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Subject: Environment

  • Monsoon onset over Kerala delayed: IMD

    • The monsoon’s arrival over Kerala has been delayed to June 3, according to an update by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
    • Private weather forecast agency, Skymet, however, said that the monsoon had arrived.
    • This was because two of the three criteria — as defined by the IMD — had been met.
    • Currently, IMD’s own data indicated that except for the OLR, the other criteria were met. Thus, there is an element of subjectivity in arrival.

    What are those criterias defined by IMD?

    1. Rain-bearing westerlies being at a minimum depth and speed;
    2. At least 60% of the available 14 stations in Kerala and coastal Karnataka, reporting rainfall of 2.5 mm or more for two consecutive days after May 10;
    3. A certain degree of clouding, indicated by a parameter called ‘outgoing long wave radiation’ (OLR), being below 200 W/square meter.

    What is meant by ‘Outgoing Long Wave Radiation’ (OLR)?

    • Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR) is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths from 3–100 ÎŒm emitted from Earth and its atmosphere out to space in the form of thermal radiation.
    • It is also referred to as up-welling long-wave radiation and terrestrial long-wave flux, among others.
    • The flux of energy transported by outgoing long-wave radiation is measured in W/m.
    • In the Earth’s climate system, long-wave radiation involves processes of absorption, scattering, and emissions from atmospheric gases, aerosols, clouds and the surface.
    • Over 99% of outgoing long-wave radiation has wavelengths between 4 ÎŒm and 100 ÎŒm, in the thermal infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

    Factors responsible for south-west monsoon formation:

    1. Intense heating of Tibetan plateau during summer months.
    2. Permanent high pressure cell in the South Indian Ocean (east to north-east of Madagascar in summer).

    Factors that influence the onset of south-west monsoons:

    1. Above points +
    2. Subtropical Jet Stream (STJ).
    3. Tropical Easterly Jet (African Easterly Jet).
    4. Inter Tropical Convergence Zone.

    Factors that influence the intensity of south-west monsoons:

    1. Strengths of Low pressure over Tibet and high pressure over southern Indian Ocean.
    2. Somali Jet (Findlater Jet).
    3. Somali Current (Findlater Current).
    4. Indian Ocean branch of Walker Cell.
    5. Indian Ocean Dipole.

    Factors responsible for north-east monsoon formation:

    1. Formation and strengthening of high pressure cells over Tibetan plateau and Siberian Plateau in winter.
    2. Westward migration and subsequent weakening of high pressure cell in the Southern Indian Ocean.
    3. Migration of ITCZ to the south of India.

  • Cost and complications of transplanting a tree

    The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) wants to transplant over 1,800 trees which are inside what used to be the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) complex, as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project.

    Transplantation of trees

    • The transplantation of trees is a complex and delicate process whose outcome cannot be predicted.
    • A tree cannot be transplanted by simply uprooting it and placing it in a pit dug elsewhere. The process involves multiple steps and requires significant expertise.

    How it is done?

    • First, the soil around the tree is dug up to isolate the roots. The big branches are lopped off, leaving only small shoots for regeneration. This is done to make transportation of the tree to the new location easier.
    • The root system is covered with wet gunny bags to protect the roots and to keep the tree hydrated.
    • The tree has to be first sent to a nursery to acclimatize to a new kind of soil, and to regenerate.
    • Once new shoots start sprouting, the tree is lowered into a pit created in its new spot.

    What factors determine the success of a transplant?

    • Even after all steps are meticulously followed, a lot depends on luck. The survival rate of a transplanted tree is about 50%.
    • Not all trees can be transplanted. While peepal, ficus, semal and sheesham are tolerant to transplantation, trees such as dak, palash, arjun, shahtoot and jhilmil are not.

    (1) Roots

    • Any tree that has a tap root system cannot be transplanted, as the root goes deep into the soil, and it is not possible to isolate it without damage.

    (2) Size

    • Transplanting any tree with a trunk girth of more than 80-90 cm is not advisable as the tree cannot bear the shock, and will eventually die.

    (3) Age

    • That effectively means that big, old trees cannot, in most cases, be removed to another location.

    (4) Soil

    • It is important to consider soil type before transplantation.
    • A tree growing on, say, the Delhi Ridge will not easily acclimatize to the soil in the Yamuna floodplain, as the two ecosystems are entirely different.

    How expensive is transplantation?

    • The cost of transplanting an average-sized tree might come to around Rs 1 lakh, which included post-transplantation care.
    • For larger trees, the cost could go up to Rs 3 lakh.
    • Private and voluntary organizations, however, claim that the cost is between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per tree.

  • Odisha’s blackbucks double in 6 years

    Odisha’s blackbuck population has doubled in the last six years, according to figures from the latest population census.

