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Subject: Environment

  • Underwater noise emissions pose threat to Indian Marine species: Study

    noise

    Central idea: The rising man-made (anthropogenic) underwater noise emissions (UNE) from ships in the Indian waters are posing a threat to the life of marine mammals like Bottlenose Dolphin, Manatees, Pilot Whale, Seal, and Sperm Whale.

    What is Underwater Noise Emissions (UNE)?

    • Underwater noise emissions (UNE) refer to sounds that are produced underwater as a result of various human activities such as shipping, oil and gas exploration, military sonar, and construction.
    • UNE can have a significant impact on marine life, as many marine animals rely on sound for communication, navigation, and foraging.
    • Excessive underwater noise can interfere with these activities, and can even cause physical harm to marine animals in some cases.
    • As a result, there is growing concerned about the potential impact of UNE on marine ecosystems, and efforts are being made to better understand and mitigate these impacts.

    UNE and marine life

    • Impacts behavioural aspects: The main form of energy for multiple behavioural activities of marine mammals, which include mating, communal interaction, feeding, cluster cohesion and foraging, is based on sound.
    • Threats posed by UNE: The sound that radiates from ships on a long-term basis affects them and results in internal injuries, loss of hearing ability, change in behavioural responses, masking, and stress.

    Key findings about Indian waters

    • Continuous shipping movement is identified to be a major contributor to the increase in the global ocean noise level.
    • The UNE or underwater sound pressure levels in the Indian waters are 102-115 decibels, relative to one microPascal (dB re 1µ Pa).
    • The East Coast level is slightly higher than that of the West, where there is an increase by a significant value of about 20 dB re 1µPa.
    • “The frequencies of ships’ underwater self-noise and machinery vibration levels are overlapping the marine species’ communication frequencies in the low-frequency range of less than 500 Hz.
    • This is called masking, which could have led to a change in the migration route of the marine species to the shallow regions and also making it difficult for them to go back to the deeper water.

     

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  • Species in news: Pangolins

    pangolin

    The World Pangolin Day was observed on February 18.

    Why in news?

    • A not-for-profit organization working on the international trade of animals and plants, has brought out a fact sheet reporting that 1,203 pangolins have been found in illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018 to 2022.

    Pangolins

    IUCN status: Endangered

    • India is home to two species of pangolin.
    • While the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is found in northeastern India, the Indian Pangolin is distributed in other parts of the country as well as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
    • Both these species are protected and are listed under the Schedule I Part I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
    • Commonly known as ‘scaly anteaters’, the toothless animals are unique, a result of millions of years of evolution.
    • Pangolins evolved scales as a means of protection. When threatened by big carnivores like lions or tigers they usually curl into a ball.
    • The scales defend them against dental attacks from the predators.

    Why protect Pangolins?

    • Pangolins are currently the most trafficked wildlife species in the world.
    • These Scales has now become the main cause of the pangolin’s disappearance.
    • The scales are in high demand in China, where they are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
    • Pangolin meat is also in high demand in China and Southeast Asia.
    • Consequently, pangolins have seen a rapid reduction in population globally. The projected population declines range from 50 per cent to 80 per cent across the genus.

     

    Try this PYQ:

    Consider the following animals:

    1. Hedgehog
    2. Marmot
    3. Pangolin

    To reduce the chance of being captured by predators which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts?

    (a) 1 and 2

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 1 and 3

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”k95x3s7c8y” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • Purse Seine Fishing Gear: A Questionable Fishing Method

    Fishing

    Central Idea

    • The Supreme Court of India has allowed purse seine fishing gear to be used for fishing beyond territorial waters (12 nautical miles) and within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (200 nautical miles) of Tamil Nadu, subject to certain restrictions. However, the interim order is primarily concerned with regulating fishing through administrative and transparency measures rather than addressing conservation measures and obligations mandated by the UNCLOS. The use of purse seine fishing gear poses a threat to traditional fishermen and endangers the livelihoods of these fishermen.

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    Fishing

    What is Seine fishing gear?

