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ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY by Raos
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CONTENTS
►INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE
Section-1 (IUCN) 06
►BIRD LIFE INTERNATIONAL 07
Environment, Ecology & Biodiversity ►CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED
SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES) 07
02 ►THE WILDLIFE TRADE MONITORING NETWORK (TRAFFIC) 07
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►NET PRESENT VALUE (OF FORESTS) 30 ►NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY
BIRDS 39
►GREATER FLAMINGOES 39
31 ► HARRIER BIRDS 40
►GREY PELICANS 40
CURRENTaffairs & related concepts ►GREAT WHITE PELICAN 40
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►INTEGRATED COASTAL AND MARINE AREA MANAGEMENT SCHEDULED TRIBES AND OTHER TRADITIONAL FOREST
PROJECT DIRECTORATE (ICMAM) 49 DWELLERS (RECOGNITION OF FOREST RIGHTS) ACT, 2006. 58
iii
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►AGENDA 21 73
►GREEN HOUSE EFFECT 64
►KYOTO PROTOCOL 73
►GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL (GWP) 64
►DOHA AMENDMENTS 74
►PARTICULATE MATTER 64
►BELMONT FORUM 74
►PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS) 65
►GREEN CLIMATE FUND (GCF) 74
►STOCKHOLM CONVENTION 65
►VIENNA CONVENTION 74
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►NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (NDMA) 116 ►EARLY WARNING DISSEMINATION SYSTEM (EWDS) 122
►IMF REPORT: MANAGING FISCAL COSTS OF NATURAL ►REGIONAL INTEGRATED MULTI-HAZARD EARLY WARNING
DISASTERS 116 SYSTEM FOR ASIA AND AFRICA (RIMES) 123
►NATIONAL DISASTER RISK INDEX 116 ►INDIAN OCEAN WAVE EXERCISE 2018 123
►DAM SAFETY BILL, 2018 117 ►GOOGLE FOR FLOOD FORECASTING 123
►DUST STORM 117 ► ‘INDIA QUAKE’ AND ‘SAGAR VANI’ APPS 124
►UNISDR REPORT 118 ►SAND MINING 124
►ASIAN MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 118 ►MEGHALAYAN AGE 124
►SOUTH ASIA’S HOTSPOTS 118 ►SAGAR NIDHI 125
►GLACIAL LAKES 118 ►GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS (GI) TAG 125
►ENVISTATS INDIA 2018 REPORT 119
►SOIL MOISTURE MAP 119
►REAL-TIME LANDSLIDE WARNING SYSTEM 120
Section-4
►SYSTEM OF AIR QUALITY AND WEATHER FORECASTING AND
RESEARCH (SAFAR) 120
MCQs & Answer Key
►PARIVESH 120
►COMMUNITY FOREST RESOURCE (CFR) MANAGEMENT 120
127-154
►COMPOSITE WATER MANAGEMENT INDEX 121
►ENSEMBLE PREDICTION SYSTEMS 121
►CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT 122
►NATIONAL WATER INFORMATICS CENTRE 122
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SECTION 1
ENVIRONMENTAL
ECOLOGY &
BIODIVERSITY
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COREknowledge
►BIODIVERSITY • It is the interaction of living and nonliving things in an
environment.
Or, Biological diversity is a term that describes the variety of
living beings on Earth. In short, it is described as degree of • Diverse: Ecosystems can be of different sizes and can be
variation of life. Biological diversity encompasses marine, aquatic, or terrestrial. Broad categories of
microorganism, plants, animals and ecosystems such as coral terrestrial ecosystems are called biomes.
reefs, forests, rainforests, deserts etc. • In ecosystems, both matter and energy are conserved.
Energy flows through the system—usually from light to
►ECOLOGY heat—while matter is recycled.
►BIOSPHERE
►ECOSYSTEM
The layer of the planet Earth where life exists.
• An ecosystem consists of a community of organisms
together with their physical environment.
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o Chemoautotrophs use energy from chemicals to build • In this cycle energy is finally lost as heat while nutrient
organic compounds out of carbon dioxide or similar keep on recycling.
molecules. This is called chemosynthesis.
• Consumers, or heterotrophs, get organic molecules by
eating other organisms.
►ECOLOGICAL NICHE
• Types of food chain • In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational
position of a species or population in an ecosystem.
o Grazing food chain
• More formally, the niche includes how a population
o Detritus food chain
responds to the abundance of its resources and enemies
(e. g., by growing when resources are abundant, and
predators, parasites and pathogens are scarce) and how it
►ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS
affects those same factors (e. g., by reducing the
• An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation of the abundance of resources through consumption and
relationship between different organisms in an ecosystem. contributing to the population growth of enemies by
• Energy moves up the pyramid, starting with the primary falling prey to them).
producers, or autotrophs, such as plants and algae at the • The abiotic or physical environment is also part of the
very bottom, followed by the primary consumers, which niche because it influences how populations affect, and
feed on these plants, then secondary consumers, which are affected by, resources and enemies.
feed on the primary consumers, and so on.
• The description of a niche may include descriptions of the
organism's life history, habitat, and place in the food chain.
• According to the competitive exclusion principle, no two
►BIOTIC INTERACTION species can occupy the same niche in the same
• Biotic interactions are the various mechanisms in which environment for a long time.
organisms interact with each other.
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►SPECIES ►GENUS
• Organisms having similar set of DNA and similar physical • At times it is not possible to identify all organisms up to the
and morphological attributes are said to be of the same level of the species, especially the fossilized and extinct ones.
species. In such case identifying the genus of the organism is enough
• They have the same number of chromosomes and thus to label it.
possess similar morphological characteristics. • Organisms of different species of the same genus cannot
• The male and female of the same species can interbreed produce a fertile offspring if interbred together.
to produce a fertile offspring of the same species. • Mule is a product of a donkey and a horse which are two
• There may be many species under the same genus. different species belonging to the same genus.
• A genus can have many species.
For instance, a species might indicate This is because certain species are
Chosen species could be either
presence of environmental pollution or considered more important in determining
vulnerable or attractive or distinct.
arrival of monsoon and so on. the presence of other species.
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• It was adopted in 2000 as a supplementary agreement to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), as
the CBD and entered into force in 2003. well as the fair and equitable benefit sharing arising from its
use.
►NAGOYA PROTOCOL
► BIODIVERSITY FINANCE INITIATIVE
• The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and
(BIOFIN)
the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from
their Utilization to the Convention on Biological • To address the biodiversity finance challenge in a
Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the CBD. comprehensive manner, UNDP has launched BIOFIN
initiative for increased investment in the management
• It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective
of ecosystems and biodiversity.
implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD,
the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the • Provides for framework for undertaking 'bottom-up'
utilization of genetic resources. analysis of the biodiversity finance gap and resource
mobilization strategies, through a transformative process
• It was adopted in 2010 in Nagoya, Aichi Province, Japan, and
led by national stakeholder.
entered into force in 2014.
• It is managed by the UNDP Ecosystems and Biodiversity
• The Strategic Plan consists of 20 new biodiversity targets for
Programme, in partnership with the European Union and
2020, termed the 'Aichi Biodiversity Targets'
the Governments of Germany and Switzerland. The
Global Environment Facility is a further partner financing
parallel in-country projects in support of the revision of
►AICHI BIODIVERSITY TARGETS National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
The 20 Aichi Targets are divided into 5 sections: • It aims to develop a methodology for quantifying the
1. Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity finance gap at national level, for improving cost-
biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across effectiveness through mainstreaming of biodiversity into
government and society national development and sectoral planning, and for
developing comprehensive national resource mobilising
2. Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on
strategies.
biodiversity and promote sustainable use.
3. Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by
• Focuses on two areas :
safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity. 1. Globally-led development of a new methodological
framework;
4. Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from
biodiversity and ecosystem services. 2. Adaptation and implementation of this new methodological
framework at national level.
5. Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through
participatory planning, knowledge management and • BIOFIN in India is led by the Ministry of Environment,
capacity building. Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The initiative is
hosted by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), working
with four relevant State Biodiversity Boards, with technical
►INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT assistance from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and National
Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP).
GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE
►CRITICAL ECOSYSTEM PARTNERSHIP
• Popularly known as the International Seed Treaty.
FUND (CEPF)
• International agreement in harmony with the Convention
on Biological Diversity. • Global program which provides funding and technical
assistance to NGOs and other private sector partners to
• Aims at guaranteeing food security through the
protect critical ecosystems.
conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world’s
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• It is not an inter-governmental initiative. • Bird Life International is the official Red List authority for
• It is a joint initiative of The Global Environment Facility, The birds, for the IUCN.
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, French • It identifies the sites referred to as ‘Important Bird and
Development Agency, Government of Japan, the European
Biodiversity Areas’.
Union, Conservation International and The World Bank.
• For India, the partner organisation is Bombay Natural
History Society (BNHS).
►INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR
CONSERVATION OF NATURE (IUCN)
• Created in 1948, IUCN has evolved into the world’s largest ►CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL
and most diverse environmental network.
TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF
• It is a member union uniquely composed of both
government and civil society organisations. WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES)
• It provides public, private and non-governmental • CITES is an international agreement to which States and
organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable regional economic integration organizations adhere
human progress, economic development and nature voluntarily.
conservation to take place together.
• It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at
• The organization is best known for compiling and
a meeting of members of the IUCN.
publishing the IUCN Red List, which assesses the
conservation status of species worldwide. • Aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of
IUCN RED LIST wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, founded in 1964, • Headquartered in Washington D.C.
is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global
• Appendix I, are species that are threatened with extinction
conservation status of biological species.
and are or may be affected by trade.
• When discussing the IUCN Red List, the official term
“threatened” is a grouping of three categories: Critically
Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.
►THE WILDLIFE TRADE MONITORING
• The pink pages in this publication include the critically
endangered species. As the status of the species changes, NETWORK (TRAFFIC)
new pages are sent to the subscribers.
• Found in 1976, TRAFFIC is a non-governmental organization
• Green pages are used for those species that were formerly
working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the
endangered, but have now recovered to a point where they
context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable
are no longer threatened.
development.
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o State Board of Wildlife to be headed by Chief Minister of the in danger of becoming extinct. The penalties under this
State and Minister of Forests and Wildlife as Vice section are also less than Schedule I and II.
Chairperson • Schedule V delineates animals that can be hunted like
o Prohibition of hunting of animals provided in Schedule ducks and deers with the prior permission of chief wildlife
I, II, III and IV except by the process laid down in the act warden.
such as danger to human life, property, or the animal • Schedule VI concerns cultivation and plant life and gives
being so disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery teeth to setting up more protected animal parks.
or killing or wounding in good faith of any animal in
defence of oneself or of any other person, or for
education, scientific research etc. However, usually a VERMIN
permission has to be granted by Chief Wildlife Warden
• Vermin means wild mammals and birds which are harmful
of the state before such killing takes place.
to crops, farm animals or which carry disease.
o National Tiger Conservation Authority to be headed by
• In India, wild animals can be declared as vermin if they have
Minister of MOEFCC
become
o Tiger conservation foundation to be established by each
o dangerous to human life or property (including standing
state for the conservation of tiger.
crops on any land).
o Statutory status to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to be
o Become disabled or diseased as to be beyond recovery.
headed by Director of Wildlife Preservation to deal with
wildlife related crimes. • Using these provisions, any animal listed in Schedule I to IV
of WPA can be declared vermin by listing it in Schedule V for
o The Act provides for setting up of National Parks, Wildlife
a specific period.
Sanctuaries etc.
• Currently, some animals like the common crow, fruit bats,
o There is provision for trade and commerce in some wildlife
mice and rats have been listed as vermin in Schedule V of
species with license for sale, possession, transfer etc.
WPA.
o The act bans collection of trophies, taxidermy etc.
o The act imposes a ban on the trade or commerce in
scheduled animals. ►NATIONAL BOARD FOR WILDLIFE
o It provides for legal powers to officers and punishment to • It is a Statutory Organization constituted under the WPA,
offenders. 1972.
o It provides for captive breeding programme for endangered • It serves as apex body to review all wildlife-related
species. Several Conservation Projects for individual matters and approve projects in and around national
endangered species like Lion (1972), Tiger (1973), Crocodile parks and sanctuaries.
(1974) and Brown antlered Deer (1981) were stated under • It is chaired by the Prime Minister and its vice chairman is
this Act. Minister of Environment.
o The Act is adopted by all states in India except J & K, which • Further, the board is large body with 47-members including
has its own Act. Parliament Members, NGOs, eminent conservationists,
SCHEDULES ecologists and environmentalists, Government secretaries
• Schedule I and part II of schedule II are the most of various departments, Chief of the Army Staff, Director
important sections of the act. These sections cover animals General of Forests, tourism etc.
which are in the category of endangered species. The
sections in this schedule give absolute protection to certain
species and these cannot be infringed on any account.
►WILDLIFE INSTITUTE OF INDIA (WII)
• Schedule III and IV - These also have roughly the same • WII, Dehradun, is an autonomous institution under the
provisions of Section I and II, but cover animals that are not Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change.
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►PROTECTED AREAS OF INDIA • No human activity is permitted inside the national park
except for the ones permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden
• Protected areas are those in which human occupation or at of the state under the conditions given in the Wildlife
least the exploitation of resources is limited. Protection Act 1972.
• The definition that has been widely accepted across DECLARATION OF THE NATIONAL PARKS
regional and global frameworks has been provided by the
• Similar to the Wildlife Sanctuaries, a National Park is
IUCN in its categorization guidelines for protected areas.
defined by state government via notification. The state
• The term "protected area" also includes Marine Protected government can fix and alter boundaries of the National
Areas, the boundaries of which will include some area of Parks with prior consultation and approval with National
ocean, and Transboundary Protected Areas that overlap Board of Wildlife.
multiple countries which remove the borders inside the
• There is no need to pass an act for alternation of
area for conservation and economic purposes.
boundaries of National Parks.
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►ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE ZONES • Many states are opposed to ESZ because of presence of
minerals and resources side by side.
(ESZS)
• Local people in many areas are also opposed to ESZ for loss
• It is created to act as a buffer for further protection of livelihood due to restriction placed by it on various
around Protected Areas (PAs) such as National Parks activities.
and Wildlife sanctuaries Activities around such areas are
regulated and managed so as to protect the environment.
• ESZ is notified under Section 3 of the Environment ►CONSERVATION RESERVES AND
(Protection) Act, 1986 by the Union Ministry of
Environment and Forest.
COMMUNITY RESERVES
• ESZ Guidelines classify activities under three categories: • These are terms denoting protected areas of India which
typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and
Prohibited: Commercial Mining, Setting of Saw Mill, Setting
migration corridors between established national parks,
of industries causing pollution, establishment of major
wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests of
hydroelectric projects etc.
India.
Regulated: Felling of Trees, Establishment of hotels and
• Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are
resorts, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of
uninhabited and completely owned by the GOI but used for
agricultural systems etc.
subsistence by communities and community areas if part of
Permitted: Ongoing agriculture and horticulture practices the lands is privately owned.
by local communities, rain water harvesting, organic
• These categories were added because of reduced
farming etc.
protection in and around existing or proposed protected
areas due to private ownership of land, and land use.
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Tripura
1 Clouded Leopard NP 5.08 West Tripura
2 Bison (Rajbari) NP 31.63 South Tripura
Uttar Pradesh
1 Dudhwa NP 490.00 Lakhimpur-Kheri
Uttarakhand
1 Corbett NP 520.82 Nainital & Pauri Garhwal
2 Gangotri NP 2390.02 Uttarkashi
3 Govind NP 472.08 Uttarkashi
4 Nanda Devi NP 624.60 Chamoli
5 Rajaji NP 820.00 Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal & Haridwar
6 Valley of Flowers NP 87.50 Chamoli
West Bengal
1 Buxa NP 117.10 Jalpaiguri
2 Gorumara NP 79.45 Jalpaiguri
3 Jaldapara NP 216.51 Jalpaiguri
4 Neora Valley NP 159.89 Darjeeling
5 Singalila NP 78.60 Darjeeling
6 Sunderban NP 1330.10 North & South 24-Paraganas
►INDIAN FOREST ACT (IFA), 1927 • Many reports like the MB Shah report of 2010 and the TSR
Subramanian report of 2015, have talked about amending
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change the IFA.
(MoEF&CC) has started the process of “comprehensively
EXPECTED OUTCOME
amending” the backbone of forest governance in India—the
Indian Forest Act, 1927 (IFA). • Currently there is no definition of forest in any Indian
law pertaining to forest or its governance. Therefore, the
ABOUT IFA 1927
amendments will also include definitions of terms like
• Provides the legal framework for: forests, pollution, ecological services etc.
the protection and management of forest,
• The legal definition of forests will have huge ramifications
transit of forest produce and timber, and
on the conservation of forests as well as the
the duty leviable on timber and other forest produce.
implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other
• It is an umbrella Act, which provides the basic architecture
Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)
for the management of forests in the country including
Act, 2006.
the procedure to be followed for declaring an area to
be a Reserved Forest, a Protected Forest or a Village • The amendments will include changes to punishments
Forest. and fines prescribed in the IFA, incorporate provisions
• It defines what a forest offence is, what are the acts related to carbon sequestering, ecological services etc.
prohibited inside a Reserved Forest, and penalties leviable
on violation of the provisions of the Act.
WHY NEED REVIEW? ►FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA (FSI)
• IFA, 1927 is largely based on previous Indian Forest Acts • It is an organization under the union MOEFCC.
implemented under the British. • Responsible for assessment and monitoring of the forest
• The most famous one was the Indian Forest Act of 1878. resources of the country regularly.
• Established in 1981. Headquartered at Dehradun.
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• FSI has been assessing the forest and tree resources of our • Prior intimation to State Biodiversity Boards (SBB) for
country on a biennial basis since 1987. obtaining biological resource for Indian citizens and Indian
• Main objectives are: - companies
o To function as a nodal agency for collection, compilation, • However, EXCEPTIONS have been made under the act for:
storage and dissemination of spatial database on forest Local people and communities of the area for free access to
resources. use biological resources within India
o Maintain information about forest and non-forest areas and For growers and cultivators of biodiversity of the area and
develop database on forest tree resources. to Vaids and Hakims to use biological resources.
Exemption through notification of normally traded
commodities from the purview of the act only when used as
►BOTANICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL commodity
SURVEY OF INDIA For collaborative research through government sponsored
or government approved institutions in compliance with
• Botanical Survey of India (BSI) - An institution set up by the
central government policies and laws.
GOI in 1890
• Objective - Identifying the plant resources of this country.
STATUTORY BODIES UNDER THE BIODIVERSITY ACT, 2002
• Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) - Established in 1916 to
• Objective - Explore and research the fauna. ►NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY
• The history of ZSI goes back to Asiatic Society of Bengal AUTHORITY (NBA)
founded by Sir William Jones in 1784. It is the mother of
• It is headquartered at Chennai
institutions like Indian Museum, ZSI and Geological Survey
of India • It looks in issues of Convention of Biodiversity (CBD)
• They are under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and • The NBA may constitute a committee to deal with agro-
Climate Change. diversity.
• The Headquarters of both the institutions are situated at • It can constitute other committees to deal with issues of
Kolkata with many regional centres. biodiversity.
• State Biodiversity Boards (SBB) at the state level
• Determine fees for accessing or collecting any biological
►BIODIVERSITY ACT, 2002
resource
KEY PROVISIONS • Biodiversity Heritage Sites: State Government in
• An Act to provide for conservation of biological diversity, consultation with local bodies, can notify, areas of
sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable biodiversity importance as biodiversity heritage sites.
sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of biological
resources, knowledge and for matters connected therewith
or incidental thereto ►BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
• Regulation of Access to Biological Diversity: Foreign COMMITTEES (BMC)
citizens, NRIs, and foreign companies are prohibited to
undertake Biodiversity related approval of National Every local body to constitute a BMC within its area for
Biodiversity Authority (NBA). purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and
documentation of biological diversity including preservation of
• Results of research not to be transferred to Foreign
habitats, conservation of land races, folk varieties and
citizens, NRIs, and foreign companies without the approval
cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals and
of NBA.
microorganisms and chronicling of knowledge relating to
biological diversity.
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KHANGCHENDZONGA BIOSPHERE
►BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITES RESERVE (KBR)
1. Nallur Tamarind Grove, Bengaluru KBR was included in the UNESCO’s World Network of
2. Hogrekan, Karnataka (Unique Shola Vegetation Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) under the Man and Biosphere
3. University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru Programme (MAB).
4. Ambaraguda, Shimoga, Karnataka (Revenue land located ABOUT KBR
between Shravathi WLS and Someshwara WLS. It has shola
• It is one of the highest ecosystems in the world.
vegetation.
5. Glory of Alapalli, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra: • It is located at trijunction of India (Sikkim), bordering
6. Tonglu, Darjeeling, West Bengal (Medicinal Plant Nepal to the west and Tibet (China) to the north-west.
Conservation Area) • The site is one among the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots.
7. Dhotrey, Darjeeling, West Bengal (Medicinal Plant
• The Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), which
Conservation Area)
comprises the core area of the KBR, was inscribed as India’s
8. Dialong Village, Manipur
first ‘Mixed World Heritage Site’ in 2016.
9. Ameenpur lake, Telangana
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Sunderban
Part of delta of Ganges &
(Included in Tropical humid forest; Royal Bengal tiger
Brahamaputra river system in
MAB list of Mangroves (Panthera tigris tigris)
West Bengal.
UNESCO)
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Gond, Korkus-
tribes introduced
the cultivation of
potatoes and
Satpura Hills runs across it. made use of
Pachmarhi Gaura, bears, tigers and
honeycombs to
(Included in Covers three protected areas – leopards, Giant Squirrel
Sal Forests produce honey in
MAB list of Satpura National Park, Bori and and Crested , Flying
significant
UNESCO) Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary Squirrel.
quantities for
commercial use.
Most primitive
Bhariya Tribe are
found here.
Khangchendz
onga
Part of North and West districts Snow Leopard, Red
(Included in
in Sikkim. Panda
MAB list of
UNESCO)
Seshachalam hill ranges in Tropical dry deciduous Slender Loris, Indian Tirupati Balaji
Seshachalam
Eastern Ghats. forests, Red Sanders giant squirrel, Mouse temple is located
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Part of Panna and Chhattarpur Dry deciduous forests of Tiger, Chital, Chinkara,
Panna Gond,
districts in Madhya Pradesh Teak, Salai, Kardhai Sambharand Sloth bear
►BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS • Spread: Run from the Tapi valley (21° N latitude) to a little
north of Kannyakumari (11° N latitude) for a distance of
According to Conservational International (CI), to qualify as a 1,600 km. Spread across states Gujarat, Maharastra, Goa,
hotspot a region must meet two strict criteria: Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
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• The high ranges terminate abruptly on either side of this Gap there is an intricate system of steep and rugged slopes
gap. on both the eastern and western sides of the Ghats.
• Pal ghat Gap is a rift valley. • Anaimudi (2,695 m) is the highest peak in the whole of
• This gap is used by a number of roads and railway lines to southern India.
connect the plains of Tamil Nadu with the coastal plain of • Three ranges radiate in different directions from Anaimudi.
Kerala. It is through this gap that moist-bearing clouds of These ranges are the Anamalai (1800-2000 m) to the north,
the south-west monsoon can penetrate some distance the Palani (900-1,200 m) to the north-east and the
inland, bringing rain to Mysore region. South of the Palghat Cardamom Hills or the Ealaimalai to the south.
It recommended for putting in place a blanket ban on all It recommended restrictions only for highly damaging
activities that might harm the environment in any way like activities including mining, quarrying, etc.
pesticide use, GM crops, etc.
• The mountain ranges run parallel to the Bay of Bengal. • Some of the sanctuaries and national parks of the
Eastern Ghats are:
• They are not as high as the Western Ghats.
Simlipal National Park, Odisha
• The Eastern Ghats are older than the Western Ghats,
Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh
and have a complex geologic history.
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh
ECOREGIONS
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu
• It consists of different ecoregions along its range from
south to north.
• The important ecoregions consist of moist deciduous ►CORAL REEFS
forests, dry evergreen forests, thorn scrub forests, shrub
• Coral reefs begin to form when free-swimming coral
lands, and dry deciduous forests.
larvae attach to submerged rocks or other hard surfaces
along the edges of islands or continents.
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• They are primarily located between 30 degree north and ABOUT 3D-PRINTED REEF
25 degree south latitudes where water temperature • It was developed using computer modelling and a 3D
favours the growth of coral organisms. printer, which resemble reef structures typically found in
• As the corals grow and expand, reefs take on one of the Maldives.
three major characteristic structures —fringing, barrier or • The reef structure is cast in ceramic, an inert material
atoll. similar to the calcium carbonate found in coral reefs.
o Fringing reefs: They are the most common, project • Live coral was then transplanted within the artificial reef,
seaward directly from the shore, forming borders along where it will grow and colonize the structure.
the shoreline and surrounding islands. SIGNIFICANCE
o Barrier reefs: Grow at border shorelines, but at a greater • Rising temperatures across the reefs have led to coral
distance. They are separated from their adjacent land bleaching thus the initiative is vital to ensure the
mass by a lagoon of open, often deep water. survival of marine habitats.
o Atoll: If a fringing reef forms around a volcanic island • Traditionally, coral reefs take hundreds of years to form.
that subsides completely below sea level while the coral However, given the speed of ongoing man-made habitat
continues to grow upward, an atoll forms. Atolls are destruction, reefs wouldn’t have time to recover.
usually circular or oval, with a central lagoon.
• Artificial reefs help in generating marine ecosystem
DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA and boosting commercial activities by providing
• The Gulf of Kutch - The coral formations of the Gulf of fishing grounds.
Kutch represent one of the extreme northern limits of
corals in the Indian Ocean
• The West Coast of India
ANGRIA BANK
• It is a shallow submerged atoll island located 100 miles
• The Lakshadweep Islands
off the western coast of India. It is off the coast of
• The Gulf of Mannar Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
• Palk Bay • Corals reefs have been found in the area. The peculiarity
• Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands of coral reefs present here is that it is in the middle of the
ocean, unlike other corals which are either coastal in
THREATS
nature like the Gulf of Mannar or Andaman and Nicobar
Destructive fishing practices, Overfishing, Careless tourism,
corals which are island corals, the Angria Bank is in the
Pollution, Sedimentation, Coral mining, Climate change. middle of the sea.
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• It has the potential to become India's Great Barrier • Climate change mitigation
Reef.
• The Angria Banks falls outside the territorial waters but
inside the EEZ of India. Thus, it cannot be protected
RAMSAR CONVENTION
under the Wildlife Protection Act. • The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in
• The area can be designated for conservation under the 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the
Maritime Zones Act. framework for national action and international
cooperation for the conservation and wise use of
wetlands and their resources.
