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GS Paper: GS3-18.Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

  • National Marine Turtle Action Plan

    The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched the National Marine Turtle Action Plan.

    Do you know?

    Most people use the term “turtle” to reference any reptile with a shell on its back, but there are several differences between these two unique creatures. In actual sense tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises.

    Tortoises have more rounded and domed shells where turtles have thinner, more water-dynamic shells.  Turtle shells are more streamlined to aid in swimming. One major key difference is that tortoises spend most of their time on land and turtles are adapted for life spent in water.

    National Marine Turtle Action Plan

    Aim: To strengthen and sustain collective and collaborative sea turtle conservation through the monitoring of key sites and a network of partners in the Indian sub-continent

    Project details

    • The project contains ways and means to not only promote inter-sectoral action for conservation but also guide improved coordination amongst the government, civil society and all relevant stakeholders.
    • It highlights actions to be taken for handling stranded animals on the shore, stranded or entangled animals in the sea or on a boat, reducing threats to marine species and their habitats, rehabilitation, etc.

    Why need such a project?

    • India has rich marine biodiversity along a vast coastline of over 7,500 km.
    • It has significant  nesting  and  feeding  grounds  for  four  species  of  marine  turtles,  namely  leatherback  (Dermochelys  coriacea),  green  (Chelonia  mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys  imbricata)  and  olive  ridley  (Lepidochelys  olivacea)
    • Even though all four species are listed under Schedule I  of the  Indian  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972,  their populations in the  Indian waters are under threat.

  • Places in news: Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

    Indian Sunderbans, which is part of the largest mangrove forest in the world, is home to 428 species of birds, a recent publication of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) States.

    Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

    • Sundarbans is the largest delta and mangrove forest in the world.
    • The Indian Sunderbans, which covers 4,200 sq km, comprises of the Sunderban Tiger Reserve of 2,585 sq km is home to about 96 Royal Bengal Tigers (2020) is also a world heritage site and a Ramsar Site.
    • The Indian Sunderbans is bound on the west by river Muriganga and on the east by rivers Harinbhahga and Raimangal.
    • Other major rivers flowing through this eco-system are Saptamukhi, Thakuran, Matla and Goasaba.
    • Recent studies claim that the Indian Sundarban is home to 2,626 faunal species and 90% of the country’s mangrove varieties.

    What is the latest research?

    • The scientists have listed 428 birds, some, like the Masked Finfoot and Buffy fish owl, are recorded only from the Sunderbans.
    • India has over 1,300 species of birds and if 428 species of birds are from Sunderbans.
    • The area is home to nine out of 12 species of kingfishers found in the country as well rare species such as the Goliath heron and Spoon-billed Sandpiper.

    Try this PYQ:

    With reference to India’s biodiversity, Ceylon frogmouth, Coppersmith barbet, Gray-chinned miniyet and White-throated redstart are–

    (a) Birds

    (b) Primates

    (c) Reptiles

    (d) Amphibians

  • What is Nitrogen-Use Efficiency (NUE)?

    A group of Indian scientists have found a way to improve crops by reducing wastage of nitrogen fertilizers applied to them.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Which of the following adds/add nitrogen to the soil?

    1. Excretion of Urea by animals
    2. Burning of coal by man
    3. Death of vegetation

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2, and 3

    Nitrogen-Use Efficiency

    • NUE is calculated as a ratio between nitrogen used and harvest: A higher number denotes low wastage.
    • With the efficiency on the decline, farmers use more fertiliser in the hope of raising yield. This in turn worsens NUE.
    • Crops generally use up 30 per cent of nitrogen fertilizer applied; the rest seeps into the environment, harming health and adding to climate change.
    • Researchers were able to identify phenotypes or visibly identifiable features that determine the efficiency with which cultivated rice varieties (cultivars) use nitrogen.
    • This efficiency is known as nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE).
    • Cereals consume over 69 per cent of nitrogen fertilizers in India; rice tops the list with 37 per cent, followed by wheat (24 per cent).

