Biodiversity: 3.1. Super Year For Biodiversity

3.
BIODIVERSITY
3.1. SUPER YEAR FOR BIODIVERSITY
Why in news?
The year 2020 is the “Super Year For
Biodiversity”, as the Strategic Plan
for Biodiversity with 20 global Aichi
targets adopted in 2010 ends in
2020.
About Strategic Plan for
Biodiversity 2011-2020 (SPB 2011-
2020)
• SPB 2011-2020 was adopted by
the parties to the CBD, during
the tenth meeting of the
Conference of the Parties
(COP10) in 2010 in Nagoya,
Japan.
• The Strategic Plan is comprised
of a shared vision, a mission and
20 targets organized under 5
strategic goals, collectively
known as the Aichi Biodiversity
Targets (ABTs).
o Vision: Living in Harmony
with Nature where by 2050,
biodiversity is valued,
conserved, restored and
wisely used, maintaining
ecosystem services,
sustaining a healthy planet
and delivering benefits
essential for all people.
o Mission: To take effective
and urgent action to halt
the loss of biodiversity in
order to ensure that by
2020 ecosystems are
resilient and continue to
provide essential services,
thereby securing the planet's variety of life, and contributing to human well-being, and poverty
eradication.
• To implement the SPB 2011-2020, Parties to CBD agreed to:
o Update their national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) in line with the SPB 2011-2020.
o Develop national targets using the Strategic Plan and ABTs as a flexible framework, and integrate
these national targets into the updated NBSAPs.
o Adopt the updated NBSAPs as a policy instrument.
o Report on progress achieved towards implementation of the Strategic Plan and Aichi Biodiversity
Targets through National Reports.
§ According to India’s 6th National Report, India is on track to achieve 9 out of its 12 NBTs and exceed
1 of them (NBT 6), but is moving towards 2 of the targets (NBT 4 and 12) at an insufficient rate.
• Presently, the negotiations to develop the post-2020 global biodiversity framework are ongoing.
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Related News
Global Biodiversity Outlook
• Recently, Fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-5) report was released.
• It is a flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• GBO-5 provides global summary of progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
• Progress made in Aichi Biodiversity Targets in past decade: At the global level none of the 20 targets have been
fully achieved, though six targets have been partially achieved (Targets 9, 11, 16, 17, 19 and 20).
UN Biodiversity Summit
• Recently, India participated in the UN Biodiversity Summit.
• The summit is first of its kind which had taken place on Biodiversity in the United Nations General Assembly.
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• It was convened by UN secretary general António Guterres on the sidelines of the General Assembly aimed to
build political momentum and bolster financial commitments ahead of talks next year in China.
• It was participated by Head of States/Minister level representing the countries which are party to Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Theme of the summit: “Urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development.”
International Day of Biodiversity (IDB)
• UN has proclaimed May 22 as IDB to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
o It is celebrated to commemorate May 22, 1992 for adoption of text of Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD).
• Theme for 2020: Our solutions are in Nature.
• Few Initiatives launched by India on IBD-
o Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme to engage postgraduate students to support the projects of
National Biodiversity Authority.
o UNEP Campaign on Illegal Trafficking of Endangered Species launched by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau,
with UNEP to address environmental challenges related to illegal trafficking.
o A Webinar Series on ‘Biodiversity Conservation and Biological Diversity Act, 2002’.
o WWF Model Conference of Parties (MCoP) that engages the younger generation in conversations around
impact of humanity’s footprint on biodiversity
o An awareness campaign supported by WWF.
3.2. WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION

3.2.1. INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE (IUCN) RED
LIST
Why in news?
About IUCN
International Union for • The IUCN is the world’s oldest global environmental organization (both
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) government and civil society organizations) to promote nature
updated the red list of the conservation and the ecologically sustainable use of natural resources.
threatened species. • Every four years, IUCN convenes the IUCN World Conservation Congress
to set the global conservation agenda.
More on the News
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species, founded in 1964, is the world's
most comprehensive inventory of the
global conservation status of plant and
animal species.
o It uses a set of quantitative criteria
to evaluate the extinction risk of
the species included in the Global
Species Programme of the IUCN.
Updates
• An additional 31 species are extinct in
the wild including species of fishes,
sharks, and frogs.
• 15 freshwater fish species endemic to
Lake Lanao and its outlet in the
Philippines
• Lost Shark (listed as critically
endangered / possibly extinct)
• Three Macadamia species of protea (a
genus of South African flowering
plants) family.
• There are now 112,432 species on the
IUCN Red List and nearly 1/3rd (30,178)
of species are threatened with extinction.
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• Findings related to Indian species:
o No confirmed sightings of the Jerdon's Courser (CR) since 2009: Jerdon's Courser is a nocturnal bird
known only from Eastern Ghats (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and is found on the fringes of Sri
Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary.
ü It inhabits open patches within scrub-forest. This habitat is under tremendous pressure due to
various anthropogenic activities.
o Himalayan Quail (CR) was last spotted in 2010 however it may still be extant, with an estimated year
of extinction of 2023: The Himalayan quail is a medium-sized bird belonging to the pheasant family,
with distinctive red or yellow bill and legs, and prominent white spots around the eyes. It is native to
India, found only in the mountains of Uttarakhand in north-west Himalayas.
o All five freshwater dolphins species - Ganga, Amazon, Indus, Irrawaddy and Tucuxi - are threatened
with extinction.
Related News
Red List Assessment of Indian Grasshoppers
Recently, the Grasshopper Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) initiated
the Red List Assessment of grasshoppers in India.
• Red List of Threatened Species, founded in 1964, is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global
conservation status of biological species.
• The project will start from the Nilgiri biosphere reserve spread in three states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
followed by other parts of the country
• The assessment will also include a new species of grasshopper (named 'TettilobusTrishula' or ‘Shiva’s pygmy
trishula’) discovered in the Eravikulam National Park in Kerala’s Idukki district.
o Grasshoppers are primarily considered as agricultural pest.
o They live in all sorts of environments except those covered in snow.
o Their survival status would explain about the environment they are living in.
• The Indian grasshopper species has remained a neglected group since none had been included earlier in the Red
List of Threatened species.
3.2.2. TIGER STATUS REPORT 2018

Why in News?
Fourth tiger census report, Status of Tigers, Co-predators, Prey and their Habitat, 2018
shows the count of tigers in India, has risen to 2967, in 2018 from 2,226 in 2014.
More on News
• Report assesses the status of tigers in terms of spatial occupancy and density of
individual populations across India.
• Technologies used in this assessment
o M-STrIPES (Monitoring system for tigers - intensive protection and ecological status) using GPS to
geotag photo-evidences and survey information, made this exercise more accurate
o CaTRAT (Camera Trap data Repository and Analysis Tool) for automated segregation of camera trap
photographs to species.
• During the release of the report, a water and fodder scheme was proposed within the reserves so that
fewer animals stray out of these reserves and minimizes animal-human conflict.
• It is also crucial to keep track of their numbers as Global Tiger Forum, an international collaboration of
tiger-bearing countries, has set a goal of doubling the count of wild tigers by 2022.
o India already achieved the target of doubling the count.
Key Findings
• At 2,967, India hosts 70% of the world’s tigers. Tigers were observed to be increasing at a rate of 6% per
annum (2006 to 2018).
o Nearly a third of India’s tigers are living outside tiger reserves.
• Madhya Pradesh (526) has the maximum number of tigers followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand
(442).
• Northeast has suffered losses in population. Tiger status in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha has
steadily declined.
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• Largest contiguous tiger population in the world of about 724 tigers was found in the Western Ghats
(Nagarhole-Bandipur-Wayanad -Mudumalai- Satyamangalam-BRT block).
o Second largest population of about 604 tigers was found across Uttrakhand and western Uttar
Pradesh (Rajaji-Corbett-Ramnagar-Pilibhit-Dudhwa block).
o Corbett TR in Uttarakhand has highest tiger density in the world.
• Nearly 17 of the 50 About Indian Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris)
reserves are • It is the tiger species native to India.
approaching the peak • IUCN Status: Endangered
of their capacity at • The largest populations of Bengal tigers are in India, but there are some
sustaining their smaller groups in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. It may also be present in
populations. areas of China and Burma.
• Factors that correlate • India is home to about 70 per cent of global tiger population.
and possibly determine • Tigers are both a Flagship and Umbrella species. As a Flagship species they
tiger density: are important for conservation and as Umbrella species, tiger conservation
o Density would leads to conservation of other species.
increase with • Tigers inhabit 13 countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India,
increase in primary Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
prey (chital, sambar
and gaur).
o Density would
increase with
increase in tiger
habitat and its
quality.
o Density should
decline with
increasing human
impacts and
decrease in
protection regime.
• While the number of
tigers has increased,
the same is not true for
the co-predators such
as striped hyena, the
• In 2010, these countries pledged to double the number of tigers by 2022,
Indian wild dog (dhole),
which is the Chinese Year of the Tiger.
jackals and wolves.
• Conservation status of Tiger
• Highest prey densities o IUCN Red List: Endangered
were recorded for o Wild life protection Act: Schedule 1
Corbett, Rajaji, Pench o CITES: Appendix 1
and Bandipur. Tiger
Reserves of the North East are plagued with prey depletion due to the practice of bush meat consumption.
Related News
Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS)
• India has decided to extend CA|TS across all its tiger reserves for further strengthening and improving
management interventions.
o This brings India’s total number of registered sites to 94 (including sites outside the Tiger Reserves).
• CA|TS is a conservation tool that sets best practice and standards to manage target species, and encourages
assessments to benchmark progress.
o Tigers are the first species selected for the initiative.
• It is a partnership of tiger range governments, inter-governmental agencies, institutions, NGOs and conservation
organisations.
• It is being adopted for use beyond tigers, including potentially jaguars, lions and freshwater dolphins.
• World Wide Fund for Nature is helping tiger range countries to implement CA|TS.
TX2 Tiger Conservation Awards (TTCA)
• TX2 is the global award which was set up in 2010 in St. Petersburg Tiger Summit by international organizations
working for tiger conservation like WWF, UNDP, IUCN, Global Tiger Fund, CATS and The Lion's Share.
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o TX2 stands for “Tigers times two”, signaling the goal set by 13 tiger range countries to double population of
wild tigers by 2022.
• TTCA are given in two categories:
o Tiger Conservation Excellence Award: Transboundary Manas Conservation Area (TraMCA) comprising
Manas National Park in Assam and Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan won this award.
ü Award recognises a site that has achieved excellence in two or more of five themes:
§ Tiger and prey population monitoring and research;
§ effective site management;
§ enhanced law enforcement and protection;
§ community-based conservation,
§ habitat and prey management.
o TX2 Award: This award is given for efforts to increase tiger population and includes a financial grant to assist
ongoing conservation.
ü Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh won this award for doubling its population.
§ PTR is important for connectivity across the vast Terai Arc Landscape of India and Nepal.
§ Its southern boundary is marked by the river Sharada and Khakra.
KAZI 106F
• It is India’s only Golden Tiger found in Kaziranga National Park of Assam.
• A golden tiger, also called tabby tiger or strawberry tiger, is a tiger with a color variation caused by a recessive
gene.
• The yellow skin of tigers is controlled by a set of ‘agouti genes’ while the black stripes are controlled by ‘tabby
genes’ and their alleles. Suppression of any of these genes may lead to color variation in a tiger.
• Golden tigers are characterized by blonde or pale-golden color and reddish stripes in place of black like in normal
tigers.
• Concerns: Their rare skin tone is a result of excessive inbreeding.
o Inbreeding is defined as the probability of two alleles in an individual being identical by descent, and is
normally the result of mating related individuals.
o It can increase the chances of offspring being affected by deleterious or recessive traits.
o Tigers resort to inbreeding when their population is almost islanded without connectivity to other landscapes,
which is mainly caused by habitat loss and destruction of corridors.
3.2.3. STATUS OF LEOPARDS IN INDIA, 2018

