Last 10 Days Environment Revision Strategy for Prelims 2020

  • September 24, 2020
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: Prelims
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Last 10 Days Environment Revision Strategy for Prelims 2020

Life is always inspired by Nature no matter what form it takes. The food we intake, the air we breathe, the land where we live are the gifts of nature to mankind.

Co-existence is the only principle of nature being taught to everyone. Plants, Animals, Humans everyone has to coexist and live in harmony with each other.

Extinction of anyone leads to threats for others. Today, Coronavirus has shown the world ‘Why co-existence with nature is a must’

When we all were at home, Nature was enjoying. We have seen Mass nesting of Olive Ridley Turtles at Rushikulya rookery in the ganjam district of Odisha, Gangetic Dolphins in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar, Nilgai in Sector 18 of Noida, and many more beautiful events.

If we are determined to co-exist happily with nature, nothing is impossible. As we have achieved our target to doubling the numbers of Tigers in India four years before the target year of 2022.

Now coming to topics, let me tell with assurance that this year biodiversity and threat to wild life will be asked in Prelims. The questions can be framed in many ways like what can be possible reasons for increase of Zoonoses. WWF has come out with a report on this issue which was widely reported. So prepare biodiversity in depth. You can refer NCERT BIO book. Concept of one health can be asked.

Many important topics during COVID19 related to Biodiversity are –

  1. Meaning
  2. Types
  3. Causes
  4. Uses
  5. Millennium Ecosystem services-Types
  6. Threats
  7. CBD – 3 objectives
  8. Global biodiversity outlook
  9. UN decade of biodiversity
  10. Aichi Targets
  11. Protection of Plant Varieties Act
  12. Pollinators and Biodiversity
  13. Agrobiodiversity- quarantine
  14. Asiatic Lion Conservation Project ( endangered, canine distemper virus, Gir, Pania sanctuary)
  15. Species Recovery Plan- Great Indian Bustard, Lion
  16. Integrated Development of wildlife habitat
  17. Types of species- Keystone, indicator, and Alien
  18. Important species: Oliver Turtles, River Dolphins, Neelkarunji Flowers
  19. Global Tiger Initiative and forum
  20. Coral Reefs- Imp, regions in world and India, factors of bleaching, Palau bans sunscreen
  21. Mangroves
  22. Zero Budget Natural farming
  23. Eco Sensitive Area under EPA 1986
  24. Unique role of bats in the Ecosystem
  25. Virtual water
  26. Species discovery: Steppe eagle, Idris Elba, pliosaur, Tibetan gazelles
  27. Enhancing Coastal and Ocean resource efficiency
  28. Coal Bed Methane
  29. Species: Nilgiritahr, Rhino Conservation, Great bustard, Ongole Bull, White-throated rail
  30. Seed vaults
  31. Antropocene Epoch
  32. Fall Army Worm
  33. Shale Oil and gas deposits
  34. River water interlinking project
  35. Important bird and biodiversity areas
  36. Exotic Live Species
  37. Census of Asiatic Lions
  38. Illegal wildlife Trade
  39. Desert Locusts
  40. Ecosystem Restoration
  41. Gangetic dolphins
  42. Thorium Reserve
  43. ArogyaPacha plant
  44. Bt. Cotton
  45. Tiger Census
  46. Cheetah, Sumatran rhinoceros, the pink-headed duck, and the Himalayan quail extinct in India
  47. Soil Piping
  48. Lateral Spread
  49. Land Subsistence
  50. Soil Organic Carbon
  51. Allien invasive Species
  52. Amazon Fire
  53. Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre
  54. Forest Plus
  55. ZBNF
  56. Eutrophication/algal bloom
  57. Mangrove adaptation
  58. Raptors
  59. Generalist Species (which occupy a range of habitats, including human habitats), keystone species, indicator species
  60. Central Asian species
  61. Biochar
  62. Cold Blooded Species
  63. Oliveridley
  64. Succession
  65. Eco Sensitive Zone
  66. Seed Bomb
  67. World Elephant Day
  68. World Biofuel Day
  69. Critical Wildlife Habitat
  70. Sea Grass
  71. Wildlife Corridors
  72. Generation of biofuel and ethanol blending
  73. Indian Gaur
  74. Miyawaki Method
  75. Protected Special Agriculture Zone
  76. Endangered Species
  77. All India Tiger Estimation 2018
  78. Cestrumnocturnum
  79. Swarm, Upsurge, and Plague
  80. Status of Tiger
  81. Rare Scorpion Fish found in Gulf of Mannar
  82. Status of India’s Environment
  83. World Environment Day
  84. Blue Water Navy
  85. Deep sea Microplastic hotspots
  86. Assam Gas Leak
  87. Diversion of Forest Areas
  88. Soil a living organism
  89. Golden Langur
  90. What are Exotic Species?
  91. Wildlife Corridor
  92. Coccolithophores
  93. Bhitarkanika Fishing Cats
  94. Illegal Wildlife Trade
  95. Algal Bloom and Food Chain
  96. Sal Tortoise
  97. Gharial
  98. Charu Mussel
  99. Dugong
  100. Rhinotracheitis
  101. Minor Forest Produce
  102. Great Adjutant Stork
  103. Trimeresurus Salazar
  104. Cropping Season
  105. Chinkara
  106. Red Panda
  107. Carbon Sinks: Amazon Forest
  108. Vulture
  109. Convention on Migratory Species
  110. Himalayan Ibex
  111. Wetlands
  112. Endangered Wolf
  113. Keystone Species
  114. Threatened status: Lion, Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican, Dudong and Manipur brow-antlered, cheetah
  115. Conservation of Migratory Species
  116. Species: Snow leopard, Amur Falcon, Bar-headed geese, Black-necked Crane, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, and Humped backed Whales.
  117. Project Elephant
  118. Endemic Species
    1. Florican
    2. Osmanabadi Goat
    3. Insitu and Ex-situ Biosphere Conservation
    4. Rare Palm critically endangered
    5. Ecological Sensitive Area of Western Ghat
    6. Ramsar Sites in India
    7. Steppe Eagle
    8. Irrawaddy Dolphin
    9. Ecosystem Services
    10. Slender Billed Vulture
    11. ENVIRONMENT CARRYING CAPACITY

