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Subject: Environment

  • Eco-ducts or Eco-bridges and their significance

    Ramnagar Forest Division in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, recently built its first eco-bridge for reptiles and smaller mammals.

    Q.Discuss how Eco-ducts or eco-bridges provide the best alternative for wildlife connectivity which is disrupted because of manmade highways. Also, discuss various challenges in building such bridges.

    What are Eco-bridges?

    • Eco-ducts or eco-bridges aim to enhance wildlife connectivity that can be disrupted because of highways or logging.
    • These include canopy bridges (usually for monkeys, squirrels and other arboreal species); concrete underpasses or overpass tunnels or viaducts (usually for larger animals); and amphibian tunnels or culverts.
    • Usually, these bridges are overlaid with planting from the area to give it a contiguous look with the landscape.

    Why need such bridges?

    • There are many roadkills on this route, especially of reptiles such as the monitor lizard.
    • The bridge is an awareness-building mechanism for this very congested tourist route.
    • These bridges are a way to see how we can preserve the ecosystem necessary for reptiles that feed on insects, for snakes that feed on reptiles, and for eagles that feed on snakes.

    Need of the hour

    • A 2020 study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) noted that nearly 50,000 km of road projects have been identified for construction over the next five to six years.
    • Many highways are being upgraded to four lanes.
    • The National Tiger Conservation Authority had identified three major sites that were cutting across animal corridors.
    • These including National Highway 37 through the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape in Assam, and State Highway 33 through the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.

    Some considerations

    • The span and distribution of eco-bridges should depend on animal movement patterns.
    • The bigger bridges will see sambar, spotted deer, nilgai, wild pig using them, while for tigers or leopards if the bridge is 5m or 500 m, it doesn’t bother them.
    • But some animals like the deers, which prefer closed habitats, need smaller bridges.

    Some successes

    • The observation on NH 44, which intersects Kanha-Pench and Pench-Navegaon-Nagzira corridors in various sections, is a success.
    • With five animal underpasses and four minor bridges on the 6.6-km road within the forests, it’s one of India’s success stories.

    Such bridges in news

    • One of the largest underpasses – 1.4km – for animal conservation in India is being built along the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border.
    • Other proposals include the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway, in the Hosur-Krishnagiri segment, near reserve forests for elephant crossings, and in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.

  • Rat Hole Mining in Meghalaya

    Rat-hole coal mining had sucked the life out of a village in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district.

    Q.Despite a ban, rat-hole mining continues to prevail as an important practice in Meghalaya. What are the issues associated with it? Discuss. (150W)

    Rat Hole Mining

    • It is a primitive and hazardous method of mining for coal, with tunnels that are only 3-4 feet in diameter (hence, rat-hole), leading to pits ranging from 5-100 sq. mt deep.
    • It involves digging of very small tunnels in which workers, more often children, enter and extract coal.
    • Although the coal is of bad quality, people see it as a treasure chest.
    • In backward regions, where there is the loss of livelihood, lack of employment opportunities and under-education, people see rat-hole mines as an opportunity to earn daily bread.
    • A major portion of these employees are children, who are preferred because of their thin body shape and ease to access depths.

    Despite a ban

    The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in 2014 on a petition that said acidic discharge from the mines was polluting the Kopili River. But the practice continues unabated.

    Threats of such mining

    • Water from rivers and streams in the mining area has become unfit for drinking and irrigation and is toxic to plants and animals.
    • Layers of rock above the coal removed during mining contain traces of iron, manganese and aluminium that get dissolved from mining sites through the acid run-off or are washed into streams as sediment.
    • There are several mishaps where workers get trapped to death due to the sudden collapse of such mines.

  • Species in news: Red Sea Turtles

    Turtle populations in the Red Sea could be turning overwhelmingly female because of a rise in sea temperatures caused due to anthropogenic climate change, a new study has showed.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following fauna of India:

    1. Gharial
    2. Leatherback turtle
    3. Swamp deer

    Which of the above is/are endangered?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 1, 2 and 3

    (d) None

    Red Sea Turtles

    • There are seven extant species worldwide, five of which can be found in the Red Sea: the green turtle, the hawksbill turtle, the loggerhead turtle, the olive ridley turtle and the leatherback turtle.
    • In order to maintain a 50:50 ratio of male and female in the population, a temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius is pivotal.
    • Above this, hatchlings would be predominantly female.
    • The sand temperatures at four of the sites exceeded 29.2 degrees; leading the team to the conclusion that ‘feminization’ of the population could be already happening.

    Their significance

    • Marine turtles—as all top predators—have a prominent role in maintaining balanced and healthy ecosystems, in particular seagrass beds and coral reefs.
    • They also help in transporting nutrients towards naturally nutrient-poor ecosystems (the nesting beaches), and providing food and transportation for other marine species (e.g., barnacles and commensal crabs).
    • Marine turtles also play an important role in the economy of the tourism industry.

