Environment Gen Prelims Notes

Important International Events

Earth Day => 22 April
Coordinated globally by Earth Day Network
UNESCO conference in San Francisco, 1969
Earth Hour => 8:30-9:30pm (last Saturday of March)
By WWF - switch off non-essential lights for one hour
Started as a lights off event in Sydney in 2007
Now, 7000 cities across 172 countries
International Day of Biological Diversity => 22 May
By UN
To increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues
World Environment Day => 5 June
By UN
Encouraging worldwide awareness and action for envt protection
Int Day For Preservation of Ozone Layer => 16 Sept
by UNGA - commemorating signing of montreal protocol, 1987
Int Day of Forests => 21 March
By UNGA
Seretariat of UN Forum on Forests + FAO
World Habitat Day => first Monday of Oct
By UN
1986

INDIA FOREST ACTS

Indian Forest Act, 1927
To consolidate and reserve the areas having forest cover, or significant wildlife
To regulate movement and transit of forest produce, and duty on timber and other
forest produce
Rules for declaring an area as: -
Reserved Forest,
Protected Forest,
Village Forest
Detailed definition of what a forest offence is and penalties for violation
National Forest Policy, 1952
Aimed 33% forest and tree cover in India
National Forest Policy, 1988
Joint Forest Management (JFM) - Forest dept + Forest communities
JFM has no statutory sanction => only mentioned in policy
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
Animal Welfare Board - chaired by person of extensive knowledge in animal welfare
(Rukmini Devi Arundale => first chair)
First of its kind to be estd by any govt in world
Committee for Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experimentation on Animals
(CPCSEA) => nodal authority to grant permission for conducting experiments on
animals

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Forest Conservation Act, 1980
To consolidate law related to forest, transit of forest produce and duty leviable on
timber and other forest produce
Prior approval of Central Govt => required for diversion of forestlands for non-
forest purposes
Forest Advisory Committee - recently approved Green Credit Scheme
4 categories of Forest - Reserved, Protected, Village, Private Forests
Gave concept of Compensatory Afforestation => Company diverting forest land
must provide alternative non-forest land equal to size of forest diverted, for
compensatory afforestation - State govt must take approval of central govt for
diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes =>
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
SC advised to set up CAMPA in 2001 under chairmanship of Minister of
MoEFCC => estd in 2006
National CAMPA and State CAMPA
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016
To establish National CAF under Public A/c of India (will receive 10%
funds) and State CAF under Public A/c of state (90% funds)
Funds CANNOT be used for -
Leasing & purchase of land for afforestation purpose
Estd, expand, upgrade zoo & wildlife safari etc
States which have forest area >75% => need not provide non-
forest land for compensatory afforestation
Receive funds for -
Compensatory afforestation
Net present value of forests
Other project specific payments
Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Rules 1973 and Amendment 1991
State wildlife advisory board
Central Zoo Authority, NTCA, National Board for Wildlife, f
National Board for Wildlife
PM is chairperson
Vice Chairman - Envt Minister
No alteration of boundary of NP and WS can be done without
approval of NBW
Central Zoo Authority
Statutory body under MoEFCC estd in 1992 under WPA Amendment
of 1991
Chairman - Envt Minister
National Zoo Policy, 1998 - gives proper direction and thrust to
management by gathering cooperation and participation of all
concerned
NTCA
Chairman - Envt minister
Estd following recc of Tiger Task Force
Constituted by PM for reorganized management of Project Tiger
and many tiger reserves
Formed by 2006 amendment

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF)
Under WPA, 1972 => States required to constitute TCF
Promote eco-tourism with involvement of local stakeholders
Economic, social dev in tiger reserves
Mobilise financial resources to foster dev in TRs
Protection of hunting rights of STs in A&N islands
Regulation for hunting wild animals and birds
Captive breeding programme for critically endangered
Estd of WS and NP => by central and state govt
Central Govt => can add/remove species from the 6 schedules of WPA,1972
Regulation in trade of wild animals, animal products and trophies
6 schedules
Schedule I - absolute protectcion (almost all IUCN Red List animals)
Schedule II part 2 - absolute protection
Schedule III and IV - protection with lesser penalties
Schedule V - includes animals that can be hunted
Schedule VI - cultivation and planting of protected plants (added in 1991)
Vermin - Wild mammals and birds which are harmful or carry disease => any animal EXCEPT
those listed in Schedule I and Schedule II Part 2 can be declared vermin by listing in
Schedule V for a specific period (common crow, fruit bat, mice and rats)
State Govt sends list of animals to Centre requesting to declare vermin for selective
slaughter => Notified by Central Govt - NOT State govt
Eg. Center approved culling of Nilgai and Wild Boar in Bihar and Rhesus Monkey in
HP by declaring them as vermins
Notified 4 protected areas -
Sanctuaries - State or central govt may notify -> govt determines nature and extent
of rights of persons
NP - state or central govt may declare an area NP for
State govt cannot alter boundary of NP except on recc of National Board of
Wildlife
No grazing allowed
Consevation Reserves - State govt after consultaion with local communities may
declare govt owned areas (generally around NP/WS)
Community Reserves - State govt after consultation with community or individual
volunteering declare private community land
Nagaland - highest number
Tiger Reserve - State govt on recc NTCA may notify

Biodiversity Act, 2002

Regulating access to biological resources so as to ensure equitable sharing of
benefits arising from their use
To protect India's rich biodiversity and associated knowledge against their use by
foreign individuals and organizations without sharing benefits arising out of such
use and to check biopiracy
Setting up bodies at 3 levels -
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), 2003 - statutory autonomous body
under MoEFCC

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 power of civil court
All foreigners require approval of NBA for transferring results of
research wrt any biological resource to foreign nationals
Monetary fee as a result of approval by NBA will be deposited in
National Biodiversity Fund
Required for decision making process on -
Issues on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)
Mandated to regulate the use of India's biological resource
No requirement for Indians to seek permission for
carrying out research in India
Permission from NBA required for -
When results are shared with foreigner/NRI
When intellectual property protection is sought on
Indian biological resources
Prior approval of NBA is not needed for
patent for research on human genetic
material tho
State Biodiversity Boards
Permission needed when results from research using country's
biodiversity to be commercialized
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in local bodies
To prepare, maintain and validate People's Biodiversity register in
consultation with local people
Preserve and promote local biodiversity
Forest Rights Act, 2006
Restitution of deprived forest rights => integrating conservation and livelihood
rights of people
MoTribalAffairs => decides habitat rights
Recognizes the customary forest rights & occupation in forest land of forest dwelling
ST and other traditional forest dwellers (OTFDs)
Individual Right => own upto 4 ha of forest land/habitation/farms
Community Right => community will have rights over common forest land
Gram Sabha => determine nature and extent of rights
Critical Wildlife Habitats (CWH)
MoEFCC prescribes guidelines for CWH - protected areas required to be
kept inviolate (no human settlement or usage) for wildlife conservation
National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
To handle expeditious disposal of cases pertaining to envt issues
Art 21 - Right to Healthy envt
Mandated to dispose case within 6 months
Original jurisdiction on matters of substantial question on envt
Appeal lies with SC (within 90 days)
Follows Principles of Natural Justice => NOT bound by procedure laid down under
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and India Evidence Act, 1972
Legislations under NGT-
Water Act, 1974
Estd CPCB
Water Cess Act, 1977

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Forest Conservation Act, 1980
Air Act, 1981
Air pollutant released by ship/aircraft doesn't come under purview
of act
Noise included as air pollutant - 1087 amendment
Noise now dealt with under Noise Pollution Rules, 2000
Envt Act, 1986
Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
Biological Diversity Act, 2002

Doesn’t include WPA,1972 ; Indian Forest Act, 1927; FRA, 2006 etc
Structure -
10 Judicial members (serving or retd judge of HC or SC) + 10 Expert members
currently (Act allows upto 20 each)
Chairman - serving or retd Chief Justice of HC, or judge of SC => appointed by Govt
in consultation with CJI
Term - 5 yrs -> NO reappointment
NGT Benches
2 or more members (1 judicial, 1 environmental expert)
Animal Welfare Board of India, 1960
Estd by Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
Advises central govt on animal welfare laws
Under MoFisheries,AnimalHusbandry&Dairying
Rukmani Devi Arundale => instrumental in setting up this board

State Of Forest Report, 2019

By Forest Survey of India (FSI) - biennial - this was 16th report
FSI was estd in 1981
Satellite data (ResourceSat-II) also
Tropical Dry Decidous Forest => most abundant
24.56% of area (80mn ha) => total forest area (21.6%) and tree cover (2.9%)
Increase of 0.5%
Very Dense Forest (VDF) {Canopy density>70%) => increased
Forest Cover
AREA wise : MP>Arunachal>CG>Orissa>MH
PERCENT wise : Mizoram (85%) > Arunachal (79%) > Meghalaya (76%) >
Manipur (75%) > Nagaland (75%)
Lowest - Haryana (state), Ladakh (UT)
Forest cover of NE states has mostly decreased from 2017 - because
of shifting cultivation (except Assam and Tripura)
Tree Cover - MH>MP>Raj
Mangrove cover = 4,975 sqkm (has increased by 54sqkm)
WB > Guj>A&N
Bamboo = 16Mn ha (increased)
MP> MH> Arunachal > Orissa
India has highest area under Bamboo
India has 2nd highest Bamboo specied diversity (after China)
Wetlands - 62,000 => 3.8% of area

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Gujarat > WB
Carbon Stock - 7,100 Mn tonnes (increase from 2017)
Soil Organic Carbon => 56% of India's carbon stock in forests
Arunachal Pradesh>MP>CG>MH => highest carbon stock
Biodiversity - Karnataka - max species richness for trees
Major reason for biodiversity loss are biotic pressures like -
Invasive species
Climate change
Forest fire
First ever attempt for rapid assessment of biodiversity for all states and UTs
(except 2) for all 16 forest group
Shanon-Wienner Index => species richness calculated for each forest group
in each state and UT
Most Forest Fire incidents in NE states
Forest Cover - more than 1 ha and >10% canopy - showed decline
Tree Cover - Tree patches outside recorded forest areas and less than 1 ha
(minimum mapping area) - part of TOF
Tree outside Forest (TOF) - trees outside recorded forest area in form of
block, linear or scattered patches - showed increase - Highest TOF in
Maharashtra
State of India's Birds 2020
First such report released during CMS COP13 in gandhinagar
Prepared by 10 orgs - WWF, Wildlife Institute of India, National Biodiversity
Authority - India
Based on Citizen Science - birdwatchers - by app eBird by Cornell and customised by
Bird Count India
Nearly 80% bird species are declining since 2000
Birds in WG - declined by 75% since 2000
Indian Peafowl (national bird) => dramatic increase => under Schedule 1 of WPA,
1972
China, US, Russia, Japan, South east Asia (except phillipines) => NOT
MEMBERS
State of Climate of India during 2019
By IMD
2019 was 7th warmest year on record (2016 warmest)
Avg temp increased by 0.36C
Cyclones in Arabian Sea > Cyclones in BoB
CENSUS
Population Census - Every 10 years - 2021 census will be 16th
Livestock Census - 5 years
Agriculture Census - 5 years
By MoAgri
Carried out as Central Sector Scheme
Forest Survey - 2 years
Tiger Census - 4 years
Lion Census - 5 year (14th Asiatic Lion Census, 2015 -> 523 lions, increased from
2010)
Elephant Census - 5 years

