Environment PT 365

Adaptation fund

2001

EcoNiwas Samhita

2018 Min of power

Green Climate Fund

A UN fund focused on helping developing countries with issues involving climate change.

MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION

A report titled "Breaking the Plastic Wave"- 'A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards StoppingOcean Plastic Pollution', published by The Pew Charitable Trusts in partnership with SYSTEMIQ Ltd Waste plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.• Plastic has been detected on shorelines of all the continents, with more plastic materials found nearpopular tourist destinations and densely populated areas.

Hotspots of extreme weather events in India

A study by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a not-for-profit policy research institution, has forthe first time mapped the extreme weather event hotspots in the country.• Key Findings:o More than 75% of Indian districts, home to over 638 million people, are hotspots of extreme climate eventssuch as cyclones, floods, droughts, heat and cold waves.o Frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of extreme events have risen in recent decades.o There is a shift in the pattern of extreme climate events such as flood-prone areas becoming drought-proneand vice-versa in over 40% of districts.o Six of India's eight most flood-prone districts in the last decade were in Assam.o In past decade, hot spot districts, affected by cyclones, are all along the eastern coastline.

K2

A team of climbers from Nepal become the first mountaineers to successfully complete a winter attempt on the summit of K2. K2 is the only mountain over 8,000 metres that had not been summitted in winter

Government constitutes Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA)

AIPA is a 17 member inter-ministerial committee constituted to ensure,Coordinated response on climate change matters that protects country's interests.o India is on track towards meeting its climate change obligations under Paris Agreement including its submittedNationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).• The three quantitative goals in the Indian NDCs are:o 33-35% reduction in the gross domestic product emissions intensity by 2030 from 2005 levels.o 40% share of non-fossil fuel based electricity by 2030.o Creating a carbon sink of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide through afforestation programmes. AIPA has been constituted under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forestand Climate Change will be the chairperson of AIPA

AQUAPONICS

About Aquaponics• Aquaponics is a form of agriculture that combines raisingfish in tanks (recirculating aquaculture) with soilless plantculture (hydroponics).• In aquaponics, the nutrient-rich water from raising fish provides a natural fertilizer for the plants and theplants help to purify the water for the fish.• An aquaponics system uses 90% less water versus traditional farming.

Forest Fire in India

According to India State ofForest Report 2019, over30,000 incidents of forestfires were reported in 2019.o About half of India'sforests are prone to fires.43% were prone tooccasional fires and 5% tofrequent fires, and 1%were at high or very highrisk. Steps taken: Monitoring through satellites like NASA's MODIS (or Moderate Resolution ImagingSpectroradiometer), National Action Plan on Forest Fires 2018, Centrally Sponsored Forest Fire Preventionand Management (FPM) Scheme etc

Organochlorines

According to reports, Organochlorines seem to be the reason behind amystery disease that has impacted 450 patients in with seizures, nausea,dizziness and headaches.• Organochlorines are a group of chlorinated compounds that belong to theclass of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).o They are relatively cheaper and as a result widely used as pesticides(40% of all pesticides) in Asia.o They are capable of causing adverse effects in the central andperipheral nervous system.

AeroPonics

Aeroponics: There is no growingmedium and hence, no containers forgrowing crops involved in aeroponics.Mist or nutrient solutions are usedinstead of water.

Aerosol

Aerosols are defined as a combination ofliquid or solid particles suspended in agaseous or liquid environment.o In the atmosphere, these particlesare mainly situated in the low layersof the atmosphere (< 1.5 km) sinceaerosol sources are located on theterrestrial surface.o However, certain aerosols can stillbe found in the stratosphere,especially volcanic aerosols ejectedinto the high-altitude layers

AGROMETEOROLOGY IN INDIA

Agrometeorology is the study and use of weather and climate information to improve the productivity ofthe agricultural sector.• In India, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is taskedwith providing meteorological services. It does so through the Agrometeorological Advisory Serviceprogram.• The three sub-sectors which work together to provide such services includeo Weather forecasting; Generation of agromet advisories (identifying how wea

