Blackbuck Subject :Environment Section: Species in news Context: The blackbuck population has increased threefold in Odisha’s Ganjam district, the only habitat of the most elegant member of the antelope family in the state, over 12 years. More on the News: Blackbucks were sighted in the Balukhand-Konark wildlife sanctuary in the Puri district through […]
Pinpointing priority areas for mangrove conservation in the Sundarbans Subject: ENVIRONMENT Section: ECOSYSTEM Context: A new study published in Scientific Reports has mapped priority areas in the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve (SBR) that are highly suitable for mangrove conservation and restoration. About Sunderbans It is a vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal […]
Orca moms may be feeding their sons into extinction Subject : ENVIRONMENT Section: BIODIVERSITY Context: The study took place over nearly half-a-century and followed the lives of 40 female orca whales. The researchers wanted to understand why the species was becoming increasingly endangered. More on the News: Researchers found that when female orca […]
Loss and damages fund Subject: ENVIRONMENT Section: CLIMATE CHANGE Context: The term widely used in UN Climate Change negotiations broadly refers to the measure of losses and damages due to the negative impacts of the climate crisis. More on the News: The damages from climate change are both economic and non-economic. In the […]
‘Mangrove Mission’ helps Sundarbans residents fight storms, cyclones and unemployment Subject : Environment Section : Ecosystem Context: In May 2020, when super cyclone Amphan hit the coast of Sundarbans, wreaking havoc in the region, the mangroves played a big role in protecting the life and livelihood of millions of people. More on the […]
145 bird species spotted during the first bird festival in Sundarbans Subject : Environment Section: Species In news Context: The first-ever festival was organised by the Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR) division of West Bengal Forest Department, where six teams visited different areas inside the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve. More on the News: The species […]
Marine litter menace Subject : Environment Section :Pollution Context: Marine litter menace, Short-term solutions not enough; need robust policy. More on the News: Globally, the annual production of plastic reached 460 million tonnes in 2019 and 353 million tonnes of plastic waste were also generated in the same year. Approximately 50 per cent […]
India’s pollution control boards were weakened over the last 14 years Subject : Environment Section :Pollution Context: India’s pollution control boards were weakened over the last 14 years. More on the News: Around 49 per cent of the sanctioned positions in state pollution control boards (SPCB) and pollution control committees (PCC) are vacant, […]
Tunnel to save mangroves to raise bullet train project Subject: Environment Section: Biodiversity Context: Tunnel will escalate construction cost of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor project’s 21-km long stretch from ₹100 crore to ₹10,000 crore. More on the News: A seven-km undersea tunnel will be constructed for the bullet train project in a […]
Alien invasive plants increasing in higher elevations Subject: Environment Section: Biodiversity Context: In Kashmir Himalayas in India, scientists have noted railway and road infrastructure expansion is a contributing factor to the march of invasive alien plant species higher into the mountains. More on the News: The study shows “consistent increases” in the number […]