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Rhino Census - 3 years
20th Livestock Census, 2018
In both rural and urban areas
By Dept of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under
MoFisheries,Animalhusbandry&Dairying
First census in 1919-20 => every 5 years
Livestock pop -
2007 - 529Mn
2012 - 512 Mn (decreased)
2019 - 535Mn
Cattle > Goat > Buffalo > Sheep > Pigs
UP > Raj > MP > WB
Pop of Cow increased, Pop of Oxen decreased
Pop of poultry increased a lot
Covered various animals - dogs, elephants, yaks, horse, rabbit etc, and poultry birds

Tiger
Tiger IUCN - Endangered
International Initiatives
St. Petersberg Declaration, 2010 - to double tiger pop by 2022 (India did it
by 2018 -2967 tigers i.e. 75% of global tiger pop)
Tx2 - by WWF - to double tiger pop in 13 Tiger range countries
CA/TS (Conservation Assured Tiger Standards) - Accrerdition scheme to
maintain standards of TRs in countries
Global Tiger Forum, 1993 - New Delhi, intergovernmental body of all 13
tiger range countries
Project Tiger, 1973
Jim Corbett (1st); Orang, Assam (49th) and Kamlang, Arunachal (50th)
National Tiger Conservation Authority, 2005 - oversees Project Tiger and Tiger
Reserves - formed on recc of Tiger Task Force - setup under WPA, 1972
28 tiger reserves in 2006 => 50 in 2018
In principle approval given to -
Ratnapani, MP
Sundabeda, Orissa
Guru Ghasidas, CG

Tiger pop - MP> Karnataka>Uttarakhand (Jim Corbett has max tigers)

6 tiger reserves in MP-
Kanha
Pench
Bandhavgarh
Sanjay Dubri
Bori-Satpura
Panna - Ken River
Tiger Census, 2018
Tiger census held every 4 years by NTCA and WII (first in 2006)

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 2010 - St. Petersberg Tiger Summit - agreement to double tiger pop in country by
2022 => India did it by 2018 (currently - 2967)
Area occupied by tigers => Decreased
Top 4 states -
MP - 526
Karnataka - 524
UK - 442
MH - 312
Jim Corbett NP - most tigers (231) + highest density
Decline in tigers in 2 states => CG, Mizoram (Dampa Tiger Reserve = 0 tigers)
Constant Tiger in Orissa
Increment in Tigers - All other states
No tigers found in -> Dampa (mizoram), Pulamao (jharkhand), Buxa (WB) reserves
Tech used -
M-STrIPES - software based monitoring system by NTCA+WII
CaTRAT (Camera Trap Data Repository and Analysis Tool) - image processing
software used for organizing and geotagging photo-captures
ExtractCompare for tigers and HotSpotter for leopard
SECR (Spatially explicit capture-recapture) - estimate pop density from
camera trap data
Cytochrome-b Marker - scat(droppings) samples collected to estimate min
number of tigers through genetic analysis
MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy models)
Best Managed TR -
Pench (MP) & Periyar (Kerala)
Sathyamangalam (TN) -> maximum improvement since 2014
5 subspecies of tiger in wild in world => Bengal, South China, Indochinese, Sumatran,
Siberian
3 subspecies extinct - Bali, Javan, caspian
White Tiger - NOT a separate sub-species : - due to lack of melanin => Not found in
wild in India => last captured in Rewa, MP
NTCA will reintroduce tigers in 3 TRs-
Satkosia, Orissa
Rajaji NP, UK
Buxa, WB
SATHYAMANGALAM WS and TR, TN => 30% increase in tiger => highest increment in
management of tiger reserve as per METER (Management Effectiveness Evaluation of
Tiger Reserves)
Near Moyar River (tributary of Bhawani River (tributary of Kaveri))
Pench TR, MP - best managed TR
Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Telangana - uranium exploration
Lies in Nallamala Hill
2nd largest TR after Nagarjunasagar Srisailam TR, Andhra Pradesh
Chenchus Tribe
Melghat TR, Maharashtra - Tapi river
Korku Tribes
Dry decidous

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Pakke/Pakhui Tiger Reserve, Arunchal Pradesh - has a Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme
Nameri Tiger Reserve, Assam - Northern Banks of Brahmaputra
Kaziranga TR, Assam - Southern Banks of Brahmaputra
Snow Leopard
2017 - IUCN downgraded its status from endangered to vulnerable
Appendix I of CITES and CMS
Found in - Kashmir, Ladakh, HP, UK, Sikkim, Arunachal (3000-5,400m altitude)
Only 7500 left in 12 countries of Central Asia - Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem
Prog (GSLEP)
Bishkek Declaration, 2017 - to protect snow leopard
SECURE 20 BY 2020
Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SLPAI)
Clouded Leopard National Park, Tripura => India's first dedicated wildlife park to clouded
leopard, inside Sipajijola WS
Clouded Leopard => found in North Eastern States (NOT HIMALAYAN STATES) - IUCN :
Vulnerable

Cheetah Reintroduction Project

Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary (MP) - has potential to hold Asiatic Cheetah, Lion,
Bengal Tiger and Indian Leopard - but now a woodland (not grassland anymore
=> so unsuitable for Cheetah)
Asiatic cheetah extinct in India in 1952 => Court had allowed re-introduction of
foreign Cheetahs (from Iran) into Kuno-Palpur WS in MP => now survives only in
Iran -> Iran refused
SC allowed center to introduce African Cheetah from Namibia
Another Potential Site - Nauradehi, MP => but competition from wolves - so site not
decided yet
IUCN : African Cheetah - Vulnerable; Asiatic Cheetah - Critically endangered

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PROJECTS

Project Tiger, 1973
1973 in Jim Corbett NP
Centrally Sponsored Scheme of MoEFCC
Administered by NTCA
Core-Buffer strategy
Core - no biotic disturbance, MFP collection not allowed etc,
Notified by State Govt in consultation with expert committee
Buffer - co-existence of humans, determined by Gram Sabha and
expert committee
Project Elephant, 1992
Centrally sponsored scheme
Elephant corridor - 88 in India
IUCN - Endangered
Surakshya Portal - national Portal for Human-Elephant conflicts
Karnataka > Assam > Kerala > TN
MIKE (under CITES) => monitoring of illegal killing of elephants
Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG)
Integral part of Species Survival Commission (SSC) of IUCN

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Provides scientifically-grounded evidence of the abundance,
distributions, and demographic status of Asian Elephant
populations
Gajah => journal of IUCN
Indian (One Horn) Rhino Vision, 2020
By Dept of Env and Forest, Assam - supported by WWF India, Int Rhino
foundation => increase to 3000 rhinos in Assam by 2020
Focus on translocations => Manas NP - first site of translocation
RHINO - 5 rhino species in world - 2 Africa (white, Black) and 3 in Asia
(Indian (vulnerable), Sumatran, Javan -(critically endangered )) - white,
black, sumatran have 2 horns
Indian Rhino => excellent swimmer - preferred habitat is alluvial flood plains
with tall grasslands along Himalayan foothills
Last Sumatran Rhino of Mayalsia died recently in 2019 - smallest of all rhino
species and only Asian Rhino with 2 horns. IUCN - Critically endangered
Project Snow Leopard, 2009
Centrally sponsored scheme
Sea Turtle Project, 1999
MoEFCC + UNDP with Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun => implementing
agency
Olive Ridley Turtles
IUCN : vulnerable, CITES Appendix 1
Smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles
Arribada => unique mass nesting on east coast in winters done by
Olive Ridley Turtle & Kemp Ridley turtle
Rushikulya Rookery on Orissa Coast => Olive Ridley Research
Centre
Gahirmatha

Black Softshell Turtle

Freshwater turtle native to lower Brahmaputra
Declared extinct in wild by IUCN as of 2002
Northern River Terrapin
WB, Sunderbans
Critically endangered
World's 2nd most endangered turtle
Impressed Tortoise => found in Arunachal Pradesh
IUCN - vulnerable

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Indian Star Tortoise
Threatened species in dry areas of India, Pakistan, SL
TN, Andhra, Orissa, Karnataka1dd
Exotic pet trade
IUCN - Vulnerable
Upgraded to CITES Appendix 1 => prohibiting international trade
Sal Forest Tortoise or Elongated Tortoise
>90% pop falls outside current protected area
IUCN - Critically Endangered
CITES Appendix II (NOT appendix I)

Turtle Rehabilitation Center, Bihar

Operation Oliva - by Coast Guard to ensure safe mid-sea sojourn of breeding Olive Ridley
sea turtles
Operation Save Kurma - species specific operation onTurtles by WCCB
Operation Kachhapa
Operation Turtshield - central programme launched in 2019 to protect endangered turtles
By WCCB + WB govt
Indian Crocodile Conservation Project
Focus on captive breeding
Gharial - Critically Endangered
Mugger - Vulnerable
Saltwater Croc - Least Concern
Project Hangul
Found in Dachigam NP, Kashmir
Critically Endangered
Project Dolphin
For BOTH river & Marine dolphins
Gangetic Dolphin
Inhabits Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal,
India and Bangladesh
Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sancturay, Bihar => only dolphin sanctuary in India
Among 4 "obligate" freshwater dolphins -
Gangetic
Baiji, Yangtze
Bhulan, Indus of Pakistan
Boto, Amazon
Protected by Indian Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972
IUCN - Endangered
Gangetic River Dolphin Census by WWF for Nature-India in collab with UP Forest
Dept
Ganges Shark
IUCN : Critically Endangered
Only found in rivers & estuaries
Dugong
Strictly herbivorous (aka sea-cow) => found throughout warm latitudes of Indian
and western Pacific oceans
Found near coastal habitats => seagrass meadows

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 World's only vegetarian marine mammal
IUCN - vulnerable
Asiatic Lion
Restricted to Gir NP and WS
Schedule 1 of WPA, 1972
Appendix 1 of CITES
Introduction in Kuno-Palanpur
IUCN : Endangered
Lion Census, 2020 (held every 5 years) = 647 lions
Lion population has been steadily increasing since 1990
Distribution area of lions has also increased from 2015 by 36%
Block Count Method used
Poonam Avlokan - lion enumeration methodology used this year since 15th
lion census was postponed due to COVID-19
Monthly exercise on every full moon every month
In-house exercise by Forest Dept
Direct sighting of lions
2 dozen lions died in 2019 due to Canine Distemper Virus (CVD) & Babesiosis
Great Hornbill
State bird of Arunachal Pradesh
Logo of Bombay Natural history Society
IUCN - Vulnerable
Black Necked Crane
Tibetan Plateau, Sikkim, Bhutan etc
IUCN - Vulnerable
Bengal Florican
Declared by CMS as Endangered Migratory Species (along with Great Indian
Bustard, Asian Elephant)
Doesn’t breed outside protected areas today
IUCN - Critically Endangered
Protected areas - Jaldapara NP, WB; Manas, Kaziranga, Pilhibit TR (UP), Dudhwa
(UP)
Great Indian Bustard
Only 130 birds left
Sites - Desert NP (raj), Naliya (guj), Warora (MH), Bellary (Karnataka)
Rajasthan has highest pop
Critically endangered
4 types of Bustards in India
Great Indian Bustard
Macqueen's Bustard
Bengal Florican
Lesser Florican
Vulture
4 critically endangered species of Vultures - ALL have seen continuous population
decline
Red headed
White backed
Slender Billed

