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Subject: Conservation & Mitigation

1. Conservation Progs.
2. Worldwide initiatives
3. Mitigation Strategies
4. Conventions and Protocols

  • After 50 years, Gharials return to Beas Conservation Reserve

    Gharial ( Gavialis gangeticus ) have been successfully reintroduced the in the Beas River of Punjab where it had become extinct half a century ago.

    One may often get confused between the Mugger, Gharial and the Saltwater Crocodile. Note the differences about their IUCN status, habitat (freshwater/saltwater) etc..

    Gharials

    • The Gharial is a fish-eating crocodile is native to the Indian subcontinent. They are a crucial indicator of clean river water.
    • Small released populations are present and increasing in the rivers of the National Chambal Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Son River Sanctuary.
    • It is also found at the rainforest biome of Mahanadi in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary, Orissa.
    • Gharials are ‘Critically Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Species.
    • The species is also listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

    Into the wild

    • A major chunk of gharials in India is found in the Chambal River, which has about 1,000 adults.
    • The Ghaghara acts as an important aquatic corridor for gharials in Uttar Pradesh. The river is a major left-bank tributary of the Ganges.
    • Like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar too is releasing gharials in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve as part of restocking the wild population. Unlike crocodiles, gharials do not pose any danger to humans.

    Ambitious project in Punjab

    • The gharial reintroduction in the Beas Conservation Reserve is an ambitious programme of the Punjab government.
    • The reptiles were commonly sighted in the Beas River till the 1960s but later became extinct.

    Back2Basics:

    Mugger

    • The mugger is a marsh crocodile which is found throughout the Indian subcontinent.
    • It is a freshwater species and found in lakes, rivers and marshes.
    • IUCN Status: Vulnerable

    Saltwater Crocodile

    • It is the largest of all living reptiles.
    • It is found along the eastern coast of India.
    • IUCN Status: Least Concerned

     

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  • Govt brings Bill to amend Wildlife Protection Act

    Forests Minister has introduced in Lok Sabha the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill to ensure that the original 1972 Act complies with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

    What the Amendment brings in?

    [1] Standing Committee of State Board for Wildlife

    • The Bill proposes reducing the number of schedules and establishing a Standing Committee of State Board for Wildlife.
    • These committees will function like the National Board for Wildlife which is responsible for monitoring protected areas in the country and awarding or denying permission to projects in light of its threat to wildlife.
    • Officials say that in most states, State Wildlife Boards fall under the responsibility of Chief Ministers, and are therefore neglected due to the paucity of time.
    • The state Standing Committees will be able to take decisions on wildlife management and permissions granted for projects, without having to refer most projects to the NBWL.

    [2] Seized Species

    • There is also the insertion of a new section 42A about surrender of wild animals and products.
    • Any article or animal surrendered under this Section shall become property of the State Government and the provisions of Section 39 shall be applicable to it.

    [3] Reducing number of Schedules

    • The Ministry has also rationalized Schedules for Wildlife under the Act, bringing it down from 6 to 4 major schedules.
    • A schedule is a categorization of wildlife depending on how critically endangered they are.
    • A schedule I category of wildlife (such as Tigers) are the highest protected under the Act.

    [4] Wildlife Management Plans

    • The Ministry has mandated that Wildlife Management Plans which are developed for sanctuaries and national parks across the country, will now become a part of the WPA.
    • They will have to be approved by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state.
    • This will ensure far stricter protection to these protected areas. Earlier they would be protected through executive orders which did not have as much teeth.

    Need for the Amendment

    Ans. Blacklisting by CITES would affect trade in important plant species

    • CITES aims to regulate the international trade of animals and plants so that it does not threaten their survival.
    • This has been a long-standing demand from CITES for the past 25 years.
    • India has been blacklisted by CITES once before, and if a second blacklisting were to happen — then India will no longer be able to trade in important plant specimens.
    • This would affect the livelihood of a large section of Indian society that relies heavily on this trade.

    About CITES

    • CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
    • It is as an international agreement aimed at ensuring “that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival”.
    • It was drafted after a resolution was adopted at a meeting of the members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1963.
    • It entered into force on July 1, 1975, and now has 183 parties.
    • The Convention is legally binding on the Parties in the sense that they are committed to implementing it; however, it does not take the place of national laws.
    • India is a signatory to and has also ratified CITES convention in 1976.

    CITES Appendices

    • CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls.
    • All import, export, re-exports and introduction from the sea of species covered by the convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.

    It has three appendices:

    • Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade-in specimens of these species are permitted only in exceptional circumstances.
    • Appendix II provides a lower level of protection.
    • Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade.

