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Total number of questions directly reflected from IAS Parliament

(including Target 2023 series) 22

Number of questions directly reflected from the Target Series 2023 15

Total number of questions partially reflected from IAS Parliament 20

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INDEX

3.11 A23a Iceberg .................................................... 25

1. Pollution ........................................... 4
3.12 Otolith Rings ..................................................... 26
Plastic Pollution: A Glossary of Related Terms . 4
3.13 Arctic Report Card 2023 .................................. 26
UN Treaty to End Plastic Pollution .................... 5
3.14 Mangroves as Carbon Sink............................... 26
Plastic Credits .................................................... 6
3.15 Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) ..................... 27
Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) Report ................. 6
3.16 Marine Cloud Brightening................................ 28
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) .............. 8
3.17 Carbon-Dioxide Removal ................................. 28
Odd Even Scheme in Delhi ................................. 8
3.18 Algae-assisted Carbon capture......................... 30
Air Quality Tools ................................................ 9
3.19 Limitations of CCS and CDR ............................ 30
Smog in North India ........................................... 9
Mercury contamination ...................................... 9 4. Environmental Organisations,
Red Tide............................................................ 10 Conventions & Treaties ........................ 31
White Phosphorus............................................. 11 4.1 UNFCCC COP-28 ............................................ 31
Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 .......... 11 4.2 UAE Consensus ................................................ 31
Climate Engineering......................................... 12 4.3 Loss and Damage Fund .................................... 31
Deep Sea Mining .............................................. 12 4.4 ALTERRA ......................................................... 32
Fish Kill ............................................................ 13 4.5 Emirates Declaration ....................................... 32
Parali Burning.................................................. 14 4.6 COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health..... 32
Green Crackers ................................................ 14 4.7 Alliance of Champions for Food Systems
Transformation ................................................. 32
White Goods ..................................................... 14
4.8 Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel
Bartan Bank...................................................... 14 Partnerships (CHAMP) Pledge ........................ 33

2. Renewable Energy ........................... 14 4.9 Africa's Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII)

.......................................................................... 33
2.1 Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge
4.10 The Global Expert Review on Debt, Nature and
.......................................................................... 14
Climate ............................................................. 33
2.2 Biofuel Sustainability ....................................... 15
4.11 7th GEF Summit ................................................ 33
2.3 Ethanol Blended Petrol Program ..................... 16
4.12 Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) 36
2.4 Biochar ............................................................. 17
4.13 Outcomes of 1st African Climate Summit 2023 . 36
2.5 Bharat Stage Emission Standards .................... 17
4.14 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Antarctic .. 36
2.6 Green hydrogen bunks by 2035 ........................ 18
4.15 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy ................ 37
2.7 Green Hydrogen Bus ........................................ 18
4.16 Montreal Protocol ............................................ 37
2.8 Working of Electric Battery .............................. 19
4.17 Brazzaville Summit of the Three Basins ........... 38
3. Climate Change............................... 20 4.18 Champions of the Earth Award 2023 ............... 38
3.1 Breach of Planetary Boundaries ...................... 20 4.19 UNESCO Michel Batisse Award ...................... 38

3.2 Global Carbon Budget ..................................... 20 4.20 Airgun Surrender Abhiyan................................ 39

3.3 Global Cooling Pledge ..................................... 21 4.21 Review of Significant Trade Process of CITES 39

3.4 Global Goal on Adaptation .............................. 22 4.22 Funga................................................................ 39

3.5 Global Stocktake (GST) .................................... 22 5. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS ..... 40
3.6 Global Warming Potential (GWP) ................... 23
5.1 Cheetah Reintroduction Project ....................... 40
3.7 Climate Finance ............................................... 23
5.2 Merger of Project Tiger & Project Elephant.... 40
3.8 Emission Gap Report 2023 ............................... 24
5.3 Increase in Tiger Population ............................ 41
3.9 Underground Climate Change ......................... 24
5.4 Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022 ..... 42
3.10 Rapid Ice Melt in West Antarctica .................... 25
5.5 New Community Forest Resource Guidelines .. 43

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5.6 Legality of possessing wildlife articles ............. 44 OTHERS ............................................... 70

5.7 Green Credit Programme (GCP) ..................... 44 7.4 State of India’s Bird Report .............................. 70
5.8 Green Deposits ................................................. 45 7.5 Best Tourism Village 2023 ............................... 71
5.9 Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme ... 45 7.6 Environmental DNA (eDNA) ............................ 71
5.10 Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity 7.7 CATCH DNA .................................................... 72
Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP) 46
7.8 E-Soil ................................................................ 72
5.11 Accredited Compensatory Afforestation (ACA)
Program ........................................................... 46 7.9 Miyawaki Plantation Method ........................... 72

5.12 Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry 7.10 Diel Vertical Migration (DVM) ........................ 72
Coalition (RECEIC) ......................................... 47 7.11 Selfing Syndrome .............................................. 73
5.13 National Frameworks for Climate Services 7.12 Forest Fire in Maui Island ............................... 73
(NFCS) ............................................................. 47
7.13 Zombie fires (Arctic Soil Fires) ........................ 74
5.14 Compulsory Blending Obligation (CBO) of CBG
7.14 Vegetated canopies ........................................... 74
.......................................................................... 48
7.15 Black Summer ................................................... 75
5.15 National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change 48
7.16 Silk .................................................................... 75
5.16 IWIS and CITIS ................................................ 48
7.17 Forest Fringe Villages ...................................... 76
5.17 Cleaning our Rivers.......................................... 49
7.18 Mahua Liquor ................................................... 76
5.18 Conservation of Small Rivers ........................... 50
7.19 Sea weed Park .................................................. 76
5.19 Dam Safety in India .......................................... 51
7.20 Dragonfly Festival, 2023 .................................. 76
5.20 Artificial Reef (AR) ........................................... 52
7.21 Zombie Deer Disease........................................ 77
5.21 EIA in Indian Himalayan Region ..................... 52
7.22 Petermann Glacier, Greenland ........................ 77
5.22 Coastline Erosion ............................................. 53
5.23 National Disaster Status ................................... 54 8. Species in News .............................. 77
5.24 Community-based initiative for Hornbills ........ 55
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED .................. 79
5.25 Elephant Death Audit Framework (EDAF) ...... 56
5.26 Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) . 8.1 Gharial ............................................................. 79
.......................................................................... 56 8.2 Pygmy Hogs ...................................................... 80
5.27 Silvopasture Systems ........................................ 56 8.3 Vulture species in India .................................... 80
5.28 Radio collar ...................................................... 56 8.4 White-rumped Vulture ...................................... 81
5.29 Ecocide ............................................................. 57 8.5 Oriental white-backed vulture .......................... 81
5.30 Rat Hole Mining ............................................... 57 8.6 Gyps himalayensis ............................................ 81
5.31 Operation Kachchhap ...................................... 58 8.7 Manis Mysteria ................................................. 82
5.32 Ban on Manjha threads .................................... 58 8.8 Namdapha Flying Squirrel ............................... 82
5.33 Conocarpus Plant ............................................. 58 8.9 Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus)
5.34 Mithuns ............................................................. 59 .......................................................................... 83

5.35 Ghol fish ........................................................... 59 8.10 Vaquita Porpoises ............................................ 83

5.36 Pink Bollworm .................................................. 59 8.11 Saurauia Punduana .......................................... 84

5.37 National Transit Pass System (NTPS) .............. 60 8.12 Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) ..................... 84

5.38 Rubber Board ................................................... 60 8.13 Dhib and Nimr .................................................. 84

8.14 Sumatran 0rangutans (Pongo abelii) ............... 85
6. Protected Areas............................... 60
ENDANGERED....................................... 85
6.1 Protected Areas in news ................................... 64
8.15 Nilgiri Tahr ....................................................... 85
7. Biodiversity .................................... 65 8.16 Sangai Deer ...................................................... 85
7.1 Biosphere Reserves........................................... 65 8.17 Dholes ............................................................... 86
7.2 Ramsar convention on Wetlands ...................... 67 8.18 White-Cheeked Macaque (Macaca leucogenys) 86
7.3 Biodiversity sites in News ................................. 68 8.19 Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) ......................... 86
8.20 Gangetic Dolphin ............................................. 86

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8.21 Black Tigers...................................................... 86 8.51 Farlowichnus rapidus ....................................... 95

8.22 Humpback Whale ............................................. 86 8.52 Impatiens Karuppusamyi .................................. 95

VULNERABLE ........................................ 87 INVASIVE SPECIES ............................... 96

8.23 Leatherback Turtles .......................................... 87 8.53 Invasive Mussels ............................................... 96
8.24 Giraffe .............................................................. 87 8.54 Mosquitofish ..................................................... 96
8.25 Sloth Bear ......................................................... 88
OTHERS ............................................... 97
8.26 Mugger Crocodile ............................................ 88
8.55 Oriental Armyworm .......................................... 97
8.27 Yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle (Podocnemis
unifilis) ............................................................. 88 8.56 Permakore ........................................................ 97
8.28 Bonnet macaque (Macaca Radiata) ................. 88 8.57 Sardine Run ...................................................... 98
8.29 Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) ....................... 88 8.58 Leh Berry .......................................................... 98
8.30 Polar Bears ...................................................... 89 8.59 Sturgeon............................................................ 98
8.60 Rhododendron .................................................. 99
NEAR THREATENED ............................. 89
8.61 Galapagos Tortoises ......................................... 99
8.31 Red Sand Boa ................................................... 89 8.62 Oyster Restoration Program ............................ 99
8.32 Nicobar Pigeon................................................. 89
8.63 Wild Orchids ..................................................... 99
8.33 Jaguar (Panthera Onca)................................... 90 8.64 International Year of Camelids ...................... 100
8.34 Eurasian otter (Lutra Lutra) ............................ 90
8.65 Taiga Flycatchers ........................................... 100
8.35 Wisent (European wood bison) ........................ 90 8.66 Picocystis salinarum ....................................... 100
8.36 Saiga Antelope.................................................. 91
8.67 Pantoea Tagorei ............................................. 100
LEAST CONCERN .................................. 91 8.68 Babool ............................................................ 101

8.37 Budgett Frog .................................................... 91 8.69 Eretmoptera murphyi (Midge) ........................ 101

8.38 Reticulated Python ........................................... 92 8.70 Apis Mellifera ................................................. 101

8.39 Alligator Gar Fish ............................................ 92 8.71 Sea Slaters ...................................................... 101

8.40 Indian Tent Turtles ........................................... 92 8.72 Snow Crab ...................................................... 102

8.41 Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) ............................ 92 8.73 Shaligrams ...................................................... 102

8.42 White Bellied Sea Eagles .................................. 93 8.74 Silver Cockscomb ........................................... 102

8.43 Indian eagle owl ............................................... 93 8.75 Candida Auris ................................................. 103
8.76 Vibrio Bacteria ............................................... 103
NEWLY DISCOVERED SPECIES ............. 93 8.77 Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C .... 103
8.44 Badis limaakumi ............................................... 93 8.78 Desiccation-tolerant (DT) vascular plants ..... 104
8.45 Demaorchestia Alanensis ................................. 94 8.79 Fish Mint ........................................................ 104
8.46 Dollfus’ Stargazer ............................................ 94 8.80 Extinct Animals ............................................... 104
8.47 Red-rumped Hawklet ........................................ 94
8.48 Armageddon reedtail ........................................ 94
8.49 Nidirana Noadihing (Musical Frog) ................ 95
8.50 Pancorius Sebastiani ........................................ 95

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1. POLLUTION

Plastic Pollution: A Glossary of Related Terms

The year 2023 celebrates the 50th anniversary of World Environment.

• World Environment Day - Celebrated annually on June 5, since 1973 by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
• June 5 was designated as World Environment Day, marking the first day of 1972 Stockholm Conference on the
Human Environment.
• This year’s theme focuses on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.
• This year’s edition is hosted by Côte d'Ivoire (a Western African country) in partnership with Netherlands.
Terms related to Plastic Pollution
• Plastics - Derived from the Greek word plastikos, meaning capable of being shaped or moulded.
• It refers to a wide range of synthetic/semi-synthetic
materials that use polymers as a main ingredient with
their plasticity.
• Most modern plastics are derived from fossil fuel-based
chemicals like natural gas or petroleum.
• Recently, variants made from renewable materials, such
as corn or cotton derivatives have also emerged.
• Commodity plastics - These refer to the 6 major
polymer types which constitute around 70% of global
plastic production.
• They can be identified by their resin identification code
(RIC) denoted by symbols found on plastic products.
• Resin Identification Code (RIC) - RIC shows the
consumer which type of plastic resin was used to make
the chosen product.
• The symbol looks similar to recycle symbol but it
explicitly does not mean the product can be recycled.
• Decomposition rate - It refers to the rate at which a material breaks down into its constituent parts through
chemical processes.
• Microplastics - Officially defined as plastics less than 5 millimetres in diameter and categorised into two.
o Primary microplastics are tiny particles
designed for commercial use, such as in
cosmetics or textiles.
o Secondary microplastics are particles that
are a product of the breakdown of larger
plastic items. They are formed due to

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exposure to environmental factors such as sun radiation or ocean waves.

• Toxins - Microplastics contain a number of toxic chemicals such as BPA which pose severe risks to human
health. BPA or Bisphenol A is used to
harden the plastic, contaminates food
and drinks.
• Great Pacific Garbage Patch - It is
the largest collection of marine debris in
the North Pacific Ocean and is also
known as the Pacific trash vortex.
• The garbage patch is actually two distinct
collections of debris bounded by the
massive North Pacific Subtropical
Gyre.
• It is located between California and
Japan, and formed due to converging Great Pacific Garbage Patch
ocean currents.
• Single-use plastics - A term which refers to any plastic items which are either designed to be used one time
by the consumer before they are thrown away or recycled or used in this way.
• Many countries, including India, have passed legislation to either ban or severely restrict their use.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE)

• A member of the polyester family of polymers, a strong synthetic fibre and resin.
• It is produced by the polymerization of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid.
• PET is the most widely recycled plastic.
• Uses - PET is also made into fibre filling for insulated clothing and pillows and in artificial silk and in carpets.
• Automobile tire yarns, conveyor belts, reinforcement for fire hoses and garden hoses, seat belts, etc.
• Import - The Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 were
amended in 2021 to allow import of PET into the country including Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and
Export Oriented Units (EOUs).
• Ministry of Environment has notified the Guidelines on the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for
plastic waste, including PET, by Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022.

UN Treaty to End Plastic Pollution

INC, under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), met in Nairobi for its 3rd round of negotiations to develop an
international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution worldwide.
• Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) - The committee is formed to develop the instrument
on plastic pollution. It addresses the full life cycle of plastics, including its production, design, and disposal.

• Zero draft text- INC-3 was a make-or-break Session Year Location

opportunity as countries came together to
negotiate the ‘zero draft’ text developed by the Punta del Este Convention
Committee’s Secretariat, with various options for INC-1 2022
and Exhibition Centre
core obligations and control measures.
• UNEA Resolution 5/14- UNEA adopted a INC-2 2023 (May-June) Paris, France
resolution to develop an international legally
binding instrument on plastic pollution, INC-3 2023 (November) Nairobi
including in the marine environment.
• Aim-The resolution has the ambition to complete the negotiations to frame the instrument by end of 2024.
• The INC is responsible for delivering a global plastics treaty by 2025.

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Important Environment
Significance
Conventions

Convention on Biological Aims to conserve biological diversity, use its components sustainably, and share
Diversity (CBD) the benefits of genetic resources fairly and equitably

A supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to

Nagoya Protocol on access and
ensure access of genetic resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising
benefit sharing
from their utilization

It is a protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and it governs the

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern
biotechnology from one country to another.

An international environmental treaty to combat dangerous human interference

UN Framework Convention on
with the climate system, by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the
Climate Change (UNFCCC)
atmosphere

It operationalizes the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing

Kyoto Protocol
industrialized countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions

UN Convention to Combat A convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through
Desertification (UNCCD) national action programs.

An international environmental treaty to eliminate or restrict the production and

Stockholm Convention
use of persistent organic pollutants

An international treaty to protect human health and environment from

Minamata Convention
anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and its compounds

An international treaty to phase out the production of ozone depleting substances.

Montreal protocol (GEF is not formally linked to this protocol, but supports its implementation in
transitioning economies)

Kigali Agreement An amendment to Montreal Protocol to reduce HFC consumption by 80% by 2047

An international treaty on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous

Basel Convention
Wastes and their disposal

A treaty to designed to facilitate Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain

Rotterdam Convention
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade

Plastic Credits

Plastic credits are considered as one of the tools to cut down plastic pollution.
• Plastic credits - It is a market based mechanism that allows companies or individuals to pay for plastic waste
collection and recycling in exchange for a credit that offsets their own plastic production or use.
• It is similar to carbon credits which offset the greenhouse gas emissions of various companies.
• Facilitation- The exchange is facilitated by accreditors like Verra, marketplaces like the Plastic Credit
Exchange (PCX), or private companies that trade in credits or organize credit-generating activities.
• When companies buy enough plastic credits to offset their plastic footprint over a set period of time, they may
claim net-zero plastic.

Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) Report

According to the University of Chicago report, the air pollution has major impact on the life expectancy.

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• Prepared by- University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (UCEPI)

• Purpose- To quantify the relationship between long-term human exposure to air pollution and life expectancy.
• Policies- It illustrates how air pollution policies can increase life expectancy if pollution levels were reduced to
o World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe guideline
o Existing national air quality standards, or According to the WHO, annual
average concentrations of PM
o By user-selected % reductions. 2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3.
Key findings of the report
• South Asia - Air pollution is a major threat to South Asians especially for those living in Bangladesh, India,
Nepal, and Pakistan.
• Bangladesh remains the most polluted country in the world.
• India – It is
the 2nd most polluted
nation. Between 2020
and 2021, PM2.5 level
in India increased 10
times more than the
WHO guideline.
• Air pollution shortens
the average Indian life
expectancy by 6.3
years, relative to what
it would be if the
World Health
Organization (WHO)
guideline was met
• Most polluted- The world’s 50 most polluted regions belong to the Northern Plains of India.
• Delhi has the highest level of pollution in the country, with pollution 14 times greater than the WHO guideline.

Steps taken by Government to Curb Air Pollution

• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981- It was inspired from the decisions made during
Stockholm conference.
• National Clean Air Program- It was launched in 2019 as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to
tackle the air pollution problem across the country.
• The Government of India revamped its NCAP (National Clean Air Programme) goal in 2022 which aims to achieve
a 40% reduction in particulate pollution levels by 2026 in 131 non-attainment cities.
• Monitor- ‘National Air Monitoring Program’ (NAMP), was launched in 2009 which aims to cover a larger extent
of states and cities in India.
• National Air Quality Index- It was launched in 2014 for effective dissemination of air quality information to the
people.
• Infrastructure- Eastern Peripheral Expressway and Western Peripheral Expressway has been operationalized to
divert non destined traffic from Delhi.
• Ban- 10-year-old diesel vehicles and 15-year-old vehicles in Delhi NCR has been banned.
• Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME Scheme) - Promotes the use of electric
vehicles.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) - It is a framework for plastic packaging, battery waste, tyre waste
and e-waste.
• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) - It was launched in 2017, for prevention, control and abatement of air
pollution in NCR.
• SAMEER app- Air quality information is available to public along with provision for registering complaints.

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• Mining technology - Vacuum materials from seafloor using massive pumps,

AI-based technology to teach deep sea robots to pluck nodules off the floor,
advanced machinery to mine underwater, etc. are being considered.
• Regulation of deep sea mining - The high seas and the international ocean
floor are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Seas (UNCLOS).
• Under the treaty, the seabed and its mineral resources are considered
the common heritage of mankind’.
• License - More than 30 exploration licenses have been issued so far by ISA.
• The Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone between Hawaii and Mexico is the most focused area of
exploration.

Maritime Zones under UNCLOS

Fish Kill

Thousands of dead fish washed up on multiple beaches of southeast Texas, USA due to ‘fish kill’.
• Fish kill is the sudden and unexpected death of many fish or other aquatic animals over a short period and
mostly within a particular area.
Causes of fish kill
• Low levels of dissolved oxygen - When Sea surface temperatures rise, it becomes difficult for the fish to
breathe as oxygen dissolves easily in colder water compared to warmer water.
• When many fishes get trapped in shallow water, they get warmer more quickly, leading to suffocation.
• This causes fish to act more erratically, which in turn, further depletes the oxygen from the water, ultimately
leading to the death of the fish.
• Calm Seas - Oxygen enters the sea water by mixing with wind and waves.
• Very calm seas cause the depletion of dissolved oxygen and causes fish kill.
• Overcast weather – It refers to more than 95% of cloud coverage.
• Photosynthesis is driven by sunlight and it slows down on cloudy days, resulting in decreased dissolved oxygen
concentration.
• Other reasons – Alteration in natural water chemistry, biological changes, rising temperatures of oceans,
chemical pollution or miscellaneous human activity.

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Parali Burning

Supreme Court asked the Punjab government why it could not fund the costs of crop residue management machines
for marginal farmers.

• Also called as parali burning, stubble burning is a method of Stubble burning High prevalence
removing paddy crop residues from the field to sow wheat.
Rice Punjab and Haryana
• It is usually done in the last week of September to November.
• It is usually required in areas that use the combined harvesting Wheat Uttar Pradesh
method which leaves crop residue behind.
• It is practised by the farmers to prepare the land for the next cultivation.
• It is practised mainly in the Indo-Gangetic plains of Punjab, Haryana, and UP to clear the fields for rabi crop
sowing.

Green Crackers

• They are fireworks made with a reduced shell size without ash, and use additives such as dust suppressants to
reduce emissions and particulate matter.
• These crackers lack barium compounds that is responsible for the green hue and noise pollution.
• The idea was introduced by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National
Environmental Engineering Research Insititute (CSIR-NEERI) in 2018.
• Categories - SWAS (safe water releaser), SAFAL (safe minimal aluminium) and STAR (safe thermite cracker)

White Goods

• White goods are large home appliances and electrical goods for the house which were traditionally available
only in white.
• Example - Stoves, Refrigerators, Freezers, Washing machines, Tumble driers, Dishwashers, Air conditioners,
LED lights, Water heaters, Microwave ovens, Induction cookers.
• It also refers to white fabrics, especially linen or cotton that are historically used to be made of white cloth.
• In the beverage industry, white goods are colorless spirits, such as vodka or gin.

Bartan Bank

• A panchayat in Odisha’s Nuapada district recently introduces Bartan Bank to reduce plastic waste.
• The Bartan Bank will act as a repository of steel utensils as alternatives to single use plastics during community
functions and social gatherings.

2. RENEWABLE ENERGY

2.1 Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge

International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for government to commit to tripling global renewable capacity by
2030 ahead of COP 28, but some key players have not signed the pledge.

Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge

• Led by- US, European Union and UAE.

• Aim- To achieve net zero emission by mid-century (2050).
• The pledge calls for “phase down of unabated coal power” and an end to financing of new coal-fired power plants.

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• Target-
o To triple worldwide installed renewable energy generation capacity to at least 11,000 GW.
o To double global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements to more than 4% by 2030.
• Signed- At COP 28 in Dubai.
• Major non-signatory countries- India and China
• Primary renewable energy sources with their share in global power generation-
o Hydroelectric- 16.1 %, Wind- 5.6%, Solar-3.8%

• India’s status- India is the 3rd largest energy consuming country in the world.
• India has already achieved its target of 40% installed electric capacity from
non-fossil fuels. As per Renewables 2022
• Renewable energy target- India has set an enhanced target of 500 GW of Global Status Report,
non-fossil fuel-based energy by 2030, which is the world’s largest expansion India stands
plan in renewable energy. • 4th globally in
• Carbon neutrality-India has also pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by renewable energy
2070. installed capacity
• 4th in wind power
• Tripling renewables proposal- India didn’t sign the pledge as a report has capacity
found that India would need an investment of about 293 billion dollars to triple • 4th in solar power
its renewable energy installed capacity by 2030. capacity
• Reliance on coal- India is not comfortable with the coal phase out target as
it need to focus on poverty reduction and economic growth, hence it did not sign the pledge.

Steps taken by India to promote Renewable Energy

• National Green Hydrogen Mission- It focuses on direct and indirect employment, import substitution, and
R&D for higher efficiency in renewable energy technologies.
• PM KUSUM scheme-It is aimed at ensuring energy security for farmers in India, along with honouring India’s
commitment to increase the share of installed capacity of electric power from non-fossil-fuel sources to 40% by
2030 as part of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).
• Investment- India allows up to 100% Foreign Direct Investment under the automatic route for renewable energy
generation and distribution project.
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) - Scheme for high efficiency solar aims to enhance India’s manufacturing
capabilities and exports in the solar sector.
• Green Energy Corridors- It is established to create intra-state transmission system for renewable energy
projects.
• International Solar Alliance- It is a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change
through deployment of solar energy solutions with an aim of One Sun, One World, One Grid.
• Green carbon credits-It is proposed by India to create carbon sinks through people’s participation.

2.2 Biofuel Sustainability

India has launched the Global Biofuel Alliance in G20 summit 2023, demonstrating its commitment to climate action
with global cooperation.
• Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from renewable biological sources, including plants and algae.

Generation Source Example

First generation (1G) Conventional source or food sources - Sugarcane, corn etc., Bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas

Non-food sources and the waste left from the food

Second generation (2G) Cellulose ethanol, biodiesel
resources- Municipal solid waste, wood chips etc.,

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Algae- It consists of 40% of lipids which can be converted

Third generation (3G) Butanol, Gasoline, Jet fuel
to biodiesel or synthetic petroleum.

Fourth generation (4G) Produced from genetically engineered bio algae

• Global Biofuel Alliance- It is an alliance driven by India, the United States, and Brazil, to accelerated
adoption of biofuels, creating new biofuels, setting globally recognized standards, identifying global best
practices, and ensuring industry participation.

Steps taken by India to promote Biofuel Production

• E5 program- It was India’s pilot project of 5% ethanol blending.

• National Biodiesel Mission- It was formulated in 2003 to achieve 20% biodiesel blend by 2011-12.
• National Policy on Biofuel- It was launched in 2009, proposed a non-mandatory target of 20% blending of both
biodiesel and bioethanol by 2017.
• The policy is revised in 2018 to achieve 20% bioethanol blending and 5% biodiesel blending by 2030.
• GST- Goods & Service Tax (GST) on ethanol meant for EBP Programme has been reduced from 18% to 5%.
• SATAT scheme- Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation Initiative (SATAT) encourages
entrepreneurs to set up CBG plants, produce & supply CBG to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for sale as
automotive & industrial fuels.
• PM JI-VAN Yojana- It was launched in 2018 to provide Viable Gap Funding for 2G bioethanol.

2.3 Ethanol Blended Petrol Program

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution directed all mills and distilleries not to use sugarcane
juice/syrup for making any ethanol “with immediate effect”.
• Launch year- 2003; Aim- To
promote the use of renewable fuels.
• Ethanol- It is an agro-based
product, mainly produced from a by-
product of the sugar industry, namely
molasses. It is 99.9% pure alcohol
that can be blended with petrol.
• Guidelines- National Policy on
Biofuels.
• Nodal department- Department
of Food and Public Distribution
(DFPD) is the nodal department for
promotion of fuel grade ethanol
producing distilleries in the country.
• Target-
o E10-It has achieved the target of 10% ethanol blending in 2022.
o E20- It has set a target of 20% blending (E20) by 2030 which was now shifted to 2025-26.
• Price fixation-The procurement price of ethanol is fixed by the government, and oil companies can purchase
it from domestic sources.
• C-heavy molasses- Ethanol is typically made from “C-heavy” molasses, Uttar Pradesh is a major
a by-product of sugarcane processing. sugarcane producer; Bihar is
the major producer of maize.
• Alternative feedstocks- It include “B-heavy” molasses, concentrated
sugarcane juice, and other substrates like rice and maize.
• Increase in ethanol production- It happened largely after 2017-18, when mills started making it from B-
heavy molasses and concentrated sugarcane juice/syrup.

