PT 365 Environment 2020 Part 2.merged

3.
BIODIVERSITY
• Cytochrome-b marker: Where camera
3.1. WILDLIFE AND
trappings were not possible due to low tiger
CONSERVATION numbers, scat (droppings) samples were
collected to estimate minimum number of
3.1.1. ALL INDIA TIGER ESTIMATE-2018 tigers through genetic analysis. Genomic DNA
was extracted and samples were screened for
Why in News?
species identification using a tiger specific
• The four-year tiger census report, ‘Status of cytochrome-b marker.
Tigers, Co-predators, Prey and their Habitat, • Maximum Entropy Models (MaxEnt): In some
2018’ shows the count of tigers in India, has north-eastern states with logistical concerns,
risen to 2967, in 2018 from 2,226 in 2014. The MaxEnt was used which is based on photos
33% rise in tiger numbers is the highest ever taken within small intensively searched areas
recorded between cycles which stood at 21% to model suitable tiger habitat.
between 2006 and 2010 and 30% between 2010 Tiger Conservation Efforts in India
and 2014.
• Project Tiger: The Government launched this
• Census was led by the National Tiger
centrally Sponsored Scheme in 1973 for in-situ
Conservation Authority and the Wildlife
conservation of wild tigers in designated tiger
Institute of India, in collaboration with State
reserves.
Forest Departments. World Wildlife Fund India
• National Tiger Conservation Authority
was the implementation partner.
(NTCA): It is a statutory body established in
Findings of All India Tiger Estimate-2018 2006 under MoEFCC performing functions as
provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Biggest increase in tigers: The biggest increase
Presently It implements major tiger
has been in Madhya Pradesh from 308 in 2014
conservation initiatives like project tiger, Tiger
to 526. Now, MP has most number of tigers.
conservation plan etc.
• Continuing loss of tiger-occupied areas: The
Global Conservation Efforts
net loss in tiger-occupied area is estimated to
• Global Tiger Initiative (GTI): It was launched in
be 20% of the tiger habitat in four years. 2008 as a global alliance of governments,
o The decline was spread over three out of international organizations, civil society, the
India's five tiger landscapes: The Shivalik, conservation and scientific communities and the
Western Ghats and the North East, while private sector, with the aim of working together
Central India and the Sundarbans to save wild tigers from extinction. In 2013, the
landscapes registered an increase. scope was broadened to include Snow Leopards.
• No tiger was recorded in Buxa (West Bengal), • St. Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia, 2010: All
Dampa (Mizoram) and Palamu (Jharkhand) 13 tiger range countries came together for the
first time with the commitment of doubling the
tiger reserves.
number of wild tigers by 2022.
Technologies in the report • Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP): It seeks
to empower Tiger Range Countries to address
• Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive the entire spectrum of threats, domestic as well
Protection and Ecological Status (M-STrIPES): as those that are transboundary in nature, and
It is a software-based monitoring system work toward increased financial sustainability
launched across Indian tiger reserves by the through the integration of conservation
NTCA. objectives into development.
• The Global Tiger Forum (GTF) is the only inter-
• CaTRAT (Camera Trap Data Repository and
governmental international body established
Analysis Tool): It is an image processing with members from willing countries to embark
software used for organizing and geotagging on a global campaign to protect the Tiger.
of photo-captures. • TX2: Its goal was to double the number of wild
• ExtractCompare for tigers and HotSpotter for tigers across their geographical areas. The WWF
leopards: Individual identification of tigers and is implementing the programme in 13 tiger range
leopards was done using these pattern countries.
recognition programmes. • Conservation Assured Tiger Standards CA|TS: It
• Spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check
if their management will lead to successful tiger
method: used to estimate population density
from camera trap data.
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8468022022 DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH
conservation. It is an important part of Tx2 a major tributary and catchment of the
programme. Krishna river.
Related information o It is India’s second-largest tiger reserve,
Indian Tiger or Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris) next only to the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam
• It is the tiger species native to India. Tiger Reserve, Andhra Pradesh.
• The largest populations of Bengal tigers are in • In 2017, the endangered species of mouse deer
India, but there are some smaller groups in was reintroduced here.
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. It may also be • Tribes: Amrabad is dominated by the
present in areas of China and Burma.
Chenchus, a Schedule Tribe.
• India is home to 80% of global tiger population.
• Bengal tiger habitats usually are tropical
• Archaeological aspect: It contains ruins of the
rainforests, marshes, and tall grasses. ancient Nagarjuna Viswa Vidyalayam run by
• The tigers are an "umbrella" species as by the great Buddhist scholar Nagarjunacharya
rescuing them, we save everything beneath their (150 AD).
ecological umbrella - everything connected to
them. 3.1.2.2. PAKKE OR PAKHUI TIGER RESERVE,
• Conservation status of Tiger: IUCN Red List: ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Endangered, Wild life protection Act: Schedule I
and CITES: Appendix I.
Why in News?
• Threat to Tiger in India: Habitats loss, Poaching Arunachal Pradesh government is planning to build
and Wildlife Crime and growing incidents of Man- a highway named East-West Industrial Corridor
Animal conflict. which includes a 40-km elevated stretch through
Tiger corridors in Country
the core areas of Pakhui or Pakke Tiger Reserve
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority in
(PTR).
collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India
has published a document titled “Connecting About Pakke Tiger Reserve
Tiger Populations for Long-term Conservation”,
which has mapped out 32 major corridors across • PTR It is bounded by Bhareli or Kameng River
the country. in the west and north, and by Pakke River in the
• A tiger corridor is a stretch of land linking tiger east.
habitats, allowing movement of tigers, prey and • The habitat types are lowland semi-evergreen,
other wildlife. evergreen forest and Eastern Himalayan
• Its management interventions are broadleaf forests.
operationalised through a Tiger Conservation
Plan, mandated under section 38V of the Related Information
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. • NH 44 — India’s longest highway from Srinagar
• For demarcating these corridors, country has to Kanyakumari — cuts through wildlife
been divided into 4 landscapes: corridors connecting Kanha, Satpura, Pench,
o Shivalik Hills & Gangetic Plains- 3 corridors Bandhavgarh, Panna tiger reserves and at least
o Central India & Eastern Ghats- 11 corridors four other protected areas.
o Western Ghats- 8 corridors • NH 6 — India’s second longest highway from
o North East- 10 corridors Surat to Kolkata — passes through corridors
around Melghat, Bor, Nagzira, Simlipal tiger
3.1.2. TIGER RESERVES IN NEWS reserves and seven other national parks and
sanctuaries.
3.1.2.1. AMRABAD TIGER RESERVE,
TELANGANA 3.1.3. SNOW LEOPARD
Why in News? Why in news?
Recently, Centre granted “in-principle” clearance Recently, Union Environment ministry released the
for uranium exploration in Amrabad Tiger Reserve Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India
in Telangana. (SLPAI) at the fourth steering committee meeting
of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem
About Amrabad Tiger Reserve
Program (GSLEP).
• It lies in Nallamala hill that stretch in
Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Program
Mahbubnagar and Nalgonda districts of (GSLEP)
Telangana. • It is an inter-governmental alliance of all the 12
o The area lies along a patch where the Snow Leopard range countries.
Nallavagu and Dindi rivers merge, forming • The GSLEP is a range-wide effort that unites
range country governments, nongovernmental
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DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH 8468022022
and inter-governmental organizations, local 3.1.4. CHEETAH
communities, and the private sector around a
shared vision to conserve snow leopards and Why in news?
their valuable high-mountain ecosystems.
Supreme Court (SC) allowed the Centre to
• The Snow Leopard countries namely, India,
Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, introduce the African cheetah from Namibia in
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Africa to a suitable habitat in India.
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. More on news
Snow Leopard Population Estimation in India • The plan, first floated in 2009, was to bolster
(SLPAI) the nearly extinct Indian cheetah population.
• SLPAI has been prepared by the Wildlife • Iran has a sub-species of the Asiatic cheetah
Institute of India, Nature Conservation but has refused to share them with India,
Foundation, GSLEP committee, Global Tiger forcing the government to look for African
Initiative Council, World Wide Fund for ones.
Nature, World Bank, Global Tiger Forum and • In 2010, central government had set up an
Wildlife Conservation Trust. expert panel for reintroducing cheetah in
• National-level estimation processes are done India. Panel recommended KunoPalpur (MP),
for Tigers, Rhinos and Elephants. With this Velavadar National Park (Gujarat) and Tal
protocol, the same can now be done for Snow Chapar sanctuary (Rajasthan) for
Leopards. reintroducing Cheetah.
• Only 2% of the total habitats of snow leopards • Kuno Palpur was the preferred location for
have been sampled for population estimation introduction of cheetah. It was also the place
due to difficult terrain and an elusive nature of prepared by MP to house Asiatic lions.
snow leopards, according to SLPAI document. • SC now set up a three-member committee to
About Snow Leopard ‘guide’ National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA). Decision for relocation of African
• It is classified as Vulnerable by IUCN and is
cheetah will be taken after a proper survey and
under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife
the action of introduction of the animal will be
(Protection) Act 1972.
left to the NTCA’s discretion.
• They are listed in Appendix I of the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species About Cheetah
(CITES) and the Convention on Migratory • Cheetah is a keystone species of dry forests,
Species (CMS). scrub forests, and savannahs.
• In India, Snow Leopards are found in the o Keystone species are those which have an
Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape at extremely high impact on a particular
an elevation between 3,000 meters and 5,400 ecosystem relative to its population.
m, spanning over 100,000 square km across o It has a disproportionately large effect on
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, its natural environment relative to its
Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh abundance
• Threats: Habitat Fragmentation, Illegal killing, • It was officially declared extinct in India in
poaching for fur, bones, claws etc., retaliatory 1952.
attacks by locals. • It is one of the oldest of the big cat species,
Conservation Efforts with ancestors that can be traced back more
than five million years to the Miocene era.
• Project Snow Leopard-Centrally sponsored
• It is also the world’s fastest land mammal.
programme for protection and preservation of
• Problems like human-wildlife conflict, loss of
Snow Leopard
habitat and loss of prey, and illegal trafficking,
• Secure Himalaya to ensure conservation of
have decimated their numbers.
locally and globally significant biodiversity,
• IUCN status: African Cheetah- Vulnerable and
land and forest resources in the high
Asiatic Cheetah – Critically endangered
Himalayan ecosystem, while enhancing the
(surviving only in Iran).
lives and livelihoods of local communities. It is
funded by GEF and UNDP. African Cheetah vs. Asiatic Cheetah
• Asiatic cheetah is much stronger and faster than
African cheetah, while on the other hand people
believe the African cheetah are the fastest.
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• Asiatic Cheetah (around 50-70) is only found in an entire rhino population concentrated in one
Iran while African Cheetah is found in wild in specific area.
Africa.
3.1.6. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD
3.1.5. GREAT ONE-HORNED
RHINOCEROS (INDIAN RHINO) Why in News?
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate
Why in News?
Change has initiated a project worth Rs 33.85 crore
Recently, the Special Rhino Protection Force for the conservation and protection of the Great
(SRPF) trained to combat poachers and Indian Bustard. Only 130 such birds are left in India.
understand animal behaviour was deployed in the
About Great Indian Bustard
Kaziranga National Park.
• It is endemic to Indian Sub-continent, found in
More on news
central India, western India and eastern
• The force has been raised by the initiative of Pakistan.
both the central and state governments to • Important Sites for the species are: Desert
control rhino poaching in tiger reserve. National Park Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Naliya
• The process of setting up the special force was (Gujarat), Warora (Maharashtra) and Bellary
started in 2015 on the recommendations of the (Karnataka)
National Tiger Conservation Authority. • Rajasthan has the highest population. It is
About Indian Rhino thought to have completely disappeared from
the states of Haryana, Punjab, Orissa, Uttar
• The great one-horned rhino or Indian Rhino is Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
the largest of the rhino species found • The habitat where it is most often found is arid
commonly in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and and semi-arid grasslands, open country with
India, with India being home to 2,200 rhinos, or thorn scrub, tall grass interspersed with
over 85% of the population. cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas.
• Rhinos in India are found in parts of Uttar • Great Indian bustard is placed in Schedule I of
Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam. the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the
• According to World Wildlife fund data of 2012, highest degree of legal protection in the
Assam has 91% of total Rhino population of country.
India which is mainly concentrated in • IUCN: Critically Endangered (Threats:
Kaziranga National Park, and a few in Pobitara poaching, collisions with power lines)
Wildlife Sanctuary. • Great Indian Bustard is Rajasthan's state bird.
• IUCN: Vulnerable, Wildlife protection Act: The state government has started "Project
Schedule 1 Godawan" for its conservation at Desert
• Threats: poaching, habitat destruction, National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer.
flooding etc. • It is considered as the flagship grassland
• The Indian Rhino is poached for its horn. species, representing the health of the
Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020) grassland ecology.
Conservation efforts
• Launched in 2005, it is an ambitious effort to
attain a wild population of at least 3,000 • It’s one of the Species for the Recovery
greater one-horned rhinos spread over seven Programme under the Integrated
protected areas in the Indian state of Assam by Development of Wildlife Habitats of the
the year 2020. Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India, holds o The important objective of this
about 70% of the world population. IRV 2020 programme is to build up captive
aims to translocate Rhinos from Kaziranga population of Great Indian Bustard and to
National Park and Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary release the chicks in the wild for increasing
to five other protected areas namely Manas, the population.
Laokhowa, Buracharpori-Kochmora, o Financial assistance is given for recovery
Dibrusaikhowa and Orang. programme of the species.
• Translocations of Rhinos are being done in • Recently, GIB declared as ‘Endangered
order to avert the risks associated with having Migratory Species’ at the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on the Conservation
35
of Migratory Species (CMS) of Wild Animals. It Government Initiatives
is included in Annex-I of CMS.
• The Coast Guard had launched the 'Operation
• Recently, Karnataka has decided to declare a
Oliva' exercise as part of its annual mission to
large patch of area in Siraguppa taluk in
ensure the safe mid-sea sojourn of breeding
Karnataka as the Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
Olive Ridley sea turtles.
Protected Zone.
• Operation Save Kurma: species specific
• Recently Supreme Court has constituted a
operation on Turtles by Wildlife Crime Control
high-powered committee to urgently frame
Bureau.
and implement an emergency response plan
• The Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 and its latest
for the protection of Great Indian bustard.
amendments in 2006 provide legal protection
3.1.7. OLIVE RIDLEY TURTLES to all the sea turtle species occurring in the
state.
Why in news?
3.1.8. DRAFT VISIONARY PERSPECTIVE
Recently, the Odisha forest department banned
fishing in the state’s Gahiramatha marine
PLAN TO CONSERVE BIRDS
sanctuary to protect Olive Ridley turtles. Why in news?
More on News Recently, the Government of India has placed the
• Gahiramatha, located in Odisha, is known as draft “Visionary Perspective Plan (2020-2030) for
the world’s largest Olive Ridley rookery. the conservation of avian diversity, their
• These animals come in lakhs in the waters ecosystems, habitats and landscapes in the
surrounding the sanctuary in November for country” in public domain.
mating. The females lay eggs in March. More on the news
• Trawlers and boatmen have been directed not
• The Visionary plan has proposed to carry out 15
to fish within 20 kilometers of the coastline.
major programmes and various activities
which should be implemented over short-term
(2020-2024), medium-term (2024-2027) and
long-term (2027-2030).
• This is an addition to India’s National Wildlife
Action Plan (2017- 2031).
• The MoEFCC had also come out with ‘India’s
National Action Plan for Conservation of
Migratory Birds and their Habitats along the
Central Asian Flyway (2018-2023)’.
About Olive Ridley Turtles
• The Olive Ridley Turtles are one of the smallest
and most abundant of all sea turtles found in
the world, inhabiting warm waters of the
Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
• These turtles, along with their cousin, Kemps
Ridley turtle, are best known for their unique
mass nesting called Arribada, where
thousands of females come together on the
same beach to lay eggs.
• IUCN Red list: Vulnerable; CITES: Appendix 1,
CMS: Appendix 1.
• They are carnivores, and feed mainly on Key highlights of the Vision Plan
jellyfish, shrimp, snails, crabs, molluscs and a
variety of fish and their eggs. • Bird surveys in select landscapes to identify
• These turtles spend their entire lives in the new IBAs (Important Bird Areas) for
ocean, and migrate thousands of kilometers conservation of birds and other biodiversity.
between feeding and mating grounds in the • Species recovery programmes of critically
course of a year. endangered birds- The plan has envisaged
landscape approach to control their declining
36
population and protect birds in urban areas, o Biological Oxygen Demand: It is the
and protection of their habitats from turning amount of dissolved oxygen needed by
into wastelands. aerobic biological organisms to break
• Conservation of migratory birds- through down organic material present in a given
species-specific action plans, setting up of a water sample at certain temperature over
national database on migratory birds and their a specific time period.
habitats, assessment of threats to migratory • About Sambhar Lake
birds and their habitats etc. o India’s largest inland saltwater lake
• Implementing Agencies- It will be situated in Rajasthan.
implemented by different stakeholders o It has been designated as wetland of
including ministries, with the Salim Ali Centre international importance under Ramsar
for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) Convention.
being the nodal institution for this purpose. o The site is important for a variety of
Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate wintering waterbirds, including large
Change (MoEFCC) is the focal Ministry. numbers of lesser and greater flamingos.
Human activities consist of salt production
Important Bird Area (IBA)
An Important BIRD and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an
and livestock grazing.
area identified using an internationally agreed set of Related News
criteria as being globally important for the Archaea
conservation of BIRD populations. • Recently a new archaeon was discovered in
• IBA was developed and sites are identified by Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan.
BirdLife International. • Archaea are a primitive group of
• Currently there are over 12,000 IBAs worldwide. microorganisms that thrive in extreme habitats
such as hot springs, cold deserts and hypersaline
Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History
lakes.
(SACON)
• These slow-growing organisms are also present
• It is one of the centres of excellence of the
in the human gut.
MoEFCC.
• They are known for producing antimicrobial
• It is registered as a society and Union
molecules, and for anti-oxidant activity with
Environment Minister is the President of SACON
applications in eco-friendly waste-water
Society.
treatment.
• SACON's mission is "To help conserve India's
biodiversity and its sustainable use through
research, education and peoples' participation
3.1.10. NOT ALL ANIMALS MIGRATE BY
with birds at the centre stage". CHOICE CAMPAIGN
• SACON is located near Coimbatore city in Tamil
Nadu.
Why in News?
UN Environment India and Wildlife Crime Control
3.1.9. MIGRATORY BIRDS DIE IN Bureau (WCCB) of India launched an awareness
SAMBHAR LAKE campaign ‘Not all animals migrate by choice’ to be
displayed at major airports across the country.
Why in News?
More on News
Recently, thousands of migratory birds died at
Sambhar lake in Rajasthan due to Avian botulism. • The campaign aims at creating awareness and
garnering public support for the protection
More on News
and conservation of wildlife, prevention of
• It is caused by a bacterium called Clostridium smuggling and reduction in demand for
botulinum. wildlife products.
• It affects the nervous system of birds, leading • The first phase of the campaign will focus on
to flaccid paralysis in their legs and wings and Tiger, Pangolin, Star Tortoise and Tokay
neck. Gecko.
• It is found that biological oxygen demand in • The campaign also complements worldwide
sambhar lake is above permissible limits, this action on illegal trade in wildlife through UN
led to rise of Clostridium botulinum. Environment’s global campaign, Wild for Life.
o Clostridium botulinum are heat-resistant
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
and in the absence of oxygen they • It is a statutory body under the Ministry of
germinate, grow and then excrete toxins. Environment Forest and Climate Change to
combat organized wildlife crime in the country
37
and was constituted in 2007 by amending the Antipodean Albatross and the Oceanic
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. White-tip Shark.
• It is mandated to collect and collate intelligence o The Urial, Smooth Hammerhead Shark and
related to organized wildlife crime activities and the Tope Shark were listed for protection
to disseminate the same to State and other
under Appendix II, which covers
enforcement agencies for immediate action so as
migratory species that have an
to apprehend the criminals.
• It also assists and advises the Customs authorities
unfavourable conservation status and
in inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna would benefit from enhanced
as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, international cooperation and
CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item. conservation actions.
• Relaunch of the CMS Ambassadors
3.1.11. CONVENTION ON THE Programme- where three CMS Ambassadors -
CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY for terrestrial, avian, and aquatic species were
SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS (CMS) OR named to help raise awareness about the
BONN CONVENTION important work of CMS and the plight of
migratory species.
Why in news? • Recognition of Seven Migratory Species
Recently, the 13th Conference of Parties (CoP) to Champions- including Germany, India, Italy,
the CMS was held in Gandhinagar, India. Monaco, Norway, the European Commission,
More on the news and the Environment Agency, who were
acknowledged for their generous
• India has officially taken over its Presidency contributions to CMS initiatives.
for the next three years, till 2023.
o CMS COP13 was the largest ever in the
history of the Convention. The CoP is the
decision making organ of the CMS.
• CMS COP13 was the first of a series of
international nature-related meetings in 2020,
which will culminate with the UN Biodiversity
Conference in Kunming, China, in October,
which is expected to adopt a new global
biodiversity framework - the Post-2020 Global About CMS
Biodiversity Framework. • It aims to protect terrestrial, aquatic and avian
migratory species throughout their ranges.
Additional Information on COP 13 • CMS was signed in Bonn, Germany, in 1979 as
• Theme- “Migratory species connect the planet an intergovernmental treaty under the aegis
and together we welcome them home”.
of the United Nations Environment
• Logo- Kollam- a traditional art form from
Southern India, which has been used to depict
Programme (UNEP).
key migratory species in India. • CMS brings together the governments of the
• Mascot- GIBI i.e. The Great Indian Bustard. countries through which migratory species
• This was the first CMS COP to be inaugurated by pass - the Range States; it lays the legal
a host-country Head of Government. foundation to conduct conservation measures
on a global scale.
Key highlights of CMS COP 13
• The legal instruments under CMS may range
• Adoption of Gandhinagar Declaration- which from legally binding Agreements to less
calls for migratory species and the concept of formal Memoranda of Understanding and can
‘ecological connectivity’ to be integrated and be adapted to fit the requirements of each
prioritized in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity region.
Framework, which is expected to be adopted • CMS is the only worldwide convention that
at the UN Biodiversity Conference in October was founded exclusively for the preservation
this year. of migrant animals.
• Decisions on new species- Ten new species • CMS has two Appendices listing migratory
were added to CMS Appendices at COP13. species to which the Convention applies.
o Seven species were added to Appendix I, o Migratory species threatened with
which provides the strictest protection: extinction are listed on Appendix I and
the Asian Elephant, Jaguar, Great Indian Parties strive towards strictly protecting
Bustard, Bengal Florican, Little Bustard, these animals, conserving or restoring the
38
places where they live, mitigating 1990s and are almost entirely
obstacles to migration and controlling attributable to drug diclofenac.
other factors that might endanger them. ✓ 4 species of bustards in India- Great
o Migratory species that need or would Indian Bustard, Macqueen’s Bustard,
Lesser Florican and Bengal Florican -
significantly benefit from international co-
have declined because of historical
operation are listed in Appendix II of the hunting and widespread habitat loss,
Convention. compounded with their slow growth
Related information and reproduction.
State of India’s Birds 2020 Report released at 13th COP o 319 species are under ‘Moderate
of Convention on Migratory Species Conservation Concern’ category and 442
• It has been compiled by over ten institutions species are under low conservation
and numerous citizen scientists. concern category.
• It assesses long-term trend, current trend, o Number of birds in the Western Ghats
distribution range size, and the overall declined by almost 75% since 2000.
conservation status of 867 Indian bird species. ✓ Reasons for decline: Habitat loss due
• Key Highlights to human activity, widespread
o 101 species are ‘High Conservation presence of toxins, including
Concern’ for India e.g. raptors, migratory pesticides; hunting and trapping for
shorebirds, and habitat specialists like pet trade.
Indian Vulture etc. o 126 species, including peafowl (peacock),
✓ Indian vulture’s catastrophic house sparrow, Asian Koel are expected to
population declines started in early increase in numbers, primarily due to their
ability to survive in human habitats.
3.1.12. PROTECTED AREAS

