females. They enter musth -- a mate-searching strategy
for old (above 30 years of age) males, annually.
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Difference between Asian and African Elephants
Related News:
Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees)
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has replicated the project in Assam (after its success in Karnataka).
• Under Project RE-HAB, Bee-fences are created by setting up bee boxes in the passageways of elephants to block
their entrance to human territories.
o Boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug or pull causes the
bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further.
• It is a cost-effective way of reducing human-wild conflicts without causing any harm to the animals.
Lemru Elephant Reserve, Chhattisgarh
• Recently, the Chhattisgarh government has proposed to reduce the area of Lemru Elephant Reserve from 1,995
sq km to 450 sq km.
• Lemru Elephant reserve was proposed to prevent human-animal conflict in the Korba region of Chhattisgarh as
elephants regularly move from Jharkhand and Odisha to Chhattisgarh.
• The area proposed under this reserve is part of the Hasdeo Aranya forests, a very diverse biozone that is also rich
in coal deposits.
3.5.4. NATIONAL DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTRE (NDRC)

Why in news?
India's and Asia's first National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) is coming up in the premises of Patna
University, Bihar.
53
More on news
• The centre is being set up on banks of Ganges, as per recommendation of a steering committee
constituted for implementation of Project Dolphin.
• As per the committee, Bihar had a natural advantage as it accounted for 50% of the world’s river dolphin
population.
• It was first time proposed in 2011.
About Gangetic Dolphin
Protection status:
• The Gangetic River dolphin is India’s national aquatic animal (declared in 2009).
• It is one of four freshwater dolphin species in the world. The other three are:
o 'Baiji' in Yangtze River in China (Functionally extinct since 2006)
o 'Boto' in Amazon River
o 'Bhulan' in Indus River in Pakistan
• Habitat: The Gangetic Dolphin is endemic to the Indian sub-continent and has a fairly extensive
distribution range. It is found in the Ganga -Brahmaputra - Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems
of India and Bangladesh, while a few individuals survive in the Karnali, and the Sapta Kosi Rivers in Nepal.
• Characteristics:
o Reliable indicator of the
health of the entire river
ecosystem.
o It is blind and finds its way
and prey in river waters
through echolocation.
✓ Echolocation is a
technique used by bats,
dolphins and other
animals to determine
the location of objects
using reflected sound.
o Usually found in turbulent
waters, where there are
enough fish for them to
feed on.
o Live in a zone where there is
little or no current, helping
them save energy.
o If they sense danger, they
can dive into deep waters.
They swim from the no-
current zone to the edges to
hunt for fish and return.
o Being a mammal, the Ganges River dolphin cannot breathe in water and must surface every 30-120
seconds. Because of the sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as
‘Souns/Susu/Sushuk/Seho’.
o Generally, Females are larger than males and give birth once every two to three years to only one calf.
o National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) implemented Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Action
Plan 2010-2020.
o Project Dolphin
54
✓ Announced in 2020 has been envisaged along lines of ‘Project Tiger’ to enhance dolphin
population.
✓ It will be implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
✓ It involves conservation of dolphins and aquatic habitat through use of modern technology
especially in anti-poaching activities.
✓ It will engage fishermen and other river/ ocean dependent population and will strive for
improving the livelihood of the local communities.
Other dolphins found in India
Indus River • IUCN Status: Endangered
Dolphin • They can only be found in the lower parts of the Indus River in Pakistan and in
River Beas, a tributary of the Indus River in Punjab, India.
• They have adapted to life in the muddy river and are functionally blind.
• The dolphin is the state aquatic animal of Punjab
Indian • IUCN Status: Endangered
Ocean • They prefer the shallow, near shore waters of countries in the Indian Ocean,
humpback ideally with a freshwater input.
dolphin • They can be found not far from shore in the coastal waters of South Africa in the
south, northwards around the coast of East Africa, throughout the Middle East,
and the west coast of India.
Irrawaddy • IUCN Status: Endangered
Dolphin • Besides the Irrawaddy River, it is also found in India’s Ganges, Chilika Lake and
(Snubfin Southeast Asia’s Mekong River.
dolphin) • They prefers to live in estuaries and brackish water near coasts.
3.5.5. CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION PLAN

Why in News?
Recently, the Government of India has decided to reintroduce Cheetahs in National Parks over five years, under
'Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India’.
About Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India
• It was launched at the 19th meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• Action Plan aims to establish viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows the cheetah to perform
its functional role as a top predator and provides space for the expansion of the cheetah within its
historical range thereby contributing to its global conservation efforts.
• As per the action plan, a cohort of around 10-12 young African Cheetahs- a different subspecies (Acinonyx
jubatus) will be sent from Namibia or South Africa to the grassland habitats that the Asiatic cheetahs
occupied in the past as a founder stock during the first year.
Why is India reintroducing African Cheetah instead of Asiatic Cheetah?
The locally extinct cheetah-subspecies of India is found in Iran and is categorized as critically endangered.
Since it is not possible to source the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah from Iran without affecting this
sub-species, India will source cheetahs from Southern Africa, which can provide India with substantial numbers
of suitable cheetah for several years.
Where will cheetahs be relocated in India?
• Kuno National Park (NP) in Madhya Pradesh will get 13 cheetahs next year, who can co-exist with leopards.
o Move is being described as the world’s largest intercontinental animal translocation.
o KNP is 748 sq. km. in area, devoid of human settlements, forms part of Sheopur-Shivpuri deciduous
open forest landscape and is estimated to have a capacity to sustain 21 cheetahs.
o It has a suitable habitat and adequate prey base.
o Kuno also offers the prospect of housing four big cats of India - tiger, lion, leopard and cheetah - and
allowing them to coexist as in the past.
• The other sites recommended for holding and conservation breeding of cheetah in India, in controlled wild
conditions are:
o Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (1,197 sq. km, habitat 5,500 sq.km), Madhya Pradesh
55
o Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary - Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary complex (~2500 sq.km), Madhya
Pradesh
o Shahgarh bulge in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan (4,220 sq.km)
o Mukundara Tiger Reserve as fenced enclosure (~80 sq.km),
Rajasthan.
• Importance of relocation
o Cheetah’s conservation, being flagship species, will revive
grasslands and its biomes and habitat.
o Grasslands are a hugely neglected habitat in country despite
largest number of Schedule I protected animals under Wildlife
Protection Act residing in these grasslands.
About Cheetah
• Characteristics:
o They are the fastest mammal on land.
o Cheetahs don’t need much water and can survive in dry forests, grasslands, open plains and desert
regions.
o Cheetah is the only large carnivore that got completely wiped out from India in 1952, mainly due to
over-hunting and habitat loss.
3.5.6. RED SANDERS

Why in news?
Recently, Red Sanders (Red Sandalwood) has fallen back into the ‘Endangered’ category in the International
Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.
More about news
• It was earlier classified as ‘Near Threatened’ in 2018 and has again been classified as Endangered.
• The IUCN has assessed that over the last three generations, the species has experienced a population
decline of 50-80 per cent.
• In 2019, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, an agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
revised its export policy to permit the export of red sander timber, if it is obtained from cultivated
land.
56
About Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus)
Protection status:
• It is a non-fragrant variety of sandalwood that mostly grows in rocky, hilly regions

• Habitat: It is an Indian endemic tree species, with a restricted geographical range in the Eastern Ghats of
India.
o It is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh.
• It is also known as: Almug, Saunderwood, Red Sanders, Red Sanderswood, Red Saunders, Yerra
Chandanam, Rakta chandana (Indian), Lal Chandan, Ragat Chandan, Rukhto Chandan, Undum.
• Significance of Red Sanders
o Timber industry: The timber of Red Sanders is highly demanded for making furniture, woodcraft and
musical instruments domestically and internationally.
✓ The rare wavy grain variant is highly valued in Japan for its acoustic properties.
o Medicinal value: The wood at the center of the trunk (heartwood) is used as medicine. It is used for
treating digestive tract problems, fluid retention, cough and for blood purification.
✓ It can be used for removal of tan, blemishes, dullness and acne.
✓ In Ayurveda, it is used to treat eye disorders.
✓ It can be used as an antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic addition.
o The timber is also exploited for the extraction of santalin (a red pigment used as dye and colorant in
food).
• Threats: over-harvesting (less than 5 per cent of the trees remaining in the wild), Anthropogenic habitat
loss, illegal trade, invasive species and diseases etc.
3.5.7. MAHSEER
Why in news?
The Blue-Finned Mahseer, which was on the International Union for
Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list as ‘critically endangered’, has
now moved to the ‘least concern’ status.
57
About Mahseer
Major Types of Mahseer
• The Mahseer (roughly translates as mahi –
Golden Found in the Himalayan streams
fish and sher – tiger, is also referred as Mahseer and rivers.
“tiger among fish”). It is important IUCN status: Endangered
indicator of freshwater ecosystems.
• Habitat: Out of 47 subspecies of Mahseer 15
Blue Fin / Found in rivers of Deccan Plateau
are found in India and rest in other range Deccan and South India.
countries in South Asia. Mahseer IUCN status: Least Concern
• Characteristics: Mahseer prefers clean, fast
flowing and well oxygenated waters for
breeding and migration. Orange- Found in Cauvery River and its
o They are omnivorous. Finned / tributaries.
• Threats faced: Humpback IUCN status: Critically
Mahseer endangered
o Sensitive to dissolved oxygen levels,
water temperature and sudden climatic Others Red Finned Mahseer found in the rivers of central
changes India.
o Pollution, habitat loss, over-fishing, Chocolate Mahseer found in the North Eastern
construction of dams (impacting region
migration patterns) etc.
o Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 does not explicitly draw attention to fish under the definition of ‘wild
animal’.
Project Mahseer
• It was started in 1971 as a collaborative effort between Tata Power and Central Institute of Fisheries Education.
• Around 5 lakh mahseer are bred at the Walvan Hatchery in Lonavala, Maharashtra. An artificial lake has been
created for the purpose by the Walvan Dam project under Tata Power.
• The project has finally borne fruit after an effort spanning 50 years by getting the fish de-listed from Red list of
IUCN.
3.5.8. INDIA’S FIRST CRYPTOGAMIC GARDEN

Why in news?
India’s first cryptogamic garden housing nearly 50 species of lichens, ferns and fungi was inaugurated in
Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district at Deoban recently.
What are Cryptogams?
• The word cryptogamic originates from the Greek word, ‘Kryptos meaning “hidden” and “gameein”
meaning “to marry”. Thus, cryptogamic refers to “hidden reproduction”.
• Cryptogams are one of the oldest groups of plant species, existing since the Jurassic era.
• A cryptogamic species does not produce any seed or flower.
• These non-seed-bearing plants include algae, bryophytes, lichens, ferns, and fungi.
• Deoban in Uttarakhand was chosen because of low pollution levels and moisture needed for these species,
otherwise also it is a good natural habitat of these species.
• Importance of cryptogams
Algae • Food ingredient
• Used as a liquid fertilizer
Bryophytes • Monitors air pollution
(mosses, • Prevents soil erosion
liverworts) • Helps in soil formation over the bare rocky surface
• Indicators of mineral deposits.
• Used for transportation and packaging of plants due to their High water retention capacity
Ferns • Ornamental plants
• Indicators of the moisture regime of the area
Lichens • Pollution monitors
• Source of nutrition for snails, termites, caterpillars, slugs, etc.
• Source of drugs, medicines, perfumery, foodstuff, dyes, bio-monitoring, and other useful
compounds
58
3.5.9. ASIAN WATERBIRD CENSUS (AWC)
Why in News?
AWC is being carried out across 7 wetlands in the NCR- Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary; Dhanauri and Surajpur
wetlands in Greater Noida; Delhi Zoo and Sanjay Lake; Okhla Bird Sanctuary; Najafgarh Jheel; and Yamuna
River.
About AWC
• It is conducted in January each year and is coordinated by the Wetlands International South Asia and the
Bombay Natural History Society(a NGO).
• It is an integral part of the global waterbird monitoring programme, the International Waterbird Census
(IWC), coordinated by Wetlands International.
o IWC is a monitoring programme to collect information on the numbers of waterbirds at wetland sites.
• It runs in parallel with other regional programmes of the International Waterbird Census in Africa,
Europe, West Asia, the Neotropics and the Caribbean.
• It is also an important part of the environment ministry’s National Action Plan for conservation of
Migratory Birds and their habitats along the Central Asian Flyways.
• Objectives of the census:
o To obtain information on an annual basis of waterbird populations at wetlands in the region during
the non-breeding period of most species (January).
o To monitor on an annual basis the status and condition of wetlands,
o To encourage greater interest in waterbirds and wetlands amongst citizens.
3.5.10. WORLD’S FIRST 5-COUNTRY BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Why in News?
UNESCO declares world’s first 5-country biosphere reserve in “Amazon of Europe”.
More on the news
• Biosphere reserve covers 700 kilometres of the Mura, Drava and Danube (MDD) rivers and stretches
across Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia.
o Reserve is home to floodplain forests, gravel and sand banks, river islands, oxbows and meadows.
o It is home to continental Europe’s highest density of breeding white-tailed eagle, as well as
endangered species such as the little tern, black stork, otters, beavers and sturgeons.
About Biosphere reserves
• Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial
and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions
to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity
with its sustainable use.
• Biosphere Reserves involve local
communities and all interested
stakeholders in planning and management.
They integrate three main functions:
o Conservation of biodiversity and
cultural diversity
o Economic development that is socio-
culturally and environmentally
sustainable
o Logistic support, underpinning development through research, monitoring, education and training
• Biosphere Reserves are designated under intergovernmental Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme by
UNESCO.
o MAB programme aims to establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people
and their environments.
o The World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) of the MAB Programme consists of a dynamic and
interactive network of sites of excellence.
59
o WNBR includes 727 biosphere reserves in 131 countries, including 22 transboundary sites; building
international, regional, sub-regional and ecosystem-specific cooperation.
• Biosphere reserves in India: Presently, there are 18 notified biosphere reserves in India of which 12 are
recognised under MAB Program.
3.5.11. GEO-TOURISM SITES

Why in News?
Geological Survey of India lists Geo-tourism sites in Northeast to visit after ‘unlock’.
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More on the News
• Twelve locations in Northeast are included in 32 approved geo-tourism or geo-heritage sites in the
country.
• About the sites
o Majuli, Assam - River “island”, among world’s largest, Majuli in river Brahmaputra.
o Sangetsar Tso, Arunanchal - Famous for Madhuri Lake formed due to damming of river during major
earthquake in 1950.
o Loktak Lake, Manipur - largest freshwater lake in Northeast which hosts ‘phumdis’ or floating biomass
and ‘phumsangs’ or huts of fishermen on them.
✓ KeibulLamjao National Park, only floating wildlife habitat on earth, is on southwestern part of lake
and is last natural habitat of sangai or brow-antlered dancing deer.
o Mawmluh Cave, Meghalaya - Stalagmite caves providing important records of Holocene paleo-climate
and paleo-monsoon.
o Mawblei or God’s Rock, Meghalaya - huge balancing sandstone rock slanting at angle of 45 degrees
in south-southeast direction on hill slope overlooking Wahrashi River valley.
• Other significant sites include - Stromatolite Park (Sikkim), Naga Hill Ophiolite, Reiek Tlang (Mizoram),
Sangetsar Tso (Arunanchal), Unnakoti and Chabimura (Tripura), Umananda (Assam) and Theriaghat
(Meghalaya).
• Globally too, UNESCO declares Global geoparks. Currently, there are no Global geo parks in India.
o Geological Survey of India (GSI) declares geo-heritage sites/ national geological monuments for
protection and maintenance. GSI or the respective State governments take necessary measures to
protect these sites.
3.5.12. DIHING PATKAI NATIONAL PARK

Why in news?
The Assam government has notified Dihing Patkai as the 7th National Park (NP) of the state.
More on the news
• Assam (7) now has the third most