Why in news?
Status of Leopards in India, 2018 Report was recently released by Ministry for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Key Findings
• Species: Leopards are among the most adaptable carnivores, and are known to
exist very close to human habitations.
• Population: India now has 12,852 leopards, 60% increase compared to the previous estimate (2014).
Highest population
o State Wise: Highest population in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra.
o Region wise: central India and eastern ghats
About Leopards Related News: Leopard poaching in India
• A recent study by TRAFFIC India revealed that of the total of 747
• Indian subspecies (Panthera
leopard deaths between 2015-2019 in India, 596 were linked to illegal
pardus fusca) is found in all wildlife trade and poaching.
forested habitats in the country, • Highest poaching incidents were reported from Uttarakhand and
absent only in the arid deserts Maharashtra.
and above the timber line in the • TRAFFIC is non-governmental organisation working globally on trade
Himalayas. in wild animals and plants in the context of biodiversity conservation
o In the Himalayas they are and sustainable development.
sympatric with snow o It was established in 1976 by International Union for
leopards (Panthera uncia). Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and World Wide Fund for Nature.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable.
• It is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
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• Rajasthan was first state to launch a project Leopard to mitigate human-leopard conflicts and conserving
the leopard population.
• Threat: Poaching, habitat loss, depletion of natural prey and human-conflict.
3.2.4. SNOW LEOPARD

Why in news?
India’s first snow leopard conservation centre will be established in Uttarakhand.
More about news
• The conservation centre will be built by the Uttarakhand forest department along
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uttarkashi forests as part of
its six-year long project, SECURE
Himalayas.
o The project looks into
conversation of snow leopards
and other endangered species
and their habitats, found in
Himalayas. This project was
started in 2017.
o It is funded by the Global
Environment Facility-United
Nations Development
Programme.
• The Snow leopard conservation
centre aims to protect the animal
with the help of local community
and also give employment to locals
from nearby villages through
tourism. It also aims to conservation
and restoration of Himalayan
ecosystems.
About Snow Leopards
• It is a Schedule I animal under
Wildlife Protection Act of India.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable
• They are listed under Appendix I of
CITES.
• The animal faces many threats to its
existence due to poaching and
habitat destruction.
• In India, it inhabits the Himalayas at
elevations ranging from 3,000 to
4,500 metres across Jammu and
Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and
Arunachal Pradesh.
o This area contributes to about
five per cent of the global snow leopard range.
o In Uttarakhand, snow leopards are found in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Gangotri National Park,
Askot Wildlife Sanctuary.
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3.2.5. ASIATIC LIONS
Why in News?
Gujarat government is not in favour of translocating lions to Madhya Pradesh (MP).
More on the News
• Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (Gujarat) is the only place in the world
where Asiatic lions are found.
• In 2013, Supreme Court ruled in favour of creating a second home for them by
translocating a few of them to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in MP.
o High rate of inbreeding and the resultant reduced genetic diversity may make Gir lions highly
susceptible to epidemics.
o Gir Forest is unable to sustain the steadily increasing numbers.
o Infections, food poisoning and infighting among lions.
• However, till date, not a single Gir lion has been transported to MP. Gujarat government had stated that
lions are:
o Pride of the state and like family members to local communities and Barda Wildlife Sanctuary
(Porbandar) was being prepared as a second home for lions.
o Safe in Gujarat and that their population and range was growing.
About Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica)
• IUCN status: Endangered.
• Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions (IUCN status: Vulnerable).
• Listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, in Appendix I of CITES.
• According to 2020 census, there are an estimated 674 Asiatic lions (increased by 29% in last 5 years) in Gir
forest region, Gujarat and other revenue areas of coastal Saurashtra.
o Geographically, distribution area is also up by 36%.
• They face the usual threats of poaching and habitat fragmentation.
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3.2.6. AFRICAN CHEETAH RE-INTRODUCTION
Why in news?
Wildlife Institute of India (WII) experts evaluated sites in Madhya Pradesh for African
cheetah re-introduction.
More on the News
• Experts looked for best habitat based on prey base, safety and topography.
• Cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952.
• Shortlisted sites include Kuno Palpur sanctuary, Nauradehi sanctuary, Gandhi Sagar sanctuary and
Madhav National Park (all lying in Madhya Pradesh).
• In 2010, central government expert panel recommended KunoPalpur, Velavadar National Park (Gujarat)
and Tal Chapar sanctuary (Rajasthan) for reintroducing Cheetah.
o KunoPalpur was the preferred location. It was also the place prepared by MP to house Asiatic lions.
• However in 2013, Supreme Court quashed plan for introducing African cheetahs to KunoPalpur citing
reasons like possible conflict with a parallel project to introduce lions at same site, lack of prey base, man-
animal conflict etc.
o SC left the decision for relocation of the African cheetah National Tiger Conservation Authority’s
discretion to be taken after a proper survey and the action of introduction of the animal.
o The Central government revived plan in 2017.
o In January 2020, SC set up a three-member committee to guide National Tiger Conservation Authority
in taking decision for relocation after a proper survey.
About Cheetah
• IUCN status: African Cheetah- Vulnerable and Asiatic Cheetah – Critically endangered.
• Asiatic cheetah is much stronger and faster than African cheetah.
3.2.7. VULTURE ACTION PLAN 2020-25

Why in news?
Ministry of Environment, Forests and
Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched
Vulture Action Plan 2020-25.
More on the News
• While MoEFCC has been carrying out
a conservation project for vultures
since 2006, new plan now extend the
project to 2025 to not just halt the
decline but to actively increase the
vulture numbers.
• Threats to Vulture include collision
and electrocution, unintentional
poisoning, etc.
o Between 1990s and 2007,
numbers of three critically-
endangered species – Oriental
white-backed, long-billed and
slender-billed vultures —
declined by 99%.
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Vulture species in India
Vulture IUCN Status
Oriental white-backed Vulture Critically-endangered
Long-billed Vulture Critically-endangered
Slender-billed Vulture Critically-endangered
Red-headed Vulture Critically-endangered
Egyptian Vulture Endangered
Himalayan Vulture Near threatened
Bearded Vulture Near threatened
Cinereous Vulture Near threatened
Eurasian Griffon Vulture Least Concern
3.2.8. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD (GIB)

Why in news?
It is reported that Union Ministry of Power (MoP) and the Rajasthan government has
rejected Wildlife Institute of India (WII) proposal to put all power transmission lines
passing through GIB habitat underground.
More on the News
• Earlier, in 2019, on order of National Green Tribunal had suggested some
recommendations to protect the GIB
o Mitigating all power transmission lines passing through priority bustard habitats by undergrounding
cables
o develop predator-proof enclosures in known breeding sites and keep away nest predators such as
dogs, pigs, foxes and other species using professional trappers.
o Rajasthan Forest Department (RFD) could engage with local communities to promote Bustard
friendly agricultural practices and grow crops that are preferred by them.
o Disallowing new wind turbines and solar farms in the 13, 000 square kilometre priority GIB habitat in
Rajasthan and Gujarat.
About Great Indian Bustard
• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
• Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in the CMS Convention and in Appendix I
of CITES.
• It is endemic to Indian Sub-continent, found in central India, western India and eastern Pakistan.
• Important Sites for the species are: Desert National Park Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Naliya (Gujarat), Warora
(Maharashtra) and Bellary (Karnataka)
• The habitat where it is most often found is arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub,
tall grass interspersed with cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas.
• It’s one of the Species for the Recovery Programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife
Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Related News: Pokharan’s firefly bird diverter
• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) along with the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS) to protect the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) from overhead power lines.
• Firefly bird diverters are flaps installed on power lines.
3.2.9. INDIA’S FIRST DOLPHIN OBSERVATORY