Protected Details (Designation, Number etc.)
Area
Wildlife • A wildlife sanctuary is an area where animal habitats and their surroundings are protected from
Sanctuary any sort of disturbance.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 gives State Government power to declare certain areas as wildlife
sanctuaries.
• There are more than 500 (~543) wildlife sanctuaries in India.
National • A national park is a park in use for conservation purposes. It is more protected vis-a-vis protection
Park in wildlife sanctuaries.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 also gives State Government power to declare certain areas as
national parks.
• There are more than 100 (~104) national parks in India.
Community • It is a category of protected areas which was introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment
Reserve or Act of 2002.
Conservation • It is an inhabited area which typically act as buffer zone to or connectors and migration corridors
Reserves 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.
• 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.
Biosphere • Biosphere Reserve is an international designation by UNESCO comprising terrestrial, marine and
Reserve 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 11 are part of the World Network of Biosphere
Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
Tiger • A National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary that is considered significant for protecting tigers can be
Reserve additionally designated as a Tiger Reserve.
• They are governed by Project Tiger which is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA).
39
• 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.
Bird • Bird sanctuaries are nature facilities that ensure conservation of various species of birds and their
Sanctuary 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.
3.1.13. TIGER RESERVES, WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IN NEWS

Andhra Pradhesh
Nagarjunasagar • Due to concerted efforts by the Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF), the number of tigers in
Srisailam Tiger the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) in Andhra Pradesh has gone up.
Reserve • It is spread over 3,800 sq.km. covering Guntur, Prakasam, and Kurnool districts in Andhra
Pradesh and Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar in Telangana.
Atapaka bird • The Atapaka bird sanctuary in Kolleru lake has become a safe breeding ground for two
sanctuary migratory bird species- grey pelicans and painted storks.
• Kolleru, one of the largest freshwater lakes, was accorded a sanctuary status under the Wildlife
Protection Act,1972. It is a Ramsar site and also identified as an "Important Bird Area" of India
Odisha
Nalbana Bird • Nalbana Bird Sanctuary or Nalbana Island is the core area of the Ramsar designated wetlands
Sanctuary of Chilika Lake.
Arunachal Pradesh
Tally Valley • Recently, Trachischium apteii, a new snake species which is a non-venomous burrowing snake
Wildlife was found in Tally Valley Wildlife Sanctuary near town of Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.
Sanctuary
Namdapha • It is the largest protected area in Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and is located in
National Park Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is also third largest national park in India in terms of area.
• It harbours northernmost lowland evergreen rainforests in the world at 27°N latitude.
• It is home to Four big cat species: snow leopards, clouded leopards, common leopards and
tigers.
Madhya Pradesh
Bandhavgarh • For the first time, Bandhavgarh reserve forest in Madhya Pradesh has a colony of elephants
reserve forest and is an unusual occurrence in Bandhavgarh.
• Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at Vindhya hills in Umariya district of Madhya Pradesh.
• It was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993.
Nauradehi • It is situated in Madhya Pradesh and spreads across two major river basins, namely the
Sanctuary Narmada and Ganges.
• It was in news for successful tiger relocation program. It is also a potential site for the Cheetah
Reintroduction in India from Africa.
Van Vihar • It is located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
National Park • Here, in natural habitat, a variety of herbivores and carnivores are managed in line with the
modern concept of Zoo Management.
• Carnivores include tiger, white tiger, leopard, hyena and sloth bear. These animals are kept in
captivity in large enclosures.
40
• It also harbors free ranging animals like chital, sambhar, black buck, blue bull, chousingha,
common langur etc.
• Park also houses gharial, crocodile, turtle and a number of snake species.
Satpura Tiger • Satpura Tiger Reserve is located in Satpura landscape, south of Narmada River in Madhya
Reserve Pradesh.
• Satpura tiger reserve comprises of three protected areas namely, Satpura National Park, Bori
Sanctuary and Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Denwa river is the main water source of the park.
• Other than Tigers the prime species that are found here are Black Buck, Leopard, Dhole, Indian
Gaur, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Whistling Thrush.
• State Bird of Madhya Pradesh, Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Dhudraj) is also found here.
Telangana
Papikonda • It is located in East Godavari and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh and Khammam
National Park district of Telangana.
• It is an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.
Amrabad Tiger • It is one of the largest tiger reserve in the country situated in Nallamala hill of Telangana.
Reserve • Earlier, it was part of 'Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger reserve' but post-bifurcation, the
northern part of the reserve is vested with Telangana and renamed as 'Amrabad Tiger Reserve'.
• It is dominated by the Chenchus, a PVTG which has been coexisting with tigers and wild animals
for long without disturbing the ecological balance.
• In 2017, the endangered species of mouse deer was reintroduced here.
Kawal Tiger • It is located along Sahyadri Mountain Ranges in Telangana.
Reserve • Godavari and Kadam rivers flow towards the south of the sanctuary.
• It is increasingly getting threatened by growing human encroachments, rampant poaching,
illegal wood felling and habitat loss.
Goa
Mahadayi • It is a protected area in Goa in the Western Ghats lying in Mahadayi river basin.
Wildlife • There is a proposal to make it into a ‘Project Tiger’ tiger reserve because of the presence of
Sanctuary Royal Bengal Tigers.
• It has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
Karnataka
Bandipur Tiger • It is located in Karnataka
Reserve • It has the second highest Tiger population in India.
• It is the part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• It shares its boundary with 3 other National park, namely Nagarahole National Park, Wayanad
wildlife sanctuary and Mudumalai National park.
Assam
Kaziranga • It is located on the edge of the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots – Golaghat and Nagaon
National Park district in Assam. Brahmaputra forms its northern boundary.
• Along with one-horned rhinoceros, the park is the breeding ground of elephants, wild water
buffalo, and swamp deer.
• In 1985, it was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and was declared a Tiger Reserve
in 2006.
• It has also been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
3.1.14. OTHER FAUNA & FLORA IN NEWS