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2.4 Biochar

• Biochar is a carbon-rich material that is made from biomass through a thermochemical conversion process
known as pyrolysis.
• Pyrolysis – In this process, organic materials, such as wood chips, leaf litter or dead plants, are burned in a
container with very little oxygen.
important
• As the materials burn, they release little to no According to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel
contaminating fumes and the organic material is on Climate Change (IPCC), biochar could
converted into biochar, a stable form of carbon that potentially be used to capture 2.6 billion of the
can’t easily escape into the atmosphere. 40 billion tonnes of CO2 currently produced by
• The energy or heat created during pyrolysis can be humanity each year.
captured and used as a form of clean energy.
• Physical Attribute - Biochar is black, highly porous, lightweight, fine-grained and has a large surface area.
• Approximately 70% of its composition is carbon.
• The remaining percentage consists of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen among other elements.
• It is produced using a specific process to reduce contamination and safely store carbon.
• Biochar production is a carbon-negative process, which means that it actually reduces CO2 in the
atmosphere.

2.5 Bharat Stage Emission Standards

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has lifted the stage III
measures of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), allowing BS III petrol Mashelkar Committee
and BS IV diesel vehicles to run in Delhi and NCR. recommended a roadmap for
implementation of Euro based on
• Objective- To regulate the output of air pollutants from
emission standards for India.
compression and spark-ignition engines equipment, including
motor vehicles.

Advantages

• Enhancing soil structure • Improving porosity

• Improves soil quality • Regulating nitrogen leaching
• Produces energy as a by-product • Improving electrical conductivity
• Increasing water retention and aggregation • Improving microbial properties
• Decreasing acidity • Reducing nitrous oxide emissions
• They are in line with the European emission norms with a time lag of 5 years.
• Launched by- Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• In 1999, Supreme Court mandated that all vehicles in India have to meet the Euro I or India 2000 standard.

About Europe Emission Standards Bharat Stage Emission Standards

Origin In Europe Indian government-instituted emission norms

Adoption 1970 2000

Euro 1, Euro 2, Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro

Iterations BS I, BS II, BS III, BS IV, BS V, BS VI
5, Euro 6

The government decided to leap directly from BS-IV

All standards are followed with Euro
Exceptions to BS-VI, due to the time it took to move from
6 being the latest
BS-III to BS-IV

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Difference between BS IV and BS VI

• Stringent- BS VI is more stringent and have lower limits for pollutants especially Particulate Matter (PM) and
Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) than BS IV norms.
• Presence of sulphur- The BS-
VI fuel is estimated to bring
around an 80% reduction of
sulphur, from 50 parts per
million to 10 ppm.
• NOx emission- NOx is
expected to come down by nearly
70% for diesel cars and 25% for
cars with petrol engines.
• Better emission control- BS
VI has new features such as
Selective Catalytic Reduction,
Diesel Particulate Filter, Real
Driving Emission, and Onboard
Diagnostics.
• Fuel quality- BS vehicle needs
fuel that contains less sulphur
hence BS IV grade fuel cannot be
used as it may cause damage to
the engine and increase
emissions.

2.6 Green hydrogen bunks by 2035

The government said green hydrogen bunkering and refuelling facilities will be established at all major ports by 2035.

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways India’s Ports

(MoPSW) launched green port guidelines,
‘HaritSagar’.
• India’s coastline stretches 7,500 km and has more
• The guidelines, ‘HaritSagar’ is a part of efforts to than 200 ports in addition to the 12 major ones.
achieve zero carbon emission goal.
• These ports all together accounts for 95% of its trade
• The guidelines said that green ammonia bunkers by volume and 65% by value.
and refuelling facilities shall be established at all
Major Ports by 2035. • 12 major ports - Deendayal (Kandla), Mumbai,
Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore
• Under this, all ports will make efforts to achieve (Kamarajar), Tuticorin (VOC), Visakhapatnam,
the target of renewable energy as envisaged in Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) and
Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030/Blue Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
Economy 2047 documents.
• Targets - Share of renewable energy at Ports should exceed 60% by the Year 2030 and 90% by year 2047. The
ports has to set up at least one LNG bunkering station by 2030 and e-
vehicle charging stations in and around port areas by 2025.
• Bunkering - Bunkering operation is a procedure for transferring oil,
sludge or cargo to and from a ship.
• 3 of India’s 12 major ports would initially have bunker facilities for green
hydrogen and ammonia. The initial ports in the effort are to be Paradip
in the east, Kandla in the west, and Tuticorin in the south.
• Related Topic - Green Tug Transition Programme

2.7 Green Hydrogen Bus

Union Minister flags-off 1st green hydrogen fuel cell bus from New Delhi.
• Unveiled by - Indian Oil.

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• Fuel - Hydrogen and air to generate electricity to power the bus and the only by-product from the bus is water.
• Advantages - It is the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation compared to conventional buses.
• The energy density is 3 times higher and the absence of harmful emissions, hydrogen shines as a cleaner, more
efficient choice to meet the energy requirements.

Green Hydrogen Mission

• Aim - To make India a global hub for production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.
• The expected outcomes by 2030, are as follows:
1. India’s Green Hydrogen production capacity is likely to reach 5 MMT per annum, contributing to
reduction in dependence on import of fossil fuels.
2. Achievement of Mission targets is expected to reduce a cumulative Rs. 1 lakh crore worth of fossil fuel
imports by 2030.
• Nearly 50 MMT per annum of CO2 emissions are expected to be averted through production and use of the
targeted quantum of Green Hydrogen.

Types of Hydrogen

2.8 Working of Electric Battery

Electric battery, as portable sources of electric power are at the foundation of convenience and sustainability.
• Electric cell – A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy.

Components of Electric Cell

• Electrode – It is a metal plates in the cell where cathode is the

positively charged electrode, the one to which electrons arrive,
while anode is the negatively charged electrode, which ‘supplies’
electrons.
• Electrolyte – It is a liquid or gel that contains ions which allows
the flow of electric charge between the electrodes.
• Separator - It is a barrier that prevents the 2 electrodes from
touching and shorting out the cell.
• Wire – The 2 metal electrodes are connected by a wire.

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• Principle – It uses redox reactions to produce an electric current which is combination of

both oxidation (release of electrons) and reduction (consumption of electrons) reaction.
• Working – A voltaic, or galvanic cell consists of 2 half-cells where each half-cell is made of a metal electrode
immersed in an electrolyte of that metal.
o For example, a zinc electrode in zinc sulphate and a copper electrode in copper sulphate.
• The zinc oxidises at the anode, releases 2 electrons into the electrode and Zn2+ ions goes into the
electrolyte.
• Copper ions (Cu2+) from the copper sulphate deposit onto the cathode, which now requires 2 electrons
thus copper reduces at the cathode.
• So, the wire connecting the electrodes transports 2 electrons from anode to cathode.
• An electric battery is a combination of electric cells.

3. CLIMATE CHANGE

3.1 Breach of Planetary Boundaries

Earth beyond planetary boundaries, a recent study found that out of 9 planetary boundaries, humans breached 6.
• Planetary boundaries- They are the thresholds within which humanity can survive, develop and thrive for
generations to come.
• It sets limits on how much humans can be allowed to impact not only the climate but also other global processes
that are essential for
maintaining conditions on
the planet to support
modern civilisations.
• Planetary boundaries
framework – It was
developed in 2009, and
includes nine planet
boundaries that scientists
believe capture all of the
processes critical for
maintaining the Earth’s
system state.
• For each boundary, control
variables are chosen to
capture the most important
anthropogenic influence at
the planetary level of the
boundary in focus.

3.2 Global Carbon Budget

Paris Agreement

• Legally binding international treaty on climate change.

• Launch year- In 2015, adopted by 196 countries.
• Aim- To limit the global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and pursue
efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - Since 2020, countries submit national climate actions to
reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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• Global Carbon Budget - It is the amount of CO2 that humanity can emit while still having a chance to contain
global warming within 1.5°Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels, as advocated by the Paris Agreement.
• It is taken from the atmosphere, regional carbon emissions, CO2 emissions from land usage, carbon emissions
from man-made projects in many forms.
• It is produced under the umbrella of Global Carbon Project (GCP).
• It is part of the greater carbon cycle and the ways in which the Earth’s reservoirs of carbon are added to and
subtracted from.
• The budget is estimated to be around 1 trillion tonnes of carbon.

Climate Friendly Initiatives of India

• International Solar Alliance- It was a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change
through deployment of solar energy solutions launched in 2015.
• Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure- It is an international climate initiative by India in 2019 to
promote resilient climate-proof critical infrastructure in member countries.
• Global Biofuel Alliance- It is an alliance driven by India, the United States, and Brazil, to accelerated adoption
of biofuels, creating new biofuels, setting globally recognized standards, identifying global best practices, and
ensuring industry participation.
• LiFE mission- Lifestyle for Environment is an international mass movement to protect and preserve the
environment launched in COP 26 at Glasgow in 2021.

3.3 Global Cooling Pledge

Around 63 countries signed up the world’s 1st ever pledge to drastically cut cooling emissions at the COP28 climate
summit in Dubai.

Global Cooling Pledge

• Joint initiative- United Arab Emirates as host of COP28 and the UNEP-led ‘Cool Coalition’.
• It is the world's first collective focus on energy emissions from the cooling sector.
• Passive cooling strategies- It outlines actions such as insulation, natural shading, ventilation and reflective
surfaces, higher energy efficiency standards and a rapid phase down of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbon
(HFC) refrigerants.
• Aim- It commits the countries to reduce their cooling emissions by at least 68% by 2050.
• Outcome- It could reduce the projected 2050 emissions from business-as-usual cooling by around 3.8 billion
tons of CO2 equivalent.
• India has not signed the pledge; India is not willing to undertake targets above those committed to in 1992
under the multilateral Montreal Protocol to regulate production and consumption of ozone depleting chemicals
and hydrofluorocarbons used in cooling

• Cooling emissions are emissions generated from refrigerants, used in appliances like ACs and refrigerators, and
the energy used for cooling.
• HFC-134a, a form of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) most commonly used in domestic fridges, has a global warming
potential of 3,400 times that of CO2.
• Coolants- They allow the refrigeration process to change the state
quickly and absorb and release heat to enable cooling process.
• Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) - It was most used refrigerant, the
increased levels of CFCs in the atmosphere were responsible for
abnormally low ozone concentrations in Antarctica.
• Alternatives for CFC- CFCs were largely replaced by two groups of
chemicals, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydro chlorofluorocarbons
(HCFCs).

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• They don’t damage ozone layer but absorb infrared radiation, trapping heat inside the atmosphere rather than
letting it escape back into space, generating a greenhouse effect that warms Earth.
• As per Climate and Clean Air Coalition even relatively small amounts of HFCs contribute significantly to near-
term warming as greenhouse gases which are hundreds to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide
(CO2) per unit of mass.
o HFC-134a, a form of HFC and most commonly used in domestic fridges, has a global warming potential
of 3,400 times that of CO2.
• Fossil fuels- Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are by far the largest contributor to climate change,
accounting for over 75% of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all CO2 emissions.

3.4 Global Goal on Adaptation

COP28 at Dubai culminated with the adoption of Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) framework.
• It sets the vision for global wellbeing and resilience to protect people and ecosystems.
• Establishment – In 2015, a collective commitment under Article 7.1 of the Paris Agreement at COP 15,
proposed by the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) in 2013.
• Aim – To enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate
change and thereby contributing to sustainable development.
• Role – It is to serve as a unifying framework that can drive political action and finance for adaptation on the
same scale as mitigation.
• It will help in setting specific, measurable targets and guidelines for global adaptation action as well as
enhancing adaptation finance and support for developing countries.
• Glasgow-Sharm el-Sheikh work programme (GlaSS) – It was created by the signatories to the Paris
Agreement at COP 26 in Glasgow in 2021 to better understand, conceptualize and achieve this goal.
• It is a 2-year programme (2022-2023) carried out by
o The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), the Subsidiary Body for
Implementation (SBI), the 2 technical bodies that support the CMA (Meeting of Parties to the Paris
agreement)
o With the support of the UNFCCC secretariat

Adaptation Mitigation

To reduce vulnerability and to enhance To reduce the greenhouse gas emissions to slow the
Aim
resilience. climate change.

Approach Local or regional Global

It addresses specific climate impacts like It addresses the overall emissions through strategies
Targets
flooding or heatwaves like renewable energy or reforestation.

It is complex with no universal metric, focusing It is measured in CO2 equivalents, offering a

Measurement
on varied local outcomes. standardized metric for comparing efforts globally.

3.5 Global Stocktake (GST)

• It was mandated by the 2015 Paris Agreement, GST is an exercise aimed at assessing the progress in the fight
against climate change.
• The GST helps in deciding ways and means to enhance global action to bridge the adequacy gap.
• The Paris Agreement says GST must be conducted every 5 years, starting in 2023.
• The actual meat in GST would come in at COP28, the year-ending climate conference, held in Dubai.
• The discussions just produced a short framework on the elements to be included in the stocktake exercise.

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3.6 Global Warming Potential (GWP)

Some large industrialised meat and dairy companies promotes a new metric for measuring methane emissions, called
GWP* as a more accurate way to calculate emissions from the greenhouse gas (GHG).
• GWP – It tells us how much heat a greenhouse gas (GHG) traps in the atmosphere.
• It measures the energy absorbed by 1 ton of an atmospheric gas over a specific period relative to energy absorbed
by 1 ton of Carbon di-oxide (CO2) over the same time.
o For example, the GWP of methane (CH4) is around 21 times greater than that of CO2.
• Gases with a higher GWP absorb more energy, per pound, than gases with a lower GWP, and thus contribute
more to warming Earth
• Factors determining
GWP – Atmospheric lifetime,
absorption spectrum, and
concentration of the GHG in
the atmosphere.
• The order of most
abundant GHGs in the
Earth's atmosphere is Water
vapor, Carbon dioxide,
Methane, Nitrous oxide, Ozone, Chlorofluorocarbons.

GWP 100 GWP*

Devised under the 2015 Paris Agreement of In 2016 by Oxford University and introduced in
Establishment
UNFCCC COP24 of UNFCCC in 2018

Baseline gas Carbon di-oxide (CO2) Methane (CH4)

Focus On the absolute level of emissions. On relative changes in emissions.

Timescales Over a 100-year period Over 10-year period

3.7 Climate Finance

During the 3rd Climate and Development Ministerial, Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, COP28 President, has emphasized
the need to address adaptation finance gaps and make climate finance more accessible to vulnerable nations.
• Climate finance – It refers to local, national or transnational financing, drawn from public, private and
alternative sources of financing to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change.
• UNFCCC, 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.
• Global Environment Facility (GEF)- GEF serves as financing mechanism for the following conventions
• Special funds set up and managed under GEF include
o The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)
o The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF)
• Earth Summit- Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) is a principle that was formalized in
UNFCCC of Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 1992.
• Kyoto protocol- It is based on CBDR principle.
o Market based mechanisms- Climate friendly investments like Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM), Emission Trading.
o Adaptation fund- Marrakesh Accords established this fund under CDM, which supports projects and
programs that assist vulnerable communities in coping with the climate change impacts.

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Common But Different Responsibilities (CBDR)

• CBDR was formalized in international law at the 1992 United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de
Janeiro.
• The principle balances both the
o need for all states to take responsibility for global
environmental problems
o need to recognize the wide differences in levels of economic
development between states

• Green Climate Fund (GCF)- It was established in 2010 as financial mechanism for UNFCCC based
in Incheon, South Korea.
• It supports program, policies, projects, etc. through state-of-the-art funding window that involves a country
owned partnership approach and flexible financing solutions and climate investment expertise.
• Paris Agreement- It was adopted in 2015 which reaffirms the commitment of developed countries to mobilize
100 billion dollar per year by 2020 and extends it until 2025.
• New Quantified Collective Goal- By 2025, climate finance will be set starting from 100 bn dollar per year.

3.8 Emission Gap Report 2023

The UN report has revealed that the world was set to become warmer by at least 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the
century with the current climate policies of the countries.

Emission Gap Report 2023

• Emission gap –It is the difference where greenhouse gas emissions are projected to be in 2030 and where they
should be to limit global warming to well below 2°C or 1.5°C.
• Report - It is an annual assessment that evaluates the gap between the amount of global greenhouse gas
emissions now and what is necessary to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
• Based on the latest scientific assessments and data, it explores the actions and policies needed to close the
emission gap and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• Published by- United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
• Theme- “Broken Record – Temperatures hit new highs, yet world fails to cut emissions (again)”.

Key takeaways of the report

• G20 nations are responsible for three-quarters of the current warming.
• The three largest emitters are China, United States and India.
• The net zero commitments made by 97 parties, covering 82% of global emissions varies widely and are
insufficient.
• The world is on track to warm by at least 3°Celsius by 2100, and that 86 days in 2023 have already exceeded the
1.5-degree Celsius limit set by the Paris Agreement.

3.9 Underground Climate Change

Underground climate change is worrying scientists and engineers

involved with aspects of urban planning as it could adversely affect the
durability of structures and infrastructures in cities. According to Global Climate
Risk Index, 2021 India ranks
• Underground climate change is the impact due to rising 7th among countries most affected
subsurface temperatures because of human activity like in 2019 by climate change.

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basement parking, tunnel roads, subways, and underground rail, among others.
• It is known as subsurface heat islands, an extension of urban heat islands.
• Urban heat islands are urban regions which are significantly warmer than their rural surroundings due to
human activities.
• Heat diffuses from buildings and underground transportation, warming the ground at an increasingly fast rate.
• The ground underneath cities absorb and retains heat from various sources, including buildings, transport
systems, industrial processes.
• It also includes waste heat from basements and other subterranean facilities.

3.10 Rapid Ice Melt in West Antarctica

A recent study has pointed out that rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice sheet due to warm waters around it, is now
unavoidable, no matter how much carbon emissions are cut.
• Ice sheet - An ice sheet is essentially a mass of glacial ice
that covers more than 50,000 square kilometres of land.
• Ice sheets contain about 99% of the fresh water on Earth,
and are sometimes called continental glaciers.
• Major ice sheets include
o Antarctica ice sheet- World’s largest volume of
land-based ice
o Greenland ice sheet
• Ice shelf- As ice sheets extend to the coast and over the
ocean, they become ice shelves.
• Ice cap- A mass of glacial ice covering less area than an ice
sheet is called an ice cap.
• Ice field- A series of connected ice caps is called an ice field.
• Individual glaciers- They make up the ice fields, ice caps, and eventually ice sheets.
• Sea ice – It is the free-floating ice that surrounds the polar regions
created by sea water freezing.
India’s Antarctic Programme
Recent study
• Maitri
• The scientists have used a high-resolution computer model of • Bharti
the Amundsen Sea, the most vulnerable sector of the ice sheet, • Dakshin Gangotri
to provide comprehensive assessment of warming in West
Antarctica. (decommissioned)
• Findings - Amundsen Sea will warm roughly 3 times faster than
the historical rate through the rest of this century leading to much more rapid melting of ice shelves.
• The study worsens the outlook for Thwaites Glacier that is rapidly melting beneath its connected ice shelf.
• The processes triggered by faster ice shelf melting could lead to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

3.11 A23a Iceberg

The British Antarctic Survey says that one of the world’s largest icebergs is drifting beyond Antarctic waters after
being grounded for more than three decades.
• Origin – It split from the Antarctic’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 but got stuck to the ocean floor for many years
in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica
• Size – Around 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 square miles).
• Movement – It has now ungrounded and is moving along ocean currents to sub-Antarctic South Georgia.
• It appears to be picking up speed because of wind and ocean currents.

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3.12 Otolith Rings

A new study published in ‘Nature’, tried to predict the effects of climate change on the physiological performance and
distribution of organisms by studying the Otoliths.
• Otolith – They are small, white bio-mineralized ear stones in the head.
• Small calcium carbonate crystals are accumulated every day as very thin layers over a tiny core, and this
forms an otolith.
• They are found in all fishes other than sharks, rays and lampreys but their shape and morphology is unique to
each fish species.
• It contributes to both hearing and vestibular function in fish.
• Significance – It records the age and growth of a fish from the date of hatch to the time of death and also
reveals about fish’s health.
o Oxygen isotopes – It indicate the temperature the fish experienced when it was alive.
o Carbon isotopes – It reveal how quickly food was converted into energy.
• Otoliths relevance in climate change - Animals’ energy needs shift with temperature and studying the
otoliths can help us predict which animals are most at risk from rising temperatures.

3.13 Arctic Report Card 2023

Recently the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the annual Arctic report card 2023.
• Launch year-2006
• Released by- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Published- Annually since 2006
• About- It is a comprehensive assessment of the current state and trends of the Arctic environment relative to
the historical records.
• Data source- It is a peer reviewed analysis done by 82 scientists from 13 countries.
• Significance-It is intended for a wide audience, including scientists, teachers, students, decision-makers and
the general public interested in the Arctic environment and science.

3.14 Mangroves as Carbon Sink

Volunteers in Chargheri village of Sunderbans help in

planting lakhs of mangroves which offer a dense forest
cover and a rich carbon sink.
• The Sunderbans is a complex network of islands
set in the delta on the Bay of Bengal and spread
across West Bengal and Bangladesh.
• Blue carbon – It is coined in 2009, a term
for carbon captured by and stored in the world’s
ocean and coastal ecosystems.
• Key ecosystems of blue carbon -
Mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows
• These ecosystems sequester and store more
carbon per unit area than terrestrial forests.
• Mangroves as carbon sink – After seagrass,
mangroves are the most efficient carbon
trapping systems which can remove 10 times
more carbon from the air than other forests.
• While other trees release the stored carbon back to atmosphere when they die, mangroves transfer the carbon
to the soil, where it stays unaffected.

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India and Mangroves

• Mangroves cover 4,992 sqkm (0.15%) of India’s total area.

• Sundarbans is the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem in
the world.
• Highest percentage of mangrove cover in India - West
Bengal, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The mangroves are protected under Category I of the
CRZ (Coastal Zone Regulation 1991).
THREATS

Mangrove Initiatives

• Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) – It was launched by
India in 2023 to protect and revive mangrove ecosystems on the Indian coast.
• Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) – It was launched at CoP-27 (Egypt, 2022) to unite countries to scale
up, accelerate conserve and restore the mangrove ecosystems.
• After Cyclone Amphan in 2020, West Bengal Chief Minister had announced that 5 crore mangroves would be
planted in the Sunderbans under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

3.15 Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)

Climate resilient agriculture has the potential to assure food security, empower farmers, & protect the ecosystems.
• It is a comprehensive strategy for managing farmlands, crops, livestock, and forests that counteracts the
negative impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity.
• FAO in 2019 said that CSA is an approach for transforming food and agriculture systems to support sustainable
development and safeguard food security under climate change.
• Main objectives 0f CSA
o Productivity enhancement
o Ensure Adaptation
o Climate mitgation

Steps taken by India to promote CSA

• National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change- It was launched in 2015 to support concrete adaptation
activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
• National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture- It is a network project of Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR) that aims to enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and
climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration
• National Action Plan on Climate Change- It was launched in 2008 to mitigate and adapt to the adverse
impact of climate change.
• It contains 8 national missions that cover various sectors and objectives related to climate change.

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• Soil Health Mission- It was launched in 2015 that provides soil health cards to farmers, which contain
information on soil nutrient status and fertilizer recommendations.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) - It was launched in 2015 to enhance water use
efficiency and irrigation coverage in agriculture.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana- It is a sub scheme under PMKSY that promotes organic farming and
certification.
• Biotech KISAN- It was launched in 2017 as a farmer-centric scheme that empowers small and marginal farmers
through biotechnology
• Climate Smart Village- It was launched in 2011 as an approach that integrates various climate-smart
interventions and practices at the village level to enhance farm productivity.

3.16 Marine Cloud Brightening

Australia’s Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program is exploring whether cloud brightening could reduce coral
bleaching.
• Cloud brightening is a phenomenon that
occurs when aerosols are injected into
clouds by natural events such as volcanic
eruptions.
• Marine Cloud Brightening – Also
called as cloud whitening or cloud
brightening, it was originally proposed
by John Latham in 1990 to control global
warming by altering Earth’s energy
balance.
• It is a solar geo-engineering technique that
involves spraying sea salt into low-lying
clouds to increase the reflectance of cloud
cover that will reduce the amount of
incoming solar radiation striking the
surface.
• Spraying large quantities of microscopic seawater droplets will create extra droplets and make the cloud
brighter. Sea salt scatters light directly and provides additional shade.
• Significance – shield ocean (absorbs approximately 93% of incident solar radiation) from extreme heat.
• Modelling studies suggest that it could delay the expected decline in coral cover. It will be short-lived and
reversible as sprayed particles persist in the atmosphere for few days.

3.17 Carbon-Dioxide Removal

The World has turned its focus towards carbon capture’s future role in a climate-friendly world.
• Carbon removal- Using technologies, practices, and approaches to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from our
atmosphere through deliberate and intentional human actions.
• It captures CO2 from the atmosphere and locks it away for decades or centuries in plants, soils, oceans, rocks,
saline aquifers, depleted oil wells, or long- lived products like cement.
• Process- CDR can be done through traditional or technological processes or both.
• Forms of CDR- The most common form of carbon capture technology involves capturing the gas from a point
source like an industrial smokestack.
• Carbon storage- It includes
o Carbon capture and storage (CCS) - The carbon can be moved directly to permanent underground
storage.
o Carbon capture, utilization & storage (CCUS) – Carbon can be used in another industrial purpose
first.

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CDR method About Challenges

Converts abandoned or degraded agricultural

Increases the competition for land.
Afforestation/ lands into forests.
Reforestation May limit the options for food production
Additional trees can sequester more carbon
and biodiversity conservation.
dioxide from the atmosphere.

A substance produced by burning organic

Health and environmental impacts of
waste from agricultural lands and forests in a
particulate matter produced during
Biochar controlled process called pyrolysis.
pyrolysis.
Improve soil quality, which in turn improves soil
Sourcing sustainable biomass at a scale.
fertility, productivity and crop yield.

Combines energy production, biological carbon

Can create competition for land use with
removal and geological storage.
food production, placing pressure on food
BECCS Uses biomass in combustion to generate energy, security.
then captures the emitted carbon for geological
Can increase the use of fertilisers.
injection.

Extracts CO2 directly from the atmosphere, and Accelerates fossil fuel extraction
DACCS is permanently stored in geological formation or activities, potential CO₂ leakage from
used for other application. storage sites

Enhanced
Involves pulverising silicate rocks to bypass the Energy intensive process and generates
rock
conventionally slow weathering action. emissions.
weathering

Ocean A chemical removal method that involves adding Potential for increased greenhouse gas
alkalinity alkaline substances to seawater to accelerate the emissions and can release by-
enhancement natural sink. products like trace metals.