    Back2Basics:  Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

    • WPA provides for the protection of the country’s wild animals, birds and plant species, in order to ensure environmental and ecological security.
    • It provides for the protection of a listed species of animals, birds and plants, and also for the establishment of a network of ecologically-important protected areas in the country.
    • It provides for various types of protected areas such as Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks etc.

    There are six schedules provided in the WPA for protection of wildlife species which can be concisely summarized as under:

    Schedule I: These species need rigorous protection and therefore, the harshest penalties for violation of the law are for species under this Schedule.
    Schedule II: Animals under this list are accorded high protection. They cannot be hunted except under threat to human life.
    Schedule III & IV: This list is for species that are not endangered. This includes protected species but the penalty for any violation is less compared to the first two schedules.
    Schedule V: This schedule contains animals which can be hunted.
    Schedule VI: This list contains plants that are forbidden from cultivation.

     

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  • Zero Budget Natural Farming

    Zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) is back on top of the Government’s agricultural agenda, with PM set to highlight it at a national conclave.

    Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)

    • ZBNF is a set of farming methods, and also a grassroots peasant movement, which has spread to various states in India.
    • Subhash Palekar perfected it during the 1990s at his farm in Amravati district in Maharashtra’s drought-prone Vidarbha region.
    • According to the “zero budget” concept, farmers won’t have to spend any money on fertilisers and other agricultural inputs.
    • Over 98% of the nutrients that crops require — carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water, solar energy — are already present in nature.
    • The remaining 1.5-2% are taken from the soil, after microorganisms convert them from “non-

    Four Wheels of ZBNF

    The “four wheels” of ZBNF are ‘Jiwamrita’, ‘Bijamrita’, ‘Mulching’ and ‘Waaphasa’.

    • Jiwamrita is a fermented mixture of cow dung and urine (of desi breeds), jaggery, pulses flour, water and soil from the farm bund.
    • This isn’t a fertilizer, but just a source of some 500 crore micro-organisms that can convert all the necessary “non-available” nutrients into “available” form.
    • Bijamrita is a mix of desi cow dung and urine, water, bund soil and lime that is used as a seed treatment solution prior to sowing.
    • Mulching, or covering the plants with a layer of dried straw or fallen leaves, is meant to conserve soil moisture and keep the temperature around the roots at 25-32 degrees Celsius, which allows the microorganisms to do their job.
    • Waaphasa, or providing water to maintain the required moisture-air balance, also achieves the same objective.

    Astra’s of ZBNF against pest attacks

    • ZBNF advocates the use of special ‘Agniastra’, ‘Bramhastra’, and ‘Neemastra’ concoctions.
    • They are based on cow urine and dung, plus pulp from leaves of neem, white datura, papaya, guava, and pomegranates — for controlling pest and disease attacks.

    Is it organic farming?

    • ZBNF uses farmyard manure or vermicompost.

    Issues with ZBNF

    • Cost of labor: The cost of labor for the collection of dung and urine, apart from the other inputs used in the preparation of Jiwamrita, Neemastra or Bramhastra is quit higher.
    • Bovine cost: Keeping cows is also a cost that has to be accounted for. Farmers cannot afford to keep desi cows that yield very little milk.
    • Vulnerability to pest attacks:  ZBNF is scarcely practiced.  The crop grown would be vulnerable to attacks by insects and pests have already become pest-immune.

     

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  • Places in news: Buxa Tiger Reserve

    In a major success for tiger conservation, a photograph of a tiger was captured in a camera trap in West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve since 1998.

    Locate all major tiger reserves in India.

    Buxa Tiger Reserve

    • Buxa Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in northern West Bengal, India, covering an area of 760 km2 (290 sq mi).
    • In altitude, it ranges from 60 m in the Gangetic Plains to 1,750 m bordering the Himalayas in the north.
    • Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.
    • The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR and the eastern boundary touches that of the Assam state.

    Key features of BTR

    • It is the easternmost extension of extreme bio-diverse North-East India and represents highly endemic Indo-Malayan region.
    • The fragile “Terai Eco-System” constitutes a part of this reserve.
    • The Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the north of BTR.
    • It serves as an international corridor for Asian elephant migration between India and Bhutan.

     

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  • Ambergris: The Floating Gold

    The Crime Branch in Pune and seized 550 grams of ambergris, also known as ‘floating gold’.

    What is Ambergris?

    • Ambergris, which means gray amber in French, is a waxy substance that originates from the digestive system of the protected sperm whales.
    • It is incorrectly referred to as ‘whale vomit’.
    • It is produced in the gastrointestinal tract of some of the sperm whales for the passage of hard, sharp objects that are ingested when the whale eats large quantities of marine animals.