National Parks after Madhya
Pradesh (12) and Andaman and
Nicobar Islands (9).
• Earlier, the State government has
also notified Raimona Reserve
Forest (422-sq. km) as the 6th
National Park in western Assam’s
Kokrajhar district.
o With Phipsoo wildlife sanctuary
in Bhutan to its north, Buxa tiger
reserve in West Bengal to its
west and Manas national park in
Assam to its east, it is home to
the Golden langur, Clouded
leopard and Indian gaur.
• Assam has five older National Parks- Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.
o Kaziranga and Manas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are also tiger reserves along with Nameri
and Orang.
About Dihing Patkai NP
• The Dihing Patkai NP forms the “last remaining stretches” of the Assam Valley tropical wet evergreen
forests.
o It is located across eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
o It encompasses erstwhile Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Jeypore Reserve Forest and the
western block of the Upper Dihing Reserve Forest.
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• Rivers: Stretches of the Dirak and Buri Dihing rivers.
• Flora and Fauna:
o Besides being part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, the park is home to important species like
Tiger, Chinese pangolin, Slow loris, Clouded leopard etc.
o It also has the highest concentration of the rare endangered White Winged Wood Duck.
Types of Protected Areas in India
Protected Area Details
Wildlife • A wildlife sanctuary is an area where animal habitats and their surroundings are protected from
Sanctuary any sort of disturbance.
• Any area other than area comprised with any reserve forest or the territorial waters can be
notified by the State Government, under Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA) of 1972.
• Some restricted human activities are allowed inside the Sanctuary area details of which are
given in WPA, 1972.
• There are more than 500 wildlife sanctuaries in India.
National Park • A national park is a park in use for conservation purposes. It is more protected vis-a-vis
protection in wildlife sanctuaries.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 gives both Central and State Government power to declare
certain areas as national parks.
• No human activity is permitted inside the national park except for the ones permitted by the
Chief Wildlife Warden of the state under the conditions given in WPA 1972.
• There are more than 100 national parks in India.
Community • It is a category of protected areas defined under the ‘Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972’
Reserve or (introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002).
Conservation • It is an inhabited area which typically act as buffer zone to or connectors and migration
Reserves corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected
forests of India. Parts of the land in this area are privately owned.
• Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely owned
by the Government of India but used for subsistence by communities.
• State Government after consulting with the central government and the local communities,
declares any area as community or conservation reserve.
• Currently there are 127 community reserves in India and maximum in the state of Meghalaya.
Tiger Reserve • A National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary that is considered significant for protecting tigers can be
additionally designated as a Tiger Reserve.
• They are governed by Project Tiger which is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA).
• A Tiger Reserve consists of a ‘Core’ or ‘Critical Tiger Habitat’, which is to be managed as an
inviolate area and a ‘Buffer’ or Peripheral area is immediately abutting a Core area, which may
be accorded a lesser degree of habitat protection.
• There are currently 50 tiger reserves in the country.
Critical Tiger • Also known as core areas of tiger reserves, they are identified under the Wild Life Protection
Habitat Act, 1972.
• It is notified by State govt.
• They are demarcated areas of National Parks/Sanctuaries, to be kept as inviolate for the
purposes of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of forest dwellers.
• Largest area under CTH in India: Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.
Marine • A marine protected area (MPA) is essentially a space in the ocean where human activities are
Protected more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters - similar to parks on land.
Areas • These places are given special protections for natural or historic marine resources by local,
state, territorial, native, regional, or national authorities.
Biosphere • Biosphere Reserve is an international designation by UNESCO comprising terrestrial, marine
Reserve and coastal ecosystems.
• A biosphere reserve is divided into core, buffer and transition zone in decreasing order of
protection.
• There are 18 biosphere reserves in India, of which 13 are part of the World Network of
Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme
Bird Sanctuary • Bird sanctuaries are nature facilities that ensure conservation of various species of birds and
their natural habitats.
• There are more than 70 Bird Sanctuaries in India.
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Natural • NGT constituted a fresh committee to assess whether sub regional plans for the protection of
Conservation NCZs were consistent with the regional plan prepared by the National Capital Region Planning
Zones (NCZ) Board (NCRPB).
• The importance of the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) is that it is earmarked for conservation,
rather than real estate. o Accordingly, construction is allowed only for 0.5 percent and that too
for regional recreational activities like regional parks and sanctuaries.
o This strictly precludes construction for commercial, residential, tourism, and other real
estate purposes.
Protected • Tamil Nadu announced that the Cauvery delta region would be declared a Protected Special
Special Agriculture Zone to prevent implementation of oil exploration projects in the state’s rice bowl.
Agriculture • Cauvery delta zone comprises of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Cuddalore,
Zone (PSAZ) Ariyalur, Karur and Tiruchirappalli districts.
• Declaring PSAZ ensures that particular region will not be granted permission for any new
projects like those related to hydrocarbons.
3.5.13. PROTECTED AREAS IN NEWS
Andhra Pradesh
Koundinya Geographical location and other Important features:
Wildlife • Situated in Palamner - Kuppam forest ranges of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
Sanctuary Rivers: Kaindinya and Kaigal tributaries of Palar River.
Forests: Southern tropical dry deciduous forest, with patches of thorn, scrub and grassy plains.
Fauna: The only home for Asiatic elephants in Andhra Pradesh.
• The Sanctuary comes under Project elephant.
Coringa Wildlife Geographical location and other Important features:
Sanctuary • Around 177 sqkm area of Eco-Sensitive Zone was declared surrounding this sanctuary.
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Rivers: Situated on the deltaic branches of Gautami and Godavari at Kakinada Bay.
Forests: It is the second largest Mangrove Forest stretch.
Fauna and Flora: One of the nesting grounds of Olive riddle turtle.
Atapaka Bird Geographical location and other Important features:
Sanctuary • It is located in Kolleru lake on Krishna-West Godavari borders in Andhra Pradesh
• Kolleru lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India.
Fauna and Flora: Grey Pelicans and Painted Storks.
Assam
Raimona • Located in Kokrajhar district, Raimona has become Assam’s sixth national park (Kaziranga,
National Park Manas, Nameri, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa are other five).
Geographical location and other Important features:
• The Raimona National Park is within the Bodoland Territorial Region. The area of the park
includes the northern part of the notified Ripu Reserve Forest, which forms the western-most
buffer to the Manas National Park that straddles the India-Bhutan border.
• Raimona is an integral part of the Manas Biosphere Reserve and the Chirang-Ripu Elephant
Reserve.
Rivers: Sankosh River marks its boundary.
Forests: Moist deciduous and Semi-evergreen forest,
Fauna and Flora: Golden Langur (Mascot of Bodoland), Asian elephant, Bengal tiger, Clouded
leopard, Gaur, Chital.
Orang National • Government has issued notification to expand size of Park, facilitating reintroduction of
Park Gharials.
o Gharials (IUCN status: Critically Endangered) were wiped out from the Brahmaputra River
system in 1950s.
• Orang is one of the seven national parks in Assam. Others are Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri,
Dibru-Saikhowa, Raimona and Dehing Patkai.
• It was established as wildlife sanctuary in 1985 but declared as National Park in 1999.
• Also known as mini Kaziranga, inhabited by one-horned rhinoceros.
Rivers: located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River.
• Tributaries Dhansiri and Pachnoi divide the park into two halves.
Forests: Made up of marshes, streams and grasslands.
Fauna and Flora: One-Horned Rhinoceros, pigmy hog, Tiger, Elephants, Hog Deer, Wild Pig, Civet
Cat etc.
Manas National • Assam’s Manas NP has recorded a massive spike in tiger population from 0 to 48 in 20 years.
Park (NP) Geographical location and other Important features:
• Located in the Himalayan foothills and contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in
Bhutan.
• It is a Wildlife Sanctuary, UNESCO's Natural World Heritage site, Project Tiger Reserve,
Elephant Reserve and Biosphere Reserve.
Rivers: Manas River (a tributary of Brahmaputra River)
Forests: Semi – Evergreen Forests
Fauna and Flora: Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog.
• Largest population of Bengal Florican found anywhere in the world.
Kaziranga • Recently, Supreme Court has asked Assam government to remove all illegal constructions in
National Park animal corridors near Kaziranga.
• Located on edge of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots – Golaghat and Nagaon
district.
• Brahmaputra lies on the North and Karbi Anglong hills on the South of Kaziranga.
• It is a UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.
Rivers: Brahmaputra, Diphlu, Mora Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri.
Forests: Tropical moist broadleaf forests.
Fauna and Flora:
• Great Indian Rhinoceros, Tiger, Leopard, Elephant etc.
• Kumbhi, Indian gooseberry, cotton tree, elephant Apple etc.
Bihar
Valmiki Tiger • Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) have started planning for conservation of vultures after 150 of the
Reserve (VTR) birds were sighted recently in the protected area.
o Vultures from the Himalayan range visit areas in Bihar bordering Nepal during winters.
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• VTR forms the eastern most limit of the Himalayan Terai forests in India and is the only tiger
reserve of Bihar.
• Situated in the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone of the country, the forest has combination
of bhabar and terai tracts.
Rivers: Gandak
Forests: Himalayan Terai forests
Fauna and Flora: Champa Trees, Tiger, Sloth bear, Leopard, Wild dog, Bison, Wild boar, barking
deer, spotted deer, hog deer, sambar and blue bull.
Chhattisgarh
Guru Ghasidas • National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approved Chhattisgarh government’s proposal
National Park to declare combined areas of Guru Ghasidas National Park (NP) and Tamor Pingla Wildlife
(NP) and Tamor Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.
Pingla Wildlife Geographical location and other Important features:
Sanctuary • This will be the fourth Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, after Udanti-Sitanadi, Achanakmar, and
Indravati Reserves.
• Turning Guru Ghasidas NP into a Tiger Reserve is important because provides a corridor for
tigers to move between Bandhavgarh (MP) and Palamau (Jharkhand) Tiger Reserves.
Fauna and Flora: Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Spotted deer, Sambar deer, wild boar, Nilgai,
Chinkara, Civet, Porcupine, Monitor lizard,
Delhi
Delhi’s • More birds and animals make Delhi’s 7 nature parks their homes
Biodiversity • Delhi is home to 7 biodiversity parks that are built around two ecological systems in the capital:
Parks the Yamuna floodplain and the rocky Aravalli landscape-
o Yamuna Biodiversity Park, Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Neela Hauz Biodiversity Park, Kamla
Nehru Biodiversity Park, Tilpath Valley Biodiversity Park, Tughlaqabad Biodiversity Park,
Kalindi biodiversity park in Okhla
Haryana
Bir Shikargah • 8 critically endangered Oriental white-backed vultures were released into wild for the first
Wildlife time in India from the sanctuary.
Sanctuary Geographical location and other Important features:
• Situated in Panchkula, Haryana
• It houses the vulture conservation and breeding centre, Pinjore.
• Also designated as an Eco-sensitive zone.
• Fauna and Flora: Indian leopard, Asiatic elephant, Chital (spotted deer), Sambar deer, Wild
boar, Rhesus macaque, Gray langur, Striped hyena, Indian jackal, Jungle cat, Indian gray
mongoose, Indian fox.
Kerala
Parambikulam • Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation has won the Earth Guardian Award for its efforts
Tiger Reserve in supporting the conservation of tigers and biodiversity.
• It is a well-protected part of the Nelliampathy - Anamalai sub unit of the Western Ghats and is
buffered by ecologically similar forests of other Forest Divisions and Protected Areas of Kerala
and Tamil Nadu.
• Unique feature: Kariyanshola, which is a part of Sungam Range of the Tiger Reserve has been
recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Rivers: Parambikulam, Sholayar and Thekkedy
Forests: Evergreen forests, moist and dry deciduous forests and grasslands. Other unique habitats
like montane grasslands and marshy grasslands (locally known as ‘vayals’) are extensively found.
Fauna and Flora:
• Lion-tailed macaques, Nilgiri tahr, elephants, Bengal tigers, Indian leopards, Wild boar, Sambar,
Bonnet macaques, Nilgiri langurs, Sloth bears, Nilgiri marten small Travancore flying squirrel
and Gaur.
• Teak, Neem, Sandalwood and Rosewood. Even the oldest ever teak tree, Kannimara Teak
exists here.
Madhya Pradesh
Panna Tiger • Recently, over 30 tigers migrated out of Panna Tiger Reserve.
Reserve (PTR) Geographical location and other Important features:
• Located in the northern Vindhyan range and only TR in the entire Bundelkhand region.
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• It is the last remaining tiger habitat of North Madhya Pradesh- it is spread over Panna and
Chhatarpur district.
• Its location is crucial, as it is the only tiger source area which connects the tiger populations
of Aravalli and Vindhyan Ranges.
• 3rd Biosphere Reserve in World Network of Biosphere Reserves from Madhya Pradesh after
Pachmarhi and Amarkantak.
• PTR’s CTH encompasses the entire area of Panna National Park and part of Gangau Wildlife
Sanctuary.
• Unique Features-It is characterized by its extensive plateaus and Gorges
Rivers: Drained by River Ken, a perennial river and tributary of Yamuna.
Forests: Dry deciduous forests
Fauna and Flora: Sambar (largest of Indian deers), chital and chousingha.
Maharashtra
Sanjay Gandhi • The Maharashtra government is looking for an alternate site for the permanent rehabilitation
National Park of families in the tribal hamlets and eligible encroachers of the SGNP.
(SGNP) Geographical location and other Important features:
• SGNP located in Mumbai harbours artificial lakes named ‘Vihar and Tulsi’.
• The Kanheri Caves (carved from basalt rock between the 1st century BCE to the 10th century
CE) at the center of the park were an important Buddhist learning center and pilgrimage site.
Rivers: Dahisar river
Forests: Mixed Deciduous Forests
Fauna and Flora:
• Spotted Deer, Sambhar, Barking Deer, Black-naped Hare, etc.
• Dominated by trees Tectona, Albizzia, Terminalia, Holarrhena, etc.
• Kadamba, teak, karanj, shisham, and species of acacia, red silk cotton, and a variety of flowers
are found.
• Karvi or karvy, a flowering plant that blossoms once in eight years, can be found in the park.
Odisha
Bhitarkanika • German government agency GIZ, will conserve mangrove and biodiversity of Odisha’s
National Park Bhitarkanika National Park, India’s second-largest mangrove forest.
o It is supported by International Climate Initiative (IKI) of German Federal Ministry for
Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
o Objective of project is to support implementation of livelihood-oriented conservation
and restoration activities as well as train community members in alternative sustainable
livelihoods.
• Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha’s Kendrapara district is India’s second-largest mangrove
forest
o However, mangroves which protected the region from cyclones were vanishing fast.
o The area was designated a national park in 1998 and a Ramsar site by UNESCO in 2002.
Rivers: located in estuary of Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Mahanadi River systems.
Flora and Fauna:
• The Gahirmatha Beach which forms the boundary of the sanctuary in the east is the largest
colony of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.
• Mangrove species, casuarinas, and grasses like the indigo bush are unique here.
• The Park is home to the saltwater crocodile, Indian python, black ibis, wild boar, rhesus
monkey, chital, darter, cobra, monitor lizard.
Simlipal Tiger Geographical location and other Important features:
Reserve • It is a national park situated in the northern part of Orissa’s Mayurbhanj district.
• It was formally designated a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973 and declared a biosphere
reserve in 1994.
• It has been part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserve since 2009.
• It comes under Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve that includes the adjacent Hadgarh and Kuldiha
Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Rivers: At least twelve rivers cut across the plain area, all of which drain into the Bay of Bengal. The
prominent among them are Burhabalanga, Palpala Bandan, Salandi, Kahairi and Deo.
Forests: Tropical moist broadleaf forest, tropical moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forest.
The grasslands and the savannas are also common here.
Fauna and Flora:
• Sal is the dominant tree species here.
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• The major mammals include tiger, leopard, Asian elephant, sambar, barking deer, gaur, jungle
cat, wild boar, Chausingha (four-horned antelope), giant squirrel and common langur, grey
hornbill, Indian pied hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill and Indian trogon, Mugger crocodiles.
Rajasthan
Ramgarh • MoEFCC approved the conversion of Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary in Rajasthan’s Bundi district
Vishdhari into fourth tiger reserve in the state.
Sanctuary Geographical location and other Important features:
• Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary will link Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the Northeast and
Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve on the southern side.
o Sariska Tiger Reserve is third tiger reserve in the state.
Fauna and Flora:
• Its flora consists of Dhok, Khair, Salar, Khirni trees with some Mango and Ber trees.
• The sanctuary has leopards, sambhars, chital, wild boars, smaller cats, caracals, chinkaras and
Nilgai.
Kumbhalgarh, • A National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) report has ruled out the possibility of
Todgarh declaring Rajasthan’s Kumbhalgarh and Todgarh-Raoli wildlife sanctuaries as a tiger reserve.
sanctuaries • Reasons cited:
o Proposed tiger reserve is an isolated patch of forest with no connectivity with
Ranthambhore, which has the only tiger source population in the state.
o Their landscape (moderate to steep slopes) is unsuitable to hold viable big cat population.
o The proposed areas would make it difficult to confine tigers which may escalate the
likelihood of human-wildlife conflict in the adjoining landscape.
• Surrounding the popular, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Khumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in
Rajsamand District of Rajasthan.
• It also covers four hill and mountain ranges of the Aravallis – Kumbhalgarh Range; Sadri Range;
Desuri Range and the Bokhada Range.
• The Marwar plains lie to the northwest of the sanctuary.
Rivers:
• Small rivers such as Sukdi, Mithdi, Sumer and Kot, all of which are the tributaries of River Luni
lie in close range of the park.
• In its eastern part are ranges which is the source of the River Banas.
Forests: Tropical deciduous forests and grasslands.
Fauna and Flora: leopard, sambhar, nilgai, chausingha (the four horned antelope), chinkara and
Indian hare..
Ranthambore • Recently, some tigers went missing from the Kundera and Talada ranges of RTR.
Tiger Reserve Geographical location and other important features:
(RTR) • Located on Eastern part of Rajasthan in Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts, at the junction
of the Aravali and the Vindhya hill ranges.
• Comprises: Ranthambore National Park, Sawai Mansingh and Keladevi Sanctuaries.
Rivers: Banas River and the Chambal River
Forest: Mainly tropical dry deciduous with ‘dhak’ being the commonest.
Fauna and Flora:
• Leopards, striped hyenas, common or Hanuman langurs, rhesus macaques, jackals, jungle cats,
blackbuck, Blacknaped hare and chinkara etc.
• Tree species found here include khair, Khajur, Banyan, Kakera, Gum etc.
Tamil Nadu
Anamalai Tiger • Recently, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute in collaboration with ATR launched Scheduled
Reserve Tribe Component (STC) project at Attagati in ATR for tribals.
• ATR, in Tamil Nadu, forms part of the Southern Western Ghats (lies South of the Palakkad gap).
• The Reserve falls within the Western Ghats mountain chain.
• ATR is home to 6 tribes: Malasar, Malai malasars, Kadars, Eravallars, Pulayars and Muduvars.
Forests: Supports diverse habitats- Wet evergreen forests, semi evergreen forests, moist
deciduous, dry deciduous, dry thorn and shola forests.
Fauna and Flora: Asiatic Elephant, Lion Tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Tiger etc.
Bamboos, canes, reeds, palms
Srivilliputhur- Geographical location and other Important features:
Megamalai • It is the largest tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu.
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Tiger Reserve • It acts as buffer for Periyar Tiger Reserve and offer excellent genetic exchange grounds for
(SMTR) the tigers of Anamalai region.
• It covers forests of Megamalai wildlife sanctuary and Srivilliputhur grizzled squirrel wildlife
sanctuary in the districts of Theni, Virudhunagar and Madurai.
Rivers: Vaigai River
Forests: mix of tropical evergreen forests and semi-evergreen forests, dry deciduous forests and
moist mixed deciduous forests, grassland.
Fauna and Flora: grizzled giant squirrels, Bengal tiger, bonnet macaque, common langur, elephants,
flying squirrels, gaur, Indian giant squirrel, leopard, lion-tailed macaques, mouse deer, Nilgiri langur,
Nilgiri Tahrs, palm civets, porcupine, sambar, slender loris, sloth bear, spotted deer, tree shrews
etc.
Kazhuveli Bird • Recently, the Tamil Nadu government declared the 5,151.60 ha of Kazhuveli wetland as
Sanctuary, Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary (16th of Tamil Nadu) under section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972
• Kazhuveli, the second largest brackish water wetland in South India, is one of the largest
waterfowl congregation sites in Tamil Nadu.
• Part of the Central Asian migratory path of birds
Forests: Mangrove Forests
Fauna and Flora:
• It is known as a raptor roosting site for species like the Eastern Imperial Eagle, Greater Spotted
Eagle, Red-necked Falcon etc.
• The Grey-tailed Tattler, a rare migratory wader, has been recorded only here and in Pulicat
(largest brackish water lake in South India).
West Bengal
Buxa Tiger • Recently a Royal Bengal Tiger has been spotted in Buxa tiger reserve after at least 23 years.
Reserve-BTR Geographical location and other Important features:
(West Bengal) • It is situated at the easternmost extension of extreme bio-diverse North-East India &
represents the highly endemic Indo-Malayan region.
• BTR lies in Alipurduar sub-division of Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
• Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.
• The Phipsu Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the North of BTR. Manas National
Park lies east of BTR.
• It serves as an international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan.
Rivers: Sankosh, Raidak, Jayanti, Churnia, Turturi, Phashkhawa, Dima and Nonani.
Forests: fragile "Terai Ecosystem" constitutes a part of this Reserve
Fauna and Flora:
• One of the rarest birds in India the Black – Necked Crane has been sighted during winter,
• Apart from Tigers animals like Elephants, Leopard, Himalayan black Bears, Civets, Giant
squirrel, Gaur, Bengal Florican, Regal Python, Chinese Pangolin, Hispid Hare, Hog Deer.
3.5.14. KEY FAUNA AND FLORA IN NEWS
Terrestrial species
Asiatic lion • Eight Asiatic lions have tested positive for Covid-19 at a Hyderabad zoo.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Asiatic lions and African lions are subspecies of the same species.
Difference between Asiatic and African Lions
Criteria Asiatic African
Size Larger Smaller
Mane Relatively dense, Lighter Relatively short, Darker, sparse
mane mane
Skin Fold Absent Longitudinal fold of skin that runs
along the belly
Pride Size Larger Smaller
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• Male Asiatic lions are solitary by nature and form loose prides by associating
themselves with up to three females.
• On the other hand, females form prides of up to 12 lionesses including their
cubs which are much stronger in nature and structure.
• Threat: Vulnerable to disease, disaster, potential poaching and accidental lion
deaths due to human causes.
Habitat: Population limited to only five protected areas in Gujarat – Gir National
Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary and Girnar Sanctuary
Conservation Measures: Asiatic Lion Conservation Project, funded from the
Centrally Sponsored Scheme- Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH).
Hoolock gibbon • A study led by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad
scientists states that India has only western hoolock gibbon (another species
known as eastern hoolock gibbon is not found in India).
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Hoolock gibbons are small apes, and the only apes present in India.
Habitat: found in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
BlackBuck • Odisha’s blackbuck population has doubled in the last six years.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Blackbuck is considered to be the fastest animal in the world next to Cheetah.
• Display Sexual dimorphism: Male blackbucks have long, spiral horns while
Females have no horns.
• They are social and live in groups.
• It is the State animal of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.
• Habitat: semi-desert regions, thorn forest, dry forest, scrublands, open
woodlands,
• In India the species is widespread in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Tamilnadu and other areas throughout peninsular India.
Conservation Measures:
• Conservation Plan for Blackbuck.
• The Uttar Pradesh State Cabinet has approved first of its kind Blackbuck
Conservation Reserve in India in trans-Yamuna belt (MEJA FOREST RESERVE)
near Allahabad.
One-horned rhinoceros • On the occasion of World Rhino day (September 22), Assam government set
2400 rhino horns to fire.
o Ceremony was aimed at busting myths about rhino horns.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Greater one-horned rhinos are usually solitary, except for females with small
calves.
• Male rhinos fight violently for preferred habitual areas.
• Cover their skin in mud aids thermo-regulation by preventing overheating.
• They are very good swimmers and can dive and feed under water.
• Can run fast (up to 40 km/h) and are very agile.
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• Threats: Poaching for medical purpose (biggest threat), habitat loss, low
genetic diversity.
Habitat: Alluvial Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands and riverine forest.
• Found commonly in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and India, with India being home
to or over 85% of the population.
• In India found in- Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam.
• Assam has 71% of the world’s population (2652 as per 2018 census) with
Kaziranga National Park harbouring the highest number.
• Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (to expand rhino’s range)
• Special Rhino Protection Force.
• National Rhino Conservation Strategy: It was launched in 2019 to conserve the
greater one-horned rhinoceros.
• MoEFCC has a project to create DNA profiles of all rhinos in the country.
Clouded Leopard • In a first, elusive clouded leopard sighted in Nagaland mountains at an
elevation of 3,700 metres.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• It is the smallest of the large wild cats.
• They are amongst the best climbers in the family of cats.
• Clouded leopards are thought to be solitary, except during breeding or when
with their cubs.
Habitat:
• They are largely known to inhabit low elevation evergreen rainforests.
• Across Southeast Asia and the Himalayas- southern China, Bhutan, Nepal,
northeast India, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and
Bangladesh.
Conservation Measures: It is the State animal of Meghalaya.
Fishing Cat • The Wildlife Institute of India will begin collaring ten Fishing Cats in a bid to
estimate its number and survival of in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) in
Andhra Pradesh.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• It is nocturnal animal.
• It preys on fish, frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds and scavenges on carcasses
of larger animals.
• Threats: Habitat loss due to development activities in wetlands; Intensive
aquaculture; hunting for meat and skin etc.
Habitat:
• habitant of wetlands and mainly found in mangroves forest the Sundarbans,
around Chilika Lake, foothills of the Himalayas along Ganga and Brahmaputra
River valleys and in the Western Ghats.
• It is the State Animal of West Bengal.
Polar bears • A recent study finds they might disappear by 2100.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Polar bears are largest bear in the world and the Arctic's top predator.
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• Polar Bears spend over 50% of their time hunting for food.
• Classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their lives on the
sea ice of the Arctic Ocean.
• They are good swimmers and have thick layer of body fat and water-repellant
coat that insulates them from the cold air and water.
• Melting sea ice from climate change has increased human-polar bear conflicts.
Habitat:
• Annual Sea ice covering the waters over the continental shelf and
the Arctic inter-island archipelagos
• Not found in Antarctica.
• The International Agreement on Conservation of Polar Bears and their Habitat,
1973.
• Polar Bears International: a non-profit polar bear conservation organization.
Giant panda • China announces that Giant panda are no longer endangered in the wild.
o After five years, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
removed giant pandas from its endangered species list and classified
them as vulnerable in 2016.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Giant panda is also known as panda bear.
• Bamboo is the favourite food of giant pandas, which accounts for 99% of their
diet.
• They have two unique physical features that help them to hold, crush and eat
bamboo:
o Broad, flat molar teeth
o Enlarged wrist bone that functions as an opposable thumb
• Symbol of WWF since its formation in 1961.
Habitat: Inhabit bamboo forests in the mountains of central China
Conservation Measures: WWF has been working with the Chinese government's
National Conservation Program for the giant panda and its habitat.
Aquatic species
Dugong • Recently, the Tamil Nadu government announced India’s first conservation
reserve for Dugongs in Palk Bay.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Also known as Sea Cows, they are the only herbivorous marine mammals and
the only member of the family Dugongidae, making it one of the four surviving
species in the Order Sirenia (other is Trichechidae, or the manatee family).
• They live in groups and come to the surface to breathe with a distinct dolphin-
like tail and have mammary glands.
• Lifespan of dugongs is 70 years or more and female dugongs breed every 2.5
to 7 years (starting from 6 to 17 years) with a gestation period of 13 to 15
months and a nursing period of around 18 months.
• Its closest relative, Steller's Sea cow, was hunted to extinction in the
eighteenth century.
• Mainly found in shallow areas as they survive mainly on seagrass.
• Threats: habitat loss, entanglement in fishing nets, hunting for meat and oil
etc.
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans
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• MoU on Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their habitats by
UNEP and Conservation of Migratory Species.
o India signed it in 2008 and formed a task force for the same.
• Dugong and Sea Grass conservation project by Global Environment Facility
and UNEP for 8 countries in the Indo-Pacific Region excluding India.
• State animal of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Olive Ridley • Olive Ridley turtles stayed away from Rushikulya rookery in Odisha’s Ganjam
this year.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• It is smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles.
• The olive ridley gets its name from the olive-green colour of its heart-shaped
shell.
• They are carnivorous.
• These turtles, along with their cousin, Kemps Ridley turtle, are best known for
their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females lay
eggs on the same beach.
Habitat:
• Warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and
Indian oceans.
• Rushikulya river mouth is considered
the second-biggest rookery in India
after Gahirmatha.
• Odisha government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder
Devices (TEDs), a net specially designed with an exit cover which allows the
turtles to escape while retaining the catch.
• Coast Guard has launched the 'Operation Oliva' exercise to ensure the safe
mid-sea sojourn of breeding Olive Ridley Sea turtles.
• Zoological Survey of India is carrying out tagging of Olive Ridley turtles at
three mass nesting sites: Gahirmatha, Devi River mouth and Rushikulya.
Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) • Recently, Odisha Forest department announced cash reward for rescuing
gharials.
Protection status
Characteristics:
• Gharial derives its name from ghara, an Indian word for pot because of a
bulbous knob (narial excrescence) present at the end of their snout.
• They live in clear freshwater river systems.
• They regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun to warm up or
resting in shade or water to cool down
• They do not stalk and lunge at prey like other crocodilians—their snouts
contain sensory cells that can detect vibrations in the water.
• Major threats: alteration of habitat, depletion of prey base, poaching for use
of body parts etc.
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Habitat:
• Found majorly in Chambal River. Also, there are satellite populations in Girwa
river (Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in UP), Ramganga river in Jim Corbett
National Park and Son river in Son Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh.
o Satkosia gorge in Mahanadi is the southernmost limit of their home
range.
o Odisha houses all three species of crocodiles-gharial, mugger (vulnerable)
and saltwater (Least Concern) crocodiles.
• Indian Crocodile Conservation Project was launched in 1975 in different
States.
• Kukrail Gharial Rehabilitation Centre was established in 1978.
Avian Species
Greater Adjutant Storks • In a first, Bihar has decided to tag greater adjutant storks with GPS trackers
to monitor their movement as a part of efforts to conserve them.
Protection status:
Characteristics:
• They are long-necked large birds.
• They are considered mount of Vishnu thus known as Garuda.
• They help farmers by killing rats and other farm pests.
Habitat:
• There are only three known breeding grounds – one in Cambodia and two
in India (Assam and Bihar).
• Bhagalpur’s KadwaDiara floodplains are the third-most-popular breeding
centre for them in the world after Assam and Cambodia.
Great Indian Bustard (GIB) • An array of solar and wind energy projects in Rajasthan has led to increasing
collision of GIB with high tension wires leading to mortality.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• The bird, called ‘Son Chiriya’ in Madhya Pradesh and ‘Great Indian Bustard’ in
English, is known as ‘Godawan’ in Rajasthan and ‘Maldhok’ in Maharashtra.
• The bird looks like an ostrich.
• Despite weighing heavy, the Great Indian Bustard can easily fly. It is, however,
not as agile as the other birds are.
• The bird is ground-nesting and omnivorous. Besides wheat, millet, Indian
jujube (Ber), it consumes various insects, snakes, scorpions and lizards.
• Bustard Species Found in India: Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican and
the Bengal Florican.
• Threats: Shrinking of grassland, rising number of electricity wires and its
wanton killing.
Habitat:
• Most often found is arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn
scrub, tall grass interspersed with cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas.
• It is endemic to Indian Sub-continent, found in central India, western India and
eastern Pakistan.
o Largest population-Thar Desert, Rajasthan (state bird).
o Other populations occur in Kachchh (Gujarat), Solapur and Chandrapur
(Maharashtra), Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) and Bellary (Karnataka).
o Houbara also belong to Bustard family but it's a migratory species.
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• Important Sites for the species are: Desert National Park Sanctuary
(Rajasthan), Naliya (Gujarat), Warora (Maharashtra) and Bellary (Karnataka)
• "Project Godawan" of Rajasthan state government for its conservation at
Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer.
• National Guidelines for Recovery of Bustards, 2013.Supreme Court in M. K.
Ranjitsinh vs Union of India, April 2021 case made specific binding directions
like-
o For the undergrounding of powerlines, the Supreme Court has given a
time limit of one year from the date of the order.
o Mandatory for all powerlines in both the ‘potential’ and ‘priority habitat
of the GIB to be laid underground in the future.
o Until the lines are made underground, bird-diverters are to be installed on
all lines immediately.
• It is the state bird of Rajasthan.
Spot-billed pelicans (Pelecanus • A nematode infestation has led to mass mortality of spot-billed pelicans at
Philippensis) Telineelapuram Important Bird Area (IBA) in Andhra Pradesh.
o Nematode infections are commonly found in the gastrointestinal system
of all orders of reptiles.
Protection Status
Characteristics:
• Hunt for food in both freshwater and marine environments, can dive slightly
below the surface but never to great depth.
Habitat:
• Lives in lowland freshwater, brackish, and marine wetland areas.
• The ‘Pelican Bird Festival-2018’ was held for first in Atapaka Bird Sanctuary on
at Kolleru lake in Andhra Pradesh.
o It was jointly organised by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) and
Krishna district administration
Insects, rodents etc.
Kaiser-e-Hind (Teinopalpus • It has been declared as the State Butterfly of Arunachal Pradesh.
imperialis) • It is one of the very rare and elusive swallowtail butterflies which are found at
medium and higher elevations.
• It flies high in the canopy of broad leaved temperate evergreen forests.
• Its presence indicates the existence of a good forest ecosystem and
protection.
Brood X Cicadas • The cicadas, known as Brood X or Brood 10, have begun emerging from the
earth in portions of the eastern United States.
• Also, a new cicada species Platyomiakohimaensis was discovered in the Naga
Hills, Nagaland almost after a century.
• Cicadas are hemipteran insects known for their loud, complex and species-
specific acoustic signals or songs which act as indicators of a healthy forest
ecosystem.
o Most cicadas are canopy dwellers and are found in natural forests with
large trees.
o Cicadas are herbivores and live in the soil and feed on tree roots for a
period of 3 to 17 years depending on the species.
• The generic diversity of cicadas in India and Bangladesh ranks the highest in
the world, followed by China.
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Locusts • Belonging to family of grasshoppers, they are omnivorous and have life span
of 90 days.
• Four species of locusts are found in India: Desert locust (Schistocerca
gregaria), Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), Bombay Locust
(Nomadacrissuccincta) and Tree locust (Anacridium sp.).
• Three breeding seasons for locusts -Winter breeding [November to
December], Spring breeding [January to June] and Summer breeding [July to
October].
• India has only Summer breeding season.
• Locust Warning Organisation (LWO), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare is responsible for monitoring, survey and control of Desert Locust.
• Toxic pesticides like Malathion and Chlorpyrifos are used to control desert
locust invasion.
Dragonflies • According to the first global assessment of these species in the updated IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species, results show that 16% out of 6,016 species are
at risk of extinction.
• About Dragonfly
o They are highly sensitive indicators of the state of freshwater
ecosystems.
o Major threats to them include clearing of forests for residential and
commercial construction, Disruption to river flow as a result of
hydropower plant, dam and reservoir construction and water extraction
for agriculture.
Malayan Giant Squirrel • A first-of-its-kind study by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), has projected
that numbers of the Malayan Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) could decline by
90 percent in India by 2050.
• Habitat: Currently found in parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
o The Malayan Giant Squirrel is also distributed through Southern China,
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Burma, the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, and Java.
• The Malayan Giant Squirrel is one of the world’s largest squirrel species that
has a dark upper body, pale underparts, and a long, bushy tail.
• It is not a flying squirrel.
Plant Species
Neelakurinji flowers • Karnataka's Mandalapatti hills are blossoming with the blue Neelakurinji
flowers, which blooms once every 12 years.
o Complete blossoming of these flowers after 12 long years comes after
isolated flowering was reported last year from AnakaraMettu Hills of the
Western Ghat
• About the flowers
o It is a shrub that is found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in
Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
o The Nilgiris, which means blue mountains, got its name from the
purplish-blue flowers of Neelakurinji.
Boesenbergia albolutea & • These two species of plants are now Extinct in the Wild (EW) under IUCN
Boesenbergia rubrolutea which were discovered around 125 years ago.
• Boesenbergiarubrolutea was endemic to Khasi Hill- Meghalaya while
Boesenbergiaalbolutea was endemic to Andaman Island.
o Classified under the genus Boesenbergia, the species belong to the family
Zingiberaceae, the ginger family of flowering plants.
• Possible reasons for their disappearance include climate change, human
interference and over-exploitation, or natural calamities.
AgarWood (Aquilaria • Tripura Government released Tripura Agarwood Policy,
Malaccensis) 2021 to make its Agarwood industry a Rs. 20 billion
industry in the next 5 years.
• Agarwood is an evergreen tree found in Northeastern
India (with Assam and Tripura as main regions) and other
parts of the world.
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• AgarWood is an aromatic plant producing highly valued resinous wood,
commonly used for medicinal, aromatic and religious purposes such as
perfume making, Agarbatti etc.
• IUCN status: Critically endangered
Newly discovered species
Allium Negianum • A plant discovered in Uttarakhand in 2019 has been confirmed as a new species
of Allium, the genus that includes many staple foods such as onion and garlic.
o Although new to science, the species has long been known under
domestic cultivation to local communities.
o With a narrow distribution, this newly described species is restricted to
the region of western Himalayas and hasn’t yet been reported from
anywhere else in the world.
Tibetan woolly flying squirrel • Recently, 2 new species of woolly flying squirrels, named Tibetan woolly flying
and the Yunnan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurustibetensis) and the Yunnan woolly flying squirrel
squirrel (Eupetaurusnivamons), has been found in Himalayas.
• The Woolly Flying Squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) is listed as an endangered
species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN).
• It is the largest gliding mammal and rarest and least studied
mammals in the world, for a long time. For much of the 20th
century, it was thought to be extinct, until it was rediscovered
in 1994 in northern Pakistan.
Bryumbharatiensis • It is a new moss species discovered in eastern Antarctica by Indian scientists.
o This is the first time India discovered a plant species since the research
station was set up in Antarctica in 1984.
Gravelyiaboro • It is the newly discovered burrow spider.
o It was found Jharbari range of western Assam's Chirang Reserve Forest.
o Its name has been derived from the Bodo community, one of the largest
ethno-linguistic groups in Assam.
Deep-sea mollusc • A new species of deep sea molluscs belonging to the family Xylophaga been
(Xylophaganandani) identified from the Arabian Sea for the first time.
• The word 'xylophaga' itself denotes 'wood eating'.
• They are deep-sea dwellers, their presence recorded even at depths of 7,000
metres.
o About mollusc -It is an animal such as a snail, clam, or octopus which has a
soft body. They have important commercial benefits such as fisheries and
mariculture.
Schistura Hiranyakeshi • A new freshwater fish species was discovered near Amboli in Western ghats
in Sindhudurg district.
o Maharashtra declared the as a biodiversity heritage site.
• Schistura Hiranyakeshi is a rare sub-species of Schistura, a freshwater loach.
• The fish was named after the Hiranyakeshi river near Amboli village.
Subdoluseps Nilgiriensis (Asian • A new species of an Asian gracile skink has been discovered recently at
Gracile skink) Anaikatti hills, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
• New species are closely related to Subdoluseps Pruthi that is found in parts of
the Eastern Ghats.
• It is currently considered a vulnerable species as there are potential threats
from seasonal forest fires, housing constructions, and brick kiln industries in
the area.
Pyrostria Laljii • A 15-meter tall tree that belongs to the genus of the coffee family has recently
been discovered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The new species Pyrostria Laljii, is also the first record of the genus Pyrostria in
India.
• Trees belonging to these species are usually found in Madagascar.
• The tree is distinguished by a long stem with a whitish coating on the trunk and
oblong-obovate leaves with a cuneate base and was first reported
from Wandoor forest in South Andaman.
• Other places where trees could be located are: Jarawa reserve forest, Chidia
tapu forest.
• IUCN status: Critically endangered.
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3.6. FORESTS
3.6.1. INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT (ISFR) 2021
Why in News?
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate
Change (MoEFCC) recently released the India State of
Forest Report (ISFR) 2021.
About India State of Forest Report (ISFR)
• It is an assessment of India’s forest and tree cover,
published every two years by the Forest Survey of
India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests
and Climate Change.
• The first survey was published in 1987, and ISFR 2021 is the 17th report.
• With data computed through wall-to-wall mapping of India’s forest cover through remote sensing
techniques, the ISFR is used in planning and formulation of policies in forest management as well as
forestry and agroforestry sectors.
• New Chapters introduced in ISFR, 2021:
o Forest Cover assessment in Tiger reserves and Tiger corridor areas of the country.
o Above Ground Biomass Estimation using Synthetic Aperture Radar data, based on a study carried out
by FSI in collaboration with Space Application Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad.
o Mapping of Climate Change Hotspots in Indian Forests based on a study carried out by FSI in
collaboration with BITS Pilani, Goa campus.
Key Findings
*Trends below are in comparison to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR 2019, unless otherwise mentioned.
Forest cover (All • Total forest cover: 7,13,789 sq km (21.71% of the geographical area of India)
tree patches that • Trends:
have canopy Total forest cover Increase of 1,540 sq
density of more
km (0.22%)
than 10% and area
Very Dense Increase of 501 sq km
of one hectare or
Forest (VDF)
more in size)
Moderately Decrease of 1,582 sq
Dense Forest km
(MDF)
Open Forest (OF) Increase of 2,621 sq
km
Scrub (not Increase of 242 sq km
included in forest
cover)
• Top 5 states in Total Forest cover: Madhya
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra.
• Top 5 states by percent of State’s Geographic Area under Forest Cover: Mizoram (84.53%),
Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland.
Tree cover • Total tree cover: 95,748 sq km (2.91% of the geographical area)
(Patches of trees • State with Maximum Tree cover: Maharashtra.
as well as isolated • Trend: Increase of 721 sq km (0.76%)
trees outside the
Recorded Forest
Area on areas less
than one hectare)
Trees Outside • TOF: 29.29 million hectares (36.18% of the total forest and tree cover of India).
Forests (TOF) • States having largest extent of TOF: Maharashtra followed by Odisha and Karnataka.
• States/UTs having maximum percentage of TOF: Lakshadweep, followed by Kerala and Goa.
Forest Cover • Trends:
w.r.t. Recorded o Forest cover inside the RFA/GW: increase of 31 sq km
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Forest Area (RFA) o Forest cover outside the RFA/GW: increase of 1,509 sq km
or Green Wash
(GW)
Area Specific Forest cover in the hill districts
Forest Cover • Total Forest Cover: 40.17% of the total geographical area of these districts.
• Trend in forest cover: decrease of 902 sq km (0.32%) in 140 hill districts.
Tribal districts
• Total forest cover: 37.53% of the geographical area of these districts.
• Trend in forest cover:
o decrease of 655 sq km inside the RFA/GW in the tribal districts
o increase of 600 sq km outside the RFA/GW in the tribal districts.
Northeastern region
• Total forest cover: 64.66% of its geographical area.
• Trend in forest cover: decrease of 1,020 sq km (0.60%).
Forest Cover in • Forest cover in the TR:
Tiger reserves 55,666.27 sq km (7.80% of
(TR) and Tiger the country's total forest
corridor (TC) cover and 74.51% of the
total area of TRs)
o TR with Largest Forest
Cover:
Nagarjunasagar-
Srisailam Tiger
Reserve, Andhra
Pradesh
• Forest cover in the Tiger
corridors: 11,575.12 sq km
(1.62 % of the country's total
forest cover)
Decadal Changes between 2011 and 2021 assessments:
• Forest cover in TR: Decreased by 22.6 sq km (0.04%).
• Forest cover in TC: Increased by 37.15 sq km (0.32%).
• TR with Highest Gain in Forest cover: Buxa, West Bengal.
• TR with Highest Losses in Forest cover: Kawal, Telangana.
Growing stock of • Total growing stock of wood: 6,167.50 million cum comprising 4388.15 million cum inside
wood forest areas and 1779.35 million cum outside recorded forest areas (TOF).
• Average growing stock per hectare in forest: 56.60 cum.
Mangrove cover • Total Area: 4992 sq km (0.15% of country’s geographical area)
• Top states & UTs with Mangrove Cover: West Bengal, Gujarat, A&N Islands, Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Odisha.
• Trends:
o Total Area: Increased by 17 sq km (0.34%)
o States showing increase in mangrove cover: Odisha and Maharashtra
Bamboo • Total bamboo bearing area: 15 sq km.
resources • Trends:
o Total area: Decrease of 10,594 sq km.
o State with highest increase in bamboo bearing area: Mizoram
o State with highest decrease in bamboo bearing area: Madhya Pradesh.
• Top state in terms of Bamboo Bearing Area (%): Madhya Pradesh.
Forest carbon • Total carbon stock in forest: 7,204.0 million tonnes.
stock o Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) represents the largest pool of carbon stock in forests.
• Trend: Increase of 79.4 million tonnes in the carbon stock of the country.
Fire prone forest • 22.27% of the forest cover of the country is highly to extremely fire prone.
areas • Top 3 States according to number of forest fire detected by FSI: Odisha, Madhya Pradesh
and Chhattisgarh.
Climate Hotspots • As per the Climate Hotspot projections for the studied periods i.e. 2030, 2050 and 2085-
States/UTs projected to witness highest temperature increase: Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand .
• States/UTs projected to witness the least temperature rise: Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
West Bengal, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
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• Regions projected to experience the highest increase in rainfall: The North-Eastern States
and Upper Malabar Coast of India.
• Regions projected to experience least increase and sometimes even decline in rainfall: part
of North-Eastern States like Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim; North-Western parts of the country
namely Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
3.6.2. AMENDMENTS IN FOREST CONSERVATION ACT