Ammonia

Ammonia (NH3) is a colourless highly reactive and soluble alkaline gas.• It is prominent constituent of the nitrogen cycle that adversely affects ecosystems at higherconcentrations.• Ammonia is stored in liquid form under high pressure or in gaseous form at low temperature.• Ammonia is naturally present in the body and secreted by the kidneys to neutralise excess acid, whileammonia in the form of nitrogen is essential for plant growth.• Sources of emissions:o The largest source of NH3 emissions is agriculture, including animal husbandry and NH3-basedfertilizer applications.o Other sources of NH3 include industrial processes, vehicular emissions, volatilization from soils andoceans, decomposition of organic waste, forest fires, animal and human waste, nitrogen fixationprocesses.

EMISSION NORMS FOR THERMAL POWER PLANTS

As per Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) estimate, Coal based Thermal power plants (TPPs) areresponsible for -• 70% of total freshwater withdrawal by all industries. TPPs were required to achieve the notified limit within 2 years i.e. by 2017 in a phased manner.o It amends existing norms related to emission of suspended particulate matter (SPM) andintroduces new norms for emission of SO2, NOx and Mercury from TPPs.o Separate norms have been prescribed for thermal power stations (TPSs) units installed before31st December 2003; units installed between 31st December 2003 and 31st December 2016; andthose installed after 1st January 2017.o It also specifies modified limits for specific water consumption by TPPs and insists to convertexisting once through based condenser cooling (OTBCC) system to recirculation type.

Ratings for Green Buildings

BEE developed Star Rating Programme for commercial buildings that rates buildings on a fivestar scale based on actual performance in terms of energy usage.• Other two rating systems are operating for rating green buildings in India:o Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA): Jointly developed by The Energyand Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, it evaluatesthe environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, therebyproviding a definitive standard for what constitutes a 'green building'.o Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED): It is an international recognizedcertification system for the green buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council

BOREAL SUMMER INTRA SEASONAL OSCILLATION

BSISO is the transfer of heat from Indian Ocean to western Pacific Ocean roughly every 10-50 days duringthe monsoon (June-September).• It represents the monsoon's 'active' and 'break' periods, in which weeks of heavy rainfall give way tobrilliant sunshine before starting all over again.• The active phase enhances monsoon winds and hence the surface waves. It is one of the most prominent sources of short-term climate variability in the global monsoon system.• Researchers found that, some phases of BSISO induce high wave activity in north Indian Ocean andArabian Sea.• Waves induced by active phases of BSISO are nearly 0.5 meters higher than those which occur duringother phases of BSISO.• Studying BSISO will help improve wave forecasts along India's coasts and mitigate adverse impacts of highwaves (coastal flooding, erosion, etc).o It also helps in better planning of Sea-navigation routes

Bio-degradable plastics

Biodegradable plastics are plastics degraded by microorganisms into water, carbondioxide (or methane) and biomass under specified conditions which depend onvarious factors such as temperature and the amount of moisture present.• These are promising alternatives to conventional plastics under the right conditions,but these conditions are generally not found in the natural environment, andespecially not in the Ocean.• They are also energy intensive and expensive to produce.• Even in ideal conditions, biodegradability does

Biomass Waste Disposal

Biomass waste such as dry leaves, dead branches, dry grass etc. are disposed of by first shredding it to suitable size followed by mixing with the slurry of the biogas digester. • This mixture is feedstock for briquette, which is utilized as fuel for cooking. Wealth: o These briquettes are also utilized for production of syngas.o The ash produced from burning of briquette is mixed with cement and water for production of bricks for construction work.

Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) 2021

CAS 2021 was hosted online by Netherlands and convened global leaders and local stakeholders. • It aims to accelerate, innovate, and scale up the world's efforts in adapting to the effects of climate change. • CAS 2021 is set to deliver an Adaptation Action Agenda as a roadmap for a decade of transformation towards a climate-resilient future by 2030.