Climate change is another big threat facing humanity. Food shortage, Extreme weather conditions, melting glaciers, warmer temperatures are all consequences of climate change.

We have also seen How the Great Barrier Reef has suffered mass coral bleaching due to warmer temperatures. A pacific nation becomes first in the world to ban chemical sunscreen to protect its coral reefs.

The (IPCC) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made public ‘Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate’ which stated the changes occurring in glaciers, oceans, and ice-deposits on land and sea.

This report focussed on Oceans by stating their unprecedented situations due to Ocean Acidification, Increased Temperatures, Marine heatwaves, and extreme El Nino and La Nino events.

Carbon Capture is being discussed by several scientists to mitigate global warming and to avoid the harmful effects of climate change.

Amidst COVID 19 pandemic, Vizag styrene gas leak, Cyclone Amphan, We have seen another disaster in form of a Locust attack. Swarms of Desert locusts have entered from

Pakistan to western India & impacted several states. One of the main reasons for this locust attack is decreasing birds’ population and climate change.

Among international bodies, GEF has been in news. Prepare it properly.

The most important topics that happened during last year related to climate change are –

  1. IPCC
  2. Hothouse, Heat Island
  3. Carbon sequestration: Forest, ocean, permafrost
  4. Impact of permafrost thawing
  5. Impact of climate change on ocean and coral reefs( ocean acidification and coral bleaching)
  6. Dead zones causes and impact
  7. UNCCD- legally binding treaty on desertification, Causes of desertification, Land degradation neutrality, great green Waal initiative FLEUVE Project- Sahel region, Land for life program, Global Land Outlook
  8. GEF- 5 environment conventions funded The GEF serves as a “financial mechanism” to five conventions, which are
  • Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  • Stockholm Conventionon Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
  • UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
  • Minamata Convention
  1. Climate engineering –carbon capture, Biochar, stratospheric aerosol injection
  2. Ozone layer depletion – ODS-CFCs, Vienna convention, Montreal and Kigali Agreement-HFCs, HFO stands for hydrofluoric olefin
  3. International Solar Alliance, solar forum
  4. NAPCC- 8 missions
  5. IPCC -1988 WMO n UNEP
  6. UNFCC-25 years- Green climate Fund,
  7. Marrakech partnership
  8. Talanoa Dialogue Platform
  9. REDD+ Strategy
  10. UNDP SDG
  11. Green bonds
  12. Blue bonds
  13. CAMPA
  14. Deep Ocean Mining- SagarNidhi, Minerals, ISA
  15. Green Skill Development Program
  16. National Cooling Plan
  17. Earth Overshoot Day
  18. National Biofuel policy 2018
  19. Polar Vortex and Climate Change and Ozone
  20. Artificial leaf
  21. Forest Fire Regions causes and monitoring
  22. Natural Barrier to a natural disaster: Mangrove and Cyclone
  23. Shola Forest: Climate change and Landslides
  24. Coral Bleaching/Coral Rehabilitation Programme
  25. Increase instances of Lightning strikes in India
  26. Denakali Depression
  27. Simultaneous cyclones in the Arabian Sea: Fani/ Amphan
  28. Delayed Monsoon: IOD/MJO/ELNINO/JS
  29. Bomb Cyclone
  30. Atlantic Meridional circulation
  31. Covid 19 and impact on climate
  32. Summer Solstice
  33. Cyclones in the Arabian Sea
  34. Assam prone to flood
  35. Arctic Ocean and Climate Change
  36. Climate Vulnerability Map of India
  37. Clean Air Coalition
  38. India’sColdwave Zone
  39. Arctic Amplification
  40. Impact sea Level Rise
  41. Extreme Climatic Event
  42. Globba Anderson Plant
  43. Rewa Solar Power Project
  44. Record Temperature Verkhoyansk
  45. Acclimatization
  46. Arctic Warming
  47. Pre monsoon shower and Yellow alert

