Unit: 6

Global Environmental Issues and Policies

Causes of Climate change, Global warming, Ozone layer depletion, and Acid rain; Impacts on human
communities, biodiversity, global economy, and agriculture
• International agreements and programmes: Earth Summit, UNFCCC, Montreal and Kyoto protocols,
Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD), Ramsar convention, The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC),
UNEP, CITES, etc
• Sustainable Development Goals: India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change and its major missions
• Environment legislation in India: Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Act, 1974; Forest (Conservation) Act 1980; Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; Environment
Protection Act, 1986; Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)
Act, 2006

Climate Changes:

Climate change refers to significant changes in global temperature, precipitation, wind

patterns and other measures of climate that occur over several decades or longer. The seas are
rising. The foods we eat and take for granted are threatened. Ocean acidification is
increasing. Climate change is one of the major challenges for the international community.
However, there is no intuitive approach to the problem. Rather, it can only be grasped
through scientific knowledge. This is why our Climate Course explains the scientific basis of
climate change, the impacts on nature and society, and identifies potential solutions – so that
fact-based knowledge is available for everyone and can guide the transformation process
towards a sustainable future.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body

of the United Nations that is dedicated to providing the world with objective, scientific
information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of the risk of human-induced
climate change, its natural, political, and economic impacts.

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Government Missions under National Acton Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC):

1. National Solar Mission:

This initiative started in 2010 to promote the use of solar power. Recently, in January this
year, India achieved 20 gw (giga watt) cumulative solar capacity-achieving the milestone
four years ahead of the target for 2022 originally set in the National Solar Mission.

2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency:

The initiative was undertaken to promote the market for energy efficiency by fostering
innovative policies and effective market instruments. In 2009, it was approved 'in principle'
by the PM's Council on Climate Change.

3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat

Approved by the PM in 2011, it aims to make cities sustainable through improvements in
energy efficiency in buildings, management of solid waste and shift to public transport. The
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs backs the mission.

4. National Water Mission:

The mission was put in place to ensure integrated water resource management helping to
conserve water, minimize wastage and ensure more equitable distribution both across and
within states. This mission is one of the most proactive ones and is backed by the National
Water Policy as well as the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation.

5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem:

A multi-pronged, cross-cutting mission across various sectors, NMSHE got a nod from the
Union Cabinet in 2014. Aimed at protecting the Himalayas, it has mapped institutes and civil
society organisations working on the Himalayan ecology for ease of coordination between
governmental and nongovernmental agencies.

6. National Mission for a Green India:

National Mission for a Green India also termed as the Green India Mission/Scheme, it aims
at protecting; restoring and enhancing India's diminishing forest cover and responding to
climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures. It was launched in
February 2014 for protecting; restoring and enhancing India's diminishing forest cover and
responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures Driven
by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, it received the nod of approval from the Cabinet
in 2014.

7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture:

National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture another one of the govt's most efficient
missions, it has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity especially in rain-fed
areas focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management and
synergizing resource conservation It got the nod back in 2010, and has recently got approval
for one of its key missions - National Bamboo Mission - by the Cabinet.

8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change: The mission seeks to
build a dynamic and vibrant knowledge system that informs and supports national policy and
action for responding effectively to climate change challenges, while not compromising on
the nation's growth goals. Department of Science and Technology drives the mission, and a

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recent development under the mission was the govt's approval for establishing Karnataka's
first climate change lab.

Green house Effects:

The greenhouse effect is caused by greenhouse gases; the most important greenhouse
gases in Earth's atmosphere are: water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane. When
there is more greenhouse gas in the air, the air holds more heat. This is why more greenhouse
gases cause climate change and global warming.