Why in news?
The Bihar government is setting up India’s first observatory for the Gangetic dolphins
in Bhagalpur district.
More about news
• The observatory is constructed at Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary
(VGDS).
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o Observatory will aim to promote eco-tourism.
o There would be no adverse impact on the river’s ecology as the observatory is being constructed on a
Sultanganj-Aguwani Ghat bridge over the Ganga.
About Gangetic dolphin
• They prefer deep waters, in and around the confluence of rivers. They can only live in freshwater and are
essentially blind.
o They are reliable indicator of the health of the entire river ecosystem.
• It is also National Aquatic Animal of India.
• It can be found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India,
and Bangladesh.
• They are also known as ‘Susu’ because of the sound it produces when breathing.
• In India, it covers seven states namely, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar,
Jharkhand and West Bengal.
• Major threats to dolphins in India include overfishing in the habitat, pollution, infrastructure etc.
• Gangetic dolphins are one among the 21 species identified under the centrally sponsored scheme,
“Development of Wildlife Habitat”.
• Conservation Action Plan for the Gangetic Dolphin (2010-2020), which has identified threats to Gangetic
dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on dolphin populations.
• Recently, Prime Minister announced Project Dolphin, to work as a catalyst to increase Dolphin population.
Other dolphins found in India
• Indus River Dolphin
o IUCN Status: Endangered
o They can only be found in the lower parts of the Indus River in Pakistan and in River Beas,
a tributary of the Indus River in Punjab, India.
o They have adapted to life in the muddy river and are functionally blind.
o The dolphin is the state aquatic animal of Punjab.
• Irrawaddy Dolphin (Snubfin dolphin)
o Besides the Irrawaddy River, it is also found in India’s Ganges, Chilika Lake and Southeast Asia’s Mekong River.
o They prefers to live in estuaries and brackish water near coasts.
• Indian Ocean humpback dolphin
o They prefer the shallow, near shore waters of countries in the Indian Ocean, ideally with a freshwater input.
o They can be found not far from shore in the coastal waters of South Africa in the south, northwards around
the coast of East Africa, throughout the Middle East, and the west coast of India.
3.2.10. FISHING CAT

Why in news?
The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) designated the Fishing Cat as ambassador of
Chilika Lake, Odisha in a step towards conservation of the feline species.
About Fishing Cat
• Fishing Cat is an adept swimmer and is known to even dive to catch fish.
o It is nocturnal and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds and scavenges on
carcasses of larger animals.
o Wetlands are the favourite habitats of the fishing cat and are mainly found in the mangrove forests
of the Sundarbans, around Chilika Lake, foothills of the Himalayas along Ganga and Brahmaputra river
valleys and in the Western Ghats.
• Conservation status
o IUCN status: Vulnerable
o Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists the fishing cat on Appendix II.
o Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and thereby protected from hunting.
• Threats faced by Fishing cat includes Habitat loss due to development activities in wetlands; Intensive
aquaculture; hunting for meat and skin etc.
• In 2012, the West Bengal government officially declared the Fishing Cat as the State Animal.
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About Chilika Lake
• It is a brackish water lake and a shallow lagoon with estuarine character in Odisha.
• It is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and India’s oldest Ramsar Site.
• It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on the Indian sub-continent.
• The Nalabana Island within the Chilika lake is notified as a Bird Sanctuary under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It was included in the Montreux Record (Threatened list) in 1993 under Ramsar Convention but due to successful
restoration of the lake ecosystem by Chilika Development Authority it was removed from the Montreux Record
in 2002 (first site from Asia).
3.2.11. LICHENS
Why in news?
Uttarakhand forest department has developed the country’s first lichen park in Munsiyari, Uttarakhand.
About Lichens
• Lichen is a composite organism that emerges from algae or cyanobacteria living among the filaments of
the fungi, living in a symbiotic relationship.
• Whereas algae normally grow only in aquatic or extremely moist environments, lichens can potentially be
found on almost any surface (especially rocks) or as epiphytes (meaning that they grow on other plants).
• More than 20,000 species of lichens are found in the world and India has around 2,714 of them.
Uttarakhand is home to more than 600 species of lichens.
• In local parlance, these are called “jhula” or “pathar ke phool”
• Lichens are slow growing and can live for centuries.
• Some major uses of lichens:
o Separation of minerals by eroding rocks.
o Key ingredient in many cuisines.
o Used for preparing an indigenous perfume in Kannauj.
o Used in sunscreen creams, dyes, and some medicines.
o Act as bioindicators: Some lichens are very tolerant to pollutants such as nitrogen and sulphur
compounds, while others are very sensitive to the presence of one or both of these chemicals.
o Filters: It absorbs and stores radioactive substances, such as cesium and strontium compounds,
without apparent harm.
3.2.12. ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA (ESA)

Why in news?
Several states have expressed desire to expedite early
notification of Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) of
Western Ghats (WG).
More on the News
• Six states, which form WG, asked centre to
expedite the process to notify the ESAs in the
global biodiversity hotspot for clarity.
o In 2018, Centre issued a draft notification
mentioning 56,825 sq km of WG in six states as
ESA.
o Six states seek modifications to the
notification as it would create adverse effect
on state’s economy.
• Also, earlier two committees had recommended
about ESA in WG, however both were rejected:
o K Kasturirangan committee in 2012
recommended 37% of WGs to be declared
ESAs.
o Madhav Gadgil Commission, formed in 2010,
recommended 64 % of WG to be declared ESAs.
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About Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZ)/ ESA
• ESZs or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas within 10 km around PA, National Parks and Wildlife
Sanctuaries.
o They are meant to be shock absorbers and transition zones from areas of high to low protection for
wildlife and biodiversity.
o It is notified by the MoEFCC under the Environment Protection Act 1986 and Wildlife Conservation
Strategy, 2002.
• Sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches i.e. area beyond 10 km width can also
be included in ESZ.
• It seeks to provide special protection to landscape, biodiversity, wildlife, historical value, regulate
developmental activities and ensure sustainable development in the ESA.
Related News
Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) for Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (Uttarakhand) approved
• Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) from Gaumukh to Uttarakashi was notified in 2012. It mandated the
Uttarakhand government to prepare ZMP.
• ZMP is based on watershed approach and includes governance in the area of forest and wildlife, watershed
management, irrigation, energy, tourism etc.
National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) nod not required for certain category of projects
• Railway projects, small-scale development works involving construction over less than 20,000 square metres, and
under-25 MW capacity hydropower plants will not require approval from NBWL even if they are located within eco-
sensitive zones (ESZs) of national parks or wildlife sanctuaries.
• As per the provisions of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, any non-forestry activity inside a Sanctuary or National
Park requires clearance from Standing Committee of NBWL.
• NBWL is a statutory body under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 which adjudicates on industrial projects, road
diversions or the like that could encroach into Protected Areas (PA) or ESZ of forests.
o It is chaired by Union Environment Minister.
3.2.13. DEHING PATKAI

Why in news?
Assam Government has
decided to upgrade the Dehing
Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary to a
National Park.
More on news
• It is reported that
upgradation is to protect
the sanctity of the Dehing
Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary
from coal and oil mining
exploration.
o Wildlife sanctuaries
are protected areas
which permit some
activities, but no
human activity is
allowed in a National
Park.
About Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary
• Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is referred as ‘The Amazon of East’.

o 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
• It is the only rainforest in Assam which spreads across Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts of Assam
and also stretches till the State of Arunachal Pradesh.
• This sanctuary consists of three parts: Jeypore, upper Dihing River and Dirok rainforest
47
• The Sanctuary is a part of the Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve, along with the Stillwell Road and the oldest
refinery of Asia in Digboi and ‘open cast’ coal mining at Lido.
• Fauna: the Malayan sun bear, binturong, crab-eating mongoose, marbled cat, golden cat, fishing cat, and
clouded leopard.
o More commonly seen are mammals such as the barking deer, Assamese macaque, capped langur,
tree shrew, and the famed hoolock gibbons.
3.2.14. PANNA TIGER RESERVE

Why in news?
Panna Tiger Reserve has been included in World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) under Man and the
Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
About Panna Tiger Reserve
• Location: It is situated in the Vindhyas nearer to the confluence of the Deccan Peninsula, Upper Gangetic
Plain and Semi-Arid Gujarat Rajputana reflecting the influence of three bio-geographic regions.
• Panna National Park was formed in 1981. In 2011 Panna was notified a biosphere reserve by the Union
ministry of environment and forests.
o Panna is the third Biosphere Reserve included in WNBR from Madhya Pradesh after Pachmarhi and
Amarkantak.
• River Ken flows from the south to the north through the reserve.
• Fauna: Apart from the tiger, it is home to other animals like the leopard, nilgai, chinkara, chousinga, chital,
rusty spotted cat, porcupine, and sambhar. Gharials (long snouted crocodiles) and muggars (marsh
crocodiles) can be found in River Ken.
About Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme
• The MAB programme is an intergovernmental scientific programme that aims to establish a scientific
basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments.
• UNESCO’s intergovernmental structure provides MAB with a framework to help national governments
support the planning and implementation of research and training programmes with technical assistance
and scientific advice.
• Participating countries establish MAB National Committees that ensure maximum national participation
in the international programme, defining and implementing each country’s activities.
• MAB is funded through the regular budget of UNESCO and mobilizes funds-in-trust granted by Member
States, bilateral and multilateral sources, and extra-budgetary funds provided by countries, the private
sector and private institutions. MAB-related activities are nationally financed.
About Biosphere Reserves
• Biosphere reserves are sites established by
countries and recognized under UNESCO's
MAB Programme to promote sustainable
development based on local community
efforts and sound science.
o World Network of Biosphere Reserves
(WNBR) is a unique global network of
biosphere reserves (BR) explicitly
linking sustainable development and
biodiversity conservation.
o Presently, there are 18 notified
biosphere reserves in India of which 12
are recognised under MAB Program.
• Biosphere Reserves integrate three main
"functions":
o Conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity
o Economic development that is socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable
o Logistic support, underpinning development through research, monitoring, education and training
• These three functions are pursued through the Biosphere Reserves’ three main zones:
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3.2.15. NEW RULES TO REGULATE EXOTIC ANIMAL TRADE
Why in news?
MoEFCC has issued an advisory to streamline the process of importing and possessing exotic live species in
India.
More on the News
• Exotic live species are both plants and animals that are moved from their source (original) habitat to a
new one mainly due to human intervention.
• New rules
o Owners and possessors of such animals and birds must also register their stock with Chief Wildlife
Warden of their States.
ü Currently, Directorate-General of Foreign Trade oversees its trade.
o Wildlife Department will prepare an inventory of such species and have right to inspect facilities of
such traders.
49
o Exotic live species will mean animals named under Appendices I, II and III of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It will not include species
from Schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
ü CITES is a legally binding international agreement to protect plants and animals.
Related News
Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) report by Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
• It described IWT as a “global threat”, which has links with other organised crimes like modern slavery, drug
trafficking and arms trade.
• Proceeds of IWT are around $23 billion per year globally.
• Suggested that money laundering laws should be applied to wildlife trade.
• FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and
other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
KURMA app
• It is a mobile-based application aimed at turtle conservation. It covers 29 species of freshwater turtles and
tortoises of India.
o Tortoise and freshwater turtles are among the most trafficked in the country.
• It not only provides users a database to identify a species but also provides the location of the nearest rescue
centre for turtles across the country.
• Developed by: Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network in collaboration with Turtle Survival Alliance-India and
Wildlife Conservation Society.
Operation Thunder 2020
• Coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization, Month-long operation (September - October
2020) rallied 103 countries against environmental crime.
o It is the fourth in a series of Thunder operations carried out annually since 2017.
• The participating countries focused mainly on the species protected under the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
3.2.16. CENTRAL ZOO AUTHORITY