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3.18 Algae-assisted Carbon capture

IIT Jodhpur’s innovative technology uses algae-assisted fuel cells to capture carbon dioxide, treat wastewater and
generate power.
• It is an indirect method for converting CO2 into carbonates and then use it for algal growth.
• Aim – To generates power, algae biomass and treats water by
utilising algae-assisted MFC for flue gas carbon capture. Flue gas the gas produced
from the flue or chimneys of
• Working – CO2 from the flue gas is absorbed by the wastewater thermal power stations and
supplemented with sodium bicarbonate and generates flue-gas-derived other industrial plants
bicarbonates (FGDBs).
• FGDB helps in growth of algae Chlorella vulgaris which is thermo-tolerant and can grow in wastewater.
• Algae-assisted MFC is then used to generate electricity.
• Significance – This indirect biochemical route of CO2 fixation is advantageous since more inorganic carbon
can stay in the water.
o 1 tonne of algae captures 180 tonnes of flue gas CO2.
o For a cubic meter of wastewater and FGDB in MFC, they got energy of 0.0066 kWhr.
• This is the 1st time that the integration of algae MFC with flue gas carbon capture has been attempted anywhere.

3.19 Limitations of CCS and CDR

The draft decisions taken at COP28 at Dubai have referred to the abatement and removal of carbon emissions using
carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon-dioxide removal (CDR) technologies.
• Unabated - Doing nothing to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that are released
from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas.
• According to IPCC, unabated fossil fuels are those “without interventions that substantially reduce GHG
emissions.
• At COP28, the term “unabated fossil fuels” has
come to mean the combustion of these CDR and CCS are distinct, but some CO2
fuels without using CCS technologies to removal methods (direct air capture) may share
capture their emissions. the same capture processes or long-term storage
• Abated - Attempts to decrease the release of infrastructure used for conventional CCS.
polluting substances to an acceptable level.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) – CCS
refers to technologies that can before it is released into the
atmosphere.
• These sources include the fossil fuel
industry (where coal, oil and gas are
combusted to generate power) and
industrial processes like steel and
cement production.
• It is a three-step process, involving:
o Capturing the CO2
produced
o Transporting the captured
CO2
o Storing it deep underground
• Carbon-Dioxide Removal
(CDR) – Uses technologies,
practices, and approaches
to remove CO2 from our
atmosphere through deliberate
and intentional human actions.

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• CDR captures CO2 from the atmosphere and locks it away for years in plants, soils, oceans, rocks, saline
aquifers, depleted oil wells, or long- lived products like cement.
• It can be natural (afforestation or reforestation) or use technologies (direct air capture), where machines mimic
trees by absorbing CO₂ and storing it underground.
o Example: Enhanced rock weathering and BECCS (Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage)

4. ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATIONS, CONVENTIONS & TREATIES

4.1 UNFCCC COP-28

The COP-28 has been concluded in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the adoption of UAE Consensus.

Click here to download the special report on UNFCCC's COP 28

4.2 UAE Consensus

The COP28 was recently concluded with the UAE Consensus, a landmark text which is agreed by 198.
• UAE Consensus is a landmark text that is agreed by 198 parties in the COP 28.
• The objectives of the UAE Consensus include:
o Parties to transition away from fossil fuels to reach net zero,
o Encourages parties to submit economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs),
o A new specific target to triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030,
o To build momentum towards a new architecture for climate finance.
• Under the total Action Agenda at COP28, over USD 85 billion in funding has been mobilized and 11 pledges and
declarations have been launched and received historic support.
• To achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 is one of the 5 commitments under Panchamrit.

4.3 Loss and Damage Fund

Recently, Adaptation and Loss and Damage (L&D) are in sharp focus due to intensification of climate crisis.

Adaptation L&D

It refers to the actions taken to reduce the It refers to the financial support provided to the countries that suffer
negative impacts of climate change from the unavoidable and irreversible impacts of climate change.

It is a proactive response to cope with climate

It is the irreversible consequences that cannot be avoided or mitigate.
challenges

It involves reducing emission to prevent future It involves investments in issues that will reduce the severity of
climate impacts impacts

Example: Building sea walls, planting drought- Example- Compensation for the loss of lives, livelihoods, land or
resistant crops, installing renewable energy cultural heritage due to extreme weather events, sea level rise, or
sources. desertification.

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4.4 ALTERRA

The United Arab Emirates recently announced the ALTERRA, a privately managed fund of USD 250 billion to catalyse
private sector climate investments globally by 2030.
• It is the World's Largest Private Investment Vehicle for Climate Action.
• It aims to revolutionise international climate finance by fostering a fairer system, with a focus on enhancing
funding accessibility for the Global South.
• It has been established by Lunate, an independent global investment manager, and is domiciled in the Abu
Dhabi Global Market.
• The 4 verticals of the ALTERRA includes:
1. Energy Transition
2. Industrial Decarbonisation
3. Sustainable Living
4. Climate Technologies

4.5 Emirates Declaration

At the recently conducted COP 28, 134 have signed Emirates Declaration for Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food
Systems and Climate Action.
• Emirates Declaration aims to integrate foods into the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by
respective countries by 2025.
• It has been signed by 134 countries.
• The Declaration includes references to reducing food loss and wastage that is caused by the climate crises.

4.6 COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health

The COP28 Declaration was not signed by the India which said that greenhouse gas reduction for cooling in the health
sector could hinder its ability to meet the growing demands for medical services.
• The declaration aims at promoting a holistic approach to understanding and mitigating the diverse health
challenges posed by a changing climate.
• It emphasises the need for swift and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Objectives - commitment to combat inequalities within and among countries and promote sustainable practices
within the health sector to contribute to broader climate goals.
• India did not sign the COP28 Declaration as greenhouse gas reduction for cooling in the health sector
could hinder its ability to meet the growing demands for medical services.

4.7 Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation

The Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation was recently launched at the COP 28 to transform food
systems to deliver better outcomes for people, nature and the climate.
• It is a coalition of vanguard countries united by a shared ambition to transform food systems to deliver better
outcomes for people, nature and the climate.
• The 5 alliance member countries include Brazil, Cambodia, Norway, Sierra Leone and Rwanda.
• India is not part of Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation.
• The alliance members must agree to update their NDCs and national climate adaptation and biodiversity
strategies to integrate these food system efforts by 2025.

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4.8 Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) Pledge

The CHAMP was recently taken at the COP 28 that commits for new way of working for climate action where national
governments works in partnership with their subnational governments.
• It is a commitment taken by national governments on a new way of working in partnership with their
subnational governments.
• It is a new way of approaching the implementation of their next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
in time for COP30 in 2025.
• So far 71 countries have signed this pledge and India is yet to sign this pledge.

4.9 Africa's Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII)

• AGII aims to accelerate and scale up green industries and businesses across Africa.
• The initiative builds upon the existing $4.5 billion Africa green investment from the United Arab Emirates.
• Africa has 40% of the world’s critical minerals necessary for energy transition and has the world’s largest natural
carbon sink.

4.10 The Global Expert Review on Debt, Nature and Climate

• The Global Expert Review on Debt, Nature and Climate is an initiative of Kenya, Colombia and France to
tackle debt & climate change.
• It was established at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
• It aids to comprehensively assess how sovereign debt impacts the ability of low- and middle-income countries
to address climate change, conserve nature and decarbonize their economies.

4.11 7th GEF Summit

Recently, the 7th assembly of Global Environment Facility (GEF) was concluded in Vancouver, Canada.
• Global Environment Facility - It is the largest source of multilateral funding for biodiversity globally, and
distributes more than 1 billion dollar a year on average to address inter-related environmental challenges.
• Origin - GEF was originated by France with a 1989 proposal to formulate financing responses to mounting
concern over global environmental problems.
• It was established as a pilot program in 1991 through arrangements between 3 implementing agencies,
o World Bank
o UN Development Programme (UNDP)
o UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Purpose- To provide concessionary and additional funding for the incremental costs of achieving global
environmental benefits, with an initial endowment of around USD 1 billion.
• Evolution - In 1992, GEF was established.
• By 1994, the GEF became a separate institution, hosted but not administered by the World Bank, which
operates as a key mechanism for global environment
• Functions- It provides fund for biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, persistent
organic pollutants (POPs), mercury, sustainable forest management, food security, and sustainable cities in
developing countries.
• It has served as an operating entity of the financial mechanism since the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC), 1994.

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• Special Funds- The special funds set up and managed by the GEF
are Adaptation Fund - GEF provides
the secretarial services to adaptation
• The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) - It supports fund which was established under
adaptation and technology transfer in all developing country parties the Kyoto Protocol in 2001.
to the UNFCCC, supporting both long-term and short-term
adaptation activities in water resources management, land The Kyoto Protocol aims to limit or
management, agriculture etc., reduce the greenhouse gas emissions
by 3 market-based mechanisms –
• The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) - It is emissions trading, clean
established under the UNFCCC to address the special needs of the development mechanism and joint
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) that are vulnerable to the adverse implementation.
impacts of climate change.
Financing mechanisms of GEF
• The GEF provides funding to assist developing countries in meeting the objectives of international
environmental conventions. It serves as a "financial mechanism" to 5 conventions.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)- It is a multilateral treaty established in Rio Earth summit
1992.
• It has three main goals-
o Conservation of
biological diversity
o Sustainable use of its
components
o The fair and equitable
sharing of benefits
arising from genetic
resources.
• United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)- It is an
international environmental
treaty to combat dangerous
human interference with the
climate system, by stabilizing
greenhouse gas concentrations
in the atmosphere.
• It was established in 1992 Rio
Earth summit.
• Kyoto Protocol was the
implementation of measures
under UNFCCC.
• Stockholm Convention- It is
an international environmental
treaty, signed in 2001 to
eliminate or restrict the
production and use of persistent
organic pollutants (POPs).
• UN Convention to Combat
Desertification- It is a
convention to combat
desertification and mitigate the
effects of drought through
national action programs.
• It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference's Agenda 21, and
adopted in 1994.
• Minamata Convention on Mercury- It is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the
environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

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• It was adopted in 2013 at a diplomatic conference held in

Kumamoto, Japan. The Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• Montreal Protocol- It is an international treaty designed to which aspires to collect $100
protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous billion financing target by 2020,
substances that are responsible for ozone depletion which entered was launched in 2010. It is
into force in 1989. managed independently
• GEF is not formally linked to this protocol, but supports
implementation of the protocol in economies in transition.
• Multilateral agreements- It is
associated with many global and
regional multilateral agreements that
deal with international waters or
transboundary water systems.
o The Global Ship Ballast Water
Treaty
o The UN Law of the Sea Treaty
o The MARPOL treaty for
shipping (International
Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution From Ships)
o The UN Agreement on
conservation and
management of straddling
fish stocks and highly
migratory fish stocks.
Key outcomes of the 7th GEF Assembly
• Global Biodiversity Framework Fund - It ratified the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, a new source
of funding for protecting endangered species and their ecosystems globally, which was approved by the GEF
Council.
• Youth Leaders Learning Exchange- It stressed the importance of universal access to education for girls
and boys, and engaging youth, women, and Indigenous leaders in sustainable solutions.
• Indigenous and Local Knowledge Event- It is organized to study the overlap between indigenous peoples’
lands and biodiversity hotspots.
o It emphasized the importance of oral history and the voices of indigenous peoples in Arctic and Amazon.
• GEF Partnership Forum- It is the 1st ever GEF Partnership Forum, which created a space for indigenous
peoples, youth, women, and representatives from civil society to discuss ways the GEF can support their
recognition and empowerment.
• Intergenerational Fireside Chat- This event discussed the devastation of recent and ongoing wildfires as
well as the role of fire as a place for gathering, connecting, and storytelling.
• Forum Confabs- It is an informal gathering that were held during the Partnership Event.
o Intergenerational Collaboration for our Future- It discussed how the GEF Partnership should
engage youth on a long term basis.
o Women’s Leadership in Environmental Action- It seeks elaboration on women’s leadership and
gender-responsive actions in environmental programs and initiatives.
o Indigenous Stewardship of the Global Environment- It discussed the GEF’s support in
harnessing indigenous knowledge systems and the importance of working in a holistic manner to
elevate the rights of indigenous people.
• Inclusive GEF Assembly Challenge Program- It is a new funding initiative providing up to USD 100,000
to each of 23 winners.
• Net Zero Nature-positive World- It discussed the role of international finance institutions in supporting
countries raising ambition in climate and nature.

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4.12 Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF)

According to experts, if Global Biodiversity Framework Funds (GBFF) fails to find adequate money, countries will
have to find more funds domestically.
• Establishment – It was launched at the 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Canada
in 2023 where Canada and the United Kingdom made the initial contributions.
• Objectives - To help countries achieve the 23 targets set under the KMGBF (the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework).
• To receive funding from all sources and quickly disburse through streamlined procedures.
• To enhance the access for indigenous peoples and local communities, according to their own priorities.
• Finance - Private, philanthropic and government investments unlike GEF, which relied on just 40 donors for
finance. It has a cumulative budget of 5.25 billion USD for 2022-26.
• Managed by – Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Trustee of the GBFF – World Bank
• GBFF Council – More representations from developing countries and decisions are to be taken by consensus.
• Activities – It will be used to approve projects until December 31, 2030.

4.13 Outcomes of 1st African Climate Summit 2023

The 1st Africa Climate Summit (ACS23) held in Nairobi culminated in the ‘Nairobi Declaration’, giving the continent a
common voice ahead of upcoming key global engagements.
• Theme- Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance
Solutions for Africa and the World
• Location - Nairobi, Republic of Kenya
• Co-hosted by - Republic of Kenya, African Union
Commission (AUC)
• Aim- To position Africa in solidarity with the rest of the
world for global climate action.
• Nairobi declaration- The summit culminated in
the Nairobi Declaration, an eleven-point call to action
proclaiming African States' unified stance on climate
action.
• It will form the basis of Africa’s negotiating position at COP28 climate summit in United Arab Emirates.

4.14 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Antarctic

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living

Resources (CCAMLR) failed to agree on a roadmap for the creation
of 3 new marine protected areas.
• MPA is a section of the ocean where a government has placed
limits on human activity.
• Many MPAs allow people to use the area in ways that do not
damage the environment. Some ban fishing and a few do not
allow people to enter the area at all.
MPAs in Southern Ocean
• The Southern Ocean has 2 existing MPAs
o Southern shelf of the South Orkney Islands
o Ross Sea Region
• All types of fishing, other than scientific research, are
prohibited within the southern shelf of the South Orkney
Islands MPA.

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• New 3 MPAs - Since 2012, the European Union and Australia have proposed an MPA in East Antarctica.
• An MPA was proposed in the Weddell Sea by the EU and Norway and in the waters surrounding the Antarctic
Peninsula by Chile and Argentina.
• In 2021, India extended its support for designating East Antarctica and the Weddell Sea as MPA.
• 30X 30 goal - A global target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030 (known as '30x30').

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

• It was established by an international convention in 1982 in response to increasing commercial interest in

Antarctic krill resources, a keystone component of the Antarctic ecosystem
• Aim – To conserve Antarctic marine life.
• Members - 27 Members, and a further 10 countries have acceded to the Convention.
• India is a Member of CCAMLR.

4.15 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy

Recently, Maritime countries upgraded their Greenhouse House Gas (GHG) emissions strategy to reach net zero “by
or around” 2050 at the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) summit held in London.
• Member states of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) agree to adopt the 2023 IMO strategy on the
reduction of GHG emissions from ships, to mitigate harmful emissions.
• Aim - To limit the global temperature increase to well below 2 degrees Celsius as outlined in the 2015 Paris
Agreement.
Goals of 2023 IMO GHG Strategy
• For Ships - Carbon intensity of the ship to decline through further improvement of the energy efficiency for
new ships.
• For Shipping - Carbon intensity of international shipping to decline to reduce CO2 emissions per transport
work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, compared to 2008.
• Technologies - Uptake of zero/near-zero Green House Gas (GHG) emission technologies or fuels to represent
at least 5% (striving for 10%) of the energy used by international shipping by 2030.
• Net Zero - To peak GHG emissions from international shipping to reach net zero as soon as possible and to
reach net zero emission by or around, i.e. 2050.

4.16 Montreal Protocol

Ozone Day 2023 celebrates the success of the Montreal Protocol, which has helped put the ozone layer on track to being
intact again.
• Montreal Protocol - It is an international agreement designed to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by
regulating the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS).
• Signed - It was originally signed in 1987 and enacted in 1989 and substantially amended in 1990 and 1992.
• The parties to the protocol meet annually to make a decision and review the execution of its operations to date.
• The Parties are assisted by the Ozone Secretariat, which is based at UN Environment Programme
headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
• Equal but differentiated responsibilities - The Protocol phases down the ODS in a step-wise manner, with
different timetables for developed and developing countries.
• Kigali Amendment - It seeks to eliminate 80-90% of the HFCs currently in use by the year 2050.
• India - India became a signatory to the Montreal Protocol in 1992.
• India is an Article 5 country and is entitled to assistance from the Multilateral Fund in its efforts to phase out
ODSs and switch over to non-ODS technologies.

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• Multilateral Fund - It was established in 1991 for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol under Article
10 of the treaty.
• The Fund's objective is to provide financial and technical assistance to developing country parties to the
Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ODS is less than 0.3 kg to comply
with the control measures of the Protocol.
• The Fund’s activities are implemented by UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO and the World Bank.

4.17 Brazzaville Summit of the Three Basins

• Aim - To enhance cooperation between countries of tropical forest basins- the Amazon, the Congo and the
Borneo-Mekong.
• The three global ecosystems account for 80% of the world's tropical forests and 2/3rd of the earth's biodiversity.

4.18 Champions of the Earth Award 2023

In 2023, UNEP’s Champions of the Earth seeks innovations, solutions, actions and initiatives working to ‘Beat Plastic
Pollution’.
• It is the which is awarded annually.
• Awarded by - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and launched in 2005.
• Recognition - To leaders from government, civil society and private sector for their transformation impact on
the environment
• Categories - 4 categories. It has recognized 116 laureates (27 world leaders, 70 individuals, and 9
organizations).
• 2023 Award - It focuses on initiatives addressing plastic pollution.
• By 2040, carbon emissions associated with plastics could account for nearly one-fifth of global GHG emissions.

Categories Reason 2023 Award Reason

For using local authorities in

For global or national action
Policy Leadership Josefina Belmonte (Philippines) solving global environmental
for the environment
problems

Ellen MacArthur Foundation For driving global shift towards

(UK) lifecycle approach for plastics
For taking steps to inspire
Inspiration and
positive change to protect
action For reusing plastic to enable
our world
José Manuel Moller (Chile) economic, social and
environmental benefits

Entrepreneurial For challenging status quo Blue Circle (China’s largest For using blockchain technology
vision to build a cleaner future marine plastic waste programme for future environmental action

For pushing boundaries of Council for Scientific & For science based, data driven
Science and
technology for profound Industrial Research (South solutions to tackle plastic
innovation
environmental benefit Africa) pollution

4.19 UNESCO Michel Batisse Award

• The director of Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve was selected for UNESCO Michel Batisse Award for 2023.
• It is a $12,000 award given every 2 years during the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) Council.
• It is awarded for management of the biosphere reserves in line with the Seville Strategy.
• The Seville Strategy provides recommendations for developing effective biosphere reserves and for setting
out the conditions for the appropriate functioning of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

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4.20 Airgun Surrender Abhiyan

Recently, Airgun Surrender Abhiyan was selected as a model wildlife conservation programme by UNESCO.
• An initiative to get local residents involved in environmental management and wildlife protection.
• Launched in – 2021.
• Launched by – Arunachal Pradesh, India Lumdung was declared
as 1st Airgun free village of
• Aim – To discourage hunting and raise awareness about the Arunachal Pradesh, where
detrimental effects of wildlife killing.
46 air guns were surrendered.
• To encourage the voluntary surrender of airguns and licensed
guns to check their use in hunting birds and other wildlife.
• Activities – Awareness campaign to maintain the tradition of hunting in the old style without guns and
educating about the role of birds and animals in pollination and in creating forests.
• Increased push for poultry, piggery and other farm initiatives to provide alternative to bush meat.
• People’s participation – People began organising airgun surrender ceremonies locally.
• Recognition – ‘Conservation Award’ at the 6th North East Green Summit of Forest Ministers of North East
held in Assam in 2021.

4.21 Review of Significant Trade Process of CITES

In the recently concluded CITES Standing Committee meeting, India was removed from the Review of Significant
Trade process for Red Sanders.
• Red sanders also known as red sandalwood, is a tree species with the scientific name Pterocarpus santalinus.
• It is endemic to few districts in Andhra Pradesh.
• The species is listed as Appendix II under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild
fauna and flora (CITES) since 1994.
• The Red sanders species was listed for Review of Significant Trade (RST) process of CITES since 2004.
RST Process
• The CITES RST process enables disciplinary action in the form of trade suspensions directed at countries that
do not meet their obligations.
• This is a process through which the CITES Standing Committee places increased scrutiny on the exports of a
species from a country to determine if the Convention is being properly implemented.

4.22 Funga

United Nations Biodiversity has urged people globally to use the word ‘funga’ whenever they say ‘flora and fauna’, in
order to highlight the importance of fungi.
• Funga refers to the fungal diversity of a given place. It is the Fauna and Flora equivalent to the kingdom of Fungi.
• Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or
Eubacteria form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology.
• The Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that
it would use mycologically inclusive language in its internal and public-facing communications.

Importance of Fungi

• There would be no life on Earth without fungi: the yeasts, molds and mushrooms.
• They are critical to decomposition and forest regeneration, mammalian digestion, carbon sequestration, the
global nutrient cycle, antibiotic medication, and the bread, beer and chocolate we consume.
• Trees would not be able to live on land without fungi.

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5. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS

5.1 Cheetah Reintroduction Project

Following the death of two cheetahs in three days at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh wildlife officials
suggested to remove radio collars from 10 free ranging cheetahs.
• Project Cheetah is India’s cheetah relocation programme and the 1st intercontinental reintroduction of a wild,
large carnivore species.
• The project is to bring in 5-10 animals every year, over the next
decade, until a self-sustaining population of cheetahs is
established.
• Asiatic Cheetahs were once abundant in India but the last cheetah
in the country died in 1952.
• The animals brought from Namibia and South Africa are
the Southeast African cheetahs.
• Location - Under Project Cheetah, the animals are translocated from the forests of South Africa and Namibia
to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
• Authorities - The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is the apex body entrusted with the
implementation of Project Cheetah.
• Assisted by - The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF)

• Cheetahs are a low-density species, existing at best at 1-2 per 100 sq km and with a unique spatial ecology.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• NTCA, a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was established in 2005.
• It has been constituted under Section 38 L (1) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• The Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is its Chairperson.

5.2 Merger of Project Tiger & Project Elephant

Centre has merged Project Tiger and Project Elephant into a new division called 'Project Tiger and Elephant Division'.

Project Tiger Project Elephant

• Launched in 1973 by the central government. • Launched in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored
Scheme.
• Ministry - Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate • Objectives
Change.
o To protect elephants, their habitat &
• Objective - Conservation of tiger and ensures the corridors
preservation of their natural habitat.
o To address issues of man-animal conflict
• The Project Tiger has 53 tiger reserves spread over o Welfare of captive elephants
75,000 km.
• Ministry - Ministry of Environment, Forest and
• This year 2023 observed Project Tiger’s 50th Climate Change provides financial and technical
commemorative year. support to major elephant range states in the
• It is one of the most successful species conservation country.
programmes in the world. • There are 33 elephant reserves in India, latest being
• The NTCA was created to provide statutory backing to Terai Elephant Reserve in Uttar Pradesh.
the project. • Project Elephant completed 30 years in 2022.
• Tiger - IUCN Status - Endangered • Elephant - IUCN Status - Endangered

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5.3 Increase in Tiger Population

The all-India figures published by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) indicate that the number of big
cats has grown in the State.
• Ecological balance- Tigers serve as top
predators in their ecosystems, playing a
pivotal role in maintaining ecological balance
by regulating prey species' populations.
• Ecological integrity- They prevent over-
grazing by limiting herbivore numbers.
• Keystone species- Tigers have a profound
impact on their environments, making their preservation crucial for overall ecosystem health and diversity.
• Conservation icon- It is a flagship species; tiger conservation is a litmus test that ensures the well-being of
our forested ecosystems and the biodiversity they represent
• Umbrella species- Tigers are solitary and have large home range providing space for variety of other species
to flourish.

Status of tiger population in India Tiger reserve Location

• The 2022 all-India tiger estimation revealed a notable increase in
Corbett tiger reserve Uttarakhand
tiger occupancy from 2,967 in 2018, and 3,167 in 2022.
• India harbours almost 75% of the global tiger population and has Bandipur tiger reserve Karnataka
honour of the largest tiger range country in the world.
• More than 3/4th of the tiger population is found within protected Nagarhole tiger reserve Karnataka
areas.
• States- The largest tiger population is in Madhya Pradesh (785), followed by Karnataka (563) & Uttarakhand
(560), and Maharashtra (444).
• Tiger reserve- There are 55 tiger reserve in the country with the highest population of tiger in
• Increase in numbers - Central India and the Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains witnessed a notable increase
in tiger population, particularly in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra.
• Decline - There is a dip in tiger numbers in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, parts of Northeast
India and the Western Ghats.
• Approximately 35% of the tiger reserves urgently require enhanced protection measures, habitat restoration,
ungulate augmentation, and subsequent tiger reintroduction.

Initiatives to Conserve Tiger Population

Global level

• St Petersburg tiger summit- It was conducted in 2010, the tiger range countries resolved to double the tiger
population in the wild with popular slogan “T*2”.
• Global Tiger Day is celebrated on July 29th. It was founded in 2010, when 13 tiger range countries came together
to create Tx2 – the global goal to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.
• Global Tiger Forum- It was founded by World Bank which is the only inter-governmental platform of tiger range
countries since 1993 consolidating Tiger Action Plans of the range countries.

National level

• MSTrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers: Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) - It creates database from
the field using Global Positioning System (GPS), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), and remote sensing.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority -It is a statutory body constituted under Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972.
• It conducts country level assessment of tiger population, co-predators, prey and habitat.

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• International Big Cats Alliance- It was launched by India in 2023 at Mysore, Karnataka, to commemorate 50
years of Project Tiger.
• It aims to conserve 7 big cats namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma
• T*2 Award- It was given to Pench tiger reserve spread across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and to Satpura
Tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh for doubling the tiger population.
• Project Tiger – It was first launched at the Jim Corbett National Park on April 1 1973.
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme that focuses on the conservation of big cats and ensures the preservation of their
natural habitat as tigers are at the top of the food chain.
• The tiger census is held once in every 4 years by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in association
with state forest departments and the Wildlife Institute of India.

5.4 Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022

Excessive number of species have been included in the new schedules of the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act,
2022, with no consultation or process.
• The Act amends the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 which regulates
the protection of wild animals, birds and plants.
In 42nd Amendment Act, the
• Align with CITES- It seeks to increase the species protected under subject of “Forests and
the law, and implement the Convention on International Trade in Protection of Wild Animals and
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Birds” was transferred from
State to Concurrent List.
• The Convention requires countries to regulate the trade of all listed
specimens through permits.
• Rationalising schedules- It seeks to reduce the number of schedules from VI to IV whereby Schedule V for
vermin or animals that destroy food crops will be done away with.
• Obligations under CITES- The Act provides for the Central government to designate a
o Management Authority- The authority grants export or import permits for trade of specimens,
o Scientific Authority- The authority gives advice on aspects related to impact on the survival of the
specimens being traded
• Invasive alien species- The Act empowers the Central
government to regulate or prohibit the import, trade, possession Invasive alien species refers to
or proliferation of invasive alien species. plant or animal species which are
not native to India and whose
• Control of sanctuaries- The Act entrusts the Chief Wild Life introduction may adversely impact
Warden to control, manage and maintain all sanctuaries in a wild life or its habitat.
state. They are appointed by respective State government.
• Surrender of captive animals- It provides for 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.
o The surrendered items become property of the State government.
• Special areas- For sanctuaries falling under special areas, the management plan must be prepared after due
consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha.
• Conservation reserves- The State governments may declare areas adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries
as a conservation reserve, for protecting flora and fauna, and their habitat.