Greenhouse gases:
Greenhouse gases are those that absorb and emit infrared radiation in the wavelength range
emitted by Earth. Carbon dioxide (0.04%), nitrous oxide, methane and ozone are trace gases
that account for almost one tenth of 1% of Earth's atmosphere and have an appreciable
greenhouse effect.
The two main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect (and not only its recent increase)
are : Water vapour (H2O),carbon dioxyde (CO2).
There are others such gases, and even many others. Some of them are “natural”, which means
that they were present in the atmosphere before the apparition of men, and other can be
called “artificial”, in the sense that they are present in the atmosphere only because of us.
Beyond water and CO2, the other important “natural” greenhouse gases are :
methane (CH4), which is nothing else than the cooking gas we use in our stoves, Nitous
oxyde (N2O), the scholarly name for laughing gas (which is not so much amusing here),
ozone (O3), which molecule comprises 3 oxygen atoms (the molecules of the “regular”
oxygen gas have only 2 atoms of oxygen). When we say that these gases are “natural”, it
does not mean that men did not play a role in the amount we can find in the atmosphere
today. It just means that there are also natural sources (or natural cycles). For these 3 above
mentionned gases, humanity “simply” adds its part to natural emissions and therefore
significally increases their concentration in the air.

Acid rain:

Rainfall made so acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm, chiefly
to forests and lakes. The main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels,
the waste gases from which contain sulphur and nitrogen oxides which combine with
atmospheric water to form acids.
Acid rain is a result of air pollution. Some of these gases (especially nitrogen oxides and
sulphur dioxide) react with the tiny droplets of water in clouds to form sulphuric and
nitric acids. The rain from these clouds then falls as very weak acid - which is why it is
known as "acid rain".
Acidity is measured using a scale called the pH scale. This scale goes from 0 to 14. 0 is the
most acidic and 14 is the most alkaline (opposite of acidic). Something with a pH value of 7,
we call neutral, this means that it is neither acidic nor alkaline. Very strong acids will burn if
they touch your skin and can even destroy metals. Acid rain is much, much weaker than this,
never acidic enough to burn your skin. Rain is always slightly acidic because it mixes with
naturally occurring oxides in the air. Unpolluted rain would have a pH value of between 5
and 6. When the air becomes more polluted with nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide the
acidity can increase to a pH value of 4. Some rain has even been recorded as being pH2.
Vinegar has a pH value of 2.2 and lemon juice has a value of pH2.3. Even the strongest
recorded acid rain is only about as acidic as lemon juice or vinegar and we know that these
don't harm us - so why do we worry about acid rain?

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Effects of Acid Rain
Acid rain can be carried great distances in the atmosphere, not just between countries but also
from continent to continent. The acid can also take the form of snow, mists and dry dusts.
The rain sometimes falls many miles from the source of pollution but wherever it falls it can
have a serious effect on soil, trees, buildings and water.
Forests all over the world are dying, fish are dying. In Scandinavia there are dead lakes,
which are crystal clear and contain no living creatures or plant life. Many of Britain's
freshwater fish are threatened, there have been reports of deformed fish being hatched. This
leads to fish-eating birds and animals being affected also. Is acid rain responsible for all this?
Scientists have been doing a lot of research into how acid rain affects the environment.

Ozone Layer Depletion:

Ozone depletion, gradual thinning of Earth's ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by
the release of chemical compounds containing gaseous chlorine or bromine from industry
and other human activities. The thinning is most pronounced in the polar regions, especially
over Antarctica.
Effects on Human Health:
Ozone layer depletion increases the amount of UVB that reaches the Earth’s surface.
Laboratory and epidemiological studies demonstrate that UVB causes non-melanoma skin
cancer and plays a major role in malignant melanoma development. In addition, UVB has
been linked to the development of cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens.

Effects on Plants:
UVB radiation affects the physiological and developmental processes of plants. Despite
mechanisms to reduce or repair these effects and an ability to adapt to increased levels of
UVB, plant growth can be directly affected by UVB radiation.
Indirect changes caused by UVB (such as changes in plant form, how nutrients are
distributed within the plant, timing of developmental phases and secondary metabolism) may
be equally or sometimes more important than damaging effects of UVB. These changes can
have important implications for plant competitive balance, herbivory, plant diseases, and
biogeochemical cycles.

