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

  • Report of the All India Tiger Estimation 2020

    India’s tiger population has reached a new high at 2,367.

    Before reading this newscard, try these PYQs:

    1. The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of: (CSP 2017)

    (a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna

    (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

    (c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System

    (d) Security of National Highways

    Q.Consider the following protected areas: (CSP 2012)

    1. Bandipur
    2. Bhitarkanika
    3. Manas
    4. Sunderbans

    Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 1, 3 and 4 only

    (c) 2, 3 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    All India Tiger Estimation

    MP-tops-country-with-526-tigers-as-per-All-India-Tiger-Estimation-2018
    • The tiger count is prepared after every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) provides details on the number of tigers in the 18 tiger reign states with 50 tiger reserves.
    • However, this time, the census also included data collected from the rough terrains of north-eastern states which were not possible due to logistic constraints before.
    • The entire exercise spanned over four years is considered to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage and intensity of sampling.
    • Over 15, 000 cameras were installed at various strategic points to capture the movement of tigers. This was supported by extensive data collected by field personnel and satellite mapping.

    Details of the report

    • India has 70% of the world’s tigers, says the report.
    • Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).
    • Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger population and all other States saw a “positive” increase, according to a press statement.

    Implementing CATS frameworks

    • India had embarked upon assessing management interventions through the globally developed Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) framework.
    • This framework will now be extended to all fifty tiger reserves across the country.

    Back2Basics: Project Tiger

    • Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in April 1973 during PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
    • In 1970 India had only 1800 tigers and Project Tiger was launched in Jim Corbett National Park.
    • The project is administrated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
    • It aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction etc.
    • Under this project the govt. has set up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers and funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.

  • Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA)

    India has ranked third among the top 10 countries that have gained in forest areas in the last decade a/c to the latest Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA).

    Possible prelim question:

    Q.The Global Forest Resources Assessment Report recently seen in news is published by-

    a) UN-FAO

    b) UN Forum on Forests

    c) International Union of Forest Research Organizations

    d) None of these

    India gains in forest cover

    • The top 10 countries that have recorded the maximum average annual net gains in a forest area during 2010-2020 are China, Australia, India, Chile, Vietnam, Turkey, the US, France, Italy and Romania.
    • India accounts for two per cent of total global forest area.
    • Globally, 12.5 million people were employed in the forestry sector. Out of this, India accounted for 6.23 million, or nearly 50 per cent.

    Global prospects

    • The Asian continent reported the highest net gain in a forest area in 2010-2020, according to the report.
    • It recorded a 1.17 million hectares (ha) per year net increase in forests in the last decade.
    • However, the South Asia sub-region reported net forest losses during 1990-2020.
    • But, this decline would have been much higher without the net gain in India’s forest during this period, according to FRA 2020.

    How did India gain?

    • The FRA 2020 has credited the government’s Joint Forest Management programme for the significant increase in community-managed forest areas in the Asian continent.
    • The forest area managed by local, tribal and indigenous communities in India increased from zero in 1990 to about 25 million ha in 2015, the assessment said.
    • India has been taking up massive afforestation and plantation schemes.

    About Global Forest Resources Assessment

    • The Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) reports on the status and trends of the world’s forest resources.
    • It is led by the Forestry Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
    • It reports the extent of the world’s forest area as well as other variables, including land tenure and access rights, sustainable forest management (SFM), forest conservation, and sustainable use.

    Back2Basics: Defining forests as per FRA

    • The definition excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems, such as fruit tree plantations, oil palm plantations, olive orchards, and agroforestry systems when crops are grown under tree cover.

    The FAO definition of a forest includes:

    • land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 per cent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ
    • does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use

  • In news: Ghazipur Landfill

    The Ghazipur landfill site rises by nearly 10 metres a year and is expected to surpass the height of Qutub Minar and other vertical structures in the country.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2016:

    Q.What can be the impact of excessive/inappropriate use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture?

    1. Proliferation of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in soil can occur.
    2. Increase in the acidity of soil can take place.
    3. Leaching of nitrate to the ground-water can occur.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    What are Landfills?

    • A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials.
    • Some landfill sites are also used for waste management purposes, such as temporary storage, consolidation and transfer, or for various stages of processing waste material, such as sorting, treatment, or recycling.

    Threats posed by landfills

    Landfills have the potential to cause a number of issues. Infrastructure disruption, such as damage to access roads by heavy vehicles, may occur amongst others.

    1) Leachate

    • When precipitation falls on open landfills, water percolates through the garbage and becomes contaminated with suspended and dissolved material, forming leachate.
    • If this is not contained it can contaminate groundwater.