IMPORTANCE OF WETLAND • The inclusion of a “Ramsar Site” in the List embodies the
government’s commitment to take the steps necessary to
Among the most productive life support, wetlands have
ensure that its ecological character is maintained.
immense socio-economic and ecological importance for
• The country with the highest number of Sites is the
mankind.
United Kingdom.
• Habitat to aquatic flora and fauna, numerous species of
• The country with the greatest area of listed wetlands is
native and migratory birds.
Bolivia.
• Freshwater supply - Carry out water purification,
filtration of sediments and nutrients from surface water.
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• This lake was added to MONTREUX RECORD since June 1993 as a result of
ecological problems such as deforestation in the catchment area, infestation of
Loktak Lake
water hyacinth, and pollution. Thick, floating mats of weeds covered with soil
15 (Freshwater) Manipur
(phumids') are a characteristic feature
(Natural)
• The lake is used extensively by local people as a source of water for irrigation and
also plays an important role in flood control.
• The largest natural wetland in the Thar Desert Biogeographic Province and
represents a dynamic environment with salinity and depth varying depending on
rainfall.
Nalsarovar
• It is an important stopover site within the Central Asia Flyway, with globally
16 (Freshwater) Gujarat
threatened species such as the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus
(Natural)
gregarius).
• The wetland is also a lifeline for a satellite population of the endangered Indian
Wild Ass.
• Illegal collection of firewood and forest produce such as fruits (gathered by
Point Calimere lopping off tree branches),
Wildlife and Bird • The spread of Prosopis chilensis (Chilean mesquite), increasingly brackish
Tamil
17 Sanctuary groundwater caused by expansion of the historical salt works and decreasing
Nadu
(Coastal Swamps inflow of freshwater are all seen as potential causes for concern.
and salt pans) • Visitors come to the site both for recreation and for pilgrimage, as it is associated
with Lord Rama.
• The largest freshwater lake in Kerala.
• The water contains no common salts or other minerals and supports no water
Sasthamkotta Lake
plants; a larva called "cavaborus" abounds and eliminates bacteria in the water,
18 (Freshwater lake) Kerala
thus contributing to its exceptional purity.
(Natural)
• The ancient Sastha temple is an important pilgrimage centre.
• Source of drinking water for Kollam.
• The largest brackish, humid tropical wetland ecosystem on the southwest coast of
Vembanad-Kol India
Wetland • Famous for backwater tourism and sub-fossil clam deposits.
19 (Natural) Kerala • Longest lake in India
(Brackish) • Thaneermukkom Salt water barrier constructed divides the lake into parts – one
with perennial brackish water and other with fresh water from rivers draining into
the lake.
Ashtamudi Wetland • An extensive estuarine system, the second largest in Kerala State. The site
20 (Brackish) Kerala supports a number of mangrove species.
(Natural)
Surinsar-Mansar
• It is a composite lake in semi-arid Panjab Plains, adjoining the Jhelum Basin with
Lakes Jammu &
21 catchment of sandy conglomeratic soil, boulders and pebbles.
(freshwater) Kashmir
• Important for religious reasons.
(Natural)
• The largest freshwater lake in India with extensive marshes of emergent and
Wular Lake
Jammu & floating vegetation, particularly water chestnut, that provide an important source
22 (Freshwater)
Kashmir of revenue for the State Government and fodder for domestic livestock.
(Natural)
• Fed by Jhelum river.
Hokera Wetland Jammu
• Located at the northwest Himalayan biogeopgraphic province of Kashmir, back of
23 (natural) and
the snow-draped Pir Panchal.
(Freshwater) Kashmir
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• A freshwater to brackish lake lying at 4,595m above sea level, with wet meadows
Tsomoriri
and borax-laden wetlands along the shores.
(Freshwater to Jammu &
24 • The site is said to represent the only breeding ground outside of China for one of
brackish) Kashmir
the most endangered cranes, the Black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), and the
only breeding ground for Bar-headed geese in India.
• Two contiguous human-made reservoirs - the "Upper Lake" was created in the
Bhoj Wetland
Madhya 11th century by construction of an earthen dam across the Kolans River, and the
25 (Freshwater)
Pradesh lower was constructed nearly 200 years ago, largely from leakage from the Upper,
(Man-made)
and is surrounded by the city of Bhopal
Upper Ganga River • A shallow river stretch of the great Ganges with intermittent small stretches of
(Freshwater) Uttar deep-water pools and reservoirs upstream from barrages.
26
(Riverstretch) Pradesh • The river provides habitat for Ganges River Dolphin, Gharial, Crocodile, 6 species
(freshwater) of turtles, otters, 82 species of fish and more than hundred species of birds.
27 Rudra Sagar Lake
• A lowland sedimentation reservoir in the northeast hills, fed by three perennial
(Freshwater) Tripura
streams discharging to the River Gomti.
(Natural)
• Since mangroves are located between the land and sea • Good source of timber, fuel and fodder.
they represent the best example of ecotone. • Main source of income generation for shoreline
• About one third of the world’s mangroves are found in communities like fisher folk.
Asia (39%), followed by Africa (21%) and North and • Save the marine diversity, this is fast diminishing.
Central America (15%).
• Purify the water by absorbing impurities and harmful
IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVES heavy metals and help us to breathe a clean air by
• Act as a Buffer Zone between the land and sea. absorbing pollutants in the air.
• Protect the land from erosion. • Potential source for recreation and tourism.
DISTRIBUTION IN INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
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• The goal is to promote an integrated ocean-wide An Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is compulsory
approach to coastal management and to building the before undertaking any activity in a wetland area.
resilience of ecosystem-dependent coastal communities.
• Mangroves are the flagship of the initiative, but MFF is
► HIGHLIGHTS OF WETLANDS
inclusive of all types of coastal ecosystem, such as coral
reefs, estuaries, lagoons, sandy beaches, seagrass and (CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT)
wetlands. RULES, 2017
MEMBERS DECENTRALISATION
• Member countries: India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, • The management of wetlands has been decentralized.
Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam
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• The powers have been given to the State governments so prescribing norms and guidelines for integrated
that protection and conservation work can be done at the management of wetlands based on wise-use
local level. principle.
• Central government has mainly retained powers recommending trans-boundary wetlands for
regarding monitoring. notification.
STATE OR UT WETLAND AUTHORITIES reviewing the progress of integrated management of
• States and UTs have been given the responsibility for Ramsar Convention sites.
wetland management by setting up State and UT PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES UNDER THE NEW RULES
Wetland Authorities (SWAs).
o conversion of wetland for non-wetland uses including
• Composition of SWA’s: They will be headed by encroachment of any kind,
environment minister and include other government
o setting up of any industry and expansion of existing
officials. State government will also nominate one expert
industries,
each in fields of wetland ecology, hydrology, fisheries,
landscape planning and socioeconomics. o manufacture or handling or storage or disposal of
hazardous substances and construction and demolition
• Functions of SWA’s:
waste,
o SWAs have to identify and notify the wetlands for
o solid waste dumping,
protection within stipulated time
o discharge of untreated wastes and effluents from
o It will develop comprehensive list of activities to be
industries, cities, towns, villages and other human
regulated and permitted within notified wetlands and
settlements.
their zone of influence.
• The Rules also restrict any kind of encroachment,
o They will also recommend additional prohibited activities
poaching, or permanent construction, except for boat
for specific wetlands, define strategies for conservation
jetties within 50 metres of the mean high flood level
and wise use of wetlands, and undertake measures for
observed in the past 10 years.
enhancing awareness within stakeholders and local
communities on values and functions of wetlands.
o The State authorities will also need to prepare a list of all ►ASIAN WATERBIRD CENSUS (AWC)
wetlands of the State or union territory within three
• Asian Waterbird Census is an annual event across Asia
months, a list of wetlands to be notified within six
and Australasia for counting waterbirds in the wetlands.
months, a comprehensive digital inventory of all
wetlands within one year which will be updated every ten • This event happens every January.
years. • This event is coordinated by Wetlands International and
NATIONAL WETLAND COMMITTEE forms part of global waterbird monitoring programme
called the International Waterbird Census (IWC).
• National Wetland Committee replaces Central
Wetlands Regulatory Authority (CWRA): • In India, the AWC is annually coordinated by the Bombay
Natural History Society (BNHS) and Wetlands
o NWC will be headed by the MoEFCC Secretary, to monitor
International.
implementation of these rules.
• It is a citizen science program initiated in 1987 in the
o NWC has a merely advisory role. These include -
Indian subcontinent. Since then, it has grown to cover
advising the central government on proposals major regions of Asia, from Afghanistan eastwards to
received from states/UTs for “omission of the Japan, SoutheastAsia and Australasia covering 27
prohibited activities”. countries.
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• The census covers entire East Asian-Australasian Flyway • Increase tree cover through massive afforestation,
and a large part of Central Asian Flyway. especially on all denuded, degraded and unproductive
lands.
• To ensure environment stability and maintenance of
►NATIONAL WETLAND ecological balance.
CONSERVATION PROGRAMME • Efficient utilization of forest products.
(NWCP)
• The Government operationalized National Wetland
Conservation Programme (NWCP) in closed collaboration
►COMPENSATORY AFFORESTATION
with concerned State Government during the year 1986. FUND MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING
• The scheme aims at Conservation and wise use of AUTHORITY (CAMPA)
wetlands in the country so as to prevent their further
• Principle: The simple principle is that since forests are an
degradation.
important natural resource and render a variety of
• The scheme was initiated to lay down policy guidelines ecological services, they must not be destroyed.
for conservation and management of wetlands in the However, because of developmental or industrial
country; to undertake intensive conservation measures in requirements, forests are routinely diverted for non-
priority wetlands; to monitor implementation of the forest purposes.
programme and to prepare an inventory of Indian
• In such cases, the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980
wetlands.
requires that non-forest land, equal to the size of the
forest being diverted, is afforested.
• Objective: To promote afforestation and regeneration
►MYRISTICA SWAMPS
activities as a way of compensating for forest land
• They are tropical fresh water swamp forest. diverted to non-forest uses
• They are found in the Western Ghats at two places – • So, this act stipulates conditions that the State
parts of Karnataka and southern Kerala. Government shall realize funds from the user agency
• Named after the Myristica trees, the most primitive of for compensatory afforestation, catchment area
the flowering plants on earth, which are found in treatment plan, wildlife management plan etc. to
abundance here. mitigate impact of diversion of forest land.
• The evergreen, water-tolerant trees have dense stilt roots • In most of the States, funds received from the user-
which help them to stay erect in the thick, black, wet agencies were deposited in consolidated fund as
alluvial soil. revenue receipts which were made available to the Forest
Department through budgetary provisions.
• The swamps are typically found in valleys, making them
prone to inundation during monsoon rains. • To role out compensatory afforestation, the Central
Government in exercise of powers conferred under the
• The trees form a fairly dense forest with a closed canopy.
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 constituted
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and
Planning Authority (CAMPA).
EFFORTS FOR AFFOREST- • However, the CAMPA could not be operationalized.
ATION NEW LAW IN PLACE
• To remove ad-hocism in actions and to give CAMPA a
►THE NATIONAL FOREST POLICY
concrete shape, the Compensatory Afforestation
(1988) Fund Act, 2016 was passed.
• It aims to have a minimum of one third of the total land • It will make available more than Rs. 6,000 crores per
area under forests. annum to the States/UTs for conservation, protection,
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improvement and expansion of forest and wildlife • The national commission on agriculture first used the
resources of the country. term ‘social forestry ‘in 1976.
• Compensatory fund: It establishes Compensatory • Plantations were carried along river, road side, and canal
Afforestation Fund (CAF): The National Compensatory banks.
Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, • Social forestry can be divided into:
and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under
o Farm forestry – individual farmers were to plant trees on
the Public Account of each state.
their own land to meet their domestic needs.
• Usage of funds: To be used by states to implement agro-
o Community forestry – Rising of trees on community land
forestry in non-forest land to compensate for felled
with government support.
forest.
o Extension forestry-Planting of trees on the sides of road,
• Application: The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act,
canals, railways, and wastelands. It essentially means
2016 extends to the whole of India except the State of
increasing the boundaries of forest.
Jammu and Kashmir.
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CURRENTaffairs &
related concepts
POLICIES AND INITIATIV- • Plan also highlights role of private sector in the wildlife
protection by ensuring adequate fund flow from the
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inclusive approach under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, • Increase in the Bamboo-bearing area in the country also
which provide them a sustain source of livelihood and reported in comparison to the last assessment.
mainstreaming in the development process of country. • The report for the first time contains information on
ABOUT FOREST RIGHT ACT, 2006 decadal change in water bodies in forest during 2005-
It provides for a rights-based, democratic and decentralized 2015 and this shows increase.
governance of forests. Rights recognized under FRA. • Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh are top three
• Individual forest rights (IFR) to legally hold forestlands states showing increase in water bodies within forest
that the forest dwelling communities have been residing areas.
on and cultivating prior to 13 December 2005. OVERALL STATUS
• Community rights (CRs) of ownership, use and disposal • Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover of 77,414 sq
of ‘minor forest produce’, also known as non-timber km in the country in terms of area, followed by Arunachal
forest produce (NTFP). CRs include rights of grazing, Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
collection of firewood, fish and other such products from • Andhra Pradesh (2141 sq km), followed by Karnataka and
water bodies, as well as rights to biodiversity and Kerala have shown the maximum increase in forest
intellectual property, including those related to cover.
traditional knowledge.
• In terms of percentage of forest cover with respect to the
• Community forest resource (CFR) rights under Section total geographical area- Lakshadweep with (90.33 per
3(1)(i) to protect, regenerate, conserve or manage forest cent) has the highest forest cover
resources for sustainable use, providing for community
• Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
governance of forests.
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur
have more than 75 per cent forest cover.
MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN
►INDIA STATE OF FOREST REPORT
• Shifting cultivation
2017
• Diversion of forest lands for developmental activities
IMPORTANCE OF THE REPORT
• Submergence of forest cover
• Serve as an important tool to monitor the country’s
forest resources. • Agriculture expansion
• Source of information for the policy makers, planners, • The north-eastern region has lost considerable forest
and State Forest Departments cover since 2011. Northeast represents a global
biodiversity hotspot. So, any gains achieved in other
• Instrumental in identifying degraded forest and issues
areas cannot compensate for the loss in this biodiversity
related to agro-forestry.
crucial area.
KEY FINDINGS
SHORTCOMINGS
• India’s forest cover has registered a marginal increase of
• Methodological problems
about one per cent between 2015 and 2017.
o Satellite images do not differentiate between natural
• This comes to an increase of 8,021 sq km (about 80.20
forests, plantations, thickets of weeds such as juliflora
million hectare) in the total forest and 2% rise in total
and lantana, and longstanding commercial crops.
tree cover of the country.
o The increase in the forest cover may be attributed the
• Much of the increase in the forest cover has been
expansion in the survey area from the earlier
observed in Very Dense Forest (VDF). VDF absorbs
assessment.
maximum carbon dioxide.
• All the mangrove states have shown a positive change in
the mangrove cover.
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issues at all levels, including within UN system and across • WCCB has adopted innovative enforcement
Collaborative Partnerships on Forest. techniques that have dramatically increased
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enforcement of transboundary environmental crimes in • The award celebrates exceptional figures from the public
India. and private sectors and from civil society, whose actions
• Notably it has developed an online Wildlife Crime have had a transformative positive impact on the
Database Management System to get real time data in environment.
order to help analyze trends in crime and devise effective • The award also recognises the efforts for promoting
measures to prevent and detect wildlife crimes across new areas of levels of cooperation on environmental
India. action.
• In order to involve the public in the fight against wildlife AWARD FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL VISION
crime, WCCB has also developed a scheme to enroll Cochin International Airport has also been honoured this
willing persons as WCCB Volunteers. year with the award for Entrepreneurial Vision, for its
ABOUT WCCB leadership in the use of sustainable energy.
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi-
disciplinary body established by the Government of
India under the MoEFCC, to combat organized wildlife
►NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT SURVEY
crime in the country. India’s first ever National Environment Survey (NES) will be
launched in January, 2019 to map environment data of 55
districts across 24 states and 3 Union Territories.
►CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH AWARD ABOUT NES
Prime Minister has been awarded with the UN’s highest • The NES will rank all districts on their environmental
environmental honour- Champions of the Earth Award. performance and document their best green practices
DETAILS based on various environmental parameters.
• French President Emmanuel Macron, and Indian PM • The first NES will be MoEFCC through Environmental
Modi have been jointly recognised in the Policy Information System (ENVIS) and its hubs and resource
Leadership category for their pioneering work in partners across the country.
championing the International Solar Alliance and • It will be done through grid-based approach, using grids
promoting new areas of levels of cooperation on measuring 9×9 km to collect comprehensive data on
environmental action, including various environmental parameters.
o Macron’s work on the Global Pact for the Environment • The parameters include air, water, soil quality; solid,
and hazardous and e-waste; emission inventory; forest &
o Modi’s unprecedented pledge to eliminate all single- wildlife; flora & fauna; wetlands, lakes, rivers and other
use plastic in India by 2022. water bodies.
ABOUT AWARD • It will also assess carbon sequestration potential of all
• The Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest the districts across the country.
environmental recognition, was founded in 2005. • Initially the survey will be focusing on 55 districts and
later will be scaled up to all districts in the country.
FLORA & FAUNA • Despite the huge ecological significance, they have not
been historically protected because the short, stunted
►SHOLA GRASSLAND trees have little or no timber value.
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• Home to host of endemic and endangered plants and It is used for various purposes such as immunity medicine,
animals; furniture, radiation absorbent, musical instrument,
food dyes and spices, Ayurveda and Sidha medicine,
• Important for keeping the water cycle alive - store the
decorative and ornamental purposes etc.
rain water for future use;
• High concentration of lichen, mosses, ferns and orchids
in these areas. ►NEELA KURINJI PLANTS
CONCERN Tamil Nadu government has announced a novel scheme
Timber plantations, expanding agriculture and the spread of for the protection of the exotic Neela kurinji
invasive species have eaten into as much as two-thirds of (Strobilanthus kunthianus) plants.
natural grasslands in the Palani Hill range of the Western ABOUT NEELA KURINJI
Ghats.
• Kurinji or Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthianus) is a
shrub that is found in the shola forests of the Western
Ghats in South India.
►GINGER SPECIES
• Nilgiri Hills, which literally means the blue mountains,
• Two new Ginger species found in the northeast got their name from the purplish blue flowers of
• Both are from the family of Zingiberaceae, to which the Neelakurinji that blossoms only once in 12 years.
commonly found Ginger (Zingiber officinale) belongs. • The Paliyan tribal people living in Tamil Nadu used it as
HEDYCHIUM CHINGMEIANUM a reference to calculate their age.
• Discovered in Nagaland
• It is an epiphytic plant and grows on tall trees ►MUSA PARAMJITIANA
• Most of the species under the genus Hedychium have • A new species of wild banana named Musa paramjitiana
medicinal properties. has been discovered in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
CAULOKAEMPFERIA DINABANDHUENSIS • Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a biodiversity hotspot
• Discovered in Manipur that hosts seven different species of wild banana.
• It is found growing in rock crevices, boulders and humus • A banana species - this plant grows to a height of nine
rich soil. metres.
• It bears an edible, sweet-and-sour tasting fruit that is
boat-shaped and has numerous bulb-shaped seeds.
►RED SANDERS
• The fruit is part of the diet of local tribes.
The IUCN, now reclassified red sanders (Pterocarpus
• Its seeds have ethno-medicinal importance.
santalinus) as ‘near threatened’ from the earlier
‘endangered’. • Pseudo-stem and leaves of these species are also used
during religious and cultural ceremonies.
ABOUT RED SANDERS
• The species was found in North Andaman’s forest.
• It is an endemic tree of South India.
IMPORTANCE OF DISCOVERY
• They are found in Tropical Dry Deciduous forest of the
Palakonda and Seshachalam hill ranges of Andhra • Saving the rare species from extinction.
Pradesh and also found in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. • It now provides great opportunity for plant breeders to
• It occurs in hot, dry climate with a rainfall of 88-105 cm. improve the existing banana crop.
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an area based regionally differentiated strategy; • The seeds are stored in an underground cave where
temperatures are very low.
• To increase the coverage of area under bamboo in
potential areas, with improved varieties to enhance • Government of Norway has entirely funded the program.
yields; • India has deposited some seeds in Svalbard Global Seed
Vault and plans to deposit more seeds in future.
• To promote marketing of bamboo and bamboo based
handicrafts; ABOUT NATIONAL GENE BANK
India has one of the largest plant germplasm collections in
• To establish convergence and synergy among stake-
the world, hosted in National Gene Bank at ICAR National
holders for the development of bamboo;
Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR).
• To promote, develop and disseminate technologies
through a seamless blend of traditional wisdom and
modern scientific knowledge. ►INTERNATIONAL TROPICAL TIMBER
• To generate employment opportunities for skilled and ORGANIZATION (ITTO)
unskilled persons, especially unemployed youths. • It is an intergovernmental organization under the United
Nations and works to promote the conservation and
sustainable use and trade of tropical forest resources.
►NATIONAL WILDLIFE GENETIC • It develops internationally agreed policy and helps
RESOURCE BANK (NWGRB) tropical member countries to adapt such policies in their
local affairs.
• NWGRB was inaugurated at Centre for Cellular and
• It also collects, analyze and distribute data on the
Molecular Biology’s (CCMB) Laboratory of
production and trade of tropical timber and even funds a
Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES)
range of tropical products to develop communities and
facility in Hyderabad, Telanagana
industry in such areas.
SIGNIFICANCE • 36 Timber producing and 38 Timber consuming countries
• It is India’s first genetic resource bank where genetic are its members.
material will be stored for posterity which will further the • India is one of the members of this organisation.
cause of conservation of endangered and protected
animals.
• This facility would increase the collection of genetic ►INTERNATIONAL NETWORK FOR
resources from wildlife by facilitating exchange of BAMBOO AND RATTAN MEMBERSHIP
genetic material between Indian zoos for maintaining (INBAR)
genetic diversity.
• It is an intergovernmental organisation of 44 Member
• It would also facilitate research work.
States, which promotes the use of bamboo and rattan for
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COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION • After the declaration it became the 30th Elephant
Reserve in the country.
• It amalgamates tradition and conservation.
• The festival is actually the celebration of biodiversity as WHY
different variety of flowers including wild flowers are • Presently, elephant distribution habitat in Nagaland is
used from Bejjur Forest Range to make the floral cone for highly fragmented; this move will give better protection
the festival. and conservation of elephants in the state.
• The festival helps in creating awareness of the diversity ABOUT SINGPHAN
of natural flora of the area to the local citizens including
children and youths. • It is located in Mon district of Nagaland and spreads
over an area of 5825 acres.
• The forest staffs and officials also participate in the
festival and help in creating awareness about the • It has huge tracts of forest, strategically located in
seasons during which different wild plants blossoms. contiguity with the Abhaypur Reserve Forest of
IMPORTANCE Assam.
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• The highest peak being the twin peaks of Khairiburu and ►MALABAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Meghashini.
• The sanctuary is part of the Western Ghats, a
biodiversity hotspot.
►ORANG TIGER RESERVE • It also comes under the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and
forms a part of the Wayanad Elephant Reserve.
49TH TIGER RESERVE
• Vegetation types: These are the West-coast Tropical
• Location: Spread over Darrang and Sonitpur districts of
Evergreen, West-coast Semi evergreen, Southern Moist
Assam and notified in 2016, Orang Tiger Reserve is the
Mixed Deciduous, Southern Hill-top Evergreen forests,
49th in the country.
Grasslands, and Marshy grasslands (Vayals).
• Smallest core area among 50 nationally protected areas
has high density of 28 big cats. • River: Kuttiady River
• Orang has the highest tiger density of 35.44 nationally. • This forested habitat is known to be an ideal haunt for
OTHER TIGER RESERVES IN ASSAM King Cobra, the largest venomous snake in the world.
• Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand - 11 • The overall longer-term goal is to arrest population
decline and secure habitats of migratory bird species.
• Bandipur National Park, Karnataka - 10.28
• In shorter-term the action plan seeks that by 2027, to
halt the downward trends in declining meta-populations
►COTIGAO WILDLIFE SANCTUARY and maintain stable or increasing trends for healthy
populations.
• The sanctuary is known for its multi-storeyed forests
with tall trees and rare plants. ABOUT CAF
• Location: It lies in the south of Goa, on the Goa- • Central Asian Flyway (CAF), one among the nine flyways
Karnataka border. in the world, encompasses overlapping migration
routes over 30 countries for different water birds.
• Fauna: Flying squirrel, slender loris, Indian pangolin,
four-horned antelope, mouse deer, Malabar pit viper, • It links their northern most breeding grounds in
flying lizard, etc. Russia (Siberia) to the southernmost non-breeding
(wintering) grounds in West and South Asia, the Maldives
• Vegetation: The vegetation is mostly moist-deciduous
and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
type, interspersed with semi-evergreen and evergreen
patches.
• It was established in 1968 to protect a remote and ►GREATER FLAMINGOES
vulnerable area of forest lining the Goa- Karnataka
Greater Flamingoes have been spotted on the Coast of
border.
Hope Island, a part of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
• Bird Festival of Goa was conducted here. (CWLS), after a gap of 25 years.
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• Pesticide and heavy metal contamination could have human dominated agricultural landscapes leading to
devastating impact on breeding sites. increased incidences of conflict.
• Habitat destruction PROTECTION STATUS
• Death of fishes
• IUCN status: Vulnerable
• Hunting
• Divergence of river water for agriculture • Schedule IV: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
• Collision with electric power lines during migration
Floods leading to inundation of nesting sites
►BAR-HEADED GEESE
PROTECTION STATUS
• It is distributed in Central Asia including Indian
• IUCN Red List - Least Concern
subcontinent, China and Mongolia.
• Appendix-I of the Convention on the Conservation of
• It is one of the world's highest-flying birds peaking at
Migratory Species (CMS) of Wild Animals
an altitude of around 6,000 m across the Himalayas
during migration.
CONVENTION ON THE • Plays a vital role in maintaining the natural diversity of
CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY grasslands by promoting coexistence of different plant
SPECIES (CMS) OF WILD ANIMALS species.
• More commonly abbreviated as Convention on • The restricted and patchy breeding grounds of this
Migratory Species or the Bonn Convention and CMS species make it vulnerable.
COP is known as Global Wildlife conference—aims to PROTECTION STATUS
conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species
• IUCN status: Least Concern
throughout their range.
• Schedule IV: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It is an international treaty, concluded under the aegis of
the United Nations Environment Programme,
concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats
►INDIAN SKIMMER
on a global scale.
• The Convention was signed in 1979. • It occurs in the Indian subcontinent and Vietnam.
• Appendix I – Threatened Migratory Species • Its preferred habitats are sandy mid-river islands, sandy
• Appendix II – Migratory Species requiring international banks of large rivers and lakes, swamps and coastal
cooperation wetlands.