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Long billed
Phansad WS, MH => India's 1st vulture restaurant
SAVE (Saving Asia's Vultures from Extinction) - consortium of 24 partners (eg
Bombay Natural history Society is one partner)
Vulture safe zones formed in Gujarat and Nepal
Diclofenac (given to cattle) => major cause of mortality
Bombay Natural history Society => Nationwide Vulture Survey every 4 years
sponsored by MoEFCC
Red Panda
IUCN - Endangered
State animal of Sikkim
Found in - Sikkim, Darjeeling, Meghalaya, Arunachal
2 types - Chinese Red Panda & Himalayan Red Panda
Giant Panda
IUCN - Vulnerable
Jerdon's Courser
Nocturnal bird only found in Eastern Ghats (Andhra Pradesh => Sri Lankamaleswara
WS)
IUCN - Critically Endangered
Gharial
IUCN - Critically endangered
National Chambal gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, MP
Saltwater Crocodile
IUCN - Least Concern
Bhitarkanika
Mugger
IUCN - Vulnerable
Aka Marsh crocodile
Freshwater habitats from Iran to India => Kerala, TN, Karnataka
Impressed Tortoise => found in Arunachal Pradesh
IUCN - vulnerable
Indian Star Tortoise
Threatened species in dry areas of India, Pakistan, SL
TN, Andhra, Orissa, Karnataka1dd
Exotic pet trade
IUCN - Vulnerable
Upgraded to CITES Appendix 1 => prohibiting international trade
Sal Forest Tortoise or Elongated Tortoise
>90% pop falls outside current protected area
IUCN - Critically Endangered
CITES Appendix II (NOT appendix I)
Asiatic Water Buffalo -
IUCN - Endangered
Schedule 1 of WPA, 1972
Pobitora WS, Assam (Mini Kaziranga => highest densities of Rhino in the world and
2nd highest number of one horned rhino after Kaziranga) => 2 asiatic water
buffaloes died due to Anthrax
Indian Bison (Gaur)

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Native to South Asia and SE Asia
World's Largest & tallest bovine
IUCN - Vulnerable , Appendix I of CITES, Schedule I of WPA 1972
Dhole (Asiatic wild dog)
IUCN - Endangered
Apex predator
Karnataka, MH, MP
Tamil Yeoman Butterfly
Endemic to WG has been declared as state butterfly of TN
TN -
State tree - palm
Bird - emerald dove
Flower - gloriosa
Animal - nilgiri tahr
Nilgiri Tahr
IUCN - Endangered
Schedule 1 WPA
Numbers increasing in recent times
Pangolins
Only mammals wholly covered in scales
Eats ants, termites - like scaly anteater - long tongues, no teeth
Most trafficked mammals in Asia => meat delicacy and scales used in traditional
medicine
Of the 8 species of pangolin - Indian Pangolin & Chinese Pangolin => found in India
Both listed under Schedule 1 part I of WPA, 1972
IUCN Red List -
Indian Pangolin - Endangered
Chinese Pangolin - Critically endangered
CITES Appendix 1
'Big Five' at CITES => Elephant, Rhino, Shark, Pangolin, Tiger
Hump-backed Mahseer
IUCN Red List status - Critically endangered
Recently got its scientific name assigned in 2018
Freshwater fish found in Kaveri
Blind Mahseer
World's largest subterranean (underground) fish -> found in caves of Meghalaya
Migratory species moving upstream during rains, prefers clean oxygenated waters
Asiatic Golden Cat
Not necessarily golden in colour (reddish brown in colour)
Native to NE Himalayas and SE Asia
IUCN status - Near Threatened
Fishing Cat
State Animal of WB
Found in Sundarbans & Western Ghats
IUCN - Vulnerable
Pygmy Hog
World's smallest pig
Only in Manas National park, Assam

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 IUCN - Endangered
Golden Langur
Endemic to West Assam and Bhutan
IUCN - Endangered
Chakrashila WS, Kokrajhar distt West Assam => golden langur as primary species
Golden Langur has become first non-human beneficiary of MGNREGA (in West
Asssam)
Lion Tailed Macaque
IUCN - Endangered
Western Ghats
Sarus Crane
Large non-migratory bird => Found in India, SE Asia, Australia
IUCN - Vulnerable
Indian Star Tortoise - India proposed to shift them to CITES Appendix 1
Shifted to CITES Appendix 1
IUCN - Vulnerable
Otters
Smooth Coated Otter + Asian Small Clawed Otter => both in CITES Appendix 1 and
"Vulnerable"
Nicobar Megapode - bird species naturally found only in Nicobar islands
Pinanga Andamanensis
Critically endangered Palm endemeic to South Andaman
Mount Harriet National park
Narcondam Hornbill
Endemic to Narcondam Island, A&N
IUCN - endangered
Sangai Deer
Brow-antlered deer endemic to Keimul Lamjao NP, Manipur (has floating phumdis)
State animal of Manipur => Sangai Festival
IUCN - Endangered
Hog Deer/ Pada
IUCN - endangered
Small population found in Keimul Lamjao NP, Manipur
Earlier it was believed to be found only in Thailand
Scaly-Foot Snail
First species to be threatened by deep sea mining
Aka sea pangolin
Malabar Civet
Endemic to Western Ghats
IUCN : Critically endangered
Hoolock Gibbon
Only ape found in India
Found in NE India
Cryodrakon Boreas
Giant flying dinosaur/reptile
Himalayan Yew
Medicinal plant found in HP, UK (nanda Devi BR) and Arunachal => extract "taxol"
used to treat cancer

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Anthurium
Domestic flowering plant - purifies air and removes harmful airborne chemicals
Large scale production facilitated recently by National Innovation Fund (NIF-India)
(body under DST to strengthen grassroots technological innovations and
outstanding traditional knowledge)
Himalyan Trilium - Nagchatri
Himalayan herb
Most traded commercial plant in Himalayas
Endangered
High medicinal quality - anti cancer, anti ageing
Brahma Kamal Flower
State flower of Uttarakhand
King of Himalayan Flowers
Blooms only after sunset & blooms just once a year
Tibetan Medicine & Ayurveda
Other Species

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020
Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020
Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020
Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Secure Himalaya
Funded by GEF + UNDP
to ensure conservation of locally and globally significant biodiversity, land and forest
resources in high Himalayan ecosystems
Exotic Species
Only Those mentioned in Appendix 1,2,3 of CITES
Person importing live exotic species needs -
License from DGFT
NOC from Chief wildlife warden of state
Green Wall of India
Gujarat to Delhi-Haryana border (porbandar to panipat) - 1400km long and 5km
wide
To address rising rate of land degradation and eastward expansion of Thar desert
Inspired by Africa's Great Wall project from Senegal to Djibouti

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Climate Ambition Alliance
Achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050
73 countries joined CAA at COP25
Led by Chile, at Climate Action Summit, NY- 2019
India NOT member
Climate Action Summit, 2019
UN 2019 Climate Summit in NY
Raising ambition and accelerate action to implement Paris Agreement
Countries were asked to present realistic and concrete plans to enhance their NDCs
by 2020, in line with -
Reducing GHG emissions by 45% over next decade
Net Zero emissions by 2050
3 Percent Club - countries, businesses and international orgs committed to drive a
3% global increase in energy efficiency each year => INDIA IS a member
C40 World Mayor's Summit at Copenhagen,Denmark
Network of world's megacities (94) started in 2005
To collaborate effectively, share knowledge, and drive meaningful sustainable action
on CC => ambitious pollution reduction targets by 2025
6 Indian cities - Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Jaipur, Kolkata and Mumbai
SACEP (south asia cooperative envt programme)
Inter-governmental org estd in 1982 (HQ - Colombo)
Members - All SAARC countries
Male Declaration - control of air pollution
South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), 2011
Wildlife law enforcement support body
All SAARC members -> Afg, Ban, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pak, SL
Secretariat - Kathmandu
Project - Trilateral Transborder Wildlife Interception (one-horned rhino and bengal
tiger) => India-Nepal-China borders
Climate Emergency
UK - 1st nation to declare climate emergency
Ireland - 2nd
NZ => Zero-Carbon Law -> reduce GHG emissions by 2050 (except from Methane)
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
Multilateral treaty under FAO in 1951

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Aims to secure -
Pest protection and weed protection of plants
Recognized by WTOs "Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures"
Created a governing body - Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) - only
international standard-setting body for plant health
183 parties - India also
Papikonda NP
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana - banks of Godavari
Polavaram Irrigation Project => will submerge parts of this NP
Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica
Size of Britain
Could increase global sea level by 0.5m if it melts
Aka Doomsday Glacier
Grounding Line - place below the glacier at which the ice transitions btw resting
fully on bedrock and floating on ocean as an ice shelf
CoP-13 of CMS (Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species) - under UNEP
Hosted in Gandhinagar in Feb 2020
3 Indian Species included in special global list for Protection under CCMS-
Great Indian Bustard (Gibi- Mascot)
Bengal Florican (Jaldapara NP, WB => protected area for Bengal Florican)
Asian Elephant
7 other species to be proposed from around the world - Jaguar, White tip shark,
Little bustard, Urial, Antipoden albatross, smooth hammerheadd shark, tope
shark
India part of the Central Asian Flyway Route (Arctic to Indian Ocean)
National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds and their
Habitats along Central Asian Flyway (2018-23) by MoEFCC
3 flyways cross India

Gandhinagar Declaration=> integrating migratory species and concept of Ecological

Connectivity and prioritized in post 2020 Global Biodiversity framework
Ecological Connectivity -> degree to which landscapes and seascapes allow
species to move freely and ecological process to remain unimpeded

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Connected ecologoial communities sustain vital ecological processes like
pollination, productivity, decomposition and Biogeochemical and
nutrient cycles
CMS
Aka Bonn Convention
Under aegis of UNEP
Not legally binding (unlike CITES)
UN based convention. Entered into force in 1983
129 members (US, China, Russia, Japan, Mexico - not members)
COP-CMS 13 - India "Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome
them home"
FSSAI
Estd by Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
Under MoHFW (Health and Family Welfare)
Initiatives -
Eat Right Movement
Project Dhoop
BHOG (Blissful Hygienic Offering to God) - hygiene and food safety in place
of worship
Hygiene Rating Scheme - online scoring process allowing consumers to
make informed choice about places where they eat
Heart Attack Rewind - mass media campaign to support FSSAI's global
target of eliminating transfat in india by 2022
State of Food Safety Index- ranks states on parameters of food safety
Trans Fat
Unsaturated Fat => both natfural (meat, dairy from ruminants etc) and artificial
(hydrogenation process)
Increases shelf life of oils and foods and stabilise flavours
Raise Bad Cholestrol (LDL) and lower good cholestrol (HDL) => risk of Type 2
Diabetes
REPLACE Action Package of WHO => global elimination by 2023
Current permitted levels in India = 5%
Heart Attack Rewind => FSSAI plans to further reduce it to 2% by 2022
Green Purple Initiative Logo - Promotion of Trans-fat free cooking