    Nitrogen Pollution: the reason behind

    • Agriculture leads to 70 per cent of nitrous oxide emissions in India.
    • Of this, 77 per cent is contributed by fertilizers, mostly urea, according to the Indian Nitrogen Assessment published in 2017.
    • This greenhouse gas (GHG) is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
    • It has replaced methane as the second-largest component of GHG emissions from Indian agriculture in the past 15 years.

    Must read:

    [Burning Issue] Nitrogen Pollution in India

  • Issues with treating mineral sale proceeds as revenue or income

    The rate at which we are extracting mineral and spending the proceeds from it without consideration for the future generation needs a rethink. The article deals with this issue.

    The principle of Intergenerational Equity

    • We cannot compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs, and this is reflected in the aim for the sustainable economy.
    • The principle of Intergenerational Equity would make it imperative for us to ensure future generations inherit at least as much as we did.
    • If we are successful in abiding by intergenerational equity, our children will be at least as well off as we are.

    Issues with our mineral policy

    • India’s National Mineral Policy 2019 states: “natural resources, including minerals, are a shared inheritance where the state is the trustee on behalf of the people to ensure that future generations receive the benefit of inheritance.”
    • The extraction of oil, gas, and minerals is effectively the sale of this inheritance.
    • Unfortunately, governments everywhere treat the mineral sale proceeds as revenue or income which is basically a sale of inherited wealth.
    • This results in governments selling minerals at prices significantly lower than what they are worth, driven by lobbying, political donations, and corruption.

    Error in accounting

    • Proceeds received by the government are treated as “revenue” and spent.
    • This is just not sustainable.
    • There is growing empirical evidence of large losses in mining from around the world.
    • There is also growing evidence from the International Monetary Fund that many governments of resource-rich nations face declining public sector net worth, i.e., their governments are becoming poorer.
    • Due to the high profits involved, the extractors are keen to extract as quickly as possible and move on.
    • More mining would make a bad situation significantly worse.
    • The Government Accounting Standards Advisory Board needs to correct this error in the standards for public sector accounting and reporting for mineral wealth.

    Way forward

    • If we extract and sell our mineral wealth, the explicit objective must be to achieve zero loss in value; the state as trustee must capture the full economic rent.
    • Any loss is a loss to all of us and our future generations, and makes some rich; that is patently unfair.
    • India’s National Mineral Policy 2019 says: “State Governments will endeavor to ensure that the full value of the extracted minerals is received by the State.”
    • Like Norway, the entire mineral sale proceeds must be saved in a Future Generations Fund.
    • The Future Generations Fund could be passively invested through the National Pension Scheme framework.
    • The real income of a fund of this nature may be distributed only as a citizens’ dividend, equally to all as owners.
    • For the Indian economy, this is sustainable — capital has been maintained; the savings rate would rise, making available more long-term domestic capital; it diversifies risk while likely improving returns.

    Consider the question “What are the issues with our mining policies? Suggest the changes to make it more sustainable.”

    Conclusion

    Through these changes, let us be the generation that changes the course of history for the better, not the one that consumed the planet.

  • Places in news: Harike Wetland

    Winter migratory waterbirds using the central Asian flyway have started making a beeline to Punjab’s Harike wetland, offering a delight for bird lovers.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.In which one among the following categories of protected areas in India are local people not allowed to collect and use the biomass?

    (a) Biosphere reserves

    (b) National parks

    (c) Wetlands declared under Ramsar convention

    (d) Wildlife sanctuaries

    Harike Wetland

    • Harike Wetland also is the largest wetland in northern India in the border of Tarn Taran Sahib district and Ferozepur district of Punjab.
    • The wetland and the lake were formed by constructing the headworks across the Sutlej River in 1953.
    • The headworks is located downstream of the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers just south of Harike village.
    • The rich biodiversity of the wetland which plays a vital role in maintaining the precious hydrological balance in the catchment with its vast concentration of migratory fauna.
    • It was accorded as a wetland in 1990, by the Ramsar Convention, as one of the Ramsar sites in India, for conservation, development and preservation of the ecosystem.