COALITION FOR DISASTER RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE (CDRI)

CDRI is a multi-stakeholderglobal partnership ofnational governments, UNagencies and programmes,multilateral developmentbanks and financingmechanisms, private sector,and academic andknowledge institutions.• It was announced by India's PM at UN Climate Action Summit 2019.• It aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks,thereby ensuring sustainable development.

GLOBAL NITROUS OXIDE (N2O) BUDGET

CP, jointly with the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), have created a new activity and internationalconsortium of scientists to establish and improve global N2O budget, trends and variability.About Nitrous Oxide• N2O is a long-lived greenhouse gas (GHG) and an ozone-depleting substance, with an atmospheric lifetimeof 116±9 years.• It is the third most important GHG, leading human-driven climate change, after carbon dioxide andmethane.Key highlights• Global N2O emission: 10% greater global emissions in 2016 than in 1980s.• Dominant cause: increase is use of nitrogenous fertilizer in agriculture, including organic fertilizers frommanure produced by livestock.o Agricultural production contributed almost 70% to global anthropogenic N2O emission (2007-2016).

CLIMATE SMART CITIES ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK (CSCAF 2.0)

CSCAF is a first-of-its-kind assessmentframework on climate relevant parameterslaunched in 2019 by Ministry of State forHousing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)

Accelerating CCUSTechnologies (ACT)

CT is an initiative to facilitate theemergence of Carbon dioxide(CO2) Capture, Utilisation, andStorage (CCUS) via translationalfunding of projects aimed ataccelerating and maturing CCUStechnology through targetedinnovation and research activities.• Sixteen countries, regions, andprovinces, including India, areworking together in ACT.• CCUS is also one of the identifiedinnovation challenges in theMission Innovation (MI)Programme- a global initiative of24 countries and the EuropeanUnion to accelerate the globalclean energy innovation in which the Department of Science & Technology (DST) is an active partner

CARBON PRICING

Carbon pricing is an instrument that captures the external costs of emission and ties them to their sourcesthrough a price, usually in the form of a price on the CO2 emitted.o Costs of emission includes damage to crops, health care costs from heat waves and droughts etc.• Types of Carbon pricing being adoptedo Carbon tax directly sets a price on carbon by defining an explicit tax rate on greenhouse gas emissions(GHGs) emissionso Emissions trading system (ETS): It caps the total level of GHG and allows those industries with lowemissions to sell their extra allowances to larger emitters.o Internal carbon pricing (ICP): Itis a tool an organization usesinternally to guide its decisionmaking process in relation toclimate change impacts, risksand opportunities.ü Recently, Indian companiesare voluntarily startedimplementing ICP.• Pricing on carbon helps in:o shifting the burden back tothose who are responsible forit, and who can reduce it;o stimulates clean technologyand market innovationo Meeting Paris climate agreement target• Initiatives under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): InternationalEmissions Trading (IET); Joint Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

Tehran Convention

Caspian Sea Protection

BIOMEDICAL WASTE

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has released revised guidelines for Biomedical waste managementgenerated from COVID-19 Collection and segregation of wasteo Use dedicated trolleys and collection bins in COVID-19 isolation wards and label "COVID-19 Waste" tobe pasted on these items.o Depute dedicated sanitation workers separately for biomedical waste and general solid waste so thatwaste can be collected and transferred timely to temporary waste storage area.• Transportation and disposal of wasteo COVID-19 garbage is collected and taken in a separate vehicle for proper disposal as biomedical wasteeither to a CBWTF or a waste-to-energy plant, where it is then either incinerated, autoclaved (sterilisedfor shredding and recycling) or burnt to produce energy.o Quantification and tracking the movement of COVID-19 waste needed to be carried out by allquarantine centres though the CPCB's biomedical waste-tracking mobile application calledCOVID19BWM.• Role of nodal authorities - Designated trained nodal officers for biomedical waste management inhospitals must be made responsible for training waste handlers about infection prevention measures