  • Jadav Payeng: The Forest Man of India

    Jadav Payeng, known as ‘The Forest Man of India’, takes us through his journey of grit that saw a desert turning into a forest. His story is been depicted through an upcoming trilingual film.

    We knew about the mountain man in India. We have also had the Forest Man of India who is also a living inspiration for successful afforestation. We can quote such examples in essays very well.

    Who is Jadav Payeng?

    • Jadav “Molai” Payeng (born 1963) is an environmental activist and forestry worker from Majuli Island popularly known as the Forest Man of India.
    • He was born in the indigenous Mising tribe of Assam.
    • Over the course of several decades, he has planted and tended trees on a sandbar of the river Brahmaputra turning it into a forest reserve.
    • The forest, called Molai forest after him is located near Kokilamukh of Jorhat, Assam, India and encompasses an area of about 1,360 acres / 550 hectares.
    • In 2015, he was honoured with Padmashri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.

    His work

    • The forest, which came to be known as Molai forest, now houses Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceros, and over 100 deer and rabbits.
    • Molai forest is also home to elephants and several varieties of birds, including a large number of vultures.
    • Bamboo covers an area of over 300 hectares.

  • World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) Sites

    Four sites in India have received the World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) tag this year.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.The FAO accords the status of ‘Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)’ to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative?

    1. To provide modern technology, training in modern farming methods and financial support to local communities of identified GIAHS so as to greatly enhance their agricultural productivity.
    2. To identify and safeguard eco-friendly traditional farm practices and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledge systems of the local communities.
    3. To provide Geographical Indication status to all the varieties of agricultural produce in such identified GIAHS.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 3 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS)

    • The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) annually recognizes irrigation structures of international significance like UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
    • The recognition is aimed at recognizing and tracing the history of and understanding the evolution of irrigation in civilizations across the world.
    • It also aims at understanding the philosophy and wisdom on sustainable irrigation from these structures and to preserve them for posterity.

    Criteria for consideration

    • Major criteria for WHIS entail that a structure should be more than 100 years old, should be functional, achieving food security and have archival value.
    • Each site is evaluated based on its merits first by the state government.
    • The proposal is then sent to the Centre and a team from CWC carries out an on-ground survey to verify details.

    Which are the Indian sites?

    • The sites are Cumbum Tank, Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal, Porumamilla Tank (Anantharaja Sagaram) in Andhra Pradesh and 490-year-old Dhamapur Lake in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district.
    • In 2018, Pedda Cheru Tank in Kamareddy district and Sadarmat Anicut in Nirmal district, both in Telangana, were named as WHIS sites.

    Other sites

    • The rest include Tianbao Weir in China at number one followed by Longshou Canal and ancient Luohe river irrigation district, China.
    • It also includes Zarch and Moon Qanat both in Iran and Tenguiwa, Bizenkyo and Jyosai Gokuchi irrigation systems in Japan with Goseong Dumbeong in the Republic of Korea.

    About ICID

    • The ICID, established in 1950 is a leading scientific, technical, international not-for-profit, non-governmental organization.
    • It is a professional network of experts from across the world in the field of irrigation, drainage, and flood management.
    • The main mission is to promote ‘Sustainable agriculture water management’ to achieve ‘Water secure world free of poverty and hunger through sustainable rural development’.
    • ICID mission covers the entire spectrum of agricultural water management practices ranging from rainfed agriculture to supplemental irrigation, land drainage, deficit irrigation to full irrigation, etc.

  • The Paris agreement is no panacea

    The article highlights the fact that the provisions of the Paris Agreement would not be enough to avert the catastrophic and irreversible changes resulting from the global emissions. 

    Past efforts for environmental protection

    • The most hopeful time for global cooperation in protection of the planet was between the time of the Stockholm Conference (1972) and the time of the Rio Conference (1992).
    •  Scientific evidence about role anthropogenic emission in global warming led to political initiatives to harmonise development and environment.
    • The historic consensus in Rio led to the adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
    • A distinction was made between the “luxury emissions” of the developed countries and the survival emissions of the developed countries, which were allowed to increase.
    • Moreover, a huge financial package was approved to develop environment-friendly technologies in developing countries.

    Copenhagen Accord: Abandonment of Rio Principles

    • After the adoption of UNFCC, Conference of the Parties was held in Berlin in 1995 where developed countries backed off from their commitments.
    • Though the G-77 was split, the Rio principles were maintained.
    • The Kyoto Protocol enshrined the Rio principles.
    • It fixed emission targets for developed countries and a complex set of provisions was included to satisfy their interests.
    • The end of the Kyoto Protocol and the abandonment of the spirit of the Rio principles were reflected in the Copenhagen Accord (2009).
    • Argument given was that a global climate action plan would be possible only if all reductions of the greenhouse gases were made voluntary.