    • Seine fishing gear is a type of fishing equipment used to catch fish in large quantities.
    • It consists of a long net that is suspended vertically in the water with the help of floats and weights. The net is then hauled through the water by two boats, which are called seine boats. The boats move towards each other, pulling the net between them and trapping fish in the process.
    • Seine fishing can be done in various ways, including purse seining, beach seining, and boat seining, among others.
    • The type of seine fishing gear used depends on the size of the fish being targeted and the location of the fishing activity.

    About United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

    • Law of the Sea treaty: UNCLOS is sometimes referred to as the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty. It came into operation and became effective from 16th November 1982.
    • Defines rights and responsibilities with respect to oceans: It defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources.
    • It has created three new institutions on the international scene: International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, 2. International Seabed Authority, 3. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf

    Fishing

    Conservation and conventions

    • Sovereign rights of coastal states: Under Articles 56.1(a) and 56.1(b)(iii) of UNCLOS, coastal states have sovereign rights to ensure that the living and non-living resources of the EEZ are used, conserved and managed, and not subject to overexploitation.
    • Coastal states discretion: Access to the zone by foreign fleets is also solely within the coastal state’s discretion and subject to its laws and regulations.
    • Total allowable catch in EEZ: In order to prevent overexploitation, coastal States must determine the total allowable catch (TAC) in the EEZ (Articles 61(1) and (2) of UNCLOS) in light of the best scientific evidence available.
    • Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) 1993: The crux of the SBT is TAC and distribution of allocations among the parties to the SBT, which are very relevant from the angle of conservation of general fishery.

    Did you know?

    • The rise in occurrence of jellyfish indicates rising ocean water temperature.
    • Presence of jellyfish in the area indicates the reduction in the fish population.

    Fishing

    What are the concerns over the move?

    • Regulation is not sufficient: Merely restricting the purse seiner to fish on two days Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (in the Court order) is not sufficient without regulating the fishing methods used.
    • Insufficient catch for traditional fishermen: International legal efforts are gradually moving in the direction of abandoning the use of large-scale pelagic nets. The huge size of the purse seine nets (2,000 metres in length and 200 m in depth) allows maximum catch for the purse seiners, in turn leaving behind insufficient catch for traditional fishermen.
    • Efforts under TAC might face scientific uncertainty: TAC and the catch quotas are aimed at putting sustainable use into practice among fishermen and maintaining maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The efforts to implement TAC and catch quota might face scientific uncertainty relating to safe limits to ensure MSY.

    Way ahead

    • The Court’s final judgment needs to look into non-selective fishing methods by purse seiners resulting in the by-catch of other marine living species (which could include, many a times, endangered species) a potential ground for trade embargo.
    • The top court should seek guidance from the obligations arising from the multilateral and regional conventions which are meant to bring in sustainable fishing practices over a certain period of time, thereby allowing a common resource such as fish to be naturally replenished.

    Conclusion

    • Despite the best conservation measures and regulation of fishing methods adopted by the authorities, it will be a challenge in dealing with the limitless character of the seas which renders a common resource such as fish available for exploitation by all. The theory of Garrett Hardin, ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’, which says ‘Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all’ should convince all “fishermen, especially the purse seiners of Tamil Nadu, that they must cooperate in complying with conservation measures.

    Mains question

    Q. The Supreme Court of India has allowed purse seine fishing gear to be used for fishing beyond territorial waters. In this backdrop Discuss what is purse seine fishing gear its advantages and the concerns.

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  • Thwaites glacier at mercy of sea warmth increase

    thwaites

    The new research suggests that even low amounts of melting can potentially push Thwaites glacier further along the path toward eventual disappearance.

    Thwaites Glacier

    • Called the Thwaites Glacier, it is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving, and melting fast over the years.
    • Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a meter.
    • Studies have found the amount of ice flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the past 30 years.
    • Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea-level rise each year. It is estimated that it would collapse into the sea in 200-900 years.
    • Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean. Because of the risk it faces — and poses — Thwaites is often called the Doomsday Glacier.