Cyclone Warning in India

Currently, Cyclone warnings are provided from the AreaCyclone Warning Centres (ACWCs) at Calcutta, Chennai andMumbai and Cyclone Warning Centres (CWCs) atBhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam and Ahmedabad.• India Metereological Department (IMD) is the nodal agencyfor providing cyclone warning services and communicatecyclone warnings from IMD to communities and importantofficials in affected areas.• Warnings are issued to state government in following fourstages:

Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016

Defines minimum thickness of plastic carry bags i.e. 50 microns. This would increase the cost and the tendency toprovide free carry bags would come down.• Responsibility (financial and/or physical) of local bodies: Rural areas are brought under the rules since plastic hasreached rural areas as well. The gram sabhas have been given responsibility of implementation.• Extended Producer Responsibility: Producers and brand owners have been made responsible for collecting wastegenerated from their products.• Producers are to keep a record of their vendors to whom they have supplied raw materials for manufacturing. Thisis to curb manufacturing of these products in unorganised sector.• Responsibility of waste generator: All institutional generators of plastic waste shall segregate and store theirwaste as per Solid Waste Management Rules, and handover segregated wastes to authorized waste disposalfacilities.• Responsibility of street vendors and retailers: Not to provide such carry bags or fine would be imposed. Only theregistered shopkeepers on payment of a registration fee to local bodies would be allowed to give out plastic carrybags on charge.• Promote the use of plastic for road construction or energy recovery.• A Central Registration System for the registration of the producer/ importer/ owner.• Phasing out of Multi-layered Plastic (MLP) that are "non-recyclable or non-energy recoverable or have noalternate use".

DIGITAL OCEAN

Digital Ocean is a state of the art data platform to provide ocean data related services at one place.o It includes a set of applications developed to organize and present heterogeneous oceanographicdata by adopting rapid advancements in geospatial technology.• It has been developed by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) of theMoES.o INCOIS provides ocean information and advisory services to various stakeholders, including PotentialFishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, Ocean StateForecast (OSF), high wave alerts, tsunamiearly warnings, etc.

Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control)Authority (EPCA)

EPCA was constituted under Environment ProtectionAct, 1986 with the objective of protecting and improvingthe quality of the environment and preventing andcontrolling the environmental pollution in the NationalCapital Region.• EPCA has been empowered to take suo motu action aswell as on the basis of complaints made by anyindividual, representative body or organisationfunctioning in the environmental issues sector.

ENVIRONMENTALPERFORMANCEINDEX

EPI was recently released by Yale University. About EPI It is a biennial index which ranks 180 countries on 32 performance indicators across 11 categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality. EPI ranks 180 countries on environmental health and ecosystem vitality using 32 performance indicators

UNFCCC

Established in 1992 UNFCCC acts as a framework for international cooperation to combat climate change bylimiting average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change and coping with impacts.• The UNFCCC is a "Rio Convention", one of two opened for signature at the "Rio Earth Summit" in 1992. Its sisterRio Conventions are the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) and the Convention to CombatDesertification (UNCCD).• It entered into force in March 1994. Today, it has near-universal membership. The 197 countries that have ratifiedthe Convention are called Parties to the Convention.• The UNFCCC secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany.

Factories Amendment Act, 1987 •

Extended Risk scope: 1987 Amendment Act extends the scope of risk from hazardous industries. The narrowly defined scope covering only workers and the premises of the factory was extended to the general public in the vicinity of the factory.

Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) has been by ___________ Ministry

FAME aims to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure sustainable growthof the same.• Government has sanctioned 670 Electric buses and 241 Charging Stations in various states/UTs under Phase-II ofFAME India Scheme.• As part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020, the Department of Heavy Industry formulatedFAME India Scheme in the year 2015.• Phase-I of the scheme ended on 31st March 2019 and Phase-II has commenced from 1st April 2019 with an outlay ofRs. 10,000 Crore for a period of 3 years.

