Environment And Ecology Part 2 – Free PDF Download

ASIAN ELEPHANT SPECIALIST GROUP (ASESG)

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) 10th Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) Meeting was held recently at Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia
• concerned with the study, monitoring, management, and conservation of Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus).
• Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) is a global network of specialists (both scientists and non-scientists)

ADAPTATION FUND

• Established under the Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
•  It finances projects and programmes that help vulnerable communities in developing countries
• The Fund is financed in part by government and private donors, and also from a two percent share of proceeds of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) issued under the Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism projects
• The World Bank serves as trustee of the Adaptation Fund

EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL

• On the sidelines of Madrid Climate talks
• The EU has promised to bring a law, binding on all member countries, to ensure it becomes “climate neutral” by 2050.
• Climate neutrality, sometimes also expressed as a state of netzero emissions, is achieved when a country’s emissions are balanced by absorptions and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere

1. Which of the following organisations is the first to declare climate emergency?

(a) ASEAN (b) EU (c) NATO (d) SAARC

EU DECLARES CLIMATE EMERGENCY

•  European Union (EU) has become the first multilateral bloc to declare climate emergency.
• Similar climate emergency declarations have already been made in several EU member states, including Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Outside Europe only Canada, Argentina and Bangladesh have declared a climate emergency.
• There is no single definition of what that means but many local areas say they want to be carbon-neutral by 2030

 COMMON BUT DIFFERENTIATED RESPONSIBILITIES AND RESPECTIVE CAPABILITIES (CBDR–RC)

•  It is a principle within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• It acknowledges the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change.
• Reflecting CBDR-RC, the Convention divided countries into “Annex I” and “nonAnnex I,” the former generally referring to developed countries and the latter to developing countries.

US EXITING THE PARIS AGREEMENT

•  US will be the only country left out of the global protocol.
• Article 28 of the Paris Agreement allows countries to leave the Paris Agreement and lays down the process for leaving
•  A country can only give a notice for leaving at least three years after the Paris Agreement came into force
• The withdrawal is not immediate, however. It takes effect one year after the submission of the notice.
• US can, return. There is no bar on a country rejoining the Paris Agreement.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY DRIFTING OBSERVATORY FOR THE STUDY OF ARCTIC CLIMATE (MOSAIC) EXPEDITION

• India’s Vishnu Nandan will be the only Indian aboard the (MOSAiC) He will be aboard the German research vessel Polarstern
• About MOSAiC Spearheaded by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany
•  It is the largest ever Arctic expedition in history.
• Aim: accurately forecast the changes in our weather systems.
• The international expedition will involve more than 60 institutions from 19 countries.

EAST ANTARCTIC MARINE PROTECTED AREA

• This protected area was proposed by Australia and the European Union
• The area would conserve examples of biodiversity in the high latitudes of the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean
• Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) already has two existing marine protected areas (MPAs), one on the South Orkney Islands southern shelf (established in 2009), and the other in the Ross Sea region (established in 2016).

 GLOBAL COALITION TO PROTECT POLLINATORS

• In News: Nigeria becomes fourth African nation to join global coalition to protect pollinators.
• The initiative to form a coalition was taken by the Netherlands on December 12, 2016 at the Conference of the Parties–Convention of Biological Diversity held in Mexico.
• About 16.5 per cent of vertebrate pollinators are threatened with global extinction, say the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments.
• The assessment highlights that 75 per cent of food crops in the world and nearly 90 per cent of wild flowering plants depend, at least to some extent, on animal pollination.

INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE (ISA)

• MNRE Hosts 2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 31 October In New Delhi The ISA assembly is the highest decision making body. It gives directions on financial and administrative issues.
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an alliance of more than 122 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, now extended to all members of UN
•  The ISA’s major objectives include global deployment of over 1,000GW of solar generation capacity and mobilisation of investment of over US$ 1000 billion into solar energy by 2030.