    How is Thwaites glacier melting?

    thwaites

    • Thwaites Glacier is melting due to a combination of warming ocean currents and a weakening of the ice shelf that acts as a barrier between the glacier and the ocean.
    • The cause of the melting is thought to be the influx of relatively warm bottom water drawn in from the wider ocean.
    • In the 1990s it was losing just over 10 billion tonnes of ice a year. Today, it’s more like 80 billion tonnes.

    Why is this glacier so important?

    • Huge size: Flowing off the west of the Antarctic continent, Thwaites is almost as big as Great Britain.   It is one of the largest and most important glaciers in Antarctica, as it acts as a gateway to a vast area of the continent.
    • Melting faster: It’s a majestic sight, with its buoyant front, or “ice shelf”, pushing far out to sea and kicking off huge icebergs. But satellite monitoring indicates this glacier is melting at an accelerating rate.
    • Seal level rise: Thwaites’ ice loss contributes approximately 4% to the annual rise in global sea-levels, with the potential to add 65cm in total should the whole glacier collapse.  Its melting could also destabilize the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet, leading to a further rise in sea levels.

     

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  • Green transition during India’s G20 presidency

    transition

    Central Idea

    • Energy transitions are central to the G20 agenda. In 2023, during India’s presidency, the geopolitics and governance of energy have become immensely challenging, as the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, concerns about energy security and, in many cases, the pressure on keeping financial commitments made related to tackling climate change have become complicated.

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    transition

    What is mean by Green Transition?

    • Moving away from fossil fuels: The Green transition involves shifting away from traditional sources of energy that contribute to climate change, such as coal and oil.
    • For example: In 2021, the Indian government announced plans to stop the import of coal by 2024 and to reduce the country’s reliance on coal for power generation
    • Embracing renewable energy: The transition involves embracing cleaner and more renewable sources of energy, such as solar, wind, and hydropower.
    • Examples: In 2021, the Gujarat government announced plans to set up a 500 MW solar park, which is expected to be the world’s largest solar park upon completion. In 2021, Google announced plans to power all of its data centers and offices using carbon-free energy sources by 2030.
    • Reducing carbon emissions: The Green transition involves reducing carbon emissions from transportation, industry, and other sectors.
    • For instance, “Switch Delhi campaign”: In 2020, the Delhi government launched the Switch Delhi campaign to promote electric vehicles and reduce air pollution in the city.
    • Promoting sustainable lifestyles: It involves promoting sustainable lifestyles and behaviours, such as reducing waste and conserving resources.
    • India’s LiFE example: The LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign is an initiative launched by the Indian to promote sustainable lifestyles and reduce the environmental impact by taking actions at individual level.
    • Encouraging sustainable innovation: The Green transition involves encouraging innovation in sustainable technologies and practices.
    • For instance: In 2021, The Government of India announced plans to set up a National Hydrogen Energy Mission to promote the use of hydrogen as a clean energy source in various sectors.

    Energy Poverty at present

    • Increasing energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: The International Energy Agency counts 20 million more people worldwide without electricity now compared to 2021. Predictably, the worst-affected are in sub-Saharan Africa, which is back to its lowest rate of electrification since 2013.
    • Inadequate energy supply in Europe: In Europe, the number of people experiencing inadequate energy supply has risen to 80 million from 34 million in 2021.
    • Middle-income countries face fuel and electricity shortages: Even middle-income countries in Africa, South America and Asia face fuel and electricity shortages and high levels of inflation.
    • Reduced availability of energy impact on economies and public health: Reduced availability of energy is hurting economies as industries close, and is impacting public health as safe fuels such as cooking gas become expensive.
    • Balance of payments crisis and high energy costs: A number of countries also face a balance of payments crisis, partly driven by high energy costs.
    • Global impact on sustainable development goals (SDG): Energy poverty is global and widespread, impacting technology implementation, industry and SDGs all of which are also G20 goals.