IFLOWS-MUMBAI

FLOWS-Mumbai is a state of art Integrated Flood Warning system for Mumbai to enhance the resilienceof the city of Mumbai by making it possible to have an estimate of the flood inundation three days inadvance, along with immediate weather updates.• It will provide early warning for flooding specially during high rainfall events and cyclones which wouldinclude alerts on rainfall information, tide levels, storm surge for low-lying areas anticipated to beaffected.• It is built on a modular structure comprised of seven modules, namely Data Assimilation, Flood,Inundation, Vulnerability, Risk, Dissemination Module and GIS based Decision Support System.• The system incorporateso weather models from National Centre for medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), IndiaMeteorological Department (IMD),o field data from the rain gauge network stations setup by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM), Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and IMD,o thematic layers on land use, infrastructure etc provided by MCGM.• Mumbai is the second city

Special Climate Change Fund

Fund to provide additional financial assistance to developing countries affected by climate change. UNFCC in 2001

Green Term-Ahead Market (G-TAM)-

G-TAM will provide an exclusive platform for trading of renewables and it would be the first physical trading of renewable energy (RE). Greenmarket confers recognition on a trade as 'green' power. obligated entities be able to discharge their 'renewable purchase obligations' (RPO) by buying power from renewable energy companies in the exchange.Earlier, the obligated entities of the power from wind or a solar company could not claim that he had met RPO. There will be separate contracts for Solar and Non-Solar energy to facilitate Solar and Non-Solar RPO fulfilment.

GEBCO

GEBCO is the only intergovernmental organisationwith a mandate to map the entire ocean floor.• It is an international group of geoscientists andhydrographers, working on the development of arange of bathymetric data sets and data products. • GEBCO operates under the joint auspices of theIntergovernmental Oceanographic Commission(IOC) (of UNESCO) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

Geological Survey of India (GSI)

GSI's main function is creation and updation of national geoscientific information and mineralresource assessment.• It was set up in 1851 primarily to find coaldeposits for the Railways.• Presently, it is an attached office to the Ministryof Mines.• GSI is headquartered in Delhi.

International Climate Initiative

German Federal Ministry for Environment and Within the Framework of UNFCCC and CBD

State of Global climate Report

Global Climate Indicators (GCI) to describe the changing climate & providing a broad view ofthe climate at a global scale.o GCI are used to monitor the domains most relevant to climate change, including the composition ofthe atmosphere, the energy changes thatarise from the accumulation of greenhousegases and other factors, as well as theresponses of land, ocean and ice.• Key findingso Average global temperature in 2020 is set tobe about 1.2 °C above the pre-industrial(1850-1900) level.o 2020 is very likely to be one of

GLOBAL E-WASTE MONITOR 2020

Global E-waste Monitor 2020, a collaborative product of Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, InternationalTelecommunication Union and International Solid Waste Association was released in close collaboration withUN Environment Programme (UNEP). It introduced Pan India EPR Authorization by CPCB replacing the state wise EPR authorization.• MoEFCCC also brought further amendments to these rules in 2018, introducing following new provisionso Phase wise Collection: It introduced the phase-wise collection targets for e-waste, which shall be 10%of the quantity of waste generation as indicated in the EPR Plan during 2017- 18, with a 10% increase every year until 2023.o Separate e-waste collection targets have been drafted for new producers, i.e., those producers whosenumber of years of sales operation is less than the average lives of their products.o Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS): Under this, cost for sampling and testing shall be borneby the government for conducting the RoHS test and if the product does not comply with RoHSprovisions the cost will be borne by the Producers.o Registration of Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) by applying to the Central PollutionControl board (CPCB)

Green Charcoal

Green Charcoal• Recently, Green Charcoal Hackathon was launched, by Ministry of power, with the objective to clean the air byeliminating farm fire, producing renewable energy out of the agroresidue etc.• Green Charcoal is a type of bio-fuel that can be made locally and inexpensively.• To make this, agricultural waste materials appropriate to the season and the region are carbonized (conversionof an organic substance into carbon or a carbon-containing residue) in a kiln.• It burns cleanly, reducing exposure to the smoke that causes respiratory infections.