Species (Flora Details (Conservation status/ Habitat etc.)
and Fauna)
World’s Fastest • Recently, scientists have discovered the world’s fastest ant-The Saharan silver ant, which runs
Ant at speeds of 108 times their body length per second which is equivalent of 360mph in humans.
• The Saharan silver ant is found in the sand dunes of the northern Sahara.
• The ants scavenge the corpses of other creatures during the hottest part of the day.
• To survive the heat, the ants have silvery hairs that reflect the sun’s rays.
Tamil Yeoman • Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais), a butterfly species endemic to Western Ghats has been
(Cirrochroa declared as the state butterfly of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Tamil Maravan, which means
thais) warrior.
• Maharashtra was the first state to declare Blue Mormon as its state butterfly; followed by
Uttarakhand (Common peacock), Karnataka (Southern bird wings) and Kerala (Malabar
banded peacock) and now Tamil Nadu.
41
Purple Frog • Purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) could soon be designated as Kerala’s state
amphibian.
• It is endemic to the Western Ghats.
• It can be called as a ‘living fossil’ as its evolutionary roots suggest it could have shared space
with dinosaurs almost 70 million years ago.
• It is also known as the ‘Maveli’ frog/pig-nosed frog, and spends most of its time under the soil,
emerging for a few days each year at the start of the monsoons to breed.
• Unlike other frogs, it has a peculiar set of limbs and a pointy nose to survive underground.
Conservation Status
• IUCN: Endangered
• EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) list: Ranked third in the list of
threatened amphibians.
• About EDGE:
o Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species are animal species which
have a high EDGE score, a metric combining endangered conservation status with
distinctiveness of taxon.
o The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) launched a global conservation initiative, the EDGE
of Existence Programme in 2007.
o Other major species in the list are Bengal Florican, Ganges River Dolphin, Hawksbill Turtle
and Gharial.
India's Starry • The thumbnail-sized species was discovered in India's Western Ghats.
Dwarf Frog • Scientists have named the frog Astrobatrachus kurichiyana for its constellation-like markings
and the indigenous people of Kurichiyarmala, the hill range where it was found.
• The researchers have nicknamed them starry dwarf frogs because they're around the size of
an adult's thumb, have an orange belly, a brown back and are covered in white spots.
• The new species is the only member of an ancient lineage that goes back tens of millions of
years and also represents the discovery of a new subfamily.
• Researchers still do not know its life cycle, the sound of its call or whether the species is
threatened or endangered.
Indian flapshell • Recently, under Operation Turtshield, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau along with West
turtle and Indian Bengal forest department personnel, seized 983 Indian flapshell turtles and two Indian
peacock peacock softshell turtles from a West Bengal’s market.
softshell turtles o Operation Turtshield is a new Central programme to protect endangered turtles.
• The flapshell turtle, which is smaller in size, is killed for its meat which is considered a delicacy
in both Bengal and Bangladesh. It is listed as Least Concerned under IUCN Red list.
• Indian peacock softshell turtles are categorised as Vulnerable in IUCN Red list. It is also listed
in schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act and Appendix – I of CITES. The species is heavily
exploited for its meat and calipee (the outer cartilaginous rim of the shell).
Ganges Dolphin • It is among the four freshwater dolphins in the world. Its presence indicates the health of the
riverine ecosystem. It is national aquatic animal of India.
• It is known to make strange sounds when it breathes, earning it the common name 'Susu'.
• It is also called a blind dolphin because it doesn’t have a crystalline eye lens and uses
echolocation to navigate and hunt.
• Threats: dumping of single-use plastic, industrial pollution, fishing and dredging.
• IUCN Status: Endangered (EN).
• It is found in Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries.
• The annual Ganges river dolphin census (2019) was undertaken by World Wide Fund for
Nature-India in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.
o It was done along about 250-km-long riverine stretch of Upper Ganga between
Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and Narora Ramsar site.
o In 2019, the tandem boat survey method is being used unlike the direct counting method
being used earlier.
Irrawaddy • 146 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins were sighted in Chilika Lake.
dolphins • Lake is home to their highest single lagoon population.
• It lives in brackish water near the coasts or mouths of the rivers in South and Southeast Asia.
• Their total population is estimated to be less than 7,500 (almost 80% in Bangladesh).
• IUCN status: Endangered (EN)
Houbara • It is a large bustard that lives in arid climates, residing in North Africa and Asia.
bustard • IUCN status: Vulnerable
• Threats: poaching, unregulated hunting, habitat degradation
42
Duck- billed • IUCN recently downgraded the platypus’ conservation status to Near Threatened.
Platypus • It is a small amphibious Australian mammal. Australia’s drought, and effects of climate change
are pushing duck-billed platypus, a globally unique mammal, towards extinction.
Chinese Paddle • It has been declared extinct after no new sightings reported since 2009.
Fish (Psephurus • It was one of the world’s largest freshwater fish and was known for its long nose and huge
gladius) mouth. It had existed since 200 million years ago.
Drosophila • Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference is being organised in India for the first time.
Red brittle star • Drosophila is a genus of two-winged flies commonly known as fruit flies that are used in
(Ophiocoma evolutionary and developmental studies. Also genomes of fruit fly and human genes are very
wendtii) similar.
Red brittle star • It becomes only the second creature, after a sea urchin species, known to have extraocular
vision (ability to see without eyes).
• Another feature of the red brittle star is its signature colour change. While the creature is deep
red during the day, it changes its colour to beige at night.
Chlamydomonas • Recently, red snow was seen on coast of Antarctica’s northernmost peninsula.
nivalis • Red snow is being caused due to a unicellular photosynthetic alga species, Chlamydomonas
nivalis which exists in snow in the polar and glacial regions, and carries a red pigment
(carotenoids) to keep itself warm.
• The algae thrive in freezing water and spend winters lying dormant in snow and ice; when
summer comes and the snow melts, the algae bloom, spreads red, flower-like spores.
Orangutan • Recently, India’s only orangutan died in Odisha’s Nandankanan Zoological Park.
• She was brought from Singapore to Pune’s Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park and later shifted to
Odisha.
• Orangutans are one of the world’s three surviving species of great apes and are native to
Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Considered to be among the most intelligent primates, they use a variety of sophisticated
tools and construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage and also
play a vital role in seed dispersal in their habitats.
• Threats: Habitat loss, Human-Animal Conflict, Illegal wild life trade etc.
Conservation Status
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Critically Endangered (CR)
• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):
Appendix 1
Chinkara • Chinkara gazelles survives in the dry habitats and does not require much water for their
gazelles survival. They get their moisture from dew, eating vegetation, fruits and other similar sources.
• IUCN Status: Least Concern
• About Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary:
o Karnataka’s State Board for Wild Life has notified Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife sanctuary
in Tamakuru District.
o This will be the southernmost tip of the distribution range of Chinkara in India. The first
wildlife sanctuary for chinkaras was established at Yadahalli in Bagalkot district
(Karnataka).
o Karnataka is home to 3 species out of the 6 species of antelopes in India including black
bucks, four-horned antelope and Chinkaras.
• Bukkapatna forest area is perhaps the only documented place in Karnataka for all the three
antelope species.
Indian Pangolins • On the eve of the ninth World Pangolin Day, the Madhya Pradesh forest department
announced the first-ever successful radio-tagging of the Indian pangolin. Two rescued animals
were radio-tagged and released in the Satpura tiger reserve six months ago.
• Pangolins are the most trafficked wildlife species in the world (CITES Appendix 1).
• Commonly known as scaly anteaters, the toothless animal evolved an armour of scales which
has now become the main cause of its disappearance.
• They are the only mammals wholly-covered in scales.
• Out of the eight species of Pangolin, the Indian Pangolin and the Chinese Pangolin are found
in India. The Chinese pangolin is found in North-East India while the Indian Pangolin is
distributed across India, except the extreme arid zones, Himalayas and the North-East.
• Major threats to pangolins in India: hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a
protein source and traditional medicine) and international trade, for its meat and scales in East
and South East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.
• The Indian Pangolin is under “Endangered” category of IUCN Red List whereas Chinese
Pangolin is “Critically Endangered”.
43
• Both the Pangolins are listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Largest • World’s largest known subterranean (occurring under the earth’s surface) fish has been found
Subterranean recently in a cave in a remote forested area of Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills.
Fish • It is 40 cm long which is nearly five times the mean length for all known subterranean fish to
date.
• It is an almost-blind species that seems similar to the Golden Mahseer (Tor Putitora).
• Subterranean ecosystems are considered extreme, high-stress environments characterised by
darkness, truncated food webs and food scarcity.
• Despite this, they harbour exceptional vertebrate and invertebrate taxa (21,000+ species),
many of which are evolutionarily unique, and relics of ancient fauna given their long-term
isolation.
Flame Throated • The flame-throated bulbul, also called as Rubigula, was chosen as the mascot for 36th National
Bulbul Games to be held in Goa.
• Flame-throated Bulbul is the State bird of Goa and is endemic to southern peninsular India.
• The bird prefer habitats like rocky, scrub covered hills mostly in the Eastern Ghats and central
peninsular India and in some places in the Western Ghats.
• It is locally distributed in southern Andhra Pradesh, eastern Karnataka, Goa, Orissa, eastern
Kerala and northern Tamil Nadu.
• It is a Schedule – IV bird, according to Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Its IUCN status is Least Concern.
Henneguya • Researchers have found a multicellular animal with no mitochondrial DNA.
salminicola • The organism ‘Henneguya salminicola’ a microscopic parasite is a non-oxygen breathing
animal. It is only known animal to exist without the need to breathe oxygen.
• It is seen as a process of de-evolution, as it has shed unnecessary genes responsible for aerobic
respiration and become an even simpler organism.
Assam Roofed • Also known as Sylhet roofed turtle, it is found in the Brahmaputra-Meghna drainage in India
Turtle (Assam) and parts of eastern Bangladesh.
• IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered (EN)
Philippine Eagle • Philippine Eagle, endemic to Philippines, is one of the world's biggest and most powerful birds.
• Population: Around 800 are believed left in the wild.
• IUCN Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (CR)
• Threats: Destruction of tropical rainforest and relentless hunting
Gold-Coated • It is a naturally occurring strain of the Fusarium oxysporum (fungi), discovered recently in
Fungi Australia.
• The fungi attaches gold to their strands by dissolving and precipitating particles from their
surroundings through a process of oxidization.
• Moreover, here gold serves as a catalyst, helping the fungus digest certain carbon foods which
makes it grow larger and spread faster than those that don't interact with gold.
Steppe eagle • It is believed to be the second-largest migratory eagle species to India. It was recently sighted
(Aquila in Andhra Pradesh.
Nipalensis) • Conversion of open habitats for aquaculture, pesticides and various effluents pose threat to
the species.
• It nests in Northern Eurasia in an area stretching from the Black Sea coast to the hills in Eastern
Kazakhstan and Russian Altai.
• IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered (EN)
IUCN and IUCN Red List Criteria

IUCN Categories Criteria (Red list)
Extinct (EX) A designation applied to species in which the last individual has died or where systematic and time-
appropriate surveys have been unable to log even a single individual.
Extinct in the A category containing those species whose members survive only in captivity or as artificially
Wild (EW) supported populations far outside their historical geographic range.
Critically A category containing those species that possess an extremely high risk of extinction as a result of
Endangered rapid population declines of 80 to more than 90 percent over the previous 10 years (or three
(CR) generations, whichever is longer), a current population size of fewer than 50 individuals, or other
factors.
Endangered A designation applied to species that possess a very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid
(EN) population declines of 50 to more than 70 percent over the previous 10 years (or three generations),
a current population size of fewer than 250 individuals, or other factors.
44
Vulnerable (VU) A category containing those species that possess a very high risk of extinction as a result of rapid
population declines of 30 to more than 50 percent over the previous 10 years (or three generations),
a current population size of fewer than 1,000 individuals, or other factors.
Near A designation applied to species that are close to becoming threatened or may meet the criteria
Threatened (NT) for threatened status in the near future.
Least Concern A category containing species that are pervasive and abundant after careful assessment.
(LC)
Data Deficient A condition applied to species in which the amount of available data related to its risk of extinction
(DD) is lacking in some way. Consequently, a complete assessment cannot be performed. Thus, unlike
the other categories in this list, this category does not describe the conservation status of a species
Not Evaluated A category used to include any of the species described by science but not assessed by the IUCN.
(NE)
3.1.15. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES IN INDIA

Category Animals
Mammals • Shrew: Andaman White-toothed Shrew, Jenkin’s Andaman Spiny Shrew, Nicobar White-tailed
Shrew.
• Rat: Large Rock Rat or Elvira Rat.
• Squirrel: Namdapha Flying Squirrel.
• Civet: Malabar Civet.
• Rhinoceros: Sumatran Rhinoceros and Javan Rhinoceros.
Birds • Migratory Species: Baer’s Pochard, Siberian Crane and Spoon-billed Sandpiper.
• Non-migratory Species: White-bellied Heron.
• Grassland Species: Bengal Florican, Great Indian Bustard, Jerdon’s Courser and Sociable Lapwing.
• Vultures: Indian Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture and White-backed Vulture.
o Uttar Pradesh government will set up state's first vulture conservation and breeding centre-
Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre in Maharajganj district. in U.P.
o Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Haryana was the first conservation centre in
the country.
• Others: Himalayan Quail and Pink-headed Duck.
Reptiles • Crocodilian: Gharial.
• Turtle: Hawksbill Turtle, Four-toed River Terrapin or River Terrapin, Red-crowned Roofed Turtle or
the Bengal Roof Turtle.
Amphibians • Frog: Anamalai Flying Frog, Gundia Indian Frog, Kerala Indian Frog , Charles Darwin’s Frog,
Kottigehar Bubble-nest Frog , Amboli Bush Frog, Chalazodes Bubble-Nest Frog, Small Bush Frog,
Green-eyed Bush Frog, Griet Bush Frog, Kaikatt’s Bush Frog, Mark’s Bush Frog, Munnar Bush Frog,
Large Ponmudi Bush Frog, Resplendent Shrub Frog, Sacred Grove Bush frog, Sushil’s Bush Frog and
Shillong Bubble-nest Frog.
• Toad: Tiger toad
Fishes • Shark: Pondicherry Shark and Ganges Shark.
• Sawfish: Large-tooth Sawfish and Long-comb Sawfish or Narrow-snout Sawfish.
Corals • Fire Corals
Spiders • Rameshwaram Ornamental or Rameshwaram Parachute Spider.
• Gooty Tarantula, Metallic Tarantula or Peacock Tarantula.
Recent • Pygmy Hog: Status changed from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN).
changes in • Kondana Rat: Status changed from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN).
the IUCN • Forest Owlet: Status changed from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN).
Red •List Sispara Day Gecko: Status changed from Critically Endangered (CR) to Near Threatened (NT).
• Leatherback Turtle: Status changed from Critically Endangered (CR) to Vulnerable (VU).
• Knife-tooth Sawfish: Status changed from Critically Endangered (CR) to Endangered (EN).
3.2. FORESTS About ISFR
3.2.1. INDIA STATE OF FORESTS • FSI undertakes biennial assessment of

