Last 10 Days Environment Revision Strategy for Prelims 2020
- September 24, 2020
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: Prelims
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 –
- Meaning
- Types
- Causes
- Uses
- Millennium Ecosystem services-Types
- Threats
- CBD – 3 objectives
- Global biodiversity outlook
- UN decade of biodiversity
- Aichi Targets
- Protection of Plant Varieties Act
- Pollinators and Biodiversity
- Agrobiodiversity- quarantine
- Asiatic Lion Conservation Project ( endangered, canine distemper virus, Gir, Pania sanctuary)
- Species Recovery Plan- Great Indian Bustard, Lion
- Integrated Development of wildlife habitat
- Types of species- Keystone, indicator, and Alien
- Important species: Oliver Turtles, River Dolphins, Neelkarunji Flowers
- Global Tiger Initiative and forum
- Coral Reefs- Imp, regions in world and India, factors of bleaching, Palau bans sunscreen
- Mangroves
- Zero Budget Natural farming
- Eco Sensitive Area under EPA 1986
- Unique role of bats in the Ecosystem
- Virtual water
- Species discovery: Steppe eagle, Idris Elba, pliosaur, Tibetan gazelles
- Enhancing Coastal and Ocean resource efficiency
- Coal Bed Methane
- Species: Nilgiritahr, Rhino Conservation, Great bustard, Ongole Bull, White-throated rail
- Seed vaults
- Antropocene Epoch
- Fall Army Worm
- Shale Oil and gas deposits
- River water interlinking project
- Important bird and biodiversity areas
- Exotic Live Species
- Census of Asiatic Lions
- Illegal wildlife Trade
- Desert Locusts
- Ecosystem Restoration
- Gangetic dolphins
- Thorium Reserve
- ArogyaPacha plant
- Bt. Cotton
- Tiger Census
- Cheetah, Sumatran rhinoceros, the pink-headed duck, and the Himalayan quail extinct in India
- Soil Piping
- Lateral Spread
- Land Subsistence
- Soil Organic Carbon
- Allien invasive Species
- Amazon Fire
- Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre
- Forest Plus
- ZBNF
- Eutrophication/algal bloom
- Mangrove adaptation
- Raptors
- Generalist Species (which occupy a range of habitats, including human habitats), keystone species, indicator species
- Central Asian species
- Biochar
- Cold Blooded Species
- Oliveridley
- Succession
- Eco Sensitive Zone
- Seed Bomb
- World Elephant Day
- World Biofuel Day
- Critical Wildlife Habitat
- Sea Grass
- Wildlife Corridors
- Generation of biofuel and ethanol blending
- Indian Gaur
- Miyawaki Method
- Protected Special Agriculture Zone
- Endangered Species
- All India Tiger Estimation 2018
- Cestrumnocturnum
- Swarm, Upsurge, and Plague
- Status of Tiger
- Rare Scorpion Fish found in Gulf of Mannar
- Status of India’s Environment
- World Environment Day
- Blue Water Navy
- Deep sea Microplastic hotspots
- Assam Gas Leak
- Diversion of Forest Areas
- Soil a living organism
- Golden Langur
- What are Exotic Species?
- Wildlife Corridor
- Coccolithophores
- Bhitarkanika Fishing Cats
- Illegal Wildlife Trade
- Algal Bloom and Food Chain
- Sal Tortoise
- Gharial
- Charu Mussel
- Dugong
- Rhinotracheitis
- Minor Forest Produce
- Great Adjutant Stork
- Trimeresurus Salazar
- Cropping Season
- Chinkara
- Red Panda
- Carbon Sinks: Amazon Forest
- Vulture
- Convention on Migratory Species
- Himalayan Ibex
- Wetlands
- Endangered Wolf
- Keystone Species
- Threatened status: Lion, Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican, Dudong and Manipur brow-antlered, cheetah
- Conservation of Migratory Species
- Species: Snow leopard, Amur Falcon, Bar-headed geese, Black-necked Crane, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, and Humped backed Whales.
