Champions Of Earth Award

● Awarded to Purnima Devi Burman and her “ Hargila Army “ of more than 10,000 womens

● For protection of "Garuda" (local name for Greater Adjuctant Stork )

Greater Adjuctant Stork

● IUCN Status : Endangered

● Threats : destruction and degradation of wetland

● Breeding Grounds : Assam and Bihar

Champions Of Earth Award

● Given by UNEP since 2005
● It recognizes outstanding individual &organization from the public &private sector.

Equator Prize
● Equator Prize, organized by the Equator Initiative within the United Nations Development
Programme
● Awarded biennially
● Recognizes outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity

Land For Life Award

● By UNCCD
● Every 2 years
● In 2021 to familial forestry of Rajasthan
● Familial Forestry : caring for the tree as a family member so that the tree becomes a part of
the family’s consciousness

Behler Turtle Conservation Award

● Given to shailendra singh

● For excellence in the field of tortoise and freshwater turtle conservation and biology, and
leadership in the chelonian conservation and biology community
● By Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group,

Turtle Conservancy, and Turtle Conservation Fund

IUCN Status :
Red Crowned Rooted Turtle : Critically Endangered
Northern River Terrapin : Critically Endangered
Black SoftShell Twitte : Critically Endangered
Sea Turtles
● Sea turtles are marine reptiles with streamlined bodies and large flippers that are well-
adapted to life in the ocean.
● The sea turtle family includes the Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Green and Olive
ridley turtle.
● These five species are found worldwide (including India), mainly in tropical and
subtropical waters.
● Other than the five species, there are two more types of sea turtles that have restricted
ranges.
(i) Kemp’s Ridley is found mainly in the Gulf of Mexico
(ii) Flatback Turtle around northern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Status:
- Flatback Turtle: Data Deficient
- Green Turtle: Endangered
- Hawksbill Turtle: Critically Endangered
- Kemp’s Ridley: Critically Endangered
- Loggerhead Turtle: Vulnerable
- Olive Ridley: Vulnerable
- Leatherback Turtle: Vulnerable

● All seven species of sea turtles are currently listed as endangered

(appendix I) under CITES
● The Indian coastal waters supports five species of sea turtles found worldwide.
● These are the Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Green (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill
(Eretmochelys imbricata), Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and Loggerhead (Caretta
caretta).
● These five species of sea turtles that occur in Indian coastal waters are protected under
Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Significance of turtles
● Turtles play an important role in the river by scavenging dead organic material and
diseased fish by controlling the water pollution.
● They also help in maintaining healthy fish stocks in the water by giving them habitat over
their body.
● Turtle populations could improve seagrass ecosystem health by removing seagrass biomass
and preventing sediment formation.
● Turtles are also transporters of nutrients and energy to coastal areas
Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary
● It is the world's most important nesting beach for Olive Ridley Sea Turtles (VU)
● Gahirmatha beach(Odisha) is the world’s largest rookery (colony of breeding animals) of
olive ridley’s followed by Rushikulya
● The beach is part of Gahirmatha Marine WLS, which also includes the adjacent portion of
the Bay of Bengal
● It extends from Dhamra River mouth in the north to Brahmani river mouth in the south
Coastal Plains of Odisha

“Hexadeltaic” / “gift of six rivers “

Northern Coastal Plain : The North Coastal Plain comprises the deltas of the Subarnarekha
and the Budhabalanga rivers
Middle coastal plain : The Middle Coastal Plain comprises the compound deltas of the
Baitarani, Brahmani and Mahanadi rivers
Southern Coastal Plain : The South Coastal Plain comprises the lacustrine plain of Chilika
lake and the smaller delta of the Rushikulya River
Bhitarkanika National Park
● Breeding place for saltwater crocodile
● Rivers : Br'ahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra and Patasala
● Gahirmatha Beach which forms the boundary of the sanctuary in the east is the largest
colony of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
● Species : indian Python (near threatened ) , Chital (least concerned ) wild boar , mangrove ,
monitor lizard
There are three species of crocodilians—saltwater, Mugger and Gharial Mugger:
● The mugger crocodile, also called the Indian crocodile, or marsh crocodile, is found
throughout the Indian subcontinent.
● It is listed as vulnerable by IUCN.
● The mugger is mainly a freshwater species, and found in lakes, rivers and marshes

● The Gharial or fish eating crocodile is native to the Indian subcontinent.

● It is listed as a Critically Endangered by IUCN. the rivers of the National Chambal
Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Son River Sanctuary and the rainforest biome of
Mahanadi in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Orissa
● It is the largest of all living reptiles.
● It listed as least concern by IUCN. It is found throughout the east coast of India

Gharial:
Saltwater Crocodile:
Arribada
● Olive ridley turtles are best known for their synchronized nesting in mass numbers called
Arribada.
● A significant proportion of the world’s Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (VU) population migrates
every winter to Indian coastal waters for nesting, mainly at the eastern coast. Mass mating
picks up in December and continues till the month of January.
● Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary & Rushikulya Rookery Coast are the main Nesting sites in
India

Indian Ocean Sea Turtle Agreement (IOSEA)

● It is an agreement of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), a United Nations
backed initiative.
● India is a signatory to the agreement.
● It puts in place a framework through which States of the Indian Ocean and South-East
Asian region, as well as other concerned States, can work together to conserve and replenish
depleted marine turtle populations for which they share responsibility

ABOUT DUGONG
● Dugong or sea cow
● State animal of A & N Islands.
● Habitat: Found in Gulf of Mannar and at Palk Bay in Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar
Islands and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat.
● NOT found along the entire coast of India
● Dugongs graze on seagrass
● World's only vegetarian marine mammal
● IUCN status: Vulnerable
● Threats: Facing extinction because of habitat loss, sea pollution, and loss of seagrass

SEAGRASS
●These are flowering marine plants that have adapted to survive in marine conditions.
●Found on all continents except Antarctica They are Ecosystem Engineer
Benefits
●“lungs of the sea” because one square meter of seagrass can generate 10 liters of oxygen
every day through photosynthesis.
●trap sediments to absorb nutrients and give us clear waters.
●They are a source of food, shelter and nursery areas for many organisms
●important carbon sinks capable of trapping carbon from the atmosphere
●Threats ::
a) Climate change b) Global warming c) Erosion and Sediment discharge d) Overfishing e)
Pollution among others
● They are vascular plants with root stems & leaves, also the flowering plants (angiosperms)

CITES
● Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, aka
Washington Convention

● It is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in

wild animals & plants does not threaten survival of species

● Entered into force on July 1975

● CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP, located at Geneva, Switzerland

● Legally binding on state parties to convention, which are obliged to adopt their own
domestic legislation to implement its goals ( Eg. : 2021 amendment to Wlidlife Protection act
with new schedule for CITES )

● India hosted COP-3 in 1981

COPs in India :

● UNEP CITES COP3 : 1981 : New Delhi

● UN FCCC COP 8 : 2002 New Delhi
● UN CBD COP 11 : 2012 Hyderabad
● UN CCD COP14 : 2019 New Delhi
● CMS COP 13 : 2020 Gandhinagar
Appendix of CITES :
1) Appendix 1 : Most threatened species & prohibits their trade
2) Appendix 2 : Species which maybe threatened if trade not controlled ,Trade authorized by
granting permit
3) Appendix III : They are protected in at least one country that is CITES member states and
that has petitioned others for help in controlling international trade in that species

WPA amendment bill 2021 :

● Currently, the Act has six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially
protected animals (four), and vermin species (one).The Bill reduces the total number of
schedules to four by:
● Schedule I for species that will enjoy the highest level of protection.
● Schedule II for species that will be subject to a lesser degree of protection.
● Schedule III that covers plants.
● It removes the schedule for vermin species (Earlier Schedule V ) (Vermin refers to small
animals that carry diseases and destroy food.)

● Schedule IV : new schedule for specimens listed in the Appendices under CITES
(scheduled specimens).

CITES Conference of Parties (CoP) 19

● The 19th CoP of CITES was held in Panama city from 14th to 25th of November 2022.

● CoP19 is also known as the World Wildlife Conference.

● All 184 parties to CITES have the right to attend, to forward proposals for the conference
to consider, and to vote on all decisions.

Highlights of the Conference :

1. Clarity about the quantity of Shisham wood items such as furniture and artefacts were
given providing great relief for the Indian artisans and furniture industry. India’s Shisham
(Dalbergia sissoo) is included in Appendix II of the convention

2. The Conference has accepted a proposal to include sea cucumbers (Thelenota) in Appendix
II of the Convention.

3. India’s proposal for induction of fresh water turtle Batagur kachuga (Red Crowned Roofed
Turtle) in Appendix I from Appendix II earned wide support.

4. India has decided not to vote against a proposal to re-open the international trade in ivory
at the ongoing conference.
5. In the CITES COP19 agenda, countries have proposals to amend the appendices for wild
animals, which include transferring hippopotamus, straw-headed bulbul, and African elephant
to Appendix I

Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) or North Indian Rosewood

● It is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent and
southern Iran.

● In India, the wild subpopulations of D. sissoo are widely distributed in the foothills of
Himalayaa tracts and outer Himalayan valleys of India.

● It is economically important for its value in forestry, agroforestry, horticulture. The species
is sustainably utilized for its timber, fuel wood, fodder, medicines etc.

● In India, the species is found in abundance and is not treated as an endangered species.

● Conservation status: IUCN red list: Least Concern CITES: Appendix II

Shisham exports and CITES

● Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) was included in Appendix II of the CITES convention in CoP
17 at Johannesburg, thereby requiring to follow CITES regulations for the trade of the
species.