Why in news?
Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has reconstituted the Central Zoo Authority
(CZA) to include an expert from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and a molecular biologist.
About Central Zoo Authority (CZA)
• The CZA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was
constituted in 1992 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Structure: It consists Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as Chairperson, 10
members and a Member Secretary.
• Objective of CZA:
o To complement and strengthen the national effort in conservation of the rich biodiversity of the
country, particularly the fauna as per the National Zoo Policy, 1998
o Enforcing minimum standards and norms for upkeep and healthcare of animals in Indian zoos and to
control mushrooming of unplanned and ill-conceived zoos
• Functions Of CZA
o Evaluate and assess the functioning of the zoos with respect to the prescribed standards or norms;
o To recognize or derecognize zoos;
o To identify endangered species of wild animals for purposes of captive breeding and assigning
responsibility in this regard to a zoo;
o To coordinate the acquisition, exchange and loaning of animals for breeding purpose;
o To provide technical and other assistance to zoos for their proper management and development on
scientific lines.
Related news
Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP)
• It is situated in Bhubaneswar near Kanjika Lake.
• It is the first zoo in the World to breed White tiger and Melanistic tiger and is the only conservation breeding
centre of Indian Pangolins in the world.
• Recently NZP has revived its innovative ‘Adopt-An-Animal’ programme to mobilise resources for animals.
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o When one adopts an animal or a bird, the contribution goes to its care, feeding, enclosure enrichment and
renovation.
3.2.17. MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION (MEE) REPORT

Why in news?
Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) report of 146 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries was released
by MoEFCC.
More on the News
• MEE is assessment of how well National Park and Wildlife Sanctuaries (NP&WLS) are being managed—
primarily, whether they are protecting their values and achieving the goals and objectives agreed upon.
o Assessment process of India's NP&WLS was adopted from IUCN World Commission on Protected
Areas (WCPA) framework of MEE based on elements such as Context, Planning, Inputs, Process,
Outputs and Outcomes.
• MEE can
o Enable and support an adaptive approach to management
o Assist in effective resource allocation
o Promote accountability and transparency
o Help involve the community and build constituencies
o Promote the values of NP&WLS.
• MEE is increasingly being used by governments and international bodies to understand the strengths and
weaknesses of the PA management systems.
• Highlights of the report
o The overall mean MEE score is 62.01% which is higher than the global mean of 56%.
o Rating-wise, 13% PAs are in 'very good' category, 52% PAs are in 'good' category, 29% PAs in 'fair'
category and only 6% PAs have been rated in 'poor' category.
o Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary and Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh rated with the
highest MEE score.
o Turtle WLS, UP and Khaparwas WLS, Haryana ranked at the bottom.
• PAs are those in which human occupation or at least the exploitation of resources is limited. They have
been defined in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 which includes National Park, Sanctuary, Conservation/
Community Reserve.
o At present, India has a network of 903 PAs in the country covering about 5% of the total geographic
area of the country.
Types of Protected Areas in India
Protected Area Details
Wildlife • A wildlife sanctuary is an area where animal habitats and their surroundings are protected
Sanctuary from any sort of disturbance.
• Any area other than area comprised with any reserve forest or the territorial waters can be
notified by the State Government, under Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA) of 1972.
• Some restricted human activities are allowed inside the Sanctuary area details of which are
given in WPA, 1972.
• There are more than 500 wildlife sanctuaries in India.
National Park • A national park is a park in use for conservation purposes. It is more protected vis-a-vis
protection in wildlife sanctuaries.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 also gives State Government power to declare certain areas
as national parks.
• No human activity is permitted inside the national park except for the ones permitted by the
Chief Wildlife Warden of the state under the conditions given in WPA 1972.
• There are more than 100 national parks in India.
Community • It is a category of protected areas defined under the ‘Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972’
Reserve or (introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002).
Conservation • It is an inhabited area which typically act as buffer zone to or connectors and migration
Reserves corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected
forests of India. Parts of the land in this area are privately owned.
• Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely
owned by the Government of India but used for subsistence by communities.
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• State Government after consulting with the central government and the local communities,
declares any area as community or conservation reserve.
• Currently there are 127 community reserves in India and maximum in the state of Meghalaya.
Tiger Reserve • A National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary that is considered significant for protecting tigers can be
additionally designated as a Tiger Reserve.
• They are governed by Project Tiger which is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA).
• A Tiger Reserve consists of a ‘Core’ or ‘Critical Tiger Habitat’, which is to be managed as an
inviolate area and a ‘Buffer’ or Peripheral area is immediately abutting a Core area, which may
be accorded a lesser degree of habitat protection.
• There are currently 50 tiger reserves in the country.
Marine • A marine protected area (MPA) is essentially a space in the ocean where human activities are
Protected Areas more strictly regulated than the surrounding waters - similar to parks on land.
• These places are given special protections for natural or historic marine resources by local,
state, territorial, native, regional, or national authorities.
Biosphere • Biosphere Reserve is an international designation by UNESCO comprising terrestrial, marine
Reserve and coastal ecosystems.
• A biosphere reserve is divided into core, buffer and transition zone in decreasing order of
protection.
• There are 18 biosphere reserves in India, of which 13 are part of the World Network of
Biosphere Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme
Bird Sanctuary • Bird sanctuaries are nature facilities that ensure conservation of various species of birds and
their natural habitats.
• There are more than 70 Bird Sanctuaries in India.
Natural • NGT constituted a fresh committee to assess whether sub regional plans for the protection of
Conservation NCZs were consistent with the regional plan prepared by the National Capital Region Planning
Zones (NCZ) Board (NCRPB).
• The importance of the Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) is that it is earmarked for
conservation, rather than real estate. o Accordingly, construction is allowed only for 0.5
percent and that too for regional recreational activities like regional parks and sanctuaries.
o This strictly precludes construction for commercial, residential, tourism, and other real
estate purposes.
Protected • Tamil Nadu announced that the Cauvery delta region would be declared a Protected Special
Special Agriculture Zone to prevent implementation of oil exploration projects in the state’s rice bowl.
Agriculture • Cauvery delta zone comprises of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai, Cuddalore,
Zone (PSAZ) Ariyalur, Karur and Tiruchirappalli districts.
• Declaring PSAZ ensures that particular region will not be granted permission for any new
projects like those related to hydrocarbons.
52
3.2.18. OTHER PROTECTED AREAS IN NEWS
Assam
Dibru-Saikhowa National • Oil India Ltd’s decision to drill seven wells inside this Park has raised concerns.
Park & Biosphere • Rivers: Park is bounded by Lohit and Brahmaputra river on the north and by the Dibru
Reserve river on the southern side.
• Forests: semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests and
patches of wet evergreen forests.
• Largest Salix swamp forest of North East India is located inside this reserve.
• Fauna: Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Small Indian Civet, Gangetic Dolphin, Slow Loris, etc.
• It is identified as Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.
Pobitora Wildlife • It is also known as the ‘Mini Kaziranga’ as it harbors the highest density of Rhino in
Sanctuary the world and second highest concentration of Rhino in Assam after Kaziranga
National Park.
• Pobitora WS can be divided into three distinct categories: forest, grassland and water
bodies or beels.
• Rivers: Its boundary is made by the GarangaBeel on the south and the river
Brahmaputra on the North.
• Fauna: Leopard, Asiatic Water buffalo, Jungle Cats, Flying fox, Wild boar, Fishing cat,
Short nosed fruit bat, Barking deer, Grey mask shrew etc.
Kaziranga National park • Kaziranga was recently facing a severe flood situation.
• The park was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, a Tiger Reserve
in 2006.
• Also, the park is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for
the conservation of avifaunal species.
• Rivers: Brahmaputra, Diphlu, Mora Diphlu and Mora Dhansir.
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• Forests: alluvial inundated grasslands, alluvial savanna woodlands, tropical moist
mixed deciduous forests, and tropical semi-evergreen forests.
• Fauna: Indian Rhinoceros, Hoolock Gibbon, Tiger, Leopard, Indian Elephant, Sloth
Bear, Wild water buffalo, swamp deer, etc.
• Flora: Kumbhi, Indian gooseberry, the cotton tree, and elephant Apple.
• Migratory Birds: lesser white-fronted goose, ferruginous duck, Baer’s pochard duck
and lesser adjutant, greater adjutant, black-necked stork, and Asian Openbill stork
migrate from the Central Asia during the winter season.
Arunachal Pradesh
Pakke Tiger Reserve • Recently, PTR has provided insurance cover against COVID-19 for frontline staff. It lies
(PTR) in the foothills of the Eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng district of Arunachal
Pradesh.
• It falls within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot
• Rivers: It is bounded by Bhareli or Kameng River in the west and north, and by Pakke
River in the east.
• Forests: lowland semi-evergreen, evergreen forest and Eastern Himalayan
broadleaf forests.
• Fauna: Barking deer, Hog deer, Horn Bill, Elephant etc.
Karnataka
Bandipur National Park • It is located in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka and is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• It is considered as the largest habitat of Wild Elephants in South Asia.
• It shares its boundary with 3 other National parks namely Nagarahole National Park
(Karnataka), Wayanad National Park (Kerala) and Mudumalai National park (Tamil
Nadu).
• Rivers: The park is flanked by the Kabini River in the north and the Moyar River in the
south.
• Forests: Dry deciduous forest is prominent here.
• Fauna: It harbours 3rd highest Tiger density in India. Indian Elephants, Leopard, Dhole,
Sambar, Sloth bear, Chital etc can be spotted in the Bandipur National park.
Nagarahole National • Forest department will place a traffic monitoring mechanism for roads adjacent to
Park (NNP) NNP (also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park) to ensure better compliance of
forest laws by motorists and minimise road kills.
• NNP is located in Kodagu and Mysore District of Karnataka.
• Bandipur, Mudumalai & Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary are adjacent to NNP.
• Rivers: Nagarahole River flows through the park and gradually joins the Kabini River
which also is a boundary between Nagarahole and Bandipur
• Fauna: Chital (spotted deer), Indian mouse deer, gaur, stripe-necked and ruddy
mongooses, grey langur, bonnet macaque, Asian wild dog, leopard, tiger etc.
Kerala
Periyar Tiger Reserve • PTR is located in the high Ranges of the Western Ghat at Thekkady, Kerala. Its
(PTR) highest peak is Kottamala (2016m).
• It is situated in the Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the Southern Western
Ghats.
• Rivers: It is drained by Mullayar, Pamba and Periyar rivers.
• Tribal communities: Mannans, Paliyans, Malayarayans, Mala Pandarams, Uralis and
Ulladans.
• Forest: Evergreen forests that also have the only south Indian conifer ‘Podocarpus
Wallichianus’
• Fauna: Lion Tailed Macaque, Bonnet Macaques and Nilgiri Langur, Mahseer fish, Asian
Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Indian Bison, Sambar Deer, Smooth-Coated Otter, etc.
Maharashtra
Tadoba Andhari tiger • It is located in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra and is also Maharashtra's oldest
reserve and largest National Park.
• Rivers: Andhari river
• Forests: Southern Tropical Dry Decidious Teak Forests
• Fauna: Leopard, cheetal, chinkara, langoors, nilgai, barking dear, blue bull, spotted
dear, flying squirrel, sloth bears, gaur, dhole, etc.
Rajasthan
Ranthambore Tiger • It is situated in Sawai Madhopur District of Rajasthan at the junction of the Aravali
Reserve and Vindhya hill ranges.
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• In 1973, it was declared as one of the Project Tiger reserves.
• Rivers: It is bounded to the north by the Banas River and to the south by the Chambal
River.
• Forest: Tropical dry deciduous
• Fauna: Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, wild boar, sambar, striped hyena, sloth
bear, southern plains gray langur, rhesus macaque, mugger crocodile and chital.
Tamil Nadu
Mudumalai Tiger • It is in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu.
Reserve • It has a common boundary with Wyanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) on the West,
Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) on the North.
• It is part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, the first Biosphere Reserve in India,
declared during 1986.
• Rivers: Moyar river
• Fauna: Tiger, Elephant, Indian Gaur, Panther, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer,
Mouse Deer, Common Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Wild Dog, Mangoose, Jungle
Cat, Hyena etc.
Uttarakhand
Gangotri National Park • Recently, Uttarakhand allowed forest land transfer in Gangotri National Park for
development of roads to make movement of ITBP personnel near China border.
• Gangotri glacier, the origin of river Ganga, is located inside Gangotri National Park.
• It is typical of high-altitude ecosystems, with decisive influence from Trans Himalayan
elements in both physical and biological characteristics.
• Rivers: Bhagirathi River
• Fauna: Snow leopard, bharal or blue sheep, black bear, brown bear, Himalayan
Monal, Himalayan Snowcock, Himalayan Thar, musk deer etc.
3.2.19. FLORA AND FAUNA IN NEWS