THREAT
Increased human encroachment in riverine and wetland
►SARUS CRANE
ecosystems, exploitation and degradation of rivers and
• It is distributed in the middle stretch of the Ganga River lakes through fishing, transportation, irrigation and
and has been extirpated from West Bengal. pollution from xenobiotic compounds.
• Locally extinct from Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. PROTECTION STATUS
• It occurs in large rivers, natural wetlands, small seasonal • IUCN status: Endangered
marshes, floodplains, fallow and cultivated lands and
• Not listed: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
paddy fields.
• The species nests in agricultural lands, dry grassland with
reeds and grasses. ►BLACK-BELLIED TERN
THREAT • Found throughout the Indian sub-continent and
Loss and degradation of wetlands and agricultural drainage extending to Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
of inundated floodplains has pushed these species to • Almost extinct in China.
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THREAT FROM THE VETERINARY DRUG - DICLOFENAC • It also regulates the exchange of animals of endangered
The main reason for rapid decline in population of vulture is category among zoos.
due to Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory • It is an affiliate member of the World Association of
drug which is given to cattle in inflammation and pain. The Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
vultures die of renal failure or kidney failure after eating
carcasses of cattle administered with the drug.
• It has been constituted under the Wild Life (Protection) • The spider makes a retreat between green leaves of
Act to bring Indian zoos up to international standards. small plants.
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►INDIAN SOFTSHELL TURTLE • In India, the species occurs in the middle and lower
stretches of the Ganga River, and the Indus, Godavari,
• Indian softshell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) occurs in the Coleroon and Mahanadi river systems.
Ganga, Indus and Mahanadi river systems in India.
THREAT
• It is found in the middle and lower stretches of the Ganga
• The species is overly exploited for calipee, meat and
River.
eggs.
• The species inhabits deep rivers, streams, and large
PROTECTION STATUS
canals, lakes and ponds with mud and sand bottoms.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable;
• It controls Fish population, removes diseased fish from
• Schedule IV: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
rivers and also maintains water quality by scavenging on
decaying organic material.
• In the Ganga River, the species occurs in the middle and ►RED CROWNED ROOFED TURTLE
lower stretches.
• Red-crowned roofed turtle (Batagur kachuga) a hardshell
• It controls fish population and maintains the water species occurs in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
quality by scavenging on carcass and detritus.
• It is sexually dimorphic and the males show breeding
THREAT colouration - red crown and yellow and blue stripes from
The species is exploited for meat, eggs and in illegal trade. head to neck.
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• Mass nesting sites (rookery) of Olive Ridley turtles are the • Regionally extinct: Myanmar; Singapore; Thailand;
following: Vietnam
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part to ice cover loss caused by global warming. This ice ►SEA HORSE
loss removes a primary source of food for krill: Ice-Algae.
• They are small marine fish. They have a head and a neck
appearing as a horse. They also have a tail.
BALEEN WHALES
► MANATEE & DUGONGS (SEA COW)
• They breed in the temperate and warm equatorial waters
in the winter months, and feed in more polar waters • The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has honoured a group
during the summer. of fishermen with cash award for rescuing and releasing
back into the sea, a 10-foot long dugong.
• Because, the seasons are opposite in the Northern and
• Dugongs are categorized under vulnerable category as
Southern Hemisphere, whales in the two halves of the
per the IUCN.
world do not mix.
• It is a medium sized marine mammal.
• They have hundreds of elongated triangular baleen
ABOUT MANATEES AND DUGONGS
plates, they are made of horny material and not of bone,
even though they are popularly called whalebone. • Both Manatees and Dugongs are classified under Sirenia
and they are slow moving herbivore found in the
• Baleen whales feed for only four or five months a year
shallow waters along the warm coastlines.
when they are in polar seas which are rich in food.
• It is dependent of seagrass communities for subsistence
• They are filter feeders. and is thus restricted to coastal habitats which support
SPERM WHALES seagrass meadows.
• They have teeth. • There are four living species of Sirenia namely, the west
Indian Manatee, the Amazonian Manatee, the West
• These whales do not undertake regular annual African Manatee and the Dugong.
migrations between the warmer and colder seas
• Stellar’s sea cow has gone extinct in the
characteristic of baleen whales.
18th century and was the fifth animal under Sirenia
• Blue whale: These are the largest species of whale. They category.
are the primary target species of modern whaling. They DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANATEES AND DUGONGS
are found worldwide from the equator to the polar
• Habitat: Manatees inhabit the marshy areas of the
regions in both hemispheres.
Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico (West Indian Manatee), the
Amazon Basin (Amazonian Manatee) and West Africa
(West African Manatee). Dugongs spend their entire life
►SEA LION in shallow, protected areas such as bays and mangrove
swamps.
• They are sea mammals characterized by external ear
• Tails: Manatees have a large, horizontal, paddle-shaped
flaps.
tail with only one lobe, which moves up and down when
• They have the ability to walk on all four limbs. the animal swims. Dugongs have tail flukes with pointed
• Their range extends from the subarctic to tropical waters projections, like a whale with a slightly concave trailing
of the global ocean in both the Northern and Southern edge.
Hemisphere, with a notable exception of northern • Nails: West Indian and West African manatees have very
Atlantic Ocean. basic nails on their forelimbs. Amazonian manatees and
dugongs don’t have any nails.
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• Nostrils: The nostrils of a dugong are placed further back lowland lakes, rivers, streams, marshes and coastal
on its head than in the case of manatees. areas.
PROTECTION STATUS • IUCN status: Near Threatened
IUCN status: Vulnerable • Schedule II: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Recently presence of Eurasian otter was confirmed in
the Western Ghats. This is the first photographic and
►OTTERS genetic confirmation of its presence here.
• Carnivorous ASIAN SMALL- CLAWED OTTER
• Members of the mammalian family called Mustelidae. • Found across much of south and south-east Asia, with a
• Otters are invariably associated with water, with a few continuous population in southeast Asia, northeast India
exceptions. and Himalayan foothills.
o Aonyx congica (African clawless Otter) found in • It is smallest of the three-otter species found in India.
Central Equatorial Africa, are least adapted • Nocturnal and crepuscular.
aquatically.
• Monogamous and both parents contribute to raising the
o Enhydra lutris, having completely severed their offspring.
dependence on freshwater, are a totally marine
• IUCN status: Vulnerable
species.
• Schedule I: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Otters are found the world over, except in Australia,
New Zealand, Madagascar, and other oceanic islands.
• Otters are mainly active around dawn and dusk, being,
►GHARIAL
what is known as, crepuscular.
HABITAT
• Being at the apex of the food web, otters are indicators of
healthy ecosystems and are the first to disappear from • The Gharial is endemic to the Indian subcontinent,
disturbed ecosystems. occurring in the Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra and the
Mahanadi river systems.
• There are 13 species of otters in the world out of which
3 are available in India. • The gharial is now extinct in Myanmar, Bhutan and
Pakistan.
• They adapt to a variety of habitats ranging from marine
to freshwater environments. • It is a hole-nesting species and nests along rivers in
undisturbed sandy banks and islands.
SMOOTH-COATED OTTER
THREAT
• Is piscivorous
• The gharial population has shown a dramatic decline
• Occurs along large rivers and lakes, in mangrove
throughout its entire range, largely as a result of
forests along the coast and estuaries.
anthropogenic pressures such as mortalities in fishing
• Distributed throughout the country from the Himalayas nets, reduction in water flow, and encroachment on river
southward. banks for agriculture, sand mining, construction of dams
• IUCN status: Vulnerable and barrages.
• Schedule II: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. • Gharials are hunted for use of its body parts in
EURASIAN OTTER indigenous medicine and its eggs are harvested for
consumption.
• The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) has the widest
distribution range of all otter species, spanning parts of PROTECTION STATUS
three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. • IUCN status: Critically Endangered
• It is primarily nocturnal, largely solitary and lives in a wide • Schedule I: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
variety of aquatic habitats, including highland and
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• Schedule I: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 • Mapping of the living resources;
• Preparing inventory of commercially exploitable living
marine resources;
►ESTUARINE CROCODILE
• Optimum utilization of living resources and commercially
• Found along the east coasts of India to northern exploitable living marine resources through ecosystem
Australia, through Southeast Asia along the islands of management;
New Guinea and Indonesia.
• R&D in basic Sciences on Marine Living Resources and
• Strong swimmers and have a high tolerance for salinity. Ecology.
• Estuarine crocodiles are rare in India and smaller • The institute also manages and operates the Fishery
populations occur throughout the Sundarbans at the Oceanographic Research Vessel (FORV), Sagar Sampada.
mouth of the Ganga River.
• Apart from Sundarbans, the largest population of this
crocodile is found in the Bhitarkanika National Park in ►INTEGRATED COASTAL AND
Odisha.
MARINE AREA MANAGEMENT
PROTECTION STATUS
PROJECT DIRECTORATE (ICMAM)
• IUCN status: Least Concern;
ICMAM, Chennai under the Ministry of Earth Sciences is
• Schedule I: Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 responsible for preservation and conservation of marine
environment in India.
OBJECTIVES
►MADRAS CROCODILE BANK TRUST
• Developing capacity towards accomplishing the coastal
(MCBT) and ocean related objectives of (Agenda 21).
• The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for • To carry out R&D on application of scientific tools and
Herpetology (MCBT) is a reptile zoo and herpetology techniques that is helpful in the development of
research station
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• IUCN – Endangered
►MARICULTURE
• It is the part of MoEF (Ministry of Environment, Forest
• Mariculture is the farming of aquatic plants and
and Climate Change)’s ‘Recovery Programme for critically
animals in salt water.
endangered species and habitats’.
• Thus, mariculture represents a subset of the larger field
of aquaculture, which involves the farming of both fresh-
water and marine organisms.
►BLACKBUCK
• The major categories of mariculture species are
seaweeds, molluscs, crustaceans, and finfish. • It is an antelope found in India, Nepal and Pakistan and
is now extinct in Bangladesh.
• These modified leaves become more efficient at • Central- Western India (MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab,
selectively absorbing sunlight, and release the excess Haryana, Maharashtra and Odisha) and Southern India
energy as heat. (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu).
• IUCN status for the species is Least Concerned. • Schedule I : Indian Wild Life Protection Act, 1972
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• It is the largest of the three Tahr species and it inhabits o Hemis National park
the montane grasslands of the Western Ghats and is o Khangchendzonga National Park
endemic to the Western Ghats.
o Namdapha National Park
• The other two are the Himalayan tahr, found from
FEATURE
Kashmir to Bhutan and the Arabian tahr, which is
confined to the mountain areas of Oman and adjoining Blue Sheep are active throughout the day, feeding on
United Arab Emirates. lichens, herbaceous plants, and mosses.
• The larger concentration is in Eravikulam National IUCN Red List - Least Concern
Park.
HABITAT DESTRUCTION
• A major part of the historical range of the tahr has been ►ORANGUTAN
lost to tea plantations. • Orangutan means "person of the forest" in the
• Parts of the remaining grasslands have been planted with Indonesian and Malay languages.
eucalyptus, wattle and pine. • These are species of great apes native to Indonesia and
• This is especially pervasive in the Nilgiris and Palani Malaysia.
forests.
FEATURES
PROTECTION STATUS
• They are among the most intelligent primates.
• IUCN RED LIST - Endangered
• They use a variety of sophisticated tools and construct
• Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and
foliage.
• These apes have been extensively studied for their
►CHIRU ANTELOPE learning abilities.
Close to goat family. HABITATION
HABITAT
• Orangutans are currently found only in the rainforests of
It lives at a 3,250-5,500 metres elevation in high altitude Borneo and Sumatra.
plains and montane valleys comprising of alpine and desert
• They are adapted to living in trees.
steppe and pasture, distinguished by low vegetation cover
and productivity. • They live solitary lives.
• IUCN Red List - Near Threatened IUCN Red List - Critically Endangered
• Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
CONSERVATION EFFORTS
►BUSH FROGS
Its prime habitats have been declared as Wildlife
Sanctuaries viz. Karakorma Wildlife Sanctuary and • White-spotted bush frog (Raorchestes chalazodes) are
Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. found only in Western Ghats (south-western slopes of the
Cardamom Hills).
• Egg-laying sites is within bamboo stems.
►HIMALAYAN BLUE SHEEP CANNIBALISM
HABITAT • If the eggs are left alone other male bush frogs enter the
• It is found in Bhutan, China, Northern India, Northern stem and eat the unattended eggs (source of nutrition).
Myanmar, Nepal and Northern Pakistan.
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• This is the first known instance of cannibalism among • Particularly harmful to maize, but can feed on more than
tree frogs of the Rhacophoridae family. 80 additional species of crops, including rice, sorghum,
MAJOR THREATS millet, sugarcane, vegetable crops and cotton.
Conversion of natural forest to intensively cultivated areas. • FAW was first detected in Central and Western Africa in
PROTECTION STATUS early 2016 and has quickly spread across virtually all of
Sub-Saharan Africa.
IUCN Red List - Critically Endangered
• In July 2018 it was confirmed in India and Yemen.
Because of trade and the moth's strong flying ability, it
►ASTROBATRACHUS KURICHIYANA has the potential to spread further
• Species of frog found for the first time in Western Ghat • Infestation from the insect is reported from Karnataka,
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,
• It has constellation like markings.
Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
• It is named after indigenous people Kurichiyarmala, a hill
range found in the state of Kerala.
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• This is especially important in checking the poaching • Phase 2 consists of remote sensing data by the Wildlife
activities in protected areas. Institute of India (WII), which partners the NTCA in this
• SMART has become an integral tool in efforts to conserve assessment every four years in collaboration with state
Tigers throughout their ranges. forest departments.
• It is also being used for conservation of lions, Jaguars • Phase 3 is when biologists from WII visit the tiger
etc. reserves and do a cross-check on the data collected in
• In India, it is being used in Gir National Park phase 1 as well as look at images taken by camera traps.
In the case of tigers, every individual tiger will have a
• SMART is enabling improved collaboration and data
sharing between organizations across landscapes, unique stripe pattern— just like our fingerprints.
breaking down silos in the conservation community. • Where the camera trappings are unavailable because of
logistical constraints, DNA extracts from scat samples are
collected for analysis.
►CONSERVATION ASSURED TIGER
• Scat is basically tiger poop.
STANDARDS (CA|TS)
• Fieldwork and scat analysis are fundamental to the
• Launched in 2013 process of documentation; for starters, it’s important to
• Conservation Assured (CA) is a new conservation tool to know whether it’s a tiger or a leopard or some other
set best practice standards for effective management of animal.
target species.
• The current assessment uses Android phone-based
• CA fulfils the requirement for protected area application and desktop version of M-STrIPES
management effectiveness in international agreements
(Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection and
such as the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD)
Ecological Status) for collecting, archiving and analyzing
Programme of Work on Protected Areas and will help
data
national governments, and their partners in
conservation, to meet the CBD’s Strategic Plan for • The phone application automatically records the track log
Biodiversity. of surveys and line transects, as well as authenticates the
recorded data on signs and animal sightings with geo-
• CA is also linked to and partnered in the development of
IUCN’s Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. tagged photographs.
• Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) scheme • With increased camera trap density and the use of
provides an incentive to those responsible for tiger android technology, estimates arrived at are likely to be
conservation areas in the 13 tiger range countries to more robust – both in terms of accuracy and precision.
improve the effectiveness of management.
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subcategory was created within the Schedule tribes on ►TX2 PROGRAMME BY WWF
the basis of Dhebar Commission Report.
Nepal is set to become the first country in the world to
• This sub-category was named "Primitive tribal group".
double its tiger population as part of the World Wildlife
• In 2006 the "Primitive tribal group" was renamed as Foundation’s (WWF) ‘Tx2’ programme.
Particularly vulnerable tribal group".
SIGNIFICANCE
• 75 tribal groups have been categorized by the Ministry
• The success of Nepal in doubling tiger numbers has been
of Home Affairs as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
largely attributed to the country’s political
Groups (PVTG)s.
commitment and the adoption of innovative tools and
• PVTG were created with the purpose of enabling approaches towards tiger conservation.
improvement in conditions of certain communities. The
• Nepal was the first country to achieve global
classification is based on their pre-agricultural level of
standards in managing tiger conservation areas, an
technology and the low levels of literacy in the
accreditation scheme governed by the Conservation
community.
Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS).
• Some of the PVTG are as follows:
ABOUT TX2 PROGRAMME
o Chenchu, Kolam-Andhra Pradesh
• The World Wildlife Foundation had launched its
o Kotwalia, Siddi-Gujarat ambitious TX2 programme at the St Petersburg Tiger
o Juang, Bondo, Kharia-Odisha Summit in 2010.
ACT, 2006. • Telangana became the 1st state in India to have eco-
friendly bridges for the movement of tigers over a canal
• It focuses on the rights of forest-dwelling communities cutting across a tiger corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari
to land and other resources, denied to them over Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district of
decades as a result of the continuance of colonial forest Maharashtra with the forests in Telangana's Komaram
laws in India. Bheem Asifabad district.
• It extends to the whole of India except the State of • The eco-bridge has been conceptualised by the National
Jammu and Kashmir. Board for Wildlife and the Wildlife Institute of India.
• The rights which are included in section 3(1) of the • The intervention requires the laying of fertile soil to grow
Act are: grass and plants over the structure, so that
o Right to hold and live on the forest land under the fragmentation of the reserve forest is camouflaged.
individual or common occupation for habitation or for TADOBA-ANDHARI TIGER RESERVE
self-cultivation;
• Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in
o Community rights Maharashtra state in central India.
o Right to protect, regenerate or conserve or manage any • It is Maharashtra's oldest and largest national park.
community forest resource;
• Andhari, a minor river in Wainganga basin flows through
o Right of access to biodiversity and community right to the tiger reserve.
intellectual property and traditional knowledge related to
biodiversity.
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• Besides, the prey base for cheetahs is also in abundance The long-term survival of the lion as a species was best
at the sanctuary. served if they could be present outside Gujarat, too, so that
• According to the earlier action plan, around 20 cheetahs they are protected against, say, a forest fire, a disease, or
were to be translocated to Nauradehi from Namibia in calamities. The Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in
Africa. The Namibia Cheetah Conservation Fund had Madhya Pradesh was identified to be the most suitable for
then showed its willingness to donate the felines to India. reintroducing the species.
• However, the State was not ready to finance the plan LION HABITATS IN GUJARAT
contending that it was the Centre’s project. Gir National Park; Gir Sanctuary; Girnar Sanctuary; Pania
• The ambitious project, conceived in 2009, had hit a Sanctuary; Mitiyala Sanctuary
roadblock for want of funds. THE PROJECT INCORPORATES
• A Dedicated veterinary institute
►BLACK PANTHER • More water sources
• Black Panther was recently recorded in Sundargarh • Lion ambulances
district of Odisha.
• A GPS based tracking system
• The recent sighting makes Odisha the ninth State in India
DISEASES THEY BATTLE
where the elusive and rare big cat has been seen.
Rabies, canine-distemper virus, feline immune deficiency
• Black panther or melanistic leopard is a colour variant
and feline leukemia virus
of the Indian leopard.
• Black panthers in Asia and Africa are leopards (Panthera
pardus), and those in the Americas are black jaguars ►SNOW LEOPARD
(Panthera onca).
• They are large cats native to the mountain ranges of
• It is as shy as a normal leopard and very difficult to
Central and South Asia.
detect.
• Snow leopards prefer steep, rugged terrain with cliffs,
DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA
ridges, gullies, and slopes interspersed with rocky
Kerala (Periyar Tiger Reserve); Karnataka (Bhadra Tiger outcrops.
Reserve, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and Kabini Wildlife
Sanctuary); Chhattisgarh (Achanakmar Tiger Reserve); • Size of the global population vary from 4000 to 8500.
Maharashtra (Satara); Goa (Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary);
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• Its sighting was reported from Thembang Community • 2015 designated as “International Year of the Snow
Conserved Area. Leopard”- To help spread the word amongst the people,
• Thembang lies outside the protected Namdapha government authorities, and conservation groups in each
National Park and Dibang Biosphere Reserve. range country
PROTECTION STATUS
IUCN Red List – Vulnerable
►COMMUNITY CONSERVED AREA
(CCA)
CONSERVATION EFFORTS
• In 2004, WWF-India introduced the concept of CCAs in the
►GLOBAL SNOW LEOPARD states to empower local communities to become active
decision-makers and implement conservation initiatives.
ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION PROGRAM
• Local communities in these CCAs form committees to
• It seeks to address high-mountain development issues
undertake wildlife monitoring, patrolling and community-
using the conservation of the endangered snow leopard
based tourism activities.
as a flagship program.
• In 2013, the 12 snow leopard range countries and
partners signed the Bishkek Declaration and agreed to ►PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD BY INDIA
secure at least 20 snow leopard landscapes across the
cat’s range by 2020 or – “Secure 20 by 2020.” • It was launched in 2009 to safeguard and conserve India’s
unique natural heritage of high-altitude wildlife
• These countries are: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India,
populations
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan • Range states- Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
o Financial and Technical support are being provided to o Among state corridors, maximum numbers of them are
major elephant bearing States in the country; located in Meghalaya.
o The Project is being mainly implemented in 16 States / o Among, inter-state corridors, maximum are shared by
UT’s, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha.
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o Maximum International corridors India shares with o The E-8 countries comprise of India, Botswana, the
Bangladesh. Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania,
and Thailand.
►HAATHI MERE SAATHI • Earlier, field officials were deputed inside a forest area
• It is a campaign launched by the MoEFCC in partnership for direct counting. It was expected that the entire area
with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). would be covered. But, that is not possible because of
• The campaign was launched at the “Elephant- 8” many reasons. As a result, the population was
Ministerial meeting held in Delhi in 2011. underestimated in some places while duplication was
reported elsewhere. A simultaneous census will eliminate
• The E-8 ministerial meeting represented regions with all 3
species of elephants, viz., Asian elephant, African Bush these factors.
Elephant, African Forest Elephant.
SL. ELEPHANT RANGE ELEPHANT RESERVE WITH DATE OF STATE TOTAL AREA
NO NOTIFICATION (SQ. KM)
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section 2
POLLUTION &
CLIMATE CHANGE
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COREknowledge
►GREEN HOUSE EFFECT (HFCs) propellants, solvents and fire
retardants.
• Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a group of gases that are
able to absorb heat in the atmosphere keeping the Per fluorocarbons Produced as a by-product in
earth’s surface warm. This absorbed heat/thermal (PFCs) aluminium production and
radiation by the greenhouse gases is re-radiated back to manufacturing of semi-conductors.
earth’s surface in all directions.
Sulphur hexafluoride Used as tracer gas for leak detection,
• This ability of gases to trap heat in thermal form and
(SF6) used in electrical transmission
spread evenly at earth’s surface is known as Greenhouse
equipment
effect.
• The spreading of these greenhouse gases is responsible
for the heat required to sustain life on earth. But the
►GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL
presence of these GHGs in excess enhances the
Greenhouse effect which is creating global warming and (GWP)
consequently climate change. • Is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton
• Water vapour (H2O), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrous Oxide of a GHG will absorb over a given period of time, relative
(N2O) and Methane (CH4) are the primary greenhouse to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2).
gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. • The larger the GWP, the more that a given gas warms the
• The most dominant greenhouse gas overall is water Earth compared to CO2 over that time period.
vapour, but it has a very short atmospheric lifetime • A GWP is calculated over a specific time interval,
(about 10 days) and is very nearly in a dynamic commonly 100 or 500 years.
equilibrium in the atmosphere, so it is not a forcing gas in
• The GWP depends on factors such as the absorption of
the context of global warming.
infrared radiation by a given species, the spectral location
• UNFCCC’s (United Nations Framework Convention on of its absorbing wavelengths and the atmospheric
Climate Change) Kyoto Protocol has recognised six lifetime of the species.
main greenhouse gases primarily responsible for global
• GWP for some GHGs
warming. They are:
o Carbon di Oxide (CO2): 1
GREEN HOUSE GAS SOURCES AND CAUSES
o Methane (CH4): 12
Carbon dioxide (CO2) Burning of fossil fuels, deforestation o Trifluoromethane (HFC-23): 12,400
Methane (CH4) Growing paddy, excreta of cattle and o Nitrous Oxide (N2O): 265
other livestock, termites, burning of o Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6): 23,500 (Highest GWP
fossil fuel, wood, landfills, wetlands, potential among known compounds)
fertilizer factories.
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FREE BOOKS, NOTES & VIDEOS FOR CIVILSERVICES
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• Fog is a visible mass consisting of cloud water droplets • Photochemical smog occurs in warm, dry and sunny
suspended in the air or near the Earth’s surface. climate. The main components of the photochemical
• Fog usually appears over a region of high pressure where smog result from the action of sunlight on unsaturated
humidity is greater than 75%. Moisture in the hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides produced by
atmosphere could condense around particulate matter of automobiles and factories. Photochemical smog has high
diameter in the range of nanometres, to cause fog. concentration of oxidising agents and is, therefore, called
as oxidising smog.
• Land use changes and increasing pollution are
responsible for growing fog occurrence. EFFECTS OF PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG
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Sources Forms when Nitrous oxides (NOx) reacts with Naturally forms when Oxygen is in the presence of UV
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). radiation.
Effects • Eye and respiratory irritation Thinning of ozone shield that absorbs UV rays leads to crop
• Lung tissue damage, shortened lifespan damage, Aquatic life death, eye irritation and skin cancer.
and lung disease
• Corrosion in buildings, damage to crops,
increase in Vulnerability to diseases.
►BHARAT STAGE NORMS (BS c) Particulate matter like PM 2.5 and PM 10 are the most
harmful components and the BS VI will bring down the
NORMS) cancer-causing particulate matter in diesel cars by a
• Bharat stage norms are rules which determine the phenomenal 80%.
maximum limit of pollutants vehicles (Including motor
vehicles) can emit.
• The standards, based on European regulations were first ►AIR QUALITY INDEX (AQI)
introduced in the year 2000. • AQI is an initiative of the Ministry of Environment Forest
HISTORY AND FUTURE OF VEHICULAR EMISSION NORMS and Climate Change under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
IN INDIA • The index is constituted as a part of Government’s
• 1991 - Vehicular emission control norms introduced in mission to improve the culture of cleanliness and helps
India public to judge air quality within their vicinity. It is a
• 1999 - The Supreme court ordered the government to colour coded index.
follow Euro norms. • There are six AQI categories, namely Good,
• 2000 - Bharat stage I introduced Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor,
and Severe.
• 2003 - Mashelkar Committee on ‘Auto fuel policy’
recommended for BS-III and BS-IV. • The index will measure eight major pollutants,
namely, particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5),
• 2005 - BS-III introduced in 13 cities.
nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon
• 2010- BS-III introduced in entire India. monoxide, ammonia and lead.