● Until now every consignment of weight above 10 kg required CITES permit. Due to this
restriction exports of furniture and handicrafts made of Dalbergia sissoo from India has been
continuously falling

● In CoP 19, it was agreed upon that any number of shisham timberbased items can be
exported as a single consignment in a shipment, without CITES permits, if the weight of each
individual item of this consignment is less than 10 kg.

● This is a great relief for the Indian artisans and furniture industry

Red Sanders
● Red Sanders(Pterocarpus santalinus) is an Indian endemic tree species with a restricted
geographical range in the Eastern Ghats.

● Found in Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests and Deccan Thorn Scrub Forests

● It is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh.Some contiguous patches in

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also see some wild growth.

● Palakonda and Seshachalam hill ranges of Andhra Pradesh are popular for red sanders
● Uses: It is known for its therapeutic properties and is in high demand for its cosmetic and
medicinal properties.It is also used to make furniture and demand a high value in the
international market.

Conservation Status:
● IUCN Status: Endangered

● CITES: Appendix II

● Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule II

● The IUCN in 2022 re-categorised the Red Sanders (or Red Sandalwood) into the
‘endangered’ category in its Red List. It was classified as ‘near threatened’ in 2018.

● WCCB OPERATION THUNDERBIRD ➔ On Illegal trade in of Red Sanders and other

species such as Tigers and other Asian big cats, Bears, Pangolins, Reptiles, Sea-cucumber
and sea horses.
Sea Cucumbers (Thelenota)
● Sea cucumbers are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a
single, branched gonad.

● They belong to Echinodermata phylum, which also includes many other well-known
marine invertebrates, such as sea stars, sea urchins and sand dollars.

● They are found in both tropical and temperate oceans, where they inhabit the intertidal zone
as well as deeper water.

● They are crucial to maintain the balance of ocean habitats and coral ecosystems

● In India, other than the sea around Lakshadweep islands and Andaman Nicobar islands, the
Gulf of Mannar at the confluence of the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu is
also home to sea cucumbers.

● Contain high levels of a chemical called fucosylated glycosaminoglycan in their skin,

which people across Asia have been using to treat joint problems like arthritis for centuries.

● This species is in high demand in China and Southeast Asia, where they are consumed as
food and used in medicine

● There are some 1,250 known species, and many of these animals are shaped like soft-
bodied cucumbers.
Protection status:
● IUCN Red List: - Brown Sea Cucumber (Endangered), - Blackspotted Sea Cucumber
(Least Concern), - Blue Sea Cucumber (Data Deficient), etc.

● Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

● The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change imposed a total ban on
harvesting and transporting sea cucumbers in 2001.

● Distribution: Found in India (National Chambal Sanctuary to WB), Bangladesh and Nepal.

● Threats: development projects, water pollution, human disturbance and poaching.

● Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- CITES: Appendix II

Ivory Trade
● India has abstained to vote against a proposal to re-open the international trade in ivory at
CITES CoP 19.

● The ivory trade was globally banned in 1989 when all African elephant populations were
put in CITES Appendix I.
● The African elephant of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe were transferred to Appendix
II in 1997 and South Africa’s in 2000.

● Countries like Namibia and Zimbabwe have proposed to enable a regular form of restricted
ivory trade but the proposals have not been passed

Hippo ivory
● Hippopotamus ivory is harder than elephant ivory and is more difficult to carve.

● Hippo ivory is lower canine tooth (unlike elephant whose tusks are enlarged incisor teeth)

● Hippo body parts can still be traded under CITES but require an export permit Walrus
Ivory : by using Upper canine

Tusk:Teeth - inner Dentine

Elephants
● Elephants are the largest existing land animals. They can live up to 70 years in the wild

● Led by a matriarch, elephants are organized into complex social structures of females and
calves, while male elephants tend to live in isolation or in small bachelor groups.

● Elephants have a gestation period of 22 months—the longest of any mammal. A single calf
is born to a female once every 4-5 years

Three living species are currently recognised:

● IUCN Status:
1. the African bush elephant - Critically Endangered
2. the African forest elephant - Endangered
3. the Asian elephant - Endangered

● Convention of the Migratory species (CMS): Appendix I

● Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

● There are three subspecies of Asian elephant which are the Indian, Sumatran and Sri
Lankan

Elephant population facts

● Population by species: African bush elephant > African forest elephant > Asian Elephant

● It is estimated that Botswana is the country with largest population of elephants in the
world

● Top states in elephant population in India:

1. Karnataka (6049 elephants as per Elephant Census of 2017)
2. Assam (5719 elephants)
3. Kerala (5706 elephants)

Project Elephant 1992

● Project Elephant (PE), is a centrally sponsored scheme launched for the protection of
elephants, their habitats and corridors.

● It also seeks to address the issues of human-wildlife conflict and welfare of domesticated
elephants.

● The MoEFCC provides the financial and technical support to major elephant range states in
the country through Project Elephant.

● Other goals of Project Elephant:

- supporting the research of the ecology and management of elephants
- creating awareness of conservation among local people
- providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants

32nd Elephant reserve : Terai UP

33rd Elephant Reserve : Agasthyamalai TN Dendeli ER - Karnataka
Singphan ER:Nagaland Lemeru A - Chattisgarh

Elephant Reserves and corridors in India

● The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change or state governments notify
Elephant Reserves under the Project Elephant.

● Elephant reserves and corridors have no legal sanctity under the Wildlife Protection Act
(WLPA), 1972.

● Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change announced the notification of
Agasthiyamalai in Tamil Nadu in August 2022 as the 32nd Elephant Reserve in India

(IMP : African elephants : both male and female have tusks , while in Asian elephant : only
male have tusk )
Global Ocean Acidification Observing network
GOA-ON is a collaborative international network
It is integrated, international research effort closely linked with other international research
programs.
Aim :
-to detect drivers of ocean acidification
-to make the information available to optimize modeling studies.

● Evil twin of climate change

● Process of falling Ph level of ocean due to ( CO2 + H2O = Carbonic acids )

Ocean Acidification
Impacts :
It lowers carbonate ions thereby adversely affecting , 1 - Coral Bleaching
2 - Affects phytoplanktons 3- Arctic food chain
(Phytoplankton and ice algae are eaten by zooplankton, and in turn, zooplankton are eaten by
polar cod, seabirds, and the bowhead whales )
4- Cloud formation : acidification dimethyl sulphide DMS level ( DMS are released by
phytoplankton ,crucial as aerosole for cloud formation )

Ocean acidification and lysocline link :

● The lysocline is the depth at which the rate of dissolution of calcite begins to increase
dramatically.
● The water above the lysocline is supersaturated in calcite structures (CaCO3), but as depth
and pressure increase and temperature decreases, the solubility of calcite increases
● The carbonate compensation depth, or CCD, is defined as the water depth at which the rate
of supply of calcium carbonate from the surface is equal to the rate of dissolution.
● The relationship between the lysocline and ocean acidification is that as the pH of the
ocean decreases due to increased carbon dioxide absorption, the lysocline will move closer to
the surface.
● This is because the dissolution of calcium carbonate minerals is more likely to occur in
acidic water
● As the lysocline moves closer to the surface, the saturation state of calcium carbonate
decreases, making it more difficult for these organisms to form and maintain their shells and
skeletons

Coral bleaching alert system

● By INCOIS
● Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services is an autonomous organization of
the Government of India
● Under the Ministry of Earth Sciences

● Located in, Hyderabad

World air quality report

● By IQ air
● Based on PM2.5
● India : 8th largest polluted country
● 39 out of top50 most polluted city are Indian
State of Global Air report 2022
● Released by Health Effects Institute (HEI) and Institute for Health Metrics and
Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease project Highlights of Report

● In the 20 cities with highest PM2.5 exposures, residents in cities from India, Nigeria, Peru,
and Bangladesh are exposed to PM2.5 levels that are several-fold higher than global average

● India is home to 18 of 20 cities with severe increase in PM2.5 pollution which saw increase
of more than 30 μg/m3 during last decade
National air quality Index: NAQI

● launched under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

● Air Quality Index comprise emissions of eight major pollutants : Particulate matter (PM2.5
and PM10), Ozone (O3), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide
(SO2), Lead (Pb) and Ammonia (NH3) emissions. Readings are noted every hour
● One colour one description : for ease of understanding to general public
● AQI : 6calegories of air quality >> Good, satisfactory, Moderate, Poor, very poor, severe
● Developed by CPCB in association with IIT Kanpur
● SAMEER App : by CPCB to give realtime info of air quality

SAFAR : System of Air Quality n Weather Forecasting

ESSO is under Ministry of Earth science

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

● 132 cities covered under the NCAP

● 40 percent reduction in particulate matter concentration in cities covered under the National
Clean Air Programme (NCAP) by 2026.
● 2017 Base Year.
● The city specific action plans have been prepared which, inter-alia, include measures for
strengthening the monitoring network, reducing vehicular/industrial emissions, increasing
public awareness etc.
● Implementation of the city specific action plans are regularly monitored by Committees at
Central and State level namely Steering Committee, Monitoring Committee and
Implementation Committee
● A non-attainment city is one whose air did not meet the national ambient air quality
standards of 2011 to 2015

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan

● By MoEFCC
● Rank 132 cities

Global Greenhouse Gas monitorey Infrastructure

● By WMO
● To provide real time and standardized tracking of GHG
● Integrates space based and surface based tracking

What is the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)?