Species Details
Terrestrial Species
Black Panther • Recently, a Black Panther was spotted in Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka
• Found in: Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary, Anshi Dandeli Sanctuary (Karnataka), Nilgiri Biosphere
Reserve (Tamil Nadu) and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra).
• Features:
• Black Panther refers to large felines (family of cats) that are characterized by a coat of
black fur or large concentrations of black spots.
• In each species, a certain combination of alleles stimulates the production of large amounts
of the dark pigment melanin in the animal’s fur and skin. A melanistic leopard is often called
black panther or jaguar.
Sal forest tortoise • It is widely distributed over eastern and northern India and Southeast
or elongated Asia.
tortoise (Indotestu • Threats: It is heavily hunted for food and collected both for local use, such
do elongata) as decorative masks, and international wildlife trade.
• IUCN status: Critically Endangered
Indian pangolin • Odisha Forest department has stressed stricter monitoring of social media platforms to
check pangolin poaching and trading.
• Pangolins are toothless, nocturnal, and live in burrows and feed mainly on ants and
termites.
• There are eight species in Pangolins: Chinese, Sunda, Philippine and Indian pangolins; and
four African species.
• Distribution: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• Threats: hunting and poaching for local consumptive use and
international trade, its meat etc.
• Indian Pangolin and Chinese Pangolin (critically Endangered) are found in
India. Both are listed under Schedule I Part I of Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972.
• IUCN status for Indian Pangolin: Endangered
Caracal • Recently, National Board of Wildlife included caracal into the list of critically endangered
species.
• It will enable taking up conservation efforts under Centrally sponsored Scheme-Integrated
Development of Wildlife Habitat (IDWH).
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• Now, there are 22 wildlife species under recovery programme for
critically endangered species.
• Caracal is a medium size wild cat found in some parts of Rajasthan and
Gujarat.
• IUCN status: Least Concern (mainly because of their large numbers in
Africa)
Kharai camel • It is a unique breed of camel found only in Kutch (Gujarat). They have the special ability to
survive on both, dry land and in the sea.
• They can swim in seawater, up to three kilometers, and feed on saline plants and
mangroves.
• It is one of the most preferred choices of graziers in the arid coastal region of Kachchh.
• Kharai was recognised as a separate breed in 2015 by the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research.
Gaur or Indian • First population estimation exercise of the Indian gaur was carried out in the Nilgiris Forest
Bison Division in recent years.
• It has revealed that more than an estimated 2,000 Indian gaurs inhabit the
entire division.
• Gaur is the world’s largest and tallest bovine. It is native to Indian
Subcontinent.
Dhole (Asiatic Wild • Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of the
Dog) endangered dhole, according to a study.
• Dholes play an important role as apex predators in forest ecosystems.
• Dhole is found in a wide variety of habitat types, including deciduous and
evergreen forests and alpine steppe. India perhaps supports the highest
number of dholes in the world.
• IUCN status: Endangered
Himalayan Brown • A recent study on the Himalayan brown bear has predicted a significant reduction in
Bear suitable habitat and biological corridors of the species.
(Ursusarctosisabell • It is one of the largest carnivores in the highlands of Himalayas.
inus) • Range: It occupies higher reaches of the Himalayas in mountainous areas
of Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet and India
• In India, they are also present in the Great Himalayan National Park
(Himachal Pradesh).
Polar bears • A new study has found that polar bears could become extinct by 2100 unless greenhouse
gas emissions are reduced.
o Rising global temperatures, due to carbon emissions, have caused
large amounts of Arctic sea ice to melt, leaving polar bears with
smaller habitats to sustain themselves on.
• Polar bears rely on Arctic sea ice to hunt for seals and have long been a
symbol of the impacts of the climate crisis.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Plant Species
Pinanga • It is a rare palm, endemic to South Andaman Island.
andamanensis • Its entire population naturally occurs only in a tiny, evergreen forest
pocket in South Andaman’s Mount Harriet National Park.
Pipeworts • Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune (autonomous institute of the
Department of Science & Technology), have recently found 2 new species of pipeworts in
Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• The one reported from Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra was named as Eriocaulon
parvicephalum (due to its minute inflorescence size), and the other reported from Kumta,
Karnataka was named as Eriocaulon karaavalense (named after Karaavali = Coastal
Karnataka region).
• Pipeworts (Eriocaulon) is a plant group which completes its life cycle within a small period
during monsoon.
• Most of these are reported from the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas, and around
70% of them are endemic to the country.
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• They have myriad medicinal properties such as - anti-cancerous, analgesic, anti-
inflammatory and astringent properties.
Himalayan trillium • Also known as Nagchatri, it is a common herb in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the
Himalayas (India, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan).
• In India, it is found in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
• The plant has become one of the most traded commercial plants of the
Himalayan region, due to its high medicinal quality (anti-cancer and anti-
aging agent).
• Over-exploitation, long life cycle, poor capacity for seed dispersal is the
main threat.
• IUCN Status: Endangered
Brahma Kamal • Recently, Brahma Kamal bloomed in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district.
Flower • Brahma Kamal is called the King of Himalayan Flowers, and is also the state flower of
Uttarakhand.
• It is the only flower known to bloom after sunset and blooms just once a year.
o Brahma Kamal is named after God Brahma and is known to bring good luck and
prosperity.
o It finds mention in the scriptures and is offered in many holy shrines, including
Kedarnath, Badrinath and Tunganath.
• It takes about two hours to bloom to about eight inches in diameter.
• It is scientifically known as Saussurea Obvallata, belongs to the thistle tribe of flowering
plants.
• It is highly valued in Tibetan medicine and Ayurveda for its healing properties and is used
to treat cuts and bruises.
• Its natural habitat has been facing shrinkage over the last few decades due to Global
warming, Human Encroachment & Over-harvesting.
Aquatic Species
Gharials (Gavialis • Recently, 40 gharials were released in Ghaghara river by Bahraich forest division of UP.
gangeticus) o Ghaghara is a major left-bank tributary of the Ganges River.
o It rises as the Karnali River in high Himalayas of southern Tibet.
• It is found majorly in Chambal river. Also, few satellite population is found
in Girwa river (Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary ), Ramganga river in Jim
Corbett National Park and Sone river.
• IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Dugong • World Dugong Day 2020 was observed with theme “Save dugong, save livelihood”.
• Dugong (commonly known as sea cow) is world's only vegetarian marine mammal.
• Found in: warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia, including Red Sea, Indian
Ocean, and Pacific.
• Threats: destruction and modification of habitat, pollution, rampant illegal
fishing activities, vessel strikes, unsustainable hunting or poaching and
unplanned tourism.
Hilsa fish • Bhadbhut project (in Gujarat), a causeway-cum-weir barrage across river Narmada is
expected to interfere with the migration and breeding cycle of hilsa.
• Hilsa is a marine fish which migrate upstream and arrives in the brackish water of the
Narmada estuary near Bharuch for spawning usually during the monsoon months.
• It is a type of oily fish which is common in Bengali and Oriya cuisines. In West Bengal and
parts of Assam, it has a religious value and is given as an offering to some gods.
Hump-backed • It is a large freshwater fish and is endemic to the Cauvery river basin. It is
mahseer also known as the ‘Tiger of the water’.
• Cauvery originates in Brahmagiri Hill of Western Ghats in Karnataka and
passes through Tamil Nadu to Bay of Bengal.
• Threats: Destructive fishing methods, building of dams that reduced the
flow rates in the river, over-abstraction of water and pollution.
• IUCN status: Critically endangered
• Other Critically endangered aquatic Species in India: Ganges Shark, Pondicherry Shark,
Largetooth sawfish etc.
Band-tail • It was recently found in Gulf of Mannar.
scorpionfish • This was the first time this particular species was found live in the Indian waters.
• Fish is called ‘scorpionfish’ because its spines contain neurotoxin venom.
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(Scorpaenospsis • It can change colour and blend with its surrounding environment to escape from predators
neglecta) and while preying.
• It is distributed in Indian and South Pacific Oceans; temperate waters.
Coccolithophores • These are single-celled algae living in the upper layers of the world's oceans.
• They calcify marine phytoplankton that produces up to 40% of open ocean calcium
carbonate and responsible for 20% of the global net marine primary productivity.
• In the process they help in removing carbon dioxide from atmosphere and ocean.
• A recent study has found that increase in algae known as diatoms has decreased in calcium
carbonate concentration in Southern Indian Ocean which will affect the growth of
coccolithophores.
Noctiluca • The blooms of Noctiluca Scintillans, commonly known as sea sparkle are being witnessed
Scintillans along the coasts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• N. Scintillans is a free-living, marine-dwelling species of dinoflagellate that exhibits
bioluminescence when disturbed (popularly known as mareel).
o Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism.
o The light emitted by a bioluminescent organism is produced by energy released from
chemical reactions occurring inside (or ejected by) the organism.
• It grazes on other micro-organisms such as larvae, fish eggs, and diatoms. Also, the
unicellular phytoplankton that lives inside it can photosynthesize, turning sunlight into
energy. They help their host cell survive even when food was scarce. Thus, N. Scintillans
acts as both a plant and an animal.
• The toxic blooms of N. Scintillans are being linked to massive fish and marine invertebrate
kills.
• Though the species does not produce a toxin, it was found to accumulate toxic levels of
ammonia, which is then excreted into the surrounding waters, possibly acting as the killing
agent in blooms.
Rodents, insects etc.
Krishna Peacock • A citizen poll has identified Krishna Peacock (Papilio krishna), Indian Jezebel (Delias
(Papilio krishna), eucharis), and Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus) as contender for National Butterfly.
Indian Jezebel • Krishna Peacock is generally found in large numbers in the Himalayas.
(Delias eucharis), • Indian Jezebel is known to deter its predators with its flashy wing colours. It can be
and Orange spotted in gardens and other lightly wooded areas.
Oakleaf (Kallima • Orange Oakleaf is known as ‘dead leaf’ for its ability to camouflage as a dry autumn leaf.
inachus) It is found in the moist forests of northern Western Ghats, central, northern and north-
eastern parts.
Malayan Giant • It is an arboreal, herbivorous rodent found in the evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of
Squirrel north-eastern India. It is also considered to be a ‘forest health indicator’ species.
• According to the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) vanishing forests, & climate change have
put threat to its existence.
o By 2050, the species may have access to only 3% of the suitable habitat and may face
challenges of getting extinct.
• Grizzled giant squirrels, and India (malabar) giant squirrels are other giant squirrels of
India.
• IUCN status: Near Threatened
Golden Birdwing • It is a Himalayan butterfly and India’s largest butterfly. Before this Southern Birdwing was
(Troidesaeacus) the largest for past 88 years.
• While the female Golden Birdwing was recorded from Didihat in Uttarakhand, the largest
male was from the Wankhar Butterfly Museum in Shillong (Meghalaya).
• It has a wingspan of 194 mm.
Avian species
Amur falcon • Amur falcon is a small raptor of falcon family that breeds in Siberia and
Northern China and migrates to Southern Africa in winter.
• Doyang Lake in Nagaland acts as a stopover for Amur falcons and Pangti
village in Nagaland is considered as world’s Amur Falcon capital.
• IUCN status: Least concern
Narcondam • This bird is endemic to the Narcondam Island (volcanic island) in Andamans.
hornbill
(Rhyticeros
narcondami)
58
o Narcondam Island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife
International and the Bombay Natural History Society.
• These are frugivores that primarily eat fruits and berries.
• India has nine hornbill species, such as Great, Wreathed and Oriental Pied
Hornbill, of which four are found in Western Ghats
• Hornbills are referred to as ‘forest engineers’ or ‘farmers of forest’ for
playing a key role in dispersing seeds of tropical trees.
Greater Adjutant • In Bihar, community participation in conservation has increased Greater
Stork Adjutant Stork population from 78 in 2007 to nearly 600 in 2020.
• This bird has only three known breeding grounds in the world:2 in India
(Assam and Bihar) and one in Cambodia.
• IUCN Status: Endangered
Blue-throated • It is a large parrot and plumage on its upper parts and long tail is
Macaw turquoise.
• It was thought to be extinct for years until 1992, when a wild population
of the species was found in South America.
• Habitat: Forest, Savanna grass lands.
• Threats: Hunting & trapping, Ranching operations etc.
Siberian primrose • Researchers have claimed that Siberian primrose species may not be able to adapt to
quickly progressing climate change, which could potentially lead to its extinction.
• It is a plant endemic to the Nordic countries (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
and Iceland).
• It is specialised in growing on seashore meadows with low vegetation.
Willow Warbler • It is one of the longest migrating small birds that was sighted for the first
time in India in Thiruvanathapuram.
• Usually seen in European and the Palearctic regions, the birds migrate to
sub-Saharan Africa during early winter.
• IUCN status: Least Concern
Pied Cuckoo • Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and Department of
Biotechnology have begun a study of the migration of pied cuckoo from Africa to India
and back to understand its relationship with climate patterns.
• Study is part of a larger project -Indian Bioresource Information Network (IBIN), funded
by Department of Biotechnology.
o IBIN is proposed to be a single portal data provider on India's bioresource - plant,
animal, marine, spatial distribution and microbial resources.
• There are two populations of Pied Cuckoo found in India- southern part (resident) and
North and Central India (migratory).
• It is one of the few species that come to India in the summer.
• It is primarily arboreal (lives on trees), lays its eggs in nests that belong to
other birds.
• IUCN status: Least Concern
Pests, invasive species
White grub • It is an agricultural pest that affects sugar cane crop. The pests eat at the roots of
(Holotrichia sugarcane, decreasing the moisture and nutrient supply to the plant.
serrata) insect • This leads to the yellowing and wilting of leaves and causes damage to the base of the
larvae shoot.
• Earlier it attacked sugarcane and groundnut crops; now it is also devouring soybean,
cotton and turmeric crops.
• Chemical pesticides are available for controlling the white grub infestation.
Charru mussel • It is an invasive mussel, native to South and Central American coasts, that is spreading in
(Mytella strigata) backwaters of Kerala.
• Mussels are often used as indicators of water quality.
• It is threatening livelihoods of fishermen engaged in molluscan fisheries.
• Rapid spread of Charru mussel may have been triggered by Cyclone Ockhi (2017).
Woolly whitefly • It is an invasive exotic pest of Caribbean-origin that feeds on various kinds of food
(polyphagous).
• It spread from the Caribbean Island through transportation of infested seedlings.
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• In 2019, it was recorded from guava plantations in Kozhikode district of Kerala,
Ramanagara, Mandya and Bengaluru Rural districts of Karnataka and Coimbatore district
of Tamil Nadu.
• Recently, two types of ladybird beetles are found to be the biological weapons against this
pest.
3.3. FORESTS
3.3.1. STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS REPORT 2020
Why in news?
Recently, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has
jointly released a report titled The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2020.
About the report
• It examines the contributions of forests, and of the people who use and manage them, to the conservation
and sustainable use of biodiversity.
• This issue of SOFO draws on the results of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that
FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment
leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
2020 (FRA 2020).
• Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure
o FRA 2020 examined the status and trends that people have regular access to enough high-quality
of more than 60 variables related to the food to lead active, healthy lives.
extent, characteristics, condition, • It was established in 1945 and has around 194 Member
management and uses of forest across 236 countries.
countries and areas over the period 1990– • It is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
2020.
Key Findings of the Report Some findings in FRA 2020
• Forest regeneration: Area of naturally regenerating forests
• Forests provide habitats for 80% decreased since 1990, but area of planted forests increased.
of amphibian species, 75% of bird o Asia had highest net gain of forest area while Africa had largest
species and 68% of mammal annual rate of net forest loss.
species. About 60% of all vascular • Protected areas: 18% of forest worldwide is in protected areas.
plants are found in tropical o 25% of forests worldwide are Primary forests i.e. forests with no
forests. clearly visible indications of human activities.
• Forests cover 31% of the global o South America has the highest share of forests in protected
land area. areas, at 31%.
o About 10% of the world’s forests is allocated for biodiversity
o More than half of the world’s
conservation
forests are found in only 5 • Forest fire: Fire burned about 4 percent of the total forest area in
countries - Brazil, Canada, tropics.
China, Russia and US. • Decrease in Carbon Stock: The total carbon stock in forests has
• Deforestation and forest decreased from 668 gigatonnes in 1990 to 662 gigatonnes in 2020.
degradation:
o Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of deforestation had decreased as compared in the 1990s.
o Agricultural expansion continues to be the main driver of deforestation and forest fragmentation
and the associated loss of forest biodiversity.
• United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests: The world is not on track to meet this target for Forests to
increase forest area by 3% worldwide by 2030.
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• Conservation of species:
o Forest-Specialist index, developed by World Wildlife Fund, has fell by 53% between 1970 and 2014
which highlights the increased risk of species becoming vulnerable to extinction.
• Health risks: Forests also pose health risks due to forest-associated diseases that include malaria, Chagas
disease leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, HIV and Ebola.
o The majority of new infectious diseases affecting humans including SARS-CoV2 virus that caused the
current COVID-19 pandemic, are zoonotic and their emergence may be linked to habitat loss due to
forest area change and the expansion of human populations into forest areas, which both increase
human exposure to wildlife.
3.3.2. NAGAR VAN SCHEME