    transition

    Suggestions to produce swift results for India’s G20 presidency

    • Financial support as a cornerstone of climate action and energy transition: The G20 should prioritize providing financial support to those in need as a fundamental aspect of climate action and energy transition under the UNFCC Protocol, as emphasized and reinforced in the Paris Agreement and successive Conference of the Parties (COPs).
    • Galvanizing the pursuit of financial support: Although financial support to developing countries has increased over time, it still falls short of what is necessary for a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. The G20 has the potential to mobilize efforts and drive momentum towards securing the funding required for climate action and energy transition.
    • Public Financing alone is insufficient: Public financing alone will not be sufficient to address the current energy challenges faced globally. Private finance is necessary to complement public finance.
    • Innovative approaches to climate financing: Innovative approaches are required to address the financing needs of climate action. These approaches could include blending finance with public and private capital to create a unified effort. Additionally, impediments like exchange rate risks must be addressed to ensure smooth financing of projects.
    • Creation of a Global Climate Finance Agency to better integrate and drive global agenda: The agency could be mandated to lower hedging costs to mitigate a key risk faced by developers of green projects and insure major clean energy projects from potential losses due to government utilities failing to meet supply and payment obligations, which is a common issue in developing countries like India.
    • Harnessing power of public procurement system: The G20 can use the public procurement system to speed up energy transitions and drive significant change. Effective public procurement can ensure funding and adaptation at scale, which has been proven through abundant evidence.

    transition

    Conclusion

    • The G20 should encourage financial centres and business communities, to create new business models and technologies for energy transitions. This will require cooperation and collaboration between financial centres, including through green financing and economy taxonomies. By doing so, the G20 can accelerate climate transition and energy security for all.

    Mains question

    Q. Briefly explain the concept of green transition. How India’s g20 presidency can lead the world towards Green transition? Discuss.

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  • Marine pollution: An Alarming Situation

    Marine

    Context

    • A significant portion of single-use plastic gets piled up on coastlines and contributes to the growing burden of marine litter, endangering aquatic biodiversity. In India, anthropogenic activities add approximately eight million tonnes of plastic waste to the marine environment.

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    Plastic pollution menace

    • The demand for plastic products has grown drastically in the last few decades: The possible reasons for this dramatic surge can be attributed to its durability, flexibility, lightness and affordability.
    • Plastic production and generation: Globally, the annual production of plastic reached 460 million tonnes in 2019 and 353 million tonnes of plastic waste were also generated in the same year.
    • Approximately 50% is dumped in landfills: Approximately 50 per cent of plastic waste generated in the same year was dumped in landfills, according to the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development.
    • First use plastic: In 2021-22, India’s plastic demand was 20.89 million tonnes. About 40 per cent of this gets added to plastic waste after the first use, a Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment had found.

    Key sources of Marine pollution

    • Land based sources: Land-based sources such as dumpsites located near the coastlines or banks of a river, flood waters, industrial outfalls, discharge from storm water drains, untreated municipal sewerage, beach litter, tourism, fishing, ship breaking yards, defence-related facilities, automobiles, industrial wastes, natural events, etc are the main factors contributing to the menace of marine litter.
    • Sea based sources: In addition to this, sea-based sources such as waste from ships, fishing vessels and other public transport and research facilities; offshore mining and extraction; legal and illegal waste dumping; ghost nets, natural events, etc add to it.

    Marine

    Alarming situation

    • There may be more plastic than fish in oceans by 2050: Tributaries of major Indian rivers also carry around 15-20 per cent of plastic waste into the marine environment. If this trend continues, there may be more plastic than fish in oceans by 2050, warned many recent researchers on this front.
    • Microplastics in food chain: Marine debris can transcend international borders and disperse to faraway locations from its place of origin. Since marine species consume microplastics, they can eventually sweep into our food chain.
    • Bioaccumulation of chemicals endangers Human health: Additionally, leached chemicals may also bioaccumulate in these species and endanger human health.