Effects on Marine Ecosystems:

Phytoplankton form the foundation of aquatic food webs. Phytoplankton productivity is
limited to the euphotic zone, the upper layer of the water column in which there is sufficient
sunlight to support net productivity. Exposure to solar UVB radiation has been shown to
affect both orientation and motility in phytoplankton, resulting in reduced survival rates for

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these organisms. Scientists have demonstrated a direct reduction in phytoplankton production
due to ozone depletion-related increases in UVB.
UVB radiation has been found to cause damage to early developmental stages of fish,
shrimp, crab, amphibians, and other marine animals. The most severe effects are decreased
reproductive capacity and impaired larval development. Small increases in UVB exposure
could result in population reductions for small marine organisms with implications for the
whole marine food chain.

Effects on Biogeochemical Cycles:

Increases in UVB radiation could affect terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemical cycles, thus
altering both sources and sinks of greenhouse and chemically important trace gases (e.g.,
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbonyl sulfide, ozone, and possibly other gases). These
potential changes would contribute to biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks that mitigate or
amplify the atmospheric concentrations of these gases.

Effects on Materials:
Synthetic polymers, naturally occurring biopolymers, as well as some other materials of
commercial interest are adversely affected by UVB radiation. Today's materials are
somewhat protected from UVB by special additives. Yet, increases in UVB levels will
accelerate their breakdown, limiting the length of time for which they are useful outdoors.

Kyoto Protocol:

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part one) global warming is
occurring and (part two) it is extremely likely that human-made CO2 emissions have
predominantly caused it. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December
1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. There are currently 192 parties (Canada
withdrew from the protocol, effective December 2012) to the Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol
implemented the objective of the UNFCCC to reduce the onset of global warming by
reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to "a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system" (Article 2). The Kyoto
Protocol applies to the six greenhouse gases listed in Annex A: Carbon dioxide (CO2),
Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons
(PFCs), and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). The Protocol is based on the principle of common
but differentiated responsibilities: it acknowledges that individual countries have different
capabilities in combating climate change, owing to economic development, and therefore
puts the obligation to reduce current emissions on developed countries on the basis that they
are historically responsible for the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The
Protocol's first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. A second commitment
period was agreed in 2012, known as the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, in which
37 countries have binding targets: Australia, the European Union (and its 28 member states),
Belarus, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Belarus,
Kazakhstan, and Ukraine have stated that they may withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol or not
put into legal force the Amendment with second round targets. Japan, New Zealand, and
Russia have participated in Kyoto's first-round but have not taken on new targets in the
second commitment period.

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Paris Agreement:

The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation,
and finance, signed in 2016. The agreement's language was negotiated by representatives of
196 state parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Le Bourget, near
Paris, France, and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015. As of March 2019, 195
UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, and 186 have become party to it. The Paris
Agreement's long-term temperature goal is to keep the increase in global average temperature
to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels; and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to
1.5 °C, recognizing that this would substantially reduce the risks and impacts of climate
change. This should be done by peaking emissions as soon as possible, in order to "achieve a
balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse
gases" in the second half of the 21st century. It also aims to increase the ability of parties to
adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and make "finance flows consistent with a
pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development." Under
the Paris Agreement, each country must determine, plan, and regularly report on the
contribution that it undertakes to mitigate global warming. No mechanism forces a country to
set a specific target by a specific date, but each target should go beyond previously set
targets. In June 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw the
United States from the agreement. Under the agreement, the earliest effective date of
withdrawal for the U.S. is November 2020, shortly before the end of President Trump's
current term. In practice, changes in United States policy that are contrary to the Paris
Agreement have already been put in place.

Montreal Protocol:

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to the
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an international treaty designed
to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are
responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 26 August 1987, and entered into force on
16 September 1989, following a first meeting in Helsinki, May 1989. Since then, it has
undergone nine revisions, in 1990 (London), 1991 (Nairobi), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1993
(Bangkok), 1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), 1998 (Australia), 1999 (Beijing) and 2016
(Kigali). As a result of the international agreement, the ozone hole in Antarctica is slowly
recovering. Climate projections indicate that the ozone layer will return to 1980 levels
between 2050 and 2070. Due to its widespread adoption and implementation it has been
hailed as an example of exceptional. International co-operation, with Kofi Annan quoted as
saying that "perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the
Montreal Protocol". The two ozone treaties have been ratified by 197 parties (196 states and
the European Union), making them the first universally ratified treaties in United Nations
history. These truly universal treaties have also been remarkable in the expedience of the
policy-making process at the global scale, where only 14 years lapsed between a basic
scientific research discovery (1973) and the international agreement signed (1985 and 1987).
Within 25 years of signing, parties to the Montreal Protocol celebrate significant milestones.
Significantly, the world has phased-out 98% of the Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS)
contained in nearly 100 hazardous chemicals worldwide; every country is in compliance with
stringent obligations; and, the MP has achieved the status of the first global regime with
universal ratification; even the newest member state, South Sudan, ratified in 2013. UNEP
received accolades for achieving global consensus that "demonstrates the world’s
commitment to ozone protection, and more broadly, to global environmental protection.