- Project Elephant
- Endemic Species
- Florican
- Osmanabadi Goat
- Insitu and Ex-situ Biosphere Conservation
- Rare Palm critically endangered
- Ecological Sensitive Area of Western Ghat
- Ramsar Sites in India
- Steppe Eagle
- Irrawaddy Dolphin
- Ecosystem Services
- Slender Billed Vulture
- 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 –
- IPCC
- Hothouse, Heat Island
- Carbon sequestration: Forest, ocean, permafrost
- Impact of permafrost thawing
- Impact of climate change on ocean and coral reefs( ocean acidification and coral bleaching)
- Dead zones causes and impact
- 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
- 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
- Climate engineering –carbon capture, Biochar, stratospheric aerosol injection
- Ozone layer depletion – ODS-CFCs, Vienna convention, Montreal and Kigali Agreement-HFCs, HFO stands for hydrofluoric olefin
- International Solar Alliance, solar forum
- NAPCC- 8 missions
- IPCC -1988 WMO n UNEP
- UNFCC-25 years- Green climate Fund,
- Marrakech partnership
- Talanoa Dialogue Platform
- REDD+ Strategy
- UNDP SDG
- Green bonds
- Blue bonds
- CAMPA
- Deep Ocean Mining- SagarNidhi, Minerals, ISA
- Green Skill Development Program
- National Cooling Plan
- Earth Overshoot Day
- National Biofuel policy 2018
- Polar Vortex and Climate Change and Ozone
- Artificial leaf
- Forest Fire Regions causes and monitoring
- Natural Barrier to a natural disaster: Mangrove and Cyclone
- Shola Forest: Climate change and Landslides
- Coral Bleaching/Coral Rehabilitation Programme
- Increase instances of Lightning strikes in India
- Denakali Depression
- Simultaneous cyclones in the Arabian Sea: Fani/ Amphan
- Delayed Monsoon: IOD/MJO/ELNINO/JS
- Bomb Cyclone
- Atlantic Meridional circulation
- Covid 19 and impact on climate
- Summer Solstice
- Cyclones in the Arabian Sea
- Assam prone to flood
- Arctic Ocean and Climate Change
- Climate Vulnerability Map of India
- Clean Air Coalition
- India’sColdwave Zone
- Arctic Amplification
- Impact sea Level Rise
- Extreme Climatic Event
- Globba Anderson Plant
- Rewa Solar Power Project
- Record Temperature Verkhoyansk
- Acclimatization
- Arctic Warming
- 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 –
- Bioremediation
- Bio magnification and Bioaccumulation
- Dead Zones
- E-waste
- Extended Producer Responsibility
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Air pollution: short-lived Pollutant
- Acid rain
- Smog
- Primary and secondary Pollutant
- Point and Non-Point sources
- National clean Air Programme, SAFAR, WAYU,
- EPA
- Rat Hole mining –river Pollution
- Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index
- Blue flag certification
- Coastal Zonation –CRZ
- Waste to energy plant: Toxic gases
- Belandur Lake
- UNESCOGeopark status
- Covid-19: Biomedical wastes and Biomedical waste rules
- SandMinning issue and impacts
- Bioremediation: Role of algae in water purification
- River water Pollution: Jal Shakti/Namame Ganga
- Methane Seeping from Antarctica
- Carbon Sequestration: Soil Organic Content
- Urban Flooding: FLOWS/FLOWS
- Blue Flag Beaches
- Waste: marine waste
- Classical and Photochemical Smog
- Overuse of groundwater resources
- Artificial reef to save sinking Islands
- Black Carbon
- Bharat stage Emission
- Uranium Contamination
- Anti-smog Guns
- Fly Ash
- Bio-medical waste
- Ozone Hole
- Styrene
- Diesel oil to escape into a local river
- 6th Mass Extinction
- Natural Gas
- Global Warming and climate change
- Desertification
- Pet Coke
- Microplastic
- Volcanoes in Global Warming
- Graded Response Action Plan
- Pesticide regulation
- Carbon offset/trading/market
- Pollution and Disease
- Biofuels
- BS IV
- Smog Tower
- Industry Categories (Based on pollution)
- Carbon Neutrality
- Pesticide Ban
- Urban Forest
- Aerosol
- Extended Producer Responsibility
- UrbanMinning
- Ammonia Pollution