    Marine

    Government efforts so far

    • Banned single use plastic: From July 1, 2022, the Union government banned the manufacturing, selling, use and storage of 19 identified single-use plastic items. Still, the ban is not effective as prohibited items have been found in use in almost every Indian city.
    • Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): The central and state governments have already allocated a SBM and disbursed more than Rs 3,000 crore on public awareness campaigns and coastal area cleaning drives.
    • Coastal cleaning programme: The National Centre for Coastal Research, a body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, led a coastal cleaning programme covering 7,500 kilometres.

    Did you know?

    • Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar, a 75-day citizen-led campaign for improving ocean health through collective action, was launched on July 5, 2022.
    • It has three strategic underlying goals that target transformation and environmental protection through behaviour change.
    • The three underlying goals of the campaign are, consume responsibly, segregate waste at home and dispose of it responsibly.

    Way forward

    • Enlisting multi-layered plastic packaging in banned list: The government needs to enlist multi-layered plastic packaging items in the list of banned items; only 19 plastic items have been considered as of now.
    • Effective enforcement: Effective enforcement and penalty against defaulters is required as the government has already spent a lot on public awareness campaigns in the last six year.
    • Strict monitoring of CRZ: There should be strict implementation and monitoring of Coastal Regulation Zone and Special Area Planning guidelines in order to curb haphazard constructions along the coastlines. A National Marine Litter Policy needs to be formulated as early as possible.

    Marine

    Conclusion

    • A long-term vision plan should be developed for promoting partnerships among coastal towns, cities and urban administration for the reduction of marine litter and the creation of sustainable waste management ecosystems. Marine litter is complicated and a multi-layered problem has to be arrested at the earliest to safeguard the health of humans as well as the environment.

    Mains question

    Q. Marine litter is complicated and a multi-layered problem has to be arrested at the earliest to safeguard the health of humans as well as the environment. Discuss.

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  • Air Pollution in Mumbai: An unusual phenomenon needs to be studied

    Mumbai

    Context

    • Anthropogenic emissions are central to environmental issues, whether climate change or air quality. During the peak winter months of November to January in 2022-23, air quality in India’s financial hub, Mumbai, noticeably deteriorated, a taste of what Delhi encounters frequently.

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    Mumbai’s deteriorated air quality

    • Out of the past 92 winter days, Mumbai observed 66 poor and very poor air quality days in 2022-23 as compared to just 28 in the past three years’ average. More so, it had just one day in the permissible limit (NAAQS) this year as against the average of 15 days in the recent past.
    • Good days declined, but foul days have increased by a whopping 135 per cent, leaving residents more choked and breathless than they have been in years.
    • On many days during these months, the air quality in Mumbai sank lower than in Delhi.
    • These findings are from India’s first indigenously-developed forecasting framework, SAFAR.

    What caused this unusual development in Mumbai?

    • Mainly due to emissions from anthropogenic and natural sources: Air quality deteriorates mainly due to emissions from anthropogenic and natural sources, and weather manoeuvres.
    • La Nina, attributed to climate change, has played an unusual role: The reason for the sudden spike in the current pollution cycle in Mumbai is part of a larger meteorological phenomenon that needs to be studied further. Research suggests that the unprecedented triple dip in La Nina, attributed to climate change, has played an unusual role.
    • Extreme weathers due to climate change but linkage with air quality remains elusive: Scientists have discovered that climate change is leading to extreme weather, changes in the ecosystem, and human displacements, but linkages with air quality remain elusive.

    Value addition

    • The weather or climate cannot generate emissions.
    • Some cities like Delhi have a disadvantage due to their geographical location, being landlocked.
    • But coastal cities like Mumbai enjoys a natural cleansing advantage.
    • Stronger surface winds favour faster dispersion and wind reversal cycles of strong sea breezes that sweep away air pollutants from the land.

    How this phenomenon has played an unusual role?