country’s forest resources, the results of which
REPORT 2019
are presented as the India State of Forest
Why in news? Report (ISFR).
The Forest Survey of India released the India State • Forest Survey of India (FSI), a premier national
of Forest Report for the year 2019. organization under the union Ministry of
45
Environment and Forests is responsible for above 70%, increased by 1,120 sq km over the
assessment and monitoring of the forest assessment of 2017.
resources of the country. • Forest cover within the Recorded Forest Area
• Since 1987, 15 such assessments have been (RFA) / Green Wash (GW) has shown a slight
completed and the current assessment is the decrease of 0.05% whereas there is an increase
16th in the series. of forest cover outside the RFA/GW as
• Forest Cover: Forest Cover refers to all lands compared to ISFR 2017.
more than one hectare in area, with a tree • Forest cover in the hill districts of the country
canopy density of more than 10% irrespective of is 40.30% of the total geographical area of
ownership and legal status. Such lands may not these districts. The current assessment shows
necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also an increase of 0.19% in 140 hill districts of the
includes orchards, bamboo and palm. country.
• Recorded Forest Area (RFA): It refers to all the
geographic areas recorded as 'Forests' in
government records. It consists of Reserved
Forests and Protected Forests which have been
constituted under the provisions of the Indian
Forest Act, 1927.
• Green Wash: The extent of wooded areas
generally shown in light green colour on the
Survey of India topological sheets.
• Tree Cover: Tree patches outside recorded
forest areas exclusive of forest cover and less
than the minimum mappable area of one
hectare.
• Carbon Stock: Forest carbon stock is the amount
of carbon that has been sequestered from the Forest Cover in States
atmosphere and is now stored within the forest • Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover
ecosystem, mainly within living biomass and soil, in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh,
and to a lesser extent also in dead wood and Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
litter. • In terms of forest cover as percentage of total
• Open Forest (OF): Lands with forest cover
geographical area, the top five States are
having a canopy density between 10 to 40
percent.
Mizoram (85.41%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.63%),
• Dense Forest: All lands with a forest cover having Meghalaya (76.33%), Manipur (75.46%) and
a canopy density of 40% and above. Nagaland (75.31%).
o Moderately Dense Forest (MDF): All lands • Total forest cover in the North Eastern region
with forest cover having a canopy density is 65.05% of its geographical area showing a
between 40 - 70% decrease of forest cover to the extent of 0.45%
o Very Dense Forest (VDF): Lands with forest in the region since 2017. Except Assam and
cover having a canopy density of 70% and Tripura, all the States in the region show
above.
decrease in forest cover.
Key Highlights of the report • The top five States in terms of increase in
Forest and Tree Cover at national level: forest cover are Karnataka (1,025 sq km),
• The total forest cover of the country is 21.67% Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km), Kerala (823 sq
of the total geographic area of the country. km), Jammu & Kashmir (371 sq km) and
The tree cover of the country is estimated as Himachal Pradesh (334 sq km).
2.89% of the geographical area. • States showing maximum loss in forest cover
• The total Forest and Tree cover of the country are Manipur (499 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh
is 24.56% of the geographical area of the (276 sq km) and Mizoram (180 sq km).
country. In the last assessment it was 24.39%. • The total forest cover in the tribal districts is
• There is an increase of 0.56% of forest cover, 37.54% of the geographical area of these
1.29% of tree cover and 0.65% of forest and tree districts.
cover put together, at the national level as
compared to the previous assessment i.e. ISFR
2017.
• Very Dense Forests (VDF), which represents
the lushest vegetation and has canopy density
46
Carbon stock:
• The total carbon stock of the country was
estimated at 7,124.6 million tons, which is an
increase of 42.6 million tons from 2017. India’s
NDC goal is to create additional carbon sink of
2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
through additional forest and tree cover by
2030.
o Soil Organic Carbon contributes 56% to
the total forest carbon stock of the
country.
Biodiversity:
• Maximum tree diversity has been found in
tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen
forests of Western Ghats (Tamil Nadu, Kerala
and Karnataka) followed by northeastern
states.
• Karnataka has maximum species richness for
Wetlands:
trees, Arunachal Pradesh has maximum
• Among the big States, Gujarat has the largest
species richness for shrubs and Jammu &
area of the wetlands within RFA in the country
Kashmir has maximum species richness for
followed by West Bengal. herbs.
• Among the smaller States/UTs Puducherry
• Arunachal Pradesh has the maximum richness
followed by Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) Islands
of species when all the three types of plants
have large areas of wetlands within RFA. (trees, shrubs and herbs) are considered,
• In the country as a whole there are 62,466 followed by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
wetlands covering 3.83% of the area within
RFA/GW of the country and 8.13% of the total Bamboo cover:
number of wetlands are located within the • The total bamboo bearing area was estimated
RFA/GW. to be 1,60,037 sq km and increased by 3,229
Mangrove Cover: sqkm, compared to the 2017 estimate.
• Madhya Pradesh has maximum bamboo
• There has been a net increase of 54 sq km in bearing area followed by Maharashtra,
the mangrove cover of the country as Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha.
compared to 2017 assessment.
• The mangrove cover in the country is 4,975 sq Dependence of fuelwood on forests is highest in
km, which is 0.15% of the country’s total the State of Maharashtra, whereas, for fodder,
geographical area. small timber and bamboo, dependence is highest
in Madhya Pradesh.
• West Bengal has 42.45% of India’s mangrove
cover, followed by Gujarat 23.66% and A&N Growing Stock: It is the sum (by number or
Islands 12.39%. volume) of all the trees growing/living in the forest
• About 40% of world’s Mangrove Cover is found or a specified part of it. The total growing stock of
in South East Asia and South Asia. India has wood in the country is estimated 5,915.76 million
about 3% of the total Mangrove cover in South cubic metre (cum). The average growing stock per
Asia. hectare in forest has been estimated as 55.69 cum.
Forest Fire: Related information
Forest Fire in India
• 21.40% of the forest cover of the country is • A number of 37,059 fires were detected in year
highly to extremely fire prone. Most of the fire 2018 using MODIS (Moderate Resolution
prone forest area are found in the Imaging Spectro-radiometer) sensor data.
northeastern region and the central part of the • Based on the forest inventory records, more
country. than 60% of forests in India are vulnerable to
• Most of the forest fires have occurred in open some form of Forest Fire.
forests followed by moderately dense forests. • More than 90% of forest fires in India are on
account of human activity.
• Steps taken by Government to prevent and
mitigate forest fires:
47
o National Plan for forest fire management. State & UT and also an estimate of area affected
o Forest fire prevention and management by them.
scheme. o It includes Chromolaena odorata, Lantana
o Forest Fire alert system 2.0 (Developed by Camara, Cassia Tora, Ginsoga Parviflora,
Forest Survey of India). Ageratum Conizoydes, Prosopis Juliflora
Australian Bushfires etc.
• Australia’s deadly fires have been fueled by a • Important NTFP species: A new information has
combination of extreme heat, prolonged been generated from the forest inventory data
drought and strong winds. about the top five Non- Timber Forest Produce
The bushfires are now so big that they are (NTFP) species. NTFPs are important source of
generating their own weather, in the form of livelihood for many tribal communities and
giant thunderstorms that start more fires. villagers living in the proximity of forests.
• They are generating 'pyrocumulonimbus'
(pyroCbs) clouds. It is a type of cumulonimbus 3.2.2. DEEMED FOREST
cloud that forms above a source of heat, such as
a wildfire or volcanic eruption. Why in News?
• Intense fires can create a localized updraft Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) recently asked
powerful enough to create its own changes in
states to come up with a criterion and identify
the atmosphere above.
deemed forests.
• As the heat and smoke rise, the cloud plume can
cool off, generating a large, puffy cloud full of More on News
potential rain.
• Eventually, water droplets in the cloud • There are forests that are notified either with
condense, and may generate a downburst of the forest department or revenue department.
rain. But the "front" between the calm air Then there are those areas that are like forests
outside the fire zone and a pyrocumulonimbus but are neither recorded, nor notified. The
storm cloud is so sharp that it also generates Supreme Court had ordered that the states
lightning - and that can start new fires. identify and classify these as deemed forests.
Special features in ISFR 2019: • Forests defined under this criteria, constitutes
• Extent of Trees outside Forest (TOF) in the about 1% of the country’s forests.
country: TOF are trees found outside the • Deemed forests are already a legal category of
recorded forest areas. Extent of TOF has been forests in some states.
derived for the first time in the ISFR 2019. • They are a category of forest mentioned in the
• Assessment of plant biodiversity in forests: FSI
Odisha State Forest Act and the Madhya
in a first ever attempt has carried out a rapid
Pradesh’s state amendment to the Indian
assessment of biodiversity for all the States and
UTs (except two) and for all the sixteen Forest Forest Act. However, their status in several
Type Groups. states is still unclear.
• Refined Forest Type Map of India: A new
exercise for refining and updating the forest 3.2.3. FOREST LANDSCAPE
types as per the latest baseline forest cover was RESTORATION (FLR)
initiated in the year 2016 and has been completed
in 2019. Why in news?
• Mapping of Fire Prone Forest Areas: Fire prone Reiterating its commitment to fight
forest areas of different severity classes were desertification, India has launched a pilot project
mapped in the grids.
to restore degraded forest landscapes in five
• Wetlands in Forest Areas: FSI has undertaken a
new exercise of overlaying spatial layer of
states to enhance the capacity on forest landscape
wetlands obtained from Space Application restoration (FLR).
Center over the boundaries of RFA. More on News
• Forest Cover on Slopes: An exercise has been • The announcement came in the wake of the
undertaken to assess forest cover on different 14th session of the Conference of the Parties
slope classes for each State & UT of the country.
(COP 14) of UNCCD (United Nations
High forest cover on steep slopes may be a good
indicator of stability of mountains.
Convention to Combat Desertification) to be
• Major Invasive Species: Invasive species pose hosted by India, in 2019. India will take-over the
serious threat to the sustainable management of COP presidency from China for two years until
forests. Information on important invasive the next COP is hosted in 2021.
species of each State & UT is collected for • The project will be implemented by National
determining five major invasive species in each Afforestation and Eco-Development Board
48
(NAEB) in partnership with the International • Atlas effectively assist in rolling back wastelands
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). for productive use through various land
• In the first phase, the pilot will be conducted in development schemes 6 programs.
Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Nagaland and Karnataka.
3.2.4. FOREST-PLUS 2.0
National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board Why in news?
(NAEB)
NAEB in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, set Recently, US Agency for International
up in 1992 is responsible for promoting afforestation, Development (USAID) and India's Ministry of
tree planting, ecological restoration and eco- Environment, Forest and Climate Change
development activities in the country. (MoEF&CC) officially launched Forest-PLUS 2.0.
About Forest landscape restoration (FLR) About Forest-PLUS 2.0
• It is an ongoing process of regaining ecological
functionality and enhancing human well-being • Forest-PLUS 2.0 is five year programme that
across deforested or degraded forest focuses on developing tools and techniques to
landscapes which involves restoring a whole bolster ecosystem management and
landscape. harnessing ecosystem services in forest
landscape management.
• FLR manifests through different
processes such as: new tree plantings, • It was initiated in December, 2018 after Forest-
managed natural regeneration, agroforestry, PLUS completed its five years in 2017.
or improved land management to • The Forest-PLUS focused on capacity building
accommodate a mosaic of land uses, including to help India participate in Reducing Emissions
agriculture, protected wildlife reserves, from Deforestation and forest Degradation
managed plantations, riverside plantings and (REDD+).
more. • Under Forest-PLUS, field tests, innovative
tools and approaches for Indian forest
Significance of the FLR Pilot project management were developed. Like promotion
• Furthering India’s environmental of bio-briquettes in Sikkim, introduction of
commitment as according to Nationally solar heating systems in Rampur and
Determined Contributions (NDCs), submitted development of an agro-forestry model in
under the UNFCCC, India has pledged to create Hoshangabad.
an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes • To achieve these targets the Forest-PLUS 2.0
of CO2 equivalent through additional forest has three focal points of action
and tree cover by 2030. o Developing Tools for Managing Forests
• Commitment to Bonn Challenge pledge: At for Multiple Services
the UNFCCC’s CoP 2015 in Paris, the o Developing incentive based instruments
government of India made a Bonn Challenge for leveraging finance: For example, a
pledge, (a global effort to bring 150 million payment mechanism where a municipality
hectares of world's deforested and degraded or industry would pay upstream forest
land into restoration by 2020 and 350 million communities to use water flowing down
hectares by 2030) because of improved forest management.
o Under this, India will bring into restoration o Unlocking Economic Opportunities with
13 million hectares of degraded and Conservation: Unlocking economic
deforested land by 2020 and additional opportunities for forest dependent people
eight million hectares by 2030- one of the by modelling and setting up conservation
highest targets among all Asian countries. enterprises and mobilising investment
from the private sector.
Related Information
Rural Development Minister Releases 'Wastelands REDD+
Atlas' - 2019 With Robust Geospatial Information • It is climate change mitigation solution
• It is the fifth edition carried out by National developed by parties to UNFCCC to reduce
Remote Sensing Centre using the Indian Remote emissions from deforestation and forest
Sensing Satellite data. degradation.
• This Atlas provides district and state wise • REDD+ incentivise developing countries to keep
distribution of different categories of their forests conserved by offering result- based
wastelands area including mapping of about payments for actions to reduce and remove
12.08 Mha hitherto unmapped area of Jammu & forest carbon emissions.
Kashmir.
49
Achievements under Forest-PLUS Important takeaways of the CoP 14
• Ecosystem Health: Fuelwood extraction is the
biggest driver of forest degradation in India. • The COP adopted over 30 decisions on, among
USAID developed an innovative decision support other topics: how to implement four thematic
tool for evidence based fuelwood management policy frameworks addressing drought,
called iFoReST. gender, sand and dust storms, and
• Forest Monitoring: USAID developed innovative desertification, land degradation, and drought
techniques to improve forest management and (DLDD) as a driver for migration.
monitoring, reporting, and verifying carbon • The COP also agreed to include land tenure as
inventories, including mForest, a mobile phone
a new thematic area under the Convention.
app for forest inventory data.
• Adoption of Delhi Declaration: in which parties
Related information expressed commitment for a range of issues,
Miyawaki-style afforestation technique including gender and health, ecosystem
• Kerala government will adopt Miyawaki method restoration, taking action on climate change,
of afforestation in schools, government private sector engagement, Peace Forest
buildings etc.
Initiative and recovery of five million hectares
• The technique was pioneered by Japanese
of degraded land in India by 2030, raising the
botanist Akira Miyawaki.
• It involves raising indigenous and native trees in
land to be restored in India to 26 million
dense plantations mimicking forest settings. hectares.
• The approach is supposed to ensure that plant o Peace Forest Initiative is an initiative by
growth is 10 times faster and the resulting South Korea to provide a practical
plantation is 30 times denser than usual. platform that will foster international
collaboration by demonstrating the value
3.2.5. MOBILE APP M-HARIYALI of achieving land degradation neutrality in
cross-border post-conflict situations.
Why in News?
o Emphasis on need to participate in United
Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
launched m-hariyali app to encourage public (2021–2030), which commits to adopting
engagement in planting trees and Green drives. an integrated, best-practice approach to
land restoration based on scientific
More on News
evidence and traditional knowledge.
• The m-Hariyali application provides automatic o Country parties have agreed to make the
geotagging of plants. It will hence enable the Sustainable Development Goal target of
nodal officers to periodically monitor the achieving land degradation neutrality by
plantation. 2030 a national target for action.
• People can now upload information/photos of • Drought Toolbox launched: The Drought
any plantation done by them, which is linked Toolbox is currently being developed as part of
to app and will be displayed on a website. the Drought Initiative through the close
partnership among UNCCD, WMO, FAO, GWP,
3.3. UNITED NATIONS National Drought Mitigation Centre (NDMC) of
CONVENTION TO COMBAT the University of Nebraska, and UNEP-DHI.
o The Drought Toolbox provides drought
DESERTIFICATION (UNCCD) stakeholders with easy access to tools,
Why in news? case studies, and other resources to
support the design of National Drought
Recently, the 14th Conference of Parties (CoP14) of Policy Plan.
the UNCCD was convened in New Delhi. o The toolbox is a sort of knowledge bank,
More on news which contains tools that strengthen the
ability of countries to anticipate and
• This was the first time that India hosted a CoP prepare for drought effectively and
of UNCCD. mitigate their impacts as well as tools that
• India has taken over the COP Presidency for enable communities to anticipate and find
the next two years from its previous host the land management tools that help them
China, where the event was last held in 2017. to build resilience to drought.
50
Palau is First Country to Ban 'Reef Toxic' Sun Cream • Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (Unnao, UP)
• Palau (located in the western Pacific Ocean) has o It is a shallow marshland. Monsoon rains
become first country to ban sunscreen cream feed this diverse wetland while the Sarda
that is harmful to corals and sea life. Canal supplies additional water.
• An ingredient in sunscreen products -
o The highly invasive common water
oxybenzone - is particularity harmful.
hyacinth poses a threat, as does the
• According to International Coral Reef
Foundation, the banned chemicals can cause: removal of timber from the forests.
o corals to become more susceptible to coral o It is known to host Siberian cranes among
bleaching, migratory bird species that rest here
o damage the DNA of coral, and during the winter months.
o deform and kill juvenile corals. • Samaspur Bird Sanctuary (Raebareli, UP)
o It is a perennial lowland marsh typical of
3.5.3. 10 NEW RAMSAR SITES IN INDIA the Indo-Gangetic Plains in Uttar Pradesh.
Why in news? o Its six connected lakes are heavily
dependent on monsoon rains.
The Ramsar Convention has declared 10 more o The Sanctuary harbours threatened
wetlands in India as sites of international species such as the endangered Egyptian
importance. vulture and Pallas’s fish eagle and more
Details of Wetlands than 1% of the South Asian population of
the vulnerable common pochard.
This brings the total number of Ramsar sites in o A tall grass called “Sarpat” is also found in
India to 37 from 27. The details of newly included bunches at every spot.
wetlands are as follows- • Sandi Bird Sanctuary (Hardoi, UP)
o It is a freshwater marsh, also designated as
Important Bird Area by Birdlife
International.
o The Sandi Bird sanctuary is also known by
its ancient name as “Dahar Jheel” (Jheel =
Lake).
o River Garra, formerly known as Garun
Ganga, passes near the sanctuary.
o It is home to over 1% of the South Asian
populations of common teal, red-crested
pochard and ferruginous duck while
• Nandur Madhameshwar
vulnerable sarus crane has a population of
o It is the first Ramsar site in Maharashtra.
200 individuals within the Sanctuary.
o It is a mosaic of lakes, marshes and riparian
o The Sanctuary dried out leading to a
forest on the Deccan Plateau. Construction
subsequent collapse in waterbird
of the Nandur Madhameshwar Weir at the
populations from 2014 to 2015.
confluence of the Godavari and Kadwa
• Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary (UP)
Rivers helped create a thriving wetland.
o Its diverse habitats contrast with the o It is a permanent freshwater environment
surrounding semi-arid conditions caused consisting of two oxbow lakes.
by the rain shadow of the Western Ghats o They are rain-fed lakes in a deep natural
mountain range. depression in the Gangetic plains of the
terai region of Uttar Pradesh.
o It provides sanctuary to critically
endangered species including Deolali o The Sanctuary is a refuge for some of
minnow (a fish), Indian vulture and white- India’s threatened vulture species: the
rumped vulture. critically endangered white-rumped
vulture and Indian vulture and the
• Saman Bird Sanctuary (Mainpuri, UP)
endangered Egyptian vulture have all
o It is a seasonal oxbow lake on the Ganges
been recorded.
floodplain.
o Invasive species such as the common
o The Sanctuary is particularly important as a
water hyacinth along with the
wintering site for many migrants
development of roads and railways
including the greylag goose, with over 1%
present significant threats.
of the South Asian population present
during winter.
57
• Sarsai Nawar Jheel (Etawah, UP) o Threatened species present include the
o This typical wetland of the Indo-Gangetic vulnerable common pochard and the
floodplain in Uttar Pradesh is fed by endangered spotted pond turtle.
precipitation run-off from the South West About Ramsar Convention
monsoon rains. • It is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a
o It is an example of co-habitation of framework for the conservation and wise use of
humans and wildlife: farming practices all wetlands through local and national actions
across most of the Site play important and international cooperation.
roles in sustaining the waterbird habitats. • The Convention, signed in 1971 in the Iranian city
o A particular beneficiary is the vulnerable of Ramsar, is one of the oldest inter-
governmental accord for preserving the
sarus crane, with a population of 400
ecological character of wetlands.
individuals making up the largest flock in
• Under the “three pillars” of the Convention, the
the region. Other threatened species Contracting Parties commit to:
present include the critically endangered o work towards wise use of all wetlands;
white-rumped vulture and endangered o designate suitable wetlands for the list of
woolly-necked stork. Wetlands of International Importance (the
o It is recognized by Birdlife International as “Ramsar List”) and ensure their effective
an Important Bird Area. management;
• Beas Conservation Reserve (Punjab) o cooperate internationally on transboundary
wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared
o It is a 185-kilometre stretch of the Beas
species.
River majorly in Punjab. The River is
• Number of Contracting Parties: 171
dotted with islands, sand bars and braided • Montreux Record maintained as part of the
channels creating a complex environment Ramsar List is a register of wetland sites where
supporting substantial biodiversity. changes in ecological character have occurred,
o The Reserve hosts the only known are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of
population in India of the endangered technological developments, pollution or other
Indus river dolphin. Further threatened human interference. Currently, two Indian lakes
species include the endangered masheer namely Loktak Lake and Keoladeo National Park
and hog deer as well as the vulnerable are in Montreux Record.
smooth-coated otter. • The Ramsar Convention has 6 International
Organisation Partners:
o A programme was initiated to re-introduce
o Birdlife International
the critically endangered gharial. o International Union for Conservation of
• Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary (Punjab) Nature (IUCN)
o It is Located in the Shiwalik foothills of o International Water Management Institute
Punjab which is highly eco-sensitive. o Wetlands International
o It occupies a human-made reservoir o World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
constructed as part of the Bhakra-Nangal o Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)
Project on Sutlej River in 1961. Related information
o The site is of historic importance as the Sunderbans mangroves
Indian and Chinese Prime Ministers • The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the
formalized the “Five Principles of Peaceful largest such forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies
Coexistence” there in 1954. on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and
• Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve (Punjab) Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal.
o It is a mosaic of natural marshes, • Sundarban is World Heritage site inscribed in 1987.
• In, 2019 the Indian side of Sunderbans 'Wetlands of
aquaculture ponds and agricultural
International Importance' tag under the Ramsar
wetlands maintained by the annual rainfall
convention.
runoff.
o It is heavily human influenced and includes 3.5.4. GUIDELINES FOR
a series of managed fishponds and IMPLEMENTING WETLANDS
cultivated crops such as lotus and
(CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT)
chestnut.
o The Site is an example of wise use of a RULES, 2017
community-managed wetland, which Why in news?
provides food for people and supports
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
local biodiversity.
Change (MoEF&CC) has notified the Guidelines for
58
implementing Wetlands (Conservation and that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt,
Management) Rules, 2017. including areas of marine water the depth of
Background which, at low tides, does not exceed six
• The MoEF&CC has notified Wetlands meters’.
(Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 • Delineating wetlands - For each wetland to be
(Wetlands Rules) under the provisions of the notified, a zone of influence is to be defined.
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 as The zone of influence of a wetland is an area,
regulatory framework for conservation and developmental activities wherein are likely to
management of wetlands in India. induce adverse changes in wetland ecosystem
• The present guidelines have been drafted to structure and (ecological) functioning.
support the State Governments / Union • Wetlands wise use and ecological character -
Territory (UT) Administrations in the Management of notified wetlands is
implementation of the Rules recommended to be based on ‘wise use’
approach. Ramsar Convention defines the
Features of the Guidelines
‘wise use’ of wetlands as “the maintenance of
• Wetlands to be regulated their ecological character, achieved through
o Wetlands designated to the List of the implementation of ecosystem approaches,
Wetlands of International Importance within the context of sustainable
under the Ramsar Convention. development”.
o Wetlands notified under the rules by the • Prohibited activities - Conversion of Wetland
Central Government, State Government including encroachment of any kind, setting up
and UT Administration. of any industry and expansion of existing
o All wetlands, irrespective of their location, industries; Solid waste dumping, Discharge of
size, ownership, biodiversity, or ecosystem untreated wastes and effluents from
services values, can be notified under the industries, Poaching etc.
Wetlands Rules, except River channels; o Permission for carrying out any
Paddy fields; and certain categories of prohibited activity within a notified
Human-made waterbodies among others. wetland can only be given by MoEF&CC
o Protected Areas and areas falling within upon a specific request made by State
the purview of Coastal Zone Regulation Government based on recommendation
have been excluded from notification of Wetlands Authority.
under the Wetlands Rules. • Regulated activities - Subsistence level
• Wetlands Authorities biomass harvesting (including traditional
o State Wetland Authority: The minister in practices), Sustainable culture fisheries
charge of environment in the state will act practices, Plying of non-motorized boats;
as chairperson of the authority Construction of temporary nature.
(Administrator or Chief Secretary would be • Account of pre-existing rights and privileges
the Chairperson in case of a UT). It has a in a notified wetland - Each wetland is likely to
diverse membership with experts also be associated with a range of pre-existing
from Wetland ecology, Hydrology etc. rights and privileges, and it must be ensured
o Each Wetlands Authority shall constitute- that such rights and privileges are aligned with
✓ Technical Committee to review Brief the ‘wise use’ approach.
Documents, Management Plans and • Violations and penal provisions - The violations
advise on any technical matter of the Wetlands Rules shall attract the penal
referred by the Wetlands Authority. provisions as per the Environment
✓ Grievance Committee, consisting of (Protection) Act, 1986.
four members, to provide a
• Portal for information sharing - The MoEF&CC
mechanism for hearing and
has created a web-portal for sharing
forwarding the grievances raised by
information regarding implementation of
the public to the Authority.
Wetlands Rules.
• Preparing a list of wetlands - The list is
• National Wetlands Committee: Central
developed based on wetlands definition of the
Wetlands Regulatory Authority (CWRA) will be
Ramsar Convention. The Convention, ratified
replaced with the committee to monitor the
by India, defines wetlands as ‘areas of marsh,
implementation of the rules.
fen, peatland or water, whether natural or
artificial, permanent or temporary, with water
59
Activities under wise use • It has been accorded the same legal protection
• Ecological rehabilitation and rewilding of nature as a Wildlife Sanctuary and the community
• Wetlands inventory, assessment and monitoring reserve received the India Biodiversity Award
• Research for Conservation of Wild Species in 2018.
• Communication, environmental education and
participation activities 3.5.6. CRZ RULES EASED\ FOR
• Management planning ‘BLUE FLAG’ BEACHES
• Habitat management and conservation of
wetland-dependent species Why in news?
• Community-based ecotourism Environment Ministry has relaxed Coastal
Functions of State wetland Authority Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules that restrict
• Prepare a list of all wetlands of the State or UT construction near beaches. This has been done to
• Develop a comprehensive list of activities, to be help States construct infrastructure and enable
regulated and permitted within the notified them to receive ‘Blue Flag’ certification.
wetlands and their zone of influence;
• Define strategies for conservation and wise use Details
of wetlands within their jurisdiction; • ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’.
• Coordinate implementation of Integrated
• The Certification is accorded by the Denmark-
Management Plans based on wise use principle.
based Foundation for Environment Education,
• Function as a nodal authority for all wetland-
specific authorities within the State or UT with 33 stringent criteria under four major
Administration. heads for the beaches: Environmental
Education and Information, Bathing Water
3.5.5. GOGABEEL Quality, Environment Management and
Conservation and Safety and Services
Why in news? • It requires beaches to create certain
Recently, Gogabeel, has been declared as Bihar’s infrastructure e.g. portable toilet blocks, grey
first ‘Community Reserve’. water treatment plants, a solar power plant,
About Gogabeel seating facilities, CCTV surveillance etc.
• It is an ox-bow lake in Bihar’s Katihar district. o However, CRZ laws don’t allow
construction of such infrastructure on
• It is formed from the flow of the rivers
beaches and islands.
Mahananda and Kankhar in the north and the
Ganga in the south and east. • Earlier, Ministry had selected 13 beaches to
compete for the certificate.
• Among the threatened species present on the
site, the Lesser Adjutant falls in the vulnerable • These are: Ghoghala beach (Diu), Shivrajpur
category; and three species, the Black-necked beach (Gujarat), Bhogave beach
Stork, White Ibis and White-eyed Pochard are (Maharashtra), Padubidri and Kasarkod beach
under the near threatened category. (Karnataka), Kappad beach (Kerala), Kovalam
beach (Tamil Nadu), Eden beach (Puducherry),
• Other species reported from this site include
Rushikonda beach (Andhra Pradesh), Miramar
Black Ibis, Ashy Swallow Shrike, Jungle
beach (Goa), Golden beach (Odisha),
Babbler, Bank Myna, Red Munia, Northern
Radhanagar beach (Andaman & Nicobar
Lapwing and Spotbill Duck.
Islands) and Bangaram beach (Lakshadweep).
• In 2004, Gogabeel, including the neighbouring
Baghar Beel and Baldia Chaur, were given the 3.7. MISCELLANEOUS
status of an IBA (Important Bird Area of India).
Related information 3.7.1. LOCUST ATTACK
Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve Why in News?
• It is a community reserve launched by Bugun
community of Singchung Village, Arunachal
During the past few weeks, major locust attacks
Pradesh by joining hands with the Forest have been observed in several countries in
Department. It borders the Eaglenest Wildlife western and southern Asia and in eastern Africa.
Sanctuary, situated in Tezpur, Assam. Areas affected by Locusts attack
• The local Bugun tribe supported the formation of
community reserve to conserve the critically
• FAO has identified three hotspots of
endangered bird called Bugun liocichla. threatening locust activity- the Horn of Africa,
• The area is home to unique flora and fauna the Red Sea area, and Southwest Asia.
including the red panda, the clouded leopard • In India, locusts attacks emanating from the
and over 500 bird species. desert area in Pakistan have struck parts of
60
• Voluntary appliances: Induction Motor, Pump
Sets, Ceiling Fans, LPG -Stoves, Washing
4.5. BIODIVERSITY
Machine, Computer (Notebooks/Laptops),
Ballast (Electronic/ Magnetic), Office
4.5.1. STATE OF THE WORLD’S
equipment’s (Printer, Copier, Scanner, MFD’s), FORESTS REPORT 2020
Diesel Engine Driven Mono-set Pumps, Solid Why in news?
State Inverter, DG Sets, Chillers, Microwave
Oven, Solar Water Heater, Deep Freezer, Light Recently, United Nations Environment
Commercial Air Conditioners. Programme (UNEP) and Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) has jointly released a report
Related news: Urja Dakshata Information Tool titled The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO)
(UDIT)
2020.
• It is a first ever initiative taken by BEE with World
Resources Institute (WRI), to facilitate a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
database on energy e-fficiency. • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations
o WRI is global research non-profit that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
organization based in USA. • Its goal is to achieve food security for all and
• It is a user-friendly platform that explains the make sure that people have regular access to
energy efficiency landscape of India across enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy
industry, appliances, building, transport, lives.
municipal and agriculture sectors. • It was established in 1945 and has around 194
• It will also showcase the capacity building and Member countries.
new initiatives taken up by the Government • It is headquartered in Rome, Italy.
across the sectors in the increase energy
efficiency domain. About the report
• It examines the contributions of forests, and of
4.4.3. OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS the people who use and manage them, to the
Star • It is a first-of-its-kind transparency conservation and sustainable use of
Rating initiative to categorise industries biodiversity.
Program from one to five stars compliant to • This issue of SOFO draws on the results of
for pollution standards. FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment
Industries • A five-star rating will be given to 2020 (FRA 2020).
companies that have 50% of o FRA 2020 examined the status and trends
maximum allowed particulate
related to the extent, characteristics,
matter (PM) emissions. A one-star
rating will be for companies whose
condition, management and uses of forest
emissions are 25% more than across 236 countries and areas over the
prescribed limit. period 1990–2020.
• Jharkhand will start “Star Rating Key Findings of the Report
Program” to reduce industrial
• Contribution of forest: Forests provide
pollution.
o Programme will focus on PM habitats for 80% of amphibian species, 75% of
emissions out of 17 categories of bird species and 68% of mammal species.
“highly polluting” industries. About 60% of all vascular plants are found in
• Odisha and Maharashtra too have tropical forests.
implemented star rating system. • Area covered by forests: Forests cover 31% of
'Green • It is the "first of its kind in the World" the global land area.
Company holistic framework that evaluates o More than half of the world’s forests are
Rating companies on the environmental found in only 5 countries - Brazil, Canada,
system' friendliness of their activities using China, Russia and US.
(GreenCo life cycle approach.
• Deforestation and forest degradation:
rating) • It is applicable to both
o Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of
manufacturing facilities and service
sector units. deforestation had decreased as compared
• GreenCo Rating, developed by in the 1990s.
Confederation of Indian Industry, ✓ The net loss of forest area decreased
has been acknowledged in India's from 7.8 million hectares per year in
Intended Nationally Determined the 1990s to 4.7 million hectares per
Contribution document. year during 2010–2020.
64
o Agricultural expansion continues to be o Most fire prone areas are found in north
the main driver of deforestation and eastern and central part of the country.
forest fragmentation. • Impact: loss of flora & fauna, livelihoods; air
o Areas with dense human populations and pollution; water pollution, increasing spread of
intense agricultural land use like India are weeds, soil erosion, loss of regeneration,
less intact in terms of their biodiversity. landslides, etc.
• Conservation of species: Progress on • Causes of forest fires:
preventing the extinction of known o Natural: lightning, high atmospheric
threatened species and improving their temperatures and dryness, spontaneous
conservation status has been slow. combustion of dry fuel such as sawdust
o Forest-Specialist index has fell by 53% and leaves.
between 1970 and 2014 which highlights o Anthropogenic: shifting cultivation, use of
the increased risk of species becoming fires by villagers to ward off wild animals,
vulnerable to extinction. recreation etc.
✓ Index is developed by World Wildlife • Steps taken: Monitoring through satellites like
Fund which tracks the average change NASA’s MODIS (or Moderate Resolution
in abundance of thousands of Imaging Spectroradiometer), National Action
vertebrate populations from around Plan on Forest Fires 2018, Centrally Sponsored
the world. Forest Fire Prevention and Management
(FPM) Scheme etc.
Some findings in FRA 2020