• It empowers the Central government to notify a conservation reserve.

Special areas include a Scheduled Area or areas where the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is applicable.
Scheduled Areas - Economically backward areas with predominant tribal population, notified under the Fifth
Schedule to the Constitution.

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5.5 New Community Forest Resource Guidelines

Ministry of Tribal Affairs has released new guidelines for conservation, management and sustainable use of
community forest resource (CFR) but it is criticized as a move that disempowers Gram Sabhas.
• Community forest resource (CFR) - CFR is the common forest
land that has been traditionally protected and conserved for Saxena committee was formed
sustainable use by a particular community. in 2019 to prepare a draft for the
CFR guidelines but, the draft of the
• Each CFR area has a customary boundary with identifiable
guidelines was never accepted.
landmarks recognised by the community and its neighboring villages.
• It may include forest of any category such as revenue forest,
classified & unclassified forest, deemed forest, reserve forest, protected forest, sanctuary and national parks etc.,
Community Forest Resource Rights
• Forest Rights Act, 2006- It provides for recognition of the right to “protect, regenerate or conserve or
manage” the community forest resource.
• Section 5- These rights allow the community to formulate rules for forest use by itself and others and thereby
discharge its responsibilities
• Community rights- It is provided under FRA which include nistar rights and rights over non-timber forest
products.
• Significance- Both CFR and community rights ensure sustainable livelihoods of the community.
• These rights give the authority to Gram Sabha to adopt local traditional practices of forest conservation and
management within the community forest resource boundary.

• New CFR guidelines- The guidelines have provided for the formation of District Level Committee (DLC) that
entrusts Gram Sabhas or the community about who has rights over forest resources.

Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006

• FRA is also known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)
Act, 2006.
• Objectives-
o To undo the historical injustice occurred to the forest dwelling communities
o To ensure land tenure, livelihood and food security of the forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other
traditional forest dwellers
o To strengthen the conservation regime of the forests by including the responsibilities and authority on Forest
Rights holders for sustainable use, conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of ecological balance.
• Individual rights- Self-cultivation and Habitation
• Community Rights- Grazing, Fishing and access to Water bodies in forests, Intellectual property and
traditional knowledge
• Habitat Rights- It is provided for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs),
o Traditional seasonal resource access of nomadic and pastoral community,
o Access to biodiversity,
o Recognition of traditional customary rights
• Sustainable use- The right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any community forest resource for
sustainable use.
• Development purpose- It also provides rights to allocation of forest land for developmental purposes to fulfil
basic infrastructural needs of the community.
• Rehabilitation- It is in conjunction with the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land
Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Settlement Act, 2013
• Gram Sabha- It is the highly empowered body under the Act, enabling the tribal population to have a decisive
say in the determination of local policies and schemes impacting them.

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5.6 Legality of possessing wildlife articles

Big Boss Kannada contestant has been recently arrested for allegedly wearing a tiger claw pendant.
• Under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, killing wild animals and selling or possessing animal
articles such as their claws, skin or horns is a criminal offence.
• Animal articles or animal trophy refers to any artefact which is made
Taxidermy - The art of
with a part or a whole of a wild animal listed under the Wildlife
Protection Act of 1972. preserving an animal's body
by mounting or stuffing, for the
• Ownership certificate - It provides custodianship of animal purpose of display or study
artefact and neither grants absolute ownership nor gives the right to
gift, buy or sell a wildlife article.
• Ownership certificate will be issued by the Chief Wildlife Wardens of each state.
• The transportation of the possessed material from one location to another requires permission from the Chief
Wildlife Warden.
• Legal possession of an animal article is allowed only in the following ways that too with a mandatory ownership
certificate:
o A person holding custody before the enactment of the 1972 law
o If article is declared during the moratorium given by various State Governments
o If a person inherited the article from a blood relative or spouse.
• Inheritance rights - A husband who has an article and an ownership certificate cannot gift it to his wife while
he is alive, but she can inherit it after his death.

5.7 Green Credit Programme (GCP)

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified draft rules for ‘Green Credit
Programme’.
• Green credit is a singular unit of an incentive provided for a specified activity, delivering a positive impact on
the environment.
• It can be earned by individuals, farmer-
producer organisations (FPO), Tree Sustainable Waste
industries, rural and urban local bodies, Water
plantation agriculture management
among other stakeholders for their
environment positive actions.
Mangrove Sustainable
• Programme - The Green Credit Air pollution
Eco mark conservation building and
Programme (GCP) launched, was first reduction
& restoration infrastructure
announced in the 2023-24
budget under Mission LiFE.
8 sectors for Green Credit
• The Ministry of Environment issued the
draft ‘Green Credit Programme Implementation Rules 2023’ under the Environment Protection Act of 1986.
• Trade Market - The green credits will be tradable and be made available for trading on a domestic market
platform.
• The Trading Service Provider accredited by the GCP administrator will establish the trading platform for the
exchange of Green Credit Certificates.
• Implementation - A steering committee headed by the environment secretary.
• It also approves its rules and regulations and make recommendations to the central government for issuance of
Green Credit Certificate.
• The steering committee will not only approve procedures for institutionalising the GCP.
• Administrator - The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
• The institute will develop guidelines, processes and procedures for implementation of the programme.

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5.8 Green Deposits

RBI has unveiled a framework for banks and NBFCs to accept green deposits that are meant for investing in eco-
friendly climate projects.
• A green deposit is a fixed-term deposit for investors looking to invest their surplus cash reserves
in environmentally friendly projects.
• It indicates the increased awareness of the importance Green deposits vs Normal deposits
of ESG (Environmental, social and governance) and
sustainable investing. • Projects - Normal deposits cannot be
allocated for specific projects, whereas
• Many lenders like HSBC and HDFC have launched green green deposits are carved out specifically
deposits in India for corporates as well as individuals. towards green financing.
• Common themes for green deposits are renewable energy, • Interest rate on green deposits – It is
clean transportation, pollution prevention and control, at the prerogative of the lender and
green building, sustainable water, wastewater currently the rates on these deposits aren’t
management, and others. significantly different from regular deposits.
RBI framework
• Deposits - As per the RBI framework, banks will offer the deposits as cumulative/ non-cumulative deposits.
• On maturity, the green deposits would be renewed or withdrawn at the choice of the depositor.
• The green deposits shall be denominated in rupees only.
• Application - The framework applies to all scheduled commercial banks and small finance banks (except for
regional rural banks and local area banks) and non-banking finance companies (including housing finance
companies).
• Investors - Both corporate and individual customers can invest in green deposits.
• Banks and NBFCs shall put in place a comprehensive board-approved policy on green deposits, and a copy of
the policy shall also be made available on their websites.
• Sectors eligible to receive green deposits – The sustainable and eligible sectors include renewable energy,
waste management, clean transportation, energy efficiency, and afforestation.
• Banks will be barred from investing green deposits in business projects involving fossil fuels, nuclear power,
tobacco, etc.
• Review - The allocation of funds raised through green deposits during a financial year shall be subject to
an independent Third-Party Verification (TPV) on an annual basis.
• Impact assessment by lenders - Lenders must annually assess the impact associated with the funds lent for
or invested in green finance activities and submit a review report before their Board.
• Penalty - There are no penal provisions when the bank doesn’t utilise the deposits.

5.9 Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme

India have launched its 1st Indian Food and Wood certification scheme.
• Launched by – MoEFCC
• Aim – To offer voluntary 3rd party certification to Forest Management
promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry in the country. certification is based on
• To incentivise entities like State forest departments, individual farmers, the Indian Forest
or Farmer Producer Organizations, farm forestry and other wood-based Management Standard,
industries in the value chain. an integral part of the
National Working Plan
• Certification Types Code 2023 which
o Forest management (FM) certification consists of 8 criteria, 69
indicators and 254
o Tree outside forest management certification verifiers.
o Chain of custody (CoC) certification
• Overseen by – Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council.

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• Operating agency – Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal, responsible for overall management.
• The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under the Quality Council of India (QCI) will accredit
the certification bodies.
• Certification bodies – It will carry out independent audits and assess entities on their adherence to the
prescribed standards.

Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council

Forest certification seeks to authenticate
• It will act as a multi-stakeholder advisory body. the origin, legality, and sustainability of
forest-based products.
• Composition – Representatives from Indian
Council of Forestry Research and Education, FSI, Chain of custody (CoC) certification is
QCI, IIFM, Union Ministry (Agriculture and meant to guarantee the traceability of a forest
Commerce), State Forest Departments, Forest product like timber throughout the supply
Development Corporations and Wood-based chain from origin to market.
industries

5.10 Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP)

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), envisages to celebrate the World Environment
Day 2023 with a thrust on the Mission LiFE.
• The Environmental Information System (ENVIS) came into existence as a plan programme in 1983.
• ENVIS has been subsumed within the revamped scheme of Environment Education, Awareness, Research and
Skill Development.
• ENVIS is renamed as EIACP (Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood
Programme).
• EIACP serves as a one stop platform for dissemination of environmental information, policy formulation on
environment and facilitation of alternate livelihoods through green skilling.
• The programme is one of the Central Sector sub-scheme being implemented in alignment with Mission LiFE.
• EIACP Hub on Status of Environment Related Issues is hosted by the Indian State Level Basic Environmental
Information Database (ISBEID).
• The ISBEID is a centralised database maintained by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,
5Government of India for all the States.
• EIACP conducts Environmental Awareness Programs to School Children, Colleges and Universities on
Environmental Important Days like, World Environment Day, World Earth Day, etc.

5.11 Accredited Compensatory Afforestation (ACA) Program

The success of the Jamuna Open Cast Project (OCP) in Madhya Pradesh exemplified the success of Accredited
Compensatory Afforestation (ACA) Program.
• A proactive afforestation program proposed in
accordance with Forest (Conservation) Rules, Compensatory afforestation is a program to
2022. ensure that the forest land diversion to non-
forest purposes shall be accompanied by
• Initiated by – Union Ministry of Coal afforestation on an equal area of land, a legal
requirement under the Compensatory
• Objective – To obtain prior approval under
Afforestation Fund Act of 2016.
section 2 (ii) of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 for
raising of advance afforestation over non-forest land.
• To minimize the ecological footprints of coal mining and a commitment to sustainable coal mining practices.
• Benefits – It will prevent delays due to fund flow or administrative/technical procedures and will open a
new area for investment in the forest sector.
• It will expedite afforestation works and encourage afforestation over fallow lands, thereby increase the total
carbon sequestered.

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• Significance – Sets a precedent by demonstrating that economic activities can coexist with environmental
preservation.
• It ensures that land, once utilized for coal mining can become a green haven to restore biodiversity and also
aligns with the larger environmental conservation objectives.

5.12 Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC)

The Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) was launched by Union Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) is an industry-driven and a self-sustaining
initiative which would continue to function beyond India’s G20 presidency.
• RECEIC was launched on the sidelines of 4th G-20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group
meeting.
• Aim - It is aimed at promoting resource efficiency and circular economy practices globally.
• Members - 39 companies headquartered in 11 different countries have joined the coalition as its founding
members.
• The MNCs pledged to adopt resource efficiency and circular economy principles to address environmental
challenges rising from waste.
• Headquarters of RECEIC - Will be located at Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) in New Delhi.
• Functions - It will enhance resource efficiency and accelerate circular economy transition.
• The coalition will facilitate knowledge-sharing, best practice sharing, and sustainable practices among the
participating industries.

5.13 National Frameworks for Climate Services (NFCS)

Recently, a stakeholder consultation for establishing the National Framework for Climate Services in India (NFCS–
India) was organized by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• NFCS – A mechanism for coordinating, facilitating and strengthening
collaboration among national institutions IMD, which is providing high-
quality weather services for
• Aim - To bring a seamless working platform to integrate users of
the country & its South Asian
climate information and services and mitigate climate risks.
neighbours, enters 15oth year
• It is based on Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). of its establishment in 2023.
• Activities - To strengthen the observational network on land & seas.
• To improve the data inflow and eventually use it to run weather and climate models for deriving climate
predictions.
• Nodal Agency – Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)
• NFCS-India will facilitate state and central government agencies to collaborate and complement their efforts
for timely exchange of climate information tailored to decision making.
Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS)

• Established – In 2009 at the World Climate Conference-3, Geneva, organised by the WMO in collaboration
with UNESCO, UNEP, FAO, the
International Council for Science. Components Priority areas
• Vision – To enable better management
of the risks of climate variability and Observations and Monitoring Water
change, and adaptation to climate change.
Research, Modelling and Prediction Energy
• Spearheaded by – World Climate Services Information System Health
Meteorological Organization (WMO).
User Interface Platform Disaster risk reduction
• Partnership - Governments and
Organisations at a global level. Capacity Building Agriculture & food security

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5.14 Compulsory Blending Obligation (CBO) of CBG

The National Biofuels Coordination Committee (NBCC) gave its nod to mandatory blending of compressed biogas
(CBG) with compressed natural gas (CNG) and piped natural gas (PNG) from 2025-26.
• Biogas - It is an energy-rich gas produced by anaerobic
decomposition of biomass.
Sustainable Alternative Towards
• Sources Agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press Affordable Transportation (SATAT)
mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste. scheme was launched in 2018, under which
5,000 CBG plants were envisaged by 2023
• It can be burnt directly as a fuel, or purified and upgraded to produce 15 million tonnes of CBG.
by removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and
then compressed to make compressed Biogas (CBG).

• CBG – It has more than 90% of methane, which is similar to commercially available natural gas in
composition and energy potential.
• Compulsory blending obligation – It India’s Gas Sector
will be 1 % of total CNG and domestic PNG
consumption for FY26, 3 % for FY27, 4 % for • India is a major consumer of natural gas and depends on
FY28, 5 % blending from FY29 imports to meet around half of its requirement.
• A Central Repository Body (CRB) will • It aims to increase the share of natural gas in the primary
be responsible for monitoring and energy mix to 15% by 2030 from a little over 6% at present.
implementing the blending mandate.

5.15 National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change

Despite India’s focused approach to fighting the climate crisis, the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change
(NAFCC) sees drastic cut.
• The NAFCC was created in 2015 to fund the states in fighting this global challenge.
• Aim - To support concrete adaptation activities which mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
• Implementation - NABARD is the National Implementing Entity (NIE).
• Projects eligible for funding - Adaptation projects in sectors such as agriculture, animal husbandry, water,
forestry, tourism etc.
• Eligibility - The States/UTs are to be prepared the project proposal in consultation with NIE (NABARD) and
to be approved by the State Steering Committee on Climate Change.
• Funding - Central Sector Scheme
• The grants under NAFCC released to different states and Union territories have drastically declined over the
years.

5.16 IWIS and CITIS

Recently held 8th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) & 1st Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit
(CITIS) were included in the G20 India events in 2023.
India Water Impact Summit (IWIS)
• Launch –2012, it evolved as an annual event since 2nd summit in 2017.
• Objective – To bring clarity to the scientific, technological, socio-cultural, legal, policy and governance
issues pertaining to river basin management in India.
• Organised by
o National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) – The implementation wing of National Ganga
Council which was setup in 2016 under the River Ganga Authority order 2016 under the aegis of
Ministry of Jal Shakti
o Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) – A think tank and a centre
of excellence formed under the aegis of NMCG is headquartered at IIT Kanpur.
• 8th IWIS 2023 – To unite various stakeholders to address challenges and opportunities in India's water sector.

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• Theme – Development vis-à-vis Land, Water and Rivers.

• Focus - Samarth Ganga on lines of productive land and lifestyle for rivers.
Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit (CITIS)
• Objectives – To bind potential investors with technology Global Coalition for River Science and
providers. Management - Platform for hosting
the best practices for monitoring and
• To review, test and implement new technologies that will managing different aspects of river
significantly improve India’s river and land management scenario. systems around the world.
• To adopt suitable financing mechanisms.
• To collaborate within multiple sectors that are linked with climate, air, land, rivers and water management.

5.17 Cleaning our Rivers

As many of the Indian rivers are reported to be polluted, it is essential to ramp up the conservation initiatives.

Measures taken for Conservation of Rivers

Constitutional and Legal Provisions

• Article 262- It gives the power to the Union to establish and adjudicate the inter-state water disputes prevailing
in the country.
• Right to Clean Water- It is interpreted
by judiciary as a Fundamental Right
under Article 21.
• Water Prevention and Control of
Pollution Act, 1974 - It was enacted to
prevent water pollution and cater to the
maintenance of water bodies and carry
out activities to promote restoration of
water.
• It established two institutions to control
water pollution
o Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB) - It has
implemented several charters
aimed at water recycling and
pollution prevention for
industrial sectors such as textile,
pulp and paper, sugar, etc.
o State Pollution Control
Board (SPCB)
• Indian Penal Code- Section 277 of IPC
states that fouling of a public reservoir or
a public spring voluntarily shall be liable
to be punished with imprisonment of 3
months or with a fine of 500 rupees or
both.
• Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Cess Act, 2003- It was enacted to levy and collect a cess on
water consumed by certain types of industrial activities.
• River Boards Act, 1956- An Act to provide for the establishment of River Boards for the regulation and
development of inter- State rivers and river valleys.

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Schemes Introduced

• National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)- It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched din 1995 for
abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers in the country, excluding those in Ganga basin.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)- Under the initiative of Namami Gange programme being
implemented by NMCG, Integrated River Basin Management (IBRM) approach is being followed.
• The mission also includes promotion of sustainable agriculture, river hazard management, basin protection against
disasters, etc.
• Amrit Sarovar Mission- It was launched in 2022 for developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district
of the country.
• Mission Water Conservation- It was launched to develop actionable framework for gainful utilization of funds.
• National Water Mission- It is a component under National Action Plan for Climate Change which ensure
integrated water resource management helping to conserve water, minimize wastage and ensure more equitable
distribution both across and within states.

5.18 Conservation of Small Rivers

Government of India has taken steps for conservation of water and rejuvenation of small rivers.
Initiatives taken to conserve small rivers
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) – It was launched in 2019 to promote water conservation and water resource
management.

• Five-fold intervention-
o Rainwater harvesting & water conservation
JSA
o Enumerating, geo-tagging & making Theme Focus
Series
inventory of all water bodies;
o Preparation of scientific plans for water Special focus on 150
conservation Source Sustainability Water Stressed
2023
for Drinking Water Districts (WSDs) of
o Setting up Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts the country
o Intensive afforestation
o Awareness generation.
• Amrit Sarovar Mission- It was launched in 2022, aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in
each district of the country as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Namami Gange programme-It was launched in 2014 for integrated rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
• Its tributaries and large numbers of smaller tributaries have been mapped along with their catchment area/
watershed and wetlands.
• A GIS based inventory of small rivers has also been created with additional district wise information.
• National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) – It is the Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented for
abatement of pollution in identified stretches of rivers in the country, excluding those in Ganga basin.
• It provides financial and technical assistance to the States/Union Territories (UTs) on cost sharing basis.
• Small River Rejuvenation & Conservation plan- In this, 19 rivers have been identified & successfully
taken up by Uttar Pradesh government.
o Example- River Manorama, River Varuna, River Tedi etc.,
• Mission Water Conservation- It is launched to develop actionable framework for gainful utilization of
funds.
• It strives to ensure synergies in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS),
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) etc.,
• Mass awareness programs- To promote water conservation initiatives including rain water harvesting and
artificial recharge to ground water various.

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• National Water Awards- It is constituted under Ministry of Jal Shakthi to recognize the efforts of people and
organizations working in water conservation.
• Weekly Water Heroes Contest- The objective of the contest is to promote value of water, in general, and for
supporting country-wide efforts on water conservation and sustainable development of water resources.

5.19 Dam Safety in India

Bhakra dam & other dams in the Sutlej basin were blamed for contributing to the flood in Himachal Pradesh in 2023.
• Dam Safety Act 2021 – It aims to prevent dam failure related disasters and provide for institutional
mechanisms for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of the specified dams.

• Central Water Commission (CWC) - Provides

technical expertise and guidance on matters related to Status of Dams in India
dams.
• India has the 3rd largest number of dams in
• Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project
the world, after China and the USA.
(DRIP)- It was launched in 2012 with World Bank
assistance to improve the safety and operational • However, its per capita storage capacity is
performance of selected dams, coupled with institutional only 225 cubic meters, far less than China's
strengthening through a system wide management 1,200 cubic meters.
approach.
• National Centre for Earthquake Safety of Dam – Located in Malaviya National Institute of Technology
(MNIT), Jaipur, Rajasthan, it is an initiative of Ministry of Jal Shakti towards effective implementation of Dam
Safety Act 2021.
• Efforts of States - Bihar was the 1st State to enact the Dam Safety Act in 2006.
Key provisions of Dam Safety Act 2021 Water and water
• Applicability- Applies to all specified dams in India with storage is a State
subject
o height - more than 15 metres or
o storage capacity - more than 1 million cubic metres or
o pose potential hazards to human life, property or environment

National level

Institution About

National Committee on Dam

To oversee dam safety policies and regulations
Safety (NCDS)

To implement and enforce the provisions of the Act

National Dam Safety Authority
(NDSA) It is headed by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC) and provides
secretarial assistance to NCDS

State level

Institution About

State Committee on Dam Safety To assess potential implication of failure of a specified dam in the state on any
(SCDS) downstream state, and coordinate mitigation measures

State Dam Safety Organisation

To carry out the functions assigned to them under the Act
(SDSO)

• Role of States- The Act mandates that states shall classify the dam based on the hazard potential, conduct
regular inspections, prepare an emergency action plan, establish an emergency flood warning system, and
undertake safety reviews and periodic risk assessment studies.
• Role of NDSA- NDSA, the supreme body for dam safety has been entrusted to inspect any specified dam and
issue directions for proper maintenance and operation of the dam.

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• Emergency response- It is the obligation of

CWC Guidelines on Hazard Classification of Dams
dam owner to
o Prevent the development of harmful • It is based on 4 major categories
situations
o Class I- Capital value of the project
o Issue warnings
o Class II- Potential for loss of life
o Limit the damage and adverse
consequences o Class III- Potential for property damage

• Fund- The Act provides for the establishment of o Class IV- Potential for environmental & cultural
a National Dam Safety Fund and a State Dam impact
Safety Fund for financing the activities related to • Class IV - The most vulnerable and hazard-prone
dam safety.
• Penalty- Offences are punishable with imprisonment up to 2 years or fine up to 1 crore rupees or both.

5.20 Artificial Reef (AR)

Department of Fisheries is promoting Artificial Reef (AR) under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
for rejuvenating coastal fisheries.
• An artificial reef is a manmade structure that may mimic some of the characteristics of a natural reef.
• Aim - To restore coral reefs around the globe.
• Made of - They are made from a variety of natural or synthetic Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada
materials, and come in an infinite number of shapes and styles. Yojana promotes blue revolution
through sustainable and responsible
• Goal - To provide a stable growing area for corals, and habitat development of fisheries sector.
for fishes and all the other organisms that would find on a
natural reef.
• Initiative - Department of Fisheries has sanctioned 732 artificial reef units for 10 coastal states as a sub-
activity under Integrated Modern Coastal Fishing Villages of the PMMSY.
• Funding - 60% funding from the Centre and 40% from the State governments.
• Implemented by - Fishery Survey of India (FSI) and ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
(CMFRI).

5.21 EIA in Indian Himalayan Region

Recent Teesta dam breach in Sikkim and the flood and landslides in Himachal Pradesh are stark reminders for the
need for a different set of environmental standards and clearances in Indian Himalayan Region.

Significance of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR)

• The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains run in a west-east direction from the Indus to
the Brahmaputra.
• Their name translates from Sanskrit as “abode of the
snow”, with the highest concentration of glaciers outside
the Polar Regions.
• Coverage- 13 states and Union Territories
o States- Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Sikkim, West Bengal, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Assam, and
Arunachal Pradesh.
o Union Territories- Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir
• Water tower of Asia- The region is responsible for providing water to a large part of the Indian subcontinent and
contains various flora and fauna.
• Third pole- IHR is the part of Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan system (HKKH), a mountainous region west
and south of the Tibetan Plateau.

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Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)

• The United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP) defines EIA as a tool used to identify the
environmental, social and economic impacts of a
project prior to decision-making.
• It compares various alternatives for the proposed
project and analyses all possible environmental
repercussions in various scenarios
• Evolution in India - In 1978 with respect to
river valley projects.
• The EIA in India is statutorily backed by
the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
• In 2006, State governments were also given
powers to issue EC in certain cases.
• Only projects enumerated in the schedule
attached to the notification require prior EC.
• Categorisation- The projects categorised into mining,
extraction of natural resources and power generation
and physical infrastructure.
• 2020 draft- MoEFCC introduced a draft EIA in
2020 for public comments which created a controversy
as it was perceived to be pro industry and compromising
the ecological concerns.

5.22 Coastline Erosion

Recently, Union Minister cited that over one-third of India’s coastline is vulnerable to erosion as per the study of
National Centre for Coastal Research.
• Shoreline retreat- It is the loss of coastal lands due to the
net removal of sediments or bedrock from the shoreline.
• Hydraulic action - This type of erosion is more effective in
areas where the rock has many cracks or joints, such as
limestone or chalk.
• It can also create features such as blowholes, geysers, and sea
caves.
• Abrasion- It is also known as corrosion or sandpapering. It
can create smooth and polished surfaces on the rock, such as
wave-cut platforms.
• It can also erode softer rocks faster than harder ones, creating differential
Goa & Maharashtra
erosion2.
have the most stable
• Attrition- This type reduces the size and shape of the rock fragments carried by coastlines in India.
the waves.
• It can also increase the efficiency of abrasion, as smaller and
rounder particles can act as more effective tools for erosion.
• Solution- It is also known as corrosion or dissolution. It
depends on the chemical composition of the rock and the water.
• Some rocks, such as limestone and chalk, are more soluble than
others, such as granite and basalt.
• It can create features such as karst landscapes, sinkholes, and
stalactites.
• Factors causing coastal erosion - Waves, Sea level rise,
Sediment loss, Human interference

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India's initiatives for coastal management

Indian coast is about 7500 km
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)- It is a study long and characterized by varied
and a planning initiative under World Bank, with the first phase for landforms and ecosystems.
Enhancing Coastal Ocean Resource Efficiency (ENCORE)

• Society of Integrated Coastal Management- It launches the ICZM under four components - National
Coastal Management Program, ICZM- West Bengal, ICZM- Orissa, ICZM- Gujarat
• National Centre for
National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR)
Sustainable Coastal
Management- It is set up in
Chennai to undertake studies and • Ministry - Ministry of Earth Sciences
research in the area of Coastal Zone • Origin - In 1998, the Project Directorate ‘Integrated Coastal and
Management including coastal Marine Area Management (ICMAM-PD)’ was developed in Chennai.
resources and environment.
• In 2018, ICMAM-PD was designated as the NCCR.
• National Action Plan on
Climate Change- It outlines a • Objective-
strategy that aims to enable the
o To develop and improve the country's capabilities in
country to adapt to climate change
addressing the problems prevailing in the coastal zone.
and enhance the ecological
sustainability of our development o To offer scientific and technical support to coastal
path. communities for integrated and sustainable use of resources
• Coastal Regulation Zone- It is • Multi-disciplinary research-Marine Pollutions, Coastal
notified by the Ministry of processes and Hazards, Coastal Habitats and Ecosystem and
Environment under the ambit of Capacity Building and Training.
Environment Protection Act 1986,
sets guidelines to strike balance • Technical support- It provides support to the coastal states and
between economic growth and stakeholders for sustainable coastal management.
environmental conservation.