    • Change in wind patterns: This phenomenon has led to the change in wind patterns affecting Mumbai, with frequent calmer wind spells, and delayed cleaner sea wind reversal around the region.
    • Reducing dispersal rate of pollutants: This, in turn, affects the natural cleansing mechanism of the city by reducing the dispersal rate of pollutants and trapping the newly generated high-flying dust emissions.
    • Import of transboundary pollution: The import of transboundary pollution from more polluted regions due to wind pattern changes is also adding to the misery. An increase in all sizes of particles (coarser and finer) has been observed.
    • Dust emission is the major reason: It is scientifically prudent to conclude that the major share in the current worsening of air quality is from dust emissions. Many redevelopment and construction projects are operational across the city. So, the increase is due to intensifying emissions at the source, which usually consist of PM 2.5 made up of transport (31 per cent), industries (20 per cent), and resuspended dust (15 per cent), besides other smaller sources.

    All you need to know about  “SAFAR”

    • SAFAR stands for System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research.
    • It is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences for greater metropolitan cities of India to provide location-specific information on air quality in near real time and its forecast 1-3 days in advance.
    • It was started under the plan scheme Metropolitan Advisories for Cities for Sports, Tourism (Metropolitan Air Quality and Weather Services)
    • The SAFAR system is developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, along with ESSO partner institutions namely India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF)
    • The implementation of SAFAR is done with an active collaboration with local municipal corporations and various local educational institutions and governmental agencies in that Metro city.
    • It was started on a Pilot basis in the cities of Pune, Ahmadabad, New Delhi and Mumbai.

    Way ahead

    • The battle against air pollution is long and difficult, but success is achievable beyond doubt.
    • Putting green curtains around construction sites, regularly sprinkling water on truck tyres and debris before loading and unloading material, and ensuring smooth traffic flow to overcome snarls are some of the immediate remedies.
    • In the medium term, transitioning to electric vehicles, addressing solid waste management, dumping grounds, and industrial toxin management are some actions that will help us achieve better air quality.

    Conclusion

    • Before we start to address the problem, we need to recognise it. Acting together and strengthening the fight against air pollution should be the order of the day. The situation is not currently urgent, but it is a clear early sign of the impact climate change can have. Hence, we must address the root cause of the problem anthropogenic emissions instead of looking for shortcuts.

    Mains question

    Q. Anthropogenic emissions are central to environmental issues, whether climate change or air quality. Give examples to support your arguments.

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  • India- Nordic can be the powerhouse of the green transition globally

    Nordic

    Context

    • Over the last decades, Nordic countries have been pioneering in green technologies. Over the last decades, Nordic have also been at the forefront of developing new green technologies and solutions such as hydrogen, offshore wind, batteries and carbon capture and storage solutions that are essential for the world to succeed in the green transition it desperately needs. Together, the Nordics and India can deliver key technologies and solutions to stop climate change and boost green growth.

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    Nordic

    India- Nordic connect

    • Nordic-India Summit: At the Nordic-India Summit held in Copenhagen in May 2022, the five Nordic Prime Ministers and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to intensify cooperation on digitalisation, renewable energy, maritime industries, and the circular economy.
    • Joint Nordic solutions for green transition: Modi expressed an interest in joint Nordic solutions that can support India’s green transition.
    • Knowledge exchange and cooperation: It is very much with this in mind that, the Trade Ministers of Norway and Finland, are currently visiting India together During their visit, they aim to showcase the added value to the partnership can bring to India and learn from the impressive innovations and digital solutions being developed in India.
    • Ambition to increase collaboration: They have business delegations and companies that are leaders within sectors such as clean energy, circular economy, digitalisation, tourism, and the maritime sector. They have great ambitions for increased collaboration with India.
    • Nordic business community in India is also growing: The most valued and renowned Nordic businesses are already operating in India and have made substantial investments. There are now 240 Norwegian and Finnish companies in India.

    Nordic

    Trade links that can grow

    • India a priority country for Finland: The past year has seen a significant rise in trade and investments between Finland and India, and India has grown to become a priority country for Finland.
    • For instance: Finland opened a new consulate General in Mumbai. This further increases the number of Nordic representations in India’s commercial capital and will contribute to strengthening India-Finnish ties.
    • Trade between Norway and India has doubled in the last three years: Finnish companies such as Nokia and Fortum see India as their largest growth market now and have some of their most significant investments in India. The Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund is likely to become one of India’s largest single foreign investors (around $17.6 billion).
    • Number of investments is increasing rapidly: The Norwegian government has also recently established a new Climate Investment Fund for investments in renewables abroad, and India has been declined as a focus country. Almost ₹1,500 crore have been invested so far in India through the climate investment fund, and the number of investments is increasing rapidly.