Let’s move to one of the major reasons for climate change, Extinction of Species, Rising Temperatures, Melting Glaciers, Depleting Ozone is Pollution.

Stubble burning in Haryana, Punjab, UP leads to Smog in Delhi, Even smog tower couldn’t reduce the air pollution in the capital.

Before Coronavirus India was producing 600 tonnes of Biomedical waste per year but After Corona, We have seen a tremendous hike in the generation of Biomedical waste. It is creating newer threats for the environment too. Therefore, It becomes the most important topic to find a place in UPSC prelims 2020.

India also faces a severe threat of Land desertification. 30% of its land area has been degraded through soil erosion, deforestation, extreme weather conditions, or over-cultivation that can impact India’s GDP by 2.5%. UNCCD can be a asked.

The most important topics for Pollution are –

  1. Bioremediation
  2. Bio magnification and Bioaccumulation
  3. Dead Zones
  4. E-waste
  5. Extended Producer Responsibility
  6. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
  7. Air pollution: short-lived Pollutant
  8. Acid rain
  9. Smog
  10. Primary and secondary Pollutant
  11. Point and Non-Point sources
  12. National clean Air Programme, SAFAR, WAYU,
  13. EPA
  14. Rat Hole mining –river Pollution
  15. Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index
  16. Blue flag certification
  17. Coastal Zonation –CRZ
  18. Waste to energy plant: Toxic gases
  19. Belandur Lake
  20. UNESCOGeopark status
  21. Covid-19: Biomedical wastes and Biomedical waste rules
  22. SandMinning issue and impacts
  23. Bioremediation: Role of algae in water purification
  24. River water Pollution: Jal Shakti/Namame Ganga
  25. Methane Seeping from Antarctica
  26. Carbon Sequestration: Soil Organic Content
  27. Urban Flooding: FLOWS/FLOWS
  28. Blue Flag Beaches
  29. Waste: marine waste
  30. Classical and Photochemical Smog
  31. Overuse of groundwater resources
  32. Artificial reef to save sinking Islands
  33. Black Carbon
  34. Bharat stage Emission
  35. Uranium Contamination
  36. Anti-smog Guns
  37. Fly Ash
  38. Bio-medical waste
  39. Ozone Hole
  40. Styrene
  41. Diesel oil to escape into a local river
  42. 6th Mass Extinction
  43. Natural Gas
  44. Global Warming and climate change
  45. Desertification
  46. Pet Coke
  47. Microplastic
  48. Volcanoes in Global Warming
  49. Graded Response Action Plan
  50. Pesticide regulation
  51. Carbon offset/trading/market
  52. Pollution and Disease
  53. Biofuels
  54. BS IV
  55. Smog Tower
  56. Industry Categories (Based on pollution)
  57. Carbon Neutrality
  58. Pesticide Ban
  59. Urban Forest
  60. Aerosol
  61. Extended Producer Responsibility
  62. UrbanMinning
  63. Ammonia Pollution
  64. Bio-medical Waste Rules
  65. Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings
  66. #icommit
  67. Ambarnaya River Oil spill
  68. Aerosol Radiating Forcing
  69. Lonar Lake
  70. CPCB
  71. Power Plant emission (Particulate Matter, Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide)
  72. Carbon Capture

Now after having all the issues and concerns towards nature, Some national & international organizations are working towards ṭhe goal of a sustainable environment and mitigating climate change.

India’s solar initiative of One Sun One World One grid by ISA is inspiring the world to look for renewable sources of energy.

Recently, the State of India’s Bird 2020 was released in Gandhinagar, Gujarat at the 13th COP of Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals.

The greatest declining birds are the Curlew Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Large-billed Leaf warbler whereas an Increasing number of birds are Plain Prinia, Feral Pigeon, and Ashy Prinia.

