Environment Conservation

What is the BBNJ Treaty? The “BBNJ Treaty”, also known as the “Treaty of the High Seas”, is an international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, currently under negotiation at the United Nations. This new instrument is being developed within the framework of the UNCLOS, the main international agreement governing …

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Context: Ministry of Earth Science has unveiled India’s Arctic Policy, titled ‘India and the Arctic: building a partnership for sustainable development’. Major Provisions of India’s Arctic Policy: Six Central Pillars: Science and research. Environmental protection. Economic and human development. Transportation and connectivity. Governance and international cooperation. National capacity building. Objectives: It aims to strengthen national capabilities and competencies in science …

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Context: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released DPRs on rejuvenation of 13 major rivers through forestry interventions. These 13 rivers are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, Cauvery and Luni. What are the Interventions Proposed? The DPRs recognise the merit of adopting a holistic riverscape approach for forestry interventions in three …

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State of India’s Environment Report 2022: The report is the annual publication of the Centre for Science and Environment, and Down To Earth magazine. The report focuses on climate change, migration, health and food systems. It also covers biodiversity, forest and wildlife, energy, industry, habitat, pollution, waste, agriculture and rural development. CSE is a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in …

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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report: The report analyses near-term, mid-term and long-term impacts of climate change due to an average increase of temperature by 1.5°C. It suggests immediate measures that the world’s leaders must take. Threats identified: Food Security: The scientists opine that “unsustainable agricultural expansion, driven in part by unbalanced diets” has increased the …

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Context: At CoP26 Glasgow Summit, India has committed to achieve a net-zero target by 2070. In a study by Griscom (2017), natural climate solutions that also include forests can provide up to 37% of emission reduction and help in keeping the global temperature below 2° C. Degradation of existing forests continues In India. As per …

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Flyways: A flyway is a geographical region within which a single or a group of migratory species completes its annual cycle i.e. breeding, moulting, staging and non-breeding. According to India’s “National Action Plan (NAP) for Conservation of Migratory birds”, at least 370 species of migratory bird from 3 flyways (CAF, East Asian Australasian Flyway and Asian East African Flyway) are reported to …

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Context: Comptroller and Auditor General of India(CAG) has conducted a performance audit of groundwater management and regulation to analyse the extent of groundwater scarcity in the country. CAG Audit Report on Groundwater The audit was conducted on the basis of five years of data (2013-2018) on groundwater management and regulation in India. Key findings: Between 2004 …

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Context: Karnataka Government has submitted its opposition to the Centre against the Kasturirangan Committee report as it can adversely affect the livelihood of people in the region. Important recommendations under the report: It proposes 37 per cent of the total area of Western Ghats be declared as Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA). (Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) are notified by Ministry of Environment, forest and climate change, MoEFCC) around Protected areas. These …

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Background: In CoP 26 summit, 105 countries have pledged to reduce their methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels, by 2030. (Methane Pledge) Why Methane? IPCC research estimates that 1/4th of global warming is done by CH4 or Methane. Cutting Methane emissions is easier compared to other emissions due to tech solutions. UN’s latest assessment is that over 50% of …

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