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The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC):

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical
weapons and requires their destruction within a specified period of time. The treaty is of
unlimited duration and is far more comprehensive than the 1925 Geneva Protocol, which
outlaws the use but not the possession of chemical weapons. CWC negotiations started in
1980 in the UN Conference on Disarmament. The convention opened for signature on
January 13, 1993, and entered into force on April 29, 1997. The CWC is implemented by the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is headquartered in
The Hague with about 500 employees. The OPCW receives states-parties’ declarations
detailing chemical weapons-related activities or materials and relevant industrial activities.
After receiving declarations, the OPCW inspects and monitors states-parties’ facilities and
activities that are relevant to the convention, to ensure compliance. The CWC is open to all
nations and currently has 193 states-parties. Israel has signed but has yet to ratify the
convention. Three states have neither signed nor ratified the convention (Egypt, North Korea
and South Sudan).

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an

international environmental treaty adopted on 9 May 1992 and opened for signature at the
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992. It then entered into force on 21
March 1994, after a sufficient number of countries had ratified it. The UNFCCC objective is
to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system". The framework sets
nonbinding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and contains no
enforcement mechanisms. Instead, the framework outlines how specific international treaties
(called "protocols" or "Agreements") may be negotiated to specify further action towards the
objective of the UNFCCC Initially, an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)
produced the text of the Framework Convention during its meeting in New York from 30
April to 9 May 1992. The UNFCCC was adopted on 9 May 1992, and opened for signature
on 4 June 1992. The UNFCCC has 197 parties as of December 2015. The convention enjoys
broad legitimacy, largely due to its nearly universal membership. The parties to the
convention have met annually from 1995 in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to assess
progress in dealing with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was concluded and
established legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse
gas emissions in the period 2008–2012. The 2010 United Nations Climate Change
Conference produced an agreement stating that future global warming should be limited to
below 2.0 °C (3.6 °F) relative to the pre-industrial level. The Protocol was amended in 2012
to encompass the period 2013–2020 in the Doha Amendment, which as of December 2015
had not entered into force. In 2015 the Paris Agreement was adopted, governing emission
reductions from 2020 on through commitments of countries in Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs), lowering the target to 1.5 °C. The Paris Agreement entered into force
on 4 November 2016. One of the first tasks set by the UNFCCC was for signatory nations to
establish national greenhouse gas inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
removals, which were used to create the 1990 benchmark levels for accession of Annex I
countries to the Kyoto Protocol and for the commitment of those countries to GHG
reductions. Updated inventories must be submitted annually by Annex I countries
On 12 June 1992, 154 nations signed the UNFCCC, which upon ratification committed
signatories' governments to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases with the

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goal of "preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with Earth's climate system". This
commitment would require substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Article 3(1)
of the Convention states that Parties should act to protect the climate system on the basis of
"common but differentiated responsibilities", and that developed country Parties should "take
the lead" in addressing climate change. Under Article 4, all Parties make general
commitments to address climate change through, for example, climate change mitigation and
adapting to the eventual impacts of climate change.