Why in News?
Recently, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) selected Arunachal Pradesh capital
(Itanagar) for implementation of the ‘Nagar Van’ or Urban Forest scheme.
About Nagar Van Scheme
• It envisages creating forests in 200 urban cities across the country in next five years with a renewed focus
on people’s participation and collaboration between Forest Department, Municipal bodies, NGOs,
Corporates and local citizens.
o Pune’s Warje forest offer good model for growth.
• Forest once established will be maintained by State Government.
About Urban Forestry
• It is an integrated, city wide approach to the planting, care and management of trees, forests, and natural
systems in the city to secure multiple environmental and social benefits for urban dwellers.
• It concentrates on all tree dominated as well as other green resources in and around urban areas, such
as woodlands, public and private urban parks and gardens, urban nature areas, street tree and square
plantations, botanical gardens and cemeteries.
Related News: Harit Path
• It is a mobile app that will facilitate creation of Green Highways across the country.
o It will monitor location, growth, maintenance activities, targets etc of every plant under all Highway
plantation projects.
• It is developed by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• Recently, NHAI had also undertaken a nation-wide plantation drive, Harit Bharat Sankalp, under which it planted
over 25 lakh plants in 25 days along the stretches of National Highways.
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3.3.3. COMMUNITY FOREST RIGHTS
Why in news?
Recently, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) drafted fresh guidelines for Community Forest Rights (CFR) and
Habitat Rights.
About Community forest rights
• Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or
Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognises and vests two broad types of rights to scheduled tribes and other
traditional forest dwellers: individual forest rights (IFR) and community forest rights (CFR).
o FRA 2006, is one of the most important and popular Entitlement based laws favouring the tribal and
other traditional forest dwellers’ rights over forest land.
o FRA 2006 provides for a framework for recording of the forest rights so vested and the nature of
evidence required for such recognition and vesting in respect of forest land.
• FRA empowers Gram Sabha to be the authority to initiate the process for determining the nature and
extent of individual or community forest rights or both.
• Further, the draft guidelines for CFR recently released aim to guide & empower the Gram Sabhas in
managing and conserving
their CFR areas in a
sustainable fashion.
Draft Guidelines for CFR
• It proposes to form
Community Forests
Resource Management
Committee (CFRMC) as an
executive arm of the Gram
Sabha in managing CFR
areas.
o It shall consist of not
less than 5 persons as
members with at least
2/3rd members from
the Scheduled Tribes.
• It provides financial
independence of the Gram
Sabha through a fund,
which would get money
from the sale of forest
produce, development
grant from the government
and non-profits as well as
compensatory
afforestation funds.
• Further empowerment of Gram Sabhas to:
o integrate the committees for the protection of wildlife, forest and biodiversity, catchment areas,
water sources and other ecological sensitive areas located within which it has had traditional rights.
o Be empowered to carry out the powers and authority as laid down under section 5 of FRA, which
talks about duties of holders of forest rights.
o File complaint before the state level monitoring committee (SLMC) in case of any violation of
provisions of FRA 2006.
o Make rules and issue appropriate directions for governance and conservation of CFR, including
regulating powers, functions and activities of the CFRMC; conflict resolution; benefit sharing; issuance
of transit permit; fund management etc.,
o Approve and modify CFR conservation and management plan, prepared and suggested by the
CFRMC.
62
Related news:
Habitat Rights
• Habitat rights under the FRA 2006 are granted to the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG).
• Section 3(1)(e) of FRA mentions about rights that include community tenures of habitat and habitation for
primitive tribal groups and pre-agricultural communities.
• Draft Guidelines for Habitat Rights
o Draft defines habitat as places where tribal and other traditional forest dwellers have ancient connections
in spiritual, cultural, social (burial grounds, birth places, temples, deities etc.) and livelihood matters (areas
used for forest produce collection, fishing, seasonal cultivation and collection of medicinal plants).
o Habitat Rights are bundle of rights comprising of above connections with the habitat.
o Some of habitat rights include:
ü Right to perform all customary religious or cultural ceremonies in the landscape related to their clans
ü Right to protect and conserve the natural entities and sacred sites recognised under habitat rights
ü Right to protect and conserve places important for religious and spiritual purposes such as sacred groves
etc.
ü Right to practice traditional cultivation systems and other livelihood generating activities including
seasonal resource use.
ü Habitat rights exclude any traditional right of hunting or trapping or extracting a part of the body of any
species of wild animal.
3.3.4. DEFORESTATION HOTSPOTS