Stubble Burning
National Policy for Management of Crop Residue, 2014 => circulated to states for
adoption
UP => recorded highest reduction in stubble burning (36%), followed by Haryana
and Punjab
Crop residue burning is punishable offence under -
Air act, 1981
Envt Protection Act, 1986 etc.
Torrefaction Technology
Swedish tech => thermal proess that produces high calorific Bio-coal pellets
(energy density not improved tho) from biomass => has better fuel
characteristics than original biomasss
Not completely eco-friendly process

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Polycrack - patented technology in W2E plants
First of its kind in Indian Railways, and 4th in India
Heterogenous catalytic process => Converts multiple feedstocks into hydrocarbon
liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water
Even plastic, E-Waste can be used as feed
Doesn't require pre-segregation of waste and drying of waste (high moisture
tolerance of the technology)
Working envt is dust free as unit is enclosed and the air quality of area is not
impacted
Living Planet Index (WWF)
Nature will take 5-7 Mn years to recover if we stop destruction now
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
Constituted under 2006 amendment of WPA,1972
Under MoEFCC => to combat wildlife crime in country
Operations
Operation Thunderbird
INTERPOL's multi-national multi-specices enforcement operation
Operation Clean Art
By WCCB => crackdown on smuggling of mongoose hair in India
Operation Save Kurma
By WCCB to combat illegal trade in turtles
Operation Soft Gold - Tibetan Antelope (Shahtoosh)
Operation Wildnet - illegal trade through e-commerce platform
Operation Lesknow - illegal wildlife trade in lesser-known species such as
Deer, Wild Board, Jackal, Mongoose etc
Operation Birbill - birds
"Not All animals Migrate by Choice"
Global campaign by UNEP
In India launched by WCCB & UN Environment India => aimed at airports
across India
First phase => Tiger, Pangolin, Star Tortoise, Tokay Gecko have been chosen

South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)

Intergovernmental wildlife law enforcement support body of South Asian countries
First meeting - India - to curb wildlife crime
Launched during South Asian Experts Group on Illegal Wildlife Trade in 2011 in
Paro, Bhutan
SAWEN statute adopted by 5 countries = India, Nepal, SL, Pak, Bangladesh
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
Estd under Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974 and later
expanded functions by Air Act, 1981
Under MOEFCC
Inland Water Quality Monitoring
3 tier programme-
Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS) -> national water quality
monitoring under CPCB started in 1978

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources (MINARS) -> started in
1984
Yamuna Action Plan

Bureau Of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

Statutory body under MoPower - Energy Conservation Act, 2001
Assists in developing policies and strategies with primary objective of reducing the
energy intensity of Indian economy
Central nodal agency for developing EV Charging Infra
UNNATEE (Unlocking National Energy Efficiency Potential) => roadmap for
meeting India's goals on CC through energy efficiency
State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index
PAT - Perform, Achieve, Trade scheme
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)
Joint venture of PSUs under MoPower - NTPC, Power Finance Corporation Limited,
REC Ltd, POWERGRID
World's largest Energy Services Company (ESCO)
Implements-
UJALA scheme
National E-Mobility Programme - EESL will procure EVs in bulk to ensure
economies of scale
RAISE Programme -(Healthy & Energy Efficient Buildings Initiative) by EESL +
USAID's MAITREE programme - Retrofit of air conditioning to improve
indoor air quality for safety and efficiency
iCommit initiative => building energy resilient future, energy efficiency,
renewbale energy etc
Energy Conservation Building Code
By BEE, MoPower
ECBC-C : Prescribes energy performance standards for new commercial buildings to
be constructed across India
Developed by MoPower and BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) with technical
support from USAID (US agency for international development)
ECBC-R (for Residential Buildings)
Fillip to energy efficiency in residential sector
aka ECO Niwas Samhita, 2018
Green Building Certification
LEED Rating System - by IGBC - green building certification used worldwide
IGBC ratings (indian green buildings Council) - division of CII
(Confederation of Indian Industries)
BEE-ECBC
TERI - GRIHA - The Green Rating Of Integrated Habitat Assessment
SVAGRIHA - for built-up areas less than 2500 sq metre
Design-cum-rating tool with a 1 to 5 star rating scale
Net Zero Energy Buildings
Relies on renewables to produce as much energy as it uses
Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi => India's first NZEB
Health & Energy Efficient Buildings

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Launched under MAITREE (Market Integration & Transformation Program for
Energy Efficiency), part of US-India partnership btw MoPower & USAID
Accelerating cost effective energy efficiency standard practice within buildings =>
focus on COOLING
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) - will develop specifications for future use
in other buildings throughout the country
Floating Solar Power Plants
More efficient than ground mounted => moderating effect of water on panel
temperature
Largest Floating PV plant => Banasura Sagar reservoir, Wayanad in Kerala
First floating PV plant => lake in Kolkata (2014)
India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP), 2018
By MoEFCC
Goals -
To provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all
Secure envt and socio-eco benefits for society
Phase-out of ODS + Phase-down HFCs + maximising air-conditioning efficiency =>
Recover Ozone Layer
Aims to reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20-25% by 2038 and energy
requirements by 25-40%
20 year plan (2018-38)
Reduction of cooling demand across sectors
Reduction of refrigerant demand
Cooling areas - thrust to research
Cold chain infra => DFI
Skill India Mission - 100,000 technicians by 2022-23
UNNATEE (Unlocking NATional Energy Efficiency Potential)
Launched in 2019 by BEE
Roadmap for meeting India's goals on CC through energy efficiency
Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER)
Ratio of total annual amount of heat that equipment can remove from indoor air to
total annual energy consumed during same period
Revised for all room air-conditioners
International Solar Alliance
HQ - Gurugram
Common platform for cooperation among sun-rich countries lying fully or partially in
tropics => seeking to ramp up solar energy
121 solar rich countries
All UN countries can become member
Aim -
Install 1TW of solar energy by 2030
One Sun, One World, One Grid - floated by Modiji in 2018 in 1st assembly of ISA
Trans-national electricity grid supplying power across the globe
Kalpana Chawla Award

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

To reduce PM2.5 and PM10 pollution by 20-30% in 102 non-attainment cities by
2024 i.e. mid term, 5 year action plan

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Includes monitoring stations, technology support, certification agencies for
monitoring equipment, enforcement etc.
City specific plans prepared by cities in consultation with CPCB
2019 - first year of implementation
Biorock => Mithapur, Gulf of Kucch
Safe, low voltage current through seawater => dissolved minerals crystallize on
structures, growing into white limestone
Similar strength to concrete
Fragments of broken coral are tied to biorock to fasten their growth
Being tried in Gujarat by ZSI

Corals In India
Guld of Kutch
Gulf of Mannar
A&N
Lakshadweep Islands
Malvan (Maharashtra)
Coral Triangle
6 countries of Indian and Pacific Ocean

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 1.5% of ocean area but represents 30% of world's coral reefs
2 biogeographic regions - Indonesian-Phillipines Region & Far Southwestern Pacific
Region
3 criteria to delineate
High species biodiversity
Habitat Diversity
Ocean currents
One of 3 mega-ecological complexes
3 Megaecological complexes
Coral Triangle
Amazon Forest
Congo Basin
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
Not a statutory body. Estd Under MoEFCC in 1916
HQ - Kolkata
Prepares Red Data Book, Fauna of India and Fauna of States
Undertakes Environmentak Impact Assessment (EIA) with special reference to
ecology and wildlife
Assists development agencies in advising alternatives to minimize ecological
damage
Status survey of endemic and threatened species
Botanical Survey of India (BSI)
Estd in 1890 under MoEFCC
Plant Discoveries 2018
438 species of plants that have been added to the Indian Flora during 2018
During last decade a total number of 3225 taxa of plants
Non-vascular plants > vascular plants discovery
Latest BSI and ZSI Report
596 new species discovered in 2018
Most Discoveries in - Kerala (54), WB (39)
Himalayas - 31% plant species discovered

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 WG - 50% animal species discovered
ORCHIDS
1/3rd of 388 endemic species of Orchid in India are endemic to Western Ghats
Botanical Survey of India => Orchid Census -> 1256 orchid species in india
Appendix II of CITES => trade of wild orchid banned globally
3 life forms -
Epiphytic - grow on other plants
Terrestrial - grow on soil and are climbers
Mycoheterotrophic - derive nutrition from fungi attached to roots of
vascular plants
India's first Orchidarium => Upper Shillong, Meghalaya
Orchidarium : ex-situ conservation of orchids
Climate controlled systems
Arunachal Pradesh => most orchid species in India
Geranium
Medicinal value (essential oil works as anti-inflammatory and anti-septis) - North
India, NE india
Originally from South africa
Geranium production got boost under Aroma Mission of CSIR
Norway-India => task force on blue economy and sustainable development today and new
collaboration on Integrated Ocean Management and Research
Gogabeel - first Community reserve in Bihar
On Gogabeel oxbow lake formed by Mahananda and Kankar rivers in north and
Ganga in South
SPECIATION
Allopatric - when a species separates into 2 separate groups that are isolated from
one other (by a physical barrier)
Peripatric - one much small group breaks off from the rest
Parapatric - species is spread out over a large geographic area => instead of physical
barrier, species are separated by differences in same envt due to large distance
Sympatric - when NO physical barriers preventing members from mating and all
members close to one another => a new species may develop with different
characteristics

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 National Board for Wildlife
Statutory org constituted in 2003, under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Advisory board => advises Central govt in framing policies for wildlife conservation
Chairman - PM
VC - MoEFCC
other members
Approves/reviews wildlife projects, boundaries of NPs and WSs
Biodiversity Hotspot
Norman Myers, 1988 => 36 presesnt in world
Conservation International
2 criteria-
Atleast 1500 vascular plants as endemic (>0.5% of world's plants) =>
irreplaceable
<30% of its org natural vegetation present => threatened
India -
Himalayas
Indo-Burma
WG (+SL)
Sundaland (Nicobar)
Biodiversity Hope Spot
Hopespot is an area of OCEAN under special protection => represent real hope to
restore the health of our imperile ocean
By IUCN & Mission Blue => initiative to ignite public support of hope spots by Sylvia
Earle
A&N, Lakshadweep => Hopespots
Biodiversity Coldspot

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Region that doesn’t have high species richness => imp to conserve as they may be
the only location where a rare species is found
Cool-Spot
Not necessarily high BD, but may have threatened species endemic => may result
because of intact habitat
Important Bird Area (IBA)
By Birdlife International => currently 12,000 IBAs in the world
Criteria-
Globally threatened species - regular presence of critically endangered,
endangered or vulnerable species
Restricted Range species
Biome-restricted species

The Evil Quartet (cause of BD loss)

Habitat Loss and fragmentation
Over exploitation
Co-extinction
Alien Species invasion - list identified by ZSI
Nile Perch in Lake Victoria
Animals
African apple snail
Fall Armyworm (larval stage of moth that attacks maize, sorhum,
millets and wheat)
Papaya Mealy bug => destroyed papaya crops
Cotton Mealy Bug
Amazon Sailfin catfish => destroying fish pop in Kolkata
Orange Pup Coral
Invasive Plant species
Prosopis juliflora
Parthenium hysterophorus
Eupatorium odoratum
Water Hyacinth
Primrose Willow - aquatic plant