5.23 National Disaster Status

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister has requested Prime Minister to declare the destruction caused by heavy rains in
the State as a national disaster.
Assistance for States during natural disaster

• Disaster Management Act 2005- It defines a “disaster” as “a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave
occurrence in any area, arising from natural or manmade causes, or by accident or negligence which results in
substantial loss of life, property or damage to environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond
the coping capacity of the
community of the affected area”. Institutional
Authority Head
Mechanism
• Disaster Management- India
envisions the development of an
ethos of Prevention, Mitigation, National Disaster
Preparedness and Response. Management Authority Prime Minister
(NDMA)
• National Disaster Response
Force- It has several battalions or State Disaster Management Respective Chief
teams, which are responsible for Authority (SDMA) Ministers
on-ground relief and rescue work
in several states.
District Disaster Either District
Disaster Response Fund Management Authority Magistrate or
(DDMA) District Collector
• Fund mechanism- The funds
for the NDRF and SDRFs are
allocated by the Government as a part of budgetary allocations.
o NDRF- National Disaster Response Fund is mentioned in the Disaster Management Act 2005.
o SDRFs- State Disaster Response Fund are the primary funds available to State governments to be
used only for providing immediate relief to the victims of notified calamities.

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• Role of Finance Commission- Funds for immediate relief are recommended by the Finance
Commission (FC).
o The 15th FC adopted a new methodology for state-wise allocations, based on factors like past
expenditure, risk exposure hazard and vulnerability of states.
• Fund contribution- The Central Government contributes 75% to the SDRF in general States and 90% in
North Eastern and Himalayan States.
• Annually, it is released in 2 equal instalments.
• Primary responsibility- The State government is primarily responsible for undertaking rescue, relief and
rehabilitation measures in the event of a disaster.
• Severe calamity- If the fund requirement for relief operation is beyond the funds available in SDRF account,
additional central assistance is provided from NDRF.
Severe calamity
• A calamity is declared to be of “rare severity”/”severe nature” based on undefined criteria, but factors such as
the intensity and magnitude of the calamity, level of assistance needed, etc. are looked at.
• Classification- The State government needs to submit a
memorandum indicating the sector-wise damage caused by a
disaster and its requirement of funds.
• An inter-ministerial central team will assess the damage and
requirement of funds and submit its report.
• A high level committee must approve the quantum of immediate
relief to be released from NDRF.
• The Disaster Management Division of the Ministry of Home
Affairs will then provide support and monitor the utilisation of
funds.
• Benefits of such a declaration-
o Calamity Relief Fund (CRF)- The CRF is set up, with
the corpus shared 3:1 between Centre and state.
o National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF)- When resources in the CRF are inadequate,
additional assistance is considered from this fund, funded 100% by the Centre.
o Cocessional loans- The relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the persons affected
on concessional terms, too, are considered once a calamity is declared “severe”.

5.24 Community-based initiative for Hornbills

A community-based conservation initiative, involving the Kadar tribal community, has restored the dwindling
hornbill population.

• Initiative - The Hornbill nest tree monitoring programme was started in 2005 to address the declining hornbill
population and restore their vanishing nesting habitat
• It involved the Kadars, an indigenous community, in the
Vazhachal forest division, Kerala.
Kadar Tribal Community
• The programme had technical support of the Western Ghats
Hornbill Foundation for the conservation processes. • Kadar, small tribe of southern India
residing along the hilly border between
• The Athirappilly - Vazhachal areas is the only location where
Cochin in Kerala and Coimbatore in
all the four south Indian species of hornbills are seen.
Tamil Nadu.
1. The Great Hornbill (State bird of Kerala)
• Kadar live in the forests and do not
2. Malabar Pied Hornbill practice agriculture.
3. Malabar Grey Hornbill • They are specialized collectors of honey,
4. Indian Grey Hornbill wax, sago, cardamom, ginger.

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5.25 Elephant Death Audit Framework (EDAF)

According to the recent Elephant Death Audit Framework, electrocution major cause of elephant deaths in Tamil
Nadu.
• Initiative by – State of Tamil Nadu,
the 1st of its kind initiative in the country.
• Objectives – Prescribe a Systematic India is home to over two-
Standard Protocol (SSP) for conducting thirds of the World’s Asian
post-mortem to determine cause of elephant population with
death. only about 20% of their range
is inside protected areas.
• Formulate remedial measures for
prevention of unnatural and preventive
deaths by conducting periodical death audits
and monitoring this over time.

5.26 Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

The talks on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) at the WTO’s dispute settlement body has brought to
the forefront the inter-linkages between trade and the environment.
• The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is an initiative of European Union (EU) to prevent carbon
leakage from extremely carbon intensive imports.
• Under CBAM, duties will be imposed on imported goods based on the carbon expended in producing them.
• Under the CBAM, imports of certain carbon-intensive products, will have to bear the same economic costs borne
by EU producers under the ETS.
o Cement, electricity,iron & steel, fertilizers, aluminium, and hydrogen are few carbon-intensive sectors
to be covered under CBAM.
• The price to be paid will be linked to the weekly average of the emissions priced under the ETS.
• However, where a carbon price has been explicitly paid for the imported products in their country of origin, a
reduction can be claimed.
• India has criticized CBAM as being protectionist and discriminatory policy.
To know more about India’s Concerns on CBAM, Click here.

5.27 Silvopasture Systems

In light of the global deterioration of natural resources and forests, silvopasture systems offer a relevant solution to
deforestation trends.
• Silvopasture is an ancient and proven practice that harmoniously integrates trees, forage and livestock on the
same land.
• Deforestation – Silvopasture can play a vital role in reversing the negative trend of deforestation for pasture
land.
• Carbon Sinks – The trees on silvopasture lands act as natural carbon sinks, sequestering significantly five-10
times more carbon then pastures without trees.
• Climate conditions – Silvopasture systems also regulate local climatic conditions, buffering against
temperature and wind extremes, providing a favorable living environment for livestock.
• Nutrition cycle – The extensive root systems of trees within silvopasture plots contribute to nutrient cycling,
improved soil stability and quality, while effectively combating erosion.
• Soil infiltration rates – Soil infiltration rates in silvopasture systems surpass those of open pastures,
enhancing water storage potential.

5.28 Radio collar

Recently, in Kuno Palpur national park 3 cheetahs have died and serious infection in another 6 animals have been
attributed to injuries, possibly caused by ticks festering under their radio collars.

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• Radio Collars are basically radio transmitters (which transmits light waves in the range of radio frequency (RF)
waves), that can be used to detect the movement of a person or an animal.
• The collar consists a multiplicity of radio signal receivers each having a receiving antenna.
• The system transmitter continuously transmits a RF signal and a mobile receiver assembly mounted in the collar
unit on the person/animal.
• The receiver assembly receives the RF signal and measures the intensity of the received signal.
• The transmitter emits a signal at a specific frequency that can be tracked from up to 5 kms away.

5.29 Ecocide

Recently, the Tribunal for the Rights of Nature said Mexico’s Maya train project has caused “crimes of ecocide and
ethnocide”.
• Ecocide is defined as “extensive loss, damage or destruction of ecosystems such that the peaceful enjoyment by
the inhabitants has been or will be severely diminished.”
• “Inhabitants” here applies to all living creatures, not limiting crime to an anthropogenic legal view.
• Destruction- It destroys environment which include
o Deforestation Ecocide, derived from Greek and
Latin, translates to ‘killing one’s
o Illegal sand mining home’ or ‘environment’
o Polluting rivers with untreated sewage etc.,
o Port expansion projects that destroy fragile marine life and local livelihoods
• Crime- In 1970, Biologist Arthur Galston is credited
be the first to link environmental destruction with
genocide, which is recognised as an international
crime.
• It referred to the use of U.S. military’s use of Agent
Orange (a herbicide) during the Vietnam War.
• 1972- Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, used the
term in a speech at the United Nations, warning that
unchecked industrialisation could cause irreversible
damage to the environment.
• 2010- British lawyer Polly Higgins urged the United Nations’ International Criminal Court (ICC) to recognise
ecocide as an international crime.
• ICC- At present Rome Statute of the ICC deals with 4 atrocities.
• War crime provision is the only statute that can hold a perpetrator responsible for environmental damage.

5.30 Rat Hole Mining

Rat hole mining is being done to rescue the workers in collapsed Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand.
• Rat hole – It refers to the narrow pits dug into the ground, typically just large enough for 1 person to descend
using ropes or bamboo ladders to reach the coal seams.
• Rat hole mining – It is a method of extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams, typically around 3-4
feet depth.
• They are prevalent in Meghalaya due to challenging terrain and the coal seam here are very thin (less than 2
m) in most cases.
• Types – There are 2 types of rat hole mining.
o Side cutting – Narrow tunnels are excavated into the hill slopes and workers enter these openings to
locate the coal seam.
o Box cutting – Rectangular openings are created, ranging in size from 10 to 100 square metres
• Issues - They lack safety measures such as proper ventilation, structural support, or safety gear for the workers.

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• The mining process can cause land degradation, deforestation, and water pollution.
• Ban - The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned rat-hole mining in 2014 citing concerns about its
unscientific nature and the safety risks posed to the workers.
• However, in 2019, the Supreme Court set aside the NGT ban and allowed coal mining in Meghalaya through
scientific mining methods.

5.31 Operation Kachchhap

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) saves 955 live Gangetic turtles in a crackdown on illegal wildlife trade in
multicity Operation Kachchhap.
• Operation Kachchhap - This operation is part of a series of determined efforts by the DRI to combat illegal
wildlife trafficking and preserve the environment.
• Rescued turtles - Indian Tent Turtle, Indian Flapshell Turtle, Crown River Turtle, Black spotted/Pond Turtle
and Brown Roofed Turtle.

5.32 Ban on Manjha threads

• Manjha threads refers to kite flying threads made of nylon, plastic or any other synthetic material which causes
severe injury or even death of people and animals.
• The contravention of the ban shall be penalized under provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• The National Green Tribunal in 2017 had imposed a total ban on Manjha threads and other synthetic threads.

5.33 Conocarpus Plant

The Gujarat government has banned the planting of ornamental Conocarpus trees in “forest or non-forest areas”
citing adverse impacts.
• Characteristics - Conocarpus is a fast-growing exotic mangrove species.
Earlier, Telangana had
• Native - It is native to tropical regions, mostly in parts of North & South banned the plantation of
America as well as Africa. Conocarpus plants
• Usage in India - For landscaping of road medians and in public gardens.
• Effect on Humans - It flowers in winter and spread pollen in nearby areas, thus causing diseases like cold,
cough, asthma, allergy etc.
• Effect on Infrastructure - Roots of this species go deep inside the soil and damages telecommunication lines
and drainage lines.
• Effect on Environment - Damages the freshwater systems and unpalatable to plant-eating animals.

Other banned Species

• It was brought in by the British during 1930s.

• Significance – It grows fast even in arid conditions and quickly increases the green cover, and
Vilayati Kikar can also be used as firewood.
(Prosopis
juliflora) in • Impact– It destroys the native trees like acacia, dhak, kadamb, amaltas, flame-of-the-forest, etc.
New Delhi
• Birds, butterflies, leopards, porcupines and jackals were also disappeared along with the trees.
• It also depletes the water table of the area it is planted in.

Acacia & • British introduced the Eucalyptus tree in Munnar, Kerala.

Eucalyptus in • Impact- The foreign invasive plants had reduced the availability of fodder in forests, forcing
Kerala animals to foray into settlements resulting in man-animal conflict.

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5.34 Mithuns

Northeast’s Mithun gets ‘food animal’ tag recently.

• It is a semi-domesticated ruminant (large group of herbivores ‘Soulung’ festival is observed annually
with a 4-chambered stomach) species found in Arunachal by the Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh
Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. to commensurate the birth and arrival
• Scientific name - Bos frontalis. Family – Bovidae. of mithun on this earth.

• State Animal - Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

• Since the soil in these parts is acidic and low in salt content, mithuns have an affinity for salt.
• Recognized by - Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recognised the bovine as a
‘food animal’ to help tribal communities benefit commercially from the sale and processing of mithun meat.
• Food animals are those that are raised and used for food production or consumption by humans.
• Other animals having food animal tag - Himalayan yak.

5.35 Ghol fish

Ghol fish was declared as State fish of Gujarat owing to its economic value and its uniqueness.
• Scientific name – Protonibea diacanthus.
• It is also called as black-spotted croake. Gujarat has a coastal belt of over
1600 km and contributes the
• Habitat –Indo-Pacific region (Persian Gulf to Pacific Ocean). largest share in fish production
in the country.
• In India, this fish is found mostly in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Threat – Pollution and relentless fishing have pushed its population to deep sea
which makes it hard to catch.
• Usage – It has nutritional and medicinal properties.
o It is used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.
o To make threads used for making dissolvable surgery stitches
o Its air bladder is used in the production of wine and beer.
• Fisherman’s lottery – It is also known as for its high market value.

5.36 Pink Bollworm

Recently, the Rajasthan government declared relief for farmers whose cotton crops have been affected due to pink
bollworm infestations.
• Pectinophora gossypiella is a major pest of cotton that feeds on the seeds and destroy the fibers of cotton,
reducing quality and crop yield.
• Challenges - Bt cotton which are toxic to the American bollworm has lost its efficacy against PBW.
• This is because PBW is a monophagous pest that feeds mainly on cotton unlike American bollworm that is
polyphagous, with alternative hosts.
Control measures
• Spraying insecticides – Such as profenofos, chlorpyrifos, indoxacarb, and
cypermethrin.
• Mating disruption – It involves deploying Gossyplure, a pheromone signalling
chemical which attracts the male adult moths into lures and prevent from mating
with females.
• The Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee under the Agriculture Ministry has approved
o PBKnot – It is a dispenser having a 20-cm hollow polyethylene pipe, into which Gossyplure is
impregnated and gets released from over 90 days and reducing the scope for infestation.

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o SPLAT-PBW - A flowable emulsion formulation technology for delivering Gossyplure.

• Refuge crop - To plant non-Bt cotton as a refuge crop on the sides of the Bt cotton field.
• This will delay the process of the PBW developing resistance and prolonged the life of Bt cotton.

5.37 National Transit Pass System (NTPS)

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently launched National Transit Pass System
(NTPS) to facilitate the seamless transit of forest produce across the country.
• It is a One Nation-One Pass to facilitate the seamless transit of timber, bamboo and other forest produce
across the country.
• The QR coded transit permits generated under NTPS will allow check gates across various states to verify the
validity of the permits and allow seamless transit.

5.38 Rubber Board

• A statutory body constituted under the Rubber Act 1947, for the overall development of the rubber industry in
the country. Head Office - Kottayam, Kerala.
• The Rubber Board is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Board Ministry Headquarters

Tobacco Ministry of Commerce & Industry Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

Coffee Ministry of Commerce & Industry Bengaluru, Karnataka

Tea Ministry of Commerce & Industry Kolkata, West Bengal

Spices Ministry of Commerce & Industry Kochi, Kerala

Rubber Ministry of Commerce & Industry Kottayam, Kerala

Turmeric Ministry of Commerce & Industry -------

Coconut Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare Kochi, Kerala

Coir Ministry of MSME Kochi, Kerala

Silk Ministry of Textiles Bengaluru, Karnataka

6. PROTECTED AREAS

Protected Areas of India

• Protected areas - Human occupation or at least the exploitation of resources is limited and it includes
1. National Parks
2. Wildlife Sanctuaries
3. Conservation Reserves
4. Community Reserves
5. Marine Protected Areas

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1. National Park
• An area, whether within a sanctuary or not, can be notified by the state government.
• No human activity is permitted inside the national park except for the ones permitted by the Chief Wildlife
Warden of the state.

2. Wildlife Sanctuaries
• Any area other than area comprised with any reserve forest or the territorial waters can be notified by the
State Government to constitute as a sanctuary.
• Some restricted human activities are allowed inside the Sanctuary area.

3. Conservation reserves and Community reserves

• It was first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002.
• They act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife
sanctuaries and protected areas.
• Conservation Reserves – Such migration corridors if uninhabited and completely owned by the
Government of India but used for subsistence by communities are called Conservation reserves.
• Community Reserves – Such migration corridors if privately owned are called community reserves.

4. Marine Protected Areas

• A space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters.
• These places are given special protections for natural or historic marine resources.

• Tiger Reserves - 55 Protected Areas of India Numbers

• Elephant Reserves - 33
• Biosphere Reserves - 18 National Parks 106

• World Network of Biosphere Reserves - 12

Wildlife Sanctuaries 573
• RAMSAR Wetland Sites - 80
• World Heritage Sites Conservation Reserves 123
• Natural World Heritage Sites - 7
Community Reserves 220
• Cultural World Heritage Sites - 34
• Mixed World Heritage Sites - 1 Marine Protected Areas 129

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6.1 Protected Areas in news

Protected
State Features
Areas in news

The tribal settlements in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary are reviving cultivation

of millets and endemic crops through Punarjeevanam scheme.
Chinnar
Wildlife Kerala • Chinnar WLS is home to the Great Grizzled Squirrel of India.
Sanctuary • Punarjeevanam (revival or resurrection) scheme was launched in 2016 by
Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department to revive farming of millets and
endemic crops in the tribal settlements.
The Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) withholds green nod
granted for fishing harbours near Kaliveli bird sanctuary.
Kaliveli Bird
Tamil Nadu • Species – Home to migratory birds such as black-tailed godwits,
Sanctuary
Eurasian curlew, white stork, ruff and dunlin.
• Chilka is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia.

Recently the National Green Tribunal have set a dead line of 6 months in
issuing Eco-Sensitive Zone tag, which may resolve the confusion over the
boundaries of the sanctuary.
• The sanctuary is divided into 3 zones, namely- core zone, buffer zone and
Shettihalli tourism zone.
Wildlife Karnataka
• The Tunga Anicut Dam is situated within the sanctuary and provides
Sanctuary
shelter for otters and water birds.
• The Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary is also a part of the Shettihalli
Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The hilly area forms the catchment basin for Kumadwathi River.
Mhadei
• It was established in the forests spread within the Mhadei River basin in
Wildlife Goa
the year 1999 with an objective to protect Bengal Tigers living in this area.
Sanctuary
Kasu • Located in the Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad
Brahmanandha
Telangana • The park is also known as ‘jungle amidst the concrete jungle’ and was
Reddy National
Park declared as a National Park in 1998.

• The NTCA has recommended the Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary bordering the
Nugu Wildlife Bandipur Tiger Reserve be declared as a core critical tiger habitat.
Karnataka
Sanctuary
• Nugu River is a tributary of the River Cauvery.

• It is situated in Bengaluru, Karnataka and borders with Cauvery

Wildlife Sanctuary in the South and with Javalagiri Reserved Forests in
the Tamil Nadu State on its South-Eastern boundaries.
Bannerghatta
Karnataka
National Park • It was declared in 1974 and there are 4 ranges in the national park - Anekal,
Bannerghatta, Harohalli and Kodihalli wildlife ranges.
• Bannerghatta’s Sloth Bear Rescue Centre completes 18 years.

• The Bandipur Tiger Reserve holds the 2nd highest Tiger population in
India.
• It was established in the year 1974 as a forest tiger reserve under the
Bandipur Tiger Project Tiger.
Karnataka
Reserve
• It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• 3 rivers flow through the main area of the Reserve - Nugu River, Moyar
River and Kabini River.

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• It is a protected area in New Delhi and is a part of the Aravalli Mountain

Asola Bhatti Range.
Wild Life New Delhi
Sanctuary • It is a part of the Sariska-Delhi Wildlife Corridor, which runs from the
Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan to Delhi Ridge.

• It is located in, established in 1973 as part of Project Tiger.

• It is one of the first 9 tiger reserves created in the country at inception of
Palamu Tiger
Jharkhand 'Project Tiger'.
Reserve
• It is the only tiger reserve in Jharkhand. It forms part of Betla National
Park and Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Valmiki Tiger Reserve lies in the West Champaran district of Bihar.

Valmiki
Bihar • Rivers Gandak, Pandai, Manor, Harha, Masan and Bhapsa flow through
reserve
various parts of the reserve.

• It is a zoo and botanical garden established in 1960 in Bhubaneswar,

Odisha.
• It is India's first zoo to join the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Nandankanan (WAZA) in 2009.
Odisha
Zoological Park • Nandankanan is the first zoo in the World to breed White tiger and
Melanistic tiger.
• It is the only conservation breeding centre of Indian Pangolins in the
world.

7. BIODIVERSITY

7.1 Biosphere Reserves

It is important to reflect on the progress made in conserving and sustainably using the biosphere reserves.
• It is an international designation for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over
large area of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a
combination thereof.
• BRs are living examples of how human beings and nature can World Biosphere Reserve Day is
co-exist while respecting each other’s needs. celebrated on November 3 to raise
• Designated by- United Nations Educational, Scientific and awareness on the importance of
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) biosphere reserves & to promote its
conservation & sustainable use.
• Function
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
• Supported by - Other UN agencies and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Criteria for designating biosphere reserves - The site must contain an effectively protected and
minimally disturbed core area of value of nature conservation.
• The core area should be typical of a bio-geographical unit and large enough to sustain viable
populations representing all trophic levels in the ecosystem.
• The management authority to ensure the cooperation of local communities while managing and containing the
conflicts.
• Areas potential for preservation of traditional tribal or rural modes of living for harmonious use of
environment.

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World Network of
Biosphere
Reserves (WNBR)
• The WNBR of the MAB
Programme consists of
a dynamic and
interactive network of
sites of excellence.
• Launch year-1971
• Aim- To establish a
scientific basis for the
improvement of
relationships between
people and their
environments.
• Role - It proposes
interdisciplinary
research,
demonstration and
training in natural
resources management.
• It helps national
governments with the
planning and
implementation of
research and training
programmes with
technical assistance
and scientific advice.
• Picture of WNBR
o Leading WNBR country -
Spain, with 53 properties
o 1st biosphere reserve in
South Asia - Hurulu
Biosphere Reserve, Sri Lanka.
o No Biosphere
Reserves - Bangladesh,
Bhutan, and Nepal
o India- Signatory to the
landscape approach
supported by UNESCO's MAB
programme
Status of biosphere reserves in India
• Status- There are 18 biosphere
reserves in India, out of which 12 are
recognized internationally under the
MAB programme.
• 1st biosphere reserve - Nilgiri
Biosphere Reserve, Tamilnadu,
Kerala, Karnataka
• Largest Biosphere reserve -
Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
• Smallest biosphere reserve -
Dibru- Saikhowa, Assam

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UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere

South and Central Asian Biosphere Reserve Network
Programme
Meeting (SACAM)
• UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere
Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental • In partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Forests
scientific programme that was launched in and Climate Change and the National Centre for
1971. Sustainable Coastal Management, 10th SACAM was
concluded in Chennai.
• It aims to establish a scientific basis for the
improvement of relationships between • Theme- “Ridge to Reef”
people and their environments.
• Role- A platform for exchanging knowledge and fostering
• It proposes interdisciplinary research, collaborations in the realm of sustainable environmental
demonstration and training in natural practices.
resources management.
• MAB helps national governments with the planning and implementation of research and training programmes
with technical assistance and scientific advice.
• India is a signatory to the landscape approach supported by UNESCO's MAB programme.

7.2 Ramsar convention on Wetlands

CONVENTION

• It is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation
for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
• Adopted in 1971 (Ramsar, Iran) and enforced in 1975. It is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a
particular ecosystem.
• The convention defines wetlands as areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial,
permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine
water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed 6 meters.
• The Indian government’s definition as per the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 excludes
river channels, paddy fields and other areas where commercial activity takes place.
• Ramsar Convention is not affiliated with the United Nations system of Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
• Every year, 2nd February was celebrated as World Wetlands Day.

INDIA & RAMSAR SITES

• Ramsar list is a list of wetlands of International Importance mentioned under the Ramsar convention.
• It confers upon the prestige of international recognition and commitment to ensure the maintenance of the
ecological character of the site. India became a contracting party in 1981.
• Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) - 1st two Ramsar sites in India.
• India presently has 80 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance.
• India has the highest number of Ramsar sites among Asian countries.

MONTREUX RECORD

• Maintained as a part of Ramsar list, it listed wetlands where changes in ecological character have occurred, are
occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
• The Record was adopted by the Conference of the Contracting Parties in Brisbane, 1996.
• Montreux sites in India
• Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan (1990)
• Loktak Lake, Manipur (1993)
• Chilika Lake, Odisha was included in 1993 and was removed in 2002

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7.3 Biodiversity sites in News

Biodiversity
Location Significance
sites

• The Ennore Creek is a backwater located in Thiruvallur District, Tamil

Nadu.
• As an arm of the Kosathalaiyar River, the Creek meets the Bay of Bengal at
Mugathwara Kuppam, while the northern channel of the creek connects to
the Pulicat Lake.
Ennore Creek Tamil Nadu • This creek has been demarcated as Coastal Regulation Zone IV (Water
Body) in the coastal zone management plan by the Tamil Nadu State Coastal
Zone Management Authority.
• Undertaking any reclamation, bunding, construction or altering the water
bodies is illegal under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Act 1974 & Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Bihar’s only wetland of international importance under the Ramsar

Convention lies neglected and is on the brink of drying up.
• It is also known as Gokhur lake;
• Location – Begusarai in Bihar

Kawar Lake Bihar • Ramsar Status – 2020

• Source of water – It draws water from the confluence of the Gandak, the
Bia and the Kareh river.
• Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar serves as a haven for
endangered dolphins which has the issue of hunting and illegal dredging of
Ganga River.

Kole wetlands of Kerala face threat of alien plants recently.

• It is an internationally important Ramsar site of high value biodiversity
situated in Kerala.
• The wetland gets its name from its high productivity Kole literally translates
to bumper crop in Malayalam.
• It is one of the largest brackish, humid tropical wetland ecosystem on the
southwest coast of India.
Kole • The wetlands are fed by 10 rivers and is a typical large estuarine systems on
Kerala
Wetlands the western coast.
• One of the specialties of this wetland cultivation is its dewatering scheme,
the process of removing groundwater and superficial water from a
construction site.
• Each year, before the season starts, all farming clusters, known
as padasekharams, have to follow dewater their land before sowing.
• This collaborative ritual or kootaima reeti is what protects Kole as a
wetland.

• Dhanauri Wetland is to be notified as Balmiki Ramsar Wetland and Sarus

Sanctuary/Conservation Reserve whose proposal is pending before the
Dhanauri Uttar Uttar Pradesh Wetland authority.
Wetland Pradesh • Location - Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• Importance – It is home to over 217 species of birds and possibly the
largest roosting site for Sarus cranes in north India.