    2) Decomposition gases

    • Rotting food and other decaying organic waste create decomposition gases, especially CO2 and CH4 from aerobic and anaerobic decomposition, respectively.
    • Both processes occur simultaneously in different parts of a landfill.

    3) Other threats

    • Poorly run landfills may become nuisances because of vectors such as rats and flies which can spread infectious diseases.
    • The occurrence of such vectors can be mitigated through the use of daily cover.
    • Other potential issues include wildlife disruption due to occupation of habitat and animal health disruption caused by consuming waste from landfills, dust, odour, noise pollution, and reduced local property values.

  • What is Khazan Farming System?

    The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in low-lying floodplains of Goa is characterized by an estuarine agricultural system called Khazan farming.

    Try this question from our AWE initiative:

    How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? (10 Marks)

    Khazan Farming

    • The low-lying floodplains of Goa host an estuarine agricultural system called Khazan farming.
    • This system is a carefully designed topo-hydro-engineered agro-aquacultural ecosystem mainly based on the regulation salinity and tides.

    How does it work?

    • Centuries ago, people in this region reclaimed low-lying brackish coastal floodplains and mangrove forests.
    • They constructed bunds using locally available material to prevent the ingress of saltwater, which killed the halophilic mangroves.
    • To control the flow of tidal waters, they built openings in bunds fitted with one-way gates.
    • These channels would fill in with the oncoming tide and bring with them fish, crab and shrimp, and the gates would automatically shut when the water level was equal on both sides.
    • This prevented the water from overflowing into the fields used to grow paddy and which has a low tolerance to salt.
    • When the tide receded, these gates would open outwards automatically, allowing the water to drain out.
    • During this time, a bag net was set at the gate to catch fish that had entered in earlier.

    Benefits of Khazan

    • Every bit of space was precious and used efficiently — the bunds were used to grow a variety of vegetables.
    • The Khazan system allowed for the farmer and the fisher to harmoniously coexist and was the key to sustaining what is considered Goa’s staple — fish, curry and rice.

    Why is it neglected these days?

    • Today, for various reasons, but primarily due to post-independence agrarian reforms of 1961, these lands largely lie fallow and are in a state of decay.
    • Lack of cultivation and maintenance of the bunds and sluice gates is leading to their breaching and the natural reclamation of these fallow lands by mangroves.
    • Moreover, mangroves are protected by law and it is illegal to cut them.
    • Areas that have these trees growing on them also come under the purview of the coastal regulation zone (CRZ); according to the 2011 notification, the mangrove areas are classified as CRZ I and cannot be developed upon.

    Back2Basics: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary

    • The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is Goa’s smallest protected area — it comprises barely two square kilometres of lush mangrove forests.
    • The sanctuary is located on Chorão, one of Goa’s estuarine islands in the Mandovi river approximately five kilometres from capital Panaji.
    • The sanctuary and its surrounds are home to marsh crocodiles, smooth-coated otter, the unique glossy-marsh snake that feeds on crabs, mud lobsters, sap-sucking sea slugs, among others.

  • Bats and their Ecological Significance

    The COVID pandemic has magnified our fear of bats, but their conservation is crucial to prevent such events from arising again.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2014:

    Q.Consider the following:

    1. Bats
    2. Bears
    3. Rodents

    The phenomenon of hibernation can be observed in which of the above kinds of animals?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 3

    (d) Hibernation cannot be observed in any of the above

    Bats

    • Bats are the largest mammalian group after rodents, with over 1,300 species making up a quarter of all mammals.
    • They occur on all continents except Antarctica and are particularly diverse in South Asia, with 114 species of insect-eating bats and 14 fruit bats, also known as “flying foxes”, occurring in India.
    • They roost in large colonies on trees, tree hollows, caves, rock crevices and abandoned manmade structures.
    • They play a unique role in maintaining ecosystem structure, making a singular contribution to our food production, economy and well-being.
    • They are the only mammals capable of true flight and have a unique sonar-based echolocation mechanism to capture prey at night.

    Their significance

    1) Seed dispersal

    • About 29 per cent of all bats depend upon plants for food.
    • The diet of fruit-eating bats consists largely of flowers and fruits such as mangoes, bananas, guavas, custard apples, figs, tamarind and many species of forest trees.
    • Therefore, bats play a vital role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration. Studies have shown that seedlings raised from bat dispersed seeds show higher germination and vigorous growth.