Endangered Species in India

4 categories by IUCN and WII (Wildlife Institute of India) in 2004
Critically endangered
Endangered
Vulnerable
Threatened
Some species -
Indian Tiger - endangered
Snow Leopard - vulnerable
Asiatic Lion - endangered
Ganges Dolphin - endangered
Indian River Shark (Ganges Shark) - critically endangered
Gharial - death in chambal due to polluted waters - critically endangered
Indian Bustard - critically endangered

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Indian vulture
One horned Indian rhino - Vulnerable
Indian Wild Dog/Dhole - Endangered
Red Panda - only one variety found in India => NE India - endangered
Diseases
Blue Baby Syndrome or Methemoglobinemia - due to high nitrate content in water
=> decrease in O2 carrying capacity of Hb
Itai-Itai => Cd poisoning leads to softening of bones and kidney failure
Pneumoconiosis - black lung disease => deposition of coal dust in lungs
Byssinosis - cotton particles in clothing industry
Emphysema - Smoking or air pollution
Queensland Fever => from hides and animal products - affects ranchers etc
Black foot disease => Arsenic
Xeroderma Pigmentosa => inherit from parents - freckles on skin in direct sunlight
Yusho Poisoning => food cooked in contaminated rice oil
Dead Zone => largest in Gulf Of Mexico
Oil Zapping - bio-remediation technique using bacteria
Release CO + water
Radiative Forcing
Change in net radiation caused by changing GHG
Positive Forcing - warms
Negative - cools
CYCLES

4 reservoirs - Atm, Terrestrial biosphere, Oceans, Sediments

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020
Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Global Marine Ecosystem Meet, 2019
In Kochi by Marine Biological Association of India
Focus on SDG-14
Asia Pacific Drosophilia Research Conference
In IISER
Biennial events to promote interaction of Drosophilia (fruit fly) researchers
Fruit Fly - Most extensively used and one of the most well understood of the
model
Close similarity with human genome and easy to observe
Ozone
Ozone Layer => in stratosphere (25-30km) : - 10ppm (in atm - 0.3ppm)
UV
UV-A => penetrates. Ageing of skin => long wavelength
UV-B => blocked by Ozone Layer. Cause skin cancer etc => can’t penetrate
much deep into skin
UV-C => short wavelength => doesn't penetrate atm
BS-VI
BS-VI fuel => reduce Sulphur emissions by 80% over BS-IV (from 50ppm to 10ppm)
NOx emissions lower by 70% (diesel) and 25% (petrol cars)
Reduce PM by 80%
Guidelines and timelines by CPCB under MoEFCC
On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) on all vehicles to enable real time tracking of emissions
CAFE (corporate Average fuel efficiency)
Regulations aimed at lowering fuel consumption (or improving fuel efficiency) of
vehicles by lowering CO2 emissions - 130gm/km (till 2020) and 113gm/km (after
2022)
Applicable to Petrol, Diesel, LPG and CNG passenger vehicles
Sulphur Dioxide Emissions
Greenpeace India Report => India is LARGEST emitter of SO2 in the world => 15% of
anthropogenic SO2 emissions
FRA, 2006

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Recognizes the customary forest rights & occupation in forest land of forest dwelling
ST and other traditional forest dwellers (OTFDs)
Individual Right => own upto 4 ha of forest land/habitation/farms
Community Right => community will have rights over common forest land

CRZ Management Rules, 2018

CRZ-I : environmentally most critical
CRZ - IA : Ecologically sensitive areas - mangroves, coral reefs, NPs and
Protected Areas, salt marshes etc
CRZ - IB : Intertidal zone (btw HTL and LTL)
CRZ-II : developed land areas which are substantially built up with drainage and infra
or legally designated urban areas
CRZ - III : relatively undisturbed land areas (rural areas)
CRZ-IIIA - pop density > 2161 per sq km as per 2011 census
Area upto 50m from HTL - (NDZ)
CRZ-IIIB - pop density < 2161
Area upto 200m from HTL - NDZ
CRZ - IV : water area
CRZ-IVA - btw LTL upto 12 nautical miles (i.e.territorial waters)
CRZ-IVB - Tidal influenced water bodies
NOT applicable to A&N, Lakshadweep islands
But Applicable to mainland islands - NDZ is upto 20m from HTL
Based on Shailesh Nayak Committee reccs
Under EPA, 1986
National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management => demarcates HTL, LTL for
coasts
Critically Vulnerable Coastal Areas => coastal regions which are ecologically
sensitive and require special focus for their conservation involving local
community
Sunderbans
Gulf of Kuchh
Gulf of Khambat
Malvan (MH)
Achra-Ratnagiri
Karwar
Coondapur (karnataka)
Vembnad (kerala)
Gulf of Mannar
Bhitarkanika
Coringa (Andhra)
East Godavari (Andhra)
Krishna (Andhra)
Chilika lake, Pulicat Lake, Kolleru Lake => Not CVCAs
Island Protection Zone (IPZ), 2019 for A&N Islands
Notified by MoEFCC - aligned with NITI Aayog plans for holistic dev of islands
Allows Eco tourism projects 20 meters from HTL in smaller islands (Havelock, Car
Nicobar etc)& 50meters from HTL in larger islands
Allows Construction of roads, public utilities etc in ESZs

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM)
Under MoEFFCC
Aids in better protection, conservation, rehabilitation, management and policy
design of coast
Concerned with coasts only, not EEZ
Mobilise >$1Tr investments by 2030
National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)
By MoEFCC since 2001
CSS for conserving degraded lakes in urban and semiurban areas only
Acc to NCLP, lake is defined as a water body having min depth of 3 meters spread
over 10 hectares and having no or very little aquatic vegetation
NCLP was merged with National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP) into a
new scheme => National Programme for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystem
(NPCA)

National Air Quality Index (AQI)

By CPCB in collab with SPCBs in 2015
8 parameters - PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, Pb
6 (categories) colour scheme indicating air quality
SAMEER APP - displays National Air Quality Index - maintained by CPCB
SAFAR (System for Air Quality & Weather Forecasting)
Under MoEarthSciences - by IITM+IMD
Developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
SAFAR also monitors Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, Mercury and other weather
parameters (UV index, and Black Carbon, PM1, PM10, PM2.5 and SO2, NOx)
Provides real-time 24*7 index, followed with advance forecast of 72 hours
National Clear Air Programme (NCAP), 2019
Time bound strategy to tackle air pollution problem pan India
20-30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 conc by 2024 (from 2017)
102 non-attainment cities choses - on basis of Ambient Air Quality India (2011-15)
and WHO report 2014/18
Cities prepare city-specific plans in consultation with CPCB
Mid term - 5 year plan (2019-2024)
Areas under mitigation - road dust, construction and demolition, industrial
emissions, transport, agri emissions, indoor air pollution + plantation drives for
mitigation
Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System
CAAQMS => monitors air quality in real time basis
Displays digitally (on large screens) -> weather stats, etc
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
Enfored by Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) for
NCR
EPCA estd under EPA, 1986 in 1998 => statutory body which has power to file
criminal complaints before courts if order not followed
National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC), 2015
Union govt to provide 100% central grant to state govt for implementing CC
adaptation projects
NABARD is national implementing entity

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ)
Aka Eco-Fragile Zone
Transition Zones around protected areas (generally default 10km around protected
areas) - notified by MoEFCC by National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-16)
Central Govt declares Eco-sensitive Zone under Environment Protection Act, 1986
(Act doesn't specifically use the term ESZ)
Environment Protection Act, 1986
Umbrella for legislations => coordination btw Central govt, state govts and
authorities estd under previous acts like Water Act, Air Act etc
EIA
Mandatory for new Greenfield as well as existing brownfield projects
Notifications by MOEFCC under this -
Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
Wetlands to be regulated-
Ramsar sites
Wetlands notified by govts. All wetlands can be notified
except-
River channels
Paddy fields
Certain human-made waterbodies etc
Excluded => Protected Areas and areas falling within CRZ
Wetland Authorities -
State Wetland Authority - chaired by state minister of envt.
Shall constitute-
Technical Committee
Grievance Committee
Preparing list of wetlands
Delineating wetlands - Zone of influence to be defined
Wise use of wetlands - Ramsar convention
Prohibited Activities - permission to carry out prohibited activites
can only be given by MoEFCC upon request by State Govt on
recc of Wetlands Authority
National Wetlands Committee - will replace Central Wetlands
Regulatory Authority

Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006

Under Environment Protection Act, 1986
Necessary to involve public while making EIA
4 stages -
Screening Stage - State Level Expert Appraisal Comm - reviews whether
project requires further envt studies for EIA report
Scoping Stage - Expert Appraisal Comm - detailed Terms of reference for
report are determined
Public Consultation Stage
Appraisal Stage
Draft EIA Rules, 2020
CRZ Notification, 2018
Eco Development Force

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Implemented by MoEFCC + MoDefence
Aims at ecological restoration of difficult terrains
Reimbursement of expenditure of MoD by MoEFCC
Engagement of regular personnel or Ex-Servicemen
Pet-Coke
Dark solid carbon leftover from refining heavy crude; cheaper than coal
Burns hotter than coal and more polluting -
10% more GHG
High SO2 and particulate matter
US - largest producer and exporter of pet-coke
2018 - India banned import of pet-coke as fuel, except when used as feedstock for
=> cement, lime kiln, gasification industries.
Cement industry - biggest consumer of pet-coke in India
SMOG
Classical (Sulphurous) Smog -
In cool humid climate
Smoke + Fog + SO2 => Reducing smog
Photochemical Smog
Warm, dry and sunny climate
More in summers
Aka Oxidising Smog
Formed by reaction of OZONE PRECURSORS ( NOx, CO & VOCs) in presence
of Sunlight to form OZONE, PAN
Due to automobile use (NOx released)
Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index
To identify polluted industrial clusters and prioritizing planning needs for
intervention to improve envt quality in these clusters
Zoonoses / Zoonotic Diseases
When pathogens pass from wild or domestic animals through biophysical envt to
humans
HIV, Ebola, Anthrax, MERS, SARS, Zika, Nipah, Malaria, Rabies, West Nile Fever etc
>60% infectious human diseases are zoonotic

Green Agriculture Project (Green-Ag)