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• Recognition – It has been recognised as an Important Bird Area by

Bird Life International and so recorded by the BNHS (Bombay Natural
History Society).
Act/List Status
Sarus Crane
• Sarus Crane is IUCN Vulnerable
the State Bird of
Uttar Pradesh. WPA, 1972 Schedule I
• It is the tallest
flying bird in the CITES Appendix I
world.

Ramsar sites in UP – Bakhira Sanctuary, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary,

Saman Bird Sanctuary, Sandi Bird Sanctuary, Sur Sarovar, Haiderpur
Wetland, Upper Ganga, Sarsai Nawar Jheel, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary
and Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary.

First Public Sector Caravan Park in Kerala to come up at Bekal in Kasaragod.

• It is a place where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or
longer, in allotted spaces known as "sites" or "campsites".

• It will be developed under cinema tourism project that seeks to showcase

prime locations to attract tourists.
• Tourist Facilitation Bekal Fort
centre (TFC) - The TFC
shall be constructed • It is 17th century fort built
providing appropriate by Shivappa Nayaka of the Keladi
facilities and infrastructure dynasty in Kasaragod, Kerala.
Caravan Park Kerala for the tourists /campers.
• It later came under the control of the
• Responsible Tourism- Kingdom of Mysore.
friendly policy shall be
adopted for sustainable • It is the largest fort in Kerala.
growth which also benefits • The fort's prime features are the grand
the local community and laterite walls, observation towers,
does not adversely affect
bastions, and a well-preserved moat.
the local environment.
• Types of Caravan Parks - State-of-the-art-park, Day Parks, Hybrid
Caravan Park
• At present, there is only 1 Caravan Park in Kerala (Wagamon)

• The Valparai plateau is situated in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu.

Valparai
Plateau
Tamil Nadu • It is surrounded on all sides by protected areas Anamalai Tiger Reserve,
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve and Eravikulam National Park.

A forest arena titled ‘Miniature Eastern Ghats’ (MEG) will come up in about 30
acres of reserve land in Visakhapatnam.
• It is a one-stop place for the flora found in the Eastern Ghats which will be
opened for public from November, 2023.
• Umbrella program – Eastern Ghats Biodiversity Centre project.
Miniature Andhra
• Funding – Around Rs 2.5 crore from government funds and from
Eastern Ghats Pradesh
corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds of private organisations.
Eastern Ghats
• It is a discontinuous range of mountains along India’s eastern coast.
• An ancient orogenic belt formed from the collision of crustal rocks during
the Archean Era.

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• The Eastern Ghats are older than the Western Ghats.

• Geographical location – Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Telangana. 5 State
• Major rivers - Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri
• Highest point – Arma Konda or Seethamma Konda in (1,680 metres or
5,510 ft)
• Rocks – Made up of charnockite, granite gneiss, khondalite, granite and
quartzite
• Minerals found– Limestone, bauxite and iron ore
• Madhurawada Dome – It was formed by a tectonic arrangement with the
khondalite suite and quartzite Archean rocks north of Visakhapatnam.

Climate change and human intervention threaten the Myristica swamps of

Kerala.
• Myristica swamps are freshwater swamps. The evergreen trees have
evolved to live in the waterlogged conditions of the swamps.
• They have two types of roots, knee roots (pneumatophores) and stilt
root.
• They have evolved over millions of years and
Myristica are comprised of old-growth trees.
Kerala
Swamps
• Location – In India, these unique habitats
occur in the Western Ghats and a smaller
distribution exists in the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands.
• They help in retaining water and act as a sponge, ensuring perennial
water availability.
• Important Species – Gymnocranthera canarica and Myristica fatua
— belonging to Myristicaceae family.

OTHERS

7.4 State of India’s Bird Report

A large number of bird species in India are either currently declining or projected to decline in the long term, according
to a report.
• CMS COP 13 - In 2020, at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species joined the set of
countries that regularly assess the status of their birds. They then launched the 1st state of birds’ report.
• Data - The State of India’s Birds report is a periodic assessment of the distribution range, trends in abundance,
and conservation status for most of the bird species that regularly occur in India.
• IUCN data - Based on IUCN Red List of global threat status, this report places Indian species into three
categories – Low, Moderate and High.
• Key highlights of the 2023 report - Decline - India’s birds are facing a significant decline in numbers
revealing a silent, gradual change in birds’ population.
• High Conservation priority - A large number of species that are thought to be common and widespread find
themselves as of High Conservation Priority
• It means their abundance continues to decline after a considerable drop in the number over the years.
• Migratory birds - The number of long-distance migrants has declined 50%, with those that breed in the Arctic
but winter in India seeing a decline of 80%.
• Overall analysis -Decline in raptors, migratory shorebirds, and ducks. Increase in Indian Peafowl and Asian
Koel.

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7.5 Best Tourism Village 2023

Dhordo village in Gujarat made it to the UN World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTOs) best villages list for its rich
cultural heritage and natural beauty.

• A global initiative to highlight those villages where tourism preserves cultures and traditions, celebrates
diversity, provides opportunities and safeguards biodiversity.
• Recognition to – Best Tourism Village Initiative
Outstanding rural
tourism destinations with Launched In 2021
accredited cultural and
natural assets based on 9
Nodal Agency UN WTO
key evaluation criterias.
• Best Tourism Village Umbrella Program UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme.
2023 – It is the
3rd edition where 54 villages from all regions were selected.
• A further 20 villages have joined the Upgrade Programme. All 74 villages are part of the UNWTO Best Tourism
Villages Network.

Dhordo village is nestled in the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat which hosts the annual cultural festival Rann
Utsav that showcases the region’s traditional art, music, and crafts. It also hosted the 1st Tourism Working
Group Meeting of the G-20 held under India’s presidency in 2023.

7.6 Environmental DNA (eDNA)

Recently, scientist estimated that the total taxonomic diversity of Chilika lagoon in Odisha is about 1,071 families
across the tree of life using environmental DNA (eDNA) method.
• eDNA – It is the nuclear or mitochondrial DNA that is released from an organism into the environment
through natural processes during their lifetime or after death.
• Sources of eDNA- Secreted feces, mucous, and gametes; shed skin and hair; and carcasses.
• eDNA method - A non-invasive method to assess the total biodiversity of any ecosystem by sequencing the
DNA found in the environments.
• Developed by – Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), a CSIR-Centre for
Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) laboratory headquartered in Hyderabad.
• Sample size – Just a few litres of water, soil, or even air.

• Working mechanism – A molecular approach is applied to filter out eDNA from environmental samples,
read their sequences, and thus, identify the source of the eDNA.
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to amplify DNA for sequencing while quantitative PCR (qPCR) is
typically used to detect and quantify DNA.
• Significance – It is cheaper, faster, and highly scalable to large freshwater and marine ecosystems which can
help in monitoring and conserving the rich biodiversity of our country.
• It can detect all kinds of organisms, including viruses, bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes as well. eDNA can also
reveal the presence of human remains.

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7.7 CATCH DNA

Researchers used CRISPR to engineer bacteria to detect colorectal cancer in mice.

• Researchers working at the frontiers of advanced biological sensors have engineered bacteria that can detect the
presence of tumour DNA in a living organism.
• This new technology, which detected cancer in the colons of mice, can pave the way for new biosensors that can
be used to detect cancers, infections and other diseases.

• In the past, researchers have used bacteria for many medical purposes, but this is the first time they have
engineered it to identify specific DNA sequences and mutations outside of cells.
• CATCH - Cellular Assay for Targeted
CRISPR-discriminated Horizontal Acinetobacter baylyi
gene transfer has been described in a
research article published in the • The researchers employed Acinetobacter baylyi, a bacterium
journal Science. with this skill, to detect cancer.
• Tumours – They often disperse their • A.baylyi was engineered using CRISPR technology to detect a
DNA into their surroundings. mutated KRAS gene which helps colorectal cancer grow.
• This DNA can be purified and • Resistance Gene – When the engineered bacteria detect any
analyzed in labs but it is difficult to of the mutated tumour DNA, it turns on an antibiotic resistance
detect in the environments where it is gene, which makes them resistant to a specific drug.
released.
• Once researchers find bacteria that are resistant to the drug, they
• To develop CATCH, the researchers know that cancer has been detected.
engineered bacteria using CRISPR
technology to test free-floating DNA sequences and compare them with predetermined cancer sequences.

7.8 E-Soil

Researchers have developed a new electronics soil that was found to increase the growth of barley seedlings by 50%.
• It is a novel method of soilless gardening or hydroponics
using an electrically conductive growing medium. Hydroponics is the technique of
• eSoil is being derived from cellulose and a conductive polymer growing plants using a water-based
called PEDOT. nutrient solution rather than soil, and
can include an aggregate substrate, or
• In hydroponic environments, eSoil is a low-power growing media, such as vermiculite,
bioelectronics growth substrate that can electrically stimulate coconut coir, or perlite
the root system and growth environment of plants.
• This novel substrate is not only environmentally friendly, but also offers a low energy, safe alternative to
previous methods that required high voltage and non-biodegradable materials.
• When the roots of barley seedlings were electrically stimulated for 15 days, they showed a 50% increase in
growth using eSoil.

7.9 Miyawaki Plantation Method

• It is an initiative of creating mini forests in urban areas for the afforestation programme.
• Named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, this method involves planting 2 to 4 different types of
indigenous trees within every square metre.
• In this method, the trees become self-sustaining don’t require regular manuring and watering and they grow to
their full length within 3 years.

7.10 Diel Vertical Migration (DVM)

Deep sea organisms play a crucial role in the earth’s carbon cycle through the process of diel vertical migration.

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• It is a synchronised vertical
movement of billions of animals, mostly
zooplankton (e.g., smallish animals, including
fish, various shrimp, and jellies) in the ocean.
• DVM is the largest migration on the planet by
biomass which occurs daily in all oceans.
• Principle – A delicate balance between the
need to feed and to avoid becoming prey.
• Timing of migration – In tune to
the natural rhythms of sunrise and
sunset.
• During the night – They ascent from the
mesopelagic layer to the epipelagic layer to graze on the microscopic phytoplankton while avoiding their daytime
predators.
• During day – They descent into deeper, darker levels of ocean to escape from the predators.
• Role in carbon sequestration - They remove carbon from the upper ocean as they feed on surface-dwelling
plankton and carry the carbon to deeper waters while returning.
• When they are consumed by predators, the carbon is passed to them. The carbon-rich wastes produced by the
predators then sinks to the ocean floor, where it remains trapped for millennia.

7.11 Selfing Syndrome

In the first evidence of rapid evolution, scientists have discovered a flower growing in Paris, France is producing less
nectar and smaller flowers to attract fewer pollinators.
• Selfing syndrome refers to plants that are autogamous and display a
complex of characteristics associated with self-pollination. Autogamous species are
those whose ovules are
• The flowers of self-fertilizing plants are typically smaller and have little (predominantly) fertilized by
distance between reproductive organs. pollen from the same flower.
Parisian pansies (Viola arvensis)
• Habitat - It is a self-pollinating flower, native to Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.
• It is an herbaceous annual plant with serrated leaves, and usually flowers with white all over, except the bottom
petal and dehiscent capsules.
• Recent studies have found that the ongoing convergent evolution of a Selfing Syndrome threatens plant
pollinator interactions.

7.12 Forest Fire in Maui Island

Recently there has been a deadly wildfire in Hawaii’s Maui Island due to strong winds from Hurricane Dora.
• A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation.
• Wildfires can burn in vegetation located both in and above the soil.
• Ground fires- It ignite in soil, thick with organic matter that can feed the flames, like plant roots.
• Surface fires- It typically burn in dead or dry vegetation that is lying or growing just above the ground. Parched
grass or fallen leaves often fuel surface fires.
• Crown fires – It burn in the leaves and canopies of trees and shrubs.
• Cause of the fire in Hawaii
o Drought
o Hurricane Dora
o Climate change
o flammable non-native species of grasses

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Benefits of Wildfire
Hawaii Island
• It is essential to the continued survival of
some plant species.
• It is the largest island in the United States. It is the only U.S.
• Some tree cones need to be heated before state that is not geographically located in North America.
they open and release their seeds. Example-
• It is a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean.
Chaparral plants
Hawaii is the only U.S. state completely made up of islands.
• Healthy ecosystem- They can kill insects
• Mountain- Mauna Kea is Hawaii’s tallest mountain. If the
and diseases that harm trees.
height of this mountain is considered from its base, which
• By clearing scrub and underbrush, fires can lies in the Pacific Ocean, it is taller than Mount Everest.
make way for new grasses, herbs, and
• Pineapple Island-Lanai is home of the world’s largest
shrubs that provide food and habitat for
plantation of pineapples.
animals and birds.
• Maui- It is an island in the Central Pacific, part of the
• Low intensity flames- It can clean up
Hawaiian archipelago.
debris and underbrush on the forest floor,
add nutrients to the soil, and open up space • National Park- Hawaii volcanoes national park
to let sunlight through to the ground. (Hawaii), Haleakala National Park (Maui)
Approaches in addressing forest fires
• Controlled burning -The British introduced a system of controlled burning of undergrowth in safe seasons
(winter), so that by summer there would be nothing left to burn.
• This is an extremely destructive practice, since it wipes out insects, small reptiles, seeds, herbs and bushes.
• Fire Line- This method contain the fire in compartments bordered by natural barriers such as streams, roads,
ridges, and fire lines along hillsides or across plains.
• Once the blaze has burnt out all combustibles in the affected compartment, it fizzles out and the neighbouring
compartments are saved.
• Counter fire approach - The counter fire rushes towards the wildfire, leaving a stretch of burnt ground, as
soon as the two fires meet, the blaze is extinguished.
• Combination method -This is practised in combination with fire lines and counter fire.
• This is the most practical and most widely used method.
• Technological approach - In this, Helicopters or ground-based personnel, spray fire retardant chemicals, or
pump water to fight the blaze.
• These are expensive methods and are usually not practised in India.

7.13 Zombie fires (Arctic Soil Fires)

The blanket of wildfire smoke spread across large parts of the U.S. and Canada in 2023 due to zombie fires.
• Zombie fires also known as overwintering fires, happen as a result of wildfires, they're called zombie fires
as they seem to come back from the dead.
• After a wildfire has been extinguished on the surface, some of it can still burn belowground in secret, fuelled
by peat and methane.
• These fires can continue to burn all through winter, hidden under a layer of snow.
• In spring as the temperature rises, the snow melts and the soil dry out, the wildfires can re-ignite and spread
once again.

7.14 Vegetated canopies

As Europe battles scorching temperatures and wildfires, vegetated canopies were introduced in Spain for creating
green spaces.
• Vegetated canopies are sail-like structures that have been anchored to the frontages of surrounding buildings.
• They mimic natural canopies found in forests and various plant species.

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• They can be placed in streets, where planting trees may not be feasible owing to the lack of space.
• The plants grow hydroponically, with a water supply point and water outlet for draining purposes.
• Advantages – It reduces the temperature both in their surroundings and under the cover.
• The plants chosen belong to species that are optimized for the absorption of gases such as carbon monoxide.
• The substrate also absorbs sound waves, reducing noise pollution.
• It could contribute to urban biodiversity, creating a healthier ecosystem that supports a variety of wildlife.

7.15 Black Summer

A new report from the New South Wales (NSW) authorities in Australia said that they are facing worst bushfire risk
since ‘Black Summer’
• The bushfire season of 2019-20 in Australia is known as Black Summer.
• Impacts – It burnt 5.5 million hectares of land across NSW and displaced 3 billion vertebrate animals across
southeast Australia.
• Factors that led to black summer – Dryness of the fuel and its availability to burn, weather conducive to
fire spread (high temperatures, low humidity and wind) and ignition sources.
• The suspected, immediate cause of ignition was lightning, often in remote, rugged and/or inaccessible terrain
• Other causes – Ember spotting, power lines, deliberate or accidental human activity, machinery and arson.

7.16 Silk

Researchers in China, proposed a model to explain how different combinations of mutations give rise to the different
colours of the cocoons.
• Silk is reeled from cocoons of the silk moth (Bombyx mori) and they based on feed they are classified.
• Wild’ silks like the muga, tasar, and eri silks were obtained from other moth species namely, Antheraea
assama, Antheraea mylitta, and Samia cynthia ricini.
• Mulberry silks have long, fine, and smooth threads and Non-mulberry silks have shorter, coarser, and
harder threads.

Mulberry Silk

Ancestral Species Domesticated Species

Spread China, Korea, Japan, & Russia All around the world including India

Size Small Larger

Fibre length Small Longer, up to 900 metres

Yellow-red, gold, flesh, pink, pale green, deep

Cocoon colour Brown-yellow
green or white.

Flying ability Exists Lost

Pigmentation Observed Lost

• Silk Colour - Mulberry leaves have colouring chemical

compounds called carotenoids and flavonoids which
are absorbed by silkworms when they feed it. India is the world’s 2nd largest producer
• It is then transported to the silk glands, where they are of raw silk after China and non-mulberry
bound to the silk protein. silks comprise about 30% of all silk
produced in India.

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• Currently, domesticated cocoons possess water soluble colour that gradually fade away and so silk colours are
derived from chemical compounds made by the mulberry leaves.
• The differently coloured cocoons arise from mutations in genes responsible for the uptake, transport, and
modification of carotenoids and flavonoids.

7.17 Forest Fringe Villages

• They are villages that are located near forests and often depend on them for their daily needs and biomass.
• As per India State of Forest Report- 2019, published by Forest Survey of India, approximately 300 million
people are dependent on forests.

7.18 Mahua Liquor

Mahua, a traditional liquor, once banned by the British now finds relevance in modern India
• Mahua flowers are one of the top 5 minor forest products
(MFP) in terms of volume produced in the nation each
Country Liquor (CL) label is bound by the
year.
antiquated laws of 1878 and 1892, which
• Mahua liquor – It is a traditional sweetened liquor with forbid non-Adivasis from consuming or
strong floral notes that has been made for ages by the producing it and restrict Adivasis from
tribal people of India.
producing it within a certain limit.
• It is a pungent, potent drink that is usually brewed in
unorganised, small-scale backyard stills.
• It is the only pot-distilled and fermented spirit in the world made from naturally sweet flowers.
• Mahua tree is found largely in the central, northern and southern Indian forests.
• Ban – British Raj banned production of liquor along with collection & storage of Mahua flowers through
Bombay Abkari Act, 1878 and Mhowra Act, 1892
• Measures taken - Madhya Pradesh declared Mahua as a heritage liquor and organised National Mahua
Conclave in 2023.

7.19 Sea weed Park

Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has recently laid down the foundation stone for the establishment
of Multi-Purpose Seaweed Park recently in Tamil Nadu.
• Introduced – India’s 1st Fisheries Aquapark in form of ‘Multipurpose Seaweed Park in was
announced in the Union Budget 2021.
• Objective - To promote the cultivation and conservation of seaweed.

7.20 Dragonfly Festival, 2023

The 6th edition of the Dragonfly Festival is being conducted across 11 States in India.

• The festival has been running for the past 5 years and celebrates Dragonfly and Damselfly’s role in keeping our
environment healthy.
Feature Dragonfly Damselfly
• The tag for this year’s festival is Dragonflies
in Focus: Inspire Wetland Champions’.
Size Larger and bulkier Relatively smaller
• Organised by - WWF India
Wings 2 sets 2 sets
• Partnership - Bombay Natural History
Society, India Biodiversity Portal, Indian
Dragonfly Society and others Front & rear wings Different size Same size

• Odonates - It is an order of flying insects Wings at rest Like an aeroplane Fold closed over their back
that includes dragonflies and damselflies.

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7.21 Zombie Deer Disease

Experts have termed the zombie deer disease a slow-moving disaster and have urged governments to prepare for the
possibility of it spreading to humans.
• The deadly and infectious chronic wasting disease (CWD), also known as zombie deer disease, affects
cervids, which are deer, elk, caribou, reindeer, and moose.
• The neurological symptoms of the disease, which include weight loss, lack of coordination, lethargic behavior,
listlessness, and drooling.
• It is brought on by a protein called a prion that is flawed and builds
up in the brain and other tissues, leading to emaciation, behavioral Mad Cow Disease or Bovine
and physiological abnormalities, and finally death. Spongiform Encephalopathy
(BSE) is a neurological disorder
• Transmission - Animals can contract it directly from one another of cattle that results from
or indirectly by coming into contact with infected particles that linger infection by prion.
in the environment, such as soil, plants, or excrement.
• They can also become infected if prions carrying the infection contaminate an animal's feed or pasture.
• Treatment - There is currently no vaccination or cure for the zombie deer disease.
• In humans - There has never been a reported case of zombie deer disease in a human.

7.22 Petermann Glacier, Greenland

Glaciologists have found the grounding line of Petermann Glacier in northwest Greenland to shift substantially during
tidal cycles.
• Grounding line of a glacier is where the ice detaches from the land
bed and begins floating in the ocean.
• The shifting of grounding line substantially during tidal cycles,
allows warm seawater to intrude and melt ice at an accelerated
rate.
• Exposure to ocean water causes the ice to slide more quickly to the
sea in two ways -
o Melts the ice vigorously at the glacier front.
o Erodes resistance to the movement of glaciers over the
ground.
• Petermann Glacier - Located in the coast of Greenland.
• It is the longest floating glacier in the Northern Hemisphere.
• In 2010 and in 2012, large pieces of the Petermann glacier broke off its end and floated out to sea.

8. SPECIES IN NEWS

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

• CITES, also known as Washington Convention, is an international agreement between governments and
is legally binding on the Parties. India is a Party to the CITES since 1976.
• Aim - To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the
survival of the species.
• It has 3 appendices to protect threatened and vulnerable species.
o Appendix I - For species currently threatened with extinction.
o Appendix II - For species not necessarily threatened with extinction but demands intervention to
keep a check on trade and avoid its utilisation that may threaten their survival.
o Appendix III – For a given species, when a specific country wants to regulate trade.

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)

• Founded in October 1948 as the International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN) following an
international conference in Fontainebleau, France.
• It was later known as the World Conservation Union.
• The organization changed its name to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources in 1956
• Headquarters - Gland, Switzerland
• Vision - Just world that values and conserves nature

• Functions - It provides public, private, and non-governmental organizations with the knowledge and tools
to achieve sustainable development.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

• World’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and
plant species.
• Provides information about species’ range,
population size, habitats and ecology, use and trade,
threats, and conservation actions.
• The IUCN unveiled this assessment system in 1964.
• Species are classified into one of nine Red List
Categories
• Criteria to assess the extinction risk of a given
species includes
o The rate of population decline
o The geographic range
o Whether the species already possesses a
small population size
o Whether the species is very small or lives in a restricted area
o Whether the results of a quantitative analysis indicate a high probability of extinction in the wild

IUCN Green Status of Species

• Introduced by the IUCN in the World Conservation Congress, 2012, held in

Jeju, South Korea.
• It called for the development of ‘Green Lists’ of Species, Ecosystems and
Protected Areas to measure conservation success in these three areas.
• The IUCN Red List assess the risk of extinction of a species whereas the IUCN
Green status tracks the recovery of species’ populations and measure its
conservation success.
• The Green status comprises of a Green Score ranging from 0–100%.
• A species that is Extinct in the Wild would have a Green Score of 0%, and a
species that is not threatened with extinction would have a Green Score of
100%.
• The GSS became an optional part of Red List assessments in 2020.

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CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

8.1 Gharial

A gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) has been seen in Pakistan’s Punjab province for the first time after three decades.

• Gharials had become extinct years ago in the Punjab region of both India and
Pakistan.
• They were reintroduced to the Beas River to bring back the species to its rivers.
• The gharials found in the Pakistan’s Punjab is possibly moved from India during
floods last year and stayed in the Sutlej River.
• Gharials - Gharials are fish-eating fresh water crocodiles
characterised by narrow and bulbous nasal snout. Protection Status
• Habitat - Gharials live in clear freshwater river systems and
Wild Life Act,
are a good indicator of clean river water. Schedule I
1972
• Distribution - Gharial were historically found in the river
system of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and southern part of IUCN Critically Endangered
Bhutan and Nepal.
CITES Appendix I
• The surviving population can be found within the tributaries of
the Ganges river system.
• Girwa (Uttar Pradesh), Son (Madhya Pradesh), Ramganga (Uttarakhand), Gandak (Bihar), Chambal (Uttar
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) and Mahanadi (Orissa).

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• The largest and most populous location, the protected National Chambal Sanctuary.
• Diet - They are largely piscivorous (eats fish).
• Threats - Dams and Barrages, irrigation, sand mining, illegal fishing and bycatch of young ones.

8.2 Pygmy Hogs

The conservation of pygmy hogs is crucial to India’s wildlife protection goals.

• Pygmy hogs are smallest and rarest wild piggy.
• Distribution - Native to alluvial grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas.
• Now their population is confined to Assam and southern Bhutan.

• Diet - They are omnivores and feed on roots, insects, rodents, and small
reptiles.
• Significance - They are an indicator species. They live only in the wet high grasslands at the foothills of the
Himalayas.
• Their presence ensures a healthy habitat for other rarities such as the one- Conservation Status
horned rhinoceros, hog deer, Eastern barasingha, tiger, water buffalo, lesser
florican and the hispid hare. Critically
IUCN
• Threats - loss and degradation of habitat due to agricultural Endangered
encroachments, human settlements, livestock grazing, etc.
CITES Appendix I
• Conservation Efforts - Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme in 1995.

8.3 Vulture species in India

A total of 9 species of vultures are found in India

Resident species Migratory species

(Conservation Status) (Conservation Status)

1. White–rumped vulture
(CR)
2. Indian Long billed vulture 1. Cinereous vulture (NT)
(CR) 2. Eurasian Griffon
3. Slender-billed vulture (CR) vulture (LC)

4. Red-headed vulture (CR) 3. Himalayan Griffon

vulture (NT)
5. Bearded vulture (NT)
6. Egyptian vulture (EN)

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8.4 White-rumped Vulture

Despite protective measures, the future of white-rumped vulture remains extremely perilous in the Sigur plateau in
the Nilgiris.
• Sigur plateau, Nilgiris is the last White-rumped Vulture
southernmost viable breeding population for
the White-rumped vulture in India. • Scientific name - Gyps bengalensis.
• It is one of the most vital wildlife corridors • Conservation Status
linking the western and eastern ghats.
o IUCN Red List Status -
• It is bounded to the northwest by the Bandipur Critically Endangered
National Park, to the east by the
Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary, and to o CITES – Appendix II
the west by the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. • Habitat – Forest, Savannah, shrub land and grassland
• It is a part of the World Network of Biosphere • Spread – Indian Sub-continent and southeast Asia
Reserves of UNESCO.
• Distribution in India – Found throughout India.
• The corridor is critical for preserving the
genetic diversity of the region's tigers and • They occur in temperate areas, mostly in plains and
elephants. occasionally in hilly regions.
• The Sigur plateau is home to Irular tribals. • Vultures in India | Threats to Vultures

8.5 Oriental white-backed vulture

India’s tiger reserves and other wild spaces give conservationists hope that the captive-bred
the Oriental white-backed vulture will thrive again.
• Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is also known as White-rumped
vulture.
• They have blackish plumage, a white neck-ruff, and a white patch of feathers on the
lower back and upper tail.

• Habitat - Forest, Savanna, Shrubland and Grassland.

IUCN status Critically Endangered
• Distribution - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Myanmar,
Nepal and Pakistan. CITES Appendix II

• Threat - Veterinary drugs Aceclofenac and

Ketoprofen Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre
• Conservation Efforts - In 2020, 8 captive-bred
White-rumped vultures were released into the wild for • It is a joint project of Haryana Forest
the first time ever in India from the JCBC in Pinjore, Department and Bombay Natural History
Haryana. Society (BNHS).