    Paris Agreement: Making emission reduction voluntary

    • The Paris Agreement moved away from the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
    • All countries were placed on an equal footing by making reduction of greenhouse gas emissions voluntary.
    • It requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs)

    Shortcomings in Paris Agreement

    • The NDCs so far submitted will not result in the desired objective of limiting increase of global warming to below 2°C.
    • The Paris Agreement requires that all countries — rich, poor, developed, and developing — slash greenhouse gas emissions.
    • But no language is included on the commitments the countries should make.
    • Nations can voluntarily set their emissions targets and incur no penalties for falling short of their targets.
    •  Further temperature rise, even of 1.5°C, may result in catastrophic and irreversible changes.
    • Even a 1°C hotter planet is not a steady state, says a report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

    Conclusion

    The IPCC report acknowledges that “the pathways to avoiding an even hotter world would require a swift and complete transformation not just of the global economy but of society too”. This will only be possible if the world rejects nationalism and parochialism and adopts collaborative responses to the crisis. The Paris Agreement falls short of that imperative.

  • Sea sparkle: Bloom of Noctiluca Scintillans

    The blooms of Noctiluca Scintillans, commonly known as “sea sparkle” are being witnessed along the coasts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.

    A stand-alone species being mentioned in the news for the first time find their way into the prelims. Note this down.

    Noctiluca Scintillans

    • Scintillans is a bioluminescent specie that brightens the seawater during the night.
    • It grazes on other micro-organisms such as larvae, fish eggs, and diatoms. But the unicellular phytoplankton that lives inside it can photosynthesize, turning sunlight into energy.
    • They help their host cell survive even when food was scarce.
    • Thus, N. Scintillans acts as both a plant and an animal

    Threats posed

    • According to marine experts, the phenomenon is an indicator of climate change.
    • While smaller blooms may be harmless, slow-moving larger blooms may have an impact on deep-sea fishes.
    • The toxic blooms of N. Scintillans were linked to massive fish and marine invertebrate kills.
    • Though the species does not produce a toxin, it was found to accumulate toxic levels of ammonia, which is then excreted into the surrounding waters, possibly acting as the killing agent in blooms.
    • They have displaced microscopic algae called diatoms, which form the basis of the marine food chain. This has deprived food for the planktivorous fish.

    Back2Basics: Bioluminescence

    • It is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.
    • Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence. A remarkable diversity of marine animals and microbes are able to produce their own light.
    • It is found in many marine organisms such as bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, sea stars, fish and sharks.
    • Luminescence is generally higher in deep-living and planktonic organisms than in shallow species.

  • Peatlands and their importance

    Sustainably managing peatlands — peat-swamp forests found around the tropics — can protect humans from future pandemics, according to a new study.

    What are Peatlands?

    • Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing.
    • Consequently, the production of organic matter exceeds its decomposition, which results in a net accumulation of peat.
    • Over millennia this material builds up and becomes several metres thick.
    • They occur in almost every country on Earth, currently covering 3% of the global land surface.
    • Peatland landscapes are varied – from blanket bog landscapes with open, treeless vegetation in the Flow Country of Scotland – a tentative World Heritage site – to swamp forests in Southeast Asia.

    Their importance

    • Peatlands are the largest natural terrestrial carbon store. This area sequesters 0.37 gigatonnes of CO2 a year.
    • In their natural, wet state peatlands provide vital ecosystem services.
    • By regulating water flows, they help minimise the risk of flooding and drought and prevent seawater intrusion.
    • In many parts of the world, peatlands supply food, fibre and other local products that sustain local economies.
    • They also preserve important ecological and archaeological information such as pollen records and human artefacts.

    Try this PYQ now:

    In the context of mitigating the impending global warming due to anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide, which of the following can be the potential sites for carbon sequestration?

    1. Abandoned and Uneconomic coal seams
    2. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
    3. Subterranean deep saline formations

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 1 and 3 only

    (c) 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    Why conserve peatlands?

    • The protection and restoration of peatlands are vital in the transition towards a low-carbon and circular economy.
    • Damaged peatlands contribute about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from the land-use sector.
    • CO2 emissions from drained peatlands are estimated at 1.3 gigatonnes of CO2 annually.
    • This is equivalent to 5.6% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
    • Draining peatlands reduces the quality of drinking water due to pollution from dissolved compounds.

    What is the new study?

    • Peatlands were rich in biodiversity, including many potential vertebrate and invertebrate vectors, or carriers of disease, the study said.
    • These included numerous vertebrates known to represent a risk of spreading zoonotic diseases, such as bats, rodents, pangolins and primates.
    • These areas also faced high levels of habitat disruption such as wild or human-made fires and wildlife harvesting that was perfect conditions for potential emerging zoonotic diseases.
    • The first reported case of Ebola in 1976 was from a peatland area.
    • The cradle of the HIV/AIDS pandemic was believed to be around Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, another area with extensive peatlands.