• Forest regeneration: Area of naturally
regenerating forests decreased since 1990, but
area of planted forests increased.
o Asia had highest net gain of forest area
while Africa had largest annual rate of net
forest loss.
• Protected areas: 18% of forest worldwide is in
protected areas.
o South America has the highest share of
forests in protected areas, at 31%.
o About 10% of the world’s forests is allocated
for biodiversity conservation
• 93% percent of forest area worldwide is
composed of naturally regenerating forests and
7 % is planted.
• Forest fire: Fire is a prevalent forest disturbance 4.5.3. ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE (IWT)
in the tropics.
• Decrease in Carbon Stock Why in news?
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has
4.5.2. FOREST FIRES
presented its first global report titled “Money
• According to India State of Forest Report 2019, Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade”.
over 30,000 incidents of forest fires were IWT
reported in 2019.
o About half of India’s forests are prone to • Financial Action Task Force described wildlife
fires. 43% were prone to occasional fires trafficking as a “global threat”, which also has
and 5% to frequent fires, and 1% were at links with other organised crimes such as
high or very high risk. modern slavery, drug trafficking and arms
65
trade. Illegal trade is estimated to generate Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
revenues up to $23 billion a year. Fauna and Flora (CITES). It will not
• At estimated $23 billion per year, wildlife include species from the Schedules of
trafficking is the world's fourth largest illicit the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
trade, after narcotics, human trafficking, and ✓ Owners and possessors of such
trade in counterfeit goods. animals and birds must also register
• Impacts of illegal wildlife trade their stock with the Chief Wildlife
o Threat to conservation of species Warden of their States. Currently, the
o Risks to human health Directorate-General of Foreign Trade,
o negatively impacts a country’s natural Ministry of Commerce, oversees such
resources and local communities trade.
✓ Wildlife Officials will also prepare an
IWT in India: A brief overview
inventory of such species and have
• India is only 2.4 % of world's land area, but the right to inspect the facilities of
contributes about 8% of known global wildlife, such traders.
including over 45,000 species of plants and • Other initiatives:
91,000 species of animals. o Participation of local community: A 15-
• The most trafficked species are pangolins, year National Wildlife Action Plan (2017-
seahorses and tortoises. 31) with a special focus on peoples’
• The main reason for the unabated wildlife participation has been launched.
trafficking across India is its porous o Demand-reduction campaigns: In May
international land borders. 2019, the WCCB launched a campaign in
collaboration with the UN Environment
Steps taken in India to counter IWT
named ‘Not all animals migrate by choice’
• Constitutional safeguard: Under Article 51A campaign launched to raise awareness on
(g), it is a fundamental duty of every citizen of illegal wildlife trade at airports across
India to protect and improve natural India.
environment including forests, lake, rivers and ✓ Tiger, Pangolin, Star Tortoise and
wildlife and to have compassion for living Tokay Gecko featured in the
creatures. campaign.
• Laws and Government Initiatives: International Organizations for control of Wildlife
o Trade in over 1800 species of wild animals, Trafficking:
plants and their derivative are prohibited • TRAFFIC, established in 1976, is a wildlife trade
under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. monitoring network and a joint programme of
o The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act WWF and IUCN.
1960 empower authorities to penalize and o It works closely with the National and the
jail those who harm wildlife. State Governments and various agencies to
o Indian Penal Code, 1860: Section 428 and help study, monitor and influence action to
curb illegal wildlife trade and bring wildlife
Section 429 reads that killing, poaching,
trade within sustainable levels.
maiming, poisoning or torturing an animal
• CITES (the Washington Convention), signed in
is a cognizable offence and the 1973 provides a mechanism to regulate the trade
punishment for such act is rigorous in wildlife. Under its guidance, governments all
imprisonment which may extend to five over the world have taken steps to prevent this
years or fine or both. illegal trade and bring it under control.
o Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is a o India is a member.
statutory multi-disciplinary body • IFAW: The International Fund for Animal
established under the Ministry of Welfare is one of the largest animal welfare and
Environment and Forests, to combat conservation charities in the world. The
organized wildlife crime in the country, organization works to rescue individual animals,
safeguard populations, preserve habitat, and
under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
advocate for greater protections.
o Recently Environment Ministry has • In response to the global wildlife trafficking
unveiled the new rules to regulate exotic crisis, the United Nations Environment
animal trade. According to rules Programme (UNEP) Wild for Life campaign
✓ Exotic live species will mean animals works with the United Nations Development
named under Appendices I, II and III of Programme, United Nations Office on Drugs and
the Convention on International Crime and the CITES.
66
international ramifications, relevant policy and
WCCB is mandated to
laws
• collect and collate intelligence related to
• assists and advises the Customs authorities in
organized wildlife crime activities and to
inspection of the consignments of flora & fauna
disseminate the same to State and other
as per the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act,
enforcement agencies
CITES and EXIM Policy governing such an item
• establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank
• advise the Government of India on issues
relating to wildlife crimes having national and
4.5.4. SPECIES OF FAUNA AND FLORA IN NEWS
Eurasian Otter • It is a semi-aquatic mammal native to Eurasia which has been sighted for the first time in
the brackish water lagoon in Chilika, Odisha.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened
• Threats: pollution, poaching, habitat loss, accidental trapping, road kill
• India is home to 3 of the 13 species of otters found worldwide: Eurasian Otter, Smooth-
coated Otter (Vulnerable) & Small-clawed otter (Vulnerable).
Red pandas Species • According to a comprehensive genetic study on these endangered mammals, Red pandas
of Asian high mountains are two distinct species - Chinese red pandas and Himalayan red
pandas.
• Himalayan red panda is distributed in Nepal, Bhutan, northern India, northern Myanmar,
Tibet and the western Yunnan province of China.
• Chinese red panda inhabits the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China.
• Hunted for: meat and fur, besides illegal capture for the pet trade.
• IUCN Status: Endangered
White Giraffe • Poachers have killed two extremely rare white giraffes in northeast Kenya, leaving just
one such animal in the world.
• White appearance of the giraffe is due to leucism, a genetic condition that causes skin
cells to have no pigmentation.
• Giraffes are most often found in savanna/woodland habitats and range widely
throughout Africa.
• IUCN Status of Giraffe: Vulnerable
Long-tailed macaques • It is a crab-eating macaque and is native to Southeast Asia.
• It is associated with freshwater habitat. It is found in Australasia and the Indo-Malayan
Realm (also found in Great Nicobar).
• IUCN: Least Concerned
Himalayan Ibex • A recent study by Zoological Survey of India has proved that Himalayan Ibex, distributed
in the trans-Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, is
distinct species from Siberian Ibex.
• Himalayan Ibex can be best seen in Pin Valley National Park (Himachal Pradesh) and
Kanji Wild Life Sanctuary (Jammu and Kashmir).
• Siberian Ibex is a species of wild goat. From Mongolia, its distribution extends towards
Altai, Hangai, Gobi-Altai, Hurukh mountain ranges as well as Sayan Mountains near Russia
and scattered populations in the small mountains of Trans-Altai Gobi.
• IUCN status of Siberian Ibex: Least Concern
• It is listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Grey Seal • Hundreds of grey seal pups have died on the shores of the Baltic Sea in Estonia and Latvia
as the Nordic coastline faced the first winter without ice in decades.
• Grey seals need ice - which helps them keep a distance from predators like wolves or
foxes - in order to breed pups during the winter.
• Gray seals are mammals found in coastal waters throughout the North Atlantic Ocean.
• IUCN status: Least Concern
Blue-throated Macaw • It is a large parrot and plumage on its upper parts and long tail is 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.
• IUCN status: Critically Endangered
Sal forest tortoise or • According to a recent study by Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, over 90% of potential
elongated distribution of Sal forest tortoise falls outside current protected area’s network.
• It is widely distributed over eastern and northern India and Southeast Asia.
67
tortoise (Indotestudo • IUCN status: Critically Endangered
elongata) • Threats: It is heavily hunted for food and collected both for local use, such as decorative
masks, and international wildlife trade.
Dugong • World Dugong Day 2020 was observed on May 28th, 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.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable
Charru mussel • It is an invasive mussel, native to South and Central American coasts, that is spreading in
(Mytella strigata) backwaters of Kerala.
o 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).
Pinanga • It is a critically endangered 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.
Anthurium • Recently, National Innovation Foundation (NIF)-India has facilitated mass multiplication
and large-scale production of four varieties of Anthurium through tissue culture
technique.
• Anthurium is domestic flowering plant known for purifying surrounding air and remove
harmful airborne chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia, toluene, xylene, and allergens.
• Anthurium has economic importance because of its eye-catching and beautiful
inflorescence (process of flowering).
• NASA has also placed it in the list of air purifier plants.
National Innovation Foundation (NIF)- India
• NIF India is autonomous body of Department of Science and Technology, set up in
2000.
• NIF is national initiative to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and
outstanding traditional knowledge.
• UN Environment and the Food and Agriculture
4.5.5. CONSERVATION EFFORTS Organization (FAO) will lead the
implementation.
4.5.5.1. UN DECADE ON ECOSYSTEM
RESTORATION What is Ecosystem Restoration (ER)?
Why in news? • It is the process of assisting the recovery of an

ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged,
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
or destroyed.
proclaimed 2021–2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem
o An ecosystem is a functional unit of nature,
Restoration.
where living organisms interact among
About UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration themselves and also with the surrounding
• The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration physical environment.
aims to massively scale up the restoration of • Restoration activities may be designed to
degraded and destroyed ecosystems as a replicate a pre-disturbance ecosystem or to
proven measure to fight the climate crisis and create a new ecosystem where it had not
enhance food security, water supply and previously occurred.
biodiversity. o It involves practices such as restoring
• This endeavour builds on regional efforts such vegetation, planting native trees, clearing
as: invasive species, regenerative (perennial)
o Initiative 20×20 in Latin America that aims agriculture, agroforestry etc.
to restore 20 million hectares of degraded International Decades
land by 2020. • The United Nations (UN) designates specific
o AFR100 African Forest Landscape days, weeks, years and decades as occasions to
Restoration Initiative that aims to bring mark particular events or topics in order to
100 million hectares of degraded land promote, through awareness and action, the
under restoration by 2030. objectives of the Organization.
68
• Some decades ending in 2020 are- • It has 3 main objectives:
o United Nations Decade on Biodiversity o The conservation of biological diversity.
o Decade of Action for Road Safety o The sustainable use of the components of
o United Nations Decade for Deserts and the biological diversity.
Fight against Desertification. o The fair and equitable sharing of the
benefits arising out of the utilization of
4.5.5.2. SUPER YEAR FOR BIODIVERSITY genetic resources.
• The CBD has 196 parties and India is one of them.
Why in news? • CBD has following supplementary agreements-
• Year 2020 is also “Super Year for Biodiversity”, o The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-
as sharing: It aims at sharing the benefits
arising from the utilization of genetic
o Strategic Plan for Biodiversity with 20
resources in a fair and equitable way.
global Aichi targets adopted in 2010 ends o The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: It
in 2020. aims to ensure the safe handling, transport
o End of 2011-2020 UN Decade on and use of living modified organisms (LMOs)
Biodiversity and start of other resulting from modern biotechnology that
new biodiversity related decades for 2021- may have adverse effects on biological
2030: UN Decade of Ocean Science for diversity and human health.
Sustainable Development and UN Decade o The Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary
on Ecosystem Restoration. Protocol on Liability and Redress to the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: It aims to
About Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 contribute to the conservation and
(SPB 2011-2020) sustainable use of biodiversity by providing
international rules and procedures in the
• SPB 2011-2020 was adopted by the parties to field of liability and redress relating to LMOs.
the CBD, during its COP10 in 2010 in Nagoya, • India has signed and ratified all 3 of these
Japan, with the purpose of inspiring broad- protocols.
based action in support of biodiversity over The Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing House (ABS
the next decade by all countries and Clearing-House)
stakeholders. • It is a platform for exchanging information on
• The Strategic Plan is comprised of a shared ABS established by Article 14 of the Nagoya
vision, a mission and 20 targets organized Protocol.
• It is a key tool for facilitating the implementation
under 5 strategic goals, collectively known as
of the Protocol, by enhancing legal certainty and
the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs). transparency on procedures for access and
Related News benefit-sharing, and for monitoring the
In a virtual celebration of the International Day for utilization of genetic resources along the value
Biological Diversity 2020, Ministry of Environment, chain, including through the internationally
Forest and Climate Change launched five key recognized certificate of compliance.
initiatives towards conservation of biodiversity: India’s efforts towards SPB 2011-2020
• Biodiversity Samrakshan Internship Programme
to engage postgraduate students to support the
• India prepared its first National Biodiversity
projects of National Biodiversity Authority. Action Plan (NBAP) entitled “National Policy
• UNEP Campaign on Illegal Trafficking of and Macro Level Action Strategy on
Endangered Species launched by the Wildlife Biodiversity” in 1999 which was revised and
Crime Control Bureau, with UNEP to address updated into NBAP, 2008 to bring the
environmental challenges related to illegal biodiversity agenda in alignment with the
trafficking. National Environment Policy (NEP), 2006.
• A Webinar Series on ‘Biodiversity Conservation • The NBAP, 2008 was updated with Addendum
and Biological Diversity Act, 2002’. 2014 to NBAP, 2008 in order to integrate it with
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF (India)) Model
the SPB 2011-20.
Conference of Parties (MCoP) that engages the
younger generation in conversations around
o Accordingly, India developed 12 National
impact of humanity’s footprint on biodiversity Biodiversity Targets (NBTs) which cover
• An awareness campaign supported by WWF. all the 20 ABTs.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 4.5.5.3. ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES

• The CBD is an international multilateral treaty
which was opened for signature in 1992 at the Why in news?
United Nations Conference on Environment and The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Development (the Rio "Earth Summit"). Change (MoEF&CC) declared the National Chambal
69
Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh as eco-sensitive zone of 75% of gharial. The sanctuary also harbours
(ESZ). national aquatic animal - the freshwater Gangetic
dolphins, 9 species of freshwater turtles and
Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZ)/ Eco-Sensitive Area
more the 290 species of migratory birds.
(ESA) • National Chambal Sanctuary is the first and only
• ESZs are declared around Protected Areas tri-state riverine protected area in India for
(PAs) through Notification under the breeding population of Gharial.
provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, About Gharial
1986 and Rules made thereunder. • Native Extant (resident): Bangladesh; India;
Nepal
• MoEF&CC has issued “Guidelines for
• It is found majorly in Chambal river. Also, few
Declaration of ESZ around National Parks and
satellite populations is found in Girwa river
Wildlife Sanctuaries” in 2011 with (Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary), Ramganga
consultations among the states/UTs. It river in Jim Corbett National Park, Son river and
prescribes general procedures to be followed Mahanadi (Odisha).
while considering declaration of an ESZ. • Threats: Habitat destruction due to Dam,
• Nature of Activities in ESZ: 2011 Guidelines barrages, Sand mining and water abstraction,
specify activities that are to be prohibited, entanglement in fishing nets, Egg harvesting for
regulated and permissible in the ESZ - subsistence food use by riparian residents
o Prohibited- commercial mining, polluting • Conservation Status: Listed in Schedule I of
industries, major hydroelectric projects Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and as Critically
Endangered on IUCN Red List.
etc.
• June 17 is celebrated as World Crocodile day.
o Restricted with safeguards (Regulated) -
Related news
Felling of trees, Establishment of hotels • Recently, 40 gharials were released in Ghaghara
and resorts, Drastic change of agriculture river by Bahraich forest division of UP.
system, widening of roads, introduction of o Ghaghara is a major left-bank tributary of
exotic species etc. the Ganges River.
o Permissible- Rain Water Harvesting, o It rises as the Karnali River in high Himalayas
Organic farming, Ongoing Agricultural of southern Tibet.
Practices etc. In a related development, six states, which form WG,
o Though ESZ does not affect the ownership asked centre to expedite the process to notify the
rights of people on land resources, it ESAs in the global biodiversity hotspot for clarity.
restricts land-use change. o In 2018, Centre issued a draft notification
• Parameters considered to declare ESZs: In mentioning 56,825 sq km of WG in six states
general, following parameters are considered as ESA.
for declaring ESZs: Details of the Protected o Six states seek modifications to the
Area; Proposed ESZ Area and Extent; Available notification as it would create adverse
effect on state’s economy.
Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna in the Area; List of
• Also, earlier two committees had recommended
villages in ESZ.
about ESA in WG:
• As per 2011 Guidelines, proposal for ESZ should o K Kasturirangan committee in 2012
be prepared by the states considering various recommended 37% of WGs to be declared
parameters and forwarded to the MoEF&CC ESAs.
for further processing and notification. o Madhav Gadgil Commission, formed in 2010,
• Extent of ESZ: The width of the ESZ and type recommended 64 % of WG to be declared
of regulations would differ from one PA to ESAs.
other. However, as a general principle the
width of the ESZ could go up to 10 kms around
a PA (may not be uniform all around it) as
provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy-
2002.
National Chambal Sanctuary
• National Chambal Sanctuary, also known as
National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, was
declared a national sanctuary in 1979 and sits
across three states: Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• It was formed to protect the Chambal river eco-
system. It is home to naturally living population
70
4.5.5.4. INDIA’S FIRST DOLPHIN sponsored scheme, “Development of
OBSERVATORY Wildlife Habitat”.
✓ Conservation Action Plan for the
Why in news? Gangetic Dolphin (2010-2020), which
The Bihar government is setting up India’s first has identified threats to Gangetic
observatory for the Gangetic dolphins in dolphins and impact of river traffic,
Bhagalpur district. irrigation canals and depletion of prey-
base on dolphin populations.
More about news
Other dolphins found in India
• The observatory is constructed at Vikramshila
• Indus River Dolphin
Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS).
o IUCN Status: Endangered
o Observatory will aim to promote eco- o They can only be found in the lower parts of
tourism. the Indus River in Pakistan and in River
• About Gangetic dolphin Beas, a tributary of the Indus River in Punjab,
o IUCN Status: Endangered India.
o They prefer deep waters, in and around o They have adapted to life in the muddy river
the confluence of rivers. They can only live and are functionally blind.
in freshwater and are essentially blind. o The dolphin is the state aquatic animal of
o They are reliable indicator of the health of Punjab.
• Irrawaddy Dolphin (Snubfin dolphin)
the entire river ecosystem.
o It is also National Aquatic Animal of India. o Besides the Irrawaddy River, it is also found
o It can be found in the Ganges- in India’s Ganges, Chilka Lake and Southeast
Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli- Asia’s Mekong River.
Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and o They prefer to live in estuaries and brackish
Bangladesh. water near coasts.
✓ In India, it covers seven states namely, • Indian Ocean humpback dolphin
Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya o IUCN Status: Endangered
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, o They prefer the shallow, near shore waters
and West Bengal. of countries in the Indian Ocean, ideally with
a freshwater input.
o Major threats to dolphins in India include
o They can be found not far from shore in the
overfishing in the habitat, pollution, coastal waters of South Africa in the south,
infrastructure etc. northwards around the coast of East Africa,
o Gangetic dolphins are one among the 21 throughout the Middle East, and the west
species identified under the centrally coast of India.
4.5.6. VARIOUS CONSERVATIONS EFFORTS/NATIONAL PARKS/INTERNATIONAL