    Back2Basics: Ramsar Convention

    • The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (better known as the Ramsar Convention) is an international agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
    • It is the only global treaty to focus on a single ecosystem.
    • The convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
    • Traditionally viewed as a wasteland or breeding ground of disease, wetlands actually provide fresh water and food and serve as nature’s shock absorber.
    • Wetlands, critical for biodiversity, are disappearing rapidly, with recent estimates showing that 64% or more of the world’s wetlands have vanished since 1900.
    • Major changes in land use for agriculture and grazing, water diversion for dams and canals and infrastructure development are considered to be some of the main causes of loss and degradation of wetlands.

  • Great Green Wall (GGW) Project

    The Great Green Wall (GGW) Project to address desertification, land degradation and climate change in the Sahel region of Africa has hit a new low due to funds crunch.

    Note the countries swept by the GGW project on the African map.

    GGW Project

    • The Great Green Wall project is conceived by 11 countries located along the southern border of the Sahara and their international partners, is aimed at limiting the desertification of the Sahel zone.
    • Led by the African Union, the initiative aims to transform the lives of millions of people by creating a mosaic of green and productive landscapes across North Africa.
    • The initial idea of the GGW was to develop a line of trees from east to the west bordering the Saharan Desert.
    • Its vision has evolved into that of a mosaic of interventions addressing the challenges facing the people in the Sahel and the Sahara.

    Why was such project incepted?

    • The project is a response to the combined effect of natural resources degradation and drought in rural areas.
    • It aimed to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030; only four million hectares had been restored between 2007 and 2019.
    • It is a partnership that supports communities working towards sustainable management and use of forests, rangelands and other natural resources.
    • It seeks to help communities mitigate and adapt to climate change, as well as improve food security.

  • Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Protected Areas

    Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of 146 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the country.

    Map the protected areas mentioned in the newscard in your Atlas.

    MEE Survey

    • MEE is a very important document that provides valuable guidance on various aspects of wildlife and protected area expand MEE of Marine Protected Areas.
    • In order to assess the efficacy of Protected Areas, evaluation of management effectiveness was required.
    • MEE has emerged as a key tool for PA managers and is increasingly being used by governments and international bodies to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the protected area management systems.
    • The results of the present assessment are encouraging with an overall mean MEE score of 62.01% which is higher than the global mean of 56%.
    • With this round of evaluation, MoEFCC successfully completed one full cycle of evaluating all terrestrial National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of the country from 2006 to 2019.

    India has systematically designated its Protected Areas in four legal categories — National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

    Areas surveyed

    • Under the WP 1972 Act, India has 903 formally designated Protected Areas with total coverage of 1,65,012.6 square km.
    • Among these are 101 National Parks, 553 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 86 Conservation Reserves and 163 Community Reserves.
    • For the survey, 146 National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries across 29 states and Union territories were evaluated.

    Highlights of the MEE

    • Tirthan Wildlife Sanctuary and Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh have performed the best among the surveyed protected areas.
    • The Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh was the worst performer in the survey.

  • Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Rules

    Few illegal apartment complexes in Maradu, Kerala, were razed as ordered by the Supreme Court for breaching Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The court had called the illegal constructions a “colossal loss” to the environment.

    What are CRZ norms?

    • In India, the CRZ Rules govern human and industrial activity close to the coastline, in order to protect the fragile ecosystems near the sea.
    • They restrict certain kinds of activities — like large constructions, setting up of new industries, storage or disposal of hazardous material, mining, reclamation and bunding — within a certain distance from the coastline.
    • After the passing of the Environment Protection Act in 1986, CRZ Rules were first framed in 1991.
    • After these were found to be restrictive, the Centre notified new Rules in 2011, which also included exemptions for the construction of the Navi Mumbai airport and for projects of the Department of Atomic Energy.
    • In 2018, fresh Rules were issued, which aimed to remove certain restrictions on building, streamlined the clearance process, and aimed to encourage tourism in coastal areas.
    • While the CRZ Rules are made by the Union environment ministry, implementation is to be ensured by state governments through their Coastal Zone Management Authorities.

    Where do they apply?