● The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with
a membership of 192 Member States and Territories.
● India is a member of WMO
● It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was
established after the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress.
● Established by the ratification of the WMO Convention on 23rd March 1950, WMO
became the specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate),
operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.'
● WMO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

World Meteorological Congress

● The World Meteorological Congress is the supreme body of the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO).
● WMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology, operational
hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
● India is a member.
● It produces annually the State of the Global Climate Report

Provisional State of Global Climate Index,2022

● Released by World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
● Full and final report is expected to be published in April, 2023
● Aim of Report- It is produced on an annual basis, complementing the most recent long
assessment cycle provided by the sixth IPCC Assessment Report

WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin 2022

● Released by World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
● Atmospheric levels of the three main greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and
nitrous oxide have reached new record highs in 2022.
● Concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most important greenhouse gas reached 149%
of the pre-industrial level.
● Methane (CH4) is 262% and nitrous oxide (N2O) is 124% of the levels in 1750 when
human activities started disrupting Earth’s natural equilibrium
Global Annual to Decadal Climate update report
● By WMO

GLOBAL OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM (GOOS) REPORT CARD, 2022 (Sept 2022)
● Released by : World Metrological Organisation
● Released annually since 2017 in partnership with Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) and other GOOS partners.
● Aim of report- Providing near real time data (on temperature, salinity) for ocean and
atmospheric services

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

● It is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations that is dedicated to providing the

world with objective, scientific information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of
the risk of human-induced.climate change, its natural, political, and economic impacts and
risks, and possible response options.
● The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and was later endorsed by the United
Nations General Assembly
● IPCC : 2 types of reports (assessment reports and special reports )

4 Special reports
● - Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES)
● - Special report on renewable energy sources and climate change mitigation (SRREN)
● - Special Report on managing the risks of extreme events and disasters to advance climate
change adaptation (SREX)
● - Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C (SR15)
● - Special Report on climate change and land (SRCCL)
● - Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC
Sustainable Use of Wild Species: IPBES Report
● Report released by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
● It has stated that Sustainable use of wild species can meet needs of billions.
● The assessment shortlisted five categories of practices used for wild species

— Fishing, Gathering, Logging, Terrestrial animal harvesting which includes hunting and
non-extractive practices such as observing.
● Report is the first of its kind and has been conceived after a period of four year

Findings of report
● About 70% of the world’s poor population is directly dependent on wild species
● Wild-Species are Important Source of Income
● Survival of an estimated 12% of wild tree species is threatened by unsustainable logging
● Rural people in developing countries are most at risk from unsustainable use of Wild
Species, with lack of complementary alternatives
● Cultural Significance leading to Exploitation of wild species
● Illegal trade in wild species represents the third largest class of all illegal trad

The Intergovernmental Science-Piolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

(IPBES)
● IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body, established by member States in 2012
under the auspices of UNEP.
● The objective of IPBES is to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and
ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human
well-being and sustainable development.
● The IPBES secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany.
● It was established in Panama City, on 21 April 2012 by 94 Governments.
● It is not a United Nations body

Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

● The first-ever Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services by
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
has been released.
● The report identified a range of risks, from the disappearance of insects vital for pollinating
food crops, to the destruction of coral reefs that support fish populations that sustain coastal
communities, or the loss of medicinal plants.
● It found that the average abundance of native species in most major landbased habitats has
fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900. ● By IUCN and UNESCO
● World Heritage glaciers cover almost 10% of the Earth’s glacierized area and play a crucial
role in sustaining life on Earth
● Report highlights : accelerated glacial retreat ,sea level rise , glacial disappearance
● Significance : water and source of river , sacred pilgrims sites ,climate change indicator

World heritage glaciers report : sentinel of climate change

IUCN
International Union for Conservation of Nature
● An international organization (NGO), working in field of nature conservation and
sustainable use of natural resources
● Members include States, non-governmental organizations, indigenous peoples’
organisations, experts, govt agencies, etc
● Created in 1948 in French town of Fontainebleau
● Vision: A just world that values and conserves nature.
● The global authority on status of natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
● HQ :- Gland, Switzerland

OBJECTIVES :
a. To provide scientific data on the status of species and subspecies at a global level.

b. To address the factors of concern and spread awareness regarding the species and
biodiversity extinction.

c. To plan a layout for the conservation of biodiversity

● Priority Areas of IUCN :- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Sustainable Energy, Human well-
being, Green Economy
● IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, started in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive
inventory of global conservation status of plant & animal species.
Working of IUCN
● Every 4 years, IUCN holds World Conservation Congress
● Congress gathers its diverse members, who vote on proposals and establish schedule for
international conservation initiatives.
● IUCN Council, is its main governing body which oversees organization between Congress
sessions

IUCN World Conservation Congress

● First held in 1948; Held by IUCN every 4 yrs
● It was supposed to happen in 2020 but due to corona it was postponed to 2021, France-
Marseilli
● It took critically policy decisions to address conservation priorities including the ongoing
biodiversity crisis.

● Highlights of 2021 event:

● Global Indigenous Agenda: It calls for the secure recognition and respect for collective
indigenous rights and governance of lands, territories, waters, coastal seas and natural
resources.
● Updated IUCN Red List
● Sustainable Tourism Initiative: funded by Germany and includes implementing partners
such as UNESCO and the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)

IUCN publication :
1. Protected Planet Report: by IUCN & UNEP ● Published by United Nations Environment
Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Support from the National Geographic Society (global
nonprofit)
● Assess protected area
● It underlined the progress the world has made toward the ambitious Aichi Biodiversity
Target 11.

2. World commission on protected area ● HQ : Gland swiss

● Under IUCN
● The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) is the world's premier network of
protected and conserved areas expertise. The Commission has over 2500 members spanning
140 countries who provide strategic advice to policymakers and work to strengthen capacity
and investment for protected areas establishment and management.
● The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global
database of marine and terrestrial protected areas.
● It is a joint project between UN Environment Programme and the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is managed by UN Environment Programme World
Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), in collaboration with governments, non-
governmental organisations, academia and industry.
● The WDPA is updated on a monthly basis, and can be downloaded using the button in the
top right of this page.

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

3. World Conservation Strategy (WCS) ● ● Collaborative effords of IUCN, UNEP, WWF &
FAO

● It’s been the go-to document for implementation of conservation measures all over the
world.
● ● Three main Objectives :-

a. to maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems on which human

survival and development depend.
b. to preserve genetic diversity and promote breeding programs
c. to ensure sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems

4. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species :-

● It assesses risk of species extinction

5. IUCN Red List of Ecosystems :-

● It assesses risk of ecosystem collapse
6. IUCN World Heritage Outlook
● Assesses World Heritage sites over time
● Recognises good conservation practice and supports role of World Heritage sites in
demonstrating excellence
● Identifies actions needed to support sites that are facing threat

7. World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas :-

● IUCN, BirdLife International and others
● Assesses sites important for biodiversity

8. ECOLEX
● Operated jointly by FAO, IUCN and UNEP
● Provides a gateway to environmental law, the MOST comprehensive information on
environmental laws

9. PANORAMA
● Global knowledge exchange initiative and provides an open, neutral platform for everyone
to share their successes, learn from experiences of other practitioners and exchange
knowledge as part of community
IUCN RED LIST of threatened species
● World’s most comprehensive inventory of global conservation status of biological species,
started in 1964
● It assesses risk of species extinction
● When discussing IUCN Red List, the official term “threatened” is a grouping of 3
categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.
● Pink pages include Critically Endangered species
● Green pages include those species which formerly endangered but have now recovered to
a point where they are no longer threatened.

Green Status of Species

● Prepared by: IUCN.
● It is global standard for measuring species recovery and assessing conservation impact.

● The Green Status assesses species against three essential facets of recovery -
1. A species is fully recovered if it is present in all parts of its range,
2. It is viable (i.e., not threatened with extinction) in all parts of its range
3. It is performing its ecological functions in all parts of its range.

IUCN green list of protected and conserved areas

It is first global standard of best practice for area-based conservation.
It is Programme of certification for protected and conserved areas – national parks, natural
WHS's, community conserved areas, nature reserves etc. that are effectively managed &
fairly governed.

● Objective :- To provide a global benchmark to assess whether protected and conserved

areas are achieving successful conservation outcomes through effective & equitable
governance & management.
Carbon bombs
● A group of environmentalists, lawyers, and activists have come together to identify and
‘defuse carbon bombs’– coal, oil and gas projects that have the potential to contribute
significantly to global warming.
● It is an oil or gas project that will result in at least a billion tonnes of CO2 emissions over
its lifetime.
● Whenever coal, oil, or gas is extracted it results in pollution and environmental
degradation.Further, carbon emissions take place in particularly large amounts when fuel is
burned.

India’s first water bodies census

● The Ministry of Jal Shakti has released the report of India’s first water bodies census, a
comprehensive data base of ponds, tanks, lakes, and reservoirs in the country.
In this census, water bodies are defined as follows :
● All natural or man-made units bounded on all sides with some or no masonry work used for
1. storing water for irrigation or
2. other purposes (e.g. industrial, pisciculture, domestic/ drinking, recreation, religious,
ground water recharge etc.) will be treated as water bodies in this Census.

● As per the report, 24,24,540 water bodies have been enumerated in the country, out of
which 97.1% are in rural areas and only 2.9% are in urban areas.
Distribution of water bodies
● ponds 59.5% ,
● Tanks (15.7%),
● Reservoirs (12.1%),
● Water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams
(9.3%),
● Lakes (0.9%) and
● Others (2.5%,).

State wise data

● Maharashtra : Leading state for water conservation schemes.
● West Bengal : Highest number of ponds & reservoirs.
● Andhra Pradesh : Highest number of tank.
● Tamil Nadu : Highest number of lakes.
● Sikkim : Least number of water bodies.

New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)

● The term is related to Climate Finance.

● The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance is expected to be

finalised by 2024.
● It will replace the current climate finance goal of $100 billion annually from developed
countries.