• 2012- Saumitra Chaudari Committee was set up ‘Auto
Vision and Fuel Policy 2025’ and submitted its report in
2014. ►NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY
• 2017- April- BS-IV entire India STANDARDS (NAAQS)
• 2020- Plan to implement BS-VI directly bypassing BS-V • Are standards for ambient air quality set by Central
BS VI is expected to be same as that of the Euro VI Pollution Control Board (CPCB), applicable nation wide
norms and will be declared by CPCB (Central • The CPCB has been conferred this power by the Air
Pollution Control Board) under the Ministry of (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Environment & Forests and climate change.
• Further, a new National Air Quality Index (AQI) has been
a) The coming BS VI norms will cut down the presence of launched in October 2014 to disseminate information on
sulphur (in comparison to BS IV) from 50 ppm to 10 ppm air quality in an easily understandable form for the
(80%) general public.
b) Implementation of BS VI will ensure cutting down of • The measurement of air quality is based on eight
the harmful NOx (nitrogen oxides) from diesel cars by pollutants, namely, PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3,
nearly 70%. In the petrol cars, they can be reduced by NH3, and Pb.
25%.
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►UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON ii. They can sell emissions credits to nations whose
operators have difficulty meeting their emissions
CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) targets;
• UNFCCC is an international environment treaty opened iii. they get money and technologies for low-carbon
for signature in 1992. investments from Annex II countries;
• It came into force from 1994. iv. Developing countries may volunteer to become
• Secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany. Annex I countries when they are sufficiently
developed;
• The convention is legally non-binding, but makes
provisions for meeting called ‘protocols’ where v. India is Non Annex party to UNFCCC.
negotiating countries can set legally binding limits.
WHAT IT DOES?
• It aims to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in
►CONFERENCE OF PARTIES (COP)
the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous COP is the supreme governing body of the UNFCCC.
anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
Heads of state and other delegates from UN member
• The framework set no binding limits on greenhouse gas countries attend the conference.
emissions for individual countries and contains no
enforcement mechanisms. Instead, the framework
outlines how specific international treaties (called ►PARIS CLIMATE DEAL
"protocols" or "Agreements") may be negotiated to set
binding limits on greenhouse gases. At COP21, Parties to the UNFCCC reached this landmark
agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and
• Kyoto Protocol was negotiated under this framework.
intensify actions and investments needed for a sustainable
• One of the first tasks set by the UNFCCC was for low carbon future.
signatory nations to establish national greenhouse
Salient features:
inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and
removals, which were used to create the 1990 1. Long Term Goal: To limit global temperature increase to
benchmark levels for accession of Annex I countries to well below 2 degrees, while pursuing efforts to limit the
the Kyoto Protocol and for the commitment of those increase to 1.5 degrees.
countries to GHG reductions. Updated inventories must 2. Global Peaking: Reach global peaking of greenhouse
be regularly submitted by Annex I countries. Annex I, gas emissions as soon as possible
Annex II countries and developing countries. 3. Mitigation: Binding commitments by all parties (Both
PARTIES TO UNFCCC ARE CLASSIFIED AS developed and developing) to prepare, communicate
• Annex I countries: Industrialized countries and and maintain a nationally determined contribution (NDC)
economies in transition and to pursue domestic measures to achieve them.
Parties shall communicate their NDCs every 5 years and
• Annex II countries: Developed countries which pay for
provide information necessary for clarity and
costs of developing countries. Annex II countries are a
transparency. Each successive NDC will represent a
sub-group of the Annex I countries.
progression beyond the previous one and reflect highest
• Non-Annex I countries: Developing countries are not possible ambition.
required to reduce emission levels unless developed
4. Adaptation
countries supply enough funding and technology.
5. Loss and damage: Recognition of averting, minimizing
• Setting no immediate restrictions under UNFCCC serves
and addressing loss and damage associated with the
these purposes:
adverse effects of climate change, including extreme
i. It avoids restrictions on their development, because weather events and slow onset events. Further
emissions are strongly linked to industrial capacity; enhancement and strengthening of Warsaw
International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, which
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will serve as the main vehicle for loss and damage under • It is a product of the Earth Summit held in Rio de
the agreement. Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
6. Global Stocktake: A ‘Global Stocktake’ to take place in • It is not legally binding but forms the basis for a new
2023 and every 5 years thereafter, will assess collective international partnership for sustainable development
progress toward meeting the purpose of the Agreement. and environmental protection worldwide.
Its outcome will inform Parties in updating and • It also emphasises the need to adopt the concept of
enhancing their actions and international cooperation. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) for
7. Finance, Technology and capacity-building support sustainable utilisation of coastal and marine resources
and prevention of degradation of marine environment.
8. Voluntary cooperation/Market and non-market based
approaches.
►KYOTO PROTOCOL
►GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY • It is an international treaty negotiated under UNFCCC
(GEF) and adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and came into
force in 2005.
• It is an independently operating financial
• Parties: 192 (Canada withdrew). USA was not a part of
organization.
Kyoto Protocol.
• It was setup as a fund under World Bank in 1991.
• It gave binding targets to Annex I countries.
• In 1992, at the Rio Earth Summit, the GEF was
• The Kyoto Protocol implemented the objective of the
restructured and moved out of the World Bank system to
UNFCCC to fight global warming by reducing GHG
become a permanent, separate institution.
concentrations.
• Since 1994, however, the World Bank has served as the
• The Protocol is based on the principle of common but
Trustee of the GEF Trust Fund and provided
differentiated responsibilities: it puts the obligation to
administrative services.
reduce current emissions on developed countries on the
• It supports actions to combat major environmental basis that they are historically responsible for the current
issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
polluted international waters, land degradation and
• The Protocol’s first commitment period started in 2008
desertification, and persistent organic pollutants, as well
and ended in 2012.
as stimulate green growth.
• A second commitment period was agreed on in 2012,
• It also serves as the financial mechanism under the
known as the Doha Amendment to the protocol. This
UNFCCC, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the
has not entered into force as required number of nations
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
has not ratified this amendment. Paris agreement (2015)
(2001), the United Nations Convention to Combat
is not an amendment to Kyoto Protocol but a separate
Desertification (2003) and the Minamata Convention on
instrument altogether.
Mercury (2013).
• Target under this protocol applies to following GHGs:
• UNDP is also an Implementing Agency for the GEF.
o Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide
• The GEF, although not linked formally to the Montreal
(N2O), Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6), Hydro fluorocarbons
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
(HFCs) and Per fluorocarbons (PFCs).
(MP), supports implementation of the Protocol in
countries with economies in transition. o Kyoto Protocol includes "flexible mechanisms" which
allow Annex 1 economies to meet their GHG targets by
purchasing GHG emission reductions from elsewhere.
These can be bought either from: financial exchanges
►AGENDA 21
(International Emissions Trading Scheme) or from
• It is an environmental action plan for the 21st century. projects which reduce emissions in non-Annex 1
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economies under the Clean Development Mechanism • It has decided to give 50:50 balance between mitigation
(CDM), or in other Annex-1 countries under the Joint and adaptation.
Implementation (JI). Only CDM Executive Board- • It also aims for a floor of 50 percent of the adaptation
accredited Certified Emission Reductions (CER) can be allocation for particularly vulnerable countries, including
bought and sold in this manner. Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island
Developing States (SIDS), and African States.
• It is headquartered in Sondo, South Korea.
►DOHA AMENDMENTS
• The Kyoto Protocol had initially assigned GHGs emission
►VIENNA CONVENTION
cut targets to the developed countries only till 2012.
• It is a Multilateral Environmental Agreement that was
• Developed countries wanted it to be extended till 2020.
agreed upon at the 1985 Vienna Conference and entered
• So, Doha Amendments to the Kyoto Protocol was made into force in 1988.
at Doha climate conference in 2012 and extended the
• It is one of the most successful treaties of all time.
obligation of the developed countries under Kyoto
• It has been ratified by 197 states.
Protocol to make targeted cuts in their greenhouse gas
(GHGs) emissions till 2020. • It acts as a framework for the international efforts to
protect the ozone layer.
• These are laid out in the accompanying Montreal
►BELMONT FORUM Protocol.
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• The fund will be set up by the GEF, with financial support • During the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol the
from the developed nations like US, UK, Canada etc. inclusion of tropical forest management was debated but
eventually dropped due to anticipated methodological
• World Bank has been requested to act as the trustee for difficulties in establishing – in particular – additionality
the fund, who was also a trustee in the initial hand and leakage (detrimental effects outside of the project
holding of GEF area attributable to project activities).
• REDD+ (Defined in Bali Action Plan, 2007, CoP13)
WHAT CONSTITUTES "+"?
►KIGALI AGREEMENT (2016)
1. sustainable management of forests,
• The Kigali Agreement amended the 1987 Montreal 2. conservation of forest carbon stocks and
Protocol that was designed to close growing ozone hole
3. enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
by banning ozone-depleting substances.
• First group includes countries like US and those in • REDD+ is essentially a vehicle to financially reward
European Union (EU). They will freeze production and developing countries for their verified efforts to reduce
emissions and enhance removals of greenhouse gases
consumption of HFCs by 2018. They will reduce them to
through a variety of forest management option.
about 15% of 2012 levels by 2036.
• India favours REDD+
• Second group includes countries like China, Brazil and all
of Africa which will freeze HFC use by 2024 and cut it to
20% of 2021 levels by 2045.
►BASEL CONVENTION
• Third group countries like India, Pakistan, Pakistan, Iran,
• Formally known as “The Basel Convention on the Control
Saudi Arabia etc will be freezing HFC use by 2028 and
of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and
reducing it to about 15% of 2025 levels by 2047.
their Disposal”
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• Aims to reduce the movements of hazardous waste • This naming is of symbolic importance as the city went
between nations and specifically to prevent transfer of through devastating incident of mercury poisoning.
hazardous waste from developed to less developed • It is expected that over the next few decades, this
countries. international agreement will enhance the reduction of
• The Convention is also intended to: mercury pollution from the targeted activities
o Minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated, responsible for the major release of mercury to the
immediate environment.
o To ensure their environmentally sound management as
closely as possible to the source of generation,
o To assist Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in
►CLIMATE & CLEAN AIR COALITION
environmentally sound management of the hazardous
and other wastes they generate. (CCAC)
o It does not address the movement of radioactive waste. ABOUT CLIMATE & CLEAN AIR COALITION
o Its objective was to stop dumping of hazardous waste • It is a voluntary partnership of governments,
from developed countries in developing nations. intergovernmental organisations, businesses, scientific
institutions and civil society organisations committed to
protecting the climate and improve air quality through
actions to reduce Short lived climate pollutants.
►ROTTERDAM CONVENTION
• India is a not a member of this coalition
• Formally called as” Rotterdam Convention on the Prior
Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous CURRENTLY IT IS FOCUSED ON 4 SHORT LIVED CLIMATE
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade” POLLUTANTS (SLCPS)
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• Globalisation and climate change have an increasing greenhouse gas emissions and allows those industries
influence on the stability of fragile mountain ecosystems with low emissions to sell their extra allowances to larger
and the livelihoods of mountain people. emitters.
• It aims to assist mountain people to understand these 2. A carbon tax directly sets a price on carbon by defining a
changes, adapt to them. tax rate on greenhouse gas emissions or – more
• It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. commonly – on the carbon content of fossil fuels.
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►ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT, • Giving relief and compensation for damages to persons
and property and for matters connected therewith or
1986 incidental thereto.
• It empowers the central government to establish • The tribunal has three courts in its principal Bench in
authorities under section 3(3) charged with mandate of Delhi and four zonal Benches — in the east, west, central
preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and to and south to encompass all States and Union Territories
tackle specific problems that are peculiar to different — and faces the prospect of functioning with less than
parts of the country. one-third of its sanctioned strength of 20.
OBJECTIVES NGT DEALS IN THE FOLLOWING ACTS
• To protect and improve environmental qualities. • The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
• To establish an authority to study, plan and implement 1974;
long term requirements of environmental safety. • The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act,
• To give directions and to co-ordinate a system of 1977;
adequate response to emergency situations threatening • The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980;
the environment.
• The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;
• To create an authority with the purpose of environmental
• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986;
protection and regulation of discharge of pollutants and
handling of harmful substances. • The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991;
• To co-ordinate the activities of various regulating • The Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
agencies. It does not deal with Wildlife (Protection) Act
• To cover all problems relating to environment
comprehensively.
►NATIONAL ADAPTATION FUND FOR
CLIMATE CHANGE (NAFCC)
►NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL (NGT)
• NAFCC was operationalised in 2015-16.
• NGT is a tribunal set up to address environmental
• The fund is meant to assist national and state level
issues.
activities to meet the cost of adaptation measures in
• It is a statutory body established under the National areas that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse
Green Tribunal Act 2010. effects of climate change.
• One full time Chairperson, • This scheme has been taken as Central Sector
• Not less than ten but subject to maximum of twenty full Scheme with the National Bank for Agriculture and
time Judicial Members as the Central Government may, Rural Development (NABARD) as National
from time to time, notify; Implementing Entity (NIE).
• Not less than ten but subject to maximum of twenty full • The aim of the fund is to support concrete adaptation
time Judicial Members as the Central Government may, activities which are not covered under ongoing schemes
from time to time, notify. of State and National Government that reduce the
adverse effects of climate change facing community
AIMS
sector and states.
• Effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to
environmental protection and conservation of forests
and other natural resources, ►ENVIRONMENT IMPACT
• Enforcement of any legal right relating to environment, ASSESSMENT (EIA)
and
• The EIA, 2006 and CRZ, 2011 have been amended from
time to time to further streamline the clearance process.
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• The amendments have also been done to address • The scheme would contribute to reduction of pollution
emerging concerns stemming from the need to integrate loads in lakes and wise use of wetland resources and
environmental concerns into the developmental process their services. NPCA is presently operational on cost
for achieving the goal of sustainable development. sharing between Central and respective state
• While according environmental clearance to governments.
development project, necessary conditions,
environmental safeguard and measures are stipulated
for their effective implementation during the ►NATIONAL WATER MISSION
construction and operation of the project.
• Objective of the National Water Mission is "conservation
of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more
equitable distribution both across and within States
►NATIONAL RIVER CONSERVATION through integrated water resources development and
PLAN (NRCP) management".
• The five identified goals of the Mission are:
• The river conservation programme was initiated with the
launching of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) in 1985. (a) comprehensive water data base in public domain and
assessment of impact of climate change on water
• The Ganga Action Plan was expanded to cover other
resource;
rivers under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP)
in the year 1995. (b) promotion of citizen and state action for water
conservation, augmentation and preservation;
• The objective of NRCP is to improve the water quality of
rivers, which are major water sources in the country, (c) focused attention to vulnerable areas including over-
through implementation of pollution abatement works in exploited areas;
various towns along identified polluted stretches of rivers (d) increasing water use efficiency by 20 per cent, and
on cost sharing basis between the Central and state
(e) promotion of basin level integrated water resources
governments.
management.
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manner through community participation; and arresting o encouraging the adoption/utilization of traditional
declining ground water levels in over-exploited areas. knowledge in water resources conservation and its
management;
o utilizing sector level expertise from different levels in
►NATIONAL MISSION FOR CLEAN government, NGO's, citizens etc; and
GANGA o enhancing livelihood security through water security in
rural areas..
• Namami Gange Programme integrates the efforts to
clean and protect the river Ganga in a comprehensive
manner.
►RIVER INTERLINKING IN INDIA
• In order to speed up progress, the Centre decided to take
over 100 per cent funding of various activities/projects • Interlinking of Rivers is the joining of the networks of
and plans to provide for operation and maintenance of canals and reservoirs under the National Perspective
the assets for a minimum 10-year period. Plan (NPP) prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources,
River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• The primary focus of the programme is on pollution
abatement and by 2020, the gap in treatment capacity • National Water Development Agency (NWDA) has
for priority towns located along Ganga will be addressed. identified 14 links under Himalayan Rivers Component
and 16 links under Peninsular Rivers Component for
• Identified grossly polluting industries have been directed
inter-basin transfer of water based on field surveys and
to move towards implementing zero liquid discharge and
investigation and detailed studies.
installing real time effluent monitoring stations.
NATIONAL WATER DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (NWDA)
• Comprehensive river surface and ghat cleaning
programme has been initiated for major urban centres of • NWDA is a registered society under the Ministry of Water
Haridwar, Rishikesh, Gharmukteshwar, Mathura- Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
Vrindavan, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Sahibganj, set up in the year 1982 to carry out detailed studies,
Kolkata and Nabadwip. surveys and investigations in respect of Peninsular
component of National Perspective for Water Resources
• This programme will include solid waste management
Development.
and environmental monitoring/ surveillance of
drains. • It is responsible for the work of preparation of detailed
Project Reports (DPR) of various link proposals and Pre-
• Intensive afforestation drive has also been initiated along
feasibility Reports and feasibility reports of intra-State
the banks of the river with focus on regeneration of
links as proposed by the States.
native/medicinal species and providing comprehensive
intervention that leads to the overall objective of cleaning NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE PLAN (NPP)
river Ganga by reducing sediment load, recharging • NPP has 3 components-
ground water and reducing non-point source pollution.
a. Himalayan Component,
b. Peninsular River Component and
►JAL KRANTI ABHIYAN c. Inter-state River linking Component.
• Launched in the year 2015-16, to consolidate water • Himalayan Rivers Development envisages construction
conservation and management in the country of storage reservoirs on the main Ganga and the
through a holistic approach involving all stakeholders, Brahmaputra and their principal tributaries in India and
making it a mass movement. Nepal along with interlinking canal system to transfer
• Objectives: surplus flows of the eastern tributaries of the Ganga to
the West apart from linking of the main Brahmaputra
o Strengthening grass root involvement of all stakeholders
with the Ganga.
including Panchayati Raj Institutions and local bodies in
the water security and development schemes; o It will provide substantial flood control in the Ganga-
Brahmaputra basin.
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o It would provide 40,000 cusecs to Calcutta Port and 8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge on Climate
would provide navigation facilities across the country. Change
o The scheme will benefit our neighbours also – Nepal and
Bangladesh as well as the Northern and the Western
States in our country. ►JAWAHARLAL NEHRU NATIONAL
• Peninsular river development has been divided into SOLAR MISSION (JNNSM)
four major parts:
• Launched in 2010, the mission has set ambitious target
o Part-I- Interlinking of Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna- of deploying 20,000 MW of grid connected solar power by
Pennar-Cauvery 2022.
o Part-II- Interlinking of West Flowing Rivers, North of • In 2014, the government revised the mission and has
Bombay and South of Tapi increased the target from 20,000 MW to 1, 00, 000 MW
o Part-III- Inter-linking of Ken with Chambal i.e., 100 GW.
o Part-IV - Diversion of West Flowing Rivers • The above capacity is proposed to be achieved via
deployment of 40,000 MW of Rooftop Solar Projects and
PROVISIONS RELATING TO WATER IN CONSTITUTION
60,000 MW of Large and Medium Scale Solar Projects.
• Entry 56 of List 1 of Schedule VII: (Union List), Shipping
and navigation in National waterways.
• Entry 17 of List II of Schedule VII: (State List), Inland ►SOLAR ENERGY CORPORATION OF
waterways, irrigation, drainage, canals, supplies, INDIA (SECI)
embankments.
• SECI is a central PSU under the administrative control of
• Article 262 empowers the parliament to legislate in
the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
disputes pertaining to Inter-state River Water Disputes.
established to facilitate the implementation of JNNSM
and achievement of targets set therein.
• It is the only Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU)
►NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR
dedicated to the solar energy sector.
CLIMATE CHANGE (NAPCC) • It was originally incorporated as a section-25 (not for-
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) is a profit) company under the Companies Act, 1956.
comprehensive action plan which outlines measures on
climate change related adaptation and mitigation while
simultaneously advancing development. ►INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE
• The 8 Missions form the core of the Plan, representing (ISA)
multi-pronged, long termed and integrated strategies for
• Indian and France invited over 100 countries to join the
achieving goals in the context of climate change.
ISA.
• The 8 missions are:
• The initiative was launched by them on 1st day of the
1. National Solar Mission Climate Change Conference (COP21), Paris Summit.
2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency • ISA is conceived as a coalition of solar resource rich
3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat countries (countries lying fully or partially between the
Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) to address
4. National Water Mission
their special energy needs and will provide a platform to
5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem collaborate on addressing the identified gaps through a
6. National Mission for Green India common, agreed approach.
7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture • ISA has been envisioned as a specialized platform and
will contribute towards the common goal of increasing
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utilization and promotion of solar energy and solar in place a system to collect back the packaging waste
applications in its member countries. generated due to their production (ET).
• The institutional structure of ISA consists of an • Burning of Solid Waste has been prohibited
Assembly, a Council and a Secretariat. The secretariat • Social Dimension has been adequately considered.
of the ISA is to be located in Gurugram, India. Rag pickers are to be integrated in the formal system.
• Its members will take coordinated actions through • Increasing Coverage: The new rules will now apply
programs and activities that will aggregate demands for much beyond the municipal areas, extending to urban
solar finance, solar technologies, innovation, R&D and agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial
capacity building. townships, areas under the control of Indian Railways,
ISA AND INDIA airports, airbase, port and harbour, defence
• India is betting big on solar power. India has scaled up its establishments, special economic zones, State and
renewable energy target from 30GW by 2016-17 to Central State and Central government organizations,
175GW by 2021-22. Of this, the highest share would be of places of pilgrims, religious & historical importance.
solar power (100GW-Solar, 60GW Wind energy, 15GW Event organizers, and new townships and group housing
Bio-mass energy). societies have been brought under the system. This
would bring 450 million people under its ambit against
• India, a country blessed with abundant sunshine, has
150 million previously.
also taken a lead role in setting up the International Solar
Alliance (ISA). • Waste-processing facilities to be set up by all local
bodies having a population of 1 million or more.
• The ISA gives India an opportunity to take a global
leadership role in the fight against climate change. The
secretariat of the ISA is to be located in India. It will also
host a meeting of ISA assembly every year.
►BIO-MEDICAL WASTE
MANAGEMENT RULES, 2016
• Bio-medical waste has been classified in to 4 categories
►NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SOLAR
instead 10 to improve the segregation of waste at source
ENERGY and these 4 categories have colour-code.
It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of New o Red Bin for plastic waste such as bottles, syringes, etc.
and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and is the apex National o Yellow Bin for infectious wastes such as cotton,
Research and Development institution in the field of Solar bandage, placenta, etc.
Energy. It is located at Gurugram.
o Blue Bin for glass bottles like discarded medicines
o Black Bin for needles without syringes, metal articles,
►SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, 2016 etc.
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• No occupier shall establish on-site treatment and ►INDIAN NATIONAL CENTRE FOR
disposal facility, if a service of `common bio-medical
waste treatment facility is available at a distance of
OCEAN INFORMATION SERVICES
seventy-five kilometer. (INCOIS)
• The new rules prescribe more stringent standards for INCOIS is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization
incinerator to reduce the emission of pollutants in (ESSO), established as ESSO-INCOIS in 1999 under the
environment; Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Inclusion of emissions limits for Dioxin and furans; OBJECTIVES
• Establish a Bar-Code System for bags or containers To provide the best possible ocean information and
containing bio-medical waste for disposal. advisory services to society, industry, government agencies
• Provide training to all its health care workers and and the scientific community through sustained ocean
immunise all health workers regularly. observations and constant improvements through
systematic and focused research.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES
►E-WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES, • Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ): Identify the potential
2016 fishing zones to help the fishermen to get better catch.
• For the first time in India, Manufacturer, Dealer, • Tsunami Early Warning Centre (TEWS): To provide
Refurbisher and Producer Responsibility Organization important tsunami advisories to the people living in the
(PRO) has been made responsible for managing the e- coastal areas of the country.
waste. • Ocean State Forecast (OSF): To predict the surface and
• E-waste rules will now include Compact Fluorescent sub-surface features of the Indian Ocean in advance to
Lamp (CFL) and other mercury containing lamps, as well plan and execute commercial activities safely.
as other such equipment. • Ocean Observation Group (OOG): To measure and
• The rules will bring the producers under Extended monitor the surface temperature and salinity of the
Producer Responsibility (EPR), along with targets, i.e. upper 2000 meters of the ocean.
producers have been made responsible for collection of
E-waste and for its exchange.
• State Governments has been also introduced to ensure
►ECO CLUB
safety, health and skill development of the workers • Eco-clubs are formed in the schools all over the country.
involved in dismantling and recycling operations.
• It is conducted with a financial assistance of Rs. 2,500/-
• The process of dismantling and recycling has been per school per annum by the MOEFCC.
simplified through one system of authorization and that
• It is part of National Green Corps programme.
the Central Pollution Control Board will give the single
authorization throughout the country.
• Aim is to create environmental awareness amongst the
future generation
• Emphasizing that toxic constituents present in E-waste
and their disposal mechanism affect human health and
lead to various diseases, the transportation of E-waste
has been made more stringent.
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CURRENTaffairs &
related concepts
►DEVICE WAYU ►BLACK CARBON
To combat the worsening air quality, National A Study has found increased concentration of black carbon
Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), the in Gangotri region even in winter months.
Nagpur-based laboratory of the Council of Scientific and FINDINGS
Industrial Research (CSIR), has developed the WAYU (Wind
• The high concentration of black carbon in January
Augmentation and Purification Units) device.
and February is not originating from local sources
ABOUT BANK because life remains near standstill as almost the entire
The WAYU device works in two stages. population in these areas migrates to the plains for the
• The first stage uses a fan to suck in air around the winter.
device, which contains all kinds of pollutants like dust • Thus, the study has deduced that black carbon is
and particulate matter. These are separated using three travelling from Mediterranean countries during the
blades of different dimensions. western disturbances and wind trajectories and it
• Post this in the second stage, the air enters into a may be one of the contributing factors leading to
specially designed chamber where oxidation takes place pollution and receding snowline in the Himalayas.
using activated carbon coated with titanium oxide. ABOUT BLACK CARBON
• The oxidation is supported by two ultraviolet lights. The • Black carbon is a potent climate-warming component
purified air is then pumped out into the atmosphere. of particulate matter
IMPACT • It is formed by the incomplete combustion of fossil
• The device has capacity to purify air in area of 500 square fuels, wood and other fuels.
metres. It consumes only half unit of electricity for 10 • It is a short-lived climate pollutant with a lifetime of
hours of running. only days to weeks after release in the atmosphere.
• The device can bring down the PM10 values from 600 • During this short period of time, black carbon can have
micrograms per cubic metre to 100 micrograms per cubic significant direct and indirect impacts on the climate,
metre. glacial regions, agriculture and human health.