    • In all Rules, the regulation zone has been defined as the area up to 500 m from the high-tide line.
    • The restrictions depend on criteria such as the population of the area, the ecological sensitivity, the distance from the shore, and whether the area had been designated as a natural park or wildlife zone.
    • The latest Rules have a no-development zone of 20 m for all islands close to the mainland coast, and for all backwater islands in the mainland.

    Back2Basics

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/coastal-regulation-zone-how-rules-for-building-along-coast-have-evolved/

  • Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) 2021

    The two-day Asian Waterbird Census-2020 was recently held in Andhra Pradesh.

    Anyone can participate!

    By using eBird and filling an additional site form, one can take part in this multi-country effort to document the state of our wetlands and waterbirds.  To take part one simply visits a wetland and count the birds he/she see there.

    Asian Waterbird Census

    • The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) takes place every January.
    • The AWC was started in 1987, and many birders were initiated into bird counting and monitoring through this project.
    • This citizen-science event is a part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC) that supports the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide.
    • The data collected each year is shared by Wetlands International with global conservation organisations such as IUCN and Ramsar Convention.

    Why need such census?

    • Waterbirds are one of the key indicators of wetlands health.
    • Wetlands provide feeding, resting, roosting and foraging habitats for these charismatic species.

    AWC in India

    • In India, the AWC is annually coordinated by the Bombay Natural history Society (BNHS) and Wetlands International.
    • BNHS is a non-government Organisation (NGO) founded in the year 1883.
    • It engages itself in the conservation of nature and natural resources and also in the research and conservation of endangered species.
    • Its mission is to conserve nature, primarily biological diversity through action based on research, education and public awareness.

    Back2Basics: Waterbirds

    • The term water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird is used to refer to birds that live on or around water.
    • In some definitions, the term is especially applied to birds in freshwater habitats, though others make no distinction from birds that inhabit marine environments.
    • Also, some water birds are more terrestrial or aquatic than others, and their adaptations will vary depending on their environment.
    • These adaptations include webbed feet, bills, and legs adapted to feed in the water, and the ability to dive from the surface or the air to catch prey in water.

  • Tide–Rainfall Flood Quotient

    To understand if a coastal city is more prone to floods caused by tidal events or extreme rainfall, a team from the IIT Bombay devised a new metric or measure called the Tide–Rainfall Flood Quotient.

    Try this PYQ:

    The 2004 Tsunami made people realize that mangroves can serve as a reliable safety hedge against coastal calamities. How do mangroves function as a safety hedge?

    (a) The mangrove swamps separate the human settlements from the sea by a wide zone in which people neither live nor venture out

    (b) The mangroves provide both food and medicines which people are in need of after any natural disaster

    (c) The mangrove trees are tall with dense canopies and serve as art excellent shelter during a cyclone or tsunami

    (d) The mangrove trees do not get uprooted by storms and tides because of their extensive roots

    Tide–Rainfall Flood Quotient

    • Using the past rainfall data, tidal data, and topography of the region one can apply this framework to pinpoint the major factor at play.
    • This quotient helps understand the main driver of the flooding events for effective disaster management.
    • It considers three geographically diverse flood-prone coastal regions – Mithi Catchment in Mumbai, , Jagatsinghpur District in Odisha, and Greater Chennai to test their new metric.
    • The new method helped classify these regions into ‘storm-tide dominated’ or ‘pluvial (rainfall) dominated’ regions.
    • In Mithi, they found a devastating impact of storm-tide reaching even up to a distance of 7 km from the coastal boundary.
    • It concluded that Mithi catchment was ‘storm-tide dominated’, while Jagatsinghpur and Chennai were ‘pluvial dominated’

    A tool for flood management

    • This metric can help disaster management experts in framing better flood risk management systems directed towards long term planning.
    • For storm-tide dominated regions, severe flood hazard can be alleviated by building coastal defence structures such as closure dams, tide breakers, and storm-surge barriers at appropriate locations.
    • The tide and surge forecasting systems in these regions should be equipped with state-of-the-art ocean circulation models.
    • On the other hand, for pluvial dominated regions, structural measures such as rainwater storage structures, lakes, and detention basins should be prioritized in the flood management plans.