Green Climate Fund

● The GCF was set up in 2010 at Cancun Climate summit under the UNFCCC’s financial
mechanism.
● It's aim is to channel funding from developed countries to developing countries to allow
them to mitigate climate change and also adapt to disruptions arising from a changing
climate.
● GCF will support projects, programmes, policies and other activities in developing country
Parties using thematic funding windows.
● It is intended to be the centrepiece of efforts to raise Climate Finance of $100 billion a year
by 2020.

● The GCF is based in Incheon, South Korea. It is governed by a Board of 24 members and
supported by a Secretariat.
● The Fund is accountable to, and functions under the guidance of, the COP.

Tamilnadu Green Climate Fund

● In a first of its kind initiative in the country, the Tamil Nadu government has set up a Green
Climate Fund of Rs 1,000 crore

● It will mobilise resources from various sources to support various climate change
initiatives, mitigation and greening projects.

● TN Green Climate Fund will support mega projects in renewable energy sector, electric/
hybrid, waste management technologies, sustainable agriculture, emission control technology
among several others
The Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)

● Recently, Bangladesh has become the first country in Asia to receive a loan from IMF's
"Resilience and Sustainability Fund" (RSF).

● It is an initiative of IMF.

● IMF approved the RSF fund – for low and middle-income countries that are at risk due to
climate change – on 13 April 2022, and it became effective on 1 May 2022.

● It provides affordable long-term financing to countries undertaking reforms to reduce risks

to prospective balance of payments stability, including those related to climate change and
pandemic preparedness.

Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (IRAF)

● It was launched by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) at the India
Pavilion, COP27, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
● IRAF is a multi-donor trust fund, established with the support of United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
(UNDRR).

● It will be managed by the United Nation Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (UN MPTFO),
New York.

● It will be supported by India, the UK, Australia and the European Union. Around 50
million dollars in financial commitments have already been announced for IRAF over an
initial duration of 5 years.

● Objective - To support global action on disaster resilience of infrastructure systems,

especially in developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches (IFCMA)

● Recently, IFCMA's first meeting took place at Paris, France. IFCMA is a new forum by
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

● India also participated in this forum.

● It's aim is to help improve global impact of emissions reduction efforts through better data
and information sharing, evidence-based mutual learning etc.

● It will also develop a methodology to assess effects of mitigation policies on emission

reductions at the country level.
Project Greensand

● Project Greensand will be the world’s first cross-border carbon storage project.

● Project Greensand is a carbon storage project in Denmark's North Sea.

● The project aims to bury vast amounts of planet-heating carbon dioxide gas beneath the
North Sea floor.

● It hopes that it can help the Denmark and others meet climate targets.

● It reverses the traffic in the pipes by pumping CO2 into the depleted reservoir of the Nini
West oil field in Denmark.

●Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA)

-Established in 2017.
- is programme under UNFCCC which recognises the unique potential of agriculture in
tackling climate change.
- It aims to develop ways on topics related to soils, nutrient use, water, livestock, methods for
assessing adaptation, and the socio-economic and food security dimensions of climate change
across the agricultural sectors.
- The KJWA is named after the village of Koronivia in Fiji, where the decision to establish
the platform was made.

Why India opposed Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture initiative because :

● India has opposed the developed world's efforts to extend the scope of mitigation to
agriculture saying rich nations do not want to change their lifestyles to reduce emissions and
are "searching for cheaper solutions abroad".

● India said developed countries are blocking a pro-poor and pro-farmer decision by insisting
on expanding the scope for mitigation to agriculture, thereby compromising the very
foundation of food security in the world.

● The developed nations are unable to reduce their emissions domestically by any
worthwhile change in their lifestyles. Rather, they are searching for cheaper solutions
abroad," India said.

Santiago Network is a network which will "connect vulnerable developing countries with
providers of technical assistance, knowledge, resources they need to address climate risks
comprehensively in the context of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage,"
according to United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC).
First Movers Coalition is a global initiative launched by USA and WEF at
2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow,
Scotland.
● Aim :- To harness the purchasing power of companies to decarbonize seven "hard to abate"
industrial sectors including Aluminum, Aviation,
Chemicals, Concrete, Shipping, Steel, and Trucking, which collectively account for 30% of
global emissions.
● This Coalition seeks to commercialize zero-carbon technologies and scale up critical
emerging technologies that are essential for the net-zero transition.
● The initiative's approach involves working with a coalition of leading companies in each
sector to develop and implement decarbonisation strategies that can be replicated by other
companies in their respective sector.
Global Stocktake (GST)

● GST refers to proposed five-yearly-review of the impact of climate change action

undertaken by countries.

● Under the Paris Agreement, each country has to present a climate action plan every five
years.

● Under the Paris Agreement, the first global stocktake will happen in 2023.

● It will help world to determine whether it needs to do more and how much more.
World Restoration Flagships

● National Mission for Clean Ganga initiative, also called as Namami Gange initiative has
been recognised by the United Nations (UN) as one of the Top 10 World Restoration
Flagships programmes aimed at reviving the natural world.

● The winning initiatives were unveiled at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in

Montreal.

● World Restoration Flagships of the UN Decade are the first, best, or most promising
examples of large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration in any country or region.

● They are recognized for promoting the best practices of large-scale and long-term
ecosystem restoration while also embodying the Ten Restoration Principles of the UN
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

CLEANaction is a partnership of several non-profits and organisations like WWF, IRENA

and BirdLife International formed to protect nature during energy transition.

IRENA
The International Renewable Energy Agency is an intergovernmental organisation mandated
to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use
of renewable energy.

Headquarters: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

REN21 is a think tank and global multi-stakeholder network which is focused on renewable
energy policy. REN21's goal is to facilitate policy development, knowledge exchange, and
joint action towards a rapid global transition to renewable energy.
Headquarters: Paris, France

Species assessed in India that areunder threat, as per the IUCN Red List
unveiled during the COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal (Canada)

White-cheeked Dancing Frog

● Range – Endemic to Western Ghats.

● IUCN Status - Endangered

● The white-cheeked Dancing Frog is considered to be uncommon frog species.

Andaman Smoothhound

● The Andaman Smoothhound is a small fish (shark) discovered in 2021.

● Range - Only known from the Andaman Sea and endemic to India.

● IUCN Status - Vulnerable

Himalayan Fritillary
● The Yellow Himalayan Fritillary plant is a large group of mostly-spring flowering plants in
the lily family.

● IUCN Status – Vulnerable

Cantillon effect

● The Cantillon effect refers to the uneven distribution of wealth and economic benefits that
can occur as a result of monetary policy and the way money enters the economy.

● It says that changes in the money supply in an economy causes redistribution of purchasing
power among people, disturbs the relative prices of goods and services, and leads to the
misallocation of scarce resources.

● The Cantillon effect is named after the 18th century French economist Richard Cantillon.
Environmental Kuznets curve

● The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), shows the relationship between economic
progress and environmental degradation through time as an economy progresses.

● Simply, it suggests that economic growth is good for the environment.

● It was given by Nobel laureate Simon Kuznets in 1950's.

About the Curve
● When an economy is primarily pre-industrial and agrarian, the environment is usually clean
and untouched by pollutants from industrial economic activities.
● As the economy shifts towards development and industrialization, the environment is at a
higher risk of being harmed by pollution and depletion of natural resources.
● The curve then returns to a cleaner environment when economic growth continues, and
people choose to spend their incomes on improving the environment by cleaning water and
improving air quality

Keeling Curve

● The amount of carbon in Earth's atmosphere in May 2021 reached its highest level in
modern history, a global indicator showed.

● The Keeling Curve, named after its creator Dr. Charles David Keeling, is a global
benchmark for carbon levels in the atmosphere.

● It is a graph that represents the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s

atmosphere since 1958 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

● It is the longest uninterrupted instrumental record of atmospheric CO2 in the world, and it
is commonly regarded as one of the best and most recognizable products of a long-term
scientific study.
Flash droughts have been defined in two ways, either as a short-lived yet severe event where
soil moisture completely depletes or a multi-week period of rapid intensification toward
drought.
Kappaphycus alvarezii :

● Centre’s Multi-purpose Seaweed Park project promotes cultivation of Exotic Kappaphycus

seaweed in TN’s coastal villages, which poses threat to coral reefs.

● Kappaphycus alvarezii is a red alga but, its actual live colour is green or yellow.

● The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as one of the world’s 100 most
invasive species.

● It is one of the prime threats that killed the corals near Kurusadai which was deliberately
introduced in Ramanathapuram for commercial cultivation some two decades ago.

Seagrasses produce flowers, fruit and seeds - algaeproduce spores. Seagrasses, like terrestrial
grasses, have separate roots, leaves and underground stems called rhizomes.

Ecosystem engineers are organisms that significantly modify their environment, creating or
modifying habitats that benefit other species.

Sea grasses are often referred to as ecosystem engineers because they play a critical role in
shaping and maintaining the marine ecosystems they inhabit.
(EHEP):
It is one of the largest hydropower projects proposed in the country in terms of installed
capacity.

EHEP is proposed to be developed as a combination of two runof- the-river schemes.

The project involves the construction of concrete gravity dams on the Tangon and Dri rivers
which are tributaries of Dibang river.

The project area falls under the “richest bio-geographical province of the Himalayan zone”
and “one of the mega biodiversity hotspots of the world”.

The project area is dominated by indigenous population belonging to Idu-Mishmi tribes.

Forest Advisory Committee:

FAC is a statutory body of the Ministry of Environment

Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) formed under the
Forest Conservation Act of 1980.