• It also brings down PM 2.5 values from 300 micrograms
per cubic metre to 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
• Black carbon is inorganic in nature consisting of soot • Brown carbon or organic carbon, unlike black carbon, comes
particles that directly come out of combustion from complex organic reactions in the airborne atmospheric
process, exhaust fumes that form part of particulate particles.
matter present in the air. • This includes tar material from smouldering fires or coal
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• Black carbon absorbs sunlight and in turn warms the combustion, breakdown products from biomass burning, a
atmosphere. When inhaled it causes severe health mixture of organic compounds given off by vegetation. Brown
problems. carbon is light brown in colour and absorbs light in the ultraviolet
• Black carbon absorbs light in the visible spectrum. region.
• It absorbs both incoming and terrestrial radiations. • Brown carbon leads to the formation of ground level ozone in the
atmosphere.
• Fly ash is a by-product of burning pulverized coal Bioplastics, often promoted as a climate-friendly alternative
especially in electric power generating plants. During to petroleum-based plastics, may lead to an increase in
combustion, mineral impurities in the coal like clay, greenhouse gas emissions.
feldspar, quartz, and shale fuse in suspension and float ABOUT BIOPLASTICS
out of the combustion chamber with the exhaust gases.
• Bioplastics are in principle climate-neutral since they
Ash that falls at the bottom of the boiler is called bottom
are based on renewable raw materials such as maize,
ash.
wheat or sugar cane.
• Fly ash includes substantial amounts of oxides of silica,
• These plants get the CO2 that they need from the air
aluminium and calcium. Element like Arsenic, Boron,
Chromium, lead etc. are also found in trace through their leaves.
concentrations and is hazardous to environment and • Producing bioplastics therefore consumes CO2, which
health. The Fly ash causes air pollution, contaminate compensates for the amount that is later released at
water and soil systems. end-of-life.
SIGNIFICANCE • Overall, their net greenhouse gas balance is assumed to
• Fly ash exhibit cementitious properties to varying be zero.
degrees depending on the chemical and physical BIOPLASTIC LEADING TO HIGHER GHG EMISSION
properties of both the fly ash and cement. Compared to
• Production of bioplastics in large amounts would change
cement and water, the chemical reaction between fly ash
and calcium hydroxide typically is slower resulting in land use globally.
delayed hardening of the concrete. • This could potentially lead to an increase in the
• Fly ash chemically reacts with the by-product calcium conversion of forest areas to arable land.
hydroxide released by the chemical reaction between • However, forests absorb considerably more CO2 than
cement and water to form additional cementitious maize or sugar cane annually, if only because of their
products that improve many desirable properties of larger biomass.
concrete.
• Fly ash can be used as a replacement for some of the
Portland cement contents of concrete. It can be used in ►NITROGEN POLLUTION
the production of bricks for building construction. Central
Government has made it mandatory for use of fly ash 18 research institutions in India are among a group of 50
bricks in construction activities happening 500km around institutions — called the South Asian Nitrogen Hub
thermal power plants. (SANH) that have secured about ₹200 crores from the U.K.
government to assess and study the quantum and impact of
“nitrogen pollution” in South Asia.
►BIOPLASTICS FORMS OF NITROGEN
A study was conducted by the University of Bonn in • Nitrogen is one of the five major chemical elements that
Germany on the use of bioplastics and its effects on the are necessary for life.
environment.
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• While nitrogen is the most abundant of these, more than o Optimize nitrogen’s beneficial in sustainable food
99% of it occurs as molecular nitrogen, or N2, which production
cannot be used by most organisms. o Minimize nitrogen’s negative effects on human health
• This is because breaking the triple bond holding the two and environment.
nitrogen atoms together requires a large amount of • The program is currently a sustained partner of Future
energy, which can be mustered only through high- Earth.
temperature processes or by a small number of nitrogen-
• INI holds conferences every three years.
fixing microbes.
• Indian scientist Nandula Raghuram has been elected
• Most living organisms can only make use of reactive
as the chair of INI. He is the first Indian and Asian to be
nitrogen, which includes inorganic forms of nitrogen like
elected.
ammonia, ammonium, nitrogen oxide, nitric acid, nitrous
oxide, and nitrate, and organic compounds like urea, WHAT IS CAUSING NITROGEN POLLUTION?
amines, proteins, and nucleic acids. In the pre-human world, a small amount of usable reactive
• It includes any nitrogen compound that is radioactively, nitrogen was created from N2 by lightning and biological
chemically or biological active and stratospheric ozone nitrogen fixation, but the spread of reactive nitrogen was
depletion. held in check by denitrification, a process that converts
reactive N back to N2.
N2 Un-reactive di-nitrogen; forms 78% of the air
This is no longer the case. Human beings have dramatically
we breathe
altered the nitrogen balance. We have done so by cultivating
NR Reactive nitrogen; fixed in soil by microbes; legumes, rice, and other crops that promote nitrogen
reacts to form different compounds with fixation, by burning fossil fuels, and by transforming
various impacts nonreactive atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia to sustain
food production and some industrial processes.
NH3 Ammonia; used for making fertilisers; can
o Nitrogen is a dominant gas in the atmosphere and is
escape into the air as a pollutant.
inert and doesn’t react.
NH4NO3 Ammonium nitrate, acts as fertiliser; when o However, when it is released as part of compounds from
synthesised in the atmosphere, contributes to agriculture, sewage and biological waste, nitrogen is
particulate matter, water pollution and results considered “reactive”, and it may be polluting and even
in eutrophication. exert a potent greenhouse gas effect.
N2O Nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas; depletes o Indian NO x emissions grew at 52 % from 1991 to 2001
ozone layer and 69% from 2001 to 2011.
o Nitrogen particles make up the largest fraction of PM2.5,
NOx Mixture of NO and NO2; a major air pollutant.
the class of pollutants closely linked to cardiovascular
NO3 Nitrate; the form in which nitrogen gets fixed and respiratory illness.
in soil; can pollute water sources; forms ozone, The recent global increase of reactive nitrogen by all human
which adds to particulate matter load. sources has far outstripped production from all natural
terrestrial systems, and since the 1960s, the rate of increase
has accelerated sharply.
INTERNATIONAL NITROGEN
INITIATIVE
• It is an international program, set up in 2003 under the ►INDIAN NITROGEN ASSESSMENT
sponsorship of Scientific Committee on Problems of the (INI)
Environment (SCOPE) and the International Geosphere-
• INI, is a book, is the first-ever quantitative assessment of
Biosphere Program (IGBP).
nitrogen pollution in India.
• Aim of INI are
• Key Findings of Indian Nitrogen Assessment:
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(a) Nitrogen particles make up the largest fraction of • Aerosols are suspension of particles in the
PM2.5 (it is related to that class of pollutants which is atmosphere via both human-made and natural
related to cardiovascular and respiratory illness). sources.
(b) Agriculture remains the largest contributor to • E.g. Volcanic and desert dust, sulphate from coal.
nitrogen emissions. However, the non-agricultural
IMPACT ON MONSSON
emissions of nitrogen oxides and nitrous oxide are
growing rapidly, with sewage and fossil-fuel burning — • Studies suggest that aerosols may be a far more
for power, transport and industry — leading the trend. important factor than GHGs on impact on monsoon.
(c) Annual NOx emissions from coal, diesel and other fuel • They impact cloud formations because water
combustion sources are growing at 6.5% a year. condenses on them.
(d) Since 2002, N2O has replaced methane as the • They offset warming from greenhouse gases because
second largest Greenhouse Gas (GHG) from Indian they send some of the sun's radiant energy back to space
agriculture. exerting a cooling influence on Earth's climate.
(e) Chemical fertilizers (over 82% of it is urea) account • A good monsoon, which is produced by the difference in
for over 77% of all agricultural N2O emissions in temperature between land and sea, is thus weakened by
India. aerosol accumulation.
Future Earth is at its core a ‘federation’ of projects and other • It aims to enthuse the cities with a spirit of healthy
initiatives related to Global Environmental Change. competition to improve their overall cleanliness.
Projects by Future Earth: These projects were launched • It is different from the Swachh Survekshan ranking
under the umbrella of four global environmental change survey as it will allow multiple cities to be awarded the
programmes: same star rating.
1. DIVERSITAS • A city should be ODF (Open Defecation Free) before it
2. The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme could be given rating of 3 star or above.
(IGBP) • While cities may self-declare themselves as 1-star, 2-
3. The International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP) star or 4-star, MoHUA will carry out an additional
4. The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) verification through an independent third party to
certify cities as 3-star, 5-star or 7-star.
• Some further projects arose out of the Earth System
Science Partnership (ESSP). • The major focus in the ratings will be on waste storage
and litter bin.
ABOUT SBM (URBAN)
►AEROSOL IMPACT ON INDIAN It is an initiative under the Ministry of Housing and Urban
MONSOON Affiars with following components:
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• India is likely to improve its reputation in countries Management (SICOM) as blue flag beaches which
(where the concerned pesticides are banned) which include Maharashtra's Chiwla and Bhogave beaches and
imports food related products (both manufactured and one beach each from Puducherry, Goa, Daman and Diu,
raw) from India. Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• An integrated coastal management scheme, referred as
Beach Management Service (BeaMS) has also been
►PLASTIC BAN introduced by the ministry to reduce existing pollutants
on beaches and achieve such high international
Recently, India committed to eliminate all single-use plastic
standards.
in the country by 2022.
THE 13 BEACHES ARE:
ABOUT SINGLE USE PLASTIC
1. Shivrajpur (Dwarka), Gujarat
• Also referred as disposable plastics.
2. Ghoghla (Diu), Daman and Diu
• Commonly used for plastic packaging and include items
intended to be used only once before they are thrown 3. Bhogve (Sindhudurg), Maharashtra
away or recycled. 4. Miramar (Panjim), Goa
• It accounts for 50% of the plastic we use, with none 5. Padubidri (Udupi), Karnataka
states in India have plans in place to tackle single use 6. Kappad (Kozhikode), Kerala
plastics. 7. Emerald (Karaikal), Puducherry
BACKGROUND 8. Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
• India was the global host of 2018 World Environment 9. Rushikonda (Vishakhapatnam), Andhra Pradesh
Day (June 5, 2018) with “Beat Plastic Pollution” as the 10. Chandrabhaga (Puri), Odisha
theme, reflecting world commitment to combat single-
11. Tajpur (Purbi Midnapur) West Bengal
use plastic pollution.
12. Radhanagar (Havlock) Andaman & Nicobar
• According to United Nations Environment Programme
13. Bangaram, Lakshdweep
(UNEP) if current pollution rates continue, there will be
more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050, as globally, only BLUE FLAG STANDARDS
14% of plastics is recycled. • The Blue Flag beach standards were established by
Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental
Education (FEE) in 1985 in France.
►BLUE FLAG CERTIFICATION • The Blue Flag is an environmental award for beaches,
13 Indian beaches have been shortlisted for the Blue flag sustainable boating tourism operators, and marinas.
certification. • Only local authorities or private beach operators can
INDIA SPECIFIC DETAILS apply for a Blue Flag for beaches.
• The MOEFCC had started a pilot project under a Unified • The criteria for Blue Flag beaches cover four main area:
Coastal Areas Management Programme to develop the water quality, environmental management,
Indian beaches according to the Blue Flag standards in environmental education and safety.
December 2017. • Once the 33 criteria of blue flag standards are met by a
• Chandrabhaga beach of Odisha's Konark coast, the first beach, it is permitted to hoist the flag of BLUE FLAG on
to complete the tag certification process, will be the first the beach.
in Asia to get the Blue Flag certification. ABOUT SICOM
• Along with it, Maharastra’s Chiwla and Bhogave beach Established under MOEFCC, it is implementing the World
are also being developed for blue flag certification. Bank assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)
• Apart from them, 12 other beaches across are also project.
being developed by the Society for Integrated Coastal
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Report, WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin and other supporting decisions that serve the collective good in
inputs received from across the globe. accordance with the Pacific concept of “Talanoa”.
• It highlights that success in tackling the global climate FORMAT OF THE SUMMIT
crisis can be achieved, but only if public and private • The 2018 CVF Summit was organized entirely online as a
sector actions are urgently stepped up. “Virtual Summit”.
• The reports aim to respond to the three Talanoa • The use of this format aims to maximize cost-
Dialogue questions in regards to the progress on effectiveness, inclusivity and global participation, while
Climate actions. minimizing any adverse climate impacts of the meeting in
THREE TALANOA DIALOGUE QUESTIONS a demonstration of what can be achieved with the
1. Where are we? solutions of today.
• It is the 2018 Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Summit • Human-induced global warming has in 2017 already
organised as part of the Talanoa Dialogue. reached 1°C above pre-industrial levels; the current
climate efforts of countries will take the world to 1.5°C
• It is the first heads of Government level conference.
between 2030 and 2052.
AIMS
• Impacts at 1.5°C are far greater than anticipated and
• The aim is to contribute to momentum and the raising estimated earlier.
of levels of climate action and ambition during the 2018-
o The world would witness greater sea level rise,
2020 period towards the safeguard of the world’s most
increased precipitation and higher frequency of
vulnerable groups from climate change threats.
droughts and floods, hotter days and heatwaves, more
• The Summit sought to encourage the sharing of intense tropical cyclones, and increased ocean
stories and perspectives on climate risks, new national acidification and salinity.
actions and opportunities related to climate action,
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• Risk transition from 1.5°C to 2°C is very high and that the • The members of the conference did not agree to
effects at 2°C will be more devastating than what “welcome” the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report had indicated. Change (IPCC) report on 1.5°C. The US, Saudi Arabia,
o Coastal nations and agricultural economies like India Russia and Kuwait refused to “welcome” the IPCC report.
would be the worst affected. • The parties to the conference agreed to record the
o Decline in crop yields, unprecedented climate extremes pledges in a public registry, as per the existing interim
and increased susceptibility could push poverty by portal.
several million by 2050. • It was also agreed among the members that future
• Require a UNFCCC-plus approach: pledges should cover a “common timeframe” from
2031.
o Climate efforts cannot be restrictive to the UNFCCC and
the Paris Agreement. • The number of years for the timeframe will be decided
later.
• The world needs to think and devise more forums and
venues to address climate change. PENDING ISSUES
ABOUT IPCC Many difficult matters could not reach an agreement and
have been postponed to next year for resolution like
• IPCC is the UN body with 195 member states.
• ways to scale up existing commitments on emission
• Purpose: Assessing the science related to climate
reduction,
change.
• different ways of providing financial aid to the poor
• It was established by the United Nations Environment
nations,
Programme (UNEP) & the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) in 1988. • wording that prevents double counting and
• whether member nations are doing enough to cut their
respective emissions.
►COP24
The 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ►WMO GREENHOUSE GAS BULLETIN
(COP 24) was held in Katowice, Poland. Greenhouse Gas Bulletin-2018 has been published by
AGENDA OF COP 24 WMO.
• Finalization of guidelines/ modalities/rules for the • Published annually, the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reports
implementation of Paris Agreement. on atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases.
• Conclusion of 2018 Facilitative Talanoa Dialogue (to • It is based on observations from the WMO Global
help countries implement NDC by 2020) Atmosphere Watch Programme (GAW), which tracks
the changing levels of greenhouse gases as a result of
• The stocktake of Pre-2020 actions implementation and
ambition o industrialization,
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• Methane (CH4) is the second most important long- • It addresses different aspects of weather and climate
lived greenhouse gas and is now 257% of the pre- services, which includes warnings for cyclone, storm
industrial level. surges, heat waves, thunderstorms etc.
• Atmospheric concentration of Nitrous oxide (N2O) in • It was started in 2012.
2017 was 329.9 parts per billion. This is 122% of pre-
ABOUT NFAR
industrial levels.
• NFAR comes under Indian Institute of Tropical
• CFC-11 (trichlorofluoromethane): Since 2012 its rate of
Management (IITM), Pune.
decline has slowed to roughly two thirds of its rate of
decline during the preceding decade. • Under this a state of the art research aircraft
equipped with instruments will be used for atmospheric
research.
►EMISSIONS GAP REPORT 2018 • It will take simultaneous measurements of aerosols,
9th edition of the UN Environment Emissions Gap Report trace gases, cloud microphysics and large scale
has been released. meteorological parameters at high temporal resolution
ABOUT REPORT and at different altitudes in different seasons over the
Indian sub-continent.
• It focuses on the “gap” between the emissions
reductions necessary to achieve the agreed targets at • Significance of NAFR lies in the fact that it deals with
lowest cost and the likely emission reductions from airborne measurements which are extremely important
full implementation of the Nationally Determined for aerosol sampling, measurement of cloud properties,
Contributions (NDCs), which form the foundation of the cloud physics, etc. which in turn is used for assessing air
Paris Agreement. pollution and its associated impacts.
• It is prepared by United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
MAJOR FINDINGS
►CBD: SHARM EL-SHEIKH
• Pathways reflecting current NDCs imply global warming DECLARATION
of about 3°C by 2100, with warming continuing Recently, Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the
afterwards. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held, adopting
• Global greenhouse gas emissions show no signs of Sharm El-Sheikh Declaration.
peaking. SHARM EL-SHEIKH DECLARATION
• Global CO2 emissions from energy and industry
• Declaration on Investing in Biodiversity for People and
increased in 2017, following a three year period of
Planet.
stabilization.
• Governments commit to mainstream biodiversity
through, integrating biodiversity values in legislative
►ATMOSPHERE & CLIMATE and policy frameworks, and development and finance
plans.
RESEARCH-MODELLING OBSERVING
OTHER IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS
SYSTEMS & SERVICES (ACROSS)
• New Deal for Nature: It is an agreement on a
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has
comprehensive and participatory process to develop
approved continuation of the scheme ACROSS during 2017-
post-2020 global biodiversity framework to further
2020 and establishment of National Facility Airborne
Research (NFAR) during 2020-21 and beyond. achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity.
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(UNESCO) and indigenous peoples and local • It will analyse how higher shares of renewable energy
communities. and increased energy
• It called for UN General Assembly to designate 2021 to • efficiency will impact relations between states and
2030 as the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. thus reshape global energy diplomacy.
• It will suggest how countries can thrive in the new
energy economy in line with the Paris Climate
►IRENA REPORT Agreement objectives and the SDGs.
IRENA has come up with a study, titled ‘Water Use in
India’s Power Generation: Impact of Renewables and
Improved Cooling Technologies to 2030’. ►INCLUSIVE WEALTH REPORT 2018
ABOUT STUDY Inclusive Wealth Report 2018 was presented by the UN
• The report suggests that the combination of improved Environment.
power plant cooling technologies and renewable • It is a biennial report, released by UN Environment.
energy technologies could help the country lessen the
• It seeks to evaluate and report on a country’s wealth
intensity of fresh water use for electricity generation.
and wellbeing through the Inclusive Wealth index (IWI).
• Report finds that renewable energy has the potential to
o IWI is intended as a replacement to Gross Domestic
generate significant water savings, increase long-term
Product (GDP) and the Human Development Index
food sustainability and bolster energy security.
(HDI)
• The report also records renewables’ added benefits of
o It assesses a nation’s ability to look after its wealth in a
cutting pollution, fossil-fuel dependency and greenhouse
way that is sustainable and safeguards its future
gas (GHG) emissions.
generations.
ABOUT IRENA
HIGHLIGHTS
• The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an
• The inclusive wealth of one-third of the countries in
intergovernmental organization, founded in 2009.
the world has declined, but their gross domestic
• The agency is headquartered in Abu Dhabi. product (GDP) has increased.
• Aim: to promote adoption and sustainable use of • Global Structure of Capital, as of 2014, is composed of
renewable energy.
o produced capital (21%),
• It serves as the principal platform for international
o human capital (59% of which 26% education
cooperation, and a repository of policy, technology,
induced human capital and 33% is health induced
resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.
human capital), and
• It is Permanent Observer to United Nation.
o natural capital (20%).
• India is a founder Member of the International
• The global level growth of each of the three capitals over
Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
the study period indicate that produced capital was
growing at an average rate of 3.8% per year and health
and education induced human capital was growing at
►GLOBAL COMMISSION ON THE
2.1%. Contrary, natural capital was decreasing at a rate
GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY of 0.7% per annum.
TRANSFORMATION
Recently, IRENA launched the Global Commission on the ►OCEAN CLEANUP PROJECT
Geopolitics of Energy Transformation.
Recently, the Ocean Cleanup project was started in the
• It will work to achieve a better understanding of the
Pacific Ocean.
geopolitical implications of a largescale shift to
renewable energy.
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ABOUT PROJECT first time GEF’s budget has been reduced since its
• Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organisation which is origin.
developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s • The cut is because US has pledged to slash its
oceans of plastics. contribution to GEF by almost half.
• It is directed at cleaning The Great Pacific Garbage • It approved a grant of USD 15 million for the Bay of
Patch (GPGP) Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project,
ABOUT GPGP started by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) in 2009.
• It is a gyre of marine debris particles in the north
central Pacific Ocean. • On the sidelines of the assembly, the Green Climate Fund
(GCF) and the GEF have also agreed to take joint steps to
• It is located roughly from 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to
improve climate finance flows to best meet the needs
42°N, which is a zone between Hawaii and California.
of developing countries.
ABOUT GEF
►GLOBAL SOIL BIODIVERSITY ATLAS • It is a financial mechanism established under the 1992
Recently, the Global Soil biodiversity Atlas placed India Rio Earth Summit to help tackle our planet’s most
among countries whose soil biodiversity faces the pressing environmental problems.
highest level of risk. • It is managed by World Bank.
ABOUT ATLAS • Environmental Conventions under GEF financial
• It is a joint venture of the Global Soil Biodiversity mechanism on:
Initiative and the European Commission Joint o Convention on Bio diversity (CBD)
Research Centre. o Convention to combat desertification (UNCCD)
• Its findings were published as part of the Living Planet o Framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC)
Report, 2018 (published by WWF every two years). o Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants
FINDINGS OF LIVING PLANET REPORT
o Minamata Convention
• The current rate of species loss is 100 to 1,000 times o Montreal Protocol (provides support)
higher than only a few hundred years ago.
• 60% of all animals with a backbone were wiped out due
to human activity from 1970 to 2014. ►GLOBAL CARBON PROJECT
• The report says that the Earth has entered the sixth Global carbon emissions are set to hit an all-time high of
mass extinction event in the last half-a-billion years. 37.1 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2018, according to researchers
at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Global Carbon
• There has been a decline in mangroves by 30% to 50%
Project.
over the past 50 years.
FINDINGS
• Almost 50% of the globe’s shallow-water reefs have
declined in the last 30 years. • India, the third-highest contributor, is projected to see
emissions rise by 6.3% from 2017.
• The 2.7% projected global rise in 2018 has been driven
►SIXTH GEF ASSEMBLY SUMMIT by appreciable growth in coal use for the second year
Sixth GEF Assembly summit took place in Da Nang, Viet in a row, and sustained growth in oil and gas use.
Nam in June 2018. • The 10 biggest emitters in 2018 are China, U.S., India,
DETAILS Russia, Japan, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Korea,
and Canada.
• It announced GEF replenishment of $4.1 billion, a cut in
the funding from USD 4.4 billion in 2014. This will be the • Limiting global warming to the 2015 Paris Agreement
goal of keeping the global temperature increase this
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century to well below 2°C, would need carbon dioxide o Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and
emissions to decline by 50% by 2030 and reach net marine resources for sustainable development.
zero by about 2050. o Take urgent action to combat climate change and its
ABOUT PROJECT impacts.
• The Global Carbon Project was formed in 2001 o Ensure availability and sustainable management of
• Aim: To help the international science community to water and sanitation for all.
establish a common, mutually agreed knowledge WHAT IS BLUE ECONOMY?
base that supports policy debate and action to slow the • According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the
rate of increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic
• It is a Global Research Project of Future Earth and a growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving
research partner of the World Climate Research the health of ocean ecosystem."
Programme. • For others, it simply refers to any economic activity in the
maritime sector, whether sustainable or not."
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nations threatened by warming beyond 1.5 degrees • The declaration has been signed by Democratic Republic
Celsius. of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Indonesia in the
ABOUT CVF backdrop of the 3rd Conference of Partners of the
Global Peatlands Initiatives (GPI), taking place in
• The CVF is an international cooperation group of
Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
developing countries tackling global climate change.
• GPI is an initiative by leading experts and institutions to
• he CVF was founded by the Maldives government
before the 2009 United Nations Climate Change save peatlands as world’s largest terrestrial organic
Conference in Copenhagen, which sought to increase carbon stock and to prevent it being emitted.
awareness of countries considered vulnerable. ABOUT PEATLAND
• The CVF was formed to increase the accountability of • Peats are a heterogeneous mixture of plant material
industrialized nations for the consequences of global (vascular plants, mosses and humus) that had
climate change. accumulated in a water-saturated area and are only
• Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan are its members, partially decomposed due to absence of oxygen.
whereas India is one of the observer states. • The natural areas covered by peat are called
peatlands.
►2018 EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY • Various types of peat are – swamp forests, fens, bogs or
mires.
2018 Earth Overshoot Day is August 1, the earliest date
since ecological overshoot began in early 1970s. • They form where climate, bedrock and relief create an
area with permanent water saturation i.e. either in
ABOUT EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY
shallow water over layers of lake sediments (called
• It is date when humanity annual demand on nature terrestrialisation) or directly on mineral soil (called
exceeds what Earth can regenerate over the entire palaudification).
year.
• They are mostly found in permafrost regions towards
• It is calculated by Global Footprint Network and World
the poles and at high altitudes, in coastal areas, beneath
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
tropical rainforest and in boreal forests.
ABOUT GLOBAL FOOTPRINT NETWORK
• Countries with largest peatland areas are – Russia,
• It is an international nonprofit organization founded Canada, Indonesia, USA, Finland etc.
in 2003 to enable a sustainable future where all people
have opportunity to thrive within the means of one
planet. ►LAND DEGRADATION NEUTRALITY
FUNCTIONS
(LDN) FUND
o It develops and promotes tools for advancing
Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN Fund) was
sustainability, including ecological footprint and
biocapacity. launched at the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP13)
to the United Nations Convention to Combat
o It measures amount of resources we use and how much
Desertification (UNCCD) in Ordos, China.
we have.
ABOUT LDN FUND
o These tools aim at bringing ecological limits to center
of decision-making. • LDN fund is a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle
leveraging public money to raise private capital for
sustainable land management and landscape
►BRAZZAVILLE DECLARATION restoration activities worldwide.
Recently, Brazzaville Declaration was signed to promote • It will be independent from the UN and will be
better management and conservation of Cuvette managed by a private sector investment
Centrale Region in Congo Basin. management firm.
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• It will invest in bankable projects on land • It then recycles them to produce natural incense,
rehabilitation and sustainable land management organic fertilizers and biodegradable packaging
worldwide, including material.
o sustainable agriculture, sustainable livestock • It helps in preventing chemical pesticides from
management, entering into the river through temple waste.
o agro-forestry, sustainable forestry, • Developed as the world’s first profitable solution to the
o renewable energy, infrastructure development, and monumental temple waste problem, the HelpUsGreen’s
eco-tourism. products are handcrafted by women who earlier used
to be manual scavengers.