Green Ammonia

Green ammonia refers to ammonia, which has been produced through a process that is 100% renewable andcarbon-free.• It uses renewable energy instead of natural gas or coal for producing hydrogen; hence, is an effective way toreduce greenhouse emissions.• Ammonia is a pungent gas that is widely used to make agricultural fertilisers. It is easier and cheaper to store, andtransport.• Government plans to invite bids for setting up green ammonia projects to reduce import dependence

Green crackers

Green crackers don't contain banned chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, barium and lead.• They are named Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL)crackers.• Green crackers release water vapour and don't allow the dust particles to rise. They are designed to have 30% lessparticulate matter pollution.• They have been developed by National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), a Council ofScientific and Industrial Research lab.

hydroponics

Hydroponics is a method of growingfood in water using mineral nutrientsolutions without soil.

Indo Gangetic plain (IGP) global hotspot of atmospheric ammonia (NH3), IIT Kharagpur study

IGP is the global hot-spot of NH3 due to intense agricultural activities and fertilizer production.o There is a positive correlation of NH3 with total fertilizer consumption and temperature since hightemperature favours volatilization.o Agricultural emission is negatively correlated with total precipitation as wet deposition helps removal of NH3.

heat waves

IMD has issued 'red' and 'orange warning' for heat waves in various states.About Heat Wave• It is a period of abnormally high temperatures which typically occur between March and June, and insome rare cases even extend till July.• World Meteorological Organization identifies a heat wave 'when daily maximum temperature of morethan five consecutive days exceeds average maximum temperature by 5 degree Celsius, normal periodbeing 1961-90.

Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991

Imposes a no-fault liability on the owner of hazardous substance and requires the owner to compensate victims of accident irrespective of any neglect or default. For this, the owner is required to take out an insurance policy covering potential liability from any accident.

First ever International Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies.

In 2019, United Nations adopted a resolution to observe International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on 07thSeptember every year starting from 2020.• It aims to:o Raise public awareness at all levels.o Demonstrate close link of air quality to other environmental/developmental challenges such as climatechange and Sustainable Development Goals.o Promote and facilitate solutions that improve air quality.o Bring together diverse international actors to form a strategic alliance.

CARBON TRADING

In a world first, Indore-based Enking International in India may become the world's first company thatoperates in the carbon markets space to go in for an initial public offering (IPO).• The company is involved in trading in carbon offsets. These are market-tradeable instruments that areissued to entities whose projects reduce carbon dioxide emissions Carbon trading began underthe Kyoto Protocol of 1997(which came into force in2005).• Under this, 'certifiedemission reductions' orCERs, were issued to entitiesthat put up projects thatreduced emissions — suchas wind, solar, or energyefficiency.o It allows nations whichare unable to meet theirreduction targets topurchase carboncredits.• Paris Agreement also allows voluntary trading between countries to meet their NDC goals. If a countryreduces more GHG emissions than its target, it can sell the emission reduction to another country as an"internationally traded mitigation outcome".• In India, Renewable Energy Certificate' (REC) and 'Perform Achieve Trade' (PAT) are energy certificationprogrammes.o Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) is the Market Regulator for the trading of EnergySavings Certificates (ESCerts)

Selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR)

In the SNCR process a reagent, i.e., urea, ammonium hydroxide, anhydrous ammonia, or aqueous ammonia, isinjected into flue gases in the furnace within the appropriate temperature zone.• The NOx and the reagent (urea, etc.) react to form N2 and H2O and do not require a catalyst.Electrostatic precipitator• An electrostatic precipitator is a filtration device that removes fine particles, like dust and smoke, from a flowinggas using the force of an induced electrostatic charge minimally impeding the flow of gases through the unit