• After that, 31 Oriental white-backed vultures were • It is located at village Jodhpur on the edge of the
released in batches in West Bengal in 2021. Bir Shikargaha Wildlife Sanctuary.

• The BNHS and Royal Society for Protection of Birds • It is a collaborative initiative to save the 3
(RSPB) have been managing 4 JCBCs in partnership species of vultures from looming extinction -
with the State governments of Haryana, Madhya White-backed, Long-billed and Slender-billed.
Pradesh, West Bengal, and Assam.

8.6 Gyps himalayensis

Researchers have recorded the first instance of captive breeding of the Himalayan vulture (Gyps
himalayensis) in India at the Assam State Zoo, Guwahati.
• About - The Himalayan vulture is also known as Himalayan griffon vulture and belongs to
Accipitrade family.

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• Geographical Range - Indigenous to the uplands of central Asia, ranging from Kazakhstan and Afghanistan
in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east.
• Habitat - It is native to the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau.
• It is one of the two largest Old-World vultures and true raptors.
• It is similar and sympatric species of Eurasian griffon
vulture (Gyps fulvus). Conservation breeding of other vultures
• Food - The carcasses of livestock, large wild herbivores,
and humans. • The White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis),
Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), and
• Conservation Status the Indian vulture (Gyps indicus).
o IUCN Red List - Near Threatened. • The unprecedented scale and speed of declines
in vulture populations has left the entire three
o CITES - Appendix II
resident Gyps vulture species categorised
• Threats - In parts of Asia and Africa, the use of ‘
veterinary diclofenac has had a devastating impact
on Gyps vultures especially in the lowland regions of the Indian subcontinent.
• Diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, causes visceral gout in vultures that have consumed
contaminated carcasses ultimately resulting in renal failure.

8.7 Manis Mysteria

Scientists discovered a new pangolin species named Manis Mysteria.

• Previously it was believed that there are 8 species of pangolin (4 Asian and 4 African varieties).
• Manis Mysteria - This species bears similarities to the Asian branch of the pangolin family, known as Manis.
• Most of the Asian pangolins are thought to have originated in South-East Asia.
• Pangolins - They are also called as scaly anteater.
• Pangolins are nocturnal and have the ability to swim.
• Pangolins feed mainly on termites but also eat ants and other insects.
• Threats - All pangolin species have been hunted for their meat, and the organs, skin,
scales, and other parts of the body are valued for their use in traditional medicine.
• All 8 species have fallen to the point that they became threatened with extinction during the early 21st century.
• IUCN status
o Critically Endangered - Philippine Pangolin, Sunda Pangolin, Chinese Pangolin.
o Vulnerable - Temminck's Pangolin.
o Endangered - Indian Pangolin, White-bellied Pangolin.
• Indian Pangolin - Listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and as Endangered on IUCN Red List.

8.8 Namdapha Flying Squirrel

• It is a nocturnal species, meaning they are active at night. Flying squirrels are omnivores.
• Northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern flying
squirrels (Glaucomys volans) - North America.
• Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi) - India and parts of Asia
• They have a special membrane between their front and back legs that allows them to
glide through the air between trees.
• The Namdapha flying squirrel was last described in 1981 based on a single individual found in the Namdapha
Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.
• IUCN – Critically Endangered

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8.9 Himalayan Brown Bear (Ursus arctos isabellinus)

Encroachment pushes Himalayan brown bears into Kashmir’s villages.

• Description – The Himalayan

brown bear is the largest mammal Protection Status
found in Kashmir.
Critically
• It is considerably smaller than the IUCN Status
Endangered
Grizzly and the Kodiak bears.
• Behaviour – This is the least Wildlife Protection
arboreal (living in trees) bear and is Schedule I
Act, 1972
largely terrestrial as an adaptation
to life in the rolling uplands above Himalayan Brown Bear
CITES Appendix I
the tree line.
• It hibernates in winter. Hibernation is the condition or period of an animal or plant spending the winter in a
dormant state.
• Distribution – Through the Western Himalayan states of Jammu & Kashmir Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand (3000-5000 m).
• It is found from northern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, northern India, west China and Nepal.
• Populations are present in the Great Himalayan National Park (Himachal Pradesh) and the Deosai
National Park, Pakistan.
• They may also be present in south and western Ladakh, in the upper Suru and Zanskar valleys.
• Habitat – It is not primarily a forest animal and inhibits alpine scrub and meadows above the tree line although
it is occasionally found in subalpine forests.
• Threats – They are threatened by habitat destruction due to various anthropogenic pressures such as habitat
encroachment, tourism, and grazing pressure.
• The Himalayan brown bear population has been steadily declining in the past century with only an estimated
500-750 bears left in India.

8.10 Vaquita Porpoises

The plight of the Vaquita forces International Whaling Commission to issue first extinction alert.
• Vaquita porpoise is the world’s rarest and the smallest marine mammal.
• It is also known as the panda of the sea for the distinctive black circles around its
eyes.
• It is unique among the porpoises as it is the only species of that family found in
warm waters, and the size of the dorsal fin is believed to be an adaptation to that,
allowing for extra body heat to dissipate.
• Habitats – Found only in the northern Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) in Mexico. Found most commonly
seen in shallow waters up to 50 metres deep.
• Threats – They are caught and drowned in gillnets set up by poachers to catch totoaba, an endangered species
of marine fish sought by Chinese buyers on the black market for its prized swim bladders.
• IUCN Status – Critically Endangered

International Whaling Commission

• It was established under the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.
• It provides or the proper conservation of whale stocks and orderly development of the whaling industry.
• The Commission meets this mandate in part by reviewing and, as necessary, revising the measures outlined in
the legally binding Schedule included in the Convention.
• The Commission also conducts activities related to cetacean (e.g., whale, dolphin) conservation.

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8.11 Saurauia Punduana

The Saurauia Punduana were recorded for the first time in Manipur during a recent Rapid Biodiversity Assessment
(RBA) field survey.
• IUCN status- Critically endangered plant species.
• Native range- Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Tibet.
• Its fruits are spherical shining white, and are used in veterinary medicine.
• India- It is distributed across Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

8.12 Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Ecologists from Mexico’s National Autonomous University recently relaunched a fundraising campaign to bolster
conservation efforts for axolotls.
• Axolotls are paedomorphic or neotenic aquatic salamanders.
o Neoteny is a process in which there is a slowing down of the
development of an organism.
o The ability to retain juvenile or larval traits by an adult is called
pedomorphosis.
• They are amphibians (can live both in water and on land) with feathery gills and lungs.
• It is also called as Water Monster.
Lake Xochimilco is a UNESCO
• Habitat - Only found in Lake Xochimilco, near Mexico City.
World Heritage site.
• Characteristics - Axolotls are made of cartilage instead of bone.
• It is renowned for its ability to regenerate its spinal cord, heart and limbs and also readily make new neurons
throughout their lives.
• They are over 1,000 times more resistant to cancer than mammals.
• Reason for its larval form - In axolotls, there is a surge in thyroxine release when the animal is in its early
larval stage.
• However, the enzyme that makes it active is not present in the larvae, which blocks the metamorphosis (the
process by which the young form of insects, frogs, etc., develops into the adult form).
• Conservation Status – IUCN – Critically Endangered
• Threats - Encroaching water pollution, a deadly amphibian fungus and non-native rainbow trout.

8.13 Dhib and Nimr

In light of recent Israel-Palestine conflicts, the status of Arabian wolf

and leopard becomes endangered in the region.
• Dhib is world’s smallest wolf and Nimr is the world’s smallest
leopard
o Dhib – Arabian wolf (Canis lupus arabs)
o Nimr – Arabian leopard (Panthera pardus nimr)
• Arabian wolves suppress smaller canids like jackals and foxes in this region and thus play an important
ecological role in the desert ecosystem.
• Geographical Range – Whole of the Arabian Peninsula. Negev desert extends from southern
Israel till Gulf of Aqaba
• Both are critically endangered in the northern half of their range.
Judaean desert is between Israel &
• Status of Nimr - It has lost as much as 98% of its historical West Bank
range and is extinct in its entire northern range like Sinai
Arava Valley forms the border
Peninsula, the Negev, and the Judaean Desert.
between Israel & Jordan
• Remnant nuclei are Oman, Yemen and southern Saudi Arabia.

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• Status of Dhib - It remains the sole apex predator across most of its range.
• Their stable population is confined to the Arava Valley and Negev Desert in Israel.

8.14 Sumatran 0rangutans (Pongo abelii)

• It is a species of orangutan that lives in the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
• They are the largest non-human primates in Asia and the largest arboreal primates.
• Conservation Status - IUCN - Critically Endangered, CITES - Appendix I

ENDANGERED

8.15 Nilgiri Tahr

Tamil Nadu has allotted Rs 25 crores to Project Nilgiri Tahr which was launched in 2022 to conserve the animal.
• Scientific name - Nilgiritragus hylocrius
• It is the only mountain ungulate (large mammals with hooves) in southern India
amongst the 12 species present in India.
• Population estimates - 3,122 individuals in the wild (as per a report released by
WWF India in 2015)
• Habitat – It is a sure-footed (not likely to slip) ungulate that inhabits the open montane
grassland habitats at elevations from 1200 to 2600 m of the South Western Ghats.
• Distribution – It is endemic to Western Ghats but currently large populations are found only in Nilgiris
and Anamalais.
• Palani hills, Srivilliputtur, and the Meghamalai and Agasthiyar ranges holds smaller population.
• Threat – Habitat loss and occasional hunting for its meat and skin.
• Conservation status, IUCN status- Endangered, Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972- Schedule I.

• Nilgiri Tahr is and the State celebrates October 7 as Nilgiri Tahr Day to
honour hunter-turned-conservationist ERC Davidar.
• Nilgiri Tahr finds mention in one of earliest Tamil epic Silapathikaram as ‘
• The Eravikulam National Park in Kerala is home to the largest population of the Nilgiri tahr, with
more than 700 individuals.

8.16 Sangai Deer

The recent proposal of hydro-electric modernisation plan in the Manipur’s famous Loktak Lake could be detrimental
to the endangered species of Sangai deer.
• Sangai Deer is also called as Manipur Brow-antlered deer and Dancing Deer.
• It is a unique and rare species found exclusively in Manipur's Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP).
• Phumdi- It is the most important and unique part of Sangai’s habitat.
• State animal- Manipur
• Conservation Status-
o IUCN - Endangered
o Schedule-1 - Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

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8.17 Dholes

• They are also known as Asiatic wild dogs, native to Asia and genetically similar to African
wild dogs.
• India- Found in 3 clusters (Western and Eastern Ghats, central Indian landscape and
North East India).
• Conservation Status - CITES – Appendix II, IUCN - Endangered.
• It has made a rare appearance in Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary of Odisha recently.

8.18 White-Cheeked Macaque (Macaca leucogenys)

• It is a species of macaque found only in Medog County in southeastern Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh in
northeastern India.
• Conservation status – Endangered (IUCN Red List)
• It is not covered by the Wildlife Protection Act of India.
• Along with White-Cheeked Macaques and Arunachal Macaque, Assamese Macaque (Macaca
assamensis) and Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) reported from the same landscape.

8.19 Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

• It is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle and are found in temperate and tropical waters
around the world. In India, they can be found on the west and east coasts, Andaman &
Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
• Green sea turtles are mainly herbivorous and eat sea grass.
• Conservation Status - IUCN – Endangered, Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act.

8.20 Gangetic Dolphin

• Uttar Pradesh has made the Gangetic Dolphin as the recently.

• The dolphin has already recognized as the national aquatic animal.
• These dolphins are found in rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Ghaghra, Rapti, and
Gerua.
• Conservation Status - IUCN - Endangered species, Schedule –I of the Wild Life
(Protection) Act, 1972.
• Project Dolphin - Launched in 2016 by the National Mission for Clean Ganga.

8.21 Black Tigers

• Black tigers are a rare color variant of the Bengal tiger and not a separate species or
subspecies of tiger.
• Their all-black color is due to pseudo-melanism, a condition that causes thick
stripes that make the tawny background barely visible.
• Black tigers are only found in India's Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha, a part
of the UNESCO world network of Biosphere Reserve.

8.22 Humpback Whale

• The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale.

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• Humpbacks use a unique method of feeding called bubble-netting, in which bubbles are exhaled as the whale
swims in a spiral below a patch of water dense with food.
• They travel great distances every year and have one of the longest migrations of any mammal on the planet.
• The IUCN status is Endangered.

VULNERABLE

8.23 Leatherback Turtles

The nesting site of leatherback turtles is threatened by a massive infrastructure Conservation Status
plan of great Nicobar Island.
• Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) are marine turtles found IUCN Vulnerable
worldwide.
CITES Appendix I
• Leatherback turtles are the largest turtles on Earth. They can grow up to 2
meters long and weigh as much as 700 kilograms.
CMS Appendices I and II
• Diet - They feed almost exclusively on jellyfish.
• Nesting Sites - Tropical sandy beaches, Forage
Sites - Temperate coastal waters and sub-polar
latitudes.
• The Great Nicobar Island is a globally important nesting
site of leatherback turtles in India. They also nest at
Galathea Bay in the Great Nicobar Island.
• Threats - Fisheries bycatch, marine pollution, habitat
loss due to climate change, egg collection and coastal
development affecting critical turtle habitat.

Great Nicobar Island

• A remote archipelago at the southernmost tip of

India spanning about 1,000 square kilometres.
• Home to indigenous Shompen and Nicobarese.

8.24 Giraffe

Giraffes could go extinct soon as there are now fewer than 70,000 mature individuals left in the wild.
• Scientific Name - Giraffa camelopardalis
• Habitat – They use both semi-arid savannah and savannah woodlands in Africa.
• They can live as long as 25 years and eat a very wide variety of trees and shrubs.
• Giraffes are the world’s tallest mammals and an African icon.
• Status – IUCN Red List currently recognises 1 species of giraffe and 9 subspecies which
is vulnerable as a whole while some are Critically Endangered.
• Threat – They have declined by 40% in the last 30 years and there are 5 biggest
threats in recent times.
• Habitat loss outside protected areas is the main reason for the recent decline.
• Traditional pastoralists like the Maasai in northern Tanzania maintain large spaces of natural savannah.
• There is high illegal hunting (poaching) for bush meat markets.

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• Development activities disrupt the natural movement patterns, affects their food availability and mobility.
• Increased seasonal rainfall is associated with lower giraffe survival due to disease and lower food quality.
• They are often overlooked and underrepresented in wildlife research, funding and policy.

8.25 Sloth Bear

• A Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) is an omnivorous mammal that can live up to 40 years.
• Sloth bears are the only bears to routinely carry their young on their backs.
• Native region- India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
• Conservation Status – IUCN- Vulnerable, CITES - Appendix I, Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972 - Schedule I (Highest Protection)

8.26 Mugger Crocodile

• Also called as marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), it is an apex predator.

• It is listed as vulnerable by IUCN. It lives in Indian subcontinent as well as other
countries in southern Asia.
• Muggers are primarily carnivorous, eating mostly fish, frogs, crustaceans, insects,
mammals, birds and sometimes monkeys and squirrels and also scavenge on dead
animals.
• The Moyar River is home to one of the largest mugger populations in Tamil Nadu.

8.27 Yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle (Podocnemis unifilis)

• It is one of the largest river turtles in South America, also known as the yellow-headed
sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle.
• It is diurnal (most active in mid-morning and afternoon turtle) and native to the
Amazon River basin.
• It can be found in the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and are locally known as Taricayas.
• Conservation status - IUCN - Vulnerable.

8.28 Bonnet macaque (Macaca Radiata)

• It is a species of Old-World monkey that is native to southern India. They are also known as Zati.
• They are highly arboreal and most abundant on the outskirts of human settlements.
• Conservation Status - IUCN – Vulnerable, CITES – Appendix II.

8.29 Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

• Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is a marsupial which is a mammal with a pouch for the
development of offspring.
• They are endemic to Australia and are found in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia.
• They have grey fur with a cream-coloured chest, and strong, clawed feet, perfect for living
in the branches of trees.
• It is listed as ‘ as per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. There are
now fewer than 500,000 left in the wild.
• Threats - Climate change, Habitat destruction and loss, increased disturbance by humans,
disease and most of all, bushfires as well as forest and wildfires.

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• Chlamydia, a bacterial disease, has wrought havoc on koala populations by forming cysts inside breeding
adults, leading to infertility.
• But the biggest culprit has been the bushfire season of 2019-20, known in Australia as ‘ .

8.30 Polar Bears

• Habitat - They occur in 19 subpopulations throughout the Arctic

• Food - scavenge carcasses or settle for small mammals, birds, eggs and vegetation.
They are the only bear species to be considered marine mammals.
• Polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one
piece of ice to another.
• Threats - The oil and gas industry in arctic comes with the potential risks of habitat
destruction of polar bears from oil exploration work.
• Polar bears can also be exposed to toxic chemicals such as pesticides through their prey, which can affect a bear's
biological functioning and ability to reproduce. IUCN – Vulnerable

NEAR THREATENED

8.31 Red Sand Boa

A report by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India has pointed out 172 incidents of seizures of red sand boa
(Eryx johnii) between the years 2016-2021.
• The sand boa is a small burrowing snake. The nine species inhabit arid lands in Africa, southeastern Europe,
the Middle East, and India.
• Red Sand Boa (Eryx johnii), commonly called the Indian Sand Boa, is a non-
venomous species found throughout the dry parts of the Indian subcontinent.
• Unlike most snakes, the tail is almost as thick as the body and gives the reptile the
appearance of being double-headed.
• They are the largest of the sand boas in the world.
• The red sand boa is now acknowledged as one of the most traded reptile species in the illegal trade market, due
to its demand in the pet trade, as well as for use in black magic.
• They are ovoviviparous and nocturnal and spends the majority of its time under the ground.
• Protection status
o Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule IV Ovoviviparous species are the once
that hatch eggs. Nocturnal species
o CITES – Appendix II are the species that sleep during the
o UCN Status – Near Threatened. day and stay active at night.

8.32 Nicobar Pigeon

• Habitat - Native to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Malay Archipelago and some islands of Micronesia.
• Features - It is draped in a colorful plumage, with hues of green, blue, yellow and
copper that explode into a bomb of colors in the sunlight.
• The feathers are iridescent due to the many layers of keratin air sacs in the feathers.
• Extinct birds - DNA studies have shown that it is also the only living cousin of extinct
birds like the dodo, the Rodrigues solitaire of Madagascar and the spotted green
pigeon of the Pacific Islands.
• Subspecies - There are two subspecies of Nicobar Pigeon, one is endemic to Palau Island in the Pacific Ocean,
and the other subspecies is found in all other parts of its range.
• IUCN status - Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List, Appendix 1 of CITES

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8.33 Jaguar (Panthera Onca)

• It is the largest wild cats and the umbrella species found from northern Mexico southward to northern
Argentina.
• Jaguars are the largest of South America's big cats and the third largest cats in the world.
• Conservation Status -IUCN - Near Threatened, CITES - Endangered.

8.34 Eurasian otter (Lutra Lutra)

• Eurasian otter discovered for the 1st time in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala
recently.
• It is a semiaquatic carnivorous mammal that is native to Eurasia.They are shy and nocturnal
and are distributed through Europe, Asia, and Africa.
• Conservation Status - IUCN - Near Threatened; CITES - Appendix I, Wildlife Protection
Act- Schedule II

8.35 Wisent (European wood bison)

Ukraine war could wreck efforts to save and rewild Europe’s great wild bovid.

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• The wisent once roamed across Europe at the end of the last ice age was almost
wiped out by 1927 from Europe but the last remaining strongholds
include Ukraine and Russia.
• Threats - Rapid environmental change and hunting by humans.
• The European bison is a priority species for conservation because it serves an
important role as an ecosystem engineer, restoring grassland habitat.
• IUCN - Moved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened in the IUCN Red list.

8.36 Saiga Antelope

Saiga Tatarica was changed from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• The Saiga antelope has roamed the earth since the last Ice Age. They are medium sized
hoofed mammal that belongs to the family Bovidae.
• They lives in herds in treeless steppe country.
• Sub-species - The Saiga has two sub-species
o Saiga tatarica (found in most of the range) and
Hoofed mammal are animals
o Saiga tatarica mongolica (found only in Mongolia). with a hard, nail-like case
called a hoof covering each
• Today, the animal is found in fragmented populations within Kazakhstan,
toe on their feet.
Mongolia, the Russian Federation and Uzbekistan, according to the Saiga
Conservation Alliance (SCA).
• Since 2002, the Saiga has been
considered by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be
critically endangered.
• Steppes - A steppe is a dry, grassy plain
which occur in temperate climates,
which lie between tropics and Polar
Regions.

LEAST CONCERN

8.37 Budgett Frog

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc) have identified that peptides (short protein) produced from
Budgett’s frog can combat enzymes of disease causing pathogens.
• Other common names are Hippo Frog and the Freddie Kruger Frog.
• Scientific name - Lepdibatrachus laevis
• Habitat – In inland waters in Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia.
• Characteristics –Being carnivorous, they feed on other frogs, snails and insects.
• During dry season, it remains in burrows and they will shed skin layers from to form
a waterproof cocoon to keep them moist. In rainy season, it will go back into the water to breed and feed.
• They are highly intelligent and very aggressive.
• When frightened, they inflate themselves, stand up on their short Frogs are the 1st vertebrates to
legs and attack the potential with an open huge mouth followed up conquer the land and have
by a high-pitched scream. developed a defensive
mechanism through their skin to
• They do not have teeth, but have 2 sharp-edged structures in the
combat microorganisms and
jaws.
other harmful things.
• Protection status - Least Concern in the IUCN Red List.

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8.38 Reticulated Python

Recently, a juvenile of world’s longest snake species sighted inside IIT Madras.

• Scientific name – Malayopython reticulatus Irula Tribes

• World’s longest and 3rd
heaviest snakes, Non-
venomous, slow-moving reptile • Irula tribes, also known as Iruliga, are a Dravidian
• IUCN status - Least concern (LC). ethnic group inhabiting the Indian states of Tamil
Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka who are famously called
• Habitat – Commonly found in Southeast Asia as Snake Catchers.
includes Burma through Indochina and
Borneo, Sulawesi, Ceram & Timor in Malay • Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan from the Irula
Archipelago. community were granted Padma Shri in 2023 for
expert snake catchers guiding and teaching people
• In India, they are found in the wild only across the globe.
in Nicobar Islands.
• Growing Condition - Tropical environments, Heavily dependent on water

8.39 Alligator Gar Fish

A non-native alligator gar fish was found in one of Kashmir’s dal lake, raising fears about its impact on the native fish
species.
• Alligator gar, the largest of the gar is a fish species with crocodilian head and razor-
sharp teeth.
• It is a close relative of the bowfin species.
• Family - Belonidae.
• Habitat – Central America and North America. They are found in freshwaters - Rivers,
lakes, and estuaries.
• It is a ray-finned Euryhaline fish and is one of the biggest freshwater fish in North America.
• It is listed as Least Concern in the IUCN’s Red data list.
• Gars have the ability to gulp air in response to low-oxygen conditions that often occur in sluggish waters.
• They can even sustain in the cold water temperatures of 11-23 degrees Celsius.
• Alligator gars are oviparous (lay eggs).
• It is considered an alien fish species (invasive species) in India as it occurs here outside of its native habitat.
• The alligator gar's fossil records date back to nearly 100 million years ago, hence they are referred as

8.40 Indian Tent Turtles

• The Indian tent turtle (Pangshura tentoria) is a species of turtle that is native to India,
Nepal, and Bangladesh.
• Indian tent turtles are mainly omnivorous and live in freshwater rivers and swamps.
• Conservation- IUCN - Least concern, CITES - Appendix II, Schedule 1 of Wild Life
(Protection) Act.

8.41 Aardvark (Orycteropus afer)

• The aardvark is a burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It means "earth pig"
that hunts termites and ants at night.
• Aardvarks are found in sub-Saharan Africa, except for Namibia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and
Madagascar. Conservation Status - IUCN - Least Concern.

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8.42 White Bellied Sea Eagles

Coastal raptors make power towers their home, which poses risk to the species and also points to the lack of suitable
nesting sites near the sea.
• The white-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) is a resident raptor belonging to the
family Accipitridae.
• Distribution- sea coast of India from Mumbai to the eastern coast of Bangladesh, and
Sri Lanka in southern Asia, through all coastal south-eastern Asia, southern China to
Australia.
• The raptor, a diurnal monogamous bird of prey, is categorised as being of ‘least concern’
on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Feeding mainly on sea snakes and fish, the bird is occasionally seen in inland waters along tidal rivers and in
freshwater lakes.

8.43 Indian eagle owl

The Indian eagle owl was classified as a separate species recently, distinguishing it from the Eurasian eagle owl.
• It is a large horned owl species native to hilly and rocky scrub forests in the Indian Subcontinent.
• Other names – Rock eagle owl or Bengal eagle owl; Scientific name – Bubo bengalensis
• Characteristic features – It is splashed with brown and grey, and has a white throat patch
with black small stripes.
• It was earlier treated as a subspecies of the Eurasian eagle owl. It is usually seen in pairs.
• Female – The slightly larger female can reach a total length of two and a half feet, with a
wingspan of six feet.
• Prominent ear tufts that look like horns are seen to project from its head.
• IUCN – Least Concern

NEWLY DISCOVERED SPECIES

8.44 Badis limaakumi

Scientists have recently discovered a new fish species ‘Badis limaakumi’ from the river Milak in Nagaland.
• Taxonomy – A small freshwater fish, under the family Badidae having 26
recognised fish species.
• It also belongs to the Badis assamensis Sub-group (SG).
• It is also known as chameleon fish, for their ability to change colour that helps
them blend with the surroundings when under stress.
• Habitat - Streams with slow or moderate water flow and Ditches and stagnant water bodies.
• Location - India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Myanmar.
• Uniqueness – It differs from other members of the Badis badis SG due to its larger size and other physical
characterises.
• It has a distinct dark opercular blotch at the base of its opercular spine, Milak River flows through
a bone series that serves as a facial support structure and a protective Mokokchung in Nagaland and
covering for the gills. its main tributary is Tsurong.
• The spots on the sides and more lateral line scales are absent.
• Badis in India were found in the rivers of Brahmaputra, Kaladan and Sharavati and Milak.

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8.45 Demaorchestia Alanensis

Researchers at Berhampur University, Odisha have discovered a new species of marine

amphipod found in Chilika Lake.
• Amphipods - Commonly called Scuds or side swimmers, they are found in both
surface and subterranean freshwater habitats.
• Amphipods are a significant group in the marine ecosystem and play a vital role in
the marine food chain.
• They also serve as indicators for studying the impact of climate
change and health of coastal ecosystems.
Other amphipods found in India
• Demaorchestia alanensis - It is a shrimp-like crustacea white in are Quadrivisio Chilikensis from
colour and less than 15 millimetres in length and has 13 pairs of legs. the seaweeds near Nalaban and
• While three pairs are used for swimming in the water, eight pairs the Talorchestia buensis from
are used for walking on land. the West Bengal.

• The other two pairs are used for capturing prey and feeding.

