Bio Diversity And Environment IAS Current Material GS III 2020

Bio Diversity And Environment IAS Current Material GS III 2020

1.              India’s only Orangutan nammed Binny died age of 41 in Nandankanan Zoological Park in Bhubaneswar Odisha.

2.              State of India’s environment 2019- released by Center for Science and Environment , (director- Sunita Narain) , Air Pollution is renponsible for 12.5 % of all deaths  in India. Impact on children is more. 86 water bodies  are critically polluted , bulk in Karnataka, Telangana and in Kerala, main reason is Industries. Health declining, 26 % of position of medical officers are vacant.

3.              India made a number of promises in COP -21 are reduction of green house gases mission , mitigation ,  focus on electricity will be from non fossil fuel source.  Promised an additional carbon sink through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. Achieved  by – restoring impaired and open forest, afforesting wasteland, agro forestry, through green corridor , plantation along railways , canals , roads  rivers

4.              UN released the 26^th revision of world population prospects and forecast that india will be overtake china as most populous country by 2027. Weapons that can be used against it-0 restriction of maternity leave for two child , disqualification from panchayat election for people with more than 02 child.

5.              Assam floods killed 225 animals in Kaziranga National Park , the World Haritage site. The dead animals include 178 hog deer , 15 rhinos , 04 elephants and 01 tiger.

6.              A pocket-sized pocket shark found in the Gulf of maxico has turned out to be a new species.

7.              Three Species of crocodilians are found in India : Gharial (Fresh water), Saltwater crocodile, Mugger crocodile. Odisha is the only state in India having all three species,

8.              Discovery – Dracaena Cambodiana , a dragon tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong in Assam. Sap(Podhe ka ras) of this plant turns bright red after coming in contact with air. First time dragon tree species has been reported in India, publehed in Botanical Research Institute of texas. Dracaena genus belonging to the  family Asparagaceae is represented by nine species and two varieties in the Himalayan Region, the northeast and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. But Dracaena Cambodiana is the  only true dragon tree species.

9.              Human –Elephant Conflcts , Union environment Ministry recommended that power poles should have spikes to keep away elephants. Committee submitted its report to the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) an apex advisory Board. Spikes to discourage elephants from uprooting them and getting electrocuted to prevent death of animals.

10.           Himalayan Conclave is being held in Mussorie , discuss issue releted to the Development of Himaslyan States. Main agenda – coservation of Himalayan ecology , biodiversity  & cultural heritage and water conservation. In 2018 NITI Aayog has constituted the Himalayan state regional council to ensure sustainable development of the Indian Himalayan reegion. 12 state-J&K, Manipur, UK,HP,AP Meghalaya, MZ,NG,SK,TR, Two dist (dima hasao & karbianglong) of Assam and Darjeeling and Kalimpong in WB.

11.           M-STrIPES- Monitorig system for Tigers Intensive Protection and Ecological Status. Majority of the Worlds wild tigers live in India. MP highest tiger -526 kanartaka-524 UK-442.Chhatishgarh and mizoram saw a decline. Odisha remaion constant.

12.           Deforestation in the Amazon rain forest in Brazil is increasing rapidly since Jan, When Jair Bolsonaro took office as president. Satellite images show that about 4200 sq km of forest have been destroyed up to July 24 under the new govt, natiion view through narrow prism of short term economic gain. Amazon Forest spread across millions of hectares in Multiple Countries , hosts massive sinks of sequestered carbon , and regulating monsoon system. Amazon has pressure to convert forest into- Farmland, Pasture , Goldmines, Buildroads .

13.           Data tabled in LS by Monistry of Environment 4 species of Fauna and 18 species of flora have gone extinct in India in the past few centuries. Among mammals considered extinct in India- Cheetah, Sumatran rhinoceros , Pink headed duck and Himalayan quail. India has about 6.49% of fauna species in the world and 11.5 % of flora in the world.

14.           India will be hosting 14^th Conference of Parties COP14 to the UN convection to combat desertification from 04 sep at Greater Noida. Main Focus is Desertification and degradation of land.COP 18  of the Convention on International Trade in Endagered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES) was recently held in Geneva. Decided to move Smooth coated Otter from CITIES appendix II to CITIES appendix I . India Star tortoise was upgraded to CITIES I, o save it from commercial trade. CITIES was agreed in Washington , DC in 1973 and entered into force in 1975. Sometimes reffered as Washington Convention. Now has 183 Parties.

Appendix I- Threanted with extinction , trade permitted only exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II- Lower level of Protection

Appendix III- contains species a that sre procted in at least one country

15.           Hurricane Dorian powered towards Florida.

16.           Major Boost – Protecting and conserving Snow leopards, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate change( MoEFCC), Shri Prakash Javadekar launched the first National Protocol on Snow Leopard population assessment in India, On the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day on Oct 23.

SAFAR – System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting inaugrated in Delhi by Ministry of earth science – Other 3 cities of India – Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad Developed  by Indian Institute of tropical Meteorology Pune. Operated by Indian Meteorological Department. Gives out real time air quality index on 24X7 basis with colour coding along with 72 hours advance forecast. Also MEASURE SUN’S uv-Index (UVI), PM1 , Mercury and black carbon in real time in addition to regular air quality & weather parameters like PM 2.5, PM 10 , Sulfur Dioxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide. And also moniter existence harmful pollutants of Banzene, Toluene and Xylene + Mercury.

17.       A MoU has been drafted by India , Nepal , Bhutan to create a transboundary wildlife Conservation Park.

18.   In Nov 2019 nearly 10,000 migratory birds were found dead mysteriouly in the Sambhar Salt Lake area. Investigation so far points to avian Botulism – a paralytic, Frequently fatal disease caused by the ingstion of toxins.By Bacterium Clostridium.

19.   Global Carbon Budget 2019 released , CO2 emmission were dominated by China (28%) , US (15%) EU (28 Members -9%), India (7%). Growth rate of these countries-+2.3% china, +2.8% US, -2.1% EU28, +8% India.

20.   The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to extend the deadline for setting up of sewage treatment plants (STP) beyond September 2020 for the protection of the Bellandur, Varthur and Agara lakes. If the work remains incomplete even till September 30, a compensation at the rate of ₹10 lakh per sewage treatment plant per month will be liable to be paid... approximately 256 million litres of untreated sewage was entering Bellandur lake. While observing that the lake, which is said to be 130­ year­old, is a habitat to several species of birds and aquatic life. Also came down heavily on authorities for failing to curb pollution in Ganga river and directed completion of all projects related to sewage treatment by June 30 next year Avoid untreated sewage being discharged directly into the Ganga,

21.   The Ministry of Environment has set up the National center for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) at Chennai. It has ben set up to understand studies and reserrch in area of Coastal zone Management including coastal resources and environment.

         22. The world bank has approved Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY)  a 6000 crore central sector     scheme for sustainable management  of ground water resource with community           perticiapation . Funding pattern 50:50 GOI and World Bank.

        23. International Climate talks at COP25 (2019)closed wit no deal on carbon markets. It        was held in Madrid, Spain from 2 to 13 dec 2019 under pesidency of the Chilean     Government.

         24. The govt of Pak has issued special permits to Emir of Qatar and nine other members      of the royal family to hunt the Huubara Bustard, an Internationally proctected bird species.