Why in News? Definition of Forest: T N Godavarman case
Recently, the Ministry of • Till 1996 concerned authorities used to apply the provisions of the Act
only to the forests notified under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
Environment, Forests and Climate
• However, following a Supreme Court judgment in T N Godavarman
Change (MoEFCC) issued a letter and
case, the definition of “forest” was expanded to include:
consultation paper that documented o All areas recorded as “forest” in any government (Union and
proposed changes to the Forest State) record, irrespective of ownership, recognition and
Conservation Act, 1980 (FCA). classification.
o All areas that conformed to the “dictionary” meaning of “forest.
About Forest Conservation Act, 1980
o Areas which are identified as “forest” by an expert committee
• The Forest (Conservation) Act, constituted by the Supreme Court following the 1996 order.
1980, came into force to provide • Thus, forest lands in India include unclassified forests, undemarcated
for the conservation of forests in forests, existing or deemed forests, protected forests, reserved
India. forests, sanctuaries and national parks etc.
• The Act prohibits state and other
authorities, except with the prior approval of the Central Government, to give any order directing:
o de-reservation of forest;
o use of forest land for non-forest purpose;
o assigning any forest land or its portion by way of lease to any private person or organization;
o Clearing of trees which have grown naturally in forested land.
• Any diversion of land for non-forest purpose requires approval under the Act as well as payment of
stipulated compensatory levies such as Net Present Value (NPV), Compensatory Afforestation (CA), etc.
• Power to make rules: The Act empowers Central Government to make rules for carrying out the
provisions of this Act.
• Definition of Non- Forest purpose: It means the breaking up or clearing of any forest land for the
cultivation of tea, coffee, spices, medicinal plants, etc. and for any purpose other than reforestation.
o Non-forest purposes don't include work relating or ancillary to conservation, development and
management of forests and wildlife like establishment of check-posts, fire lines, wireless
communications and construction of fencing, etc.
• Constitution of Advisory Committee: The Central Government may constitute a Committee consisting to
advise that Government for the grant of approval and any other matter connected with the conservation
of forests.
• Penalties: Contravention of any of the provisions of the Act is punishable imprisonment of upto fifteen
days.
• Offences by the Authorities and Government Departments are punishable as well.
• Appeal: Any person aggrieved may file an appeal to the National Green Tribunal.
Proposed Amendments
Scope of the Act • To define ‘forests’ in an objective manner.
Land Acquired before 1980 • Exempt unused land with vegetation acquired by various ministries, including
Ministry of Road, Railway, Defense etc., before 1980 for construction/expansion
purposes from the purview of the Act.
Differences in land records • Revenue records to be statutorily required to reflect the occupier and the nature
of forests of land including forest.
• Lands identified as plantation, afforestation etc. after 12.12.1996 to remain outside
the purview of the Act to encourage forestry activities.
Construction alongside road • Exemption of land up to 0.05 ha alongside roads and railway lines from the
and railways purview of the Act.
Conservation of Pristine • Introducing an enabling provision in the Act to keep certain pristine forests
Land showcasing rich ecological values intact for a specific period.
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Development of • Projects of national importance to be exempted from obtaining prior approval of
infrastructure along the Central Government
international border areas • To allow the states to permit non-forest use of such lands.
Misuse of provisions by • Delete 2(iii) of the Act which allows for assignment of lease which requires detailed
mining companies examination of the proposal and payment of other compensatory levies such as
CA in addition to NPV.
• 2 (ii) which allows for use of forest land for non-forestry purpose by paying only
NPV, can be invoked for any kind of lease assignment having an intention of using
for non-forestry purpose.
New drilling technologies • New environmentally friendly technologies which enables exploration or
extraction of oil & natural gas deep beneath without impacting the forest soil or
aquifer to be kept outside the purview of Act.
Private land covered under • Allow owners of private lands coming under definition of forest, for construction
definition of forests of structures and residential unit up to an area of 250 sq mtr as one time relaxation.
Activities related to • Activities like establishment of zoos, safaris, Forest Training infrastructures etc. to
conservation of forests and be excluded from "non-forestry activity" as activities which are ancillary to
wildlife conservation of forests and wildlife.
Imposition of compensatory • Double imposition of any levy should be removed.
levies
Penal Provisions • Offences to be made cognizable, non-bailable and punishable with imprisonment
of upto one year.
• In case any authority in the State Government or Union territory Administration is
involved the compensation shall be deposited in the National CAMPA rather than
in State CAMPA.
Related News: Participatory Forest Management
• Gudalur’s Gene Pool Garden (Tamil Nadu) is an example of participatory forest management (PFM).
o It was established in 1989 under Hill Area Development Programme in the Gudalur forest division, Nilgiris
district of Tamil Nadu.
o PFM works on 'co-management' and a 'give and take' relationship between village communities and the
Forest Department.
• It was created with following objectives
o In situ conservation of available endemic plant species.
o Ex situ conservation of rare, endangered and threatened plant species.
3.6.3. WORLD HERITAGE FORESTS

