1. Three Himalayan medicinal plants enter IUCN Red List
Tags: Environment
Three medicinal plant species found in the Himalayas have recently been placed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species following an assessment.
Important facts
These species are found in the Himalayan region spread across Nepal, India, China, Sikkim, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
IUCN is an international organisation (NGO) working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
These three species are as follows-
About the three species
Meizotropis pellita
Commonly known as Patwa, it is a perennial shrub that is endemic to Uttarakhand.
"The species is listed as 'critically endangered' on the basis of being found in a limited area (less than 10 sq km)," the study said.
This species is threatened by deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and wildfires.
The oil extracted from its leaves contains strong antioxidants and can be a natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants in the pharmaceutical industries.
Fritillaria cirrhosa
It is a perennial bulbous herb.
According to the study, its numbers declined by 30% during the assessment period (22 to 26 years).
This species is listed as 'Vulnerable' in view of its rate of decline, length, poor germination capacity, high trade value, extensive harvesting pressure and illegal trade.
In China this species is used to treat bronchial disorders and pneumonia.
This plant is also a strong cough suppressant.
Dactylorhiza hatagirea
This species, also called the salampanza, is threatened by habitat loss, livestock grazing, deforestation, and climate change.
It is used extensively in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and other alternative systems of medicine to cure dysentery, gastritis, chronic fever, cough and abdominal pain.
This species is listed as ‘endangered’.
2. Tamil Nadu becomes first state to launch its own Climate Change Mission
Tags: Environment State News
Tamil Nadu has become the first state in India to launch its own Climate Change Mission. Launching the state climate change mission at the Tamil Nadu climate change summit on 9 December 2022, Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin said that the state will achieve carbon neutrality much ahead of the national target of 2070. The Tamil Nadu Climate Summit was held in Chennai from 8 and 9 December 2022.
Carbon neutral refers to the removal of the same amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by various means as the amount of carbon dioxide which is released in the atmosphere leaving a Zero balance or zero carbon.
Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission
- The state government announced the launch of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission in the 2021-2022 budget with an outlay of Rs 500 crore to undertake climate change management and mitigation activities.
- The state government established Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company, a special purpose vehicle to implement three major nature conservation projects namely Green Tamil Nadu Mission, Tamil Nadu Wetlands and Tamil Nadu Climate Change.
- The Tamil Nadu climate change mission will be implemented at the district level and it will be coordinated and implemented by climate officers appointed at the district level.
- The Tamil Nadu government has appointed former director of United Nations Environment Programme Erik Solheim as its advisor for the climate change mission.
- During the climate summit a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Resources Institute, Anna University and the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management were signed on the occasion, to help the government establish 10 smart villages, 25 green schools and achieve blue flag beaches.
3. Solar Electric Hybrid high speed ferry launched in Goa
Tags: Environment Person in news State News
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal launched a Solar-Electric Hybrid High Speed Ferry and inaugurated a floating jetty project at Panaji, Goa on 13 October 2022.
The Solar-Electric Hybrid High Speed Ferry project is funded by the government of Goa at a cost of over 3.9 crores and has a carrying capacity of 60 passengers.
The floating jetty has been funded by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the three jetties commissioned were built at a project cost of Rs. 9.6 crores. The jetties are solid concrete structures that float on water, are easy to install and have minimal environmental impact in their construction.
Speaking on the occasion the minister said that the project is likely to boost the tourism sector in the state.
First Solar Powered Ferry in India
The first solar powered ferry in India, Aditya was launched in 2017 in Kerala. It was built by the NavAlt Solar and Electric Boats for the Kerala State Water Transport Department.
4. India’s first carbon neutral farm inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinnari Vijayan at Aluva, Kerala
Tags: Environment Person in news State News
Kerala Chief Minister Pinnari Vijayan on 10 December 2022 inaugurated Kerala's State Seed Farm located in Aluva, Ernakulam district. It is the first farm in India which is carbon neutral.
The farm practices carbon-neutral farming which involves absorption of all the carbon that gets released during various agriculture practices in the soil itself.
The farm avoids using fossil fuels, energy-consuming equipment, and chemicals during cultivation by practicing mixed farming, keeping native breeds of goat, chicken, ducks and cows and producing vermicompost.
Mixed farming involves the cultivation of crops and raising of livestocks.