It considers questions on the diversion of forest land for nonforest uses such as mining,
industrial projects, townships and advises the government on the issue of granting forest
clearances.
About the Green Credit Scheme:

The scheme allows companies, village forest communities to identify land and begin growing
plantations.

After three years, they would be eligible to be considered as compensatory forest land if they
met the Forest Department’s criteria.

An industry needing forest land could then approach the agency and pay it for parcels of such
forested land, and this would then be transferred to the Forest Department and be recorded as
forest land.

Green Credit Programme

The idea is to create a market-based mechanism for undertaking environment-friendly

activities by providing additional incentives in the form of green credits.

A monetary value will be put for each green credit depending on the activity for which it has
been earned

Under this, the government will incentivise the companies, individuals and local bodies that
adhere to sustainable practises under the Environment (Protection) Act and help mobilize
additional resources for such activities.

Bluewashing

Bluewashing is using misinformation to deceive

consumers into thinking that a company is more digitally ethical and secure than it really is.

It is just like greenwashing but focused more on social and economic responsibility rather
than the environment.

The term ‘bluewashing’ was first used to refer to companies who signed the United Nations
Global Compact and its principles but did not make any actual policy reforms.
Carbon Payments for Development (CP4D) initiative

● The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is paving the way for businesses to
invest in climate action under the Paris Agreement.

● To this end, UNDP set up a Carbon Payments for Development (CP4D) Facility that
catalyzes innovative public-private partnerships (PPPs) that reduce carbon emissions while
contributing to the achievement of the SDGs.

● Carbon Payments for Development (CP4D) initiative promotes ambitious climate action.

● CP4D will de-risk and incentivise private sector investments into climate change mitigation
projects.

● Over its ten year lifespan, the CP4D aims to reduce emissions by approximately 27 million
tCO2e.

● CP4D is a flagship example of UNDP’s ‘future-smart’ approach to development.

Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary

• Uttar Pradesh approved the state’s 4th tiger reserve in the Ranipur Wildlife
Sanctuary (RWS) in Chitrakoot district under Section 38(v) of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act of 1972.
• Ranipur Tiger Reserve will be the 4th in UP, after Dudhwa, Pilibhit and
Amangarh (buffer of Corbett Tiger Reserve)
• It will be the 54th Tiger Reserve in India.

Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS)

• Flora: Tropical dry deciduous forests.

• Fauna: tigers (endangered), leopards (Vulnerable), sloth bears( Vulnerable),
spotted deer(Least concern), sambhar (Vulnerable), chinkara (Least Concern)
and a number of birds and reptiles.
• RWS has no tigers of its own, but it is frequented by tigers from the nearby
Panna Tiger Reserve.
• RWS is an important corridor for the movement of tigers

Bengal tigers – Endangered

Bali Tiger, Javan Tiger, Caspian Tiger - Extinct
Malayan and Sumatran Tiger – Critically Endangered
Sloth Bear Polar Bear
Found in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Found in Arctic Region only
India, Bhutan
IUCN – Vulnerable IUCN - Vulnerable

How Tiger Reserve Notify

• As per Wildlife protection act - State govt. would notify the tiger reserve areas
based on the recommendation of NTCA.
• To declare an area as Tiger Reserve, the state governments can forward their
proposals in this regard to NTCA.
• Central Government via NTCA may also advise the state governments to forward a
proposal for creation of Tiger Reserves.
• Tiger Reserves are managed by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• No alternation of boundary can be done without the recommendation of National
Board for Wild Life and without the advice of the Tiger Conservation Authority.

National Tiger Conservation Authority- NTCA

• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• It was established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.
• It was constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it.

National Board for Wildlife

• Apex body in India for all wildlife related matters and it was constituted in 2003
• It is a statutory body constituted under Section 5A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972
• It is chaired by the Prime Minister.
• An advisory board and advises the central government on policy matters concerned
with wildlife conservation in the country.
• It approves projects (including government projects) in and around the protected
areas (national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, etc.

53rd Tiger reserve

• NTCA has approved the Chhattisgarh government’s proposal to declare the
combined areas of the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife
Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve
• This will be the fourth Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, after the Udanti- Sitanadi,
Achanakmar, and Indravati Reserve

52nd Tiger reserve

• Recently, the Ramgarh Vishdhari wildlife sanctuary received a nod from the
National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) technical committee to become the
4th Tiger reserve of Rajasthan.
• Other Three Tiger Reserves:
• 1. 1.Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Sawai Madhopur,
• 2. Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in Alwar, and
• 3. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Kota.

Project Tiger
• Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 by the
Government of India during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure.
• The project aims at ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger in its natural
habitats, protecting it from extinction, and preserving areas of biological importance
as a natural heritage that represent the diversity of ecosystems across the tiger's
range in the country.

M-STrIPES
• M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection and Ecological
Status)
• This mobile App is used for surveillance and patrolling of tiger-populated areas
• It was developed by NTCA & WII in 2010
• It is usually a software-based monitoring tool.
• It is used in the All India-Tiger Estimation.

Critical 'tiger' habitats (CTHs)

• Critical 'tiger' habitats (CTHs) are also known as core areas of tiger reserves.
• They are identified under the WildLife Protection Act (WLPA), 1972 ( Section 38V)
based on scientific evidence that "such areas are required to be kept as inviolate for
the purpose of tiger conservation without affecting the rights of the Scheduled Tribes
or such other forest dwellers".
• The notification of CTH is done by the state government in consultation with the
expert committee constituted for the purpose.

Critical Wildlife Habitats

• Envisaged in Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition
of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
• This act defines CWH as the “areas of national parks and sanctuaries where it has
been specifically and clearly established, case by case, on the basis of scientific and
objective criteria, that such areas are required to be kept as inviolate for the
purposes of wildlife conservation
• Power to notify the rules to designate a CWH rests with Ministry of Environment
and Forests.
• State Government are needed to initiate the process for notification of a critical
wildlife habitat by submitting an application on a case by case basis, to the Ministry
of Environment and Forests, which is the nodal agency under the said Act.
• Critical Wildlife Habitats are thus, declared by Central Government ONLY.
• But Habitat Rights of the PVTGs under CWH are recognized by The Ministry of
Tribal Affairs.

International Tiger Forum

• It is meeting of Tiger range countries.
• 1. First – 2010 – St. Peterbergs
• 2. Second – 2022 – Vladivostok

Important Declarations
• Paris Declaration-By ISA
• St. Petersburg Declaration Tiger 2X by 2022
• Bishkek Declaration- To protect and conserve snow leopard habitat by 2020
• Gandhinagar Declaration- Conservation of migratory species of ecological
connectivity
• New York Declaration- Voluntary and Non- Binding - Focuses on halting
deforestation
• Florianopolis Declaration- Against commercial Whaling
• Colombo Declaration- Decreasing Nitrogen Waste by 50% by 2030.

First International Tiger Forum

• St. Petersburg Declaration – Countries agreed to double the tiger’s population.


Global Tiger Recovery Programme implemented the St. Petersburg Declaration
• India achieved the target of doubling the tiger’s population in 2018.
• Nepal was the first country to achieve the target.
TX – 2 programme
• WWF initiative
• Double by 2022
• Target set under St. Petersburg Declaration

Second international Tiger Forum

Held in Vladivostok in 2022 Vladivostok declaration
• Every country update their National tiger recovery programme
• Strengthen community stewardship for conservation of tiger.
• Protect habitat and prey base of tigers.
• Ensure enforcement of international standards in tiger related crimes.
• 13 tiger range countries.-Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India,
Indonesia,Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Global Tiger forum:

• Global Tiger forum is the only intergovernmental platform of tiger range countries
which has been consolidating Tiger Action Plans of the range countries.
• The forum was formed in 1993 on recommendations of an international
symposium on Tiger Conservation.
• It meets every Three year.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• 13 Tiger Range Countries (TRC) consist of Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia,
China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• It envisages utilise cooperative polices, common approach, Tech Expertise and
Scientific module for protection.


Black carbon
Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted from gas and diesel engines, coal-
fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It comprises a significant
portion of particulate matter or PM, which is an air pollutant.
• It is a Short lived pollutant.
• It is a contributor to global warming.
• It is also an aerosol.


Aerosol
• An aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or
another gas.
o Liquid Gas Aerosol Fog, clouds, mist.
o Solid Gas Aerosol Smoke, automobile exhaust.

• Aerosol is a colloidal system.

Alloys
• Steel = Iron + Chromium + Carbon
• Bronze = Copper + Steel
• Solder = Tin + Lead


Properties of a colloid

A colloid is a heterogeneous mixture.

• The size of particles of a colloid is too small to be individually seen by naked eyes.
• Colloids are big enough to scatter a beam of light passing through it and make its
path visible.
• They do not settle down when left undisturbed, that is, a colloid is quite stable.
• They cannot be separated from the mixture by the process of filtration. But, a
special technique of separation known as centrifugation (perform activity 2.5), can
be used to separate the colloidal particles.

Incomplete combustion of fossil fuel: BLACK CARBON

Incomplete combustion of biomass : BROWN CARBON

Brown Carbon

Brown carbon is a ubiquitous and unidentified component of organic aerosol

• The sources of Brown carbon are:
- Breakdown of biomass & burning of biomass.
- Coal combustion
- Tar materials
- Combustion of fossil fuels and automobile exhaust
- Mixture of organic compounds emitted from soil.
- Formed on the atmosphere from the reactions of biogenic organic gases.

Blue Carbon

It is the carbon which is captured by the world’s oceans & coastal ecosystems.

Blue Carbon refers to coastal, aquatic and marine carbon sinks held by the
indicative vegetation, marine organism and sediments.