Similarly, Some Most Important Reports, Organizations, Policy, Plan and Indices are

  1. WWF- Living Planet Report, Global Soil Biodiversity Report
  2. Brazzaville declaration
  3. Emission Gap Report-UNEP
  4. Green House Gas Report- WMO
  5. World Energy Outlook
  6. International Sea Bed Authority
  7. One Planet ONE City – WWF
  8. State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index The 1st edition of the Index was recently released jointly by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and NITI Aayog
  9. National Disaster Risk Index Union Home Ministry has prepared a draft report on the Disaster Risk Index with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  10. Draft EIA
  11. Green wall of India: Green Belt projects in China and Africa
  12. State of Indias bird 2020
  13. International Treaty of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture
  14. Mosaic Expedition
  15. One Sun One Grid
  16. Sea bed 2030 project
  17. UNEP Colombo declaration
  18. ProjectKaleswaram, SardarSarovar, Ken Betwa project
  19. Deep Ocean Mission
  20. 20th Livestock census
  21. Hindukush Himalaya assessment report
  22. National Wildlife Action Plan
  23. Ecotourism Policy
  24. National Policy on Biofuels
  25. UNCCD- Delhi Declaration
  26. 18th COP of CITES
  27. Bureau of Energy Efficiency
  28. CARE Projects
  29. Bonn Challenge
  30. Protection of Plant varieties and Farmers Right Authority
  31. International Charter Space and Major Disaster
  32. FRA 2006
  33. Water Stress Index
  34. Samudrayaan Project
  35. India’s Cooling Action Plan
  36. IPCC report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
  37. National Monsoon Mission
  38. COP 25
  39. Joint Forest Regulation
  40. Project Elephant
  41. High Mountain Summit
  42. Climate Vulnerability Forum
  43. Air quality Index
  44. International Coalition for action on sand and Dust storms
  45. Category B2 of EIA
  46. TRAFFIC
  47. Environment Performance Index
  48. Project Lion, Project Dolphin
  49. National River Conservation Plan
  50. Global Forest Resource Assessment
  51. NGT
  52. Race to Zero
  53. Environment Performance Index
  54. National Action Plan on Forest Fire
  55. Athirapally Hydel Power Project
  56. MBlal Committee
  57. National Biofuel Coordination Committee(NBCC)
  58. Forest Advisory Committee
  59. International Day for Biological Diversity 2020
  60. Renewable Energy Certificate
  61. CNG and City Gas Distribution( CGD) Network
  62. Section 51 to 59 of the Disaster Management Act 2005
  63. National Conservation Authority
  64. TRIFED
  65. VanDhanVikash Kendra Scheme
  66. State Disaster Response Fund
  67. Special Rhino Protect Force
  68. NBWL
  69. IUCN Red List
  70. SAWEN
  71. Ramsar Convention
  72. World Wetland day
  73. IPBES
  74. National Tiger Conservation Authority
  75. Conservation of Migratory Species of wild animal
  76. Paris Agreement on Climate Change
  77. DGCA
  78. Cheetah Conservation Fund
  79. Cartagena Protocol
  80. Convention on Biodiversity
  81. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Eco system Services (IPBES)
  82. United Nation Environment Assembly
  83. Global Carbon Project
  84. NATIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAM
  85. RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET
  86. CRZ RULES

In the end, I would like to add a few places that have been mentioned in news at several places. You need to have a thorough look at every place. Every year 3-5 questions are asked related to locations directly or indirectly.

Places that have been in news are listed as follows –

  1. Bandhavgarh Tiger reserves
  2. Satkosia Tiger reserves
  3. Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary-cheetah reintroduction
  4. Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary
  5. Sunderbans- Ramsar Wetland
  6. TheKhangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India that has been included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).
  7. Western Ghats
  8. Elephant reserves
  9. Hornbill –NE India
  10. Migratory Birds and habitats in India
  11. National Park: Amrabad TR, Pakka TR, Guru Ghasidas NP, Pench NP, and TR, Kanchenjunga NP
  12. Kelp Forest
  13. Chandigarh’sSukhna Lake – wetlands
  14. Benin, Gambia and Guinea- President visit
  15. Mt.Etna
  16. Mt.Sinabung
  17. Mt.Elbrus
  18. Baltic sea
  19. Kaijinsara lake
  20. Namdapha National Park
  21. Nagarhole Park situated and why it’s important?
  22. Dibru-saikhowa National Park
  23. Manas NP
  24. Amery Ice Self
  25. Kaziranga NP
  26. Pakke TR

After all the above topics, If you do not feel confident enough then you must revise them again. Do not forget Environment and Science tech together forms 35 questions on an average out of 100 questions in UPSC prelims.

Rest you need to trust yourself, you will succeed. As you have more doubts, feel free to connect me through my telegram channel anytime.

I will be much happier to assist such brilliant and aspiring minds.

All the best.

Have a great exam ahead.