Why in news? About WWF
• WWF is the world's largest privately financed conservation organization. It
In a new report, World Wide
leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats.
Fund for Nature (WWF)
• WWF works in more than 100 countries to conserve the diversity of life on
analysed 24 deforestation earth.
hotspots across Asia, Latin • WWF works to help local communities conserve the natural resources they
America and Africa. depend upon; transform markets and policies toward sustainability; and
protect and restore species and their habitats.
Highlights of the Report
• From 2000 to 2018 two-thirds of total global forest cover loss occurred in the tropics and sub-tropics.
• While forests covered about 50% of earth’s land area 8,000 years ago, today only 30% of land is forested.
• Report provides framework that links between drivers of deforestation globally and the existing
approaches to address them (refer infographic).
• Commercial agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation globally, particularly large-scale farming,
with forested areas cleared for livestock grazing and crop cultivation.
3.4. LAKES, WETLANDS AND COASTLANDS

3.4.1. RAMSAR SITES
Why in News?
In 2020, five wetlands in India were added to the list of recognised sites under the Ramsar Convention.
About Ramsar convention, 1971
• It is an intergovernmental international treaty, signed in Ramsar (Iran) to preserve ecological character
of selected wetlands across the globe.
• India is a party to the Convention.
• It aims to develop a global network of wetlands for conservation of biological diversity and for sustaining
human life.
• The wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.
• Ramsar Sites are included in List of Wetlands of International Importance.
• The inclusion of a wetland in the List embodies the government’s commitment to take steps necessary to
ensure that its ecological character is maintained.
• Largest Ramsar Site by area in India- Sundarban Wetland in West Bengal
• Smallest Ramsar Site by area in India-Renuka Wetland in Himachal Pradesh
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Nine criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance
1. Contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the
appropriate biogeographic region.
2. Supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.
3. Supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a
particular biogeographic region.
4. Supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse
conditions.
5. Regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.
6. Supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.
7. Supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species
interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes
to global biological diversity.
8. Important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either
within the wetland or elsewhere, depend. Specific criteria based on other taxa.
9. Supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent nonavian animal
species.
64
Details about New Sites
Wetland Location Details
Asan Uttarakhand • ACR is located on the banks of Yamuna
Conservation river near Dehradun district in Garhwal
Reserve region of Uttarakhand.
(ACR) • Species Inhabiting the Site- white-rumped
vulture, ruddy shelduck, red-headed
vulture, Baer’s pochard, crested pochard,
Putitor mahseer etc.
Kabartal Bihar • Also known as Kanwar Jheel, the wetland

Wetland covers 2,620 hectares of the Indo-Gangetic
plains in the northern Bihar State.
• The Wetland is an important stopover
along the Central Asian Flyway (area of
Eurasia between Arctic and Indian Oceans
and associated island chains).
• Five critically endangered species inhabit
the site:
• three vultures – the red-headed vulture,
white-rumped vulture and Indian vulture–
and
• two waterbirds, the sociable lapwing and
Baer’s pochard.
• Major threats to the Site- water
management activities such as drainage,
water abstraction, damming and
canalization.
Lonar lake Maharashtra • It is located on the Deccan Plateau and is
an endorheic or closed basin formed by a
meteorite impact onto the basalt bedrock.
• The Site includes the lake as well as
escarpments, which form the crater walls,
and forested zones.
• The lake is high in salinity and alkalinity, as
the lack of an outflow leads to a
concentration of minerals as the lake
water evaporates.
• Specialized micro-organisms such as
anaerobes, cyanobacteria and
phytoplankton survive in this harsh
chemical environment.
• Species Inhabiting the Site- Asian
woollyneck, common pochard, grey wolf
etc.
• Major threats to the Site- household
sewage and urban wastewater, and
unsustainable tourism.
• Recently, water of lake turned pink owing
to presence of salt-loving Haloarchaea
microbes which lead to pigmentation
65
Sur Sarovar Uttar Pradesh • Also known as Keetham Lake, it is a
human-made reservoir; originally created
to supply water to the city of Agra in
summer, the wetland soon became an
important and rich ecosystem.
• The Site is important for bird species which
migrate on the Central Asian flyway, with
over 30,000 waterbirds known to visit the
reservoir annually. It is also listed as
important bird area.
• Species Inhabiting the Site- greater
spotted eagle, sarus crane and catfish.
• Major threats to the Site- Unsustainable
tourism, invasive species, and household
sewage and urban wastewater.
Tso Kar Union Territory of Ladakh • This high-altitude wetland complex is