Why in News?
Recently, UNESCO, World Resources Institute (WRI) and International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) released this report.
More in News
• Report provides the first global scientific assessment of greenhouse gas emissions and sequestration by
forests in UNESCO World Heritage sites (WHS).
o Most of the World Heritage Forest carbon is stored in tropical sites.
• Report estimates that forests across WHS removed approximately 190 million tonnes of CO2 per year
between 2001 and 2020 from the atmosphere.
Key Findings of the report
• Over the past 20 years, WHS lost 3.5 million hectares of forest and forests in 10 World Heritage sites
emitted more carbon than they absorbed.
• Two most widespread threats to UNESCO WHF-
o Climate change with associated severe weather (e.g., fires, storms, floods, droughts, temperature
extremes, and habitat shifting/alteration).
o Land-use pressures associated with various human activities such as illegal logging, wood harvesting,
and agricultural encroachment due to livestock farming/grazing and crops.
• India’s Sundarbans National Park is among five sites that have the highest blue carbon stocks globally.
o Blue carbon is the organic carbon (mainly obtained from decaying plant leaves, wood, roots and
animals) stored in coastal and marine ecosystems.
o Blue carbon ecosystems include seagrass meadows, tidal marshes and mangroves.
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About World Heritage sites
• World Heritage Sites are cultural and/or natural sites of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, which are important across
countries and generations.
o UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage
around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
o This is embodied in Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage,
adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
• They are distributed across more than 110 countries and cover approximately 350 million hectares (Mha).
Collectively, they include almost 1% of the Earth’s land surface and 0.6% of the world’s oceans.
• UNESCO has designated 40 WHS in India- 32 Cultural, 7 Natural and 1 Mixed.
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3.7. LAKES, WETLANDS AND COASTLANDS
3.7.1. CORAL REEF
Why in news?
Recently, the report ‘Sixth status of the Corals of the World’ by Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
(GCRMN) stated that 14% of Coral reefs are lost since 2010.
About Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
(GCRMN)
• It is an operational network of the International
Coral Reef Initiative that aims to provide the best
available scientific information on the status and
trends of coral reef ecosystems for their
conservation and management.
o The GCRMN is a global network of scientists,
managers and organisations that monitor
the condition of coral reefs throughout the
world.
• The flagship product of the GCRMN is the ‘Status
of Coral Reefs of the World report’, that
describes the status and trends of coral reefs
worldwide.
• The global dataset spanned more than 40 years
from 1978 to 2019 and consisted of observations
from 73 reef-bearing countries around the world.
Threats
• Ocean Acidification: inhibits coral's ability to
produce the calcium
Where are Coral Reefs found?
carbonate exoskeletons,
• These are found in more than 100 countries around the world.
making them more
• Most reefs are located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, in
vulnerable to disease and the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Red Sea, and
destruction by storms. the Persian Gulf.
• Coral Bleaching: When o Corals are also found farther from the equator in places where warm
corals are stressed due to currents flow out of the tropics, such as in Florida and southern Japan.
warmer ocean waters, they
eject the symbiotic algae,
losing their built-in food
source.
• Water pollution:
Agricultural pesticides and
fertilizers (reason for algal
blooms), oil and gasoline,
sewage discharge and
sediment from eroded
landscapes make it difficult
for coral to thrive.
• Sea level rise: corals are
predicted to end up deeper
underwater, receive less
sunlight and grow more
slowly.
• Stronger Storms: can break
coral branches and overturn coral colonies.
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• Destructive and Unsustainable fishing practices such as cyanide fishing (spraying cyanide in the water
stuns the fish to make them easier to catch), ‘blast fishing’.
• Habitat Destruction: Coral mining, construction, Coral collecting, unsustainable tourism, Mangrove
destruction affect the habitat and impact coral reefs adversely.
• Measures taken in India for protection of coral reefs
o Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction system (COMAPS), Land Ocean Interactions in Coastal zones
(LOICZ) and Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM).
o Coral Bleaching Alert System to assess thermal stress accumulated in corals.
o Coral Reef Recovery Project by Wildlife Trust of India and Gujarat Forest Department.
Related News:
Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR)
• The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) has launched a fundraising campaign that will culminate at the UN Climate
Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021.
• Officially announced in 2020, GFCR is a 10-year, $625 million blended finance vehicle established through a coalition
between United Nations agencies, financial institutions, and private philanthropy sources.
o Administered by the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office, it is the first United Nations trust fund specifically
focused on SDG 14 (“Life Below Water”).
o The fund responds to the “coral reef funding gap” and fragmentation of funding for coral reef conservation
and restoration projects.
Demand to reclassify ‘Toxic 3 Os’ used in sunscreen
• US activists, politicians have submitted a Citizen Petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reclassify
Toxic 3 Os (oxybenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene).
• They urged that these chemicals be shifted to “Not Generally Recognized as Safe & Effective” (GRASE Category
II).
• These ‘Toxic 3 Os’ are active ingredients present in more than two-thirds of all sunscreens.
• They pose a threat to public health, marine life and coral reefs.
Rose-shaped corals
• Scientists have discovered a pristine, 3-km long reef of giant rose-shaped corals off the coast of Tahiti.
o Discovery suggests that there may be many more unknown large reefs in our oceans, given that only about
20% of the entire seabed is mapped.
• The island of Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia. Papeete, on Tahiti’s northwestern coast, is the capital
and administrative centre of French Polynesia.
• French Polynesia is overseas collectivity of France consisting of five archipelagos in the south-central Pacific
Ocean.
3.7.2. NEW RAMSAR SITES

Why in News?
Seven new Wetlands were designated as Ramsar Sites in India in the year 2021.
About Ramsar convention, 1971
• It is an intergovernmental international treaty, signed in Ramsar (Iran) to preserve ecological character
of selected wetlands across the globe.
• India is a party to the Convention.
• It aims to develop a global network of wetlands for conservation of biological diversity and for sustaining
human life.
• The wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.
• Ramsar Sites are included in List of Wetlands of International Importance.
• The inclusion of a wetland in the List embodies the government’s commitment to take steps necessary to
ensure that its ecological character is maintained.
• Largest Ramsar Site by area in India- Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal
• Smallest Ramsar Site by area in India-Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh
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Nine criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance
1. Contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the
appropriate biogeographic region.
2. Supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.
3. Supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a
particular biogeographic region.
4. Supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse
conditions.
5. Regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.
6. Supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.
7. Supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species
interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes
to global biological diversity.
8. Important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either
within the wetland or elsewhere, depend. Specific criteria based on other taxa
9. Supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent nonavian animal
species.
Wetlands that were recently declared as Ramsar sites
Wetland Details
Haiderpur • Located in- Uttar Pradesh.
wetland • This human-made wetland was formed in 1984 by the construction of the Madhya Ganga Barrage on
a floodplain of the River Ganga and is a part of Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Fauna and Flora: 15 globally threatened species, such as the critically endangered gharial and the
endangered hog deer, black-bellied tern, steppe eagle, Indian skimmer and gold mahseer,
vulnerable swamp deer, near-threatened Indian grassbird.
Wadhvana • Located in- Gujarat.
Wetland • This reservoir was created in 1910 by the former Baroda State.
• It provides wintering ground to migratory waterbirds, including over 80 species that migrate on the
Central Asian Flyway.
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• Fauna and Flora: Migratory birds include endangered Pallas’s fish-eagle, the vulnerable common
pochard, and the near-threatened Dalmatian pelican, grey-headed fish-eagle and ferruginous duck,
red-crested pochard. Resident birds include the vulnerable river tern and sarus crane and the near-
threatened black-necked stork.
Khijadia • Located in- Gujarat
Wildlife • This freshwater wetland near the coast of the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat State was formed following
Sanctuary the creation of a bund (dike) in 1920 to protect farmland from saltwater ingress.
• Fauna and Flora: critically endangered Indian bdellium-tree, Dalmatian pelican , greylag goose.
Bhindawas • Located in- Rohtak, Haryana
Wildlife • Human-made freshwater wetland and is the largest wetland in Haryana State.
Sanctuary • The wetland was declared as a protected area in 1986 and was designated as an Eco-sensitive zone
by the MoEFCC in 2011.
• Fauna and Flora: Threatened species like Egyptian vulture, steppe eagle, Pallas’s fish eagle, black-
bellied tern; Mammals like nilgai, common mongoose and black-naped hare.
Sultanpur • Located in- Gurugram, Haryana
National • This shallow lake at the core of the Sultanpur National Park is fed by the overflow from neighbouring
Park canals and fields, and replenished by saline groundwater.
• MoEFCC declared the area within five kilometres of the Park as an eco-sensitive zone.
• Fauna and Flora: critically endangered sociable lapwing, endangered Egyptian vulture, saker falcon,
Pallas’s fish eagle and black-bellied tern.
Thol Lake • Located in- Mehsana district, Gujarat.
Wildlife • It is on the Central Asian Flyway.
Sanctuary • Fauna and Flora: critically endangered white-rumped vulture and sociable lapwing and the
vulnerable sarus crane common pochard and lesser white-fronted goose.
Bakhira • Located in- Uttar Pradesh
Wildlife • It provides a safe wintering and staging ground for a large number of species of the Central Asian
Sanctuary flyway.
Related News: Wetlands of India Portal Launched
• Launched by MoEFCC, the portal is an initiative to provide a single point access system that synthesizes
information dissemination regarding wetland sites of the country, projects, initiatives and trainings.
• It is 46 Indian sites have been recognised as wetlands of international importance under Ramsar Convention
3.7.3. BLUE FLAG CERTIFICATION

Why in news?
Two more Indian beaches get coveted
International Blue Flag Certification.
More on the news
• With the inclusion of Kovalam (Tamil
Nadu) and Eden (Puducherry) beaches,
India now has 10 Blue Flag beaches (refer
infographic).
• Blue Flag beach is an Eco-tourism model
to provide tourists/beach goers clean and
hygienic bathing water,
facilities/amenities, safe and healthy
environment and sustainable
development of the area.
• Certification is accorded by Denmark
based Foundation for Environment Education.
o It is based on 33 criteria in four major heads: Environmental Education and Information, Bathing
Water Quality, Environment Management and Conservation and Safety and Services in the beaches.
• Earlier Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched eco-label BEAMS (Beach
Environment & Aesthetics Management Services) under ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management)
project to protect and conserve coastal and marine ecosystems through holistic management of
resources.
o ICZM is to promote sustainable development & management of coastal zones.
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3.7.4. AMENDMENTS TO THE COASTAL REGULATION ZONE (CRZ)
NOTIFICATION, 2019
Why in News?
Draft notification was recently issued proposing
amendments to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
Notification, 2019.
About the Draft Amendments
• The notification has been issued in exercise of
the powers conferred by Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986.
• Key changes proposed:
o Development and Production of oil and
natural gas and Exploratory drilling
operations shall be exempted from prior
CRZ clearance.
o Purely temporary and seasonal structures
(shacks) customarily put up may be
retained during the monsoon season with
adequate precautions.
o Till Integrated Island Management Plans (IIMPs), as applicable to smaller islands in Lakshadweep and
Andaman & Nicobar are formulated by respective States/UTs, CRZ Notification 2011 shall continue to
apply.
o The sand bars in the intertidal areas shall be removed by traditional coastal communities only by
manual method.
• About CRZ
o Coastal Stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters which are influenced by tidal
action up to 500 metres from High Tide Line (HTL) and land between Low Tide Line (LTL) and the HTL,
are classified under CRZ.
o CRZs are declared by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change under the Environment
Protection Act 1986.
o CRZ regulation 2019 that aim to promote sustainable development based on scientific principles.
3.8. OTHER BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVES IN NEWS

Finance for • Recently, the report by Finance for Biodiversity (F4B) reported that public banks worldwide are
Biodiversity responsible for $800 billion in damages to nature annually, due to their investments in nature-
Initiative based services.
• Among the G20 countries, China and India have the highest dependency risk (countries
dependence on nature), whereas India has the highest nature at risk.
• About Finance for Biodiversity Initiative
o It was started in October 2019 by the MAVA Foundation based in Switzerland and receives
support from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and the Gordon and Betty
Moore Foundation.
✓ MAVA foundation has a mission to conserve biodiversity for the benefit of people and
nature.
o Its goal is to increase the materiality of biodiversity in financial decision-making and so better
align global finance with nature conservation and restoration.
o Their work is organized across five workstreams: Market efficiency and innovation, Enhanced
liability, Citizen engagement, public finance, Nature markets.
Leaf Coalition • The LEAF Coalition was launched by an initial group of governments (Norway, UK, US) and
leading companies (like Amazon, Nestle etc.) to mobilise finance for protection of tropical
forest.
• The LEAF (Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance) coalition aims to mobilize at least
$1 billion in finance to support tropical and subtropical forest countries to move rapidly towards
reducing emissions from deforestation.
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• It is expected to become one of the largest public-private efforts that support countries in
achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and the
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism.
• Reductions in emissions are to be made through programs that involve all key stakeholders,
including Indigenous peoples and local communities.
BiodiverCities • It is a joint initiative of the World Economic Forum and the Government of Colombia.
by 2030 • It aims to support city governments, businesses and citizens, to enable cities to live in harmony
initiative with nature by 2030.
• The initiative brings together multidisciplinary expertize, combines existing initiatives and
surfaces innovative solutions to promote sustainable, inclusive and nature-positive urban
development at a global scale.
Vulture • Vulture census will be conducted in March after 6-year gap.
census • The census would be conducted by scientists at the Bombay Natural History Society (a
conservation NGO), along with teams from the 13 states and the MoEFCC.
• 3 Indian vulture species are Critically Endangered: Slender-billed Vulture, White-rumped vulture
and Indian Vulture.
• Population of vultures started declining in 1990s due to kidney failure caused by diclofenac (an
anti-inflammatory drug administered to livestock).
• The ‘Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025’ proposes to establish Vulture Conservation
Breeding Centres.
PARIVESH • Pro Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single window
Portal Hub (PARIVESH) Portal is a single window integrated system developed for online submission
and monitoring of the proposals for seeking Environment, Forest, Wildlife and CRZ Clearances
from Central, State and district level authorities.
• As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the average time to grant
environmental clearances in all sectors has reduced significantly from over 150 days in 2019 to
less than 90 days in 2021.
• Further, the ministry has decided to upgrade the portal to provide a “single window” solution
for administration of environmental regulations.
WHO BioHub • The WHO and Switzerland signed a MoU to launch a BioHub facility to allow rapid sharing of
initiative pathogens between laboratories and partners to facilitate safe storage, better analysis,
sequencing and preparedness against them.
• Presently, pathogens are shared bilaterally between countries.
• The initiative will enable member states to share biological materials with and via the BioHub
under pre-agreed conditions, including biosafety, biosecurity, and other applicable regulations.
• The move would further contribute to the establishment of an international exchange system for
novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pathogens.
Biotech- • The first of its kind, Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data
PRIDE Exchange) Guidelines is aimed at providing a framework and guiding principle to facilitate and
Guidelines enable sharing and exchange of biological knowledge, information and data.
• It will be implemented through the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC), which is the first
national repository for life science data in India.
o It is mandated to archive all publicly funded life science data generated at national level.
o Other existing datasets and data centres will be bridged to this IBDC which will be called bio-
grid
Herbal Park • India’s Highest Herbal Park was recently inaugurated.
• The Herbal park is situated at Mana in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, which is the last Indian
village bordering China.
• Situated at a height of 11,000 feet, around 40 species of herbal plants found in high alpine areas
in the Himalayan region are conserved in this park.
• The land for the project (spread over three acres) was provided by the Mana Van panchayat
under the Union government’s Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act (CAMPA).
Panchmuli • Recently, crocodiles were shifted from Panchmuli lake for safety of tourists visiting Statue of
lake Unity (in Kevadia, Gujarat).
• Panchmuli lake, also known as ‘Dyke-3’ of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, was developed for tourists
visiting the Statue of Unity.
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Sea snot • Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, that connects the Black Sea
to the Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest
outbreak of ‘sea snot’.
• Sea snot, or marine mucilage, is a naturally-occurring
green sludge that forms when algae is overloaded
with nutrients because of hot weather and water
pollution.
• The nutrient overload occurs when algae feast on
warm weather caused by global warming. Water
pollution adds to the problem.
• Impact of sea snot: several species are under threat
(including) oysters, mussels, sea stars; affected the
livelihoods of fishermen etc.
Third pole • According to a recent study by NASA, two lakes (Chibzhang Co and Dorsoidong Co) in the third
pole region grew larger between 1987 and 2021.
o This happened as the mountain glaciers shrunk due to rising temperatures, accelerating ice
loss and meltwater runoff.
• Third Pole encompasses Tibetan Plateau, Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Pamirs and Tien Shan Mountains.
• Meltwater from Third Pole feeds many of Asia’s large lakes and rivers, including Indus,
Brahmaputra, Ganges, Yellow and Yangtze.
Aerial • Recently, Marut Drones (a Hyderabad based startup) came up with an aerial seeding campaign to
seeding overcome the reforestation challenge through its Hara Bhara initiative.
o Earlier, Haryana Forest Department has employed aerial seeding technique in 2020 to improve
green cover in Aravalli area of Faridabad.
o In 2015, Andhra Pradesh had launched aerial seeding programme using Indian Navy helicopters.
• Aerial seeding is a technique of plantation wherein seed balls – seeds covered with a mixture of
clay, compost, char and other components – are sprayed on the ground using aerial devices,
including planes, helicopters or drones.
o Seed balls after being dispersed in a barren area are expected to dissolve when it rains, and
result in germination of the seeds.
• Advantage of Aerial Seeding:
o Easy plantation in difficult terrains or inaccessible areas, helping to increase forest cover.
o Process of the seed’s germination and growth is such that it requires no attention after it is
dispersed.
o Eliminate the need for ploughing and digging holes in the soil.
• The species selected have to be native to the area, higher survival percentage.