    Blackbucks in Odisha

    • Blackbucks are found only in the Ganjam district in the southern part of the state, which is where the census was carried out.
    • It is known in Odisha and Ganjam as Krushnasara Mruga.
    • The people of Ganjam believe the sighting of a blackbuck in a paddy field is a harbinger of luck for them.
    • It used to be sighted in the Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary in Puri district till 2012-13, but now has vanished from the area.
    • The blackbuck is a Schedule-1 animal according to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended in 1992) and is considered as ‘Vulnerable’ according to the Red Data Book.

    Reasons for their rise

    • Improvement of habitats, the protection given by the local people and forest staff were some of the reasons for the increase of the population.
    • The people of Ganjam had been enthusiastically protecting the animal like the Bishnois of western Rajasthan and the Vala Rajputs of Saurashtra.

    Answer this PYQ:

    Q.With reference to ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

    1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
    2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities, in those zones except agriculture.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    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 the 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.

     

  • Data central to effective climate action

    Article highlights the importance of data driven approach in dealing with the future disruptions and suggests the reforms in the system.

    Managing the disruption through data-driven tools

    • The data-driven tools were used for managing pandemic induced disruption.
    • This offers an opportunity to restructure the data ecosystem for managing the disruptions of the future that are more likely to be driven by climate change.

    Policies for data sharing in India

    • The National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP), 2012 recognises the importance of data.
    • NDSAP recognised the importance of data in improving decision making, meeting the needs of civil society and generating revenue by permitting access to datasets.
    • In 2012, a government portal, data.gov.in was also established as a unified platform to enable sharing of data available with ministries, departments and other public agencies for wider public use.
    • The sharing of data in this platform, apart from others, is further streamlined through the nodality of Chief Data Officer-CDO in respective ministries.

    Challenges

    • Challenge remains about whether the collected data is usable, accessible and if it captures the details that end users are interested in.
    • Even after years of the portal’s operationalisation, there are multiple data-sets that aren’t updated regularly.
    • Though NITI Aayog has brought indices to track climate actions such as under SDG-13 of SDG India Index, but it remains vague in tracking improvements in climate resilience, by solely using number of lives lost due to extreme weather events.

    Reforms needed in data-ecosystem

    • 1) Complete dataset: There is a need to collect complete datasets required to assess climate risks and vulnerabilities.
    • This involves collection of datasets that are sex-disaggregated and geo-spatial and collect more nuanced dimensions like disaster response capacities.
    • Targeted research: There is a requirement of targeted research for designing better questionnaires and identifying new nodes for data collection.
    • 2) Reliability of data: The data collected has to be made reliable and usable through an accountability framework.
    • Legislation: A separate legislation in this regard would bring in the much-needed consistency in periodic collection of identified datasets and their proactive sharing in designated platforms.
    • 3) Centralisation of data: There is a need for centralising public data that currently exists with different departments and public institutions.
    • The National Data Governance Centre was planned to be set up in 2019 for precisely this objective.
    • But it is yet to be operationalised.

    Consider the question “How data driven approach could help India deal with the future disruptions that are more likely to be from climate change? Suggest the reforms needed in India’s data ecosystem.”

    Conclusion

    It is time that India places itself on track to address the issues around the known unknowns of climate change through data driven apporach.

    Source:

    https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/data-central-to-effective-climate-action/2258964/

  • NGT upholds rights of pastoralists in Banni Grasslands

    The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered all encroachments to be removed from Gujarat’s Banni grasslands.

    Banni Grasslands

    • Banni Grasslands form a belt of arid grassland ecosystem on the outer southern edge of the desert of the marshy salt flats of Rann of Kutch.
    • They are known for rich wildlife and biodiversity and are spread across an area of 3,847 square kilometers. Two ecosystems, wetlands and grasslands, are juxtaposed in Banni.
    • They are currently legally protected under the status as a protected or reserve forest in India.
    • Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has identified this grassland reserve as one of the last remaining habitats of the cheetah in India and a possible reintroduction site for the species.
    • The region hosts a nomadic pastoralist community, the Maldharis, whose livelihoods depend on this protected shrub-savanna.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Which one of the following is the correct sequence of ecosystems in the order of decreasing productivity?(CSP 2014)

    (a) Oceans, lakes, grasslands, mangroves

    (b) Mangroves, oceans, grasslands, lakes

    (c) Mangroves, grasslands, lakes, oceans

    (d) Oceans, mangroves, lakes, grasslands

    What is the recent NGT verdict?

    • The court also said the Maldharis will continue to hold the right to conserve the community forests in the area, granted to them as per the provisions in Section 3 of Forest Rights Act, 2006.
    • NGT highlighted that the lack of coordination between the forest department and the revenue department lead to the problem of encroachment.
    • The grassland was first declared a “protected forest” in May 1955, using the nomenclature of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
    • Since then, the actual transfer of the land from the Revenue department to the Forest department has not been completed.