Wetland found at more than 4,500 metres above
Complex sea level in the Changthang region of
Ladakh.
• The complex includes two connected
lakes- the freshwater Startsapuk Tso and
the larger hypersaline Tso Kar.
• The name Tso Kar refers to the white salt
efflorescence on the margins of the lake
caused by the evaporation of the saline
waters.
• The local climate is arid, and glacial
meltwater is the primary water source for
the lakes.
• The Site also acts as an important stopover
ground for migratory birds along the
Central Asian Flyway and is one of the
most important breeding areas in India for
the black-necked crane.
• Tso Kar Basin is an A1 Category Important
Bird Area as per Bird Life International and
a key staging site in Central Asian Flyway.
o A1 category has Globally threatened
species. Other categories are: A2 for
Restricted-range species, A3 for
Biome-restricted species & A4 for
Congregations (of ≥1% of global
population of one or more species.
• Species Inhabiting the Site-endangered
saker falcon and Asiatic wild dog or dhole
and vulnerable snow leopard.
66
3.4.2. SUKHNA LAKE DECLARED AS WETLAND
Why in news?
wtChandigarh Wetlands Authority issued a notification for
the declaration of Sukhna Lake as a wetland under
Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rule 2017
(Wetland Rules)
More on the News
• List of wetlands in India is developed based on
wetlands definition of the Ramsar Convention
(ratified by India).
• Wetland Rules, 2017 were notified under provisions of
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to protect
wetlands across the country.
o Wetlands can be notified by Centre, State and UT
Administration.
o It gives states/UTs powers to keep a watch on
prohibited activities.
About Sukhna Lake
• Sukhna Lake is a man-made lake in Chandigarh built-in
1958. It is situated at foothills of Shivalik Hills and was
designed to collect runoff water from the Hills.
• Earlier, the lake was also declared a living entity/legal person.
3.4.3. MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM

Why in news?
Guidelines on Mangrove
Ecosystem restoration for
the Western Indian Ocean
region were released.
More in News
• The guidelines were
developed by the
member states of
Nairobi Convention
with support from
UNEP–Nairobi
Convention, the
Western Indian Ocean
Marine Science
Association and the
Western Indian Ocean
Mangrove Network.
Mangrove status in India
• Mangrove cover 0.15%
of the country’s total
geographical area.
67
• West Bengal has highest of
India’s mangrove cover,
followed by Gujarat and A&N
Islands.
o Sunderbans Mangroves
of West Bengal is largest
mangrove forest in the
world.
o Godavari-Krishna
Mangroves, Baratang
Island Mangroves in
Andaman and Nicobar
and Pichavaram
Mangroves in Tamil Nadu
are other important
mangrove sites.
• India has lost 40% of its
mangrove area in the last
century, mainly due to
agriculture, aquaculture, tourism, urban development and overexploitation.
Initiatives to conserve Mangrove ecosystem
• India has drafted a ‘National Strategy and Action Plan’ to sustainably mitigate the mangrove and coastal
ecosystem.
• Coastal
Regulation Zone
(CRZ) notification
under the
Environmental
Act, 1986, declared
all coastal
stretches up to
500 m from the
high tide line as
CRZ, which is very
essential for
conservation and
sustainable
management of
mangrove forests.
• Ministry of
Environment,
Forest and Climate
Change put
restrictions on the
expansion of
shrimp farming.
• Mangrove for
Future (MFF) is
Indian initiative
with cooperation
of IUCN to
promote
investment in
coastal ecosystem
conservation for sustainable development.
68
• ‘Magical Mangroves – Join the Movement’ a nationwide campaign launched recently which highlights the
significance of mangroves conservation in present times and urges citizens to join the conservation
movement.
• In Andhra Pradesh, Forest Department has formed Eco-Development Committees and Van Samrakshan
Samithis for joint implementation of projects in mangrove areas.
• Maharashtra became the first coastal state to declare a state mangrove tree species named Sonneratia
alba or mangrove apple as a symbol to enhance conservation of mangroves.
Related Information:
Nairobi Convention
• It is a partnership between governments, civil society and the private sector, working towards a prosperous
Western Indian Ocean Region with healthy rivers, coasts and oceans.
• It entered into force in 1996 and is part of UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme.
• The Convention offers a regional legal framework and forum for inter-governmental discussions that lead to
better understanding of regional environmental problems and the strategies needed to address them.
• To address emerging issues in the region, the Conference of Parties (COPs) have established expert groups and
task forces, such as the Mangove Network, the Coral Reef Task Force, Marine Turtle Task Force, the Forum for
Academic and Research Institutes (FARI), and the Legal and Technical Working Group.
• India is not a party to the convention.
Global Initiatives to protect Mangrove
• Inclusion of mangroves in Biosphere Reserves, World Heritage sites and UNESCO Global Geoparks contributes to
improving the knowledge, management and conservation of mangrove ecosystems throughout the world.
• International Blue Carbon Initiative is a coordinated, global programme focused on mitigating climate change
through the conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Global Mangrove Watch (GMW) is an online platform that provides the remote sensing data and tools for
monitoring mangroves and gives universal access to near real-time information on where and what changes there
are to mangroves across the world.
3.4.4. PEATLANDS
Why in news?
As per a recent study, Peatlands being rich in biodiversity include many potential vertebrate and invertebrate
vectors, or carriers of disease.
About Peatlands
• They are a heterogeneous mixture of plant material (mosses, humus etc) that had accumulated in a
water-saturated area and are only partially decomposed due to absence of oxygen.
• Peatland covers 3% of global land surface and are largest natural terrestrial carbon store.
• They are found in permafrost regions towards the poles and at high altitudes, in coastal areas, beneath
tropical rainforest and in boreal (taiga) forests.
• Importance of peatlands
o Act as Natural firebreaks between sections of forest. However, in the condition of dehydration, their
dense carbon stores are exposed to accelerated decomposition and turns them from firebreaks into
fire propagators.
o Critical for preserving global biodiversity, provide safe drinking water, minimise flood risk and help
address climate change.
o Largest natural terrestrial carbon store: Damaged peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas
emissions, annually releasing almost 6% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
69
3.4.5. MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAS)
Why in News?
According to recent reports as 2020 draws near, marine protected areas (MPAs) cover only 7.66% of the ocean
across the globe which falls short on targets defined under UN SDG 14.
About Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
• MPA is essentially a space in the ocean where human activities are more strictly regulated than the
surrounding waters - similar to parks on land.
o These places are given special protections for natural or historic marine resources by local, state,
territorial, native, regional, or national authorities.
o Currently, the world’s largest marine protected area is in the Ross Sea region off Antarctica.
• Most MPAs are in national waters where it’s easy to implement and manage protection under provision
of a single country.
o However, in the more remote areas of high seas, only 1.18% of marine ecosystems is protected.
o 66% of world’s oceans fall on high seas which are outside national jurisdiction of any country
and human activities here are regulated by under 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS).
3.4.6. BLUE FLAG

Why in news?
Recently, Kasarkod and Padubidri beaches in Karnataka were accorded ‘Blue Flag’ tag from the international
agency Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), Denmark.
More about news
• The two beaches Kasarkod beach and Padubidri beach in the Karnataka are among the eight in the
country that have bagged the coveted eco-label ‘Blue Flag’ from FEE.
• Kasarkod and Padubidri beaches have grey water treatment plants, solid waste management plants,
disabled-friendly equipment to enable them to enter seawater, clean drinking water, bathing facility,
disabled-friendly and general toilets, solar power plant, solar lighting.
70
About Blue Flag Certification
• The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism
operator, and serves as an eco-label.
o The certification is awarded annually by the Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for
Environmental Education (FEE).
o It sets stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria that applicants
must meet and maintain.
• A ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an eco-tourism model to provide tourists clean and hygienic bathing water,
facilities/amenities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.
• The certification is awarded by the FEE based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads:
o Environmental education and information
o Bathing water quality
o Environment management and conservation
o Safety and services in the beaches
• India had also launched its own eco-label BEAMS (Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management
Services) under its ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project to abate pollution in coastal
waters, promote sustainable development of beach facilities, protect & conserve coastal ecosystems &
natural resources etc.
3.5. MISCELLANEOUS
3.5.1. SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION
Why in News?
A research recently warned about Sixth Mass extinction.
71

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3.

3.2. WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION

3.2.2. TIGER STATUS REPORT 2018

3.2.3. STATUS OF LEOPARDS IN INDIA, 2018

3.2.4. SNOW LEOPARD

3.2.7. VULTURE ACTION PLAN 2020-25

3.2.8. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD (GIB)

3.2.9. INDIA’S FIRST DOLPHIN OBSERVATORY

3.2.10. FISHING CAT

3.2.12. ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA (ESA)

3.2.13. DEHING PATKAI

• Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is referred as ‘The Amazon of East’.

3.2.14. PANNA TIGER RESERVE

3.2.16. CENTRAL ZOO AUTHORITY

3.2.17. MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION (MEE) REPORT

3.2.19. FLORA AND FAUNA IN NEWS

3.3.2. NAGAR VAN SCHEME

3.3.4. DEFORESTATION HOTSPOTS

3.4. LAKES, WETLANDS AND COASTLANDS

Kabartal Bihar • Also known as Kanwar Jheel, the wetland

Tso Kar Union Territory of Ladakh • This high-altitude wetland complex is

3.4.3. MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM

3.4.6. BLUE FLAG

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