• These coastal ecosystems are very efficient at sequestering and storing carbon
each square mile of these systems can remove carbon from the atmosphere and
oceans at rates higher than each square mile of mature tropical forests.

Asian Brown Cloud

 It is a large atmospheric brown cloud that occurs annually from about

November – May over eastern China and southern Asia.

 Caused due to large amount of aerosols (soot/dust) produced in combustion
of fossil fuel and biomass across region.

Geosphere Biosphere Programme

 Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is operating a network of aerosol

observatories under ISRO Geosphere Biosphere Programme.
• One of the parameters being measured from this network is the black carbon mass
concentration.
• The long-term measurements of black carbon over the Indian region from the
aforesaid regional network of aerosol observatories clearly show a decreasing trend
(0.24 μg m-3year-1) in the past decade.
Black Carbon Research Initiative

Multi-institutional and multi-agency Science Plan has been launched in Ministry of
Environment in association with Ministry of Earth Sciences, Indian Space Research
Organization, Ministry of Science and Technology and other associated agencies.

• Aim- To monitor aerosols and assess its impacts through various modeling
techniques.

National carbonaceous Aerosol Programme


• Initiative of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• It is a sub programme under Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP).
• It observes the effects of Aerosols on Environment.

Albedo Effect –


• Albedo is a unitless, non-dimensional metric that measures how well a surface
reflects solar radiation.
• The effect refers to the reflecting back of incoming solar radiation from white
surfaces on the earth back into the atmosphere and space.
• If Everything is reflected = 1
• If 30% reflected = 0.3
• Albedo of black Carbon = very low

There are two types of Albedo – terrestrial albedo and astronomical albedo.

Terrestrial Albedo


• The measurement of Earth’s albedo is known as Terrestrial Albedo.
• The Terrestrial Albedo of Earth around 0.31 which is about two-thirds of the solar
radiation reaching the Earth.
• This figure (0.31) is dependent on many factors like an ocean, forest, clouds,
deserts etc.
Astronomical Albedo


• Astronomical albedo is the measure of the reflectivity of planets (excluding Earth),
asteroids and other celestial bodies the albedo is an indicator of the surface and
atmospheric characteristics of a celestial body.
• It is important in the study of astronomy.

Global Dimming


• Global Dimming is a phenomenon noticed in the recent 50-70 years, where there
has been a decline in the total solar irradiance reaching the earth’s surface due to
reflection midway from the atmosphere back into space.
• This has been caused due to an increase in aerosols such as light- colouredsulphur
particles (from industries, thermal power plants, etc), soot, ash, vapours, etc.
• These absorb solar radiations and reflect them back into space without letting
them reach earth’s surface.

• This creates a cooling effect which is in contrast to the effect and global warming.
lt does not occur uniformly over and varies regionally in intensity and trends.

Environmental related satellites


• Sentinel satellite by EU to monitor pollution.
• TAN SAT by china to monitor CO2.
• Venus SAT to monitor environmental conditions.

Methane Alert and Response System


• Satellite based system that enables government to detect emissions and take
action on it.
• Launched at CoP 27.
• It is a part of International Methane Emission Observatory (IMEO).
• IMEO : Launched by UNEP at G20 in 2021.
Methane

• Colourless gas
• Sources –
• Methane is 25 times more potent than CO2.

1. Anthropogenic emission sources include landfills, oil and natural gas systems,
agricultural activities, coal mining, stationary and mobile combustion, wastewater
treatment, and certain industrial.
2. Natural sources of methane include wetlands, gas hydrates, termites, oceans,
freshwater bodies.

Global Methane Climate and Clean air Forum


• It discusses opportunities to protect climate and improve air quality.
• Its special focus is on methane.
• It works towards adhering to Global Methane Pledge.
• It is an Initiate of Climate and Clean Air Coalition and Global Methane Initiative.

Global Methane Initiative


• It is an international public-private partnership focused on reducing barriers to the
recovery and use of methane as a clean energy source.
• GMI provides technical support to deploy methane-to energy projects around the
world that enable Partner Countries to launch methane recovery and use projects.
• India is a partner country.

Global Methane Assessment 2030: Why Act Now


Initiative of UNEP and Climate and Clean Air Coalition.
• It evaluates a scenario of what would happen without efforts such as Global
Methane Pledge.
• Global Methane Pledge would reduce 2 degrees Celsius from 2040-2070.
• In current scenario – Methane emissions are going to raise 5-13% by 2030.

Global Methane Pledge
• The Global Methane Pledge was launched at the UN COP26 climate conference in
Glasgow.
• It is an effort led jointly by the United States and the European Union.
• Aim - Reduce atleast 30% of methane emission by 2030 (From 2020 level).
• India is not part of Global methane Pledge.

Climate and Clean Air Coalition

• The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is a voluntary partnership of governments,
intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society
organizations committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate through
actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.
• Headquarter – Paris, France.
• India is a member of this Coalition.
• The Coalition’s goal is to reduce short-lived climate pollutants beyond the
recommendations made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in
its special report Global Warming of 1.5°C.
• The Coalition’s initial focus is on methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs).
• These are also called as Super Pollutants.
Birds

State of World Bird

• Released by – Birdlife International.
• It says – globally 48% of 11000 species are declining.
• 223 species are critically endangered.
• India –
o The trend toward declining bird diversity is just as alarming in India, where recent
annual trends have been calculated for 146 species.
o Of these, nearly 80% are declining in numbers, and almost 50% plummeting
strongly.
o Just over 6% of the species studied show stable populations and 14% show
increasing population trends.

Birdlife International
• It is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve
birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards
sustainability in the use of natural resources
• Headquarters - United Kingdom Cambridge, United Kingdom
• It publishes a quarterly magazine, World Birdwatch, which contains recent news
and authoritative articles about birds, their habitats, and their conservation around
the world.
• It is the official Red List authority for birds, for the International Union for
Conservation of Nature.
• It also published important bird areas (IBA) inventory.

Salim Ali Bird Sanctury

• Located on island of choroa on Mandovi river, Goa.
• But Salim Ali Centre of Ornithology and natural History – Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)

• The BNHS, a pan-India wildlife research organization, has been promoting the
cause of nature conservation since 1883.
• BNHS Mission: Conservation of nature, primarily biological diversity through action
based on research, education and public awareness
• BNHS Vision: Premier independent scientific organization with a broad based
constituency, excelling in the conservation of threatened species and habitats.
• Headquarter – Mumbai.
Great Indian Hornbill
• Life span :- 50 years in captivity
• Predominantly fruit-eating, but are opportunist and preys on small mammals,
reptiles and birds
• Aka ‘forest engineers’ or ‘farmers of the forest’ for playing a key role in dispersing
seeds of tropical trees, thus hornbills indicate prosperity and balance of forest.
• IUCN :- Vulnerable, Indian Grey Hornbill (Least Concern)
• Schedule I of WPA 1972, CITES: Appendix I
• State Bird : Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala
• Threats: Logging, Forest clearance for agriculture, susceptible to hunting.

Asian Water bird Census (AWC):

• The AWC is conducted in January each year and is coordinated by the Wetlands
International South Asia and the Bombay Natural History Society in india .
• It is an integral part of the global waterbird monitoring programme, the
International Waterbird Census (IWC), coordinated by Wetlands International.
What are Waterbirds?
The birds which are ecologically dependent on wetlands are known as water birds.

Wetlands International
• Wetlands International coordinates the International Waterbird census of which
the Asian Waterbird census is an integral part.
• It is a global not-for-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and
restoration of wetlands.
• It is one of the International Partner Organizations of the Ramsar Convention. It
was formerly known as International Waterfowl & Wetlands Research Bureau (IWRB)
and its scope included the protection of wetland areas.
• Headquarter – Edi, Netherland.

Ramsar Convention Work with –

1. IUCN
2. Wetland International
3. Birdlife International
4. International Waterfowl and wetland trust
5. WWF
6. International Water Management Institute

National Decadal Change Atlas

• Launched – Space Application Centre.
Waste Land Atlas
• Initiative of Ministry of Rural development
• It is conducted with the help of National remote sensing centre.
• It provides State and district wise distribution of different categories of wastelands
area in the country and will be helpful in addressing land degradation.

Desertification and Land degradation = ISRO

Geospatial Energy Map of India

• Developed by: NITI Aayog in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO)

• Purpose: It provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country.

• It also enables visualisation of energy installations such as conventional power
plants, oil and gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks, districtwise
data on renewable energy power plants etc.

World Migratory Bird day

• Celebrated twice a year
• 2nd Saturday of May and October.
• 8th October 2020 theme – Light Pollution.
• It focuses on Artificial Light that alters the natural pattern of light and dark in
ecosystem.
• It affects birds behaviour, causes disorientation, exhaustion, distort flight, Internal
clock.
• It is organised by Partnership of Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and
African Eurasian Migratory Water Bird Agreement.

Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)

• It is also known as Bon Convention

• It protects Species and their Habitat.
• It came into force in 1983
• India is part of it.
• CoP 14 is going to happen in 2023 in Uzbekistan.
CMS COP 13:
• Held in Gandhinagar (Gujrat)
• Mascot : Great Indian Bustard
• Theme for COP 13: migratory species connect the planet and together we welcome
them home
• Gandhinagar Declaration: calls for conservation of migratory species and brings the
concept of ecological connectivity.
National Action Plan for the conservation of Migratory Birds
• Initiative of Ministry of environmental Forest.
• From 2018-2023

• The overall goal of the plan is to reduce population decline of migratory birds and
to secure their habitat.
• The short-term goal of the plan is to stop the decline in population by 2027
• 6 components –
o Species conservation
o Habitat conservation and sustainable management
o Communication and outreach
o Capacity development
o Research and knowledge base development
o International cooperation

Flyways
• Geographical areas used by single or group of migratory birds during their annual
cycle.
• There are total 9 flyways – out of which 9 pass over India.
o Central Asian Flyway
o East Asian Flyway
o East Africa west Asia Flyway

Raptor MoU
• Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in
Africa and Eurasia.
• Not a legally binding agreement.
• It is under CMS
• India is signatory of Raptor MoU

Raptor
• A raptor is a bird of prey. A bird of prey is a carnivore (meat eater) that kills and
eats mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, rodents as well as other birds.
• All raptors have a hooked beak, strong feet with sharp talons, keen eyesight, and a
carnivorous diet.
• Raptors help in long distance seed dispersal.
• They are at top of food chain.
• They are indicator species.
• They help in pest control.