Report Details
Protected Planet • Released by: UN
Report 2020 Environment World
Conservation Monitoring
Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the
International Union for
Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) and the National
Geographic Society.
• Protected Planet Reports are
biennial landmark
publications that assess the
state of protected and
conserved areas around the world.
• The 2020 edition provides the final report on the status of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11
and looks to the future as the world prepares to adopt a new post-2020 global
biodiversity framework.
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• It is the first in the series to include data on other effective area-based conservation
measures (OECMs) in addition to protected areas.
o Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are conservation
designation for areas that are achieving the effective in-situ conservation of
biodiversity outside of protected areas.
o While protected areas must have conservation as a primary objective, there is no
restriction on the management objectives of OECMs, provided those objectives
result in effective long-term conservation outcomes for biodiversity.
Conflict and • Released by: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Conservation • It focuses on the complex relationships between nature and armed conflict.
• Key highlights of the report
o Major threats posed by the conflict
✓ Direct killing of wildlife (e.g., for food)
✓ Degradation of ecosystems
✓ Disruption of conservation efforts
o Armed conflicts were particularly prevalent in some of the world's more
biodiverse regions.
o Conflicts were less frequent within the boundaries of natural reserves and other
protected areas.
o Degradation of nature was associated with increased risk of conflict.
Nature in a Globalised • Released by: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
World • This is the first report in the IUCN flagship report series Nature in a Globalised World.
The purpose of this series is to help bring the importance of nature conservation into
mainstream political and economic decision-making.
A future for all - the • Released by- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and UN Environment Programme
need for human- (UNEP).
wildlife coexistence • Key findings:
report o India will be most-affected by human-wildlife conflict, according to report.
✓ This was because it had world’s second-largest human population as well as
large populations of tigers, Asian elephants, one-horned rhinos, Asiatic lions
and other species.
✓ India’s elephants are restricted to just 3-4% of their original habitat.
Nature-based solutions • A report titled ‘State of Finance for Nature Report’ was released by: United Nations
(NBS) Environment Programme, the World Economic Forum and the Economics of Land
Degradation (ELD).
o ELD, a global strategy for sustainable land management, is a global initiative
established in 2011 by United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
supported by a broad network of partners across diverse fields of knowledge.
o Report highlights importance of investing in nature-based solutions (NBS) to meet
global biodiversity and land degradation targets.
• NBS are actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified
ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously
providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits.
• Key findings of the report
o More than half of the world’s total GDP is moderately/highly dependent on nature.
Agriculture, food and beverages and construction are the largest sectors
dependent on nature.
o Global biodiversity and land degradation targets can be met only if annual
investments in NBS are tripled by 2030 and increased four-fold by 2050 from the
current level of investments.
• Currently, Public sector spending for NBS is dominated by the United States and China,
followed by Japan, Germany and Australia.
Ecosystem Restoration • A report titled ‘Ecosystem Restoration for People, Nature and Climate’ was recently
released by UNEP in association with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
o The report has been published for UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration:2021-
2030.
• Ecosystem Restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been
degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.
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• Key findings
o We are using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our current way of life, and
ecosystems cannot keep up with our demands.
o Every year ecosystem services worth more than 10% of our global economic
output is lost.
o Around 1/3rd of the world’s farmland is degraded, about 87% of inland wetlands
worldwide have disappeared since 1700, and 1/3rd of commercial fish species are
overexploited.
o Degradation is already affecting the well-being of 40% of the world’s population.
• Restoration is essential for keeping global temperature rise below 2°C among other
benefits.
State of the World’s • Released by- London-based Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).
Trees 2021 o BGCI is an independent UK charity established in 1987 to link the botanic gardens
of the world in a global network for plant conservation.
o It is a membership organisation, representing botanic gardens in more than 100
countries around the world.
• According to the report, India’s 18% tree species are threatened with extinction. India
is also home to 650 endemic tree species that are not found anywhere else.
State of India’s • Released by: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)
Environment Report o CSE is a public interest research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi.
2021 • India’s rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
• The reasons for drop are challenges like
o Ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2),
o Achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and
o Building resilient infrastructure, sustainable industrialisation and innovation (SDG
9).
• India ranked below four South Asian countries — Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and
Bangladesh.
o Overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100.
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4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
4.1. GROSS ENVIRONMENT PRODUCT
Why in news?
On World Environment
Day, Uttarakhand
became the first state
in India to take into
account Gross
Environment Product
(GEP) while calculating
its Gross Domestic
Product (GDP).
More in news
• Four critical
natural resources-
Air, Water, Forest
and Soil- will be
assigned monetary
values. The quality
and quantity of
these natural
resources would
determine the GEP
of Uttarakhand.
What is GEP?
• It is the total value
of final ecosystem
services supplied to human well-being in a region annually and can be measured in terms of biophysical
value and monetary value.
• It indicates the overall health of the environment as GEP measures prime indicators such as forest cover,
soil erosion, air quality and dissolved oxygen in river water.
• Unlike Green GDP which is obtained after deducting the damage to the environment from the total
production of the state, GEP will assess the improvement in the environment components in a year.
Further it will tell how much work the state has done in reducing the loss of the ecosystem in
environmental protection and resource use.
Other global standards /initiatives
System of Environmental Guidebook developed by the United Nations to provide standards for incorporating
and Economic Accounts natural capital and environmental quality into national accounting systems.
(SEEA)
Happy Planet Index (HPI) It was created by the British New Economics Foundation (NEF) to measure national
welfare in the context of environmental sustainability.
Bhutan’s Gross National It has environmental preservation as one of the four policy objectives.
Happiness (GNH)
Other • China (since 2004) has been undertaking studies to estimate the cost of various types
of environmental damage which offsets its economic growth.
• Sweden (since 2003) has brought in various environmental indicators (like air
emissions, waste etc.) as part of the government policy of achieving sustainable
development
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4.2. RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATE (REC)
Why in news?
Ministry of Power redesigned Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Mechanism to boost green economy.
About Renewable Energy Certificates (REC)
• REC mechanism in India was introduced in 2010.
• Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) also called as Renewable Energy Credit, is a market based instrument
where the owner of the REC can legally claim to have purchased renewable energy.
• One Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is treated as equivalent to 1 MWh.
o In other words, it represents the environmental benefits associated with one Megawatt-hour of
electricity generated from a renewable energy resource.
• There are two categories of RECs, viz.,
o Solar RECs: issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on solar as renewable energy
source
o Non-solar RECs: issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on renewable energy
sources other than solar.
• RECs are traded in power exchange within the forbearance price and floor price determined by Central
Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) from time to time.
• National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) is responsible for registration of Renewable Energy Generation
Facilities, issuance of Renewable Energy Certificates etc.
• The distribution companies, Open Access consumer, Captive Power Plants (CPPs) are eligible of
purchasing the REC.
• Current status of REC Scheme
o Only 4% of the installed RE capacity stands registered as on December, 2021.
o Wind and solar power account for 58% and 21% share, respectively, of the total registered capacity.
o States with attractive renewable resources such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat
account for 73% share of total registered capacity.
4.3. GREEN DAY AHEAD MARKET (GDAM) PORTAL

Why in News?
Ministry of Power Launched Green Day Ahead Market (GDAM) Portal.
About the Portal
• GDAM portal will operate in integration with the conventional day-ahead market in the power sector,
enabling electricity generation and distribution companies to buy or sell Renewable Energy (RE) through
open access.
o DAM is an electricity trading market for delivery on the following day.
• Power Exchanges will allow participants to submit bids together for both conventional and renewable
energy through separate bidding windows.
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• Significance of GDAM
o It will lead to a gradual shift from Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) based contract to market-based
models.
o Providing competitive price signals to reduce the cost of power.
o Promoting transparency, flexibility and efficiency in green energy trade.
o Create Pan India Green market by unlocking the untapped potential of RE and instant payment to RE
generators.
• Other initiatives taken for promotion of Renewable energy
o Power Exchange India (PXIL) and Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) launched Real-Time Electricity
Market (RTM) platform.
✓ RTM enable buyers and sellers pan-India to meet their energy requirement closer to real time of
operation.
✓ Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) regulates both IEX and PXIL.
o IEX started cross-border electricity trade to build an integrated South Asian regional power market.
4.4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY

4.4.1. GLOBAL FUEL ECONOMY INITIATIVE (GFEI)
Why in news?
According to International Energy Agency’s (IEA)
Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) update progress
towards achieving a global goal to half the fuel
consumption of new light-duty vehicles by 2030 from
2005 levels has been lagging.
About Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI)
• GFEI was founded in 2009 with the purpose of
promoting and supporting government action to
improve energy efficiency of the global light-duty
vehicle fleet.
• It is a partnership between the IEA, UNEP, the
International Transport Forum of the OECD (ITF),
the International Council on Clean Transportation
(ICCT), the University of California-Davis and the FIA
Foundation.
• It has a target of improving average fuel economy
of light duty vehicles by 2030 for new vehicles
(compared with a 2005 baseline) and includes electric and hybrid technology.
4.4.2. ENERGY ACCOUNTING (EA)

Why in news?
Ministry of Power Mandates Electricity
Distribution Companies (DISCOMS) to Undertake
Energy Accounting (EA).
More on the News
• The regulation was issued by Bureau of
Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the provisions
of Energy Conservation (EC) Act, 2001.
• Key regulations
o Quarterly energy accounting by
DISCOMs, through a certified Energy
Manager, within 60 days.
o Annual energy audit by an independent Accredited Energy Auditor.
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o Both annual and quarterly reports will be published in the public domain.
About Energy Accounting (EA)
• EA prescribes accounting of all energy inflows at various voltage levels in the distribution periphery of
the network, including renewable energy generation and open access consumers, as well as energy
consumption by the end consumers.
o EA will provide detailed information about electricity consumption by different categories of
consumers & the transmission and distribution losses in various areas. Enable fixation of
responsibility on officers for losses and theft.
o Enable the DISCOMS to plan for suitable infrastructure up-gradation as well as demand side
management efforts.
Related News: Ministry of Power (MoP) Notifies Rules for the Sustainability of the Electricity Sector and Promotion
of Clean Energy
• New rules are notified (under Electricity Act, 2003) to sustain economic viability of the sector, ease financial stress
of various stakeholders and ensure timely recovery of costs involved in electricity generation.
• Key highlights of the rules
o Compensation shall be payable by the procurer in the event of a curtailment of supply from a must-run power
plant.
o Must run status means that the concerned power plant has to supply electricity to the grid under all
conditions.
o RE generator is also allowed to sell power in the power exchange and recover the cost suitably.
4.5. ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND ENERGY RESOURCES

4.5.1. METHANOL ECONOMY
Why in News?
Recently, India's first
Indigenously Designed
High Ash Coal Gasification
Based Methanol
Production Plant was
inaugurated at BHEL R&D
Centre, Hyderabad.
About Methanol Energy
• Methanol burns
efficiently in all internal combustion
engines, produces no particulate
matter, no soot, almost nil SOx and NOx
emissions.
o Blending of 15% methanol in petrol
will reduce pollution by 33% & diesel
replacement by methanol will
reduce pollution by more than 80%.
• Although slightly lower in energy
content than petrol and diesel,
methanol can replace both these fuels
in Transport sector, Energy sector,
Retail cooking etc.
• Methanol & DME are substantially
cheaper than Petrol and Diesel.
• Methanol has many desirable attributes
which make it an excellent spark-
ignition engine fuel, including high octane number and improved efficiency.
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Initiatives taken in India
• NITI Aayog’s road map for Methanol Economy
• Substitute 10% of Crude imports by 2030, by Methanol alone.
• 20MT of methanol annually can be produced @ Rs. 19 a litre by 2025 by using Indian High Ash coal, Stranded gas,
and Biomass
• Methanol Economy Research Programme, by Department of Science and Technology, for production of Methanol
from various sources including Indian coal and CO2 from thermal plants, steel plants etc.
• Bureau of Indian Standards has notified 20% DME blending with LPG, and a notification for M-15, M-85, M-100
blends has been issued by the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.
• Test standards and plans for the M-15 blend are being evolved in consultation with the Indian Oil Corporation
Limited, Automotive Research Association of India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
• Railway is working towards blending methanol in the range of 5-20% through direct fuel injection in locomotives.
• In 2018, Assam Petrochemicals launched Asia’s first canister-based methanol cooking fuel programme.
• Recently, BHEL developed India’s first pilot plant at Hyderabad using indigenous technology to convert high ash
coal to methanol.
o It uses fluidised bed gasification technology to first produce synthesis (syngas) gas from coal and then
convert it into methanol with 99% purity.
o As part of the Clean Energy Research Initiative from NITI Aayog and funded by the Department of Science
and Technology, it will help India in adoption of clean technology, optimum utilization of Indian energy
reserves and reduce crude oil imports for self-reliance.
4.5.2. ETHANOL BLENDING IN INDIA

Why in News?
Recently, the central government has advanced the target
of 20% ethanol blending in petrol (also called as E20), by
five years to 2025, from 2030.
More in News
• The Government has also released an expert
committee report on the ‘Roadmap for Ethanol
Blending in India by 2025’.
o It proposes a gradual rollout of ethanol-blended
fuel to achieve E10 fuel supply by April 2022 and
phased rollout of E20 from April 2023 to April 2025.
o Earlier, National Biofuel Policy
2018 had envisaged an indicative
target of 20% blending of ethanol
in petrol and 5% blending of
biodiesel in diesel by 2030.
o In 2020, India had set a target of
10% ethanol-blending in petrol by
2022, 20% ethanol-blending in
petrol by 2030 and 10% ethanol-
blending in diesel by 2030.
• It also recommends introducing
vehicles that are compatible by
rolling out of E20 material-
compliant and E10 engine-tuned
vehicles from April 2023 and
production of E20-tuned engine
vehicles from April 2025.
o These efforts will facilitate
setting up of additional ethanol
distillation capacities and will
provide timelines for making
blended fuel available across
the country.
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o It will also help increase consumption of ethanol in the ethanol producing states and the adjoining
regions before the year 2025.
Recent Initiatives to promote bioethanol
What is ethanol blending? • Under PM-JIVAN (Jaiv Indhan- Vatavaran Anukool
fasal awashesh Nivaran) Yojana, 12 commercial
• An ethanol blend is defined as a blended motor plants and 10 demonstration plants of Second
fuel containing ethyl alcohol that is at least 99% Generation (2G) Bio-Refineries are envisaged to be
pure, derived from agricultural products, and set up in areas having sufficient availability of
blended exclusively with gasoline. biomass so that ethanol is available for blending
o Since it is plant-based, it is considered to be throughout the country.
a renewable fuel. • 2G plants utilise surplus biomass and agricultural
• Government has allowed ethanol production/ waste to produce bioethanol.
procurement from sugarcane-based raw • Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
materials viz. C & B heavy molasses, sugarcane approved ₹8,460 crore Modified scheme for
extending interest subvention for those setting up
juice / sugar / sugar syrup, surplus rice with Food
standalone ethanol distilleries using grain,
Corporation of India (FCI) and Maize. molasses, dual feed, sugar beet, sweet sorghum and
• The Oil Marketing Companies are to procure cereals as a feedstock.
ethanol from domestic sources and blends o The focus is on increasing India’s ethanol
ethanol at its terminals. production capacity.
o Government has been notifying • Prime Minister has launched a Pilot Project of E 100
administered price of ethanol since 2014. dispensing stations at three locations in Pune.
• Department of Food and Public Distribution
(DFPD) is the nodal department for promotion of fuel grade ethanol producing distilleries in the country.
Related News:
Notification of Mass Emission Standards for E12 AND E15 Fuels by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
• The mass emission standards for E 12 (12% Ethanol with Gasoline) and E15 (15% Ethanol with gasoline) fuels are
notified under the Central Motor Vehicles (Twenty Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2021.
o This will enable the Automotive Industry to manufacture E 12 and E 15 compliant motor vehicles.
o The compatibility of vehicle to the level of ethanol blend shall be displayed on vehicle by putting a clearly
visible sticker.
o This is in line with India’s Ethanol Blending Program which sets a target of 20% Ethanol blending with gasoline
by 2023-24.
Government issues advisory to carmakers to introduce flex-fuel engines in vehicles
• Car makers have been given six months to introduce flex fuels so that cars can also run on ethanolin the future.
• Flex Fuel Vehicle is a modified version of vehicles that could run both on gasoline and blended petrol with
different levels of ethanol blends.
o These are currently being used successfully in Brazil, giving people the option to switch fuel (gasoline and
ethanol).
Cassava (Tapioca)
• ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) has identified Cassava (tapioca) as a promising raw material
for bioethanol production to meet Ethanol Blending Petrol (EBP) programme target of 2025.
• About Cassava:
• Its starch with its unique physico-chemical and functional properties finds extensive applications in the food and
industrial sectors.
• The agricultural residues of cassava such as peels, stems and leaves are potential feedstock for 2G bioethanol
production.
• Major production is from Tamil Nadu, followed by Kerala.
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4.5.3. USED COOKING OIL BASED BIODIESEL
Why in News?
Recently, Indian Oil Corporation has kicked-off the supply of diesel that is blended with biodiesel made from
used cooking oil.
About Used Cooking Oil (UCO)
• UCOs are oils and fats that have been used for cooking or frying in the food processing industry,
restaurants, fast foods and at consumer level, in households.
o UCO must contain only fats, oils, or greases that were previously used for cooking or frying
operations.
• UCO is an important source of raw material to produce biodiesel.
• It is also used for making soap, cosmetics, cooking oil, and animal feed, etc.
• Benefits of biodiesel made from UCO
o Prevent people from serious ailments such as hypertension, obesity, atherosclerosis, Cancer,
Alzheimer’s disease, liver
diseases by removing About Biodiesel
reused or burnt cooking • It is an alternative fuel, similar to conventional or ‘fossil’ diesel.
medium from the food • It can be produced from vegetable oil, animal oil/fats, tallow and waste
cooking oil.
chain.
• The process used to convert these oils to Biodiesel is called Trans-
o UCO when discarded esterification.
without any treatment • It is ‘carbon neutral’.ie the oilseed absorbs the same amount of CO2 as is
clogs drainage systems. released when the fuel is combusted in a vehicle.
o Contributing to the needs • It is rapidly biodegradable and completely non-toxic.
of a Circular Economy.
Initiative taken to make biodiesel
from UCO
• In 2019, Ministries of
Petroleum and Natural Gas &
Steel, along with Health &
Family Welfare, Science &
Technology and Earth
Sciences, had initiated
Expressions of Interest for
“Procurement of Bio-diesel
produced from UCO”
o It aims to create an eco-
system for collection and
conversion of UCO into
Biodiesel and developing entrepreneurship opportunities.
o Under this initiative, OMCs offer periodically incremental price guarantees for five years and extend
off-take guarantees for ten years to prospective entrepreneurs.
• National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms for biodiesel
production from non-edible oilseeds, Used Cooking Oil,
short gestation crops. Issues with RUCO
• At present, there is no established chain
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in
of collection for UCO.
association with the Biodiesel Association of India (BDAI)
• Presence of impurities like free fatty acid
launched ‘Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) project’ in and water in UCO.
2019. • RUCO require large food business
o Project is aimed at purchasing used oils from hoteliers, operators to store UCO separately,
caterers, snack makers and traders at a reasonable which they can then sell to authorised
price and converting it into biodiesel at a plant. UCO aggregators or collection agencies.
• RUCO sticker and a mobile phone application was
launched for collection of used cooking oil (UCO) to ensure that it does not come back to ecosystem.
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4.5.4. NATIONAL COAL GASIFICATION MISSION
Why in News?
India’s initiative for coal gasification
Recently, a blueprint for the ‘National Coal Gasification • Ministry of Coal has created a Resource Group
Mission’ prepared by the Union Coal Ministry. of academic and research institutions for
research activities related to Coal Gasification.
More in News • Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has
• The government aims to achieve gasification of 100 developed the fluidized bed gasification
technology suitable for high ash Indian coals to
Million Tonnes (MT) of coal by 2030 and this is the
produce syngas and then convert syngas to
first time that a mission document has been released. methanol with 99% purity.
• In order to take ahead the Vision of 100 MT coal • Jindal Steel & Power Limited has installed
Gasification by 2030, Ministry of Coal has chalked out world’s first DRI plant based on Coal
implementation strategy which include: gasification technology by using domestic coal
o Mapping of gasification potential of coalfields which is already operating in Angul District of
especially in North east. Orissa for steel making.
o Development of indigenous technology suitable
for various feed stock (low ash coal, coal mixed with pet coke and high ash coal).
o Development of suitable business model for setting up of various projects.
o Marketing strategy for end products.
o Policy support with a view to encourage Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme.
o Coordination with various stake holding Ministries.
o Providing quantifiable targets to various companies and monitoring the implementation of activities.
About Coal Gasification
• Coal gasification is the
process of converting coal
into synthesis gas (also
called syngas), which is a
mixture of hydrogen (H2),
carbon monoxide (CO) and
carbon dioxide (CO2).
• The syngas technology
allows conversion of non-
mineable coal/lignite into
combustible gases
through in situ gasification
of the material.
• Coal gasification is
considered as cleaner
option compared to
burning of coal.
4.5.5. ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM (ESS)