CYCLONE AMPHAN

India Meteorological Departmenthas categorized Cyclone Amphanas a super cyclone.• The storm is only the secondsuper cyclone to form in the Bayof Bengal (BoB) since 1999.o According to IndianMeteorological Department(IMD), tropical cyclone withwind speed more than 222km/hr is a super cyclone(highest in Classification).• The rapid intensification ofAmphan is an indication ofwarming of Bay of Bengal whichregistered maximum surfacetemperatures of 32-34°C. This is aconsequence of anthropogenicglobal warming

India and its efforts in dealing with Marine Plastic Pollution

India is a signatory to MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1978). Inaddition, Prevention of Marine Pollution is also dealt with by Merchant Shipping Rules, 2009 under the MerchantShipping Act, 1958.• Periodic surveys of Indian flag vessels to ensure compliance to the above rules. Foreign vessels are likewiseinspected under Port State Inspection regime and heavy penalty is levied in case of non-compliance.• The government has announced a number of steps to phase out single-use plastics with the eventual goal ofstopping all usage to reduce the country's plastic footprint under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment)Rules 2018.• BIS has come out with an Indian standard according to which plastic microbeads of diameter 5 mm or less, thatare insoluble in water, and solid plastic particles used to exfoliate or cleanse in personal care products are banned.• State initiatives:o Kerala's Suchitwa Mission, under which fishermen are engaged in not just finding fish but also plastic thateither gets stuck in the fishing nets or floats in the sea. In last 10 months since the project was launched, theyhave managed to recover 25 tonnes of plastic waste.

Groundwater usage in India

India uses the most groundwater in the world, extracting 253 bcm(billion cubic metres) per year. This is approximately 25% of the globalgroundwater extraction.• 90% of the annual ground water extraction in India is used forirrigation in agricultural activities, whereas, the remaining 10% ofextraction is for drinking & domestic as well as industrial uses.• Out of the total 6,881 assessment units, 17% have been categorisedas 'over-exploited' (more extraction than recharge), 5% as 'critical'(extraction is 90-100% of what's recharged), 14% as 'semi-critical'(extraction 70-90% of what's recharged) units and 63% as 'safe'.o Majority of the over-exploited units are concentrated in parts ofPunjab, Haryana, Delhi, western UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat,Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. no objection certificate (NOC)is mandatory for new andexisting industries, grouphousing societies, and privatewater supply tankers forwithdrawal of groundwater.• Projects falling within 500 m.from demarcated wetland areas shallmandatorily submit a detailed proposalindicating that groundwater abstractiondoes not affect the protected wetlandareas.• Installation of digital water flow metersis mandatory for all users seeking NOC.

Indian Green Building Council

Indian GreenBuildingCouncil• It is part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) formed in the year 2001, offers services likedeveloping new green building rating programmes, certification services and green buildingtraining programmes.

Exceptions to NOC For New Guidelines for Extraction of Groundwater

Individual domestic consumers in both rural and urban areasfor drinking water and domestic uses• Rural drinking water supply schemes• Armed Forces Establishments and Central Armed PoliceForces establishments in both rural and urban areas• Agricultural activities• Micro and small enterprises drawing groundwater less than10 cubic metre/day

Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action (CSCA)

Int Solar Alliance India and France re-elected as President and Co- President of the ISA for a term of two years.• Four Vice-Presidents were chosen to represent the four regions of ISA i.e. Asia Pacific Region; AfricaRegion; Europe and others Region; and Latin America & Caribbean Region.• Initiatives launched:o Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action (CSCA) for institutionalizing ISA's engagement with theprivate and public corporate sector.o Seventh Programme on Solarizing Heating and Cooling systems, which significantly draws its energyfrom traditional power sources.o For the first time, following Solar awards were conferred.