How the farm is made carbon neutral
- The main crop in the farm is high-yielding paddy and a variety of this crop is grown including njavara, rakthashali, Japanese violet, chottadi, and pokkali. By mixing five different varieties there is reduction in attacks by pests and diseases thereby avoiding the use of pesticides completely?
- Farming of goats, cows, chicken, ducks, bees, fish, vermicompost and azolla has also helped in cutting down waste generation. Converting agriculture waste into compost provides fertiliser for the fields as doe’s cow dung. The ducks and hens in the farm help in controlling pests.
- The animals on the farm are fed fodder, grass, hay and barn, all of which are produced at the farm. To become completely carbon-neutral, the farm has solar panels on the roof which helps in meeting the need for power.
5. U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, COP 15 commences in Montreal, Canada
Tags: Environment place in news Summits International News
The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, known as Conference of Parties (COP-15) commenced in Montreal, Canada on 7 December 2022. The two weeklong conference (7-19 December 2022) was originally scheduled to be held in Kunming, China in October but was shifted to Montreal, Canada due to covid situation in China.
This is the second part of the COP15. The first part was hosted by China on 18 August 2021 virtually and the second part was to be held in a face to face conference but it has been shifted from China to Canada. However the host of the COP15 in Montreal is still China.
The Conference focuses on saving the nature
The Biological diversity conference focuses on nature. It is different from the UNFCCC (United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change ) organised Conference of Parties(CoP) which focuses on the problem of global warming and climate change due to emission of greenhouse gasses.
The Biological Diversity conference will focus on nature and how to stop and reverse the degradation of our nature by 2030.
Main issues that will be discussed at the Montreal conference are;
- One of the most notable draft targets is to conserve 30% of land and sea areas globally by 2030.
- It will aim to adopt a global framework for biodiversity to halt and reverse losses of the world's plants, animals, and ecosystems.
- Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of natural genetics resources.
United Nation Convention on Biological Diversity
It is a multilateral treaty which was signed by the countries at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It came into force on 29 December 1993. At present 194 countries are its signatories.
It has 3 main objectives:
- The conservation of Biological diversity
- The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity
- The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
Conferences of the Parties/COP
- Countries which have signed the conventions are called Conferences of the Parties. The meeting of the Conferences of the Parties is also called COP
- The first COP -1 was held in Nassau, Bahamas 1994.
- The 14th meeting was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (17-19 November 2018)
- It is held after every two years but due to covid it was held in 2021.
6. IMD issue warning of formation of Cyclone Mandous over Bay of Bengal
Tags: Environment National
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a new tropical cyclone is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal and is going to impact Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh on 6-8 December 2022. The cyclonic storm has been named 'Cyclone Mandous' which means a treasure box in the Arabic language. The name of the cyclone has been given by the United Arab Emirates.
According to the IMD a low pressure area that has formed over the south Andaman Sea is likely to concentrate into a depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal.
The coastal areas are going to receive heavy rainfall due to the formation of the cyclonic storm.
'Cyclone Mandous' will be the third tropical storm to rise in Bay of Bengal this year after 'Cyclone Sitrang' which hit the Bangladesh coast in the month of October. The name Sitrang was given by Thailand.
The first cyclonic storm of the season was Asani which formed in the Bay of Bengal in May month. The Asani name was given by Sri Lanka to the cyclonic storm.
What is a Cyclone?
A cyclone is a large system of winds that circulates about a centre of low atmospheric pressure in a counter clockwise direction north of the Equator and in a clockwise direction to the south.
Cyclonic winds move across nearly all regions of the Earth except the equatorial belt and are generally associated with heavy rain or snow.
7. India - France Partnership on Kaziranga Project
Tags: Environment National News
India and France are collaborating under the Kaziranga Project in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
Important facts
With France and India technical and financial support, the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership will facilitate partnership activities for natural parks of the Indo-Pacific region.
These activities include biodiversity conservation, wildlife management and engagement with local communities.
About the Kaziranga project
The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) for which the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has committed funding of €80.2 million for a 10-year period, between 2014-2024.
The project envisages afforestation of 33,500 hectares of land by 2024 and training of 10,000 community members in alternative livelihoods.
The AFD program has been most effective in skill development in the area, especially in the forest dwelling communities.
The Assam government has started a massive reforestation drive with the help of AFD.
About Kaziranga National Park
It is a national park in the state of Assam, India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is spread over an area of 42,996 hectares.