ABOUT LDN
It is a state whereby the amount and quality of land
resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions, ►SOLAR GEO ENGINEERING
services and enhance food security, remains stable or
Developing Nations are planning to increase research in
increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and
dimming Sunlight through man made Sun-Shade to prevent
ecosystems.
climate change.
ABOUT UNCCD
ABOUT SOLAR GEO ENGINEERING
• Adopted in 1994 and entered into force in 1996
• It is a process through which the reflectivity (albedo) of
• It is the only internationally legally binding framework the Earth’s atmosphere or surface is increased, in an
set up to address the problem of desertification attempt to offset some of the effects of GHG-induced
• It recently released the first edition of Global Land climate change.
Outlook report. • The technique mimics big volcanic eruptions that can
• 2010 to 2020 has been declared as United Nations cool the Earth by masking the sun with a veil of ash or
Decade for Deserts and the Fight Against similar other things.
Desertification. THE METHODS INCLUDE:
• Space-Based Options/Space Sunshades e.g. using mirrors
in space, placing vast satellites at Lagrange Point 1, space
►UN CLIMATE ACTION AWARD
parasol, etc.
An Indian private project, HelpUsGreen is one of 15
• Stratosphere-Based Options such as injection of sulfate
ground-breaking projects from around the world that has
aerosols into the stratosphere.
won this year’s UN ‘Momentum for Change ’climate
action award. • Cloud-Based Options/Cloud Seeding e.g. Marine Cloud
Brightening (by spraying a fine seawater spray in the air),
ABOUT MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE
seeding of high cirrus clouds with heterogeneous ice
• Momentum for Change is an initiative spearheaded by nuclei.
the UN Climate Change secretariat.
• Surface-Based Options e.g. whitening roofs, growing
• Momentum for Change recognizes innovative and more reflective crops, etc.
transformative solutions that address both climate
change and wider economic, social and environmental
challenges. ►GLOBAL COOLING INNOVATION
• The initiative recognizes ‘LIGHTHOUSE ACTIVITIES’ which
SUMMIT
are the most inspiring and transformational mitigation
and adaptation activities. These Lighthouse activities are Two-day Global Cooling Innovation Summit was held in New
showcased at the annual UNFCCC conferences. Delhi.
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AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE SYSTEMS • Out of the total emissions, energy sector accounted for
73%, IPPU 8%, agriculture 16% and waste sector 3%.
These are outstanding landscapes of aesthetic beauty that
combine agricultural biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and a • About 12% of the emissions were offset by the carbon
valuable cultural heritage such as: Saffron Heritage of sink action of forestland, cropland and settlements.
Kashmir, Kuttanad Below Sea Level Farming System,
Koraput Traditional Agriculture
►NATIONAL CENTRE FOR EARTH
SCIENCE STUDIES (NCESS)
►NATIONAL REDD+ STRATEGY
FORMATION
MoEFCC released National REDD+ Strategy, which will
• It was instituted as CESS by the government of Kerala in
help to fulfill India’s NDC commitment under Paris
1978, at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Agreement of climate change.
• CESS was the earliest institute in the country to embrace
REDD+ MEANS
the concept of Earth System Science (ESS).
• “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest
WHO NOW CONTROLS IT?
Degradation”,
• Recognizing the growth potential of CESS, a committee
• conservation of forest carbon stocks,
recommended the taking over of CESS by the Ministry of
• enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India.
countries, and
• Hence it was incorporated as NCESS, as an autonomous
• sustainable management of forests institute under the Earth System Science Organization
REDD+ AIMS (ESSO) of MoES.
• To achieve climate change mitigation by incentivizing OBJECTIVES
forest conservation. To promote scientific and technological research and
• Address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation development studies in the earth sciences. It pursues
problems related to land, sea and atmosphere. Thus it:
• Carries out studies in river basin evaluation, ground
►INDIA’S SECOND BIENNIAL UPDATE water management, coastal erosion, and other special
REPORT (BUR) TO UNFCCC problems.
The Union Cabinet has approved Submission of India’s • Carries out research in earth system, micro-level
second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the UNFCCC watershed planning, natural hazards management,
towards the fulfilment of the reporting obligation under chemical analysis, and studies of air, water, land, noise
the Convention. pollution, etc.
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• While remaining dams viz. Mohankavchali, Paikhed, • Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be taken
Chasmandva, Chikkar, Dabdar and Kelwan dams are care by the Government and the remaining 10% of the
located in Valsad and Dang districts of Gujarat. project cost will be contributed by the community.
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• Schools, colleges and departments have been requested ►SARDAR SAROVAR DAM
to “Adopt a Plant” to make this campaign into a people’s
movement. ABOUT NARMADA RIVER
• State Forest Departments of respective states have • It is the largest west flowing river of the Peninsula.
been made the nodal agencies for the smooth and • It rises near Amarkantak range of mountains in Madhya
effective execution of the campaign. Pradesh.
IMPORTANCE OF AFFORESTATION IN GANGA BASIN • It passes through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and
• Forests cause higher rainfall and raise water level in the Gujarat and finally meets the Gulf of Cambay.
rivers.
• The total length of the river from source to sea is 1312
• Healthy forest cover along the river provides self- kilometers.
cleaning ability to the river.
• Left bank tributaries are the Shakkar, the Sher, the
• Through their foliage, craggy bark and abundant leaf Tawa, the Dudhi and the Ganjal.
litter, trees and forests decrease the speed of water
• Right bank tributaries are Lohar, the Karam, the Choral,
dispersion and favour slow but greater infiltration of
the Barna and the Hiran.
rainwater to ensure smooth functioning of the
hydrological cycle. • The Tawa is the biggest tributary of the river Narmada
ABOUT THE DAM
• Dimensions: Length 1.2 Kms, Depth 163 metres, and
►SWAN RIVER PROJECT Height 138.68 metres
ABOUT SWAN RIVER
• Benefits: Electricity to be shared among the three states
• SWAN - the ancient Sombhadra River, originates in the of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. While
Una district of Himachal Pradesh. water will be shared among four states – MP, Gujarat,
• The river has preserved and sustained human civilisation Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.
along its banks for ages. • Power generation: There are two power houses viz.
• The total length of the Swan River is 80 km, out of which River Bed Power House and Canal Head Power House
about 60 km. falls in Himachal Pradesh. The total length with an installed capacity of 1200 MW and 250 MW
of the Swan River is 80 km, out of which about 60 km. respectively.
falls in Himachal Pradesh. The total length of the Swan
River is 80 km, out of which about 60 km. falls in
Himachal Pradesh.The total length of Swan River is 80
►TUIDIMJANG DAM
km, out of which about 60 km falls in Himachal Pradesh.
• The catchment of Swan River is characterized by fragile CONCERNS REGARDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF DAM
and vulnerable Shivalik hills and sparse vegetative cover. • A dam called Tuidimjang, on the Twigem river flowing
SWAN RIVER PROJECT into Myanmar from Manipur is being constructed by
Myanmar close to the boundary with India.
• It aims to regenerate forests, protect farmlands from
flooding and reduce soil erosion mainly in Una district, • Dam being built by Myanmar authorities is barely 100
bordering Punjab. metres from the Zero Line separating the two
countries.
• To carry out integrated watershed management activities
including afforestation, civil works for soil and water • International rules warrant border countries to check
management. activities in No Man’s Land – a 150-metre strip on either
• To carry out soil protection, land reclamation, and side of the boundary line.
livelihood improvement activities. • The topography of the area is such that the villages will
• It is based on the method of river engineering that be submerged if a dam comes up in the region.
widens or deepens rivers to increase the capacity for flow • Villagers along the border also face water scarcity.
volume at specific sections of the river.
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ENERGY CONSERVATION • The Act provides for the legal framework, institutional
arrangement and a regulatory mechanism at the Central
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energy consumption norms for energy intensive Transformers, Induction Motors, Direct Cool
industries ; and Establishment of Energy Conservation Refrigerator, electric storage type geyser, LEDs lamp,
Fund ( both at center and state) Variable Capacity Inverter Air conditioners and
Colour TVs.
• The energy efficiency labeling programs under BEE are
►BUREAU OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY intended to reduce the energy consumption of appliance
(BEE) without diminishing the services it provides to
consumers. As a result, the least-efficient products are
• It is a statutory body established in 2002, under the
removed from the market and more efficient products
Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
are introduced.
• It functions under the Ministry of Power.
ENERGY CONSERVATION BUILDING CODES (ECBC)
• Mandate: It facilitates the implementation of the EC Act
• The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) was
by developing policies and strategies which focus on the
developed by Govt. of India for new commercial buildings
primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the
in May 2007.
Indian economy.
• ECBC sets minimum energy standards for new
• It is responsible for spearheading the improvement of
commercial buildings having a connected load of 100kW
energy efficiency of the economy through various
or contract demand of 120 KVA and above.
regulatory and promotional instruments
• While the Central Government has powers under the EC
• It coordinates with State level agencies and energy
Act 2001, the state governments have the flexibility to
consumers to perform functions and exercise powers
modify the code to suit local or regional needs and notify
that may be necessary for efficient use of energy and its
them.
conservation in India.
• Currently eight States and Union Territories (Rajasthan,
• The members of the governing council of the bureau are
Odisha, UT of Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Punjab,
appointed by the central government.
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Telangana) notified and
• Minister of power shall be the ex-officio chairman of the adopted the code for their states.
bureau.
• The updated version of ECBC came in 2017 which sets
parameters for builders, designers and architects to
►SCHEMES TO PROMOTE ENERGY integrate renewable energy sources in building design
with the inclusion of passive design strategies.
CONSERVATION AND ENERGY
LEED
EFFICIENCY
• LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental
The Ministry of Power, through Bureau of Energy Efficiency Design, is the most widely used rating system for the
(BEE), has initiated a number of energy efficiency initiatives. design, construction and operation of high performance
Some major of them are: green buildings in the world.
Standards and Labeling (for equipment and appliances ) • Available for virtually all building, community and home
• Started in 2006, to provide the consumer an informed project types, LEED provides a framework to create
choice about the energy saving and thereby the cost healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.
saving potential of the relevant marketed product. • LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of
• The scheme targets display of energy performance sustainability achievement.
labels on high energy end use equipment & appliances • To strengthen the global consistency of the LEED rating
and lays down minimum energy performance standards system, from 2014, GBCI (Green Business Certification
• Under the scheme the following are the mandatory Inc.) began managing the certification process for all
appliances - Room Air Conditioners, Fluorescent Tube LEED rating systems in India, including the LEED India
Lights, Frost Free Refrigerators, Distribution rating system, which was previously managed by the
Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
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• It evaluates the environmental performance of a building • The project aims to develop and promote market
holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a environment for introducing energy efficient
definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’. technologies and enhancing the use of renewable energy
technologies in process applications in energy-intensive
• Internationally, GRIHA has been recognized as an
MSMEs in 5 sectors (brass, ceramics, dairy, foundry and
innovative tool for sustainable development by the
hand tools)
United Nations.
DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT (DSM) SCHEME
In order to tap the energy saving potential, Agriculture ►NATIONAL MISSION FOR
Demand Side Management (AgDSM) program was ENHANCED ENERGY EFFICIENCY
initiated by Bureau of Energy Efficiency with an objective to
(NMEEE)
induce energy efficiency in agriculture sector by creating
market based framework for implementation of few pilot • The National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
projects and create awareness among end users & other (NMEEE) is one of the eight national missions under the
stakeholders for adoption of energy efficient pumpsets National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
(EEPS). • NMEEE aims to strengthen the market for energy
KUSUM efficiency by creating conducive regulatory and policy
regime and has envisaged fostering innovative and
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has
sustainable business models to the energy efficiency
approved the launch of KUSUM, Kisan Urja Suraksha
sector.
evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan scheme which inter-alia
aims to promote use of solar energy among the farmers. • It is being jointly implemented by Bureau of Energy
The proposed scheme provides for: Efficiency and Energy Efficiency Services Limited EESL.
o Installation of standalone off-grid solar water pumps to ►PERFORM, ACHIEVE AND TRADE
fulfil irrigation needs of farmers not connected to grid;
and
(PAT)
o Solarization of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps • Launched in 2012, it is a regulatory instrument for
to make farmers independent of grid supply and also sell market assisted compliance mechanism to accelerate
surplus solar power generated to Discom and get extra implementation of cost effective improvements in energy
income. efficiency in large energy-intensive industries
o This scheme will be implemented by Ministry of Ministry • Industries in various sectors have been mandated to
of New and Renewable Energy. reduce their specific energy consumption (SEC) (energy
used per unit of production) to a specific target based on
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN SMALL AND MEDIUM
their current levels of energy efficiency.
ENTERPRISES (SMES) SECTOR
• Units which are able to achieve SEC level that are lower
To encourage the energy efficient technologies and
than their targets can receive energy savings
operational practices in SME sectors in India, BEE has
certificates (ESCerts) for their excess savings.
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• The ESCerts could be traded on the Power Exchanges super-efficient (SE) fans and sell the same at a discounted
and bought by other units under PAT who can use price.
them to meet their compliance requirements.
►ENERGY EFFICIENCY FINANCING
• Units that are unable to meet the targets either through
their own actions or through purchase of ESCerts are
PLATFORM (EEFP)
liable to financial penalty under the Energy Conservation Under this, MoUs have been signed with financial
Act. institutions to work together for the development of energy
• Industries covered under the PAT are: efficiency market and for the identification of issues related
to this market development.
1) Aluminium 2) Cement 3) Chlor Alkali 4) Fertilier 5) Pulp
and Paper 6) Thermal Power Stations 7) Textile 8) Iron and Facilitating Financial Institutions to invest in Energy
Steel 9) DISCOMs 10) Railways 11) Petroleum Refinery 12) Efficiency Projects and Programmes
Petrochemicals 13) Commercial Buildings (category hotel) or ►FRAMEWORK FOR ENERGY
establishments.
EFFICIENT ECONOMIC
►MARKET TRANSFORMATION FOR
DEVELOPMENT (FEEED)
ENERGY EFFICIENCY (MTEE)
Under this initiative two funds have been created viz.
• It aims to make the market shift to energy efficient Partial Risk Guarantee Fund for Energy Efficiency
appliances in certain sectors by using incentives and (PRGFEE) and Venture Capital Fund for Energy Efficiency
innovative business models. (VCFEE).
• Under MTEE, two programmes have been developed i.e.
►ENERGY SERVICE COMPANIES
Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY) and Super-Efficient Equipment
Programme (SEEP). (ESCOS)
These are companies that offer energy services, usually
BACHAT LAMP YOJANA (BLY)
design, retrofitting and implementation of energy efficiency
• It is a public-private partnership program comprising of projects after identifying energy saving opportunities
BEE, Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) and private through energy audit of existing facilities.
investors to accelerate market transformation in energy
It also helps in arranging finances for energy efficiency
efficient lighting.
projects by providing a savings guarantee, risk management
• Under this program, over 29 million incandescent bulbs in the implementation of the energy efficiency projects and
have been replaced by CFLs under this programme. also perform measurement and verification(M&V) activities
• In the next phase of BLY, BEE will promote use of LED to quantify actual energy savings post implementation of
lights using the institutional structure of BLY Programme. energy efficiency projects
SUPER-EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT
EESL AND ITS INITIATIVES
PROGRAMME (SEEP)
• SEEP is a program designed to bring accelerated market ►ENERGY EFFICIENCY SERVICES
transformation for super-efficient appliances by LIMITED (EESL)
providing financial stimulus innovatively at critical point/s
of intervention. • It is Joint Venture of NTPC Limited, PFC, REC and
POWERGRID to facilitate implementation of energy
• Under this program, ceiling fan has been identifies as the
efficiency projects.
first appliance to adopted. SEEP for ceiling fans aims to
leapfrog to an efficiency level which will be about 50% • It got registered under the companies Act, 1956 in 2009.
more efficient than market average by providing a time • It will be the first such company exclusively for
bound incentive to fan manufacturers to manufacture implementation of energy efficiency in South Asia
and amongst a very few such instances in the world.
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• EESL will also lead the market-related actions of the institutional consumers, to achieve scale, and limit the
NMEEE. peak energy demand to 90 GW by boosting savings.
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• It is a type of Biofuel which is produced from biomass • BSE launched the Green Index called Greenex, carbon-
resources and used in place of, or blended with ATF. efficient live index.
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section-3
GEOGRAPHY,
DISASTER
MANAGEMENT
MISCELLANEOUS
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the focus lies. The areas surrounding the eye will be • Rip tides are dangerous because they catch swimmers
most affected because of the strong wind. unaware and pull them deep into the ocean.
STAGES
There are four stages that form a cyclone which include:
Formative Stage, Immature Cyclone, Mature Cyclone, Decay
►OCEAN SOCIETY OF INDIA (OSI)
stage • The Ocean Society of India (OSI) was formed in 2006 at
NAMING OF CYCLONES Kochi.
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and • It provides a forum for sharing the knowledge and
United Nations Economic and Social commission for experience of individuals, scientific institutions and
Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) started the tropical industrial organizations in ocean science, technology,
cyclone naming system in the year 2000. engineering and allied fields.
• Tropical cyclones are named to provide ease of • It acts as a link among academic and R&D institutions,
communication between forecasters and the general national policy making bodies, operational organisations
public regarding forecasts, watches, and warnings. and ocean industries by organizing programs such as
courses, lectures, symposia and topical reviews.
• The Cyclones worldwide are named by 9 regions — North
Atlantic, Eastern North Pacific, Central North Pacific,
Western North Pacific, North Indian Ocean, South West
►INDIAN MONSOON
Indian Ocean, Australian, Southern Pacific, South Atlantic.
• Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean basin are named by • Indian Monsoons are convection cells on a very large
scale.
the Indian Meteorological Department and the first
tropical cyclone was named in 2004 as Onil (given by • They are periodic or secondary winds with seasonal
Bangladesh). reversal in wind direction.
• Eight north Indian Ocean countries — Bangladesh, India, • India receives south-west monsoon winds in summer
the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and and north-east monsoon winds in winter.
Thailand, gave eight names each which was combined • South-west monsoons are formed due to intense low
into a list of 64 names. One name from each country is pressure system formed over the Tibetan plateau.
picked in an order to name the cyclones.
• North-east monsoons are associated with high pressure
cells over Tibetan and Siberian plateaus.
• South-west monsoons bring intense rainfall to most of
►RIP TIDES
the regions in India and north-east monsoons bring
• Rip tides (also known as ebb jet or tidal jet) are rainfall to mainly south-eastern coast of India (Southern
powerful currents running perpendicular to the shore. coast of Seemandhra and the coast of Tamil Nadu.).
• They pull the water out into the ocean. • Countries like India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar
• The term rip tide is a misnomer as tides occur due to etc. receive most of the annual rainfall during south-west
moon’s gravitational pull while rip currents are caused monsoon season whereas South East China, Japan etc.,
due to shape of the shoreline or due to formation of during north-east rainfall season.
sandbar. FORMATION
• These currents may extend 200 to 2,500 feet lengthwise • India has two major monsoon patterns:
and less than 30 feet in width.
1. South West
• Tropical cyclone winds push waves up against the
2. North East
shoreline even if they are hundreds of miles away, so rip
tide warnings are often the first indication of a nearby • Various atmospheric conditions influence the monsoon
hurricane. winds.
Atmospheric conditions influencing the monsoon winds
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1. The first condition is the differential heating and cooling • Normally, this warm water pools near Indonesia and the
of land and water. This creates low pressure on the Philippines. During an El Nino, the Pacific's warmest
landmass, while high pressure is created over the seas surface waters sit offshore of north-western South
around during day time, but is reversed during the night America.
time. • This phenomenon observed in the southern Pacific
2. The second condition is the shift in the position of Inter- Ocean which emerges after a gap of 3 to 7 years and is
Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). In summer, the associated with abnormally high rainfall which is
equatorial trough normally positioned about 5°N of the otherwise dry along the coast of Peru. This phenomenon
equator moves over the Ganga plain creating a monsoon result in floods in Peru while Pacific coast of Australia and
trough during the monsoon season. Indonesia have abnormally dry conditions that forces
3. The third condition is the presence of the high-pressure collapse of Agriculture with instances of Forest fire.
area that develops east of Madagascar. It is • During El Nino there are on average fewer hurricanes
approximately at 20°S over the Indian Ocean. The over the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf
intensity and position of this high-pressure area affects of Mexico. In the central Pacific Ocean El Nino brings
the Indian Monsoon. more typhoons, both north and south of the equator.
• The fourth condition develops during the summer - The Their more easterly genesis makes fewer of these
Tibetan Plateau gets intensely heated resulting in strong tropical cyclones reach Australia. In the northern Pacific
vertical air currents and high pressure over the plateau Ocean, the area with typhoons also shifts east. There are
about 9 km above sea level. no effects on the number of cyclones over the Indian
Ocean.
• The fifth condition develops during the summer due to
the movement of the westerly jet streams to the north of • The phenomenon is not well understood but it is related
the Himalayas and the presence of the tropical easterly to Ocean current and trade winds. In this Sea Surface
jet stream over the Indian Peninsula. Temperature (SST) increases above normal by 0.5
degree.
• By early September, the monsoon starts to withdraw or
retreat and is a more gradual process. By mid-October, it
withdraws completely from the northern half of the
peninsula. The withdrawal takes place progressively from
►INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE
north to south from the first week of December to the • The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is defined by the
first week of January; this is the start of the winter difference in the sea surface temperature between
season. the two equatorial areas of the Indian Ocean – a
• The retreating monsoon winds move over the Arabian western pole near the Arabian Sea (in western Indian
Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and collect moisture on the Ocean) and an eastern pole closer to the Bay of Bengal
way and these monsoon winds reach the southern states (in eastern Indian Ocean).
of India by October, and are responsible for a second • The IOD affects the climate of Southeast Asia,
round of rainfall. These are called the winter monsoons. Australia and other countries that surround the Indian
• The winter monsoon is experienced in the states of Tamil Ocean Basin. The Indian Monsoon is invariably
Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the first week of January. influenced by the IOD.
• IOD is simply the periodic oscillation of sea surface
temperatures, from ‘positive’ to ‘neutral’ and then
►EL NINO ‘negative’ phases. If the sea surface temperature of the
• El Nino is a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean with a western end rises above normal (0.4°C) and becomes
global impact on weather patterns. The cycle begins warmer than the eastern end, it leads to a positive IOD.
when warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean This condition is favourable for the Indian Monsoon as it
shifts eastward along the equator toward the coast of causes a kind of barrier in the eastern Indian Ocean and
South America. the entire south-westerly winds blow towards the Indian
sub-continent.
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o Hydrological drought results from prolonged • The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is under
meteorological drought resulting in depletion of surface the NDMA. NDRF is a specialised force constituted for the
and sub-surface water resources. purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster
o Agricultural drought is a situation when soil moisture situation or disaster.
and rainfall are inadequate to support healthy crop
growth.
►IMF REPORT: MANAGING FISCAL
• Drought is also classified on the basis of time of onset as
early season, mid-season and late season COSTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS
IMF has released a report on “How To Manage The Fiscal
Costs Of Natural Disasters”.
►ICE SHELF FINDINGS
• It is a floating extension of land-based glaciers which flow • Disproportionate Impact of Disaster on Low-income
into the ocean. countries: They tend to suffer large and lasting damage
• As they already float in the ocean, their melting does not relative to their economic sizes and populations.
directly contribute to sea-level rise. • Fiscal Imbalance: Natural disasters can deplete a
• The breaking of ice shelves is a natural process but global government’s fiscal position by eroding the revenue base
warming is thought to have accelerated this process. (on average by 10%) and increasing expenditures (on
average by 15%).
• In recent decades many major ice shelves have
disintegrated or lost substantial volume like Prince • Impact on Socio-economic Development: Disasters
Gustav channel, Larsen Inlet, Wilkins, Larsen A, Larsen B, undermine economic growth and set back development
etc. objectives, such as poverty reduction, especially in
developing and low-income countries with significant
infrastructure gaps and institutional constraints.
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• The disaster risk index would map hazards and • It provides for establishment of National Dam Safety
vulnerabilities including economic vulnerabilities Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge
across 640 districts and all states including UTs. functions to implement the policy, guidelines and
• The index factors in exposure of population, agriculture standards for dam safety in the country.
and livestock, environmental risk and the steps taken by • It provides for constitution of a State Committee on
the administration to mitigate the risks. Dam Safety by State Government.
• It will be used to prepare a composite disaster ABOUT STATE COMMITTEE ON DAM SAFETY
scorecard (DSC) to have a comprehensive assessment of • It will ensure proper surveillance, inspection, operation
hazards, vulnerabilities and risks of disasters at different and maintenance of all specified dams in that State and
levels, prevention of new risks and mitigation of existing ensure their safe functioning.
risks, and mainstreaming DRR across different sectors of
• Every state having specified number of dams will
development.
establish State Dam Safety Organization which will be
• The index is in line with India’s commitment to the manned by officers from the field dam safety preferably
Sendai Framework, where it has to substantially bring from the areas of dam-designs, hydro-mechanical
down disaster losses in terms of lives and properties. engineering, hydrology, geo-technical investigation,
ABOUT SENDAI FRAMEWORK instrumentation and dam-rehabilitation.
• Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
(Sendai Framework) is the first major agreement of the
post-2015 development agenda, with seven targets and ►DUST STORM
four priorities for action. A violent storm led to deaths of more than 100 people in
• It was endorsed by the UN General Assembly following Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi-NCR.
the 2015 Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk ABOUT DUST STORM
Reduction (WCDRR), held in Sendai, Japan in March,
• A dust storm, or sandstorm, is a phenomenon common
2015.
in hot and dry climates.
• It is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement.
• The strong storms can develop in many parts of the
• It recognizes that the State has the primary role to world and can travel for thousands of miles or even
reduce disaster risk but that responsibility should be across oceans.
shared with other stakeholders including local
• A dust storm requires a large availability of dust, and
government, the private sector and other stakeholders.
enough sustained wind to lift the particles.
• It is the successor instrument to the Hyogo
• Dust storms also commonly occur with thunderstorms
Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015.
before it is about to rain.
• The rain water does not manage to reach the ground
as it is evaporated by the heat.
►DAM SAFETY BILL, 2018
• This causes the air to cool down, meaning there is an
The Dam Safety Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha in
area of cold air sitting above the warm air on the
December 2018.
ground.
OBJECTIVE
• The cold air comes down in a down-burst which splashes
• To help develop uniform, countrywide procedures for against the surface which kicks the dust upwards.
ensuring the safety of dams.
WAY FORWARD
• To provide for proper surveillance, inspection,
• There is a need to check desertification which is
operation and maintenance of all specified dams in the
affecting nearly one-fourth of the nation.
country to ensure their safe functioning.