- Bio-medical Waste Rules
- Healthy and Energy Efficient Buildings
- #icommit
- Ambarnaya River Oil spill
- Aerosol Radiating Forcing
- Lonar Lake
- CPCB
- Power Plant emission (Particulate Matter, Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide)
- 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
- WWF- Living Planet Report, Global Soil Biodiversity Report
- Brazzaville declaration
- Emission Gap Report-UNEP
- Green House Gas Report- WMO
- World Energy Outlook
- International Sea Bed Authority
- One Planet ONE City – WWF
- 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
- 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)
- Draft EIA
- Green wall of India: Green Belt projects in China and Africa
- State of Indias bird 2020
- International Treaty of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture
- Mosaic Expedition
- One Sun One Grid
- Sea bed 2030 project
- UNEP Colombo declaration
- ProjectKaleswaram, SardarSarovar, Ken Betwa project
- Deep Ocean Mission
- 20th Livestock census
- Hindukush Himalaya assessment report
- National Wildlife Action Plan
- Ecotourism Policy
- National Policy on Biofuels
- UNCCD- Delhi Declaration
- 18th COP of CITES
- Bureau of Energy Efficiency
- CARE Projects
- Bonn Challenge
- Protection of Plant varieties and Farmers Right Authority
- International Charter Space and Major Disaster
- FRA 2006
- Water Stress Index
- Samudrayaan Project
- India’s Cooling Action Plan
- IPCC report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
- National Monsoon Mission
- COP 25
- Joint Forest Regulation
- Project Elephant
- High Mountain Summit
- Climate Vulnerability Forum
- Air quality Index
- International Coalition for action on sand and Dust storms
- Category B2 of EIA
- TRAFFIC
- Environment Performance Index
- Project Lion, Project Dolphin
- National River Conservation Plan
- Global Forest Resource Assessment
- NGT
- Race to Zero
- Environment Performance Index
- National Action Plan on Forest Fire
- Athirapally Hydel Power Project
- MBlal Committee
- National Biofuel Coordination Committee(NBCC)
- Forest Advisory Committee
- International Day for Biological Diversity 2020
- Renewable Energy Certificate
- CNG and City Gas Distribution( CGD) Network
- Section 51 to 59 of the Disaster Management Act 2005
- National Conservation Authority
- TRIFED
- VanDhanVikash Kendra Scheme
- State Disaster Response Fund
- Special Rhino Protect Force
- NBWL
- IUCN Red List
- SAWEN
- Ramsar Convention
- World Wetland day
- IPBES
- National Tiger Conservation Authority
- Conservation of Migratory Species of wild animal
- Paris Agreement on Climate Change
- DGCA
- Cheetah Conservation Fund
- Cartagena Protocol
- Convention on Biodiversity
- The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Eco system Services (IPBES)
- United Nation Environment Assembly
- Global Carbon Project
- NATIONAL ANIMAL DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAM
- RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET
- 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 –
- Bandhavgarh Tiger reserves
- Satkosia Tiger reserves
- Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary-cheetah reintroduction
- Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary
- Sunderbans- Ramsar Wetland
- 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).
- Western Ghats
- Elephant reserves
- Hornbill –NE India
- Migratory Birds and habitats in India
- National Park: Amrabad TR, Pakka TR, Guru Ghasidas NP, Pench NP, and TR, Kanchenjunga NP
- Kelp Forest
- Chandigarh’sSukhna Lake – wetlands
- Benin, Gambia and Guinea- President visit
- Mt.Etna
- Mt.Sinabung
- Mt.Elbrus
- Baltic sea
- Kaijinsara lake
- Namdapha National Park
- Nagarhole Park situated and why it’s important?
- Dibru-saikhowa National Park
- Manas NP
- Amery Ice Self
- Kaziranga NP
- 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.