By GoI + GEF + FAO
In 5 landscapes -
Chambal Landscape (MP)
Dampa Landscape (mizoram)
Simlipal Landscape
Desert NP Landscape
Corbett-Rajaji Landscape
Seeks to mainstream BD, CC and sustainable land management objectives and
practices into Indian agri
Harmonization btw indian agri and envt sector
WESTERN GHATS Committee
Gadgil Committee (2011) - recc 64% of WG to be declared ESZ
Kasturirangan Committee (2013) - recc 37% of WG to be declared ESZ
Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Under DPIIT, MoCommerce&Industry
HQ in Nagpur, MH
Apex dept to control and administer mfg, storage, transport and handling of
explosives, petroleum, compressed gases and other hazardous substances
Enforcement of Petroleum Act, 1934; Explosives Act, 1884; Inflammable Substances
Act, 1952
Also regulates all kinds of firecrackers (& green crackers)
Green Crackers
By CSIR-NEERI
Release water vapour to settle the dust
NO => Li, As, Ba, Sr, Pb
SWAS, STAR, SAFAL
Produce less smoke & less sound
Ecads/Ecophenes
Plants genetically similar but morphologically distinct in response to diff envt
conditions
Inter-fertile
Ecotypes - species having wide range of distribution and evolve genetically adapted
local population
Differ from each other on basis of morphological and physiological characters
Inter-fertile
Ecospecies
If 2 ecotypes separated for a long time => adaptations become genetic
NOT inter-fertile
Coal Gasification Based Fertiliser Plant
India's first coal gasification based fertiliser plant setup in Talcher, Orissa
Neem coated urea using coal as feedstock
Coal Gasification => clean coal tech that converts coal into syngas (H2 + CO
+ CO2 + N2)
By products - coke, coal tar, sulphur
Clean Coal Technologies - reduces harsh envt effects by multiple
techs to purify the coal before it burns and contain its emissions
Coal Washing
Wet Scrubbers
Electrostatic Precipitators
Carbon Capture and Storage
Benefits
Domestic requirement of urea
Reducing LNG imports
Abundant reserves of coal in India
Achieving Paris Targets
Pyrolysis => thermal conversion of organic matter in absence of O2
=> decomposition of material in inert atm (350-600C)

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Gasification => thermochemical process that converts biomass into
combustible producer gas (syngas) in presence of little O2 at
800-1200C
CoalGas (Methane + H2 + CO)
POND / LENTIC ECOSYTEM (STANDING WATER)
3 Zones-
Littoral Zone
Limnetic Zone - near surface open water- well lighted and
plankton/fish rich
Profundal zone - deep water where light doesn't reach (below
limnetic)
Benthic Zone - lowest - sediments at bed

Lake
Eutrophic - high temperature, high primary productivity, depth decreasing,
high nutrients
Mesotrophic - intermediate productivity
Oligotrophic - low temperature, low primary productivity, clear water, high
drinking quality, low nutrients
Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA)
SC mandated body for NCR pollution
Notified by MOEFCC in 1988 under Environment Protection Act, 1986
Mandated to enforce GRAP
Types of Bioremediation - treatment of waste using microorganisms
EX-SITU: -
Land Forming - contaminated soil excavated and spread and tilled so
that pollutants degrade and O2 maintained for micorbial growth

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 BioPile - hybrid of Composting+LandForming => to treat hydrocarbon
contamination
Bio-Reactors - specially designed containers to hold waste while
bioremediation occurs
IN-SITU: -
Bioventing - blowing air through soil to increase O2 in waste
Biosparging - air injected below GW under pressure for increasing O2
=> mostly used to treat petroleum pollution
Bioaugmentation - adding microbes to enhance the degradation in
waste
Phytoremediation - uses plants
Phytoaugmentation, Phytotransformation,
Phytostabilisation, Phytodegradation, Rhizofiltration
Mycoremediation, Mycofiltration - using fungi
Bioleaching - removing metals from soil by using microorganisms =>
eg. Fish bones attract heavy metals like Pb, Cd
Biomining - using microorganisms to extract metals of ecocnomic interest
from rock ore or mine waste => uses separator machines or large sieves
Nitrogen Fixation

Ammonifying bacteria - dead waste into ammonia

Nitrosomonas - Ammonia to Nitrite
Nitrobacter - Nitrite to Nitrate => Nitrate used by plants
Pseudomonas -denitrify Nitrate/nitrite to nitrogen

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Microplastics (<5mm)
Symbiosis
Of many types-
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)
Under MoEFCC => constituted under Environment Protection Act, 1986
Appraise activities involving large scale use of hazardous micoorganisms and
recombinants in research and industrial production from envt safety
angle
DBT also has representation in GEAC
Smog Tower
20ft tall concrete structure with filters
In Delhi -> Lajpat Nagar Market
Arogyapacha -> Miracle Plant
Herbal remedy Jeevani - Traditional use by Kani Tribal Community to
combat fatigue
Endemic to Agasthya Hills, Kerala
Beekeeping Development Committee
Under Bibek Debroy
Some Reccs-
Consider landless beekeepers as farmers
Plantation of bee-friendly flora and Engaging women SHGs in such
plantations

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Institutionalising National Bee Board into => Honey and Pollinators
Board of India under MoAgri&FarmersWelfare
Setting up new integrated bee development center
Creating honey price stabilisation fund
Significance of Beekeeping
FAO => India rank 8th in honey production (China - 1st)
Beekeeping for DFI by 2022
Not only honey and wax, but also => pollen, propolis, royal jelly and
bee venom (HIV medicine potential)
World's First Emissions Trading System for Particulate Pollution => Gujarat
Initiated in Surat by GPCB
Plants will trade permits over NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives
Exchange Limited)
Climate Vulnerability Map of India
Developed by DST and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
To prepare communities and people to meet the challenges arising out of
climate
Part of National mission for sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and
National Mission on strategic knowledge for CC (NMSKCC)
To be ready by mid 2020
Wasteland Atlas, 2019 - by MoRuralDevelopment
By National Remote Sensing Centre (DoScience)
Previous 4 editions in - 2000, 2005, 2010, 2011

World Air Quality Report - Greenpeace - focus on Gurugram most polluted

PM2.5 city
East Antarctic Marine Protected Area
Push by Australia and France
China and Russia oppose

Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources

(CCAMLR) => already has 2 existing MPAs in -

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 South Orkney Islands (southern shelf)
Ross Sea Region
WAYU (Wind Augmenting and Purifying Unit)
Air pollution control device - filters for PM and activated charcoal and UV
lamps for poisonous gases such as VOCs and CO
Developed by CSIR-NEERI (national envt engg research institute)

Global Mobility Report by Sustainable Mobility for All Sustainability in

(SuM4All) transportation sector
SuM4All => multi-stakeholder platform (banks,
institutions, organisations, civil society etc)

Asian Waterbird By Wetlands International , in India by Bombay Natural

Census History Society (NGO) - annually

Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016

Acc to MOEFCC -
62mnT of waste generated annually
5.6mnT plastic waste
0.17mnT biomedical waste
7.9mnT hazardous waste
1.5mnT e-waste
Only 75-80% MSW collected => 25% waste processed and treated
Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) -> fuel produced from various types of waste such
as MSW, industrial waste or commercial waste
India Imposed Blanket ban on import of plastic waste in country under Basel
Convention in 2019
Now applicable beyond municipal areas => extend to urban agglomerations,
airports, ports, SEZs, defence establishments, pilgrimage places etc
2020 amendment -> now also Villages (with >3000 pop)
Highlights
Segregation at source by waste generator
Collection and disposable of sanitary napkins and diapers
User fees for collection
Waste processing and treatment
Biomethanation - combining organic waste into biogas and
manure using microorganisms under anaerobic conditions
Promotion of Waste to energy plants
Promoting use of compost
Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 (amended 2018)
Increase minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns
Responsibility of local bodies

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Extended Producer Responsibility
Extended to rural areas also (since plastic has penetrated rural areas also)
Producers are to keep a record of their vendors => to curb mfg in
unorganised sector
Responsibility of waste generators => institutional generators to segregate
waste as per SWM Rules, 2016
Plastic for road construction
Central registration system => registration of producer/importer/owner
Phasing out Multi-layered Plastic
National Marine Litter Policy
Aim to get rid of Single Use Plastic by 2022

Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016

MoEFCC
Highlights
Rules for pre-treatment of lab waste, blood samples etc
Bar code for proper control of bags/containers containing biomedical
waste
Strict standards of emission from incinerators
2018 Amendment-
Phase out chlorinated bags (excluding Blood bags)
E-Waste Management Rules, 2016

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Includes CFLs & other mercury containing lamps too
EPR
Deposit Refund Scheme - producer charges extra amount as deposit during
sale => returns with interest when end-of-life electronics is returned
Collection mechcanism based approach => collection centers, take-back
systems etc under EPR
India ranks 5th in e-waste production
E-Waste Clinic, Bhopal
India's first e-waste clinic by Bhopal Municipal Corp & CPCB
Can segregate, process, dispose of waste from both household & commercial
units
As per SWM Rules, 2016 (NOT e-waste rules)

Hazardous & Other Wastes (Management & Trans-Boundary Movt) Rules, 2016
Responsibility of State Govts for management - set up industrial spaces for
recycling, pre-processing, utilisation of hazardous waste etc
Responsibility of Garbage Management of Municipal Bodies - charge user
fees & levy spot fines for littering & non-segregation
2019 amendment -
Solid plastic waste cannot be imported into SEZs
Silk waste exporters don't require permission from MoEFCC
Construction & Demolition Waste Mgmt Rules, 2016
Large generators to submit waste management plan and get approval of local
authority before construction or demolition
Waste Management responsibility of Local Bodies

Methanotropic Bacteria
Convert methane to CO2
Can effectively reduce GHG emissions of Methane (2nd most important GHG
and 26 times more potent than CO2)
Found in rice roots near soil-water interface
Bio-methane from waste => can be converted to Bio-diesel etc by
methanotrophs

Ground Water Conservation Fee (GCWF)

Payable by industry and domestic users
Irrigation sector (90%GW consumption of India) exempted
Earth Overshoot Day
By WWF + Global Footprint Network
Date when humanity annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth can
regenerate over the entire year
2019 -> 29 July
Water Authorities
CGWB (Central GW Board)

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 No central govt law on GW use in india
Estd in 1970 under EPA, 1986
Under MoJalShakti
Provides scientific inputs for mgmt & exploration
Responsible for National Project on Aquifer Management (NAQUIM)
CGWA (Central GW Authority)
Issuing directives related to GW development
Estd by EPA, 1986
Gives NOC for GW extraction + impose fines etc
CWC
To work along with state govts concerned for conservation and
utilisation of water resources
Roles-
Operate network of 878 hydro-meteorological observations
on all major rivers
To monitor water quality at key locations across all major river
basins
Coccolithophores
Context of Indian scientists expedition across southern ocean
Phytoplanktons/Algae living in photic zones => their calcareous nanofossils
=> used to determine past climates
Renewable Energy Targets
175GW renewable energy by 2022
100GW - solar
60GW- wind
10GW- bio-power
5GW - small hydro-power
Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF) - joint initiative of India + UK under India's
NIIF => financing to India's renewable sector and achieve India's 2022
targets
Food Chain
Aquatic Ecosystem => major energy flows through Grazing food chain
Terrestrial Ecosystem => major energy flow thorugh Detritus food chain
Detritus
Nitrogen rich detritus => decomposition faster
Chitin and Lignin rich => slower decomposition
New York Declaration On Forests (NYDF)
Voluntary non-binding international declaration to take action to halt global
deforestation
First endorsed in UN Climate Summit, 2014
Global timeline to cut natural forest loss in half by 2020 and strive to end it
by 2030 (restore 350 Mn ha by 2030)
India NOT party to NYDF
UNCCD COP14