    Nordic

    Untapped potential for trade and further collaboration

    • Finland, as a member of the European Union (EU), is a part of the EU-India FTA negotiations, and Norway is negotiating through the European Free Trade Association.
    • Trade in services is an area of significant potential, especially with tourism, education, IT, energy, maritime and financial services.
    • As India takes rapid strides into a green, digital, and innovative future, Nordic countries such as Finland and Norway stand ready to share experiences and be a part of India’s transition.

    Conclusion

    • Although Nordic countries are significantly smaller than India population-wise and a located on the other side of the globe, they have world-leading technologies and expertise to other. Technologies and innovations that are successful and are scaled-up in India can easily be transferred to other parts of the world. Together, the Nordics and India can be the powerhouse of the green transition globally.

    Mains question

    Q. Over the last decades, Nordic countries have been pioneering in green technologies. Together, the Nordics and India can power the green transition the world needs. Discuss.

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  • Turkey hit by series of powerful Earthquakes: The science behind it

    turkey

    More than 4000 people died and several hundred were injured after a major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 hit south-central Turkey and Northwest Syria.

    What is an Earthquake?

    • An earthquake is an intense shaking of the ground caused by movement under the earth’s surface.
    • It happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another.
    • This releases stored-up ‘elastic strain’ energy in the form of seismic waves, which spreads through the earth and cause the shaking of the ground.

    What exactly causes Earthquakes?

    • As we know, the earth’s outermost surface, crust, is fragmented into tectonic plates.
    • The edges of the plates are called plate boundaries, which are made up of faults.
    • The tectonic plates constantly move at a slow pace, sliding past one another and bumping into each other.
    • As the edges of the plates are quite rough, they get stuck with one another while the rest of the plate keeps moving.
    • Earthquake occurs when the plate has moved far enough and the edges unstick on one of the faults.
    • The location below the earth’s surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the earth is called the epicentre.

    How prone is Turkey to Earthquakes?

    • Turkey and Syria lie in a seismically active region
    • The region where the earthquake has struck lies along a well-known seismic fault line called the Anatolia tectonic block that runs through northern, central, and eastern Turkey.
    • It is a seismically active zone — though not as active as, say, the Himalayan region which is one of the most dangerous regions in the world from the perspective of earthquakes.

    What makes Turkey a hotbed of seismic activity?

    turkey

    • Turkey is frequently shaken by earthquakes. In 2020 itself, it recorded almost 33,000 earthquakes in the region.
    • Turkey is located on the Anatolian tectonic plate, which is wedged between the Eurasian and African plates.
    • On the north side, the minor Arabian plate further restricts movement.
    • One fault line — the North Anatolian fault (NAF) line, the meeting point of the Eurasian and Anatolian tectonic plates — is known to be “particularly devastating”.
    • Then there is the East Anatolian fault line, the tectonic boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the northward-moving Arabian Plate.
    • It runs 650 kilometers from eastern Turkey and into the Mediterranean.
    • In addition to this, the Aegean Sea Plate, located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea under southern Greece and western Turkey, is also a source of seismic activity in the region.

    Where was the earthquake epicentered?

    • The centre of the earthquake was centred about 33 km from Gaziantep, around 18 km deep.
    • Its effect was felt across West Asia, Northern Africa and South Eastern Europe with residents of Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Egypt also reporting tremors.

    Aftermath: Many Aftershocks hits the region

    • Aftershocks are a sequence of earthquakes that happen after a larger mainshock on a fault.
    • Aftershocks occur near the fault zone where the mainshock rupture occurred and are part of the “readjustment process” after the main slip on the fault.
    • While they become less frequent with time, although they can continue for days, weeks, months, or even years for a very large mainshock.