    Why is it so expensive?

    • Investigating agencies from across India who have seized ambergris in the recent past estimate its value to be somewhere between Rs 1 to 2 crores per kilogram, depending on the purity and quality.
    • Being extremely rare contributes to its high demand and high price in the international market.

    Its uses

    • Traditionally, ambergris is used to produce perfumes that have notes of musk.
    • While there are records of it being used to flavor food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco in some cultures in the past, it is rarely used for these purposes presently.

    Legalities and recent cases of seizure in India

    • While there is a ban on possession and trade of ambergris in countries like the USA, Australia and India, in several other countries it is a tradable commodity.
    • In the Indian context, the sperm whales are a protected species under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and possession or trade of any of its by-products, including Ambergris is illegal.
    • It has been observed that the gangs smuggling the ambergris procure it from coastal areas and ship it to destination countries via some other countries with whom India has comparatively less stringent sea trade.

     

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  • Kasturirangan Committee Recommendations for Western Ghats Conservation

    Recently, the Karnataka CM has informed the Centre that the state is opposed to the Kasturirangan Committee report on the Western Ghats.

    What is the issue?

    • The Kasturirangan committee report proposes 37 per cent of the total area of Western Ghats, which is roughly 60,000 square kilometers, to be declared as eco-sensitive area (ESA).
    • Declaring this would adversely affect the livelihood of people in the region, asserted the Karnataka CM.

    Kasturirangan Committee Report

    • The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), also known as the Gadgil Commission after its chairman Madhav Gadgil, was an environmental research commission.
    • It was appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India. The commission submitted the report in 2011.
    • The WGEEP was succeeded by an eminent scientist K. Kasturirangan.

    Key recommendations

    (1) Declaration of Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA)

    • The committee report proposes 37 per cent of the total area of Western Ghats, which is roughly 60,000 square km, to be declared as eco-sensitive area (ESA).
    • Out of this, 20,668 sq km of the area falls in Karnataka (46.50%) covering 1,576 villages.

    (2) Ban on various activities

    • The report recommended a blanket ban on mining, quarrying, setting up of red category industries and thermal power projects.
    • It also stated that the impact of infrastructural projects on the forest and wildlife should be studied before permission is given for these activities.

    (3) Urging of UNESCO World Heritage tag

    • It has sought for UNESCO Heritage tag as an opportunity to build global and domestic recognition of the enormous natural wealth that exists in the Western Ghats.
    • The 39 sites are located across the Western Ghats and distributed across the states (Kerala 19), Karnataka (10), Tamil Nadu (6) and Maharashtra (4).

    Reasons behind rejection by Karnataka

    • Hitherto conservation measures: Karnataka has the distinction of being one of the states with extensive forest cover and the government has taken care to protect the biodiversity of Western Ghats.
    • Curb over development activities: The state believes that implementation of the report will halt the developmental activities in the region.
    • Issues over satellite observations: The Kasturirangan report has been prepared based on the satellite images, but the ground reality is different.
    • Adaptation by People: People of the region have adopted agriculture and horticultural activities in an eco-friendly manner.

    Significance of the recommendations

    • There have been massive encroachments across the state forest areas and these have been done at the behest of political leaders.
    • We are in the throes of extreme climate events, which are impacting nature and people.
    • Hence it is prudent to conserve the fragile ecosystems as it costs less compared to the situation prone to calamities (with changes in the climate).

     

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  • Species in news: Physella Acuta

    A tiny snail with a striking, pellucid golden-yellow shell found in the Edappally canal in Kochi has been flagged as an invasive species that could play havoc with native ecosystems.

    Snail Physella Acuta

    • First described by J.P.R. Draparnaud in 1805, Physella acuta is considered native to North America but is now found in all continents except Antarctica.
    • The snail was first reported in India in the early 1990s.
    • It is believed to have reached Kerala through the aquarium trade, a major vector for invasive species.
    • In Kerala, the snail had made its home in a highly polluted reach plagued by high sedimentation, untreated sewage, commercial effluents, construction wastes and a thick growth of invasive aquatic weeds.

    Threats posed

    • This snail plays host to worms that can cause food-borne diseases and skin itches in humans.
    • Moreover, its rapid growth rate, air-breathing capability, and tolerance to pollution make it a potential competitor to native fauna.

     

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  • Centre and states must work together to tackle the pollution in the NCR

    Context

    Supreme Court (SC) judges have pulled up the Delhi and central governments for not doing enough to correct the dire air quality situation. They also remarked on what message we are sending to the world.