Earth Summit UNCED:

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), by name Earth

Summit, conference held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 3–14, 1992), to reconcile worldwide
economic development with protection of the environment. The Earth Summit was the
largest gathering of world leaders as of 1992, with 117 heads of state and representatives of
178 nations in all attending. By means of treaties and other documents signed at the
conference, most of the world’s nations nominally committed themselves to the pursuit of
economic development in ways that would protect the Earth’s environment and
nonrenewable resources. The main documents agreed upon at the Earth Summit are as
follows.
1. The Convention on Biological Diversity is a binding treaty requiring nations to take
inventories of their plants and wild animals and protect their endangered species.
2. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), or
Global Warming Convention, is a binding treaty that requires nations to reduce their
emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and other “greenhouse” gases thought to be
responsible for global warming; the treaty stopped short of setting binding targets for
emission reductions, however. Such targets were eventually established in an
amendment to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol (1997), which was superceded by
the Paris Agreement on climate change (2015).
3. The Declaration on Environment and Development, or Rio Declaration, laid down
27broad, nonbinding principles for environmentally sound development. Agenda 21
outlined global strategies for cleaning up the environment and encouraging
environmentally sound development.
4. The Statement of Principles on Forests, aimed at preserving the world’s
rapidlyvanishing tropical rainforests, is a nonbinding statement recommending that
nations monitor and assess the impact of development on their forest resources and
take steps to limit the damage done to them.
The Earth Summit was hampered by disputes between the wealthy industrialized nations
of the North (i.e., Western Europe and North America) and the poorer developing
countries of the South (i.e., Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia). In
general, the countries of the South were reluctant to hamper their economic growth with
the environmental restrictions urged upon them by the North unless they received
increased Northern financial aid, which they claimed would help make environmentally
sound growth possible

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora

(CUTES):
(the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is
an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade
in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Widespread
information nowadays about the endangered status of many prominent species, such as the
tiger and elephants, might make the need for such a convention seem obvious. But at the time

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 when the ideas for CITES were first formed, in the 1960s, international discussion of the
regulation of wildlife trade for conservation purposes was something relatively new. With
hindsight, the need for CITES is clear. Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to
be worth billions of dollars and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal
specimens. The trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast array of
wildlife products derived from them, including food products, exotic leather goods, wooden
musical instruments, timber, tourist curios and medicines. Levels of exploitation of some
animal and plant species are high and the trade in them, together with other factors, such as
habitat loss, is capable of heavily depleting their populations and even bringing some species
close to extinction. Many wildlife species in trade are not endangered, but the existence of an
agreement to ensure the sustainability of the trade is important in order to safeguard these
resources for the future. Because the trade in wild animals and plants crosses borders
between countries, the effort to regulate it requires international cooperation to safeguard
certain species from overexploitation. CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation.
Today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 species of animals and
plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats or dried herbs. CITES was drafted
as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World
Conservation Union). The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of
representatives of 80 countries in Washington, D.C., the United States of America, on 3
March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force. The original of the Convention was
deposited with the Depositary Government in the Chinese, English, French, Russian and
Spanish languages, each version being equally authentic

Definition of Sustainable Development:

 “Sustainable development is defended is as meeting the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
 “The concept of 'needs', in particular the essential needs of the world's poor, to
which overriding priority should be given.”
 “The idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization
on the environment's ability to meet present and future needs”.

History of Sustainable development:

Though SD thinking is widely recognised to have its origins in the 1972 UN Conference on
the Human Environment, SD as a concept began to gather momentum following the 1987
Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, and the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit. For the first time, the Brundtland
Report introduced the need for the integration of economic development, environmental
protection, and social justice and inclusion. The main outcomes of the Earth Summit were
the Rio Declaration, which recognised the right of states to economic and social development
and contained 27 principles of sustainable development, including the well-known
precautionary and polluter pays principles; endorsement of the Forest Principles, which
recognised the importance of forests for economic and social development, indigenous
communities, biodiversity and maintaining ecological processes; the signing of the
Convention on Biological Diversity and the Framework Convention on Climate Change;
and Agenda 21, which was a voluntary SD plan of action, for implementation by national,
regional and local governments.