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Delhi Declaration - commitment for range of issues including gender, health,
ecosystem restoration, CC, Peace Forest Initiative and recovery of 5mn
ha of degraded land in India by 2030
Peace Forest Initiative - by South Korea - LDN in cross-border post-
conflict situations
Participating in UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-30)
Drought Toolbox - sort of knowledge bank
Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
As per UNCCD definition - LDN is a state whereby amount and quality
of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and
services and enhance food security remains stable or increases
Concept first emerged form Rio+20 Conference in 2012
Enshrined in SDG 15.3
Counterbalances expected loss of productive land with recovered
degraded areas
3 global indicators of LDN-
Trends in Land Cover Change (LCC)
Land Productivity Dynamics measured as NPP (net primary
productivity)
Soil Organic Carbon
Forest Landscape Restoration
Pilot project launched by India in Haryana, MP, MH, Nagaland,
Karnataka
Implemented by National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board
(NAEB) with IUCN
NAEB - under MoEFCC in 1992
Bamboonomics
Launched by MoTA at UNCCD COP14 => to promote tribal enterprises
TRIFED announced "The 4P1000 Initiative" => international "4 per
1000" initiative was launched by France in 2015 at COP21 => Role
of Agricultural soils for food security and climate
Annual growth rate of 0.4% in soil carbon stocks, in first 30-
40cm of soil
First given by France in COP21, 2015

Bonn Challenge
Global goal to bring 150mn hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes
into restoration by 2020 and 350mn ha by 2030
Launched in 2011 by Govt of Germany and IUCN
India joined voluntary Bonn Challenge in 2015 Paris
India's commitment - restorinig 13mn ha of degraded land by 2020 and
additional 8 mn ha by 2030

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Forest Landscape Restoration Approach => restore ecological integrity at
same time improving human well being through multifunctional
landscapes
Forest Plus 2.0
By US Agency for International Development (USAID) and MoEFCC
5 yr programme (2018-23) => focusses on developing tools and techniques
to bolster ecosystem management and harnessing ecosystem services in
forest landscape management
Forest-Plus (2012-17) -> capacity building to help India participate in REDD+
Pilot projects in 3 landscapes of contrasting conditions -
Gaya, Bihar - forest deficit
Thiruvananthapuram - rich in Biodiversity
Medak, Telangana - dry area
Targets-
1.2 Lakh Ha land => under improved mgmt
New inclusive economic activity
3 focal points of action
Developing tools for managing forests for multiple services
Incentive based instruments for leveraging finance
Unlocking economic opportunities and conservation
UN Forum on Forest
Subsidiary body of UN-ECOSOC, estd in 2000
Aims to strengthen political commitment to mgmt, conservation and
sustainable development of all types of forest
Includes all UN member states and permanent observers
UN-REDD, 2008
Climate change mitigation solution developed by UNFCCC => to reduce
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
Incentivizes developing countries to keep their forests conserved by
offering result based payments for actions to reduce and remove forest
carbon emissions => enhance forest carbon stocks
by FAO + UNDP + UNEP
India's 1st REDD+ Project => Mawphlang, Meghalaya
UN-REDD+ taken up in COP16 - Cancun, 2010
Developing countries to receive results based payments for their
conservation efforts
National Forest reference level (REL) or Forest Emission Reference
Level => used to determine performance of country towards
REDD+ implementation
As per Good Practices Guidelines by IPCC
Forest Investment Program => to mobilise funds to provide direct
forestry-related investments to developing countries
India NOT a participant
National REDD+ Strategy, 2018

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 One of the tools to achieve India's NDCs
Builds upon NAPCC, Green India Mission, NDCs
Covers all trees within forest area + trees outside forest area
(plantations, agro-forestry, orchards etc)
Doesn’t include grasslands, blue carbon and phytoplankton

Miyawaki Method of Afforestation

Plantation scheme using only native species of trees
Multi-layer : shrub, sub-tree, tree, and canopy

Urban Forestry in Bengaluru

Planting saplings in small areas -> causing them to fight for resources and
grow 10 times quicker
Nagar Van Scheme / Urban Forestry Schemes
To grow 200 urban forests across India in 5 years
Funds out of CAMPA
Urban Forest Garden Project, Pune
Waje Model => role model for Nagar Van Scheme
Miyawaki Forest Plantation, Bengaluru

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Smriti Van, Delhi
Sanskritik Van, Gujarat - have medicinal plants used in Ayurveda
Nakshtara Van, Uttarakhand
M-Haryali mobile app
By MoHUA => to encourage public engagement in planting trees
Enable automatic geotagging of plants
Global Futures Project
Launched by WWF in 2017 => to enhance awareness among global political
and business leaders of risks to economic prosperity due to envt
degradation
Global Futures Report - lists countries which will be worst affected in next 30
yrs due to envt degradation if not checked
Environment and Social Management Framework
By MoEFCC => part of WB funded project ENCORE (Enhancing Coastal and
Ocean Resource Efficiency Programme) -> aims to strengthen integrated
coastal zone management programme in all states and UTs

National Clean Energy Fund

Fund created in 2010-11 using Carbon Tax (is a Pigouvian Tax) -> clean energy
cess (on Coal) for funding research and innovation projects in clean
energy technologies of public sector or private sector entities (upto 40%
of total project cost)
Fund under Public Accounts under MoFinance
Projects include schemes like -
Green Energy Corridor
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) installation of solar
PV lights
Installation of SPV (solar photovoltaic) water pumping systems etc
White Pollution - plastic bags
IPCC AR6 (2015-22)
3 special reports released till now -
Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C
Special Report on CC and Land
CC and Food security-
Reduction in nutritional quality of staple crops (due to
increased CO2 conc)
Global food system responsible for 30% of GHG
emissions (agri+land use+storage, transport,
processing)
Negative Emissions - to remove CO2 from atm and store in
land/ocean
Bioenergy with Carbon capture and storage (BECCS) -
growing crops, using them to produce energy and

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 then capturing resulting CO2 emissions before
storing them in ground or sea

Special Report on Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

Glaciers will continue to melt even with no further CC
Arctic Amplification - arctic surface ice temperatures increased at more than
double the global average
Antarctica has seen less uniform air temp changes - warming over West
Antarctica, and not much over East Antarctica
Human caused warming delayed by Southern Ocean circulation
Greenland icesheet melting at twice the rate of Antarctic
Blooms in phytoplankton occcuring earlier in Arctic waters
Permafrost - has twice as much carbon than atm
Also, warmer conditions and CO2 fertilisation in permafrost => new
plant growth => more carbon sequestration
Ocean Stratification => less mixing => will trap nutrients in ocean interior
Oxygen minimum zones in oceans => growing larger
Ocean Deoxygenation : Everyone's Problem
Report by IUCN
Anoxic waters (Zero Oxygen) => Black Sea & Baltic Sea
2 causes-
CC - warm water holds less oxygen, raises oxygen demand, more
destabilisation of Methane gas hydrates -> aerobic respiration of
methane and CO2
Eutrophication

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Impact-
CC => increase GHG gases (Methane and N2O)
Feedback Mechanisms
Phosphorous Recycling enhanced => when Oxygen in
seawater low
This further increases productivity => reduces oxygen further
=> POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP btw productivity, oxygen
loss and increased P availability
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency
NBFI under MoNRE
Will setup a Green Window => to serve the unserved segments of renewable
energy
Keeling Curve => accumulation fo CO2 based on continuous measurements taken at
Mauna Loa observatory, Hawaii from 1958 to present
Allelopathy - harmful effect of one plant over the other crop species through
exudation of toxic substances from roots or decomposition of crop residues
Blue Flag
Certification by Foundation for Envt Education ( Denmark NGO) that a beach,
marina or sustainable boating tourism operator meets high envt and
quality standards
Chandrabhaga Beach, Orissa - first beach of India to receive Blue Flag
certification
Spain has highest number of blue flag beaches
ECOLEX - information service on envt law operated by FAO+IUCN+UNEP

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 E-Flow of Ganga
E-flow (Environment Flow) => minimum flow of water considered necessary
for protecting structure and function of ecosystem and its dependent
species
Mangrove
Adaptations-
Pneumatophores (breathing roots)
Aerial Prop Roots
High Totipotency
Lenticelled bark -> more water loss
Viviparous reproduction => seeds germinate in tree itself
Knee shaped roots above mud for gaseous exchange
Salt glands present in leaves
Physical Ecosystem Engineers
Autogenic - change envt via their own physical structures i.e. dead and living
tissues . Eg. Trees, Corals, giant kelps
Allogenic - change envt by transforming living/non-living materials from one
state to another Eg. Woodpeckers
Kashmir animals
3 animals -
Hangul (Kashmiri Stag) - Dachigam NP - Critically Endangered
Markhor -world's largest species of wild goat - near threatened
Chiru (Tibetan Antelope) - Shahtoosh fur - Near Threatened
Pollutant Types
Qualitative Pollutant - not in nature by itself, Added by Human activity
Quantitative Pollutant - already present in envt but termed as pollutant
when their quantity (conc) increases
Microbeads
Small plastic particle <5mm that act as exfoliators on skin and teeth (used in
soap, toothpaste etc)
Cannot be trapped by water filtration systems
Biodegradable options => Jojoba seeds, coffee seed salts
Global Wildlife Programme
World Bank led, GEF funded global partnership that promotes wildlife
conservation and sustainable development by combating illicit trafficking
in wildlife
Promote community based natural resource management and
tourism development
Promote landscape-level management and human-wildlife conflict
mitigation tools
Increase law enforcement efforts in-country through improved
legislation, judiciary and prosecution etc
HCFC - 141B

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 India achieved complete phase out of HCFC -141B under Montreal Protocol
=> most potent Ozone depleting compound after CFCs
India did not produce any -> all was imported => Imports prohibited now
Mainly used as blowing agent in production of foams.
HCFCs are part of VOCs
ODS mentioned under EPA, 1986
Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite
Launched by JAXA
Global Warming Potential (GWP) for Methane also includes indirect effects
of tropospheric ozone production and statospheric water vapour
production
Primary GHGs - water vapour, CO2, N2O, CH4, O3
Climate Finance
Common but differentiated Responsibility and Respective Capabilities =>
developed countries to provide financial resources to developing
countries
Global Environment Facility (GEF), 1992
Special Climate Change Fund, 2001 by UNFCCC (managed by
GEF) - covers incremental costs of intervention to address
CC
Least Developed Countries Fund, 2001 (managed by GEF) -
trustee WB
Adaptation Fund, 2001 by UNFCCC under Kyoto Protocol
(trustee -WB)
Clean Technology Fund, 2008 - promotes scaled-up financing for
demonstration, deployment and transfer of low-carbon tech for
GHG emission savings - Trustee WB
Copenhagen Accord (2009) - target of mobilizing $100Bn per year by
2020
Green Climate Fund (GCF), 2011 - supporting CC funds for developing
Countries - trustee WB
Based in South Korea
Indian body - NABARD
Nandankanan Zoo, Orissa
India's only Orangutan (brought from Singapore) died
Himalayan Gold - Caterpillar Fungus
Caterpillar Fungus is a fungal parasite of larvae of "ghost moth"
Used in Tibetan and Chinese medicine
Also used as aphrodisiac - Himalayan Viagra
Electrosmog
Non-ionizing radiation or Electromagnetic radiation => human made
radiation pollution
No rules as of now to regulated electrosmog pollution
Debt-for-Nature Swap