    Back2Basics: National Green Tribunal

    • The NGT has been established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
    • It works for:
    1. effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection
    2. conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and
    3. giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto
    • It is not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.
    • The Tribunal’s dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts.
    • The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.
    • Initially, the NGT is proposed to be set up at five places of sittings and will follow circuit procedure for making itself more accessible.
    • New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four place of sitting of the Tribunal.

  • What is a Supermoon?

    The Moon will have the nearest approach to Earth on May 26, and therefore will appear to be the closest and largest Full Moon or “supermoon” of 2021.

    Tap here to read more about Solar and Lunar Eclipses

    What is a Supermoon?

    • A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time that the Moon is full.
    • As the Moon orbits the Earth, there is a point of time when the distance between the two is the least (called the perigee when the average distance is about 360,000 km from the Earth).
    • Also, there is a point of time when the distance is the most (called the apogee when the distance is about 405,000 km from the Earth).
    • Now, when a full moon appears at the point when the distance between the Earth and the Moon is the least, not only does it appear to be brighter but it is also larger than a regular full moon.
    • According to NASA, the term supermoon was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.
    • In a typical year, there may be two to four full supermoons and two to four new supermoons in a row.

    What is happening today?

    • Two celestial events will take place at the same time.
    • One is the supermoon and the other is a total lunar eclipse, which is when the Moon and Sun are on opposite sides of the Earth.
    • Because of the total lunar eclipse, the moon will also appear to be red.
    • This is because the Earth will block some of the light from the Sun from reaching the moon.
    • The Earth’s atmosphere filters the light, it will soften “the edge of our planet’s shadow” “giving the Moon a deep, rosy glow.”

  • [pib] Recycling Carbon Technology

    A Bangalore-based startup has received the National Award 2021 for developing efficient catalysts and methodologies for the conversion of CO2 to methanol and other chemicals.

    Carbon Recycling

    • It has led to the improvisation of process engineering to enhance the production of chemicals and fuels from anthropogenic CO2.
    • It has integrated multiple components involved in the CCUS (Carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration) to develop a complete solution for the environmental issues due to global warming.
    • The current capacity of CO2 conversion is 300 kg per day, which can be scaled up to several 100 tons on an industrial scale.

    What is CCUS?

    • Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) encompass methods and technologies to remove CO2 from the flue gas and from the atmosphere.
    • CCUS involves multiple aspects that need to be in sync for the successful removal or capture of CO2 from the flue gas or the atmosphere, followed by utilization and storage.
    • Carbon capture involves the development of sorbents that can effectively bind to the CO2 present in flue gas or the atmosphere, which is expensive.
    • In addition, there has been a considerable debate about the fate of captured and compressed CO2.

  • Deep Sea Faunal Diversity in India

    India is home to 4,371 species of deep-sea fauna, including 1,032 species under the kingdom Protista and 3,339 species under the kingdom Animalia, a recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has revealed.

    Highlights of the Survey

    • India is surrounded by the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, and the Laccadive Sea (Lakshadweep Sea).
    • Of the 4,371 species, a maximum of 2,766 species has been reported from deep-sea areas of the Arabian Sea, followed by 1,964 species from the Bay of Bengal, 1,396 species from the Andaman Sea, and only 253 species from the Laccadive Sea.

    RIMS ship investigator

    • India is one of the countries that made a pioneering exploration in the deep Indian Ocean region in 1874 by commissioning a RIMS (Royal Indian Marine Survey) ship investigator.
    • This conducted enormous studies in seas around India and continued to work till 1926.

    Components of the exploration

    • The deep-sea ecosystem was the most unexplored ecosystem across the world. It included hydrothermal vents, submarine canyons, deep-sea trenches, seamounts, cold seeps, and mud volcanoes.
    • This publication, the first of its kind, provides baseline information on all groups of fauna and biological organisms in the Indian deep seas.
    • Not only will this support our knowledge on conserving and managing deep-sea faunal resources, but it will also pave way for their sustainable utilization.

    Key findings

    (1) Mammals

    • There are 31 species of sea mammals that are found in the deep-sea ecosystem of Indian waters, including the Critically Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphin.
    • Two other species, the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise and the Sperm Whale are recorded as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN classification.
    • The list of mammals includes Cuvier’s Beaked Whale and Short-beaked Common Dolphin, which dive as deep as 8,000 meters below the Earth’s surface.

    (2) Marine turtles

    • Out of the seven species of marine turtles found across the world, five species have been recorded from Indian waters.
    • India is known as one of the best and largest breeding grounds for sea turtles, especially for Olive Ridley and Leatherback Turtles, across the world.

  • Eruption of Mount Nyiragongo

    Thousands have fled a volcanic eruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo from Mount Nyiragongo on the outskirts of Goma City.