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The Sustainable Development Goals are:

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
10. Reducing Inequality
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life Below Water
15. Life On Land
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals

Principals and Concepts:

Common Principles International and national SD agreements and strategies commonly
include certain principles to be applied when making governance decisions in a sustainable
way. Most of these are derived from the two key concepts identified in the Brundtland
definition: the concept of needs, particularly the needs of poor people, and the concept of
limits, particularly the limits on the environment’s ability to deliver people’s needs. Common
governing principles are: living within environmental limits; integrated decision making
(policy and legislation that works in a complementary way); ‘good’ governance that isgood’ governance that is
democratic, transparent, inclusive, participatory and accountable; and responsible use of
robust and credible scientific evidence in decision making. In addition to these principles,
the Precautionary Principle and the Polluter Pays Principle are well recognised, particularly
in relation to environmental decision-making.

Background on the goals:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The objective was to produce a set of
universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing
our world.

Urban Problems to energy:

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Urban center use enormous quantities of energy. In the past, urban housing required
relatively smaller amounts of energy than we use at present. Traditional housing in India
required very little temperature adjustments as the material used, such as wood and bricks,
handled temperature changes better than the current concrete, glass and steel of ultra-modern
building. Cities are the main centres of economic growth, trade, education, innovations and
employment. Until recently a big majority of human population lived in rural areas and their
economic activities cantered on agriculture, cattle, rearing, fishing, hunting or some cottage
industry.
It was some two hundred years ago with the dawn of industrial era the cities showed rapid
development. Now about 50% of the world population lives in urban areas and- there is
increasing movement of rural folk to cities in search of employment.

Industrialized developed countries use energy for these purposes:

(i) Residential and commercial
(ii) Industrial
(iii) Transportation.

Due to high population density and high energy demanding activities, the urban problems
related to energy are much more magnified as compared to rural population.
There are several hurdles that play havoc in energy conservation. They are:
(i) Lack of awareness
(ii) Attitude
(iii) Lack of technical knowledge
(iv) Market distortion
(v) Capital shortages.

Water Conservation:

Water conservation is the practice of using water efficiently to reduce unnecessary water
usage. Water conservation is important because fresh clean water is a limited resource, as
well as a costly one. As a homeowner, you’re probably already well aware of the financial
costs of inefficient water use. Conservation of this natural resource is critical for the
environment and our wallets.Water conservation means using water wisely and not
contributing to unnecessary wastage. Using less water keeps more in our ecosystems and
helps to keep wetland habitats topped up for animals like otters, water voles, herons and fish.

Reasons to conserve water:

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Water is essential to all life. Not only does it keep us and the animals and plants around us
alive, but it also provides specialist habitats for wildlife. Conserving water can save you
money– the less water you use, the less you may be charged by your water company.
Conserving water saves energy. Energy is needed to filter, heat and pump water to your
home, so reducing your water use also reduces your carbon footprint. Waiting for the tap to
run cold can waste 10 litres of tap water a day!

Save water in the kitchen:

1. Put a large bottle of tap water in the fridge to save waiting for the tap to run cold.
Waiting for the tap to run cold can waste 10 litres of water a day!
2. Only fill the kettle with the amount of water needed.
3. Put lids on saucepans to reduce the amount of water lost during heating.
4. Put your dishwasher and washing machine on with full loads and on an eco-setting
wherever possible.
5. Use a washing-up bowl in your sink to reduce the volume of water you use to fill the
area.

Save water in the bathroom:

1. Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. A running tap can waste more than 6
litres of water a minute!
2. Purchase a water-efficient toilet (one with a dual flush) or go by the old saying ‘good’ governance that isif it’s
yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down!’
3. Get a cistern displacement device to save up to 5,000 litres of water every year. They
are free from most water companies.
4. Shower instead of bathe. An average bath uses around 80 litres of water, but a shower
typically uses between 6 and 45 litres.
5. Install water-efficient taps and showers to minimise heating water – this will save you
money on your water and energy bills, as well as decreasing your carbon footprint.
6. Fix a dripping tap. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day!

Save water in the garden:

1. Sprinklers can use as much as 1,000 litres of water an hour! In truth, it’s okay for the
lawn to go brown, it will recover the next time it rains.
2. Use a water butt to catch large amounts of rainwater and use this to water your plants,
clean your car and wash your windows.
3. Use mulch and bark in your garden, it will help to reduce evaporation by up to 75%.
4. Plant drought-resistant plants that don’t require as much watering.