FEATURES OF BILL • Sustainable farming practices like Permaculture,
organic farming should be encouraged in areas with
• It provides for constitution of a National Committee on
degraded soil.
Dam Safety which shall evolve dam safety policies and
recommend necessary regulations
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• The average growth rate of gross state domestic product • It also indicates that soil moisture conditions in western
(GSDP) during 2005-15 for almost all the states was Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand, and Chhattisgarh are
around 7-8 per cent but 11 states registered a decline likely to be normal or surplus at the start of the Rabi
in their natural capital. sowing season.
• This model of economic growth may not let the country IMPORTANCE OF SOIL MOISTURE
sustain the rate of development for long.
• It acts as a nutrient itself and regulates soil
• Monitoring the natural capital is important and should be temperature.
one of the determiners for sustainable development.
• It serves as a solvent and carrier of food nutrients for
• According to MOSPI, the assessment of natural assets
plant growth.
is a reminder of how important is sustainable use of
natural resources and is likely to propel India on the path • Yield of crop is more often determined by the amount of
of compilation of ecosystem accounts. water available rather than the deficiency of other food
• The natural capital accounting (NCA) method has nutrients.
been used in this report, to account for income and costs • Soil forming processes and weathering depend on water.
associated with natural resource used.
• Microorganisms require water for their metabolic
NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTING activities.
• Natural Capital Accounting or environmental-economic
accounting is a tool that can help to gain an
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• Improving Livelihood: CFR has increased collective • It will ensure that the principle of competitive and
bargaining power of community which has helped in cooperative federalism is actualised in India’s water
alleviating poverty and reverses the trend of management system
migration from forest areas. • It will help build pressure on states who have not
• Strengthening PVTG Status: Members from particularly performed well to improve their water management
vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) are benefitted from techniques as this is directly linked to agriculture
inclusive approach under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, prosperity in different states
which provide them a sustain source of livelihood and
• Data from Index can be used by researchers,
mainstreaming in the development process of country.
entrepreneurs, and policymakers to enable broader
ABOUT FOREST RIGHT ACT, 2006
ecosystem innovation for water in India.
It provides for a rights-based, democratic and decentralized
governance of forests. Rights recognized under FRA.
• Individual forest rights (IFR) to legally hold forestlands ►ENSEMBLE PREDICTION SYSTEMS
that the forest dwelling communities have been residing
IMD launched the Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPS) to
on and cultivating prior to 13 December 2005.
provide probabilistic weather forecasts upto next 10
• Community rights (CRs) of ownership, use and disposal
days.
of ‘minor forest produce’, also known as non-timber
forest produce (NTFP). CRs include rights of grazing, ABOUT EPS
collection of firewood, fish and other such products from • It has been developed jointly by the IMD, National
water bodies, as well as rights to biodiversity and Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting
intellectual property, including those related to (NCMRWF) and the Indian Institute of Tropical
traditional knowledge. Meteorology
• Community forest resource (CFR) rights under Section
• The new system consisting of eight petaflops high-
3(1)(i) to protect, regenerate, conserve or manage forest
power computing systems shall improve upon
resources for sustainable use, providing for community
deterministic forecasts that are prone to high margins of
governance of forests.
error.
• Under this, the area of spatial resolution, which is 23
►COMPOSITE WATER MANAGEMENT km presently, will reduce to 12 km, enabling the
INDEX meteorological department to give district-level
warning.
Recently, NITI Aayog released Composite Water
Management Index (CWMI). • With this new model, India joins the US with a model
that predicts with a 12 km resolution. Only the
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HAZARD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM • The Commission aims to improve the governance,
management, institutional capacity, and decision-
FOR ASIA AND AFRICA (RIMES) making processes of its Member States with respect to
• It is an international and intergovernmental institution, marine resources and climate variability.
owned and managed by its Member States, for the
• It was the IOC that coordinated the setting up of the
generation and application of early warning information.
Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System
• It evolved from the efforts of countries in Africa and Asia, (IOTWMS) in the aftermath of December 2004 tsunami.
in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
• It mainly evolved through Phuket Ministerial Meeting on
Tsunami Early Warning Arrangement in January 2005 to ►GOOGLE FOR FLOOD FORECASTING
establish a tsunami early warning system in a multi-
Central Water Commission (CWC) has entered into a
hazard framework for Southeast Asia and the Indian
Collaboration Agreement with Google for flood forecasting.
Ocean.
ABOUT AGREEMENT
MAJOR TASKS
CWC and Google will share technical expertise in the fields
• Hazard monitoring, detection, analysis, prediction, and
of artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial
forecasting
mapping and analysis of hydrological observation data to
• Risk assessment
collaborate on:
• Potential impact analysis
• Improving flood prediction systems, which will help
• Generation of tailored risk information at different time provide location-targeted, actionable flood warnings.
scales
• High priority research project utilizing Google Earth
• Risk communication Engine to help visualize and improve flood
• Application of tailored risk information in decision- management.
making
• A cultural project to build online exhibitions on the
Rivers of India.
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• Enabling the Government as well as disaster • Importing sand from other countries such as Malaysia
management organisations to identify well in advance and Philippines to meet the requirement of coastal
the locations and population, which are at risk from states.
floods and require warnings and information. • Encouraging alternative technologies in construction
• Expected to be a milestone in flood management and in materials processing for reduced dependence on natural
mitigating the flood losses. sand.
• Classification of states: as Sand surplus State, Sand
sufficient State and Sand deficit State on the basis of
► ‘INDIA QUAKE’ AND ‘SAGAR VANI’ analysis of demand and supply situation and to help
APPS them in framing policy and regulation according to the
needs of the states.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences launched ‘India Quake’ app
• 360-degree monitoring mechanism: States need to
and ‘Sagar Vani’ app to enable users to receive information
create and establish a robust system to monitor and
about natural hazards on land and water.
measure the mined-out mineral at each lease location
ABOUT INDIA QUAKE and its transportation in the State.
• It has been developed by National centre for Seismology. SIGNIFICANCE OF SUSTAINABLE SAND MINING
• Purpose: automatic dissemination of earthquake • To ensure the conservation of the river equilibrium and
parameter such as location, time and magnitude after its natural environment by protection & restoration of
the occurrence of Earthquake and avoid delay of the ecological system.
information in the event of earthquake.
• To ensure there is no obstruction to the river flow, water
ABOUT SAGAR VANI transport and restoring the riparian habitats.
• It has been developed by Earth System Science • To avoid pollution of river water leading to water quality
Organization (ESSO) Indian National Centre for Ocean deterioration.
Information Services (INCOIS) under Ministry of Earth
• To prevent ground water pollution by prohibiting sand
Sciences.
mining on fissures where it works as filter prior to ground
• It is a software platform which uses state of art water recharge.
technology for dissemination of ocean related
information and advisory services such as Potential
Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, Ocean State Forecast (OSF),
►MEGHALAYAN AGE
High Wave Alerts and Tsunami early warnings.
Scientists have identified a new phase in Earth's
geological history called the Meghalayan age.
►SAND MINING • The Meghalayan Age, which is the subdivision of the
Holocene Epoch, began about 4,200 years ago.
The Ministry of Mines has released a “sand mining
framework” to assist the state governments in addressing • It has been officially ratified as the most recent unit of
the issues of the Sand mining sector. the Geologic Time Scale by the International Union of
Geological Sciences, an international NGO.
FEATURES OF FRAMEWORK
• The other two subdivisions of the Holocene Epoch — the
• To meet the growing pace of urbanization and
Early Holocene Greenlandian (11,700 years ago), Middle
infrastructure development alternatives should be
Holocene Northgrippian (8300 years ago) were also
explored like
approved.
• Manufactured sand (M-sand) which is produced by
• The Meghalayan Stage has been defined at a specific
crushing of rocks, quarry stones to a stipulated size of
level in a stalagmite in the Mawmluh caves — one of the
150 microns.
India’s longest and deepest — in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya.
• Sand produced from coal overburden.
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GEO
OGRAPHY & DISASTER
R MANAGE
EMENT
• The
T onset of the age was marked by a severe 200--year • Crucial fo
or policy ma
akers and farrmers: Bay o
of Bengal
drought
d thatt resulted in the
t collapse o
of civilisationss and fed Southh West monssoon accountts for 70% o of India’s
human migrrations in Eg gypt, Greece,, Syria, Palestine, annual raainfall, thus better predicction would result in
Mesopotamiaa, the Indus Valley, and tthe Yangtze River better planning and poolicy making.
Valley.
V
GEO
OLOGICAL TIIME SCALE
►GEOGR
RAPHICA
AL INDICA
CATIONS (GI)
TAG
• The GI tag
t is an in
ndication wh ich is definite to a
geographical territory.
• It is used
d for agriculltural, naturaal and manu
ufactured
goods.
• For a pro
oduct to gett GI tag, thee goods nee
ed to be
produced or processed
d or prepared
d in that region.
• It is also essential
e that the product has special q
quality or
reputation
n.
• GIs suppo
ort and protect local produ
uction (as opposed to
global pro
oduction)
• Generate local employm
ment
• They are
e mostly untouched by industrialisation,
originating
g in villages or
o small townss.
• This identtity helps in preventing m
misuse of a re
egistered
GI.
• The legal protection off GI boosts exxports. GI tag not only
helps the
e country’s export
e markeet but also helps in
►SAGAR NIDHI
N promoting
g economic prosperity of t he producerss.
• It will study th
he underlying
g principles off interaction o
of the • In India,, Geographiical Indicati ons registra ation is
uppermost la
ayer of ocean with the atmo
osphere. administeered by the Geographical
G Indications o
of goods
(Registration and Proteection) Act, 1 999 which caame into
• It will also usse radiosond
des to gathe
er meteorolo
ogical
h effect from September
force with S 20003.
data.
d
• The Geographical Indiccations Act 20003 is adminisstered by
SIG
GNIFICANCE
the Controller Gene eral of Pattents, Desig gns and
• Help betterr prepare fo nsoon by Skillful
or the mon trademark ks. This Controller Generaal is also the Registrar
prediction of the varying patterns of mo
onsoon of Geograaphical Indicattions. The Geoographical Indications
• Overcome flaws
f with current m
models: presently, Registry iss situated in Chennai.
C
models of high clouds and interactio on of atmospphere
with
w the oce
ean are not wellw represen nted in computer
models thus limiting
l the fo
orecasting abiilities.
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SECTION 4
M C QS
ANSWER KEY
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PRACTICE MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about the IPCC 2. Create an integrated knowledge base of three
Special Report titled “Global Warming of 1.5°C”: dominant greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide,
1. The report documents evidence of the devastating methane and nitrous oxide.
impacts of climate change on the poor and on 3. Address the challenge of increasing carbon
developing countries. emissions and declining food security on
2. It highlighted that the human-induced global agricultural practices and policies.
warming had in 2017 already reached 1.5°C above Select the correct answer using the code given below:
pre-industrial levels. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
3. It stated that the risk transition from 1.5°C to 2°C (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
would be very high and that the effects at 2°C
would be more devastating than what IPCC’s Fifth Q5. ‘Momentum for Change’ is an initiative of
Assessment Report had indicated (a) UN Climate Change secretariat
Which of the statements given above are correct? (b) UNEP
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) World Bank
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 (d) UNICEF
Q2. Consider the following statements regarding Sharm Q6. Consider the following statements about
El-Sheikh Declaration: International Whaling Commission (IWC):
1. It was adopted in recently held Conference of the 1. It is an organ of United Nations.
Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on Biological
2. It provides for proper conservation of whale stocks
Diversity (CBD)
and orderly development of the whaling industry.
2. Under this, governments commit to mainstream
3. India is not a member of IWC.
biodiversity through, integrating biodiversity values
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
in legislative and policy frameworks, and
(a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
development and finance plans.
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Q7. Consider the following statements about the Global
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Soil bio-diversity Atlas:
1. It is a joint venture of the Global Soil Biodiversity
Q3. ‘Green Good Deeds’ recently seen in news is related
Initiative and the European Commission Joint
to
Research Centre.
(a) Scheme launched by the Ministry of New and
2. Its findings were published as part of the Living
Renewable Energy to promote the use of Green
Planet Report, 2018 (published by WWF every two
Technologies.
years).
(b) Global campaign launched by UNEP to spread
3. The Global Soil biodiversity Atlas placed India
awareness about Green Technologies.
among countries whose soil biodiversity faces the
(c) Societal movement to protect environment and
highest level of risk.
promote good living.
Which of the statements given are correct ?
(d) Financial incentives provided by the Government to
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
the Start-ups working on Green technologies.
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
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PRACTICE MCQs
Assembly, seeks to address which one of the (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
following issues in our efforts to tackle the threats
to our environment ? Q12. Consider the following statements regarding the
(a) Wavering commitment of some countries to the bioplastics:
Paris Agreement. 1. Bioplastics are in principle climate-neutral since
(b) Fragmented nature of international environment they are based on renewable raw materials such as
law. maize, wheat or sugar cane.
(c) Climate finance. 2. Bioplastics may lead to an increase in greenhouse
(d) Common but differentiated responsibilities and gas emissions
respective capabilities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Q9. With reference to key takeaways from the Special (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C released
recently, consider the following statements: Q13. Consider the following statements about ‘Tx2’
1. Limiting warming to 1.5˚C brings a lot of benefits programme:
compared with limiting it to 2˚C. 1. The World Wildlife Foundation had launched its
2. Rapid and far-reaching changes must take place in ambitious Tx2 programme in 2010.
energy generation, land use, cities and industry to 2. The programme aims to double the world tiger
limit warming to 1.5˚C. population by 2022.
3. As opposed to previous approaches of IPCC’s study 3. Nepal is set to become the first country in the world
of warming, this report clearly links lifestyle choices to double its tiger population as part of the ‘Tx2’
with warming. programme.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q10. Consider the following statements with reference to Q14. Recently in the news, where is the Serengeti
Eastern Ghats: National Park located?
1. Starting from West Bengal, the Ghats pass through (a) Kenya (b) Tanzania
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and end in (c) Zambia (d) Zimbabwe
Tamil Nadu.
2. They play an important role in the monsoon break
Q15. The ‘Duar formations’ are important in the
of both North-East and South-West Monsoon.
Darjeeling, Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas. These
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? formations, when compared to the other sections
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only of the Himalayas, replace the
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) Shiwaliks (b) Bugyals
(c) Cold deserts (d) Karewas
Q11. Consider the following statements regarding the
3D-printed reef installed in Maldives recently: Q16. Consider the following statements about the
1. It was developed using computer modelling and a aerosols:
3D printer. 1. Aerosols are suspension of particles in the
2. It is the world's largest 3D-printed reef. atmosphere via only human-made sources.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 2. Recent studies found that aerosols were the major
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only cause of weakening of the Indian monsoon.
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PRACTICE MCQs
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (d) None of the above
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q20. Consider the following statements with respect to
Envistats India 2018 report:
Q17. Consider the following statements about the ‘Star 1. It has been released by the Ministry of
Rating Protocol for garbage free cities’: Environment, Forest and Climate Change
1. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recently 2. It had revealed that India’s economic growth took a
launched the Star Rating Protocol for garbage free toll on its natural assets like forests, food and clean
cities under Swacch Bharat Mission (Urban). air.
2. A city should be ODF (Open Defecation Free) before Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
it could be given rating of 3 star or above. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
3. There is no provision of third party verification. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only Q21. The Graded Response Action Plan, sometimes in
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 the news, has been prepared for implementation in
(a) The ten most polluted cities in India according to
Q18. Consider the following statements regarding the the World Health Organisation.
‘Blue flag beach standards’: (b) Every city where average PM2.5 concentration
1. The Blue Flag beach standards were established by values exceed five times the WHO threshold.
Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental (c) Haryana, Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh only.
Education (FEE) in 1985 in France. (d) Only the National Capital Region
2. The Blue Flag is an environmental award for
beaches, sustainable boating tourism operators, Q22. Consider the following statements regarding the
and marinas. Biofuels:
3. Chandrabhaga beach of Odisha's Konark coast was 1. First Generation Biofuels uses non-food crops and
the first to complete the tag certification process feedstock such as Wood, grass, seed crops, organic
will be the first in Asia to get the Blue Flag waste are used in fuel preparation.
certification. 2. Second Generation Biofuels uses specially
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? engineered Algae whose biomass is used to convert
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only into biofuels.
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 3. Fourth Generation Biofuels are aimed at not only
producing sustainable energy but also a way of
Q19. Which of the following statement is NOT true with capturing and storing CO2.
respect to recently launched “Clean air India Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Campaign”? (a) 3 only (b) 1 and 3 only
(a) The campaign aims to curb air pollution in Indian (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
cities.
(b) It aims to promote partnerships between Indian Q23. Consider the following statements regarding the
start-ups and Dutch companies to fight the air soil moisture”
pollution. 1. It acts as a nutrient itself and regulates soil
(c) Under the initiative, an ‘INDUS impact’ projects is temperature.
also present which aims to halt the hazardous 2. It serves as a solvent and carrier of food nutrients
burning of paddy stubble by promoting business for plant growth.
partnerships that “up cycle” it. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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PRACTICE MCQs
Q24. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Integrated Q28. What is it that makes the Kuttanad Wetland
Development of Wildlife Habitats’ has three Agriculture System unique ?
components. Which one of the following is not one a) Locals here practice the 2,000 year-old fish farming
among these three? technique, which has obviated the need for
(a) Support to Protected Areas such as National Parks application of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.
and Wildlife Sanctuaries b) It is the only system in India that favours rice
(b) Protection of Wildlife Outside Protected Areas cultivation below sea level in the land.
(c) Recovery Programmes for Saving Critically c) The traditional farming systems of the local
Endangered Species communities plays a role in conserving the rich
(d) Strengthening of Wildlife Division and floristic diversity consisting of about 2500 species of
Consultancies for Special Tasks flowering plants.
d) The jasmines that are cultivated here today were
Q25. Sustainable cooling is at the intersection of three introduced about 2,000 years ago from the Persian
international multilateral agreements. These Gulf.
include
1. Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol Q29. Consider the following statements about Great
2. Paris Climate Agreement Indian bustard:
3. Kyoto Protocol 1. Listed in Schedule II of the Indian Wildlife
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (Protection) Act, 1972.
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only 2. It has been identified as one of the species for the
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 recovery programme under the Integrated
Development of Wildlife Habitats.
3. Project Great Indian Bustard was initiated by the
Q26. One of the rarest flowers in the world, the Kurinji
state of Gujarat on World Environment Day 2013.
blooms just once in a Jupiter year, when it covers
the hills in a violet hue. The Paliyan tribe, a nomadic Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
community in this region, calculates age by the (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
number of Kurinji flowering cycles one has seen. (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
These flowers can be found in
(a) Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park Q30. According to recent studies, the single biggest way
(b) Nallamala Hills an individual can reduce his or her carbon footprint
(c) Southern Western Ghats is to
(d) Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (a) Modify one’s diet to include less meat.
(b) Avoid throwing food away.
Q27. Consider the following statements about ‘Climate (c) Drive electric cars instead of fossil fuel-guzzling
Justice’ vehicles.
1. Compels us to understand the challenges faced by (d) Take trains and buses instead of planes.
those people and communities most vulnerable to
the impacts of climate change. Q31. Consider the following statements about ‘The
2. Informs how we should act to combat climate Ocean Cleanup’, recently in the news:
change.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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1. It is a policy advocacy organisation for governments Q36. Four crops provide two-thirds of the world’s food
in the western world for ways and means to reduce supply. These include wheat, rice and maize. The
plastic waste generation. fourth crop is
2. The organisation was instrumental in recently (a) Soybeans (b) Peas
getting the UN to adopt a resolution to completely (c) Tomatoes (d) Bananas
stop plastic waste from entering the oceans.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ? Q37. Consider the following statements:
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only 1. The Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP) was the
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 world’s first to be inscribed as a “Mixed World
Heritage Site”.
Q32. The C40 Cities group is an umbrella organisation 2. The KhangchendzongaBiosphere Reserve (KBR)
that co-ordinates the climate change activities of 96 comprises nearly a quarter of the entire
major urban centres around the world. Indian cities geographical area of Sikkim.
that are part of this network include Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Mumbai 2. Bengaluru (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
3. Kolkata 4. Chennai (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
5. Delhi 6. Jaipur
Select the correct answer using the code given below: Q38. Which of the following Indian sites have been
(a) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only designated as Wetlands of International importance
(b) 2, 4 and 6 only under the Ramsar Convention?
(c) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 1. Sasthamkotta lake
(d) None of the above 2. Surinsar-Mansar lakes
3. Vembanad-Kol wetland
Q33. Which one of the following is NOT designated as a 4. Rangdum wetlands
UNESCO World Heritage Site and also is NOT on the Select the correct answer using the code given below:
UNESCO World Network of Man and Biosphere (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 1 and 2 only
Reserves? (c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(a) Sunderbans (b) Khangchendzonga
(c) Nanda Devi (d) Manas Q39. Consider the following statements about the cocoa
plant:
Q34. Why is a plant called ‘Lantana camara’ often 1. It needs humid tropical climates and the shade of
mentioned in news ? rainforests for its growth.
(a) Its extract is widely used in cosmetics. 2. In India, it is mainly cultivated in Meghalaya and
(b) It tends to reduce the biodiversity in the area in South Indian states.
which it grows. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(c) Its extract is used in the synthesis of pesticides. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(d) It is grown in urban water bodies that are (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
contaminated with heavy metals.
Q40. Consider the following statements with reference to
Q35. The gates of Idukki dam in Kerala were recently ecological succession:
opened after 26 years. This dam is on the river 1. It can occur in lifeless areas.
(a) Kabini (b) Valapattanam 2. A climax community results when the web of biotic
(c) Bharatapuzha (d) Periyar interactions becomes so intricate that no other
species can be admitted.
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Which of the statements given above is/are correct ? one of the following best sums up the cause for this
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only “acceleration”?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) Consumerism (b) Climate change
(c) Overpopulation (d) Poverty
Q41. Consider the following statements regarding the
Chiller Star Labelling Program Q45. The major causes of global sea level rise are
1. It has been formulated by Bureau of Energy 1. Thermal expansion caused by warming of the
Efficiency (BEE). ocean
2. This initiative will promote advancement 2. Land subsidence
technology for central HVAC (Heating, ventilation, 3. Increased melting of land-based ice
and air conditioning) systems. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 1 and 2 only
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q46. A project like the Pakistani provincial government’s
Q42. Consider the following statements about Green ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’, recently in the news,can be
Mahanadi Mission: implemented in India in regions where
1. It has been launched by Chattisgarh government. (a) Desertification is taking place
2. Under the mission, a green belt with width of 1 km (b) Mangrove cover is depleting rapidly
will be created on both sides of the river (c) ‘Concrete’ jungles are replacing natural ones
3. The plantation will be undertaken over government (d) Native tree species are outnumbered by invasive
land only. species
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only Q47. Consider the following statements about recently
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 released Composite Water Management Index
(CWMI):
Q43. Consider the following statements about the Swajal 1. It has been released by NITI Aayog.
Scheme: 2. It will ensure that the principle of competitive and
1. Swajal is a community owned drinking water cooperative federalism is actualised in India’s water
programme for sustained drinking water supply management system.
2. Under the scheme, 90% of the project cost will be Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
taken care by the Government and the remaining (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
10% of the project cost will be contributed by the (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
community
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Q48. Consider the following statements regarding the
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only Green Bonds:
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. Green bonds are debt instruments like normal
bonds with no conditions on end use.
Q44. The Earth Overshoot Day has been accelerating 2. India entered the green bond market in 2015.
steadily, from October 15 thirty years ago to 3. YES Bank issued the first green bond for financing
September 30 two decades back to August 15 in the renewable and clean energy projects
2008. A few days ago, it was declared that the particularly, for wind and solar.
overshoot day arrives on August 1 this year. Which Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only
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(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 2. It is a web based, role-based workflow application
which has been developed for online submission
Q49. Consider the following statements about National and monitoring of the proposals.
Biofuel Policy of India, 2018: 3. It also provides access to previous Environment
1. Expands the scope of raw material for ethanol Impact Assessment Reports
production by allowing use of Sugarcane Juice, Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Sugar containing materials like Sugar Beet, Sweet (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only
Sorghum etc. (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
2. Allows use of surplus food grains for production of
ethanol Q54. Consider the following statements with respect to
3. Encourages setting up of supply chain mechanisms ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’
for biodiesel production from non-edible oilseeds, 1. It has been released by The Alliance for an Energy
used Cooking Oil, short gestation crops. Efficient Economy (AEEE).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 2. It will provide a foundation to set state-specific
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only Energy Efficiency targets.
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Q50. The ‘Half-Earth Project’, recently in the news, is (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
related to
(a) Conserving natural heritage Q55. Consider the following statements about IUCN:
(b) Good governance 1. Its membership is composed of both government
(c) Free trade and civil society organisations
(d) Nuclear non-proliferation 2. The IUCN World Conservation Congresses have
produced key international agreements such as the
Q51. ‘SAWEN’, an intergovernmental body, it has similar Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
mandate with 3. It is the only environmental organisation with
(a) Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries official United Nations Observer Status
(b) TRAFFIC (Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network) Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(c) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only
Weapons (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(d) World Water Council
Q56. Consider the following statements about single-use
Q52. Consider the following statements about the all- plastic
India ‘Gaj Yatra’: 1. India has pledged to do away with single-use plastic
1. It was recently launched in Karnataka by 2022.
2. The campaign aims at securing elephant corridors 2. Single-use include items intended to be used only
across India once before they are thrown away or recycled.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q53. Consider the following statements about the Q57. Consider the following statements regarding the
PARIVESH: ECO Niwas Samhita 2018:
1. It is an integrated environmental management 1. It is an Energy Conservation Building Code for
system launched by Indian government recently. Residential Buildings (ECBC-R).
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2. Its aim is to promote energy efficiency in design (c) Soy oil (d) Palm oil
and construction of homes, apartments and
townships. Q62. Compensatory Afforestation Funds have been
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? established only under the
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (a) Public Account of each state
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (b) Public Account of India and of each state
(c) Consolidated Fund of each state
Q58. Olive Ridleys Turtles are naturally found in India in (d) Consolidated Fund of India and of each state
1. Andhra Pradesh coast
2. Odisha coast Q63. The official history of Earth has a new chapter – and
3. Maharashtra coast we are in it. Called the ‘Meghalayan Age’ (within the
Select the correct answer using the codes below. Holocene epoch), its onset was marked by
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (a) Dramatic warming that ended the most recent
(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 glacial period about 11,500 years ago.
(b) Abrupt cooling, attributed to vast volumes of
Q59. Consider the following statements about the the freshwater from melting glaciers running into the
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on oceans and disrupting ocean currents.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): (c) A mega-drought that crushed a number of
1. It was established in 2017. civilisations worldwide.
2. All states members of the UN are eligible for IPBES (d) The beginning of Industrial revolution.
membership.
