IASNOVA
1.National Clean Air Programme
-launched by Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change
– a pollution control initiative to cut the concentration of particles (PM10 & PM2.5) by 20-30% by 2024
– 2017 as the base year for comparison and 2019 as the first year
– to be implemented in 102 non-attainment cities. These cities are chosen based on Ambient Air Quality India (2011-2015) and WHO report 2014/2018.
-Implementation by Central Pollution Control Board
2. Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing (FEBS) objectives of the Biodiversity Act, 2002
– Uttarakhand High Court has directed Divya Pharmacy, to share its profits with local and indigenous communities, as part of the Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing (FEBS) objectives of the Biodiversity Act, 2002.
-India being a signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity, enacted the Biodiversity (BD) Act in 2002, (hereinafter referred as “Act”) with three main objectives:
1. conservation of biological diversity,
2. sustainable use of its components, and
3. equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources.
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing under Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):
It aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies.
3. Land Degradation Neutrality
-A session was held at United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to review the first global assessment of land degradation which seeks to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) by 2030.
-UNCCD definition, LDN is a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, remains stable or increases within specified temporal and spatial scales.
-It is a unique approach that counterbalances the expected loss of productive land with the recovery of degraded areas.
– The overarching principle for LDN includes:
a) Avoid: Avoid Land degradation
b) Reduce: Reduce land degradation
c) Reverse: Restore the productivity of land.
– LDN helps in combating the impacts of climate change by preventing Soil erosion, desertification, water scarcity, migration insecurity and income inequalities caused by land degradation.
–LDN Fund– promoted by UNCCD and managed by Mirova ( private fund management).
–Global Land Outlook– Released by UNCCD.
-Achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030 is one of the targets within Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015.
INDIA and LDN
-India has adopted the same goal of achieving LDN by 2030 as adopted under SDG.
–National Action Plan (NAP) to combat desertification was launched in 2001 for 20 years
– India’s land degradation area totalled 29.3% of India’s total land area, representing an area of 96.4 million hectares.
–Reasons for land degradation in India-
1.Water erosion- most important reason (asked in UPSC prelims in PYQ)
2.Vegetation destruction- second important factor
3.Wind Erosion- third important factor
4.SYNDEMIC
The three pandemics— obesity, undernutrition, and climate change- affect most people in every country and region worldwide. They are said to constitute a “Syndemic” i.e a synergy of epidemics because of following reaons
- they co-occur in time and place
- interact with each other to produce complex pathological conditions
- share common societal drivers.
5.Idu Mishmi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh
They are protesting against declaration of Diband Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.
Why?
Because it will prohibit many types of work like cutting trees, collecting wood for fuel and agricultural and tourism activities for the indigenous Idu Mishmi people.
They want “cultural model of conservation” to be followed.
Kinshasa Resolution of 1975 (under IUCN) provides international recognition to cultural model of conservation. It acknowledges the importance of traditional ways of life and land ownership, and called on governments to maintain and encourage customary ways of living
6. 5.2% increase in population of Sarus Crane in Uttar Pradesh
– as per State Forest and Wildlife Department’s 2018 Census
-UP accounts for 73 % of Indian Population of Sarus Crane
–Sarus Crane Conservation Project
It has been running across 10 districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh by Wildlife Trust of India in collaboration with Tata Trusts and the U.P. Forest Department. It involves local volunteers (called Sarus Mitra or Friends of the Sarus), Tata Trust partner NGOs and Sarus Protection Committees.
To read about all State Birds and Endangered Birds ,click the link below-
7. North Indian Rosewood
– India has proposed to remove rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) from Appendix II of CITES.
– deciduous tree found in tropical to subtropical climates and is economically important for its value in forestry, agroforestry, and horticulture.
CITES
-It is an inter-governmental agreement which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
– It has three appendices.
Appendix I has species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
Appendix II has species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled to avoid utilisation incompatible with their survival.
Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES parties for assistance in controlling trade.
– CITES is legally binding on the Parties and it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.
–3 March, the day of signature of the CITES has been proclaimed as UN World Wildlife Day.
8. Mugger Crocodile
Government of Gujarat relocated the Mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) from Sardar Sarovar dam to facilitate a seaplane service at the Statue of Unity.
-It is a reptilian species also called marsh crocodile or broad-snouted crocodile and is one of the three crocodile species (Saltwater Crocodile and Gharial) found in India.
– It is extinct in Myanmar and Bhutan, and possibly extinct in Bangladesh.
– Its habitat includes wetlands (inland), marine neritic (shallow part of ocean), artificial/aquatic & marine.
-It is a hole-nesting species, with egg-laying taking place during the annual dry season.
– Vadodara is the only city in India where crocodiles live in their natural habitat amidst human population
UPSC has been asking questions on marine animals in recent past.To read about most probable list of marine animals which could be asked this year in Prelims ,click on the link below-
9.Humpback dolphins
-They were spotted near the Mumbai coast.
About Humpback Dolphins
– Range: Humpback Dolphin is known to occur within the Indian Ocean from South Africa to India.
– Habitat: Species are among the most adaptive ones due to their habitat preference for shallow waters places them in some of the world’s most intensively utilised, fished, shipped, modified and polluted waters.
– IUCN status: Endangered.
– WPA Protection: Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