    Can earthquakes be predicted?

    • An accurate prediction of an earthquake requires some sort of a precursory signal from within the earth that indicates a big quake is on the way.
    • Moreover, the signal must occur only before large earthquakes so that it doesn’t indicate every small movement within the earth’s surface.
    • Currently, there is no equipment to find such precursors, even if they exist.

    India offers assistance

    • India is among the 45 countries, which have so far offered assistance to Turkey.
    • It’s sending search and rescue teams of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and medical teams along with relief material to the West Asian nation.

  • MISHTI: Budgetary push for Mangroves

    mangrove

    The Union Budget for 2023-24 announced an initiative for mangrove plantation along the coastline and on saltpan lands, under MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes).

    MISHTI

    • MISHTI is a new programme that will facilitate mangrove plantation along India’s coastline and on salt pan lands.
    • This new programme will aim at intensive afforestation of coastal mangrove forests.

    Implementation strategy

    • The Budget states that MISHTI will be implemented through convergence between-
    1. MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme),
    2. CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) Fund and other sources.

    What are Mangroves?

    • Mangroves are salt-tolerant plant communities found in tropical and subtropical intertidal regions.
    • They are important refuges of coastal biodiversity and also act as bio-shields against extreme climatic events.
    • With the threat of climate change and frequent tropical storms looming large, planting more mangroves is a welcome development for India which has a coastline of about 7,500 km.

    Mangroves in India

    • India has about 4,992 sq km (0.49 million hectares) of mangroves, according to the Indian State of Forest Report (IFSR) 2021.
    • Mangroves in India are distributed across nine States and three UTs with West Bengal having the highest mangrove cover of 2,114 sq km.
    • The IFSR report also points out that there has been an increase in the mangrove cover from 4,046 sq km in 1987 to 4,992 sq km in 2021.

    Why protect mangroves?

    • Infrastructure projects — industrial expansion, shifting coastlines, coastal erosion and storms, have resulted in a significant decrease in mangrove habitats.
    • Between 2010 and 2020, around 600 sq km of mangroves were lost of which more than 62% was due to direct human impacts, the Global Mangrove Alliance said in its 2022 report.

    Importance of mangroves

    • Biodiversity: Mangrove forests — consisting of trees and shrub that live in intertidal water in coastal areas — host diverse marine life.
    • Fishing grounds: They also support a rich food web, with molluscs and algae-filled substrate acting as a breeding ground for small fish, mud crabs and shrimps, thus providing a livelihood to local artisanal fishers.
    • Carbon sinks: Equally importantly, they act as effective carbon stores, holding up to four times the amount of carbon as other forested ecosystems.
    • Cyclone buffers: When Cyclone Amphan struck West Bengal in May, its effects were largely mitigated by the Sundarbans flanking its coasts along the Bay of Bengal.

    Threats to Mangroves

    • Anthropogenic activities: They are a major threat to the mangroves. Urbanization, industrialization and the accompanying discharge of industrial effluents, domestic sewage and pesticide residues from agricultural lands threaten these fragile ecosystems.
    • Saltpan and aquaculture: This causes huge damage to the mangroves. Shrimp farming alone destroyed 35,000 hectares of mangroves worldwide.
    • Destruction for farming: 40% of mangroves on the west coast has been converted into farmlands and other settlements in just 3 decades.
    • Sea-level rise: This is another challenge to these mangroves- especially on the Bay of Bengal coast.

    What lies ahead?

    • A contract-based one-time plantation under MGNREGS and CAMPA alone may not work unless the local communities take ownership of the forests.
    • Discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents into the rivers should be immediately stopped.
    • The natural inter-tidal flow along the coast should be conserved.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of ecosystems in the order of decreasing productivity?

    (a) Oceans, lakes, grasslands, mangroves

    (b) Mangroves, oceans, grasslands, lakes

    (c) Mangroves, grasslands, lakes, oceans

    (d) Oceans, mangroves, lakes, grasslands

     

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