3. IPBES does for biodiversity what the Q64. Par-Tapi-Narmada inter-state river link project is
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change does envisaged for
for climate change. 1. Providing irrigation benefits to the enroute
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ? command and Narmada command,
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only 2. Generating hydropower
(c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 3. Providing flood relief to the people residing in
downstream areas.
Q60. Consider the following statements: Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) of India has (a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
been awarded Asia Environment Enforcement (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Awards, 2018 for excellent work done in combating
transboundary environmental crime. Q65. Consider the following statements regarding
2. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory multi- recently unveiled National Wildlife Action Plan
disciplinary body. (NWAP) for 2017-2031:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1. It is the third National Wildlife Action Plan, spelling
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only out the future road map for wildlife conservation.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. The plan has adopted the Landscape approach
rather than the earlier strategies more
Q61. ‘Vegetable oil’, commonly found as an ingredient in concentrated on national parks and wildlife
several packaged food products and other articles sanctuaries
in a supermarket, more often than not refers to 3. The plan also highlights role of private sector in the
which one of the following oils? wildlife protection.
(a) Soybean oil (b) Rapeseed oil Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
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(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 24), held in Katowice, Poland:
1. The participating nations agreed on the rules to
Q66. Consider the following statements about the Asian implement the Paris Agreement that will come into
Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction: effect in 2020.
1. It is a biennial conference jointly organized by 2. The members of the conference agreed to
different Asian countries and the UNISDR. “welcome” the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
2. 2018 conference was held in Ulaanbaatar, Change (IPCC) report on 1.5°C.
Mongolia. 3. The parties to the conference agreed to record the
3. Theme of 2018 conference is ‘Preventing Disaster pledges in a public registry, as per the existing
Risk: Protecting Sustainable Development’ interim portal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ? Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q67. Consider the following statements regarding the Q70. A ‘flyway’ is a geographical region within which a
National Disaster Risk Index for India: single or a group of migratory species completes its
1. It has been prepared by the Union Ministry of annual cycle – breeding, moulting, staging and non-
Home Affairs with the support of United Nations breeding. Consider the following statements in this
Development Programme (UNDP). context:
2. It would map hazards and vulnerabilities including 1. There are nineteen flyways in the world.
economic vulnerabilities across 640 districts and all 2. Including the Central Asian Flyway, parts of India
states including UTs. are are visited by migratory birds belonging to
3. The index factors in exposure of population, three flyways.
agriculture and livestock, environmental risk and 3. Most of the species of migratory birds that visit the
the steps taken by the administration to mitigate Indian sub-continent use wetlands as habitats.
the risks. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q71. “They are not dependent on any specific raw
Q68. Consider the following statements regarding the material, weight losing or otherwise. They largely
Inclusive Wealth Report 2018: depend on component parts which can be obtained
1. It is a biennial report, released by World Economic anywhere. These are generally not polluting
Forum. industries. The important factor in their location is
accessibility by road network”. Which of the
2. It assesses a nation’s ability to look after its wealth
following industries is correctly represented by the
in a way that is sustainable and safeguards its
above paragraph?
future generations.
(a) Household Industry
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(b) Cottage industry
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Manufacturing industry
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(d) Footloose industry
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Q81. With reference to ‘Pondicherry shark’, consider the (d) World Health Organisation
following statements:
1. It is locally known as Pala Sora. Q86. “Colony Collapse Disorder” is related to which of the
2. It is listed as critically endangered under IUCN red following?
list. (a) Earthquake affected buildings
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (b) Death of coral reefs
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Death of bees
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (d) Loss of biodiversity
Q82. With reference to Mudumalai Tiger reserve, Q87. With reference to the “O-smart” Scheme, consider
consider the following statements: the following statements:
1. It is located in the state of Kerala. 1. It will help in effectively dealing with ocean
2. It is located within Nilgiri Biosphere reserve. disasters like Tsunami and storm surges.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 2. It will help in harnessing the vast ocean resources
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only of both living and non-living resources from the
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 seas around India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q83. With reference to Bonnethead shark, consider the (a) 1 only
following statements: (b) 2 only
1. It is the only shark which displays sexual (c) Both 1 and 2
dimorphism. (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. It is the only shark species known to be
omnivorous. Q88. With reference to Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? hylocrius), consider the following statements:
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only 1. It is endemic to the Eastern Ghats.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. It is the state animal of Kerala.
3. It is listed as endangered under IUCN’s Red List.
Q83. Answer – (c) Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 3 only (b) 1 and 2 only
Q84. Consider the following statements: (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
1. Simlipal Bio-Reserve is located in Madhya Pradesh.
2. Nokrek Bio-Reserve is located in Meghalaya. Q89. Dugong sea cow can be presently found in which of
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? the following regions?
(a) 1 only 1. Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch
(b) 2 only 2. Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and the Palk
(c) Both 1 and 2 Strait
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 3. Sunderbans
4. Lakshadweep
Q85. Global Ambient Air Quality Database is compiled by Select the correct answer using the code given below:
which of the following organisations? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4
(a) United Nations Environment Programme (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
(b) World Economic Forum
(c) Green Peace Q90. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
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1. Sathyamangalam tiger reserve is located at the Q94. The International Union for Conservation of
confluence of western and eastern Ghats in the Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species has
state of Kerala. placed Ortolan bunting in which of the following
2. Mudumalai Tiger reserve has tall grasses, category?
commonly referred to as ‘Elephant Grass’. (a) Critically endangered
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (b) “Least Concern” category.
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Endangered
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (d) Near threatened
Q91. Which of the following statements is/are correct? Q95. Consider the following pairs:
1. Stubble burning has been a major concern in south- 1. Dudhwa National Park : Uttarakhand
east India. 2. Guindy National Park : Tamil Nadu
2. The most efficient technology available to counter 3. Chandaka Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary : Madhya
stubble burning is Turbo Happy Seeder. Pradesh
Select the correct answer using the code given below: 4. Kanha National Park : Uttar Pradesh
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) 2 only (b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only (d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Q92. With reference to ‘Third Pole’ glacier, consider the
following statements: Q96. Which of the following is/are the bio-reserve(s) in
1. The Third pole glacier is located in Europe. India?
2. It is the world’s third largest store of ice after 1. Nanda Devi
Antarctica and Greenland. 2. Pachmarhi
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 3. The Nilgiris
(a) 1 only 4. The Gulf of Mannar
(b) 2 only Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(c) Both 1 and 2 (a) 1 only
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
Q93. Consider the following statements: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
1. The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization, is
developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s Q97. Consider the following statements:
oceans of plastic. 1. Coral polyps are short-lived microscopic organisms,
2. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest which live in colonies.
accumulation of ocean plastic in the world and is 2. Coral polyps flourish in shallow, mud free and
located between Hawaii and California. warm waters.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q98. Consider the following pairs:
1. Dampa Tiger Reserve: Mizoram
2. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary: Sikkim
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Q99. Which of the following tribes comes/come in the Q103. With reference to the Bannerghatta National Park,
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)? consider the following statements:
1. Shompens 1. It is located in the state of Karnataka.
2. Onge 2. The Park is part of a wildlife corridor for elephants
3. Sentinelese which connects the Biligirirangana Hills (BR
4. Jarawa Hills) and the Sathyamangalam forest.
Select the correct answer using the code given below: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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1. It has been constituted under the Environment 1. The NCAP focuses on collaborative and
(Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control participatory approach covering all sources of
development and management of ground water pollution and coordination between relevant
resources in the country. Central Ministries, State Governments, local bodies
2. It has been accorded penal powers under the and other stakeholders.
environmental protection act 1986. 2. Technology Assessment Cell has been envisaged
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? under NCAP to evaluate the technologies having
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only significance in reference to prevention, control and
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 abatement of pollution.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Q107. Which of the following statements with respect to (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Paris Agreement Rule Book is/are correct? (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. The Paris Rulebook, agreed at the UN climate
summit in Katowice gives countries a common Q110. Which of the following statements with respect to
framework for reporting and reviewing progress World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is/are correct?
towards their climate targets. 1. It is environmental arm of United Nations which
2. Under Paris agreement countries need to limit undertake study to track extinct species.
warming well below 1.5 degree Celsius, therefore 2. WWF and IUCN together created TRAFFIC, a wildlife
limiting CO 2 emissions to 50 per cent by 2030. trade monitoring network that works to ensure
3. The new rules allow flexibility for the most trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to
vulnerable countries, in submission of their the conservation of nature
quantified climate pledges, whereas all other 3. WWF is responsible for publication of Living Planet
countries will be bound to report on their climate Report.
action every two years, starting in 2024. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q111. Which of the following statements with respect to
Q108. What do you understand by term BioBlitz, recently Royal Bengal Tiger in India is/are correct?
seen in the news? 1. They are found only in mangroves types of
(a) It is fast, violent attack on town, usually with bombs vegetation.
dropped from aircraft. 2. It is the only breed of tiger in this world which
(b) It is biological warfare where towns are attacked via inhabits mangrove forests and is found in
various biological and nerve agents. mangroves of Sundarbans.
(c) It is an organic process involving the remedy for 3. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
pesticide attacks and various diseases affecting Select the correct answer using the code given below:
vegetation. (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only
(d) It is an event that focuses on finding and identifying (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 3 only
as many species as possible in a specific area over a
short period of time. Q112. Which of the following species of tortoise/turtle
is/are listed as Vulnerable on IUCN Red list?
Q109. Which of the following statements with respect to 1. Indian Star Tortoise
National Clear Air Programme (NCAP) is/are 2. Olive Ridley
correct?
3. Saw-jawed Terrapin
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Select the correct answer using the code given below: Q116. The recent events of deaths of lions in the Gir forest
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only have been attributed to which of the following
(c) 3 only (d) 2 and 3 only reasons?
(a) Infighting
Q113. Which of the following statements with respect to (b) Canine distemper virus
Paris Climate deal is incorrect? (c) Goat Plague
1. The Paris Agreement central aim is to strengthen (d) Peste Des Petits Ruminants virus (PPRV)
the global response to the threat of climate change
by keeping a global temperature rise this century Q117. The famous Machhli tigress resided in which of the
well below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial following Tiger Reserves?
levels. (a) Tadhoba Andhari (b) Sariska
2. The Paris Agreement requires all Parties to put (c) Ranthambore (d) Simlipal
forward their best efforts through binding
“nationally determined contributions”. Q118. With reference to IPCC (Intergovernmental panel on
3. Paris Agreement has not been ratified by countries Climate Change), Consider the following
as it requires ratification of 55 countries accounting statements:
for at least 55% of the global emissions. 1. It was set up in 1988 by the World Bank and United
Select your answer using the code given below: Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 only policymakers with regular assessments of the
(c) 2 only (d) 3 only scientific basis of climate change.
2. IPCC undertakes scientific field projects to combat
Q114. Consider the following statements: Climate effectively.
1. The Aichi Biodiversity Targets were included in the Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the 1990-2030 (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
period. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. It was adopted by the 10th meeting of the
Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Q119. Consider the following statements:
Biological Diversity. 1. The Global Carbon Project is a Global Research
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Project of Future Earth and a research partner of
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only the World Climate Research Programme.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. It was formed to work with the international science
community to establish a common and mutually
Q115. Consider the following statements: agreed knowledge base to support policy debate
1. UNESCO Global Geoparks strive for an approach of and action.
combining conservation with sustainable Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
development while involving local communities. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
2. UNESCO Global Geoparks use Top Down approach. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. UNESCO Global Geoparks is a legislative
designation. Q120. South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? covers which of the following countries?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only 1. Indonesia
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 2. Malaysia
3. Bhutan
4. Sri Lanka
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Q123. Consider the following pairs: Q127. Which of the following factors will contribute in a
1. Kodagu forest circle - Karnataka shift towards a low carbon economy?
1. Improved urban planning
2. Terai Arc Landscape - Jharkhand
2. Development of clean energy
3. Gorumara wildlife - West Bengal
3. Increased use of fertilizers
division
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Which of the pairs given above is/are not correctly
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only
matched?
(c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 3 only (d) 2 and 3 only
Q128. According to the draft Coastal Regulation Zone
Notification, 2018, CRZ-I A constitute which of the
Q124. Consider the following statements about “Help Us
following ecologically sensitive areas?
Green”:
1. Mangroves
1. Help Us Green collects temple ceremonial flowers
2. Corals and coral reefs
tossed into the Ganges and turns them into
sustainable incense. 3. Sand Dunes
2. It got the UN Climate Action Award in the Women 4. Turtle nesting grounds
for Results category. 5. Heritage sites
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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Q135. Which of the following best describes the event (d) It is an UNEP initiative to eradicate single use plastic
called ‘The Last Game’, which was recently in the across the world by 2030.
news?
(a) It refers to the effort by WHO (the World Health Q138. Consider the following statements about the
Organization) to eradicate Neglected Tropical problem of stubble burning in India:
Diseases from the tropical and sub-tropical nations 1. The problem of stubble burning is more prevalent
by 2020. after Rabi harvesting, than Kharif harvesting.
(b) It is NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space 2. The incidence of stubble burning is present only in
Administration) mission to search the planet which Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan.
is as habitable as Earth. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(c) It is the event conducted by WWF (World Wide Fund (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
for Nature) to create awareness of the species that (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
are on the verge of extinction.
(d) It is UNEP’s (United Nations Environment
Q139. Recently an international initiative, called South
Programme) event at North pole to garner global
Asian Nitrogen Hub (SANH) has been started.
attention and support for the rapidly disappearing
Consider the following statements about SANH:
ice in the Polar regions.
1. This is an initiative by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and World
Q136. Which of the following statements about Ross Sea Meteorological Organization (WMO).
is/are correct?
2. The objective of this initiative is to assess and study
1. It is located in the Southern Ocean of Arctic and is the quantum and impact of “nitrogen pollution” in
the northernmost sea on Earth. South Asia, in particular from agriculture.
2. Ross sea has been declared as Marine Protect Area, 3. India is participating in the initiative.
which is considered to be the last great wilderness
Which of the statements given above are correct?
on Earth.
(a) 1 and 2 only
3. It is regarded as world’s largest protected area on
(b) 2 and 3 only
land or sea.
(c) 1 and 3 only
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Q140. Consider the following statements:
1. Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is a partner led
Q137. Which of the following best describes the term
initiative of World Wildlife Fund to promote
Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), sometimes in
investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for
news?
sustainable development.
(a) It is an alliance of all the developing countries
2. MFF initiative also includes other coastal
spearheaded by India in its mission to abolish all
ecosystems such as coral reef, estuaries, lagoons.
single-plastic waste by 2022.
Which of the statement given above is/are correct?
(b) It is an alliance of developed countries which will
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
fund the developing countries in order to end
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
plastic waste by 2030.
(c) It is an alliance of global companies which have
Q141. Which of the following statements best describes
pledged finances to help eliminate plastic waste,
the initiative called e-Green Watch by India?
especially in the ocean.
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Q148. Operation Save Kurma is an (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(a) operation conducted to combat illegal trade of
turtles to destinations abroad. Q152. Consider the following statements:
(b) operation conducted to breed endangered species 1. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
of vultures. is an intergovernmental organisation that supports
(c) operation conducted to combat hunting of Hangul. countries in their transition to a sustainable energy
(d) operation conducted to protect corals from invasive future.
species. 2. IRENA encourages governments to adopt enabling
policies for renewable energy investments, provides
Q149. Consider the following statements about Wayanad practical tools and policy advice to accelerate
Wildlife Sanctuary: renewable energy deployment.
1. It is a part of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
and lies in the state of Kerala. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
2. The famous Banasura Sagar Dam lies in this (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Sanctuary.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Q153. With reference to the recently sighted cinereous
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only vulture in Jharkhand, Consider the following
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 statements:
1. It migrates from the mountainous regions of
Q150. Consider the following statements about the Europe and Asia to warmer places, including India.
functions of the Central Pollution Control Board 2. It is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN’s Red list.
(CPCB): Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. To advise the Central Government on any matter (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
concerning prevention and control of water and air (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
pollution and improvement of the quality of air.
2. To plan and cause to be executed a nation-wide Q154. Which of the following exotic species is/are invading
programme for the prevention, control or grasslands of the Western Ghats?
abatement of water and air pollution. 1. Pine 2. Acacia
3. To organise through mass media, a comprehensive 3. Eucalyptus
mass awareness programme on the prevention, Select the correct answer using the code given below:
control or abatement of water and air pollution. (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 1 only (b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Q155. Consider the following pairs:
National Park State
Q151. Consider the following statements:
1. Mouling National : Meghalaya
1. The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is a
Park
global partnership of governments, businesses and
2. Sanjay Gandhi : Maharashtra
civil society only.
National park
2. The FCPF has created a framework and process for
REDD+readiness, which helps countries get ready 3. Shirui National : Manipur
for future systems of financial incentives for REDD+. Park
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (a) 2 only (b) 1 and 3 only
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Q157. With reference to ‘Painted storks’, consider the Select the correct answer using the code given below:
following statements: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only
1. It is listed as ‘Near threatened’ in IUCN red list. (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
2. It is protected in Schedule I of the Wildlife
Protection Act 1972. Q161. Which of the following species are critically
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? endangered?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only 1. Assam Roofed Turtle
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. Namdapha Flying Squirrel
3. Indian Star Tortoise
Q158. Consider the following statements regarding the 4. Pygmy Hog
Environmental Performance Index (EPI): Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1. The 2018 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
finds that air quality is the leading environmental (b) 2, 3 and 4 only
threat to public health. (c) 2 and 4 only
2. The biennial report is produced by researchers at (d) 1, 2 and 4 only
Yale and Columbia Universities in collaboration with
the World Economic Forum. Q162. Which of the following protected areas are parts of
3. Switzerland leads the world in sustainability. the ‘Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve’?
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1. The Bandipur National Park
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only 2. The Silent Valley National Park
(c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 3. The Kaziranga National Park
4. The Mukurthi National Park
Q159. With reference to the Chilika Lake, consider the Select the correct answer using the code given below:
following statements: (a) 1 and 2 only
1. Nalabana island is located in this lake which is a (b) 1, 3 and 4 only
Bird sanctuary. (c) 1, 2 and 4 only
2. It is listed in the Montreax record. (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
3. It is home to the Irrawady Dolphin which is listed as
endangered under IUCN. Q163. Which of the following statements about the
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Irrawady dolphins is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
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1. Thimlapura : Tamil Nadu Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Wildlife (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Sanctuary (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
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(a) It is an initiative launched by the World Wide Fund Q173. Consider the following statements about the Bonn
for Nature to create awareness about the best Challenge:
water conservation practices around the world. 1. The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to bring 150
(b) It is a global partnership of organisations working in million hectares of the world’s deforested and
the field of water conservation and sanitation. degraded land into restoration by 2020 and 350
(c) It is an initiative launched by the World Bank and its million hectares by 2030.
partners for a water-secure world. 2. It was launched in 2011 by the Government of
(d) It is a partnership under the aegis of the United Germany and IUCN, and later endorsed and
Nations Environment Programme to campaign for extended by the New York Declaration on Forests at
water conservation across the world. the 2014 UN Climate Summit.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q171. Which of the following best describes the ‘Caux (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Dialogue on Land and Security’, recently seen in the (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
news?
(a) It is a dialogue process under the aegis of the UN Q174. Which of the following statements with respect to
Security Council, to come to a consensus regarding the initiative called ‘Horizon 2020’ is/are correct?
the security concerns of the Middle East. (a) It aims to de-pollute the Mediterranean by the year
(b) It is an annual event organised by the Initiatives for 2020, by tackling the sources of pollution that
Land, Lives and Peace, in collaboration with the UN account for around 80% of the overall pollution of
Convention to Combat Desertification, IUCN and the Mediterranean Sea.
the Initiatives of Change. (b) It is an initiative of the Government of India to help
(c) It is a flagship initiative the UN Convention to orphaned students in their education.
Combat Desertification, which aims to create (c) It is an initiative of the Government of India to
awareness about rapid land degradation. improve the level of education and make students
(d) It is a dialogue process under the United Nations, to ready for PISA, conducted by OECD.
bring consensus among countries for combating (d) It is an initiative under the World Bank to provide
terrorism across the world. country specific solution, so as to de-pollute water
bodies.
Q172. Consider the following statements with respect to
the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Q175. Consider the following pairs:
Restoration (GPFLR): SITE LOCATION
1. It is a proactive global multi-stakeholder network to
1. Svalbard Archipelago - Arctic Ocean
restore the world’s lost and degraded forests, and
2. Galapagos Island - Pacific Ocean
their surrounding landscapes.
2. It was initiated by the IUCN and it aims to regain 3. Lakshadweep - Indian Ocean
ecological functionality and enhancing human well- Archipelago
being across deforested or degraded forest Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
landscapes. (a) 3 only (b) 1 and 3 only
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only Q176. Which of the following statements are correct with
(c) Both 1 and 2 respect to ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ (SEforALL)?
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. It is an international organisation working with
leaders in the government, the private sector and
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the civil society to drive faster action toward the 2. The flying bulldog bee was listed as a ‘critically
achievement of sustainable development. endangered’ species by the IUCN Red List of
2. It is a global initiative launched under the aegis of Threatened Species.
the United Nations Secretary General. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
3. Its mandate is to send clear signal about the central (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
role of energy in ending poverty and halting (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
precipitous changes in our global climate.
Select the correct answer using the code given below: Q181. Consider the following statements about the Ghost
(a) 2 and 3 only (b) 1 and 3 only Nets, sometimes in news:
(c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 1. Ghost nets are commercial fishing nets that have
been lost, abandoned, or discarded at sea.
Q177. The term ‘Access and Benefit-Sharing’, sometimes 2. Ghost nets cause damage by entangling live coral,
mentioned in the news, is related to: smothering reefs and introducing parasites and
(a) The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) invasive species into reef environments.
(b) The Convention on International Trade in Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) The Wildlife Protection Act (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(d) The Environmental Protection Act
Q182. Consider the following statements:
Q178. Which of the following best describes the term 1. Hog deer is found in the Keibul Lamjao National
‘Jamdani’, recently seen in the news? Park (KLNP) in Mizoram.
(a) It is a climate-friendly fine muslin textile of Bengal. 2. The hog deer or Pada is an endangered species in
(b) It is a traditional anti-fungal technique for cotton the IUCN Red List and is protected under Schedule I
clothes. of the Indian Wild life (Protection) Act, 1972.
(c) It is a neem-based organic pesticide. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(d) It a climate-friendly technique of painting on the (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
wall. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q179. Consider the following statements about the Q183. Which of the following statements is/are correct
Protected Planet Report: about the Hilsa Fish?
1. It assesses how protected areas contribute to 1. It is known to migrate from the Bay of Bengal into
achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and relevant River Ganga, till Allahbad.
targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. 2. It is listed as ‘vulnerable’ under the IUCN’s Red List.
2. It is managed by the United Nations Environment Select the correct answer using the code given below:
World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP- (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
WCMC), with support from IUCN. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only Q184. Consider the following statements about the Blue
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Flag certification:
1. It is the tag given to environment-friendly and clean
Q180. Consider the following statements: beaches, equipped with amenities of international
1. The Flying bulldog bee lives in the Indonesian island standards for tourists.
region of North Moluccas. 2. The Chandrabhaga beach of Goa will be the first in
Asia to get the Blue Flag certification.
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Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Q188. Consider the following statements with respect to
the Biological Diversity Act:
Q185. Consider the following statements with respect to 1. The Biological Diversity Act was enacted in India in
plastic pollution: 2002, pursuant to the Convention on Biological
1. UNFCCC has launched the Clean Seas Campaign to Diversity (CBD).
eliminate micro-plastics in cosmetics and the 2. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002, covers Intellectual
wasteful usage of single-use plastic, by the year Property Rights (IPRs) regarding biological
2022. resources in India.
2. Presently, there exists no global legal treaty, which Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
aims to reduce plastic pollution, like carbon (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
emissions. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only Q189. Consider the following statements about the Green
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 New Deal (an environmental programme):
1. The Green New Deal aspires to make sweeping
Q186. Which of the following best describes the term changes to the environment and economy, and
‘Biotope’? meet all of the U.S.’s power demand from clean,
(a) An area of uniform environmental condition, renewable and zero emission energy sources by
providing living space for specific assemblage of 2030.
flora and fauna. 2. It takes its name from the former U.S. President
(b) A transition area between two biomes, where two Franklin Roosevelt’s famous New Deal, a series of
communities meet and integrate. economic and social measures launched in the
(c) It refers to the unique functional role and 1930s to end the Great Depression.
position of a species in its habitat or ecosystem. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(d) It is the area, in which an animal lives and moves on (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
a daily or periodic basis. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q187. Which of the following statements is/are correct Q190. Consider the following statements:
with respect to the Kyoto Protocol? 1. The United Nations World Water Development
1. It is an agreement under UNFCCC and the world’s Report (WWDR), is the UN-Water flagship report on
only legally binding treaty to reduce greenhouse water.
emissions. 2. The WWDR is a part of an ongoing worldwide
2. In the first period of the Protocol, from 2008 to assessment project to measure progress towards
2012, the participating countries committed to achieving the goals of sustainable development set
reduce their emissions by an average of 5 percent out by the United Nations.
below 1990 levels. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
3. During the second commitment period, the parties (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
committed to reduce GHG emissions by at least 18 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
percent below 1990 levels, in the eight-year period,
from 2013 to 2020. Q191. Consider the following statements:
Select the correct answer using the code given below: 1. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and
(a) 2 and 3 only (b) 2 only Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC) is a principle
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within the United Nations Framework Convention (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
2. It acknowledges different capabilities and differing Q196. Consider the following statements:
responsibilities of individual countries in addressing 1. The corals are best developed on the seaward side
climate change. of the reef, where constantly moving waves, tides
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? and currents maintain an abundant supply of clear,
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only oxygenated water.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. Non-reef building species of corals may survive in
the colder and even the deeper waters.
Q192. Consider the following pairs: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Project/Act Year (a) 1 only (b) 2 only
Q194. With reference to the Great Indian Hornbill, Q198. Consider the following statements with respect to
consider the following statements: the coral reefs:
1. It is found mainly in the forests of Central India. 1. The coral reefs are generally absent on the western
2. It is listed as ‘vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red List. coasts of the continents, as they will not flourish,
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? where there are cold currents, because of the
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only upwelling of the cold water from the depths that
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 cools the warm surface water.
2. The reef building corals are normally distributed
Q195. Which of the following is/are part(s) of the Nilgiri along the tropical and sub-tropical zones, as the
Biosphere Reserve? water temperature must not fall below 20oC.
1. The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve 3. The coral reefs are not found in the higher depths,
because in the higher depths, sunlight is too faint
2. The Periyar Tiger Reserve
for photosynthesis to take place.
3. The Bandipur National Park
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only
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ANSWER KEYS
ANCIENT HISTORY & CULTURE
ANSWER KEYS
1. b 30. a 59. b 88. a 117. c 146. d 175. d
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