Rain water harvesting:

Rainwater harvesting is a simple method by which rainfall is collected for future usage. The
collected rainwater may be stored, utilized in different ways or directly used for recharge
purposes. With depleting groundwater levels and fluctuating climate conditions, rainwater
harvesting can go a long way to help mitigate these effects. Capturing the rainwater can help
recharge local aquifers, reduce urban flooding and most importantly ensure water availability
in water-scarce zones. Though the term seems to have picked up greater visibility in the last
few years, it was, and is even today, a traditional practice followed in rural India. Some
ancient rainwater harvesting methods followed in India include madakas,ahar
pynes, surangas, taankas and many more.
This water conservation method can be easily practiced in individual homes, apartments,
parks, offices and temples too, across the world. Farmers have recharged their dry borewells,

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created water banks in drought areas, greened their farms, increased sustainability of their
water resources and even created a river. Technical know how for the rooftop Rainwater
harvesting with direct storage can be availed for better implementation.

Watershed Management:

Watershed or a drainage basin is a unit draining run-off water to a common point. Watershed
management is the process of guiding and organizing the use of land and other resources in a
watershed to provide goods and services desired without adversely affecting the soil and
water resources. So far as water resources in India are concerned, only 35% of rainfall is
captured and the rest flows as run-off. Almost 60% of the captured precipitation is lost again
in evaporative transpirations due to open storage. The need of the hour is to regenerate the
nature resources that have degraded through land mismanagement in the last 50 years. A
micro-watershed is the basic unit of development, whose average area is around 500ha. With
the object of water and soil conservation different structure such as contour bunds, contour
trenching, minor pit, gully plugging, lose boulder check dams and check dams are
implemented in the micro-watershed.
India has about 55.27 million hectares (m ha) of wasteland. These are not suitable for any
purpose and are exposed to the vagaries of nature like weathering, gully erosion, etc. The
Department of Land Resources has been implementing three area development schemes viz.,
Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP) and
Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP) on watershed basis since 1995-96
which have been integrated and consolidated into a single modified programme called
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) with effect from 26.02.2009 being
implemented under the Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects, 2008.

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Ramsar Convention:

The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is the intergovernmental treaty
that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their
resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into
force in 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic
regions, have acceded to become “Contracting Parties”. The mission of the Ramsar
Convention, as adopted by the Parties in 1999 and refined in 2005 and 2011 is “the
conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and
international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development
throughout the world. The Ramsar Convention encourages the designation of sites containing
representative, rare or unique wetlands, or wetlands that are important for conserving
biological diversity
The convention entered into force in India on 1 February 1982. India currently has 27 sites
designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of
1,056,871 hectares. In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of
international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Resettlement and Rehabilitation:

1. Development projects that displace people involuntarily generally give rise to severe
economic, social, and environmental problems: production systems are dismantled;
productive assets and income sources are lost; people are relocated to environments where
their productive skills may be less applicable and the competition for resources greater;
community structures and social networks are weakened; kin groups are dispersed; and
cultural identity, traditional authority, and the potential for mutual help are diminished.

Environmental ethics:
Environmental ethics refers to the issues, principals and guidelines relating to human
interactions with their environment. Environmental ethics is a branch of ethics that studies
the relation of human beings and the environment and how ethics play a role in
this. Environmental ethics believe that humans are a part of society as well as other living
creatures, which includes plants and animals.

Function of environment:
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1. A life supporting medium for the organisms
2. It provides food, air, water & other natural resources
3. Moderates the climate conditions
4. Disintegrates the waste discharges by the society
5. Healthy economy depends on health environment

Environmental problems:
1. Deforestation
2. Population growth & urbanization
3. Pollution due to effluent and smoke
4. Water scarcity
5. Land degradation

The Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986:

An Act to provide for the protection and improvement of environment and for matters
connected therewith. Whereas the decisions were taken at the United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment held at Stockholm in June, 1972, in which India participated, to take
appropriate steps for the protection and improvement of human environment; And Whereas it
is considered necessary further to implement the decisions aforesaid in so far as they relate to
the protection and improvement of environment and the prevention of hazards to human
beings, other living creatures, plants and property;

Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981:

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.The Act provides for the
prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. It also provides for the establishment of
Boards with a view to carrying out the aforesaid purposes.
Industrialization and urbanization have resulted in a profound deterioration of India's air
quality. of the 3 million premature deaths in the world that occur each year due to outdoor
and indoor air pollution, the highest numbers are assessed to occur in India.
Objectives of air act:
To prevent, control & abatement of air pollution
To maintain the quality of air

Important features of air pollution:

1. The Central Board settle disputes between state boards, provide technical assistance
& guidance to State board.
2. The State Board verify the emissions of air pollutants from industrial / automobile
units
3. The State Board Collect information about air pollution
4. SB examine the standards of manufacturing process & control equipment
5. SB can advise State Government to declare the heavily polluted areas & advice to
avoid burning of waste products.
6. Operation of industrial unit is prohibited in a heavily polluted areas
7. Violation of law is punishable with imprisonment & Fine

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Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974:

This is an Act to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution and the
maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness of water through various management guidelines
and restrictions.The act was passed in pursuance of clause (1) of article 252 of the
Constitution.

Objectives:
1. To protect water from all kinds of pollution
2. To preserve the quality of water
3. Establishment of Central & State Boards for preventing water pollution
4. Restrain any person for discharging sewage/effluent into any water body
5. Any contravention of the standards leads to prison for 3 to 6 months
6. Requires permission to set up an industry which discharges effluent.

State pollution Control Board:

1. Take step to establish any industry, disposal system, extension/addition in industry,
discharge of effluent into river
2. Use any new / altered outlet for discharge of sewage
3. Begin to make any new discharge of sewage.

Wildlife Protection Act 1972:

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection
of plants and animal species. The Act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds and
plants; and for matters connected there with or ancillary or incidental thereto.
Aimed protect & preserve wildlife. Wildlife refers to all animals & plants
It is declining due to human actions for wildlife’s skins, furs, feathers, ivory etc.

Objectives:
1. To maintain ecological process & life supporting system
2. To preserve biodiversity
3. To ensure a continuous use of species.

Important Features:
1. Covers the right & non-rights of forest dwellers
2. Provides restricted grazing in sactuaries & prohibits in national parks
3. Prohibits the collection of non-timber forest.

Forest Conservation Act 1980:

The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 an Act of the Parliament of India to provide for the
conservation of forests and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto.
It was further amended in 1988. This law extends to the whole of India.

Objectives:
1. To protect & conserve the forest
2. To ensure judicious use of forest products

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Important Features of Forest Act:
1. Forests are not diverted without the prior permission of the Central Government
2. Land registered for forest may not be used for non-forest purposes
3. Any illegal activity in a forest area can be stopped immediately
4. Clearance of forest land for re-afforestation is forbidden
5. One who violates the forest law is punishable.

Environmental Public awareness:

Public awareness of the environment is the ability to understand the surrounding world,
including understandings to all the changes occurring in the environment, understanding of
cause- and-effect relationships between the quality of the environment and human behavior,
and a sense of responsibility of preserving them.
Environmental education has an effective role in creating healthy awareness and preparing
suitable environment for the development and maintenance of human minds. Environmental
education prepares the individual to become able to balance between his vital needs and the
natural environment that provides spiritual, aesthetical and ethical sources for many
communities. Environmental education includes both formal and informal education and
training that increase human capacity and capability to participate in environmental
management and in solving environmental crisis and challenges. This could be achieved by
increasing awareness and effectively changing the individual outlook on the environment.
We need awareness in our behavior; we need ethical values for protecting and conserving the
environment and improving the quality of human life

Objectives of public awareness:

1. Create awareness among people of rural and city about ecological imbalances, local
environment, technological development and various development plants.
2. To organize meetings, group discussion on development, tree plantation
programmes exhibitions.
3. To learn to live simple and eco-friendlily manner.
Methods to create environmental awareness:
1. In schools and colleges
2. Through mass – media
3. Non – government organizations
4. Audio - Visual media
5. Voluntary organizations
6. Traditional techniques
7. Cinema
8. Newspapers
9. Arranging competitions

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