    2) Pollination

    • Studies have found that bats play a vital role in pollination, mainly of large-flowered plants, and in crop protection.
    • Fruit bats (Megachiroptera) being large, require big flowers with copious amounts of nectar.
    • Bats are major pollinators for many species of mangroves which are important for coastal ecosystems and local livelihoods.

    3) Production boost

    • Insects are a major problem for agriculture, destroying up to 26 per cent of the annual production of crops worldwide every year, roughly amounting to $470 billion.
    • Insectivorous bats, which make up 70 per cent of all bat species, are voracious predators of nocturnal insects and crop pests.
    • Some large insectivorous bats are also reported to feed on small rodents. Thus they contribute directly to enhancing the crop productivity with tremendous economic impact.

    4) Soil fertility

    • Bats contribute significantly to soil fertility and nutrient distribution due to their large numbers, high mobility and varied habitats for roosting and foraging.
    • Bat droppings provide organic input to soil and facilitate nutrient transfer, contributing to soil fertility and agricultural productivity. The practice is harmless vis-a-vis human health.

    5) Health benefits

    • Several species of bats, in fact, contribute to human health by reducing populations of mosquitoes and other insect vectors that spread malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other diseases.
    • It is reported that a small bat may feed on almost 5,000 mosquitoes each and every feeding night far more than other measures adopted to eliminate them.

    Their conservation

    • According to the IUCN, about 5 per cent of bats are categorised as endangered and another 11 per cent are data deficient.
    • Further, some species of fruit bats are categorised under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1973, along with other vermin species like rats, making it difficult to legally conserve them.

    Conclusion

    • The pandemic has demonstrated that conservation of biodiversity and natural habitats is absolutely essential to prevent such events from arising again.
    • Understanding the role played by bats helps us appreciate how their absence can greatly affect all facets of our lives.
    • Viruses don’t jump directly from bats or other animals to humans.
    • Rather, illicit trade in wildlife, high levels of hunting for the consumption of wild meat, and destruction of natural habitats are responsible for this.

  • National Flood Commission

    At least 43 years after India’s first and last commission on floods was constituted, there is no national-level flood control authority in the country so far.

    Try this question for mains:
    Q. What are the various causes of urban floods in India?

    National Flood Commission

    • Rashtriya Barh Ayog or the National Flood Commission (NFC) was set up by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation in 1976.
    • It aimed to study India’s flood-control measures after the projects launched under the National Flood Control Programme of 1954 failed to achieve much success.

    NFCs recommendation

    • In 1980, the NFC made 207 recommendations and four broad observations:
    • First, it said there was no increase in rainfall in India and, thus, the increase in floods was due to anthropogenic factors such as deforestation, drainage congestion and badly planned development works.
    • Second, it questioned the effectiveness of the methods adopted to control floods, such as embankments and reservoirs, and suggested that the construction of these structures be halted until their efficacy was assessed.
    • Third, it said there have to be consolidated efforts among the states and the Centre to take up research and policy initiatives to control floods.
    • Fourth, it recommended a dynamic strategy to cope with the changing nature of floods. An analysis of the report suggested that the problem began with the methods of estimating flood-prone areas of the country.

    Why revive NFC?

    • An accurate estimate is crucial for framing flood management programmes.
    • The NFC estimated that the total area vulnerable to floods in 1980 was around 40 million hectares.
    • There is another problem. The very definition of the flood-prone area does not reflect the effectiveness of the flood management works undertaken.

  • [pib] DDT and its impact on environment

    India has supplied 20.60 MT of DDT to South Africa for its Malaria control program.

    Try this question from CSP 2014:

    With reference to ‘Global Environment Facility’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
    (a) It serves as financial mechanism for ‘Convention on Biological Diversity’ and ‘United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’
    (b) It undertakes scientific research on environmental issues at global level
    (c) It is an agency under OECD to facilitate the transfer of technology and funds to underdeveloped countries with specific aim to protect their environment.
    (d) Both (a) and (b)

    What is DDT?

    • Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane commonly known as DDT is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound.
    • It was developed as the first of the modern synthetic insecticides in the 1940s.
    • It was initially used with great effect to combat malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne human diseases among both military and civilian populations.

    Why is it controversial?

    • DDT is a persistent organic pollutant that is readily adsorbed to soils and sediments, which can act both as sinks and as long-term sources of exposure affecting organisms.
    • Routes of loss and degradation include runoff, volatilization, photolysis and aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation.
    • Due to hydrophobic properties, in aquatic ecosystems DDT is absorbed by aquatic organisms and thus bio-accumulates in the food web.

    Threats of DDT

    • The bioaccumulation of DDT has caused eggshell thinning and population declines in multiple North American and European bird of prey species.
    • DDT is an endocrine disruptor. It is considered likely to be a human carcinogen.