Two-thirds of the world's one-horned rhinoceros are found in this sanctuary.
Kaziranga is home to the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world, and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.
It is the largest undivided representative area of Brahmaputra valley floodplain grassland.
It has been recognized by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area.
8. Only CNG and Electric autos to ply in Delhi NCR from 1 January 2027; Air Quality Panel
Tags: Environment National
The Central government’s air quality panel has directed Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to register only CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and electric autos from 1 January 2027 and to completely phase out the diesel autos in the National Capital Region by the end of 2026.
The Commission for Air Quality Management has said that only CNG and e-autos will ply in the NCR from January 1, 2027.
The NCR covers Delhi, 14 districts of Haryana, eight districts of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Rajasthan.
Delhi had launched a programme in 1998 to convert its fleet of diesel auto rickshaws into CNG ones. No diesel-run auto is registered in Delhi at present.
In 1998, Delhi introduced a campaign to transfer its fleet of diesel auto rickshaws to CNG vehicles. At the moment, no diesel-powered vehicle is registered in Delhi. In October of last year, the Delhi Transport Department launched a program for the enrollment of 4,261 e-autos.
Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR)
The Delhi National Capital Region was set up in 1985 under the National Capital Region Planning Board Act 1985 by the Central government.
Delhi NCR was set up to deal with uncontrolled migration of people to Delhi. It aims to develop surrounding areas of Delhi so that people’s migration to Delhi can be controlled.
Delhi NCR includes Delhi (all 11 districts), areas of Uttar Pradesh (8 districts), Haryana (14 districts) and Rajasthan (2 districts).
Region | Name of Districts | Areas in sq. Km |
Haryana | Faridabad, Gurugram, Nuh, Rohtak, Sonepat, Rewari, Jhajjhar, Gurugram, Panipat, Palwal, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mahendragarh, Jind and Karnal (fourteen districts). | 25,327 |
Uttar Pradesh | Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Hapur, Shamli and Muzaffarnagar (Eight districts). | 14,826 |
Rajasthan | Alwar and Bharatpur (two districts). | 13,447 |
Delhi | Whole of NCT Delhi. | 1,483 |
55,083 sq. kms. |
9. Indonesia raises volcano warning to highest after Semeru erupts
Tags: Environment place in news International News
The Indonesian authorities raised the warning on Semeru volcano to the highest level on 4 December 2022 after an eruption spewed a column of ash high into the air.
The eruption in the Semeru volcano located in the East Java province follows a series of earthquakes on the west of the island, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.
The eruption started on 3 December 2022 and the plume from the volcano reached a height of 50,000 feet (15 km).
The Indonesian authorities have started the evacuation of people including children and seniors, living near the volcano.
Mount Semeru last erupted in December 2021, killing at least 69 people. At that time the eruption had left entire streets filled with mud and ash, swallowing homes and vehicles, with nearly 10,000 people seeking refuge.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.
Indonesia has around 142 volcanoes and it has the largest population (86 lakh) in the world living within 10 km close range to volcanoes.
10. Sumangalam Panchmahabhoot National Youth Conference on ‘Vayu: The Vital Life Force’ starts in Bhubaneshwar
Tags: Environment place in news
The second conference in the Sumangalam Panchmahabhoot series, titled ‘Vayu – The vital life force’ started at the Siksha O Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, and Odisha on 2 December 2022. The first conference in the Sumangalam Panchmahabhoot series ‘Akash for Life’ was held in Dehradun in November 2022.
The Conference will be formally inaugurated by the Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and the Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav at Bhubaneswar on 3 December 2022.
The conference in Bhubaneswar is being organized by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with Central Pollution Control Board from 2 -4 December 2022.
The Conference is focused on varied air quality issues ranging from scientific discussions on climate change and pollution control to enriching our understanding on air quality from ancient scriptures and texts.
Sumangalam Panchmahabhoot
The Government of India is organizing a campaign “Sumangalam'' across the country for finding solutions to the environmental issues with an Indian perspective based on traditional knowledge .
In a blend of the modern and the traditional knowledge, the government of India is going to organise five national conventions across the country on the Panchmahabhoot- the five elements for solving environmental issues for the betterment of society. In the traditional knowledge system the human body or the universe is made of Panchmahabhoot. It consists of Aakash, Vaayu Jal, Prithvi and Agni.