Consider the following statements about CITES:

1. It is an International agreement to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species
2. It is not legally binding on state parties to the convention.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

 CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES)

•  It is an International agreement to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species
•  It was signed on March 3, 1973 (Hence world wildlife day is celebrated on march3)
• CITES is legally binding on state parties to the convention 2019 Meeting held at Geneva.

STAR TORTOISE, OTTERS GET HIGHER PROTECTION AT CITES:

• India’s proposal to upgrade the protection of star tortoises (Geochelone elegans), the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and small-clawed otters (Anoyx cinereus) in CITES have been approved.
•  These species have been listed under Appendix I of CITES and will now enjoy the highest degree of protection as there will be a complete international ban enforced on their trade.

C40 CLEAN AIR CITIES DECLARATION

• ‘Clean Air Cities Declaration’ was unveiled at the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen, an event that occurs once every three years and is designed to implement “substantive clean air policies by 2025”
•  C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration:
• Through this Declaration, mayors commit to using their power and influence to reduce air pollution and work towards meeting the World Health Organization’s Air Quality Guidelines

 UNEP COLOMBO DECLARATION

• UN Environment Programme (UNEP) member states recently adopted the “Colombo Declaration” which calls for tackling global nitrogen challenge.
• The Colombo Declaration has been developed with the technical support of the International Nitrogen Management System (INMS), a joint activity of the UNEP and the International Nitrogen Initiative supported by the Global Environmental Facility.
• The aim of the Declaration is to halve nitrogen waste by 2030
•  The event endorsed UN plans for a campaign called “Nitrogen for Life”.

 SPECIES INCLUDED IN APPENDIX I OF UN CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY

• SPECIES
• India is hosting the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) from 17th to 22nd February, 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat
• The theme of CMS COP-13 is ‘Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home’.
•  India has been designated the President of the COP for the next three years.
• The mascot for CMS COP–13 is ‘Gibi – The Great Indian Bustard’.
• The Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican have been included in Appendix I of UN Convention on Migratory Species.

UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION (UNCCD)

•  The 14th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14) was held in New Delhi. India took over the Presidency of the COP from China.
•  India will resolve to do three things

1. Restore 50 lakh hectares of degraded land in 10 years.
2. Provisions of the New Delhi declaration to be adopted at the end of the conference.
3. Center of Excellence to be established at Forest Research Institute.

BAMBOONOMICS

•  It is a movement to combat desertification and climate change which will involve the tribal community of India since they have the expertise in this field.
•  The movement will ensure that tribals can earn a livelihood without causing environmental harm.
• It was launched at the COP 14 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
• INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC)
•  IPCC Working Group III met in India for the preparation of Sixth Assessment Report. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change Established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988.
• The IPCC has three working groups

1. Working Group I, dealing with the physical science basis of climate change .
2. Working Group II, dealing with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability.
3. Working Group III, dealing with the mitigation of climate change.

• BRS CONVENTIONS
•  The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to Basel Convention (COP 14) was held along with the 9th meeting of the COP to Rotterdam Convention and the 9th meeting of the COP to Stockholm Convention in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Theme: “Clean Planet, Healthy People: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste”.
• The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions are multilateral environmental agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.
• Basel Convention
•  The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
• Rotterdam Convention
•  The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides
• Stockholm Convention
•  The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
•  INTERNATIONAL TREATY OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE (ITPGRFA)
•  The eighth session of the Governing Body of (ITPGRFA) was held in Rome, Italy.
• It was adopted by the Thirty-First Session of the Conference of the FAO of the UN in 2001 It is also known as Seed Treaty as it is a comprehensive international agreement for ensuring food security
• THE PROTECTION OF PLANT VARIETIES AND FARMERS’ RIGHTS (PPV&FR) ACT, 2001
• Enacted by India in 2001 adopting sui generis system
•  It is in conformity with International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), 1978.

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