8.46 Dollfus’ Stargazer

• Hirodai ohtsukai is a new genus and species of crustacean parasite discovered recently in the Dollfus’ Stargazer
(Uranoscopus guttatus) fish species off the coast of India.
• Dollfus' stargazer (Uranoscopus dollfusi) is a marine fish in the family
Uranoscopidae.
• It is widespread in the Western Indian Ocean, including the Gulf of Suez, Gulf of
Oman, and Persian Gulf. It can be found at depths ranging from 300-550 m.
• The stargazers are a family of perciform fish that have eyes on top of their heads.

8.47 Red-rumped Hawklet

A new dragonfly species has been discovered in the verdant landscapes of Wayanad.
• Scientific name – Epithemis wayanadensis
• Habitat - Wayanad’s forested terrain and parts of the Nilgiri Coorg landscapes
• Features - Darker pigmentation, A restricted red coloration on the abdomen, Absence
of the yellow ante humeral stripe
• Growing conditions – It is profoundly seasonal which is observed in during the month of October in skies.
It spends the remainder of the year in the aquatic larval stage.
• Significance– A 2% genetic variance indicates the presence of a new species. In this case, an astonishing 12%
genetic difference was observed.
• This marks the 1st instance of an Indian dragonfly being documented with genetic evidence substantiating
morphological distinctions.

8.48 Armageddon reedtail

Damselfly species found in Western Ghats named after climate impact on insects.
• They are a group of predatory, aerial insects that are in the order Odonata.
• Damselflies are found mainly near shallow, freshwater habitats and are graceful
fliers with slender bodies and long, filmy, net-veined wings.
• Damselflies are generally smaller, more delicate, and fly weakly in comparison with dragonflies.
• Damselflies can usually be distinguished from dragonflies by their thinner, needlelike abdomens and by the way
they hold their wings when at rest.

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8.49 Nidirana Noadihing (Musical Frog)

Scientists have discovered a new species of 'music frog', Nidirana noadihing in Arunachal Pradesh recently.
• Specialty- Both the male and female are vocal.
• Habitat - Swamps, ponds and paddy fields, and they often construct nests to lay eggs.
• Nidirana species are known in Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
• The new species was named after the Noa-Dihing River, a tributary of Brahmaputra,
originates in Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam and joins the Brahmaputra at Dihingmukh.

8.50 Pancorius Sebastiani

• It is a new species of jumping spider, discovered from Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary,

Kerala.
• The Pancorius genus of Asian jumping spiders is primarily distributed in South East Asia.
• While its distribution was hitherto limited to the east and northeastern regions in India, the
new species is the first to be reported from the south.

8.51 Farlowichnus rapidus

Brazil's geological service scientists identify new dinosaur species from footprints in Brazil recently.
• It is a new dinosaur species that has been identified in Brazil based on footprints found in the city of
Araraquara.
• The name Farlowichnus rapidus denotes “Fast Farlow’s track.”
• It was a small carnivorous animal about the size of a modern-day seriema bird, or about 60-90 cm tall.
• It was a fast animal that lived in the desert during the early Cretaceous period (100 to 145 million years ago).
Cretaceous period
• It was a geological period that lasted
from about 145 to 66 million
years ago.
• It was the last and longest period of
the Mesozoic Era.
• It is named after the chalk
formations that cover much of
northwestern Europe.
• The Cretaceous Period came after
the Jurassic Period and before
the Paleogene Period.
• The Cretaceous Period began with
Earth’s land assembled essentially
into 2 continents - Laurasia in the
north and Gondwana in the south.
• During this period, the 1st flowering
plants appeared and the Rocky
Mountains began to rise from the
Cretaceous Interior Seaway.

8.52 Impatiens Karuppusamyi

Researchers have recently discovered a new plant species of Impatiens and named it Impatiens Karuppusamyi.
• Impatiens is a genus of more than 1,000 species of flowering plants widely distributed throughout tropical
Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka and China.

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• Characteristics- They bear simple leaves that are usually alternately arranged along the stem.
• Garden balsam (Impatiens balsamina)- It is native to the tropics of Asia but has long been cultivated
in temperate regions of the world.
• Impatiens Karuppusamyi – It is the new plant species in the genus ‘Impatiens’
(Balsaminaceae)
• Discovery- In Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli,Tamil Nadu
• The plant is found only in the Agasthyamalai region in the Southern Ghats.
• The plant belongs to the scapigerous group (stemless group) is seen only during monsoon for a few weeks.

INVASIVE SPECIES

8.53 Invasive Mussels

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the government authorities to file a detailed
report on the removal of invasive mussel species from Ennore-Pulicat wetland of Tamil Nadu.
• A small sea creature that has a black shell with two parts that close tightly together.
• Scientific name - Mytella strigata, Local Name - Kakka aazhi
• Native - South America
• Reasons for spread - Discharge of ballast waters from ships.
• Human interference in the wetlands and pollution
• After Cyclone Vardah in 2016, they began to intensify and National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a
spread far north towards the Pulicat waters. statutory body formed in 2010 for
disposal of cases related to environmental
• The firm, ash-covered riverbed is also helping to expand its protection and other natural resources
territory. and its Southern Bench is at Chennai.
• Threats - It prevents prawns from grazing or burying
themselves in the sediment.
• It wipes out the local species like yellow clams (manja matti) and green mussels (pachai aazhi).
• Issues over NGT Jurisdiction – Kaaka aazhi is not an alien species as it has an entry in the Wildlife
Protection Act, 1972 (WPA).
• NGT does not have jurisdiction over WPA, which is not listed in Schedule I of the NGT Act.

8.54 Mosquitofish

A new study has revealed that two species of mosquitofish (Gambusia) have invaded various ecosystems across India.
• Gambusia fish – An insectivorous fish that is found mostly in fresh and brackish, and occasionally
marine waters and has a high breeding capacity.
• When released into freshwater system, they feed on mosquito larvae and thus act as biocontrol agent to control
mosquitoes.
• Commonly used species includes, Gambusia affinis, Gambusia holbrooki (eastern mosquito fish).
• Native to – U.S.A
• Reasons for its spread - High breeding capacity, robust adaptability and high tolerance for fluctuating
environmental conditions.
• Impact – They displace and prey on native fauna, leading to the
extinction of native fish, amphibians, and various freshwater
communities.
• In India – Gambusia was 1st introduced during British rule in 1928 for
mosquito control and now inhabits all around India.

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• Actions taken – Multiple countries, including India have listed Gambusia as invasive species.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stopped recommending Gambusia as a mosquito control agent in
1982.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared Gambusia as one of the 100 worst invasive
alien species in the world.
• Guppy fish (Poecilia reticulate) is also deployed as a mosquito predator.

OTHERS

8.55 Oriental Armyworm

Continuous warm temperatures for prolonged periods have led to the serious armyworm
infestation in Assam damaging around 28,000 hectares of paddy crop.

• Scientific name – Mythimna separata

• Also known as the northern armyworm, ear head cutting caterpillar and rice ear-cutting
caterpillar.
• 1st report – Reported as a sporadic pest from Tamil Nadu during
Fall armyworm
1937 and Kerala and Odisha in 1957.
• Key features – It is a cyclical pest that comes intermittently • Scientific name – Spodoptera
and was known to strike once every 10-12 years. frugiperda
• They are polyphagous (feed on a range of host crop plants) • Native to- Tropical and subtropical
regions of the Americas.
• Growing conditions – Pest population increases during high
temperatures and humid atmosphere. • Key features – It is polyphagous
and a transboundary pest (fly
• During an outbreak, they multiply largely and move
over 100 km in a single night).
in swarms like an army, to attack the crops.

8.56 Permakore

The Koyas have moved on from using traditional Indian Bison horns to palm leaves to craft their
‘Permakore’.
• A traditional flute of Koya tribes that are made of Bison horn.
• In Koya language, Permam –Indian Bison or Guar, Kore – Horn
• The koya women are nowhere associated with the Permakore in any phase of its use.
• Bison horns - 2 Bison horns are adorned on the head as part of the attire during the Kommu Koya dance
• The Permakore flute is made of a single horn
• Koya tribes - Hunter-gatherers inhabiting Papikonda hill range in Eastern Ghats in Andhra
Pradesh and in Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

Indian Bison (Indian Gaur) Bos gaurus

, a festival
to mark the commencement of
• It is a bovine species native to South and Southeast Asia.
the agricultural season will not
• It is the tallest living and the 2nd heaviest among oxen and is be held without Permakore.
considered as the largest living bovine.
• Estimated population – Around 13,000 to 30,000 in the world
with approximately 85% of the population present in India.
• Protection status Papikondalu hill range is also
called as the’ as
o IUCN Red List – Vulnerable it is home to the Indian Bison. It got
o Wildlife Protection Act 1972 – Schedule I the national park status in 2008.

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8.57 Sardine Run

Thousands of sardine fish surface near Goa beach, experts call it ‘rare’ event, known as Sardine Run.
• Sardines - small, silvery fish with a single short dorsal fin, no lateral line, and no scales on the head.
• They belong to the herring family of fishes.
• Shoals (group) of the marine species are fluttering in shallow waters along
the coast at Keri-Terekhol, on the Goa-Maharashtra border.
• Sardine Run happens due to sudden changes in the temperature of sea
surface water.
• A drop or rise in sea surface temperature can induce migration of sardines in higher numbers and sometimes
they are trapped in shallow waters.
• When the deeper water rises, it brings nutrient-rich water on top, triggering high food production and Sardines
feed on this fresh food called ‘phytoplankton’.

8.58 Leh Berry

Ladakh Sea Buckthorn has attained Geographical Indication (GI) tag recently and is the 4th product from Ladakh to
get the tag.
• The Leh Berry, or sea buckthorn (Hippophae), is a wonder plant found in Ladakh that
yields tiny, sour- tasting orange or yellow berries that are high in vitamins,
particularly C.
• It is also popularly known as Wonder Plant, Ladakh Gold, Golden Bush or Gold Mine
of cold deserts.
• The root of sea buckthorn is resistant to cold, drought, and barrenness due to nitrogen
fixation by rhizobia.
• Rhizobia is a high-quality ecological tree species for improving soil and the ecological environment.
• Ladakh remains the major site for sea buckthorn with over 70% of the total area (13,000 hectares) on which it
is present in the country.
• Sea buckthorn is grown completely organically without the use of any pesticide or other chemicals in Ladakh.
• The sea buckthorn fruit is known as the "King of Vitamin C".
• It contains over 100 nutrients, 8 vitamins, 24 minerals, 18 amino acids, and antioxidants.

8.59 Sturgeon

Recent study reveals that sturgeon sourced from illegal trade are labelled to mislead.
• Sturgeons are a species of fishes of the family Acipenseridae (subclass Chondrostei),
the most endangered species group on earth.
• They are native to temperate waters of the Northern Hemisphere, to lower
Danube countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine that produces
caviar, has been fished illegally.
• They are found in greatest abundance in the rivers of southern Russia and Ukraine and in the fresh waters of
North America.Most species live in the ocean and ascend rivers, possibly once in several years to spawn in spring
or summer.
• A few other Sturgeons are confined to fresh water.
• The Global Sturgeon Initiative by the World-Wide Fund for Nature aims to save the remaining
sturgeon species.
• Sturgeons have been around since the age of the dinosaurs, but are now on the brink of extinction due to
overfishing, a flourishing illegal caviar trade and habitat loss.

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8.60 Rhododendron

In recent times the rhododendron’s development and blooming schedules are affected by rising temperatures and
changed precipitation patterns.
• Rhododendron is a genus of flowering plants that includes over a thousand species,
including trees, shrubs and creepers.
• Meaning- Rose tree in Greek, it is considered an indicator species for climate
change.
• 1st recorded- By Captain Hardwick in Jammu and Kashmir in 1776 where he
spotted the Rhododendron arboreum.
• It is native to North Temperate Zone, especially in the moist acidic soil of the Himalayas and into Southeast
Asia to the mountains of New Guinea.
• Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas comprise only 0.3% of India’s geographical area but the region is home to
1/3rd (34%) of all Rhododendron types.
• Characteristic aspect- Vivid and striking flowers in red, pink, white, and purple hues.

8.61 Galapagos Tortoises

• There are 13 living species of Galapagos tortoises, which are also as called giant tortoises.
• These reptiles are among the longest-lived of all land vertebrates and are also the world's largest tortoises,
some exceeding 5 feet in length and more than 500 pounds weight.
• Tortoises do not have teeth, so they use the bony outer edges of the mouth to
bite off and mash food.
• There are 2 main types of Galapagos tortoises that includes:
1. Domed tortoises – Live in the cooler regions of the archipelago.
2. Saddle-backed tortoises – Live in dry, coastal environments.
• The Galapagos archipelago, around 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) off the coast of Ecuador, has flora and fauna
found nowhere else in the world.
• These 19 islands and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique ‘living museum and showcase
of evolution’.

8.62 Oyster Restoration Program

Native oysters return to Belfast, Ireland after a century's absence.

• Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve
molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats.
• Objective – To help restore the native population of the species, improve water
quality and boost marine biodiversity.
• As a local equivalent of a coral reef, Oysters conjoin with each other to form a reef.
• Once they start forming their beds then small fish and crustaceans like worms, snails, algae and many more will
come to live and feed there.
• They are supreme water filters, with just 1 animal able to filter over 200 litres of seawater a day.

8.63 Wild Orchids

• Orchids – A diverse group of flowering plants with vibrant and intricate flowers which belong to the family
Orchidaceae. Range – Tropical rainforests, mountains, and even deserts.
• Distribution – India has over 1200 species of Orchids, 388 are endemic to India while 128 are endemic
to the Western Ghats.

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• 3 Types – 60% of all orchids found in India are epiphytic, 447

are terrestrial and 43 are mycoheterotrophic. Hot-spots of orchids in India -
Himalayas, North-East India and
o Epiphytic – Grow on another plant including rock Western Ghats and they are highest
surfaces (lithophytes) for physical support, drawing in Arunachal Pradesh followed by
moisture and nutrients from the air, not from the host. Sikkim and West Bengal.
o Terrestrial – Grow on land and climbers, found largely
in temperate and alpine regions.
o Mycoheterotrophic - Derive nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi, attached to roots of a vascular plant.
• Protection status – Appendix II of CITES (trade of wild orchid is banned globally).
• Threat – Habitat loss owing to illegal logging and the most endangered are the epiphytic orchids.
• Importance – They are natural gauges of air quality because they don’t grow in polluted air.
• It helps in cross-pollination and helps the next generation of insects to survive and grow as caterpillars thrive
on them for food.
• It has symbiotic relationship with the indigenous people.
o The Oraon and Kharia tribal communities use orchids to treat cuts and fractures, skin diseases, aches
and pains, gastrointestinal acidity and so on.

8.64 International Year of Camelids

The United Nations has declared 2024 as the International Year of Camelids.
• Camelids - As a group Camelids include alpacas, Bactrian camels, dromedaries,
guanacos, llamas, and vicuñas.
• The Camelidae family consists of the Old and New World camelids.
• The 3 Old World camelids (OW) are the dromedary, the domestic Bactrian camel, and
the wild Bactrian camel.
• Camelids play an important role in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envisaged by the United
Nations.
• Uses - Camelids are a source of milk and meat, which helps people fight hunger.
• They also provide fibre, which can be used for clothing and shelter, used by people as a means of transportation,
and provide organic fertilizer, which can be used in agriculture.

8.65 Taiga Flycatchers

Taiga Flycatchers, migratory bird was recently for the first spotted at Ernakulam, Kerala.
• The taiga flycatcher or red-throated flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla) is a migratory bird in the
family Muscicapidae.
• Taiga Flycatchers hail from the region between eastern Russia and eastern Siberia (Kamchatka
province).
• They are migratory birds and are found in southern Nepal, northeast India, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia and
southeast China during the winter.

8.66 Picocystis salinarum

• It is a green alga that lives in saline-soda lakes. It is an extremophilic alga, adaptating to highly saline-
alkaline/hyperosmotic conditions. It was spotted for the 1st time in India in the Sambhar Lake.

8.67 Pantoea Tagorei

• It is a Gram-negative, short-rod, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic, potassium-solubilizing bacterium.

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• The bacteria promotes plant growth and is being used in organic farming. It solubilizes potassium, replenishes
nitrogen, and solubilizes phosphorus.
• It was discovered by a team of microbiologists from Visva Bharati University and named after Nobel laureate
Rabindranath Tagore and his son, Rathindranath.

8.68 Babool

• Babool also known as gum arabic (Acacia nilotica) is a perennial tree that can thrive on marginal land, which
is unsuitable for agriculture, and can survive both droughts and floods.
• Babool seeds are highly nutritious and the tree works as a windbreak and haven for biodiversity.
• As a nitrogen-fixing legume, it also helps in reclamation of areas degraded by mining or erosion.
• But, excess consumption of babool seeds may affect milk yield in cows.
• India is home to at least three of nine subspecies of the tree, with natural babool forests found in Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka.
• Historically in India, the bitter babool has been used as famine food in arid and semi-arid regions like Rajasthan.

8.69 Eretmoptera murphyi (Midge)

Antarctica’s Signy Island, half of which is always covered in ice, has been dealing with an unwelcome guest, a flightless
midge, for years.
• Eretmoptera murphyi feasts on dead organic matter and has led to faster plant
decomposition.
• It leads to increasing the soil nitrate levels by three-five times compared to places
on the island where the midge is absent and only native invertebrate species live.

8.70 Apis Mellifera

A recent study has found that Apis mellifera can be an effective biomonitor for determining the spread of antimicrobial
resistance (AMR) in urban neighbourhoods.
• The western honey bee or European honey bee is the most common of the 7–12
species of honey bees worldwide.
• Geographical Range - It is native to Europe, western Asia, and Africa. Now it
can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
• Diet - Adult bees eat pollen and nectar as well as concentrated nectar called honey.
• Young larval bees eat honey, nectar and the bodily secretions from worker bees called "worker jelly" or
"royal jelly".
• Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) - It is the ability of microorganisms to persist or grow in the presence of
drugs designed to inhibit or kill them.
• Biomonitoring – It is a tool for measuring biodiversity and pollution through the analysis of pollen collected
by bees, which act as natural drones and bioindicators.

8.71 Sea Slaters

A new study has found that diffused light pollution in the night sky could be confusing a species of woodlouse called
Sea slaters.
• Sea slaters are members of a group of crustaceans called the Isopoda (Iso means “same” and pod means “foot”).
• It is a species of woodlouse. It is also known as the common sea slater, or sea roach.
• Scientific Name - Ligia oceanica.
• Habitat - It is semi-terrestrial and lives in Europe and Indo-Pacific region.

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• It is an herbivore and scavenger and eat dead plant and fungal matter thus acting as important “natural
recycler”.
• While sea slaters are not a threatened or vulnerable species, they play an important part in their local ecosystem.
• They search for food at night and can change their colour to blend in and hide themselves from predators.

8.72 Snow Crab

In recent years, billions of snow crabs have disappeared from the eastern Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska due to
marine heatwave that likely caused them to starve to death.
• Sexual dimorphism – Males and females can be distinguished by the shape of their abdominal flaps which
are triangular in males and broadly rounded in females.
• While males can reach 6 inches, females seldom grow larger than 3 inches in shell width.
• Range – Off the coast of Alaska in the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas.
• Habitat – Soft sandy or Muddy Ocean bottoms, typically in water less than 650
feet deep.
• Feed – Animals living in the sediment and anything dead
• Predators – Seals, sea otters, octopi, other crabs, and a wide variety of fishes.
• Growing Conditions – They are cold-water species and live below 2 and up to 12 degrees Celsius.

8.73 Shaligrams

Shaligrams, worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists for over 2,000 years, are becoming rarer because of climate
change.
• They are ancient fossils of ammonites, a class of extinct sea creatures related to
modern squids.
• Originating from a single remote region in northern Nepal in the Kali Gandaki
River Valley of Mustang.
• Shaligram stones are viewed primarily as manifestations of the Hindu god Vishnu.
• Because they are not human-made, but created by the landscape, they are believed to have an intrinsic
consciousness of their own.

8.74 Silver Cockscomb

Silver cockscomb which is widely regarded as a weed is found to have benefits that is being largely used by the Soliga
tribal community.
• Silver cockscomb is a short-lived beautiful Soliga Tribes
but troublesome weed that is 50-60 cm-tall with
simple, spirally arranged leaves around the stem. • Soligas are an indigenous tribe of Karnataka.
• In Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara district, the silver • They are indigenous people of South India and
cockscomb is referred to as anne soppu. are credited with being the first at many things:
• It is also known as lagos spinach, the weed belongs to • They are considered the first settlers of India.
the Amaranthaceae family, which includes
• Their home, Biligiri Rangan (BR) Hills, was
economically important plants like spinach (Spinacia
among the first areas to be declared a wildlife
oleracea), beetroot and quinoa.
sanctuary in India, in 1974.
• Benefits – The Soliga tribes consume the silver
• In 2011, when the region was declared a tiger
cockscomb as a leafy vegetable as they are high in
reserve, the Soligas were the first community
nutrients such as beta-carotene and folic acids, and
to win resident rights in a tiger reserve.
have vitamin E, calcium and iron.
• Most farmers use the plant as fodder for livestock. It is frequently used in traditional Chinese and Indian
medicine for treating eye diseases and ulcers.

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• Issues – If left unchecked, it can spread quickly and suppress the growth of other crops, affecting their yield.
• It also attracts insects, caterpillars, worms and moths that can harm crops.

8.75 Candida Auris

Recently, Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus that was identified as a global threat was found in hospitalised stray
dogs in Delhi.
• About - Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungus causing life-threatening outbreaks.
• The World Health Organization has declared Candida auris as one of the world's 4 'critical priority'
fungal pathogens.
• Origin - First reported in Japan in 2009, C. auris has since spread all over the world.
• It grows as yeast and causes candidiasis in humans.
• Infections Caused - C. auris has caused bloodstream infections, wound infections, and ear infections.
• It also has been isolated from respiratory and urine specimens, but it is unclear if it causes infections in the lung
or bladder.
• Spread - contact with contaminated environmental surfaces or equipment, or from person to person.
• Treatment - Most C. auris infections are treatable with a class of antifungal drugs called echinocandins.
• However, some C. auris infections have been resistant to all 3 main classes of antifungal medications, making
them more difficult to treat.

8.76 Vibrio Bacteria

Clusters of brown Sargassum seaweed reported to be infested by Vibrio bacteria, a flesh-eating bacterium, were found
awash in Florida.
• Vibrios are gram-negative, highly motile, facultative anaerobes (not requiring oxygen).
• Some species of which cause serious diseases in humans and other animals.People can get infected by Vibrio by
eating raw or uncooked seafood.
• Contact with an open wound could cause necrotizing fasciitis, the flesh-eating bacteria infection.
• The infection can lead to amputation or death.
• Amplification - Scientists discovered a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome.
• If a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, then it results in a leaky gut and diarrhoea.
• It’s going to release waste nutrients such nitrogen and phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and
other surrounding organisms.

8.77 Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C

According to a new study, a strain of bacteria could potentially remove methane from major emission sites such as
landfills, paddy fields, and oil and gas wells.

• Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C is a bacterial strain that Methane

consumes methane (methanotrophs).
• Methane is responsible for 30%
• It can grow at low methane concentrations ranging from 200-1,000 global warming.
ppm.
• It has a lifetime of 12 years (lesser
• Methanotrophs - Organisms that require methane as a source of when compared to CO2)
carbon and energy for their metabolism.
• It is over 85 times more
• They are gram-negative bacteria that are capable in utilizing potent than carbon dioxide (CO2)
methane as a carbon energy source and able to grow on a 20-year timescale.
both aerobically or anaerobically which only need single-carbon
compound to live on.

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8.78 Desiccation-tolerant (DT) vascular plants

In the Western Ghats, researchers have found 62 species of plants, 16 are Indian endemic, and 12 are exclusive to
Western Ghat outcrops that can survive extreme dehydration.
• Hydration and desiccation-tolerance are two commonly studied strategies for plants in extreme habitats.
• Hydration is a condition where plant tissues can tolerate more than 30% of water content.
• But in desiccation, plants undergo longer dry days during which the moisture content of the leaves is the same
as in the air.
• Desiccation-tolerant (DT) vascular plants are able to withstand extreme dehydration, losing up to 95% of
their water content, and they revive themselves once water is available again.
• Characteristics - DT plant varieties are found in both flowering and non-flowering species and in
both temperate and tropical climates.
• They are usually found in rocky outcrops and can recover quickly when water supplies are restored.
• Ferricretes (layers of sedimentary rock) and basaltic plateaus seemed to be the preferred habitats.
• Some species were found to survive at increasing temperatures, which is crucial for the warming planet.
• Extremophytes - Some plant species ranging from algae to angiosperms thrive in harsh environments and
are termed as extremophytes.
• DT in India - India now has 9 new generic records for the global list of desiccation-tolerant (DT) plants.
• They are identified as Pyrrosia, Aleuritopteris, Corallodiscus, Arundinella, Bhidea, Bothriochloa,
Danthonidium, Dimeria and Glyphochloa.
• Colour changes and morphological characteristics were also observed in the species to adapt to the dryness.

8.79 Fish Mint

Fish mint, an herb which has a fish-like taste and smell has recognised health benefits.

• Scientific name – Houttuynia cordata

Different names States
• Morphology – It has white flowers and broad, heart-shaped leaves.
Ja mardoh Meghalaya
• It has a fish-like taste and smell and hence the name.
• Native – Believed to be from Southeast Asia. Tokning-khok Manipur
• Literary sources – Documented in ancient texts of traditional Chinese
and Japanese medicine, as well as Ayurveda and Siddha. Masunduri Assam

• Growing conditions – It grows on moist soils and resistant to flooding.

• Medicinal purpose – The Chinese herb is used to treat asthma due to its anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory
properties.
• It is used to alleviate symptoms of jaundice, pneumonia or simple stomach infections.
• In Japan, as an herbal tea it prevents periodontal disease and
other infectious oral diseases. Nutraceuticals are products
• It is a potential nutraceutical agent for the therapy of viruses such derived from food sources that are
as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, herpes simplex and influenza. purported to provide extra health
benefits, in addition to the basic
• Health– It has the ability to reduce body weight, epididymal fat,
insulin resistance, plasma and liver lipids. nutritional value found in foods.

• Cosmetics - The leaves are used in cosmetics such as serums for

acne-prone irritated skin.

8.80 Extinct Animals

• Extinct animals- Formosan clouded leopard, Bali tiger, Schomburgk’s deer, Japanese sea lion,Syrian wild ass.

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• Sumatran elephant- It is not extinct and was changed from Endangered to Critically Endangered.
Extinct
Description
animals

• It is a leopard species.
Formosan
clouded • An extensive 15 year survey from 1997 to 2012 failed to find any
leopard individuals.
• It was 1st described in 1862.
• Within 120 years it went extinct in its home range Taiwan.

• It is a tiger species, which is described as smallest tiger on the Sunda

Islands.
Bali tiger
• After 2017 reform in taxonomy, this species was brought under Panthera
tigiris sondaica, which includes Sumatran tiger.
• It was believed to have gone extinct in 1950s.

• It was endemic to Thailand and resembled the barasingha.

Schomburgk’s
deer • The deer population dwindled after Thailand intensified rice cultivation.
• It was last recorded in 1938.

• It is a species of aquatic mammal.

Japanese sea
lion • It went extinct in the 1970s.
• It was driven to extinction by over-hunting and possibly submarine
warfare during World War II.

• This is an equine species, also called as hempine.

Syrian wild
ass • It was the smallest equine species and couldn’t be domesticated.
• It was rendered extinct by 1927.
• It is extinct due to overhunting and by the consequences of World War I.

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