Why in news?
Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy discusses draft Policy on Energy Storage system (ESS).
More on the news
• Objective of the policy is to promote the creation of storage systems on a large scaleacross the value
chain of the electricity sector viz. at generation, transmission, and distribution levels throughout the
country.
• Key highlights of the draft policy include
o ESS shall be an integral part of the power system under Electricity Act.
o People may be free to set up standalone ESS.
o Developer shall be granted inter-state transmission connectivity allowing them to sell or purchase
power from any part of country.
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o Quantum of ESS included with Round-The-Clock Renewable Energy shall be counted as Renewable
Purchase Obligation (RPO) for storage.
o Transmission cost for renewable energy shall be waived both at time of charging as well as at time
of selling the stored RE.
• Earlier, Government launched National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage to
promote ESS.
• About Energy storage systems
o Energy storage systems are devices that enable energy from renewables like solar and wind to be
stored and then released when customers need power most.
o Key grid energy storage technologies - Batteries, pumped hydroelectric storage, compressed air
energy storage, Thermal storage, hydrogen, flywheels.
Related news: National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage
• It is a Production Linked Incentive scheme approved by the Cabinet.
• ACCs are the new generation storage technologies that can store electric energy either as electrochemical or as
chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy as and when required.
4.6. MISCELLANEOUS
4.6.1. DAM SAFETY ACT, 2019
Why in News?
Recently, Rajya Sabha passed the Dam Safety Bill, 2019.
More on News
• Act proposes to help all states and UTs adopt uniform dam safety procedures and seeks to set up an
institutional mechanism to ensure the safe functioning of specific dams in the country.
• It provides for adequate surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of all the large dams in the
country so as to prevent dam failure related disasters.
Dams in India
• India ranks third globally after China and U.S
with 5334 large dams in operation and 411
under- construction. They are vital for
ensuring the water security of the country
and constitute a major responsibility in
terms of asset management and safety.
o As per the data of the National Register
of Large Dam (NRLD) of 2018,
Maharashtra has maximum number of
Dams followed by Madhya Pradesh and
Gujarat.
• Major dams in India (refer map):
o Highest Dam: Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand
is built on Bhagirathi River.
o Longest Dam: Hirakud Dam in Odisha is
built on Mahanadi River.
o Oldest Dam: Kallanai Dam in Tamil Nadu
is built on the Cauvery River is about
2000 years old.
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Key features of the Act
Applicability • Act applies to all specified dams in the country. These are dams with:
o Height more than 15 metres, or
o Height between 10 metres to 15 metres and satisfying certain additional design conditions
such as reservoir capacity.
Dam safety • There will be four layers of monitoring, two at the central level and two at the state level.
authorities o A National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) will be constituted to help evolve uniform dam
safety policies, protocols, and procedures.
o A National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) as a regulatory body for ensuring the nationwide
implementation of dam safety policies and standards.
✓ Any decision taken by NDSA shall be binding upon all the parties.
o At the State level, the Act prescribes for the constitution of State Committees on Dam Safety
(SCDS) and the establishment of the State Dam Safety Organizations (SDSO).
✓ SDSO will undertake surveillance, inspections and monitoring of operation and
maintenance of all specified dams.
✓ Every SDSO is required to report the event of any dam failure under their jurisdiction to
the NDSA.
Obligation of • Dam owners will be responsible for the safe construction, operation, maintenance and
Dam Owners supervision of a dam. They must provide a dam safety unit in each dam.
• Functions of Dam owners include preparing an emergency action plan, carrying out risk
assessment studies and preparing a comprehensive dam safety evaluation.
Offences and • Anyone obstructing a person in the discharge of his functions under the Act or refusing to comply
penalties with directions may be imprisoned for a year.
• In case of loss of life, the person may be imprisoned for two years.
Others • It also addresses in a comprehensive manner, critical concerns related to dam safety on account
of emerging climate change related challenges.
• This Act provides for regular inspection and hazard classification of dams.
Other Government initiatives for Dam Safety
• DHARMA (Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring): It is a web tool to digitize all dam related data
effectively that will help to document authentic asset and health information pertaining to the large dams
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in the country, enabling appropriate actions to ensure need-based rehabilitation. It is a new stride in asset
management aspect by India.
• Seismic Hazard Assessment Information System (SHAISYS): It is a web based interactive application tool,
being developed in CWC (Central Water Commission) under Dam Safety Organisation (DSO) to estimate
Seismic Hazard at a point in South Indian region.
Related News: Dam Rehabilitation
and Improvement Project (DRIP)
• Recently, India and World Bank
signed a $250 million project for
Dam Rehabilitation and
Improvement Project (DRIP
Phase II) to make existing dams
safe and resilient.
About Dam Rehabilitation and
Improvement Project (DRIP)
• It is a State Sector scheme with a
central component, initiated in
2012 by Government of India with
financial assistance from the
World Bank to bridge the
funding gap and provide urgent
finance to States for repair and
maintenance of dams.
• 80% of the total project is
provided by the World Bank as
loan/credit and remaining 20% is
borne by the States/ Central
Government.
• It is touted as the World’s largest
dam management program.
• DRIP Phase-I:
o It has comprehensively addressed hydrological, structural, and operational safety of 223 dams located in
seven States (Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand).
o The Central Water Commissi s. on (CWC) had been entrusted with overall coordination and supervision.
o It was successfully closed in March 2021.
• DRIP Phase II and Phase III:
o Based on the success of DRIP
Phase-I, Ministry of Jal
Shakti initiated another
externally funded Scheme
DRIP Phase II and Phase III.
This new Scheme has 19
States, and three Central
Agencies on board. It was
approved in 2020 for
rehabilitation provision of
736 dams.
o The Scheme is of 10 years
duration, proposed to be
implemented in two Phases,
each of six-year duration
with two years overlapping.
o DRIP Phase-II is being co-
financed by two multi-lateral
funding Agencies - World
Bank and Asian
Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB), with funding of US$ 250 million each.
o The funding pattern of Scheme is 80:20(Special Category States), 70:30(General Category States) and
50:50(Central Agencies). The Scheme also has provision of Central Grant of 90% of loan amount for special
category States (Manipur, Meghalaya and Uttarakhand).
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4.6.1.1. DAMS/HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS IN NEWS
India
Mekedatu Dam, • NGT formed a committee to investigate into the alleged violation of norms in the
Karnataka construction of Mekedatu Dam.
• It is projected to generate 400MW of electricity and also solve the water crisis in the
city of Bengaluru and nearby regions.
• Its construction is disputed by Tamil Nadu.
• Located on- confluence of River Cauvery with its tributary Arkavathi river in Karnataka.
NagarjunaSagar Dam • Recently, the dam became a point in water war between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
with Andhra Pradesh accusing Telangana of unilateral hydel power generation without
Krishna River Management Board approval which was notified recently along with
Godavari River Management Board.
• Located on- River Krishna, between Nalgonda (Telangana) and Guntur (Andhra
Pradesh) border.
Ratle HEP, Jammu and • Currently, there is a disagreement between India and Pakistan on Ratle and
Kashmir Kishenganga (Jhelum River) projects.
• Located on- River Chenab, Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir.
Jangi Thopan Powari • Protests were held against the proposed Run of River Jangi Thopan
HEP, Himachal Pradesh Powari hydroelectricity project in Himachal Pradesh.
• Located on- River Satluj, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh.
Mullaperiyar Dam, • Kerala government has raised concerns over Tamil Nadu releasing water from the
Kerala Mullaperiyar Dam without sufficient warning.
• Located on- the confluence of Mullayar and Periyar rivers in Kerala.
Gandhi Sagar Dam, • According to the CAG report, Gandhi Sagar in Madhya Pradesh needs immediate repair.
Madhya Pradesh • Located on- Chambal river
Pakal Dul Hydro • Recently, a diversion of Marusudar River of Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project was
Electric Project, Jammu inaugurated in Kishtwar District of Jammu and Kashmir.
and Kashmir • Once completed, the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project will be the largest
hydroelectric project of J&K producing around 3,330 million units (MU) of energy a
year.
• Located on- Marusudar River, Jammu and Kashmir
o It is a major tributary of Chenab River, it originates from Nunkun glacier and joins
Chenab River.
Pulichintala Dam, • Flood alert was raised after gate got broken.
Andhra Pradesh • Located on- Krishna river in Andhra's Krishna district.
• Also called as K L Rao Sagar multipurpose irrigation project, it is a multi purpose project
serving irrigation needs, hydro power generation and flood control of Andhra Pradesh.
International
Baihetan Hydropower • China recently began operating it.
Station, China • Located on- Jinsha River
Grand Ethiopian • It is the source of an almost
Renaissance Dam, decade-long diplomatic standoff
Ethiopia between Ethiopia and
downstream nations Egypt and
Sudan.
• When completed it will be largest
dam in Africa.
• Located on- Nile River’s main
tributary - Blue Nile.
o White Nile and Blue Nile are
two major tributaries of the
Nile. Blue Nile supplies about
80% of the water in the Nile
during the rainy season.
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4.6.2. NATIONAL INTERLINKING OF RIVERS AUTHORITY (NIRA)
Why in news?
Recently, the Centre has set in motion the process of creating the exclusive body- National Interlinking of
Rivers Authority (NIRA)- to implement river-linking projects in India.
What is National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA)?
• NIRA is an independent autonomous body for planning, investigation, financing and the implementation
of the river interlinking projects in the country.
• NIRA will be headed by a Government of India Secretary-rank officer.
• It will replace the existing National Water Development Agency (NWDA) and will function as an umbrella
body for all river linking projects.
• Function of NIRA:
o Coordinate with neighbouring countries and concerned states and departments as directed by the
Ministry of Jal Shakti or the Ministry of External Affairs.
o Have powers on issues related to environment, wildlife and forest clearances under river linking
projects and their legal aspects.
o Have the power to raise funds and act as a repository of borrowed funds or money received on deposit
or loan given on interest.
o Have the power to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for individual link projects.
About Interlinking of Rivers (ILR)
Programme in India
• Background of ILR:
o The initial plan to interlink
India’s rivers came in 1858
from a British irrigation
engineer, Sir Arthur
Thomas Cotton, who
suggested interlinking the
Ganga and the Cauvery
rivers for navigational purposes.
✓ But the idea of interlinking Indian rivers was revived a few decades ago independently by M.
Visveswarayya, K. L. Rao and D. J. Dastur.
o In 1980, National Perspective Plan (NPP) was prepared by the then Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry
of Jal Shakti).
✓ Under NPP, the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has identified 30 links (16 under
Peninsular Component and 14 under Himalayan Component). (Refer map)
o A “Special Committee on Interlinking of Rivers” has been constituted in September, 2014 for the
implementation of ILR programme.
o The Ministry of Jal Shakti is monitoring the progress of ILR from time to time.
• Aim of ILR: Linking different surplus rivers of country with the deficient rivers so that the excess water
from surplus region could be diverted to deficient region.
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• As of now, there are six ILR projects: Ken- Betwa, Damanganga- Pinjal, Par- Tapi -Narmada, Manas- Sankosh
-Teesta- Ganga, Mahanadi-Godavari, and Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut).
Ken-Betwa River interlinking Project (RLP)

• Recently, Cabinet approved the funding
and implementation of Ken-Betwa RLP.
• It is the first project under the National
Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers.
• Ken-Betwa RLP transfers water from Ken
to Betwa River through the construction
of Daudhan Dam and a canal linking the
two rivers. Both these rivers are tributaries
of river Yamuna.
• It will carry water from water surplus areas
to drought prone and water deficit areas
in Bundhelkhand Region.
• Implementing Agency: Ken-Betwa Link
Project Authority (KBLPA), a Special
Purpose Vehicle.
• However, there are concerns like the
project will partly submerge the Panna
Tiger Reserve in MP and affect the habitat
of vultures and jackals.
About Ken and Betwa River

River Origin River Basin Other features
Ken River Kaimur Hills (Jabalpur) Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh • Flows through Panna and Joins
Yamuna as its last tributary
Betwa Raisen district (MP) Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh • Joins Yamuna as its Tributary
River
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4.7. OTHER SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES IN NEWS
Earth • Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and
Overshoot Day services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.
o It is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network since 1970.
o 29th July was the Earth overshoot day for 2021.
• Last year the Earth Overshoot day was on 22nd August, which was an exception to the advancing
trend of overshoot till 2019 (29th July). This year the pre-2020 trend has returned due to
o Increased deforestation of Amazon’s rainforests.
o Increase in CO2 emissions by energy sector.
Green Voyage • Launched in May 2019, it is a partnership project between Norway and International Maritime
2050 Project Organisation (IMO).
• Aim is to transform the shipping industry towards a lower carbon future.
o It is supporting developing countries in meeting their commitment towards relevant
climate change and energy efficiency goals, for international shipping,
• India has been selected as the first country under this project for conduct of a pilot project
related to Green Shipping.
Geospatial • NITI Aayog in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a
Energy Map of comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India with the support of
India Energy Ministries of Government of India.
o GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to
positions on Earth’s surface.
o GIS technology is a crucial part of spatial data infrastructure.
• This GIS map provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country.
o This is in line with the Draft National Geospatial Policy, 2021.
o It enables visualisation of energy installations such as conventional power plants, oil and
gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks, district-wise data on renewable
energy power plants and renewable energy resource potential, etc. through 27 thematic
layers.
Shunya • Recently, Shunya programme for NZEB and Net Positive Energy Buildings (NPEB) were
Labelling for launched
Net Zero • NZEB are highly efficient buildings with extremely low energy demand.
Energy • Based on Energy Performance Index (EPI), i.e. total energy consumed in a building over a year
Buildings divided by total built up area, the buildings having
(NZEB) o 10 ≤ EPI ≤ 0 kWh/m2/year, will be awarded by Shunya Label.
o EPI < 0 kWh/m2/year will be awarded by Shunya+ label.
• It will encourage to make energy efficient buildings and further making improvements to make
it NZEB/NPEB.
Network for • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has joined the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening
Greening the the Financial System (NGFS) as a member.
Financial • About NGFS:
System o The NGFS is a group of Central banks and supervisors willing to share the best practices
and contribute to the development of the environment and climate risk management in
the financial sector.
o The System was launched at the Paris One Planet Summit in December 2017.
Strategic Clean • The SCEP is launched in accordance with US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda
Energy 2030Partnership at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate held in April 2021.
Partnership o Energy security is at the core of India-US strategic energy partnership.
(SCEP) o India elevated India-US energy dialogue to a strategic energy partnership in February 2018.
• SCEP organizes inter-governmental engagement across five pillars of cooperation,
o Power and Energy Efficiency,
o Responsible Oil and Gas,
o Renewable Energy,
o Sustainable Growth and
o Emerging Fuels.
IREDA bags • Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has been conferred with ‘Green
‘Green Urja Urja Award’ for being the Leading Public Institution in Financing Institution for Renewable
Award’ Energy in 2021 by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
• IREDA is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative
control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
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o It is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial
Institution in 1987.
SATAT • SATAT is an initiative aimed at setting up of Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and makes
it available in the market for use in automotive fuels by inviting Expression of Interest from
potential entrepreneurs.
Sustainable • Ministry of Coal Constituted Sustainable Development Cell (SDC).
Development • SDC has been established to advice, mentor and plan action to minimise the adverse impact of
Cell (SDC) mining. SDC is also formulating future policy framework for environmental mitigation in Coal
and Lignite sector.
Bio-Jet Fuel • CSIR-IIP Dehradun’s home-grown technology to produce bio-jet fuel, formally approved for use
Technology on military aircraft of the Indian Air Force.
o Bio-jet fuel can be produced from used cooking oil, tree-borne oils, short gestation oilseed
crops, and waste extracts from edible oil processing units.
• Earlier, AN 32 (transportation plan) and commercial plan (Spice jet) was flown in 2018 using the
bio-jet fuel.
Urban Shift • It is the brand name for Sustainable Cities Impact Program, funded by Global Environment
Initiative Facility (GEF).
• Urban Shift supports cities (in Asia, Africa and Latin America) to adopt integrated approaches
to urban development, shaping a resilient, inclusive, zero-carbon future where both people and
planet can thrive.
o In India Pune, Surat etc are included.
o It is led by UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with institutes/
organizations like World Resources Institute, UNDP, World Bank etc.
Sustainable • Released by: UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Cooling • The handbook offers a comprehensive overview of sustainable urban cooling approaches
Handbook for within an integrated whole-system” approach.
Cities
Electric • The ‘Global Electric Vehicles (EV) Outlook’ was recently released by International Energy Agency
Vehicles (IEA) and Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI) released the annual Global EV Outlook 2021.
Initiative (EVI) • It is a multi-governmental policy forum established in 2010 under the Clean Energy Ministerial
(CEM).
o Fifteen countries are currently participating in EVI, including
India, with IEA acting as the coordinator.
• It works towards accelerating the introduction and adoption of electric vehicles worldwide. This
includes campaigns and programmes like-
o EV30@30- to have at least 30% new electric vehicle sales by 2030.
o EVI Global EV Pilot City Programme (EVI-PCP)- a platform for global cities to communicate
and cooperate for increasing the uptake of electric mobility.
Mission • Recently, India launched Mission Innovation (MI) - CleanTech Exchange under the Innovation
Innovation- Platform of Mission Innovation.
CleanTech o It was launched virtually at the Innovating to Net Zero Summit hosted by Chile this year.
Exchange • About CleanTech Exchange
o CleanTech Exchange is a global initiative to create a network of incubators across
member countries to accelerate clean energy innovation.
o The network will provide access to the expertise and market insights needed to support
new technologies to access new markets globally.
• About Mission Innovation (MI)
o MI is an action-oriented global initiative to pioneer clean energy solutions through
domestic innovation and international cooperation.
o It consists of 24 countries and EU. India is a founding member.
o The first phase of Mission Innovation was launched along the Paris Climate Change
Agreement at the 2015 UN Climate Conference.
o MI has an Innovation Platform for member countries to track innovation progress,
exchange knowledge and work with investors, innovators and end-users to accelerate
technologies to market.
o Mission Innovation 2.0, the second phase of MI, was also launched in the above summit.
o It aims to catalyze increased investment in clean energy research, development and
demonstrations to deliver affordable clean energy solutions by 2030.
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Ecological • Over the years, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed advancing ecological civilization.
Civilization • Ecological Civilization describes a world in which human communities (systems of economics,
agriculture, production, and consumption, etc.) are designed to promote overall well-being of
people and the planet.
o It considers nature to be part of life, rather than something that can be exploited without
restraint.
Sustainable • International Energy Agency (IEA), in its latest report, has observed that carbon emissions are set
Recovery to rebound as countries focus on economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plan • About Sustainable Recovery Plan
o Launched in 2020, plan estimates that if governments mobilised $1 trillion in clean energy
investments each year from 2021-2023, it would boost global economic growth on an average
by 1.1 percentage point a year.
o IEA believes a full and timely implementation of the plan would save or create roughly 9
million jobs and would also help in meeting Paris Agreement goals.
Localization • “Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Panchayati Raj Institutions
of (PRIs)” report was released by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to serve as an action plan to assist
Sustainable the 32 lakh elected representatives of PRIs to consider for working towards localising of SDGs.
Development • ‘Localising’ is the process of recognising subnational contexts in the achievement of the 2030
Goals (SDGs) SDG agenda.
• It relates both to how local and sub-national governments can support achievement of the SDGs
through bottom up action as well as how SDGs can provide a framework for local development
policy.
Bioeconomy • According to recent FAO report, Renewable wood-based products, engineered wood products
and wood-based textile fibres are two emerging forest product categories that can provide
renewable and sustainable solutions to the global crisis.
• These both products can help in realizing Bioeconomy.
• Bioeconomy generally refers to an economy using renewable natural resources to produce food,
energy, products, and services.
• Bioeconomy covers all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources (animals, plants,
micro-organisms and derived biomass, including organic waste), their functions and principles.

Report Details
Renewables Integration • Released by: NITI Aayog and International Energy Agency (IEA)
in India 2021 • Key findings
○ India is the third largest energy-consuming country in the world.
○ Per-capita electricity consumption is still around a third of the world average,
and is expected to continue increasing despite the government’s intention to
pursue strong energy efficiency standards, including LED lighting, efficient
cooling and building standards.
○ Majority of India’s renewable capacity additions take the form of solar and wind.
○ Renewable energy penetration is highly variable by state in India.
World Energy • Released by- International Energy Agency (IEA)
Investment Report 2021 • Key findings
o In 2021, annual global energy investment is set to rise to USD 1.9 trillion,
rebounding nearly 10% from 2020.
o Renewables to dominate investment in new power generation and expected to
account for 70% of 2021’s total of USD 530 billion spent on all new generation
capacity.
o Upstream investment in oil and gas is expected to grow 10 percent.
o Global emission is set to grow by 1.5 billion tones.
A Multi-Billion-Dollar • Published by: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Development Programme
Opportunity: (UNDP) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on the eve of Food Systems Summit
Repurposing (FSS).
Agricultural Support to o UN FSS took place during the UN General Assembly in New York to set the stage
Transform Food System for global food systems transformation to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals by 2030.
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Agricultural Outlook • Released by- OECD and FAO
Report 2021-2030 • The report provides a consensus assessment of the ten-year prospects for
agricultural commodity, fish and biofuel markets at national, regional and global
levels, and serves as a reference for forward-looking policy analysis and planning.
Transforming Food • Released by- International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Systems for Rural • Report analyses the issues arising in different segments of the food system
Prosperity (consumption, production and midstream) in relation to the lives of poor rural people.
• About IFAD
o It is an international financial institution and specialized United Nations agency.
o Headquarters- Rome, Italy
o It has 177 Member States comprised of developing, middle and high-income
countries from all regions of the world who are dedicated to eradicating poverty
in rural areas.
o India is a member state.
o Membership in IFAD is open to any State that is a member of the United Nations,
any of its specialized agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency.
State Energy Efficiency • Developed jointly by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Alliance for an Energy
Index (SEEI) -2020 Efficient Economy (AEEE).
• It was first launched in 2018.
• It assesses the performance of the 36 states and UTs in energy efficiency using 68
qualitative, quantitative, and outcome-based indicators, across six sectors, namely,
Buildings, Industry, Municipalities, Transport, Agriculture & DISCOMs and Cross
Sector.
• Indicators assess states’ performance in Policy and Regulation, Financing
Mechanisms, Institutional Capacity, Adoption of Energy Efficiency Measures, and
Energy Savings.
• Based on their efforts and achievements, states have been classified as ‘Front runner’,
‘Achiever’, ‘Contender’ and ‘Aspirant’.
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5. DISASTER MANAGEMENT
5.1. STATE DISASTER RESPONSE FUND (SDRF)
Why in News?
Centre released ₹8873 crore for State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
More on the news
• This is the first instalment of the central share of SDRF for the year 2021-22, released ahead of the normal
schedule.
o Centre said that states can use up to 50% of amount for COVID-19 containment measures.
o It can be utilized to meet the cost of oxygen generation, ventilators, etc.
About SDRF
• Under Disaster Management Act 2005, National Disaster Response Fund at national level and SDRF at
state level were created to meet the rescue and relief expenditure during any notified disaster.
o In 2018, Central Government enhanced its contribution to 90% and all States will contribute 10 % to
SDRF.
✓ It is released in two equal instalments as per Finance Commission recommendation.
✓ SDRF shall be used only for providing immediate relief to the victims.
• Disasters covered under SDRF: Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, etc.
o Last year, Ministry of Home Affairs had decided to treat COVID-19 as a notified disaster for purpose
of providing assistance under SDRF.
o Also, state government may use up to 10% of funds for local disasters which is not included in notified
list.
Related News:
India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package (ECRP)
• The Health Ministry clarified that Centre by Aug 24 released 50% funds earmarked for states under ECRP phase II
and states have utilized 60% of the approved funds.
• The ECRP is a centrally sponsored scheme to prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by the ongoing
pandemic and strengthen the national health systems for emergency response and preparedness across the
country.
o The Cabinet approved ECRP-Phase-II to be implemented from July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022
Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF)
• Recently, Prime Minister approved ex gratia from PMNRF for the victims of stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi
Bhawan.
• PMNRF was established in 1948 with public contributions to assist displaced persons from Pakistan.
• The resources of the PMNRF are utilized to render immediate relief to families of those killed in natural calamities
like floods, cyclones, and earthquakes, etc.
• It does not get any budgetary support and it accepts voluntary contributions from Individuals, Organizations,
Trusts, Companies, and Institutions etc.
• Donation to PMNRF is completely tax exempt and is also classified as Corporate social responsibility under
Company act 2013.
5.2. 1 ST CLIMATE HAZARDS AND VULNERABILITY ATLAS OF INDIA