    These were some volcanoes in news this year:

    Mount Vesuvius, Taal Volcano, La Soufriere

    Mount Nyiragongo

    • Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470 m (11,385 ft) in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift.
    • The main crater is about 2km wide and usually contains a lava lake.
    • The crater presently has two distinct cooled lava benches within the crater walls.
    • It is one of the 16 Decade Volcanoes.
    • Nyiragongo’s lava lake has at times been the most voluminous known lava lake in recent history. The depth of the lava lake varies considerably.
    • Nyiragongo and nearby Nyamuragira are together responsible for 40 percent of Africa’s historical volcanic eruptions.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Which of the following adds/add carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle on the planet Earth?

    1. Volcanic action
    2. Respiration
    3. Photosynthesis
    4. Decay of organic matter

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

    (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

    What are Decade Volcanoes?

    • The Decade Volcanoes are 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI).
    • They are considered worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to densely populated areas.
    • They are named Decade Volcanoes because the project was initiated in the 1990s as part of the United Nations-sponsored International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.

  • Benefits of environmental fiscal reforms

    The article highlights the advantages of environmental fiscal reforms in India.

    Status of  out-of-pocket spending on health in India

    • As per WHO data, in 2011,  17.33% of the population in India made out-of-pocket payments on health that was more than 10% of their income.
    • The percentage was higher in rural areas compared to urban areas.
    • Globally, 12.67% of the population spent more than 10% of their income (out of their pocket) on health.
    • In Southeast Asia, 16% spent more than 10% of their household income on health.
    • Similarly, 3.9% of the population in India made more than 25% of out-of-pocket payments on health, with 4.34% of it in the rural areas.

    Alternate source of health financing: Eco tax

    • The Economic Survey of India 2019-20 has outlined that an increase in public spending from 1% to 2.5-3% of GDP, can decrease out-of-pocket expenditure from 65% to 30% of overall healthcare expenses.
    • The National Health Policy of 2017 also envisages increase in public spending from 1% to 2.5-3% of GDP.
    • This is where the importance of alternate sources of health financing in India needs to be stressed.
    • Fiscal reforms for managing the environment are important, and India has great potential for revenue generation in this aspect.

    Environmental tax reforms

    • Environmental tax reforms generally involve three complementary activities:
    • 1. Eliminating existing subsidies and taxes that have a harmful impact on the environment;
    • 2. Restructuring existing taxes in an environmentally supportive manner;
    • 3. Initiating new environmental taxes.
    • Taxes can be designed either as revenue neutral or revenue augmenting.
    • Revenue augmenting model: In case of revenue augmenting, the additional revenue can either be targeted towards the provision of environmental public goods or directed towards the overall revenue pool.
    • In developing countries like India, the revenue can be used to a greater extent for the provision of environmental public goods and addressing environmental health issues.

    Eco tax

    • The success of an eco tax (environment tax) in India would depend on its architecture, that is, how well it is planned and designed.
    • It should be credible, transparent and predictable.
    • Ideally, the eco tax rate ought to be equal to the marginal social cost arising from the negative externalities associated with the production, consumption or disposal of goods and services.
    • This would include the adverse impacts on the health of people, climate change, etc.
    • The eco tax rate may, thus, be fixed commensurate to the marginal social cost so evaluated.
    • There is also a need to integrate environmental taxes in the Goods and Service Tax framework.

    In India, eco taxes can target three main areas

    • One, differential taxation on vehicles in the transport sector purely oriented towards fuel efficiency and GPS-based congestion charges.
    • Two, in the energy sector by taxing fuels which feed into energy generation.
    • Three, waste generation and use of natural resources.

    Benefits of implementation of eco taxes

    • The implementation of an environmental tax in India will have three broad benefits: fiscal, environmental and poverty reduction.
    • Finance basic public services: Environmental tax reforms can mobilise revenues to finance basic public services when raising revenue through other sources proves to be difficult or burdensome.
    • Reduce distorting taxes: It can can also help to reduce other distorting taxes such as fiscal dividend.
    • Finance research: Environmental tax reforms help internalise the externalities, and the said revenue can finance research and the development of new technologies.

    Impact

    • Environmental regulations may lead to slow productivity growth and high cost of compliance in private sector.
    • This could result in the possible increase in the prices of goods and services.
    • However, the European experience shows that most of the taxes also generate substantial revenue and there is no evidence on green taxes with sustainable development goals leading to a ‘no growth’ economy.
    • Negligible impact on GDP: Most countries’ experiences suggest negligible impact on the GDP, though such revenues have not necessarily been used for environmental considerations.
    • The negligible impact on the GDP may be a temporary phenomenon.

    Conclusion

    This is the right time for India to adopt environmental fiscal reforms as they will reduce environmental pollution and also generate resources for financing the health sector.