    The pollution problem raises doubt about the quality of urbanisation in India

    •  If one looks at the capitals of G20 countries, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) during November 1-15, is by far the worst at 312, as per World Air Quality Index Project.
    •  India’s distinction goes beyond Delhi.
    • As per the World Air Quality Report of 2020, prepared by IQAir (a Swiss organisation), of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, 22 are in India.
    • The problem is much deeper, raising doubts about the quality of our urbanisation.

    Contributing sources and their share

    • Contributing sources: As per the report of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change following sources contribute in the given proportion:
    • Energy generation (largely coal-based thermal power) is the biggest culprit with a share of 44 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions,
    • Energy generation is followed by manufacturing and construction-18 per cent.
    • Agriculture-14 per cent.
    • Transport-13 per cent industrial processes and product use- 8 per cent and waste burning- 3 per cent.

    Suggestions to tackle Delhi’s pollution

    • As per the System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the reasons for poor AQI differ day to day.
    • On a particular day, say November 7, stubble burning contributed 48 per cent of Delhi’s air pollution, which fell to just 2 per cent on November 18.
    • Reduce rice cultivation: The Centre needs to sit down with neighbouring states and come up with a plan to reduce the rice area in this belt, which is already depleting the water table, creating methane and nitrous oxide, to incentivise farmers to switch to other crops through better returns than in rice cultivation.
    • Adopt EVs: To tackle vehicular pollution, we need a massive drive towards electric vehicles (EVs), and later towards green hydrogen when it becomes competitive with fossil fuels.
    • Charging stations: Scaling up EVs quickly demands creating charging stations on a war footing.
    • Develop carbon sink: Delhi also needs a good carbon sink.
    • Rejuvenating the Ridge area with dense forests and developing thick forests on both sides of the Yamuna may help.

    Enhancing farmers income through solar farming

    •  The Prime Minister has done a commendable job in Glasgow to commit that 50 per cent of India’s energy will be from renewable sources by 2030.
    • To replace coal in energy generation, solar and wind is the way to go at the all-India level.
    • The current model in solar energy is heavily tilted towards companies.
    • They are setting up large solar farms on degraded or less fertile lands.
    • We can supplement that model by developing solar farms on farmers’ fields.
    • This would require solar panels to be fixed at a 10 feet height with due spacing to let enough sunlight come to the plants for photosynthesis.
    • These “solar trees” can then become the “third crop” for the farmers, earning them regular income throughout the year, provided the law allows them to sell this power to the national grid.
    • The Delhi government’s pilot in Ujwa KVK land on these lines showed that farmers can earn up to Rs 1 lakh per acre per year from this “solar farming”.
    • This is on top of the two crops they can keep growing under those solar trees.
    • This will double farmers’ income within a year.

    Conclusion

    As deteriorating air quality grips the whole country, we need to work on multiple levels with coordination to tackle the problem.

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  • [pib] Project RE-HAB

    Buoyed by the success of its innovative Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees) in Karnataka, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has now replicated the project in Assam.

    Project RE-HAB

    • Project RE-HAB is a sub-mission of KVIC’s National Honey Mission.
    • Under the project, “Bee-fences” are created by setting up bee boxes in the passageways of elephants to block their entrance to human territories.
    • The boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug or pull causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further.
    • It is a cost-effective way of reducing human-wild conflicts without causing any harm to the animals.

    How does it work?

    • It is scientifically recorded that elephants are annoyed by the honey bees.
    • Elephants also fear that the bee swarms can bite the sensitive inner side of the trunk and eyes.
    • The collective buzz of the bees is annoying to elephants that force them to return.

     

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  • Species in news: Lesser Florican

    In a major discovery, the longest in-country migration route of lesser floricans, the endangered birds of the bustard group, has been tracked for the first time from Rajasthan to Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district.

    Lesser Florican

    • The lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus), also known as the likh or kharmore, is the smallest in the bustard family.
    • It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent where it is found in tall grasslands and is best known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the monsoon season.
    • The male has a contrasting black and white breeding plumage and distinctive elongated head feathers that extend behind the neck.
    • These bustards are found mainly in northwestern and central India during the summer but are found more widely distributed across India in winter.
    • The only similar species is the Bengal florican (Houbarobsis bengalensis) which is larger and lacks the white throat, collar and elongated plumes.

    Conservation status

    • The Lesser Florican is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Lesser Florican
    • The bird is listed as “Critically Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

    Threats

    • It is threatened both by hunting and habitat degradation.
    • The species is highly endangered and has been officially hunted to extinction in some parts of its range such as Pakistan.

    Try this PYQ:

    Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?

    (a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda, Asiatic Wild Ass

    (b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetah, Blue Bull, Great Indian Bustard

    (c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey, Saras (Crane)

    (d) Lion Tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur, Cheetah

     

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