Why in News?
India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched 1st Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India.
More on the news
• Atlas is based on several extreme weather events (extreme rainfall, drought, cold wave, heatwave,
thunderstorm, cyclones, lightning etc) and the risks they pose to the local population, livelihoods and
economy of each district.
o The atlas provides a range of vulnerability with risks ranging from nil, low, moderate, high and very
high categories for every Indian district.
• Significance
o Impact-based warnings can be issued for various regions. Atlas will help in understanding region
specific impact of certain extreme weather events.
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o Help disaster management sectors to identify the vulnerable districts for taking preventive and
adaptive measures.
o Aid in disaster preparedness as extreme weather events rise in the wake of the climate crisis.
o Planning climate-resilient infrastructure.
o Changes in the hazard-prone areas in recent times have also been incorporated.
o Supporting monitoring and forecasting, Improving public health facilities i.e. emergency response
capabilities, better early warning systems etc.
Key terms
Hazard Physical phenomena that pose a threat to the people, structures or economic assets and which may
cause a disaster.
Vulnerability It is the extent to which a community, structure, service or geographic area is likely to be damaged
or disrupted by the impact of a particular hazard.
5.3. FLASH FLOODS

Why in news?
Heavy rains trigger flash floods,
landslides in Himachal Pradesh.
About Flash floods
• Flash Floods are defined as
those flood events where
the rise in water is either
during or within a few
hours of the rainfall that
produces the rise.
o They are highly
localized events of
short duration with a
very high peak.
Topography, soil
conditions, and ground cover play an important role.
• Causes of flash floods
o Heavy rains from thunderstorms, hurricanes and tropical storms.
o Due to Dam or Levee Breaks, and/or Mudslides (Debris Flow).
o Glacial melt due to global warming and climate change.
o Deforestation and urbanisation.
• Measures taken:
o India Meteorological Department launched Flash Flood Guidance Services for South Asia to provide
warnings for flash floods threatsand risks6 and 24 hours in advance respectively.
o Strict implementation of building laws and demarcation of flood prone areas.
o Use of Intelligent flood warning systems like IFLOWS (integrated flood warning system).
Related concept: Urban Flooding
It can be defined as ‘the submergence of usually dry area by a large amount of water that comes from sudden excessive
rainfall, an overflowing river or lake, melting snow or an exceptionally high tide’ .
5.4. LANDSLIDE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM (LEWS) UNDER TRIAL

Why in news? About LANDSLIP
LEWS, being developed by Geological Survey of India (GSI) under LANDSLIP is working to develop
the aegis of UK’s LANDSLIP project, is based on rainfall understanding of the factors which
trigger landslides, including weather
thresholds since 2017.
regimes, rainfall and geological conditions.
About landslide
• Landslide is the movement of rock, earth, or debris down a sloped section of land.
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o Major causes of landslides: geological (weak or fractured earth or rock), Morphological (slopes that
lose their vegetation to fire or drought are more vulnerable), Human Activity (deforestation,
excavation etc).
o About 12.6% of Indian land mass is prone to landslides, with Himalaya and Western Ghats regions
particularly prone
• Since the 2020 southwest monsoon, GSI has started issuing daily landslide forecasts to district
administrations in Darjeeling and Nilgiris.
o Also, GSI plans to add five more – Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram – by
2022 under LEWS.
• Other initiatives taken in India
o GSI’s landslide susceptibility mapping in different parts of the country.
o NDMA guidelines for Landslide Hazard Zonation.
5.5. FLOOD PLAIN ZONING

Why in news?
CAG report (prepared against the backdrop of 2018 Kerala floods) highlighted that state is yet to enact FPZ
legislation, 45 years after the Union Government circulated a Model Bill for Flood Plain Zoning (MBFPZ).
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Components of a floodplain and zones proposed under the National Disaster Management Guidelines.
About Flood Plain Zoning

• FPZ is aimed at demarcating zones or areas likely to be affected by floods, and specify types of permissible
developments in these zones, to minimize damage caused by floods.
• Floodplains are crucial for regulating flow of water in a river.
• FPZ policies in India
o FPZ is within state government’s ambit as it is deals with land along the riverbanks and land is a state
subject.
o MBFPZ provides for surveys of floodplain area, notification of limits of floodplains, prohibition or
restriction of the use of the floodplains etc
o National Disaster Management Guidelines for floods includes regulation of floodplains and
enforcement of FPZ.

Report Details
Global Assessment • Released by: UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Report on Disaster • GAR Special Report on Drought 2021 explores the systemic nature of drought and its
Risk Reduction (GAR) impacts on achievement of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, SDGs and
human and ecosystems health and wellbeing.
o UNDRR oversees the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction 2015-2030.
• Key highlights of the report:
o 20 million people across Africa and middle east came to brink of starvation owing to
droughts.
o 700 million people are at a risk of being displaced as a result of drought by 2030.
o Two third of the world will be under water stressed conditions by 2025.
• India specific findings
o Effect of severe droughts on India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated at 2–
5%
o Deccan region sees the highest frequency (>6%) of severe droughts in all of India.
Significant drought conditions are found once in every three years in Deccan plateau
leading to large scale migration and desertification.
o Overdependence on groundwater resources and lack of water-retaining structures
have significantly increased vulnerability in Indian cities during severe drought
events.
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Global Risks Report • Published by - World Economic Forum
Top 5 Global Risks
2022 (WEF).
• Climate Action Failure,
• It is an annual report based on Global
• Extreme Weather,
Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) and
highlights key risks emanating across • Biodiversity loss,
five categories: Economic, • Social Cohesion Erosion, and
Environmental, Geopolitical, Societal, and • Livelihood crisis
Technological. Top 5 India Risks
• Key findings • Fracture of interstate relations,
o Vaccine inequality and resultant • Debt crises in large economies,
uneven economic recovery risk has • Widespread youth disillusionment,
compounded social fractures and • Failure of technology governance, and
geopolitical tensions. • Digital inequality
✓ E.g. Poorest 52 countries with
20% world population have only 6% vaccination.
o Economic Stagnation: By 2024, developing economies (excluding China) will have
fallen by 5.5% below their pre-pandemic expected GDP growth.
o Growing dependence on digital systems with increasing cybersecurity threats.
✓ E.g. 435% increase in ransomware in 2020.
o Worsening of Climate change impact with 200 million projected climate refugees by
2050.
o Space as a new frontier of divergence with 5 new government-developed space
stations by 2030.
o Increasing pressure to transition to net-zero economies could have severe short-
term impacts, such as putting millions of carbon-intense industry workers out of jobs
or triggering societal and geopolitical tensions.
Building Resilience • BRI is an innovation of International Finance Corporation and is supported by World
Index (BRI) Bank.
• It is a web-based hazard mapping and resilience assessment framework for the building
sector.
• It is designed to
o Facilitate access to location-specific hazard information,
o Provide resilience measures to mitigate applicable risks, and
o Improve transparency for disclosing a building’s resilience information between
sector stakeholders.
• BRI makes it easy for building sector stakeholders, including construction developers,
financial institutions, insurers, and governments to assess, improve, and disclose the
resilience of buildings.
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6. GEOGRAPHY
6.1. ATLANTIC MERIDIONAL OVERTURNING CIRCULATION (AMOC)
Why in News?
According to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it is very likely
that AMOC will decline over the 21st century.
About AMOC
• The AMOC is a large system of ocean currents. It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or
Thermohaline circulation (THC) and distributes heat and nutrients throughout the world’s ocean basins.
• Two main features of the AMOC:
o Flow of warm, salty water in the upper layers of the ocean northwards from the Gulf of Mexico (red
line). This is made up of the “Gulf Stream” to the south and the “North Atlantic Current” further north.
o Cooling of water in the high latitudes of the Atlantic, which makes the water denser. This denser
water then sinks and returns southwards towards tropics and then to the South Atlantic as a bottom
current (blue line). From there it is distributed to all ocean basins via the Antarctic circumpolar
current.
Thermohaline circulation (THC)
• The theory for the
thermohaline circulation
pattern was first proposed by
Henry Stommel and Arnold
Arons in 1960.
• While winds drive ocean
currents in the upper 100
meters of the ocean’s surface,
ocean currents also flow
thousands of meters below the
surface. These deep-ocean
currents are driven by
differences in the water’s
density, which is controlled by
temperature (thermo) and
salinity (haline). This process is
known as thermohaline
circulation.
• It is also known as the Global
Ocean Conveyor or Great Ocean Conveyor Belt.
• The ocean’s global circulation system plays a key role in distributing heat energy, regulating weather and climate,
and cycling vital nutrients and gases.
Difference between Surface Ocean Currents and THC
Surface Ocean Currents THC
Driven primarily by Global wind systems that are fuelled by Horizontal differences
energy from the sun. in temperature and salinity
Speed Relatively fast with speed of about 5 to 50 Relatively Slow with typical speed of 1
cm per second centimetre per second
Volume of water moved Relatively less Tremendous volumes of water are moved
Reasons for recent decline in the AMOC
The AMOC and THC strength has always been fluctuating. In the late Pleistocene time period (last 1 million
years) during the extreme glacial stages, weaker circulation and slowdown in AMOC have been observed. But
the changes destabilising the AMOC in the last 100-200 years are mostly anthropogenic and linked to Global
warming, such as-
• Freshwater from melting Greenland ice sheets and the Arctic region: It can make circulation weaker as it
reduces the salinity and density of the water, making it unable to sink to the bottom.
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• Weakening of Gulf Stream: According to some estimates global warming can lead to weakening of the
Gulf Stream System by 34 to 45 percent by 2100.
• Dilution dues to increased rainfall and river runoff.
Impact of decline of AMOC
• Changes in regional Climate: Weakening of AMOC and Warm Gulf Stream, will trigger a cooling effect on
climate and decrease rainfall over around the North Atlantic region.
o It may also lead to increase in winter storms over Europe and stronger hurricanes in the US.
• Sea level rise: due to piling up of water at the US east coast.
• Changes in the seasonal cycle, the temperature, the nutrient conditions in Atlantic marine ecosystems
disrupting fish populations and other marine life.
• Collapse of AMOC: AMOC is one of the nine “tipping points” where a changing climate could push parts
of the Earth system into abrupt or irreversible change.
o This means that increase in the freshwater input could cause the AMOC to collapse into a state of
reduced flow. From this collapsed state, even if freshwater input into the oceans decreases to current
levels, the AMOC may
Tipping points
remain in a collapsed
• These are thresholds where a tiny change could push a system into a
state. The ability of the completely new state.
system to not return to o Globally, there are nine “tipping points” where a changing climate
the initial state once the could push parts of the Earth system into abrupt or irreversible
forcing is reversed is change.
referred to as • Nine tipping points-
hysteresis.
o This is mainly because
the AMOC is a self-
reinforcing system. The
circulation itself brings
salty water into the
high-latitude Atlantic
and the salty water
increases the density.
Thus, the water is able
to sink because it is
salty and it is salty
because of the
circulation.
• Other impacts: A collapse of
the AMOC may induce
causal interactions
like changes in ENSO [El Niño–Southern Oscillation] characteristics, dieback of the Amazon rainforest and
shrinking of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet due to seesaw effect, southern migration of the ITCZ
[Intertropical Convergence Zone] and large warming of the Southern Ocean etc.
6.2. GLACIAL LAKE ATLAS OF GANGA RIVER BASIN

Why in News?
Recently, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) released an atlas of glacial lakes that are part of the Ganga River basin.
More on News
• Atlas is brought out under National Hydrology Project (NHP).
• In the present study, glacial lakes with water spread area ≥ 0.25 ha have been mapped using Resourcesat-
2 satellite data.
About Ganga River Basin
• The Ganga River basin extends over Central Himalayas in India, Nepal, Tibet (China), and Bangladesh.
• It contains 9 of the 14 highest peaks in the world over 8,000 m in height, including Mt. Everest.
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o Other peaks over 8,000 m in the basin are About National Hydrology Project (NHP)
Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, • NHP, under MoJS, aims to improve the extent, quality
Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Annapurna, and and accessibility of water resources information and
Shishapangma. to strengthen the capacity of targeted water resources
• In this atlas, Ganga River basin has been management institutions in India.
divided into 11 subbasins (refer infographic) • Under NHP, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC),
on the basis of confluence of major rivers ISRO, is carrying out hydrological studies using
contributing into the system viz., Yamuna satellite data and geo-spatial techniques.
joining on the right, whereas rivers like Sarda, o As part of this, detailed glacial lake inventory,
prioritization for GLOF risk, and simulation of
Ghaghara, Gandak, and Kosi joining on the left.
GLOF for selected lakes are taken up for entire
• Climate over the Ganga River basin is mainly catchment of Indian Himalayan Rivers covering
tropical and subtropical to temperate Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra River basin.
subhumid on the plains. About Glacial Lake
• It is defined as water mass existing in a sufficient
Key Findings of the Atlas
amount and extending with a free surface in, under,
• Based on its process of lake formation, beside, and/or in front of a glacier and originating from
location, and type of damming material, glacier activities and/or retreating processes of a
glacial lakes are identified in nine different glacier.
types, majorly grouped into four categories • As glaciers retreat, the formation of glacial lakes takes
place behind moraine or ice ‘dam’.
viz.,
• These damming materials are generally weak and can
o Moraine-dammed (form during periods of
breach suddenly due to various triggering factors,
glacier retreat from a moraine), leading to catastrophic floods. Such outburst floods
o Ice-dammed (when drainage is blocked by are known as GLOF.
a glacier that
advances or
becomes
thicker),
o Glacier
Erosion, and
o Other Glacial
lakes.
• A total of 4,707
glacial lakes
have been
mapped.
o Out of 11
subbasins,
only 6
subbasins
contain
glacial lakes,
which are
predominantly distributed in Kosi subbasin (51.77%) followed by Ghaghara subbasin (26.77%).

o Minimum number of glacial lakes are present in Yamuna subbasin and then in Sarda subbasin.
o Glacier Ice-dammed Lake is only one in the entire Ganga River basin and is located in Gandak subbasin.
• Uttarakhand shares 93.50% of lake count, followed by 6.50% in Himachal Pradesh.
• Each glacial lake has been given a 12 alpha-numeric unique glacial lake ID, along with several attributes
that include hydrological, geometrical, geographical, and topographical characteristics.
6.3. SHIFT IN EARTH’S AXIS

Why in the News?
According to the new study, climate change has caused billions of tonnes of glacial ice to melt into oceans
causing the Earth’s poles to move in new directions since the 1990s.
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More on the News
• From 1995 to 2020, the average speed of movement in earth’s axis of rotation was 17 times faster as
compared to the speed from 1981 to 1995.
• Potential Cause: The increased melting of glaciers because of global temperature rise.
o The other possible reasons include the change
in non‐glacial regions due to climate change,
unsustainable consumption of groundwater
for irrigation and other anthropogenic
activities.
• While this change is not expected to affect daily life, it
can change the length of the day by a few milliseconds.
About Earth’s Axis
• Earth’s axis is the line along which it spins around itself
as it revolves around the Sun.
o The points on which the axis intersects the planet’s
surface are the geographical north and south poles.
o The location of the poles is not fixed. Thus, the poles
move when the axis moves, and the movement is
called “polar motion”.
o Generally, polar motion is caused by changes in the
hydrosphere, atmosphere, oceans, or solid Earth.
But now, climate change is adding to the degree
with which the geographical poles wander.
• Polar Motion is different from Polar wandering where magnetic poles over Earth’s surface wander
through geologic time.
6.4. LONG RANGE FORECAST (LRF)

Why in News?
India Meteorological Department (IMD) will disseminate month-wise Long Range Forecast (LRF) of June-to-
September period in the 2021 monsoon season.
More on the news
• Month-wise LRF will be helpful given the
increasing unpredictability of rainfall due to
climate change.
• IMD has so far been issuing a two-stage
forecast for monsoon season: one in April and
other in May/June.
• Also, IMD will release a separate forecast for
the rainfed regions. So far, LRF was only
available for the country as a whole.
• It will enable better planning for these regions.
• Forecasting models used by IMD
o Statistical Ensemble Forecasting system
(SEFS) based on following parameters:
✓ Sea Surface Temperature (SST)
Gradient between North Atlantic and
North Pacific
✓ Equatorial South Indian Ocean SST
✓ East Asia Mean Sea Level Pressure
✓ Northwest Europe Land Surface Air Temperature
✓ Equatorial Pacific Warm Water Volume
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o Dynamical global climate forecasting system that simulates land, atmosphere and ocean state on
supercomputers and extrapolate it into the monsoon months.
o Multi-Model Ensemble forecasting system based on coupled global climate models from different
global climate prediction and research centers.
o LRF is defined as the forecast from 30 days’ up to one season’s description of averaged weather
parameters. Monthly and seasonal forecast comes under LRF.
Relate news: Doppler Weather Radar
• Recently, a state-of-the-art Doppler Weather Radar was inaugurated at Indian Meteorological Department in
Jammu along with an indigenous GPS based Pilot Sonde.
• Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) is based on doppler effect, i.e. change in frequency of a wave based on the relative
motion between wave source and observer.
o To monitor weather, DWR sends pulses of electromagnetic energy into the atmosphere, which are reflected
back to radar by raindrops or snow.
o It helps in providing advance information for early warning in the event of severe weather; protecting life and
property.
6.5. DEEP OCEAN MISSION

Why in News?
The Cabinet approved the Deep Ocean Mission.
About the mission
• Mission aims to explore Deep Ocean for resources and develop deep sea technologies for sustainable use
of ocean resources.
• It will be a mission mode project to support Blue Economy Initiatives.
• Mission will be implemented in a phase-wise manner over a period of 5 years. Ministry of Earth Sciences
will be the nodal Ministry.
• India's first manned ocean mission 'Samudrayan' was recently launched under the scheme.
o Matsya 6000 (the deep water manned submersible) under Samudrayan initiative is capable of
carrying three human beings with an endurance of 12 hours and an additional 96 hours in case of
emergency situation.
• Major components of the Mission:
Component Objective
Development of Technologies • A manned submersible will be developed to carry three people to a depth of
for Deep Sea Mining, and 6000 metres.
Manned Submersible • An Integrated Mining System for mining Polymetallic Nodules in the central
Indian Ocean.
Development of Ocean Climate • To understand and provide future projections of important climate variables
Change Advisory Services on seasonal to decadal time scales.
Technological innovations for • Bioprospecting of deep sea flora and fauna including microbes and studies on
exploration and conservation of sustainable utilization of deep sea bio-resources.
deep-sea biodiversity
Deep Ocean Survey and • To explore and identify potential sites of multi-metal Hydrothermal Sulphides
Exploration mineralization along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges.
Energy and freshwater from the • Studies and detailed engineering design for offshore Ocean Thermal Energy
Ocean Conversion powered desalination plant.
Advanced Marine Station for • Development of human capacity and enterprise in ocean biology and
Ocean Biology. engineering.
• Will translate research into industrial application and product development.
Related news:
Five Deeps Expedition
• The Five Deeps Expedition is the first manned expedition to reach the deepest points in each of the world’s five
oceans.
• The Expedition is led by explorer and private equity investor Victor Vescovo.
Ocean Services, Modelling, Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)
• Cabinet approved continuation of O-SMART scheme from 2021-2026.
• Objective of O-SMART scheme of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is to:
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o Generate and regularly update
information on Marine Living
Resources.
o Develop technologies to tap the
marine bio resources.
o Develop technologies generating
freshwater and energy from ocean.
o Carryout exploration of Polymetallic
Nodules.
o Develop underwater vehicles and
technologies.
6.6. OTHER NEWS

Pacific Ring of • Also referred to as the Circum-Pacific
Fire Belt, it is an area along the Pacific
Ocean that is characterised by active
volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
• It is home to about 75 per cent of the
world’s volcanoes. Also, about 90 per
cent of the world’s earthquakes
occur here.
• Along the area, tectonic plates move
towards each other creating
subduction zones.
• One plate gets pushed down or is
subducted by the other plate.
• As this subduction happens, rocks
melt, become magma and move to
Earth’s surface and cause volcanic
activity.
Darvaza gas • Turkmenistan President has ordered experts to find a

crater way to extinguish a fire in a huge natural gas crater,
the Darvaza gas crater or ‘Gateway to Hell’.
• The decision has been taken as it negatively affects
both the environment and the health of the people
living nearby.
• About Darvaza gas crater:
o Located in Turkmenistan in Karakum desert, the
crater has been burning for the last 50 years.
o It was created in 1971 when a Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive
underground natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse.
Heat Dome in • Heat dome is an area of high pressure that parks over a region like a lid on a pot, trapping heat.
Northern o They are more likely to form during La Niña years like 2021, when waters are cool in the
America eastern Pacific and warm in the western Pacific.
o That temperature difference creates winds that blow dense, tropical, western air eastward.
o Warm air gets trapped in the jet stream—a current of air spinning counter-clockwise
around the globe—and ends up on the U.S. West Coast.
Turbidity • A vast underwater avalanche (called turbidity current) occurred (in 2020) off West Africa, in a
Current deep canyon leading away from Congo River.
• Turbidity current is a rapid, downhill flow of water caused by increased density due to high
amounts of sediment.
• Turbidity is a measure of level of particles such as sediment, plankton, or organic by-products,
in a body of water.
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• Turbidity currents can be caused by earthquakes, collapsing slopes, and other geological
disturbances.
• Once set in motion, turbid water rushes downward and can change physical shape of seafloor.
Earth’s First • Based on the age of rocks from continental fragments (called cratons), researchers have found
Continents that Earth’s first continents emerged from the ocean 700 million years earlier than thought.
Formation o It was widely accepted that continents rose about 2.5 billion years ago.
• Study also pointed that earliest continental land to have risen may have been Jharkhand’s
Singhbhum region.
• Research tends to break another notion that continents rose due to plate tectonics.
o Continents probably rose as they were inflated by progressive injection of magma derived
from deep in the Earth.
Zero Shadow • Recently, Odisha’s Bhubaneswar witnessed Zero Shadow Day. It is a rare celestial phenomenon
Day during which no shadow of an object or a being is observed.
• The phenomenon occurs twice a year when the sun is at its highest point in the sky at all the
regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
• Due to the sun being exactly overhead, the shadow of all beings or objects disappears, resulting
in Zero Shadow Day.
World's • Scientists have discovered new world's
northernmost northernmost island located off the coast of
island Greenland.
• New island is made up of seabed mud and moraine,
i.e. soil, rock and other material left behind by
moving glaciers, and has no vegetation.
• Before this, Oodaaq was marked as Earth’s
northernmost terrain.
• Global warming has had severe effect on ice sheet
of Greenland but new island is not direct
consequence of climate change.
• Greenland is vast autonomous Arctic territory that
belongs to Denmark.
Southern • National Geographic Society has recognised the