EFFORTS
Dibru- • Oil India Ltd’s decision to drill seven wells inside this Park has raised concerns.
Saikhowa • Park is bounded by Lohit and Brahmaputra river on the north and by the Dibru river on the
National southern side.
Park & • Largest Salix swamp forest of North East India is also located inside this reserve.
Biosphere • Forests: semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests and patches of wet
Reserve, evergreen forests.
Assam • Fauna: Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Small Indian Civet, Gangetic Dolphin, Slow Loris, etc.
• It is identified as Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.
Jim Corbett • It is located in Nainital district of Uttrakhand.
National • It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park.
Park • It is the oldest National Park in India and also being honored as place where Project Tiger was first
launched in 1973.
• Its whole area comprises of hills, marshy depressions, riverine belts, grasslands and large lake.
Nanda Devi • It is situated around the peak of Nanda Devi, (7,816 m) in Uttarakhand.
National • Along with the adjoining Valley of Flowers National Park to the northwest, it was inscribed a
Park World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988.
• Nanda Devi National Park together with Valley of Flowers National Park is encompassed in the
Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. This Reserve is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere
Reserves since 2004.
71
• This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black
bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep.
• Park is drained by river Rishi Ganga.
Pakke Tiger • Salazar Slytherin- a new species of viper family (venomous snake) has been discovered in Pakke
Reserve Tiger Reserve (PTR).
• PTR lies in the foothills of the Eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It falls within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.
• PTR won India Biodiversity Award 2016 in the category of 'Conservation of threatened species' for
its Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme.
Tadoba • It is located in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
Andhari tiger • It is also Maharashtra's oldest and largest National Park.
reserve • It represents Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Teak Forests in the Tiger habitat.
• Andhari is derived from name of Andhari river that flows in this area.
• Fauna: Tigers, Indian leopards, Sloth bears, Gaur, Nilgai, Dhole, Striped Hyena, Small Indian Civet,
Jungle Cats, etc.
Dehing • National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) has recommended coal mining in part of Dehing Patkai
Patkai Elephant Reserve (DPER).
Elephant • Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Jeypore Rainforest is a part of DPER.
Reserve • Dehing Patkai is a deciduous rainforest interspersed with semi-evergreen flora, the only patch of
virgin rainforest in Assam.
• Dehing river flows through this forest and Patkai is the hill at the foot of which the sanctuary lies.
• It adjoins the Arunachal Pradesh’s Deomali Elephant Reserve.
Laboratory • It is a dedicated lab of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in Hyderabad for conservation
for the of endangered wildlife.
Conservation • It is the only laboratory in India that has developed methods for collection and cryopreservation
of of semen and oocytes from wildlife and successfully reproducing endangered blackbuck, spotted
Endangered deer and Nicobar pigeons.
Species • It has established Genetic Resource Bank of Indian wild animals under which genetic resources
(LaCONES) from 23 species have been collected and preserved.
National • NMHS, a Central Sector Grant-in-aid Scheme, targets to provide much needed focus in addressing
Mission on key issues relating to conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in Indian
Himalayan Himalayan Region.
Studies • It is implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.
(NMHS) • Jurisdiction of NMHS includes 10 Himalayan states fully (Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir (Now UT), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and
Uttarakhand) and two states partially (hill districts of Assam and West Bengal).
Herbal Road • UP government will develop 800 km roads as Herbal roads in state.
• These roads will have medicinal and herbal trees along with land on their both sides.
o It will have trees like like Peepal, Neem, Sehjan along with other herb varieties like brahmi,
ashvagandha and jatrofa.
• It will help in providing raw material for medicines and will also help in curbing land erosion.
World Earth • Earth Day is celebrated all over the world on April 22 to show support for environmental
Day protection.
• 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the World Earth Day.
• Theme for the year 2020 is Climate Action.
• First Earth Day took place in 1970 when millions of Americans took to the streets to protest
environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward.
World Water • World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, focuses on the importance of
Day 2020 freshwater.
• This year’s theme, ‘Water and Climate Change’, explores how water and climate change are
inextricably linked.
Earth Hour • It is a global grassroot movement uniting people to take action on environmental issues and
2020 protect the planet.
• It includes turning off non-essential electric lights, for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• It is organized by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) every year on the last Saturday of March,
as a symbol of commitment to the planet.
o WWF is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961, working in the field
of wilderness preservation, and the reduction of human impact on the environment.
72
2018, to track Earth's water movement to
4.6. UN WORLD WATER monitor changes in underground water
DEVELOPMENT REPORT, 2020 storage, amount of water in large lakes and
rivers, soil moisture, ice sheets and glaciers,
• It is published by UNESCO on behalf of the UN-
and sea level caused by the addition of water
Water.
o The UNESCO World Water Assessment to the ocean.
Programme (UNESCO WWAP) o It is a successor to the original GRACE
mission, which orbited Earth from 2002-
coordinates the work of 31 UN-Water
2017. GRACE measured changes in the local
members and partners in the WWDR.
pull of gravity as water shifts around Earth
• WWDR, published annually, is UN-Water
due to changing seasons, weather, and
flagship report on water. WWDR 2020 entitled
climate processes.
‘Water and Climate Change’ brings out nexus
of water- climate change. Utilisation of GRACE and GRACE-FO data
Global Groundwater Maps
Key findings • Recently NASA and the University of Nebraska-
• Climate change will affect availability, quality Lincoln developed weekly global maps of soil
and quantity of water for basic human needs. moisture and groundwater wetness conditions
based on data from GRACE-FO.
• Global water use has increased 6 times over
• It produced time-varying maps of distribution of
past 100 years and continues to grow steadily
water at three depths: Surface soil moisture,
at a rate of about 1% per year as a result of root zone soil moisture (roughly top 3 feet of
increasing population, economic development soil) and shallow groundwater.
and shifting consumption patterns. • Possible benefits of the map: Managing
United Nations Water (UN-Water) agricultural crops and predicting their yields,
• It coordinates the efforts of UN entities and Predicting drought conditions etc.
international organizations working on water Groundwater affects Himalayan slip and climate
and sanitation issues. • In the Himalaya, seasonal water from glaciers, as
• Members- UN agencies, programmes and funds well as monsoon precipitation, plays a key role in
with a water-related mandate. the deformation of the crust and the seismicity
• Partners- international organizations, associated with it.
professional unions, associations or other civil- • Researchers from Indian Institute of
society groups that are actively involved in Geomagnetism (IIG) have found that apart from
water. the normal, common seasons, subsidence and
• Its members and partners inform about water uplift are found to be associated with seasonal
and sanitation policies, monitor and report on changes in groundwater.
progress, and coordinate two annual global • For instance, water acts as a lubricating agent,
campaigns on World Water Day (22 March) and and hence when there is water in the dry season,
World Toilet Day (19 November). the rate of slip of the fault in this region is
reduced.
4.7. GRAVITY RECOVERY AND o Slip is defined as relative motion of rock on
each side of fault with respect to other side.
CLIMATE EXPERIMENT FOLLOW • Researchers have made combined use of Global
ON (GRACE-FO) Positioning System and GRACE data.
• GRACE-FO is a mission of NASA and German

Research Centre for Geosciences launched in
4.8. MISCELLANEOUS
Bay of Bengal • It is a project funded by Union Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Natural Environment
Boundary Layer Research Council of UK to examine the impact of various features such as ocean
Experiment temperature, salinity and currents in Bay of Bengal on the monsoon.
(BOBBLE)
IDEAthon on ‘The • It was organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under Ministry of Jal Shakti
Future of River and National Institute of Urban Affairs.
Management’ • It focused on how COVID-19 crisis can shape River Management strategies for the future
and also highlighted interconnectivity of Cities with River.
Dibang valley • It is a proposed 3097 MW Hydropower project, Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang valley at
project (Etalin confluence of Ashu Pani and Dibang rivers.
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Hydroelectric • It has been delayed by over 6 years now as it required diverting 1165 hectares of subtropical
Project) evergreen broad-leaved and subtropical rainforest in a region of rich biodiversity.
• Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) is yet to decide on this project.
• FAC, under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the apex body tasked
with deciding whether forest land can be diverted for industrial projects.
Ithai barrage, • Manipur urged Centre to consider decommissioning this barrage.
Manipur • It was constructed in 1983 at confluence of Imphal River and Tuitha River, south of Loktak
Lake, as part of Loktak Hydroelectric project.
o Loktak Lake is largest freshwater lake in North -East. It is known for floating islands
called Phumdis.
• It was to act as an artificial reservoir to maintain sufficient water volume in Loktak lake.
• Over time, it has affected hydrology of lake and harmed ecology and economy of region.
National Crisis • NCMC reviewed rescue and relief operations in cyclone Amphan that hit West Bengal and
Management Odisha.
Committee (NCMC) • NCMC has been constituted in the Cabinet Secretariat for effective implementation of
relief measures in the wake of a natural calamity.
• It is a multi-member body headed by Cabinet Secretary. Other members include- Secretary
to Prime Minister, Secretary (MHA), Director (IB) etc.
National Board for • It is statutory body, under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 chaired by Prime Minister.
Wildlife (NBWL) has • It is responsible for promotion of conservation and development of wildlife and forests.
not met in last 6 • Without the approval of the NBWL, construction of tourist lodges, alteration of the
years boundaries of Protected Areas, destruction or diversion of wildlife habitat and de-
notification of Tiger Reserves, cannot be done.
• NBWL can constitute a Standing Committee (chaired by Environment Minister), whose
function is to regulate land diversion within Protected Areas and Eco Sensitive Zones.
South Asian Climate • It is a regional forum to forecast for South West Monsoon Season rainfall.
Outlook Forum • It was established in 2010 and is coordinated by India Meteorological Department (IMD).
(SASCOF) • It covers Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka.
• The main activity of SASCOFs is the preparation and issuing of a consensus outlook for the
southwest monsoon rainfall over South Asia.
National Aquifer • It is an initiative of the Ministry of Water Resources for mapping and managing the entire
Mapping and aquifer systems in the country.
Management o It is being implemented by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
Programme • It aims to quantify the available groundwater resources, and to propose plans appropriate
(NAQUIM) to the scale of demand and aquifer characteristics, and institutional arrangements for
participatory management.
• Out of nearly 25 lakh km2 of mappable area in country, so far aquifer maps and
management plans have been developed for an area of 11.8 lakh km2.
Indian ● IMD has issued “red” and ‘orange warning’ for heatwaves in various states.
Meteorological ● IMD issues colour-coded warnings depending on intensity of any weather system in
Department (IMD)’s ascending order, green, yellow, orange and red.
Color- coded Heat o These warnings are mainly meant for administrators to keep ready and position their
Wave Alert resources to handle situations arising out of weather-related disastrous events.
Global Animal • Released by World Animal Protection, an international animal welfare charity.
Protection Index • It ranks countries from A (highest score) to G (weakest score) according to their policy and
2020 legislation. India has attained a C ranking in the index.
• It noted that India has strong laws on the protection of animals, but highlighted lack of
regulations regarding the rearing of farm animals.
Cauvery river • According to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Cauvery and tributaries like Kabini,
Hemavati, Shimsha, and Lakshmanathirtha are regaining their decades-old status in terms
of water quality.
• This is because of lockdown due to Covid-19.
• Cauvery river rises on Brahmagiri Hill of Western Ghats in Karnataka, and flows through
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Cauvery basin is spread over 81,155 sq km in Karnataka (34,273 sq km), Tamil Nadu (43,856
sq km) and Kerala (2,866 sq km) and Union Territory of Puducherry (160 sq km).
74
Damodar River • Government of India, West Bengal Government and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
signed a loan agreement to improve irrigation services and flood management in Damodar
Valley Command Area in West Bengal.
• Damodar River flows through West Bengal and Jharkhand. Due to frequent and immense
flood damages, it was also called sorrow of Bengal.
• 5 dams were constructed in the Damodar Valley, namely, Maithon, Panchet, Konar, Tilaiya
and Tenughat and a barrage was constructed at Durgapur.
• Source: Palamau hills, Chota Nagpur Plateau (Jharkhand).
• Tributaries/subtributaries: Konar, Barakar, Haharo, Bokaro, Ghari, Jamunia, Khadia, Guaia
and Bhera.
Myristica swamps • These are tropical fresh water swamp forests with an abundance of Myristica trees, the
most primitive of the flowering plants on earth.
• These are endangered ecosystem restricted to small patches in Western Ghats.
• They play a key role in maintaining perennial stream flow and possess higher potential to
store carbon than nearby non-swamp forests.
• Threats they face: Shrinking duration of monsoon, change in land use pattern etc.
Fusarium wilt • Dubbed as ‘Banana COVID’, it is novel fungus strain that has devastated banana
Tropical Race 4 plantations across globe this year.
(TR4) • It cripples plantations by first attacking the leaves, which turn yellow from their trailing
edges before wilting away.
• It was first identified in Taiwan, and has spread from Asia to Middle East, Africa and Latin
America.
• India, world’s largest producer of bananas, is emerging as one of the hotspots.
Blue holes • Recently, Carbon more than 8,000 years old was found in World's deepest blue hole is
Yongle Blue Hole (South China Sea).
• Blue holes are deep, circular columns of water, inside oceans, that form when rainwater
dissolves a sink hole through limestone rock.
• Its waters are mostly isolated from the surrounding ocean and receive little fresh water
from rainfall, making it a spot to study the chemistry of oxygen-deprived marine
ecosystems.
75
More on the news Buildings Development’s (USAID) Market
• It proposes a Sustainable Recovery Initiative Integration and Transformation
Plan (SRP) that provides an Program for Energy Efficiency
integrated approach to support (MAITREE) program.
economic recovery and jobs while o MAITREE is a part US-India
improving the resiliency & bilateral Partnership between
sustainability of the energy system. Ministry of Power and USAID
• The IEA will hold a Ministerial-level aimed at accelerating the
Clean Energy Transition Summit in adoption of cost-effective
July and the SRP will be a key energy efficiency within
element informing discussions. buildings etc.
Sustainable • A High-Level Panel for a sustainable • Initiative will pioneer ways to make
Ocean Ocean Economy commissioned this workplaces healthier and greener.
Economy for report to examine the global net • It will address challenges of
2050 Report benefit of implementing retrofitting existing buildings and
sustainable, ocean-based air conditioning systems so that
interventions over a 30-year period they are both healthy and energy
(2020-2050). efficient.
About High Level panel for ‘#iCommit’ • Ministry of Power initiated the
Sustainable Economy (Ocean Panel) initiative ‘#iCommit’ campaign, on the
• It is a unique initiative of 14 serving occasion of World Environment
world leaders building momentum Day.
towards a sustainable ocean • It calls upon all stakeholders and
economy, where effective individuals to continue moving
protection, sustainable production towards energy efficiency,
and equitable prosperity go hand-in- renewable energy, and
hand. sustainability to create a robust and
o India is not a member. resilient energy system in the
• It is supported by the UN Secretary- future.
General's Special Envoy for the • It will be led by Energy Efficiency
Ocean. Services Limited (EESL).
• It was established in 2018 and has • The ‘#iCommit’ initiative is centred
been working with government, around the idea of building an
business, financial institutions, the energy resilient future.
science community and civil society.
• It aims to provide pragmatic 4.5. CONSERVATION AND
solutions across policy, BIODIVERSITY
governance, technology and
finance, and ultimately develop an
action agenda for transitioning to a 4.5.1. CONSERVATION INITIATIVES
sustainable ocean economy.
Virtual Water • Recently, some experts have 4.5.1.1. CENTRAL ZOO AUTHORITY
suggested virtual water trade as (RECONSTITUTED)
one of the alternatives to ensure
sustainable water consumption. • Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest
About Virtual Water and Climate Change has reconstituted the
• Virtual water (VW) is the water Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to include an
‘embodied’ in a product, not in real expert from the School of Planning and
sense, but in virtual sense. It refers Architecture, Delhi, and a molecular biologist.
to the water needed to produce a o Now, it consists Union Minister of
product. Environment, Forest and Climate Change
• Virtual water trade (VWT) refers to as Chairperson, 10 members and a
the import and export of hidden Member Secretary
water in the form of products such
• The CZA is a statutory body under the Ministry
as crop products, textiles,
machinery and livestock — all of of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It
which require water for their was constituted in 1992 under the Wildlife
production. (Protection) Act, 1972.
Healthy and • Launched by: Energy Efficiency • Functions Of CZA
Energy Services Limited in partnership with o Evaluate and assess the functioning of the
Efficient U.S. Agency for International zoos;
69
o To recognize or derecognize zoos; ✓ It will help to set the data collection
o To identify endangered species of wild protocols, data transmission pipelines
animals for purposes of captive breeding and data visualization tools.
and assigning responsibility in this regard ✓ It will enable preparation of Action
to a zoo; Plans for mitigation of conflicts.
o To coordinate the acquisition, exchange
and loaning of animals for breeding 4.5.1.4. SUKHNA LAKE DECLARED AS
purpose; WETLAND
o To provide technical and other assistance • Chandigarh Wetlands Authority issued a
to zoos for their proper management and notification for the declaration of Sukhna Lake
development on scientific lines. as a wetland under Wetland (Conservation
4.5.1.2. NEW RULES TO REGULATE EXOTIC and Management) Rule 2017 (Wetland Rules).
ANIMAL TRADE o Sukhna Lake is a man-made lake in
Chandigarh built-in 1958. It is situated at
• MoEFCC has issued an advisory to streamline foothills of Shivalik Hills and was designed
the process of importing and possessing exotic to collect runoff water from the Hills.
live species in India. o Earlier, the lake was also declared a living
o Exotic live species are both plants and entity/legal person.
animals that are moved from their source • List of wetlands in India is developed based on
(original) habitat to a new one mainly due wetlands definition of the Ramsar Convention
to human intervention. (ratified by India).
• New rules • Wetland Rules, 2017 were notified under
o Owners and possessors of such animals provisions of Environment (Protection) Act,
and birds must also register their stock 1986 to protect wetlands across the country.
with Chief Wildlife Warden of their States. o Wetlands can be notified by Centre, State
✓ Currently, Directorate-General of and UT Administration.
Foreign Trade oversees its trade. o It gives states/UTs powers to keep a watch
o Wildlife Department will prepare an on prohibited activities.
inventory of such species and have right to
inspect facilities of such traders. 4.5.1.5. MAHARASHTRA BECOMES THE
o Exotic live species will mean animals FIRST INDIAN STATE TO DECLARE STATE
named under Appendices I, II and III of the MANGROVE TREE AS SYMBOL OF
Convention on International Trade in CONSERVATION
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
• Recently, Sonneratia alba or mangrove apple,
Flora (CITES). It will not include species
an evergreen mangrove species found along
from Schedules of the Wildlife (Protection)
the Maharashtra’s coastline, was approved as
Act,1972.
state mangrove tree.
✓ CITES is a legally binding international
o It grows on newly formed mudflats and
agreement to protect plants and
play an important role in combating land
animals.
erosion.
4.5.1.3. HUMAN ELEPHANT CONFLICT (HEC) o Distribution of this mangrove species is
MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES confined to west coast and some parts of
Orissa.
• HEC are driven by various factors such as • A mangrove ecosystem is the interface
elephant density, human density, natural between terrestrial forests and aquatic
resource availability, extent of forest cover, marine ecosystems. They are salt-tolerant
crop-raiding and habitat disturbance etc. vegetation that grows in intertidal regions of
o India has more than 60 % of Asian rivers and estuaries.
elephants (IUCN status: Endangered) • Recently, United Nations Environment
population with Karnataka having the Programme’s Nairobi Convention has
highest number of wild elephants. developed Guidelines on Mangrove
• Initiatives launched by MoEF& CC Ecosystem Restoration for the Western Indian
o Surakhsya, a National portal for collection Ocean Region.
of real time information & also for o Guidelines aim to support the restoration
managing HEC on a real time basis. of its degraded mangrove ecosystems and
70
support recovery from the economic (Protection) Act, 1986 and
impacts of COVID-19. Rules made thereunder.
o Nairobi Convention aims to promote a First Snow • It will be opened in Uttarkashi
prosperous Western Indian Ocean region leopard forest division in Uttarakhand.
with healthy rivers, coasts, and oceans. conservation • Conservation centre will be built
Centre by Uttarakhand forest
India is not part of this convention.
department along with United
4.5.2. FORESTS AND CONSERVATION Nations Development
Programme as part of its
SITES IN NEWS project, SECURE Himalayas.
• IUCN status of snow leopard:
India’s first • It has been setup in Kumaon’s
lichen park Vulnerable.
Munsiyari area, Uttarakhand.
Shivalik forest • Uttar Pradesh is considering the
• It has been developed with an
proposal to turn Shivalik forest
aim to conserve, protect, and
into tiger reserve.
cultivate lichens and to create
• Shivalik forest constitutes the
awareness among locals
northern tip of UP and located
regarding their importance.
at the foothills of the Shivalik
• Lichen is a composite organism
range.
that emerges from algae or
o It connects four States,
cyanobacteria living among the
Himachal Pradesh,
filaments of fungi.
Uttarakhand, Haryana and
o They are in symbiotic
Uttar Pradesh.
relationship between
• Currently, UP has 3 tiger
algae and fungi.
reserves: Amangarh, Pilibhit
o They need clean air to grow
and Dudhwa tiger reserves.
as they perish when the air
is polluted.
Papum • Satellite data pointed to
Reserve Forest alarming deforestation rates in
Gangotri • It is situated in Uttarkashi
Papum Reserve Forest (PRF).
National Park district, Uttarakhand in the
o PRF is a nesting habitat of
upper catchment of Bhagirathi
three hornbills species:
River
Great, Wreathed and
• Gangotri glacier, the origin of
Oriental Pied.
river Ganga, is located inside
o PRF is located between
Gangotri National Park.
Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary
• It is typical of high-altitude
(east) and Pakke Wildlife
ecosystems, with decisive
Sanctuary (west) in
influence from Trans Himalayan
Arunanchal Pradesh.
elements in both physical and
• Hornbills are referred to as
biological characteristics.
‘forest engineers’ or ‘farmers
• Recently, Uttarakhand allowed of forest’ for playing a key role
forest land transfer in Gangotri
in dispersing seeds of tropical
National Park for development
trees.
of roads to make movement of
o India has
ITBP personnel near China
nine hornbill species, of
border. which four are found in
Zonal Master • Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone Western Ghats.
Plan (ZMP) for (ESZ) from Gaumukh to Dibru- • Committee formed by the
Bhagirathi Uttarakashi was notified in 2012. Saikhowa National Green Tribunal (NGT)
Eco-Sensitive It mandated the Uttarakhand National Park has faulted Oil India Limited for
Zone government to prepare ZMP.
fire breakout in May 2020 in
(Uttarakhand) • ZMP is based on watershed Assam.
approved approach and includes • It also found that fire breakout
governance in the area of forest
has led to extensive damage to
and wildlife, watershed both Maguri-Motapung
management, irrigation, wetland and Dibru-Saikhowa
energy, tourism etc.
National Park.
• ESZs are declared around o Maguri-Motapung
protected areas through wetland, a spot known for
Notification under the avian and aquatic species is
provisions of Environment located towards the south
of the Oil well.
71
• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, o After each of these extinctions, it took
a biodiversity hotspot and millions of years to regain species.
biosphere reserve, is also • According to a new research, ongoing sixth
located around two kilometres mass extinction may be one of the most
in the north.
serious environmental threats to persistence
Nagarahole • Forest department will place a
of civilization as loss of species will be
National Park traffic monitoring mechanism
(NNP) for roads adjacent to NNP (also
permanent.
known as Rajiv Gandhi National o It is referred to as Anthropocene
Park) to ensure better extinction.
compliance of forest laws by o This extinction is human-caused and is
motorists and minimise road more immediate than climate destruction.
kills. o 400 vertebrate species went extinct in last
• NNP is located in Kodagu and century, extinctions that would have
Mysore District of Karnataka.. taken over 10,000 years in normal course
• Nagarahole River flows of evolution.
through the park and gradually
o There will be more pandemics if we
joins the Kabini River which also
continue destroying habitats and trading
is a boundary between
Nagarahole and Bandipur wildlife.
• Bandipur, Mudumalai & o Suggested complete ban on wildlife trade.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary are Related information
adjacent to NNP. Hangenberg crisis
Periyar Tiger • It falls in Idukki, Kottayam and • Earth suffered an intense loss of species diversity
Reserve Pathanamthitta districts of (around 359 million years ago) that lasted for at
Kerala. least 300,000 years.
• It is situated in the Cardamom • The event is thought to have been caused by long-
Hills and Pandalam Hills of the lasting ozone depletion, which would have
Southern Western Ghats. allowed much more of the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV)
• Major portion of the Reserve radiation to reach and harm life on Earth.
forms catchment of the river
Periyar and the rest that of
river Pamba.
• Species found here includes the
Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger,
Indian Bison, Sambar Deer,
Indian Wild Dog, Barking Deer,
Smooth-Coated Otter etc.
4.5.3. SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION

Why in news?
A recent research has suggested that Sixth mass
extinction could be the most serious
environmental problem that we encounter.
More on news
• Mass extinction refers to a substantial
increase in degree of extinction or when Earth
loses more than three-quarters of its species in
a geologically short period of time.
• So far there have been five mass extinctions
(refer infographics), in last 450 million years,
that have led to destruction of 70-95% of 4.5.4. FLORA AND FAUNA IN NEWS
species of plants, animals and
microorganisms that existed earlier. 4.5.4.1. KAZI 106F (GOLDEN TIGER)
o These were caused by events such as
• It is India’s only Golden Tiger found in
massive volcanic eruptions, depletion of
Kaziranga National Park of Assam.
oceanic oxygen or collision with an
asteroid.
72
• A golden tiger, also called tabby tiger or o It is one of the few species that come to
strawberry tiger, is a tiger with a color India in the summer.
variation caused by a recessive gene. o IUCN status: Least Concern
o The yellow skin of tigers is controlled by a
set of ‘agouti genes’ while the black 4.5.4.3. OTHER FLORA AND FAUNA IN NEWS
stripes are controlled by ‘tabby genes’ and Asiatic Lion • According to 2020 census,
their alleles. Suppression of any of these there are an estimated 674
genes may lead to color variation in a tiger. Asiatic lions (increased by 29%
• Golden tigers are characterized by blonde or in last 5 years) in Gir forest
pale-golden color and reddish stripes in place region, Gujarat and other
of black like in normal tigers. revenue areas of coastal
Saurashtra.
• Concerns: Their rare skin tone is a result of
• Asiatic Lions are found in Gir
excessive inbreeding.
forest of Gujarat.
o Inbreeding is defined as the probability of • IUCN status: Endangered
two alleles in an individual being identical • Threats: poaching, large forest
by descent and is normally the result of fires etc.
mating related individuals. • Asiatic lions and African lions
o It can increase the chances of offspring are subspecies of the same
being affected by deleterious or recessive species. Asiatic lions are slightly
traits. smaller than African lions (IUCN
• Tigers resort to inbreeding when their status: Vulnerable).
population is almost islanded without Polar bears • A new study has found that
connectivity to other landscapes, which is polar bears could become
extinct by 2100 unless
mainly caused by habitat loss and destruction
greenhouse gas emissions are
of corridors. reduced.
Other Tiger Reserves in Assam are Manas National o Rising global temperatures,
Park, Orang National Park & Nameri National Park. due to carbon emissions,
have caused large amounts
4.5.4.2. PIED CUCKOO of Arctic sea ice to melt,
• Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Institute of leaving polar bears with
Remote Sensing and Department of smaller habitats to sustain
themselves on.
Biotechnology have begun a study of the
• Polar bears rely on Arctic sea
migration of pied cuckoo from Africa to India
ice to hunt for seals and have
and back. long been a symbol of the
o It is done by tagging two of the birds with impacts of the climate crisis.
satellite transmitters. • IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• This is for the first time that a bird species is Gaur or Indian • First population estimation
being tagged to understand its relationship Bison exercise of the Indian gaur was
with climate patterns like change in monsoon carried out in the Nilgiris Forest
winds, erratic rainfall, seasonal fluctuations, Division in recent years.
etc o It has revealed that more
o Arrival of the pied cuckoos has than an estimated 2,000
Indian gaurs inhabit the
traditionally been seen as onset of the
entire division.
monsoon.
• Gaur is the world’s largest and
• Study is part of a larger project -Indian tallest bovine. It is native to
Bioresource Information Network (IBIN), Indian Subcontinent.
funded by Department of Biotechnology. • IUCN status: Vulnerable
o IBIN is proposed to be a single portal data Dhole (Asiatic • Karnataka, Maharashtra and
provider on India's bioresource - plant, Wild Dog) Madhya Pradesh rank high in
animal, marine, spatial distribution and the conservation of the
microbial resources. endangered dhole, according
• About Pied Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus or to a study.
Jacobin Cuckoo) • Dholes play an important role
as apex predators in forest
o There are two populations of Pied Cuckoo
ecosystems. Besides the tiger,
found in India- southern part (resident) dhole is the only large carnivore
and North and Central India (migratory).
73
in India that is under the IUCN’s • It has a wingspan of 194 mm.
‘endangered’ category. Woolly whitefly • It is an invasive exotic pest of
• Dhole is found in a wide variety Caribbean-origin that feeds on
of habitat types, including various kinds of food
deciduous and evergreen (polyphagous).
forests and alpine steppe. India • It spread from the Caribbean
perhaps supports the highest Island through transportation
number of dholes in the world. of infested seedlings.
Band-tail • Fish is called ‘scorpionfish’ • In 2019, it was recorded from
scorpionfish because its spines contain guava plantations in Kozhikode
(Scorpaenospsis neurotoxic venom. district of Kerala, Ramanagara,
neglecta) found • It can change colour and blend Mandya and Bengaluru Rural
in Gulf of Mannar with its surrounding districts of Karnataka and
environment to escape from Coimbatore district of Tamil
predators and while preying. Nadu.
• It is distributed in Indian and • Recently, two types of ladybird
South Pacific Oceans. beetles are found to be the
• This was the first time this biological weapons against this
particular species was found pest.
live in the Indian waters. Coccolithophore • These are single-celled algae
Narcondam • This bird is endemic to the s living in the upper layers of the
hornbill Narcondam Island (volcanic world's oceans.
(Rhyticeros island) in Andamans. o They calcify marine
narcondami) o Narcondam Island has been phytoplankton that
identified as an Important produces up to 40% of open
Bird Area by BirdLife ocean calcium carbonate and
International and the Bombay responsible for 20% of the
Natural History Society. global net marine primary
• These are frugivores that productivity.
primarily eat fruits and berries. o In the process they help in
• IUCN status: Endangered removing carbon dioxide
Gynandromorph • Gynandromorphs are individual from atmosphere and ocean.
s animals that have both • A recent study has found that
genetically male and female increase in algae known as
tissues and often have diatoms has decreased in
observable male and female calcium carbonate
characteristics. concentration in Southern
• They may be bilateral, Indian Ocean which will affect
appearing to divide down the the growth of
middle into male and female coccolithophores.
sides, or they may be mosaic, Ophiocordyceps • It is a fungus (also known as
with patches characteristic of sinensis Himalayan Viagra) that is now
both the sexes. categorized as vulnerable
• Gynandromorphs occur in species in IUCN’s red list. It
insects, spiders, crustaceans, faces threats like –
and other arthropods as well as Overharvesting, Habitat loss
in birds, but they are extremely and climate change.
rare. • It is a caterpillar fungus
• It is recently documented in a endemic to the Himalayan and
dragonfly in Kerala. Tibetan plateau.
Golden Birdwing • It is a Himalayan butterfly and o In India, it is primarily found
(Troides aeacus) India’s largest butterfly. in Pithoragarh and Chamoli
Before this Southern districts of Uttarakhand
Birdwing was the largest for o Locally known as Kira Jari (in
past 88 years. India).
• While the female Golden • It is used widely as tonic,
Birdwing was recorded from therapeutic medicine for lung,
Didihat in Uttarakhand, the liver and kidney and as
largest male was from the aphrodisiac.
Wankhar Butterfly Museum in
Shillong (Meghalaya).
74
4.5.5. OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS • It is an integral part of Sahyadri-
Konkan wildlife corridor.
National • It was launched by Ministry of
Transit Pass Environment for issuing transit 4.6. MISCELLANEOUS
System permits for timber, bamboo and
other forest produce. 4.6.1. AERIAL SEEDING
• It generates Pan India Transit
Passes facilitating seamless Why in news?
movement of forest produce across
India and improving ease of doing Recently, Haryana had started aerial seeding
business. across the state on a pilot basis.
o Earlier transit passes issued by one
More on news
state were not honored in other
states. • The technique was employed to improve
• It will replace manual paper-based green cover in Aravalli area of Faridabad.
transit system by online transit • Recently, Ecological degradation in the
system.
Aravalli region has become an alarming
Okavango • Recently, a high number of
situation due to issues like increasing
Delta, elephant carcasses were found in
Botswana
urbanization, illegal mining activities,
the Okavango Delta area. Now
government has declared that uncontrolled grazing and felling of trees,
cause of death is not known. unfavorable climatic conditions etc.
o Botswana has the world's largest About Aerial seeding
elephant population, estimated at
130,000. • Aerial seeding is a plantation technique
• Delta is in north-west Botswana wherein seed balls are sprayed on the pre-
comprises permanent marshlands determined location using aerial devices,
and seasonally flooded plains. including planes, helicopters or drones.
o It is an interior delta system that
o These pellets sprout when there is enough
do not flow into a sea or ocean.
rain, with nutrients present within them
o It is declared as UNESCO World
Heritage as well as a Ramsar site. helping in initial growth.
Coral • It is a marine area located in the o Seed balls are seeds covered with a
Triangle western Pacific Ocean described as mixture of clay, compost, char and other
world's epicentre of marine components.
diversity. • Species selected have to be native to the area
• It includes waters of Indonesia, and hardy, with seeds that are of an
Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua appropriate size for preparing seedballs and
New Guinea, Timor Leste and have to have a higher survival percentage.
Solomon Islands.
• It houses nearly 600 different What are the advantages of aerial seeding?
species of reef-building corals.
• The technique proves to be beneficial in areas
• It is one of 3 mega ecological
complexes on Earth, together with that have slopes and are inaccessible,
Congo Basin and Amazon fragmented or have no routes.
Rainforest. • It requires no attention after seed balls are
Global Forest • The report is released by the Food dispersed on the ground as they are already
Resources and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sown and surrounded by nutrients.
Assessment • Assessment is done every five years • The clay shell of these pellets in the mixture
2020 since 1990. This report assesses the also protects them from birds, ants and rats.
state of forests, their conditions and
management for all member 4.6.2. NATIONAL COMMODITY &
countries.
DERIVATIVES EXCHANGE (NCDEX)
• FAO is a specialized agency of the
United Nations. Why in news?
Tillari • Tillari conservation reserve is
Conservation located near the border of Recently, NCDEX has highlighted that it will publish
Reserve Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, two weather-sensitive indices.
connecting Mhadei Wildlife
Sanctuary in Goa and Bhimgad
Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka.
75
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.
35
DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH | GUWAHATI © Vision IAS
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.
36
© Vision IAS DELHI | JAIPUR | PUNE | HYDERABAD | AHMEDABAD | LUCKNOW | CHANDIGARH | GUWAHATI
• 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.
37
• 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.
38
• 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.
39
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.
40
• 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.
• 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.
41
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.
42
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%.
43
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).
44
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 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.
46
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
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• 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.
50
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.
54
• 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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
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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.
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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.

3.1.12. PROTECTED AREAS

3.1.13. TIGER RESERVES, WILDLIFE SANCTUARY IN NEWS

3.1.14. OTHER FAUNA & FLORA IN NEWS

IUCN and IUCN Red List Criteria

3.1.15. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES IN INDIA

3.2. FORESTS About ISFR

3.2.1. INDIA STATE OF FORESTS • FSI undertakes biennial assessment of

Some findings in FRA 2020

Why in news? • It is the process of assisting the recovery of an

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 4.5.5.3. ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES

4.5.6. VARIOUS CONSERVATIONS EFFORTS/NATIONAL PARKS/INTERNATIONAL

• GRACE-FO is a mission of NASA and German

4.5.3. SIXTH MASS EXTINCTION

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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