Ex – Owls, Vultures, Hawks, Falcons, Kites, etc.
Amur Falcon
• Flocks of migratory Amur Falcon arrives in Arunachal districts and Naga hills
• Name derived from Amur River that forms border between Russia and China.
• World’s longest travelling raptors
• They breed in SE Siberia and northern China, and migrate to India in winters
• They migrate to Doyang Lake in Nagaland, thus Nagaland is known as “Falcon
Capital of the World,"
• IUCN :- Least Concern.

Kolleru Lake
• Largest fresh water lake spanning into two districts of Andhra Pradesh - Krishna
and West Godavari. in Andhra Pradesh
• Located between deltas of Krishna and Godavari deltas, serving as a natural flood
balance
• In 1999 notified as wildlife sanctuary under WPA 1972, and designated wetland of
international importance in 2002 under Ramsar Convention.
• Atapaka Bird Sanctuary at Kolleru Lake has become a safe breeding ground for
migratory birds.
• Habitat for resident and migratory birds, viz the grey or spotbilled pelican
(Pelecanus philippensis).
• Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks migrate here din winter
• Pelican Bird Festival is celebrated here since 2018 Phragmites karka :- a weed that
grows up to 10 feet in height and that offers shelter for some species of birds.

Siberian Crane
• Eastern populations migrate, during winter to China, while western population
winters in Iran and (formerly) in Bharatpur and Kolleru Lake in India
• IUCN : Critically Endangered
• Schedule-I of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

Grey Pelican
• Species is found to breed in peninsular India, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.
• Main habitat is in shallow lowland freshwaters, inland and coastal waters
• It is not migratory but are known to make local movements specially during winters
• Places :- Sittang River in Burma, Kunthamkulan Bird Sanctuary (TN), Kolleru Lake
• IUCN :- Near Threatened
• Schedule IV in WPA, 1972

Painted Storks
• They are resident in most regions but make seasonal movements
• They prefer freshwater wetlands in all seasons,
• Also uses irrigation canals and crop fields, particularly flooded rice fields during
monsoon
• Population extents eastwards in SE Asia, with Indus river as it upper boundary
• Breeding is always on large trees
• IUCN :- Near Threatened

Water bird status survey-2022 conducted in Chilika lake

• Census was undertaken jointly by Odisha State Wildlife Organization, Chilika
Development Authority (CDA) and Bombay Natural History Society
• Nearly 11 lakhs water bird and wetland dependent species visited the lake
• 3,58,889 birds (97 species) were counted in Nalabana Bird Sanctuary inside Chilika
– a decrease by 65,899 from previous year.
• Marginal decrease in number of species viz northern shoveler, red crested pochard.
• Increase in numbers for Greater Flamingo

Northern shoveler
• IUCN :- Least Concern
• Breeds in northern Europe and North America
• Migrates to Indian subcontinent in winters
• Observed in Chilika Lake
Red-crested pochard
• IUCN :- Least Concern
• Breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and Central Asia
• Migrates to Indian subcontinent in winters.

Bar-headed Goose
• Found in central China and Mongolia
• Recently spotted in Rushikulya River.
• These are birds which can fly even at very high altitude
• They migrate Indian sub-continent during winter and stay till the end of season
• They have capacity to transport and consume oxygen at high rates in hypoxia
(condition of body in which tissues are starved of oxygen)
• IUCN Status: Least Concern
• Another similar species to Bar-headed Goose is lowland waterfowl, which differs
with the former by having no hypoxia capacity
Ati WLS

Borde
-Delhi Haryana
·

Aravalli ranges
- 1 km around it

as tS2
 Unlnuabl
Fauna -
Leopard.
=Black neck: 2C
have

-Blackbuck! C
⑧ Blackbuck Conservation Reserve in the trans-Yamuna
belt near Prayagraj

It has been declared as the State Animal of Punjab,

Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh.
Tal Chhapar Blackbuck Sanctuary -

grassland

Chirc

destrict
·

Mothiya grass
·
Desertcat, for
cry 2

Penng
Red Headed Vulture:It

Culture:Undergeld
Egyptian
 Park
-resity
Aravalli

Gurugaoy
-

-
The Park was declared as the first OECM site
in the Country -

'Other effective area-based conservation

measures'

Tropical try Decidory

a

thorny forest
-

The OECM tag is given by the International

Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to
areas that are not protected but support rich
biodiversity.

Medical plant
Asthama bel, Brahmi, Gugal, Dardpaat,
Rudraksh, Hadjod, Van tulsi, Rakt madar,
Nirgundi
->?_°
Kanger Valley National Park

● Chhattisgarh’s first-ever inter-state bird survey was

conducted in the Kanger Valley National Park.

● Orange Bat spotted -> Near Threatened

It derives its name from the Kanger River, which flows in

its length.

● The national Park is located in the Bastar district of

Chhattisgarh.
● Forest-Mixed humid deciduous type of forest.

● Fauna-Malabar Giant Squirrel, Spotted Deer, Rhesus

Macaque, Grey Langur, Sloth Bear and Indian Wolf.

● Other Features-It is known for the underground limestone

caves and stalagmites and stalactites -Kutumbasar, Kailash
and Dandak.

● Tirathgarh waterfall and Kanger dhara waterfall are located

inside the National Park.
 Ma
Indian giant squirrel
Estate animal
● This species is endemic to India, with
main sections of its distribution in the
Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and
Satpura Range.

● IUCN status : Least Concern.

Sloth bear SL, Bhute an

Nepal fade
● It is native to the Indian subcontinent.

● It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN

Red List.
·
forest Dwelly
 Squirrel
Ant
· aa part of 25

Satpena Ranges.
·

· animal
State of
MH

·
I4CN LC
=
Chital also known as the Spotted
Deer

● It is a deer species native to the

Indian subcontinent.

● IUCN status : Least Concern.

Rhesus Macaques

● Their natural range includes

Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,
Southeast Asia, and China.

● IUCN status : Least concern.

● Mouse deer or Indian Spotted Chevrotain

● It is the smallest deer in India and is highly

nocturnal.

● IUCN status : Least Concern.

Dehing Patkai National Park

● Recently, it was declared as National Park by Assam Govt.

● Dehing Patkai National Park is located in the Dibrugarh

and Tinsukia districts of Assam.

● It is famous for Assam Valley Tropical Wet Evergreen

Forests bordering Arunachal Pradesh.

● Dehing is the name of the river that flows through this

forest and Patkai is the hill at the foot of which the sanctuary
lies.

● Fauna : Chinese pangolin, flying fox, wild pig, sambar,

barking deer, gaur, serow and Malayan giant squirrels.
Indian flying fox - Least Concern
Malayan giant squirrel
IUCN status : Near Threatened
-
Raimona

- 6th of Assam

Riph reserve forest

C

It is in the western buffer to the Manas National

Park. -

Sankosh river -
west

sne-east
-

Savalbhang
-
Pekua over south.
I
⑧
·
Golden Langur
· Asean
elephat
Tige
·

· clouded
Lopond.
gan-vulverabl
·
Chitat-LC
·
Clouded leopard

● It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

● It is the State animal of Meghalaya.

● It has been added to India’s Recovery Programme for

Critically Endangered Species to aid more research and
strengthen conservation efforts.
● Clouded Leopard prefers grassland, shrubs,
subtropical and dense tropical forest up to a height of
7,000 feet occurring from the Himalayan foothills
through mainland Southeast Asia into China.

● In India, it occurs in Sikkim, northern West Bengal,

Meghalaya subtropical forests, Tripura, Mizoram,
Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
 ·
clouded
Leopard
NP

●India’s first dedicated

wildlife park to Clouded
Leopards ( established in
2007 )

●Located : in Sipahijola
Wildlife Sanctuary of Tripura

C the
with
Bisons
Sepahijala wildlife sanctuary

●Aka biodiversity heaven of

Tripura

●Habitat : moist, deciduous

forest

●Ecotourist site : view of

coffee and rubber
plantations, boating facilities
in lake and ride in toy train.
 Gibbon
-

Assamnineas
e
- EasternArunachal
Hullock Ape found natural
Gibbon
only in
vegetation
· -

in India.

aft deforestation (Palm cultivation)

Orangutan species
endangered
·
-

Y in areas of Indonesia, Malaysia.

 cat
-d
-
2
>
Hemis National Park

Context : Hosts
highest number of
snow
leopards ,thereby
Ladakh is known as
Snow-leopards
Capital of world
●High Altitude National Park » located in Eastern Ladakh

●It lies within Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau

●Vegetation :: pine forests, and alpine tundra

vegetation.