Ocean Southern Ocean (SO) as the world's fifth ocean in
addition to the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic
Oceans.
• It will constitute most of the waters that surround
Antarctica out to 600 south latitude excluding the
Drake Passage and Scotia Sea.
• Unlike other oceans that are defined by the
continents that fence them, the SO is defined by a
current called Antarctic Circumpolar Current
(ACC).
• Significance includes climate regulation through
heat distribution, supporting of cold fragile
marine ecosystems etc.
6.7. RIVERS IN NEWS

Bhogdoi River • Due is Coal mining in Nagaland, encroachments and waste discharge from tea estates, the inter-
state River Bhogdoi is dying a slow death.
• Origin: Mokokchung in North Hills of Nagaland
• Flows through: Jorhat before joining Dhansiri River.
• Other features:
o It is a south bank tributary to Brahmaputra.
o It is the most polluted river of Assam.
o Other tributaries of Brahmaputra- Lohit, Dibang, Dihang, Manas, etc.
Kameng River, • Thousands of fish were found floating dead in Kameng river in Arunachal Pradesh’s East
Arunachal Kameng district.
Pradesh • Origin: Glacial lake below the Gori Chen mountain, south of the McMahon Line.
• Tributary: It is one of the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra River.
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• Other features:
o It is called Jia Bhorelli in Assam.
o Geographical features: It forms the boundary between East Kameng District and West
Kameng Districts. Dafla Hills are at east and the Aka Hills are west of the Kameng River
o It is also the boundary between the Sessa and Eaglenest sanctuaries to its west and the
Pakke tiger reserve to the east.
Mahananda • Rapid urbanisation, inefficient waste management and encroachment have turned the
river Mahananda into a drain.
• Origin: North of West Bengal from the hills of Darjeeling.
• Other features:
o It is tributary of the Ganga River.
o Flows into Bangladesh.
Sabarmati river • Ministry of Civil Aviation is taking steps for making seaplane operations viable between
Sabarmati River Front & Statue of Unity.
• Origin: Aravalli hills of Rajasthan.
• Flows through: Rajasthan and Gujarat
• Tributaries: Hamav, Guhai, Hathmati, Khari, Meshwo, Mazam, Watrak, Mohar and shedhi.
• Other features:
o Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat and Ahmedabad are located on its banks.
Mahakali River • Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal for
construction of a bridge over Mahakali River at Dharchula.
• Origin: At Kalapani in Pithoragarh district (Uttarakhand).
• Other features:
o Also known as Sharda/ Kali River.
o It joins Ghaghra River, a tributary of the Ganga.
o It serves as the boundary between Uttarakhand's Kumaon Division and Nepal.
Lukha river • Recently, the Meghalaya Government claimed that the pilot project to rejuvenate the Lukha
by using algae to remove toxic contents from the water has become a success. The
detoxification process is called phycoremediation.
• Origin: It receives water from the Lunar river (Wah Lunar) and small streams draining from the
Narpuh Reserve Forest and the undulating hills of the area while flowing down.
• Flows through: southern part of east Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.
• Other features:
o The river passes via the Sonapur village and then into the Surma valley and ultimately ends
up in the flood plains of Bangladesh.
Chalakudy River • Recently, the Kerala government has called off the proposed 163-megwatt Athirappilly
hydroelectric power project on the Chalakudy river basin.
• Origin: Anamalai hills
• Flows through: Kerala.
o It is the fifth longest river in Kerala.
• Other features:
o The famous waterfalls, Athirappilly Falls and Vazhachal Falls, are situated on this river.
o It merges with the Periyar River.
Giri River • Recently, Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of hydropower Renukaji
Dam project in Himachal Pradesh.
• Origin: Hills of Jubbal, Himachal Pradesh
• Flows through: South-Eastern Himachal including Shimla Hills before joining Yamuna
upstream of Paonta below Mokkampur.
• Other features: An important tributary of the Yamuna.
Pabbar River • Recently, foundation of Sawra-Kuddu Hydro Power Project was laid here in Himachal Pradesh.
• Origin: Chandra Nahan Glacier
• Other features: It is a tributary of Tons River which further drains into Yamuna.
Mahanadi and • Recently, National Green Tribunal ordered measures to mitigate adverse environmental
Brahmani River impact on River Mahanadi and Brahmani banks due to illegal quarrying.
Mahanadi River:
• Origin: Pharsiya village, Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
• Tributaries: Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand and Ib from left while Ong, Tel and Jonk join it from right.
• Other features: Hirakud Dam, longest man-made earthen dam of the world, is on it at
Sambalpur, biggest river of Odisha.
Brahmani River
• Origin: near Nagri village in Ranchi, Jharkhand (known as South Koel at its origin).
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• Tributary: Joined by Sankh River from Chattisgarh, becoming Brahmani River and drains in Bay
of Bengal as River Maipura.
Umngot River • The Meghalaya government has defended its plan to dam Umngot, despite protests from more
than a dozen villages downstream.
o The villages in the West Khasi Hills district are near the border with Bangladesh but the site
of the proposed 210 MW Umngot Hydroelectric Project is upstream in the adjoining West
Jaintia Hills district.
• Origin: Eastern part of the Shillong peak.
• Flows through: Dawki, a town in the East Jaintia Hills district near the Indo-Bangladesh border.
• Other features:
o It forms the natural boundary between Ri Pnar (of Jaintia Hills) with Hima Khyrim (of
Khasi Hills).
o It is a tributary of the Surma River in Bangladesh.
o At the final lap of its journey, it enters the plains of Bangladesh.
o It is the gateway to Bangladesh.
o Umngot River is also called by the name Dawki River, which has greenish-bluish color
transparent water.
International
Nile river • Longest river in the world, it rises south of the Equator and flows from south to north through
eastern Africa.
• It covers a distance of 6600 km and empties into the Mediterranean Sea
• Its basin includes parts of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan, and the cultivated part of Egypt.
• Its three main tributaries are the White Nile, the Blue Nile, and the Atbara.
o White Nile begins at Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, which touches the countries of
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
o Blue Nile's source is at Lake Tana in Ethiopia.
6.8. PLACES IN NEWS

6.8.1. PLACES IN NEWS INDIA
Mountain • Zoji La Pass: For the first time Border Roads
Passes in Organisation (BRO) has kept the Zoji
news mountain pass open, connecting Ladakh to
Srinagar, beyond 31st December.
o Zoji La Pass is a high mountain pass
located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
o It is the strategic link connecting Ladakh
to Srinagar and the rest of India.
o To provide all-weather connectivity to
Ladakh, the Zojila Tunnel is being
constructed.
o Once completed, at 14.15 km, it will be
India’s longest road tunnel, and Asia’s
longest bi-directional tunnel.
• Lamkhaga pass: A team of trekkers went
missing in Lamkhaga Pass amid inclement
weather.
o Lamkhaga Pass is one of the toughest
passes which connects Kinnaur district
(Himachal Pradesh) with Harshil
(Uttarakhand).
• Umlingla Pass: BRO was recognised by
Guinness World Records for constructing
and black topping the world’s highest
motorable road at Umlingla Pass in Ladakh.
o It is much above the altitude of Siachen
Glacier which is at 17,700 ft.
o The Khardung La Pass in Leh is at an
altitude of 17,582 ft.
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North India • Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh:
Recently, world’s highest EV charging station
was installed at Kaza in the Spiti Valley.
o Located South of Ladakh, Lahaul and
Spiti are connected to each other
through Kunzum la or Kunzum Pass
(altitude of 4,551 m)
o It lies in a rain shadow area, North of Pir
Panjal Ranges, with Lahuli (Bhoti) is the
main local dialect and Keylong as the
administrative HQ (near the confluence
of River Chandra and Bhaga)
• Chumbi Valley: It is being reported that China

is strengthening connectivity in Chumbi
valley.
o Location: It is situated at the corner of
India-Bhutan-China tri-junction.
o Significance: It is close to Siliguri corridor
that connects the northeast to the rest of
the country.
• Pensilungpa Glacier (Zanskar, Ladakh): A

recent study has been conducted about the
retreat of the glacier.
Andaman and • Cinque Island Recently, the Indian Coast

Nicobar Guard rescued nine crew from a sinking
vessel off Cinque Island.
• Tillanchong Island: The island has the largest
surviving populations of the endemic Nicobar
megapode bird (Megapodius nicobariensis),
and is a protected sanctuary.
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island: Ross
Island was renamed as Netaji Subhash
Chandra island.
• Strait Island: Few Great Andamanese (GA)
tribes were shifted to their tribal settlements
at Strait Island to ensure their safety against
the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Bundelkhand • Buxwaha diamond mining project will make
Region Bundelkhand’s water scarcity worse.
• About Bundelkhand -
o Part of central India, comprising 13 district
in Uttar Pradesh and six in Madhya
Pradesh.
o Comprises of Vindhyan range and the
region is mostly a dryland.
o The Betwa River has been dammed and
provides irrigation waters.
o Diamonds of good quality but small size
are found in Panna.
Sohra • Home Minister launched “Green Sohra

(formerly Afforestation Campaign’ under Assam Rifles.
called • Sohra, formerly called Cherrapunji, is located
Cherrapunji) in East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.
• Once credited as the wettest place of earth,
the region has lost its tag due to
deforestation and indiscriminate tree-feeling
for development.
Odisha’s • It is now India’s only district to have all 3

Kendrapara species of crocodilians - salt-water, gharial
district and mugger.
• Kendrapara district is crisscrossed by rivers,
creeks, water inlets and claimed fame for its
successful conservation programme for salt-
water or estuarine crocodiles at the
Bhitarkanika National Park.
• All 3 species are protected under Schedule 1
of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Appendix
1 of CITES.
• IUCN status of crocodiles
o Saltwater- Least Concern
o Gharial- Critical Endangered
o Mugger- Vulnerable
Gujarat • Katrol Hill Fault, Kachchh region: Recent
studies on sediment samples in Kachchh
basin highlighted changes in the landscape of
KHF in last 30,000 years.
o The Katrol Hill Fault (KHF) is one of the E–
W trending major intrabasinal faults
located in the central part of Mainland
Kachchh.
o Among other seismically active faults of
the region, viz. Kachchh Mainland Fault
(KMF), South Wagad Fault (SWF), Gedi
Fault (GF), and Island Belt Fault (IBF),
seismic activity along KHF is not apparent.
• Banni Grasslands: It has been encroached by
invasive tree species.
o They are the Asia’s largest grasslands in
northwest Gujarat’s Kachchh district.
o They home to a pastoral community
called Maldhari.
o In 1960s to protect this region from
salinity ingress from Rann of Kutch
government dropped millions of seeds of
exotic species called Prosopis Juliflora
from helicopters.
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6.8.2. GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES- INTERNATIONAL
Volcanoes Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii, USA): Scientists
in news noticed a surge of earthquakes and the
ground swelling.
• Kilauea Volcano is a shield volcano and
one of the most active volcanos on
earth, lying on Hawaii's Big Island in
Hawaii National Park, Hawaii (a
volcanic island group in the Central
Pacific Ocean)
• Home to Mauna Loa (largest volcanic
mountain of world by volume, Hawaii
includes a number of islands including
Oahu Island with Pearl Harbor, a land-
locked harbor attacked by Japan in
WW-II).
• Cumbre Vieja Volcano, Canary Islands:
It erupted recently.
o Located in Atlantic Ocean near
mainland Africa, the Canary Islands
is a group of seven islands, as
autonomous community of Spain.
• Mount Nyiragongo’s volcano,

Democratic Republic of Congo: It
recently erupted.
o Nyiragongo is a large strato
volcano near Lake Kivu at the
eastern border of DR Congo with
Rwanda in the Virunga National
Park.
o It is infamous for its extremely
fluid lava that runs as water when
the lava lake drains.
• Merapi Volcano, Indonesia: It recently

erupted.
o Merapi, a steep stratovolcano
north of Central Java's capital
Yogyakarta, is Indonesia's most
active volcano out of its 127
volcanoes.
• Mount Semeru: The highest volcano
of Java Island, Indonesia, erupted
once again recently.
o Mount Semeru, the highest
volcano of Java Island
(Indonesia), erupted once again
recently.
o Semeru, also known as
Mahameru (Great Mountain) is
located within the Bromo
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Tengger Semeru-Arjuno, a
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
• Volcano Mount Aso, Japan: It recently
erupted.
o Location: in the Kyushu Group of
islands of Japan.
o Other features: Aso's caldera
rank among the world’s largest.
Volcano is the central feature of
Aso-Kuju National Park.
• Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano,

Tonga: A violent eruption in this
underwater volcano triggered
tsunami waves around the Pacific.
o Tonga is a group of islands in the
South Pacific Ocean, located near
Fiji and Samoa.
o There are an estimated one million
undersea volcanoes, and most of
them are located near the tectonic
plates.
Lake Recently, floods and landslides were
Tanganyika caused by the rising level of Lake
(Eastern Tanganyika.
Africa) • Lake Tanganyika is the second largest
freshwater lake in volume after Lake
Baikal of Russia.
• River Lukuga is its major outflow river,
flowing into the Congo River System
and River Ruzizi is the main inflow
River along with River Kalambo and
River Malagarasi (2nd largest river of
Tanzania).
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Lake • Drought fueled by climate change has
Tahoe, dropped Lake Tahoe below its natural
U.S.A. rim and halted flows into the Truckee
River.
• Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake
occupying a fault basin on the
California-Nevada border in the
northern Sierra Nevada, U.S.
Hindu-Kush According to a UNDP report, Glacier

Himalayas melting in Hindu-Kush Himalayans (HKH)
(HKH) will cause food and water crisis by 2100.
• HKH region extends over eight
countries—Afghanistan, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar,
Nepal, and Pakistan.
• It contains the world’s third-largest
storage of frozen water after
Antarctica and Arctic.
Addu Atoll Maldives stated that it has made no

decision on opening an Indian consulate at
Addu Atoll.
• Addu Atoll is the southernmost island
group in the Maldives. It is divided by
four channels: Gan Kandu,
Viligilikandu, Maakanda and
Kodakanda.
Sudano- Food production in this zone of Africa is

Sahelian under threat due to climate change.
Zone (SSZ) • The semi-arid SSZ is located between
the Saharan desert and the humid
Guinean zone and stretches from the
Atlantic coast to the Red Sea coast.
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Java Island, Recently, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake
Indonesia struck off Java Island, Indonesia.
• It is home to over 100 volcanoes
including Mount Semeru the highest
volcano mountain of Indonesia
• It is part of Sunda Island Arc, which
includes Sumatra to the northwest
and Bali to the east.
6.8.3. COUNTRIES IN NEWS
1. Faroe Recently, over 1,400 dolphins were killed as part of the

Islands traditional hunting practice in the Faroe Islands.
• Faroe Islands, a semi-autonomous region under
Denmark, is the largest fjord in the North Atlantic
territory.
• Moss, grass and mountain bog are the natural
vegetation of the region with Fishing industry and
other marine occupations as the main source of
income.
2. Apo Recently, the Apo Island of Philippines became its first ‘zero
Island, waste’ island.
Philippi • The island nation shares maritime boundaries with
nes Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Japan
and Palau.
• Mount Apo is its highest peak and Cagayan River as the
longest river.
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3. Cyprus• Recently, Cyprus opened its Museum of Underwater Ayia
Napa (MUSAN), world’s first underwater forest with over
130 sculptures in Pernera(a marine protected area)
• It is the 3rd largest island of Mediterranean Sea and
member of EU since 2004 with Mount Olympus as its
highest peak.
• The Pedieos is the longest river in Cyprus which
originates in the Troodos Mountains.
•
4. Iceland Iceland's glaciers have lost seven percent of their surface
since the turn of the millennium due to global warming and
could disappear entirely by 2200.
• Predominantly a volcanic island formed of basaltic
rocks, it is famous for its hot springs, geysers, icefields
and active volcanoes
• Largest river:Thjorsa River is its largest River and
Highest Peak: Hvannadals Peak.
5. Peru A 90 day environmental emergency has been declared in
the coastal area of Lima due to the recent oil spill.
An earthquake hit northern Peru.
• Geographical features - The andes mountains, lake
titicana and cold Peru Current (or Humboldt Current)
which is fundamental to the concept of el-nino.
• It’s northern tip nearly touches the Equator.
• The world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, covers
nearly half of Peru.
6. Greece After intense heat waves in Southern Europe and wildfires

across region including Greece, it has decided to form a
Climate Crisis Ministry.
• Major Water Bodies: Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, Sea of
Crete, Libyan Sea and Mediterranean Sea are main
water bodies, sharing maritime borders with Cyprus,
Egypt, Italy and Libya.
7. Siberia Siberia is reeling under worst wildfire for 3rd year in a row.
• It is vast region of Russia and northern Kazakhstan,
constituting all of northern Asia and known for its
harsh winters.
• Siberia extends from the Ural Mountains in the west to
the Pacific Ocean in the east and southward from the
Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan
and the borders of Mongolia and China.
129
9. Nepal Nepal’s Langtang Microhydro Electricity Project is Nepal’s
first hydropower from a glacial lake.
• Climate: Nepal falls in the temperate zone north of the
Tropic of Cancer.
• Geographical features - The highest point in the
country is Mt. Everest (8,848 m) while the lowest point
is in the Tarai plains of Kechana Kalan in Jhapa.
• Rivers: Nepal can be divided into three major river
systems from east to west: the Kosi River, the Narayani
River (India's Gandak River), and the Karnali River.
10 Madag The Island nation is facing one the most acute water
ascar shortages where water became more expensive than food.
• Physical location and geographical features:
o It lies off the southeastern coast of Africa in the
Indian Ocean and is separated from the African
coast by the 400-km wide Mozambique Channel.
o It is the fourth largest island in the world
o Highest point: Maromokotro
o Longest river: Mangoky
• The island was ruled by the French from 1895 to 1957.
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ENVIRONMENT

Copyright © by Vision IAS

Regional findings for India

1.1.3. THE ADAPTATION GAP REPORT 2021: THE GATHERING STORM

1.1.5. GLOBAL METHANE ASSESSMENT

1.1.6. INDIA ON COURSE TO EXCEED PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITMENTS

1.2. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND INITIATIVES

1.2.3.2. GLASGOW FINANCIAL ALLIANCE FOR NET ZERO (GFANZ)

1.2.3.3. INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RESILIENT ISLAND STATES (IRI S)

1.2.3.5. OTHER INITIATIVES

1.2.4. KIGALI AMENDMENT TO MONTREAL PROTOCOL

1.2.5. INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE

1.2.6. OTHER INITIATIVES IN NEWS

1.3. CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION

1.4. CONCEPTS IN BRIEF

1.5. REPORTS AND INDICES

The Climate Crisis is a Child • Released by: UNICEF

o Pakistan(14th), Bangladesh (15th), Afghanistan(25th) and India(26th) are

2.1.2. COMMISSION FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT (CAQM)

2.1.3. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) AIR POLLUTION STANDARDS

2.1.4. NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (NCAP)

2.2. WATER POLLUTION AND CONSERVATION

2.2.2. WATER COMMODIFICATION

2.2.3. BIO-MONITORING USING ENVIRONMENTAL DNA (EDNA)

2.3. LAND DEGRADATION

International efforts to combat Land degradation

• The India Plastics Pact (IPP) has

2.4.2. PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT AMENDMENT RULES, 2021

2.4.3. OTHER INITIATIVES IN NEWS TO TACKLE PLASTIC WAST E

2.5. CONCEPTS IN BRIEF

2.6. REPORTS AND INDICES

3.2. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2021

3.4. PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS ACT ,

3.5. WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION

Green Imperial • IUCN status: Near Threatened (Earlier Least Concerned).

3.5.2. CONSERVATION ASSURED TIGER STANDARDS (CATS)

• It is the tiger species native to India.

3.5.3. ALL INDIA ELEPHANT AND TIGER POPULATION ESTIMATION EXERCISE

Protection status of Asian Elephants:

3.5.4. NATIONAL DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTRE (NDRC)

3.5.5. CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION PLAN

3.5.6. RED SANDERS

• It is a non-fragrant variety of sandalwood that mostly grows in rocky, hilly regions

3.5.8. INDIA’S FIRST CRYPTOGAMIC GARDEN

3.5.10. WORLD’S FIRST 5-COUNTRY BIOSPHERE RESERVE

3.5.11. GEO-TOURISM SITES

3.5.12. DIHING PATKAI NATIONAL PARK

• Assam (7) now has the third most

3.5.13. PROTECTED AREAS IN NEWS

3.5.14. KEY FAUNA AND FLORA IN NEWS

3.6.2. AMENDMENTS IN FOREST CONSERVATION ACT

3.6.3. WORLD HERITAGE FORESTS

3.7.2. NEW RAMSAR SITES

3.7.3. BLUE FLAG CERTIFICATION

3.8. OTHER BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVES IN NEWS

3.10. REPORTS AND INDICES

4.3. GREEN DAY AHEAD MARKET (GDAM) PORTAL

4.4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY

4.4.2. ENERGY ACCOUNTING (EA)