  • Western Disturbances and winters in North

    For the past few days, Chandigarh and its neighbouring states have been experiencing unusually cold days although the night temperatures are normal.

    Try this PYQ:

    Consider the following statements:

    1. The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.
    2. The moist air masses that cause winter rains in the North-Western region of India are part of westerlies.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) Only 1

    (b) Only 2

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    Temperature anomaly in North

    • Meteorological officials have attributed the trend to the cloud cover in the region which was absent until a few days ago.
    • It is the result of a western disturbance, which has brought about a spell of precipitation in the northwest Himalaya.

    Role of clouds

    • During the day, clouds obstruct the heat from the sun from reaching the surface of the earth, reflecting some of it back into space.
    • This lowers the temperature. Cold winds blowing down from snow-bound areas in the mountains also contribute to the cooling effect.
    • At night, however, clouds act like blankets – they help retain some of the heat energy radiated back by the earth’s surface.
    • Overcast weather at night, thus, increases greenhouse warming.

    What are western disturbances?

    • In northern India, winter rains and clouds are generally caused by moisture-bearing wind systems called western disturbances.
    • They originate and gather moisture over the Mediterranean region and flow eastwards towards the Indian subcontinent.
    • When some of these winds run into mountains of the northwest Himalaya, they are forced upward.
    • At higher altitudes, the temperatures drop and water vapour gets condensed. This leads to cloud formation and eventually rain and snow.

    Other factors for severe winters in North

    • In north India, the huge temperature difference between summers and winters is due to its continentality (distance from seas and oceans).
    • Air from oceans moderates the temperature as it moves onshore, but this effect is missing in continental interiors.
    • As a result, north India has greater seasonal differences as compared to peninsular India.
    • Temperature also reduces rapidly with altitude, and thus, the Himalayan region is colder still.

  • Why has the Northeast Monsoon remained deficient this year?

    Rainfall over the Southern peninsular region has been deficient so far due to prevailing La Nina conditions according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino?

    1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
    2. El Nino has an adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) Only 1

    (b) Only 2

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

    What is the Northeast monsoon?

    • India receives rainfall during two seasons.
    • About 75 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall is received from the Southwest monsoon between June and September.
    • The Northeast monsoon, on the other hand, occurs from October to December and is a comparatively small-scale monsoon, which is confined to the Southern peninsula.
    • After the complete withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon from the country takes place by mid-October, the wind pattern rapidly changes from the south-westerly to the north-easterly direction.
    • Also called the winter monsoon, the rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon is important for almost entire South India.

    Why it is important?

    • Tamil Nadu records about 48 per cent (447.4 mm) of its annual rainfall (943.7 mm) during these months, making it the key factor for undertaking agricultural activities and reservoir management in the state.
    • Some South Asian countries such as Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar also record rainfall from October to December.

    Why there are distortions?

    • The majority of districts in Tamil Nadu remain highly rain-deficient up this time.
    • The period after the Southwest monsoon season, from October to December, is the peak time for cyclonic activity in the North Indian Ocean region — covering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
    • The winds associated with the formation of low-pressure systems, depressions, or cyclones influence this monsoon, and therefore, the rainfall.
    • Officials at IMD have linked it to the prevailing La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean.

    La Nina  link with the NE monsoon

    • While La Niña conditions enhance the rainfall associated with the Southwest monsoon, it has a negative impact on rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon.
    • During La Niña years, the synoptic systems — low pressure or cyclones — formed in the Bay of Bengal remain significantly to the north of their normal position.
    • Besides, instead of moving westwards, these systems recurve. As they lie to the north of their normal position, not much rainfall occurs over southern regions like Tamil Nadu.

    Back2Basics: El Nino and La Nina

    • While El Niño (Spanish for ‘little boy’), the more common expression, is the abnormal surface warming observed along the eastern and central regions of the Pacific Ocean (the region between Peru and Papua New Guinea).
    • The La Niña (Spanish for ‘little girl’) is an abnormal cooling of these surface waters.
    • Together, the El Niño and La Niña phenomena are termed as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
    • These are large-scale ocean phenomena which influence the global weather — winds, temperature and rainfall. They have the ability to trigger extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hot and cold conditions, globally.
    • Each cycle can last anywhere between 9 to 12 months, at times extendable to 18 months — and re-occur after every three to five years.
    • Meteorologists record the sea surface temperatures for four different regions, known as Niño regions, along this equatorial belt.
    • Depending on the temperatures, they forecast either as an El Niño, an ENSO neutral phase, or a La Niña.