    In use despite ban

    • A worldwide ban on agricultural use of DDT was formalized under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
    • But its limited and still-controversial use in disease vector control continues, because of its effectiveness in reducing malarial infections, balanced by environmental and other health concerns.

    Back2Basics: Stockholm Convention on POPs

    • Stockholm Convention is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004 that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
    • In 1995, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) called for global action to be taken on POPs.
    • POPs are defined by the UNEP as chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate through the food web, and pose a risk of causing adverse effects to human health and the environment.

    Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

    • Bioaccumulation and biomagnification are two different processes that often occur in tandem with one another.
    • Bioaccumulation is the process by which toxins enter the food web by building up in individual organisms.
    • Biomagnification is the process by which toxins are passed from one trophic level to the next (and thereby increase in concentration) within a food web.

  • Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve

    As a fresh wave of floods ravages Assam, killing, 85 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) remains submerged.

    Try this question from CSP 2019:

    Q.Consider the following statements:

    1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
    2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
    3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve

    • The KNTPR is a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam.
    • The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site.
    • Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 (now the highest tiger density is in Orang National Park, Assam).
    • The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.
    • It is also recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for the conservation of avifaunal species.

    Significance of floods in Kaziranga’s ecosystem

    • The entire area of Kaziranga — formed by alluvial deposits from the Brahmaputra and its tributaries — is centred on the river.
    • There is a consensus that floods are necessary for Kaziranga by virtue of it being riverine ecosystem.
    • The regenerative nature of floods helps replenish Kaziranga’s water bodies and maintain its landscape, a mix of wetlands, grasslands and semi-evergreen deciduous forests.
    • The floodwaters also function as a breeding ground for fish.
    • The same fish are carried away by the receding waters into the Brahmaputra — in a way, the park replenishes the river’s stock of fish too.
    • The waters also help get rid of unwanted plants such as water hyacinth which collect in huge masses in the landscape.

  • [pib] Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

    The Environment Ministry has approved the Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) for the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone.

    Note the following things with respect to the ESZs:

    1) Its demarcation

    2) Law/Regulation providing it

    3) Boundary restrictions

    Bhagirathi ESZ

    It covers a watershed of about  100 kilometres stretch of the river  Bhagirathi from Gaumukh to Uttarakashi covering an area of  4179.59 square km.

    What are the Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs)?

    • Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
    • The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
    • They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

    How are they demarcated?

    • The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does not mention the word “Eco-Sensitive Zones”.
    • However, Section 3(2)(v) of the Act, says that Central Government can restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries, operations or processes shall be carried out or shall not, subject to certain safeguards.
    • Besides Rule 5(1) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 states that central government can prohibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of certain considerations.
    • The same criteria have been used by the government to declare No Development Zones (NDZs).

    Defining its boundaries

    • An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
    • Moreover, in the case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 km width, these should be included in the ESZs.
    • Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.

  • Species in news: Pied Cuckoo

    A new project by a number of agencies is using advancements in nanotechnology to study migratory patterns of the Pied Cuckoo.

    This specie carries an unusual importance compared to other IUCN species. Go through this newscard to read more about it.

    Pied Cuckoo

    • There are basically three subspecies of the Pied Cuckoo of which one is resident in Africa while another is resident in South.
    • The third is a migrant moving between India and Africa.
    • The Pied Cuckoo is famous in North Indian folklore as ‘chatak’, a bird that quenches its thirst only with raindrops.
    • From Southern Africa, it comes to the Himalayan foothills stretching from Jammu to Assam to breed every year. The birds come to the same localities every year.
    • It is also a brood parasite in that it does not make its own nest and instead lays its egg in the nest of other birds, particularly the Jungle Babbler.

    About the Study

    • The project is a joint effort by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), which comes under the Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO.
    • The Pied Cuckoo migration study is part of a larger project — Indian Bioresource Information portal (IBIN) funded by the Department of Biotechnology under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
    • It aims to deliver relevant bioresources (plant, animal and other biological organisms) information of India through a web portal.
    • The project aims to assess the likely impacts of projected climate change on the potential distribution of Pied Cuckoo in the altered climate change scenarios.

    Why study Pied Cuckoo?

    • It is closely linked with the arrival of the south-west monsoon in India.
    • It moves to India during the summer.
    • Being a small, terrestrial bird, a sea crossing holds a lot of risk for this cuckoo.
    • Before it migrates back to its home in the southern African region, by flying over the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, it must be stopping somewhere.
    • It is these stopovers that researchers want to find out about.