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Portion of developing nation's foreign debt is forgiven => in exchange for
local investments in envt conservation measures
First initiated by WWF
Global Green New Deal (GGND)
GGND is a report commissioned by UNEP after 2008 economic crises =>
policy actions that would stimulate economic recovery + improve
sustainability of global economy
US, EU, OECD countries etc => should spend over 1% of GDP over 2 years to
reduce carbon dependency
Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)
Operational arm of UNFCCC => managed by UNEP
Provides technical assistance in developing countries to both public and pvt
sector
Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnership
By UNDP+GEF+ IMO (int maritime org)
India member
Short Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs)
Agents that have relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere - few days to few
decades - and warming influence. Eg. - Black carbon (days), Tropopheric
Ozone (weeks), Methane (12 yrs), HFCs (15 yrs)
India is 2nd largest emitter of black carbon after China
Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
Launched by UNEP and 6 countries (Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana,
Mexico, Sweden, US) in 2012
NOT India
GreenCo Rating System
Developed by CII (confederation of Indian Industry) (NOT BY BEE)
CII estd in 1895
Helps industrial units in implementing various measures in terms of energy
conservation, recycling, utlisaing renewable energy, GHG reduction, solid
and liquid waste management, water conservatin etc
"First of Its Kind Holistic Framework" in the world => evaluates companies on
environmental friendliness using life cycle approach
Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD)
FGD system installation is mandatory in new as well as existing thermal
power plants
Flue-gas (exhaust gas or stack gas) is the gas that emanates from combustion
plants
FGD reduces SOx by converting it into Gypsum or CaSO4 or H2SO4 =>
Produces FGD Gypsum (as Gypsum used to absorb sulphur)
Major types include - spray towers, spray dryers, dry sorbent injection (DSI)
Renewable Energy Certificate (REC)
Regulated by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Market-based instrument to facilitate compliance of RPO (Renewable
Purchase Operation)
1 REC= 1MWh electricity generated from a renewable source
Requires large power procurers (eg. Discoms) to source pre-determined
fraction of their electricity from renewable sources
ONLY Indian companies can purchase
Traded on 2 exchanges -
Indian Energy Exchange (IEX)
Power Exchange of India (PXIL)
GST @ 12% on RECs => severely impacted REC market

WATER POLLUTION
GW Arsenic Contamination
Report by CGWB
States along Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (UP, Bihar, JK, Assam, WB) =>
worst affected is UP
Arsenic has penetrated foodchain => biomagnification
Muktoshri Rice - resistant to inorganic Arsenic developed by Rice Research
Station
Jal Shakti Abhiyaan
Campaign for water conservation
Time bound campaign with a mission mode approach in 2 phases-
Phase 1 - 1st July to 15th Sept 2019 (all states)
Phase 2 - 1st Oct to 30th Nov 2019 (States with retreating monsoon -
Andhra, Karnataka, Pondi, TN)
Focus on water stressed distt and blocks
No additional funding or specific targets
Samagra Shiksha Jal Suraksha
Drive as an impetus to Jal Shakti Abhiyaan => awareness about water
conservation among school students
By MHRD
Composite Water Management Index 2.0
Released by NITI Aayog
28 indicators across 9 themes

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 3 categories - Non-Himalayan states, UTs, Himalayan and NE states
Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY)
Central Sector Scheme (₹6,000cr) => sustainable mgmt of GW with
community participation
Forming Water User Association, water budgeting, preparation and
implementation of Gram Panchayat wise water security plans etc
Provides funds to selected states for strengthening GW governance
2 components -
Institutional strengtheninig and capacity building - improving
monitoring networks, capacity building, strengtheing water use
associations
Incentive component - incentivising states for achievements in
improved GW management practices like data dissemination,
water security plans, water budgeting etc
Implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti over a period of 5 years (2020-21 to
2024-25)
GoI + WB (50:50) funding
Identified over-exploited and water-stressed areas of implemntation in 7
states - Guj, Haryana, Karnataka, MP, MH, UP, Raj => represent 25% of
total no. of critical and semi-critical blocks in GW
E-Flow of Ganga
E-flow (Environment Flow) => minimum flow of water considered necessary
for protecting structure and function of ecosystem and its dependent
species
Notfied by NMCG (national mission for clean ganga) => will be enforced from
2019

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 National Policy on Biofuels, 2018
Indicative target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol and 5% blending of
bio-diesel in diesel by 2030
Categorisation
1G - from food sources (sugar, starch, vegetable oil, animal fats) using
conventional tech
2G - fron non-food crops/non-edible portions of food using
biochemical, thermochemical reactions (cellulose diesel,
biodiesel)
3G - from microorganisms like algae (Butanol)
4G - Genetically engineered crops (high amounts of Carbon) - fuel is
precombusted and carbon is captured which is geo-sequestered
(some are carbon negative)
Expands scope of Raw Materials - use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing
materials sugarbeet, sweet sorghum; starch containing materials corn,
cassava, damaged food grains etc
Protection to Farmers - use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol
with approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee
No approval needed for damaged grains
VGF - VGF scheme for 2G ethanol biorefineries of ₹5,000 cr in 6 years
Rajasthan => 1st state to implement the policy
FUELS=>
Bioethanol - from corn and sugarcane using fermentation
Biodiesel - from soybean oil or palmoil, animal fats etc
Biogas - by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter like sewage
from animals and humans => CH4 and CO2 mainly

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Biobutanol - same process of bioethanol (fermentation of starch) =>
highest energy content among other gasoline alternatives - used
as solvent in textile industry and base in perfumes
Biohydrogen
Govt policy to produce ethanol from B-Heavy Molasses {intermediate
product after boiling sugarcane to extract additional 12% raw sugar} -
earlier was from C-heavy molasses
PM Ji-Van, 2019
MoPNG
To develop 2G ethanol sector
Jatropha
Drought resistant perennial plant living upto 75 yrs of Latin American Origin
High nitrogen content -> organic fertilizer
Use for biodiesel
Insecticide, fungicide
Seed contains 35% non-edible oil
CORSIA
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation by ICAO
(int civil aviation org)
Resolution for global market based measure to address CO2 emissions from
international aviation from 2021 to 2035
Vizag Gas Leak, May 2020
Leak of Styrene gas from LG Polymers
Laws for industrial accidents
Before Bhopal gas tragedy, 1984 => only IPC section 304A (death by
negligience)
EPA, 1986 - criminal liability of ₹1L fine/max 5 years jail
Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 - insurance for purpose of
immediate relief to people affected by accident while handling
hazardous substances
NGT, 2009
NGT slapped penalty on LG based on rule of strict liability
MC Mehta vs UoI, 1986 - SC evolved its own rule of "absolute
liability" - no exceptions for hazardous industries and holding
them absolutely liable
Shola Forests
Montane Wet Temperate Forest
1500-1800m altitude
States - Kerala, Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris, Anamalais, Palni Hills, Kalakadu etc)
Epiphytes (lichens, ferns) usually grow on trees => feature of evergreen
forests
Upper reaches => grasslands
Locust Attack
FAO identified 3 hotspots of desert locusts-

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Horn of Africa
Red Sea
Southwest Asia
4 species of locusts found in India-
Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Migratory Locust
Bombay Locust
Tree Locust
Immature locust damage more than adult locust => since they need more
food to grow
Partnership on Urban Envt Sustainability Initiative (PUESI)
Joint initiative of BRICS countries - 2019
Sharing knowledge and experience on imp issues such as waste mgmt,
cogeneration, reverse logistics, sanitation and water quality etc
Swacch - Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan
Intensive beach cleaning drive in 50 beaches by MoEFCC
Black Aerosol
Unlike suphate aerosols, black aerosols have a warming effect on atm as they
absorb sunlight rather than reflecting it
Decrease albedo of ice
Albedo
Fresh Snow (0.8) > Ice > Concrete > Sand > Green Grass (0.25) > Forest (0.1) >
Ocean (0.06) > Asphalt (0.04)
Seabed 2030
By Nippon Japan and General Bathymetric Chart of Oceans (GEBCO)
Launched at UN Ocean Conference 2017 -> aligned with SDG-14
Aims to produce definitive map of ocean floor by 2030
Petersberg Climate Dialogue
Hosted by Germany since 2010
Forum for high-level informal political discussions on climate action
Wildlife Crime Initiative (WCI)
Joint initiative between WWF and TRAFFIC
Goal is to halve the impact of wildlife crime on conservation targets by 2024
Green Credit Scheme
Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) (Statutory body under Forest Conservation
Act, 1980 - apex body to adjudicate industry request to raze forest land
for commercial ends) has approved this scheme
Allow forests to be traded as a commodity => agency (companies/forest
communities) can grow plantations as compensatory forest land
Industry needing forest land could approach these agencies and pay for
parcel of land which will be transferred to forest dept and be recorded as
forest land
India's First Lichen Park
In Munsiyari, Uttarakhand

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 To conserve, protect and cultivate lichens and create awareness about their
importance
National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS)
Central Sector Grant-in-aid scheme
By MoEFCC
Its jurisdiction includes 10 Himalayan states fully + 2 state partially (hill distt
of Assam and WB)
Climate Engineering
GHG removal -
Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) - emissions forced into underground
rocks at no economic benefit
Carbon Capture Utilisation Storage (CCUS) - emissions are exploited
as a resource itself creating new markets around it
Biochar Making - partly burned material (logging, crop waste) to
carbon rich, slow to decompose substance called biochar =>
buried/spread on farmland
Used for centuries by farmers to enrich soil fertility
Solar Radiation Management or Sunlight Reflectin Method (SRMM)
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection - SO2 used
Cirrus Cloud Manipulation - high cirrus clouds are thinned/removed
to reduce their capacity of trapping long-wave
Marine Cloud Brightening - low clouds highly reflective of incoming
sunlight are modified to increase reflectivity
Space Sunshed - space mirros
Pale coloured roofing material or high albedo crops
Green Bonus
11 Himalayan States sought Green Bonus from Center => for their
contribution in envt conservation
Categorisation of Industries
By MoEFCC => based on Pollution index (1-100 score)
Red - (score >60) cement, petrochemical, pharma, sugar, paper &
pulp, nuclear, fertilizers
Orange - (41-59) coal washeries, glass mfg, paints
Green - (21-40) steel furniture, soap mfg, tea processing
White - (<20) practically non-polluting - biscuit, air cooler, chalk
factories
Madhuban gajar
Biofortified carrot
Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) + Iron
Gujarat
Cultural Model of Conservation - involves tribes & forest dwellers
Bishnoi, Rajasthan - Trees, animals, birds => have own Tiger force
Chenchu, Andhra Pradesh - tiger conservation at Nagarjunasagar Srisailam
TR

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh
 Maldhari, Gujarat - Lion conservation at Gir
Bugun, Arunachal - critically endangered Bugun Liocichla
Nyishi, Arunachal - Hornbill at Pakke TR
Sacred Groves -
Legally protected as Community Reserves under Wildlife Protection
(Amendment) Act, 2002 => more than 1 lakh sacrerd groves in India
Kaavu - Kerala
Koyil Kaadu - TN
Orans - Rajasthan
Devara Kaadu - Karnataka
Sarnass - Jharkhand

STATE efforts

Rishabh Kumar Rewar – AIR 104, CSE 2020

Jayant & Rishabh UPSC CSE Notes and Strategy - https://t.me/jayantrishabh