●Rivers : Indus river banks and catchments of

Rumbak ,Markah ,Sumdah

●It is biggest national park in India ( spread over 4400 sq.

km)

●Cultural significance :: Gotsang Gompa, Hemis

Monastery are located inside national park
 Central South Asse
Species
1.Snow leopard
-IUCN : Vulnerable
-AKA Ghost of the
Mountains
stat
-

Himalayan

2.Bharal (Blue sheep)

-IUCN :: Least concerned
-found in the high Himalayas
-major food of the snow
leopard
3. Himalayan Ibex
-IUCN :: ‘least
concerned’
- Zoological Survey
of India in 2020
proved that
Himalayan Ibex is a
distinct species than
siberian ibe
Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary

● GOI has announced the setting up of India’s first Dark Sky

Reserve near the sanctuary

● Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the Changthang

plateau in Leh district of Ladakh.

● This sanctuary extends to Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri and Tso Kar
Lake.

● It is home to important species like the rare Chiru, snow leopard,

black-necked stork and kiang or wild ass.
Chiru (Tibetan Antelope)

● The species is endemic to

Tibetan Plateau and mainly lives
in the northern parts of the
Changthang Plateau.

● Shawls - Shahtoosh shawls are

obtained from the guard hair of
the Tibetan antelope.

● IUCN status - Near Threatened

Dachigam National Park

● Dachigam National Park is located in Srinagar district of

Jammu and Kashmir.

● Dachigam national park falls in the Zabarwan range in

the western Himalayas.

● It is famous for Himalayan moist temperate evergreen

forest.

● Fauna : Kashmir stag (hangul), Himalayan serow, Snow

leopard.
Hangul

● Its only viable population is in

the Greater Dachigam landscape
north-east of Srinagar.

● The Hangul is the state animal

of the former state and current
UT of Jammu & Kashmir.

● IUCN status : Critically

Endangered.
Kuno Palpur National Park

● 8 cheetahs arrived from Namibia and were released into

Kuno National Park on 17th September 2022 by the Prime
Minister of India.

About Kuno Palpur National Park :

● Kuno National Park lies in Sheopur district of Madhya

Pradesh in Central India near the Vindhyan Hills.

● Initially established as a wildlife sanctuary, it was only in

2018 that the government changed its status into a national
park.
● It is named after the Kuno River (One of the main
tributaries of the Chambal River) that cuts across it,
Kuno is primarily a grassland region.

● It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests.

(arid ecoregion across Gujarat, Rajasthan and
Madhya Pradesh).

● Flora and Fauna: The protected area of the forest is

home to the jungle cat, Indian leopard, sloth bear,
Indian wolf, striped hyena, golden jackal, Bengal fox
and dhole, along with more than 120 bird species
le
Dhole (Asian wild dogs)

● Dholes purportedly occurred

throughout southern Russia, all
across central Asia, south Asia
and southeast Asia.

● IUCN status : Endangered

Madhav National Park

● Tigers are being reintroduced in here more than six decades after
they were last seen there in 1960s.

About:

● Location : Madhya Pradesh in Shivpuri District, part of upper

Vindhyan hills.

● Two lakes- Sakhya Sagar & Madhav Sagar and Madikhera dam
situated here.

● Forest Type: Northern Tropical dry deciduous mixed forest as

well as dry thorn forest.

● Fauna: Tigers, hyena, sloth bear, and crocodile, Nilgai, Chinkara,

etc
Nilgai

● It is the largest antelope of

Asia.

● Distribution: It is found in
Nepal, India and Pakistan.

● Habitat: It lives in a lightly

wooded forest, wooded
grassland, scrub areas.

● IUCN status : Least concern

Silent Valley National Park

● The park is located in the Nilgiri hills in Kerala. It is

situated in the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

● Silent Valley is home to the largest population of

Lion-tailed macaques, an endangered primate species.

● River Kunthi descends from the Nilgiri hills and

traverses the entire length of the valley.

● Fauna : Lion-tailed macaque, Brown wood owl,

Banded Bay cuckoo, Malabar woodshrike, White-
throated kingfisher.
Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary

● Shendurney wildlife sanctuary- It is located in Southern

Kerala.

● It owes its name to the endemic species, Ghuta Travancorica,

locally known as ‘Chenkurunji’.

● The sanctuary was established in 1984 as a part of Agasthyamali

Biosphere Reserve.

● It is a valley of green splendour acclaimed for its rich

biodiversity lying on either side of the Shendurney River.

● Flora: Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests cover a

major area of the sanctuary.
· Lion tailed Macaque

·
Tenmalg
Dan
·
Endangerd
mort
·
tropical
evergret

Karetake
·
TN, kecale,
Fatikenlum
NP

early but
-

of that

of
-part t

-
Kerall
·
Neelakurinji
·
Grasslang, shold fort
1.Nilgiri Tahr :
-only species in the genus
Nilgiritragus
-endemic to the Nilgiri Hills
-IUCN : Endangered
-open montane grassland
habitat
-it is stocky goat with short,
coarse fur and a bristly mane
-Males are larger than females
& of darker colour when mature
-Both sexes have curved horn

- IN, Kuala, Kalrafal

e
2.Lion-tailed macaque
- endemic to the Western
Ghats
-IUCN :: Endangered
-CITES :: Appendix I
-arboreal living (living in
trees
3. Indian bison/gaur
-bovine native to South Asia and Southeast
Asia
-IUCN :: Vulnerable
-CITES :: Appendix I
-gaur is the largest extant bovid (a mammal
of the cattle family)
alai NP

·
Tri Junction

Kamataka
Kerala, TN,
·

BR
·

partNilgin
·

Elephant grasses

·
Banbor

· Teak
Rosewood
Fama
--

Tiger
-

2
-

Elephant
 Malaba Gaint Squirrel
B
-
· aa part of 25

Satpena Ranges.
·

· animal
State of
MH

·
I4CN LC
=
↳ Indran
fan
-

Vulnerable
Tally Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

● Recently, a new non-venomous burrowing species of snake-

Trachischiumapteii, was found here.

● It is a Wildlife Sanctuary and also a biodiversity hotspot near

Zero town in Arunachal Pradesh.

● It is situated at an altitude of 2400 meters.

● Pange, Sipu, Karing, and Subansiri rivers flow through it.

● Clouded Leopard and Pleioblastus Simone Bamboo are found

here.
Guindy National & Zoological Park

● Context : A total of 63 birds species were spotted

during the two-day annual bird census at the
Guindy National Park.

● Located : South Chennai and is the 8th smallest

National Park in the country.

● Park has a role in both ex-situ and in-situ

conservation.
●Vegetation : Dry evergreen scrub and thorn
forests.

● Species : Black buck, chital, jackal, pangolin

and a variety of birds.

● Snake park within NP with statutory

recognition as medium zoo from CZA (central
zoo authority).
Bannerghatta National Park

● Bannerghatta National Park is located near

Bangalore, Karnataka in the hills of the Anekal range.

● The park is part of a wildlife corridor for elephants

which connects the BR Hills and the Sathyamangalam
forest.

● The park is contiguous with Talli reserve forest and

Bilikal forest.
● Flora: Scrub type or dry deciduous forests, southern
tropical moist mixed and dry deciduous forests.

● Fauna: Elephant, Chital, Striped Hyena, Barking

Deer, Peafowl.
Muntjac also known as the Barking Deer

● IUCN status - Least Concern.

● It is found all over India.
●The Muntjac has small set of antler consisting of short
brow-tine and an unbranched beam.

Striped hyenas

● Found all over India

● IUCN status : Near Threateaned.
Nameri National Park

● Nameri National Park is a national park in the

foothills of the eastern Himalayas in the Sonitpur
District of Assam, India

● Nameri shares its northern boundary with the

Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh.

● It has two core areas: Nameri National Park and

Sonai- Rupai Wildlife sanctuary.
● The river Jia-Bhoroli flows through Nameri National
Park.

● Nameri National Park provides habitat for Bengal tiger,

Indian leopard, clouded leopard, marbled cat, leopard cat,
hog deer, sambar, dhole.
Jaldapara National Park

● Jaldapara National Park is situated in the West Bengal

district of Jalpaiguri.

● The park is located in the foothills of the Eastern

Himalayas, on the Torsa river’s bank.

● Flora : The Jaldapara National Park has shishu and

khair trees. It also has tall grasses, reeds, ferns, and
Setaria palmifolia, also known as palmgrass.
● Fauna : Jaldapara is well-known for its Asiatic one-
horned rhinos.

● The park holds the largest rhino population in India

after Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

● The park is surrounded by the Gorumara National Park

and the Chilapata Forest.
Indian rhinoceros also known as the greater one-
horned rhinoceros

● It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

● Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam has the

highest density of Indian rhinos in the world with
84 individuals in an area of 38.80 km2
 NP
singalila
-
WB
=>

·
introduction of Red Panda

·
Panda

--
Red P Giant. P
·
Darjeely Dist
L
Red Pandas

● IUCN status : Endangered

● Red pandas live in high-altitude forests of Nepal, India, Bhutan,
Myanmar and China.
●It is also the state animal of Sikkim.

Leopard cat
● IUCN status : LeastConcern.

Yellow-throated marten
● IUCN status : Endangered.

Indian Pangolin
● IUCN status : Endangered

● Chinese Pangolin IUCN status : Critically Endangered

Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary

●situated in Gujarat,

●Largest wildlife sanctuary in the country.

●Spread in the entire area of the little Rann of

Kutch

●Small grass-covered areas, known as baits as

habitat.
Indian wild ass (commonly
known as the ghudkhar)

● They are located in Little

Run of Kutch, the Wild Ass
Sanctuary in Kutch is the only
home to wild ass in India.

● IUCN status : Near

Threatened.
India’s Donkeys

●In recent times ,critical decline in donkey numbers due

to illegal meat and skin trade

●IUCN: Near Threatened

●Used to carry goods across rough terrain

●Serve as a draught animal in farms.

●Donkey milk is more nutritious than bovine milk ( less fat

content )