. GREEN-AG PROJECT

It aims to bring at least 104,070 ha of farms undersustainable land and water management and ensure 49million Carbon dioxides equivalent sequestered or reducedthrough sustainable land use and agricultural practices.• Project will be implemented in 5 state: Mizoram, Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Uttarakhand.• It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), whilethe Department of Agriculture, Cooperation, and Farmers'Welfare is the national executing agency.• Other key players involved in its implementation are Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Union Ministryof Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)

Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA)

It has been constituted under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 toregulate and control development and management of ground water resources in the country.

Pantanal, Brazil

It is World's Largest Wetland and sprawls over more than 150,000 sq km in Brazil and also extends into Bolivia and Paraguay. • It is burning as vegetation compacted under the marshy flood water during the wet season dries out as ponds and lagoons evaporate, leaving flammable deposits underground.

SEABED 2030 PROJECT

It is a collaborative project between the Nippon Foundation of Japan and the GeneralBathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO).It aims to bring together all available• bathymetric data to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030 and make it available toall.o Bathymetry is the measurement of the shape and depth of the ocean floor.• It was launched at United Nations Ocean Conference in 2017.• It is aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 to conserve and sustainably use theoceans, seas and marine resources.• Seabed 2030 project comprises four Regional Centers and a Global Center (in UK)

Bay of Bengal BoundaryLayer Experiment (BOBBLE)

It is a project funded by UnionMinistry of Earth Sciences and theNatural Environment ResearchCouncil of UK to examine the impactof various features such as oceantemperature, salinity and currents inBay of Bengal on the monsoon

Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD)

It is a set of technologies used to remove SO2 from exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants.• This is accomplished through either a wet or a dry process.• Dry FGD: In the process of dry scrubbing injection systems, lime is used as a reagent to react and remove gaseous pollutants. A dry injection process injects dry hydrated lime directly into the flue gas duct.o It yields a dry final product, collected in particulate control devices for further treatment. Wet FGD: A shower of lime slurry is sprayed into a flue gas scrubber, where the SO2 is absorbed into the spray and becomes a wet calcium sulfite and wastewater. FGD wastewater can be effectively and e

Indigenous Air Unique quality Monitoring (AUM) Photonic System

It is an indigenous photonic system for real-time remote monitoring of air quality parameters.• It is an innovative application of the principles of laser backscattering, statistical mechanics, optoelectronics,artificial intelligence, machine/deep learning, and Internet of Things.• It can identify, classify, and quantify various pollutants simultaneously (of orders of less than one part per billion)and meteorological parameters, with very high precision, sensitivity and accuracy.

WMO

It is an intergovernmental organization with amembership of 193 Member States and Territories.• It is the specialized agency of the United Nations formeteorology (weather and climate), operationalhydrology and related geophysical sciences.• India is its member.• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.• It is a member of the United Nations DevelopmentGroup.• Its supreme body is the World MeteorologicalCongress which is composed of all WMO Members

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR)

It is currently the most widely applied technology.• Ammonia is used as a reducing agent to convert NOx to nitrogen in the presence of a catalyst in a converter.o The catalyst is usually a mixture of titanium dioxide, vanadium pentoxide, and tungsten trioxide.• SCR can remove 60-90% of NOx from flue gases.The process is very expensive and the associated ammonia injection results in an ammonia slipstream in theexhaust

National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR)

It was established as an autonomous Research andDevelopment Institution of the Ministry of EarthSciences in 1998 to carry out research activities in the polarand Southern Ocean realms.• It is also responsible for maintenance of the Indian stationsin Antarctica (Maitri & Bharati) and Arctic (Himadri).Related News:Arctic heat waves• Recently, Arctic Circle has recorded new high temperaturesreaching over 38 degrees Celsius in Siberian town amid aheat wave.• Earlier, in 2016 also Arctic circle recorded above normal temperatures.• Possible reasons: global rising temperatures, large-scale wind patterns, absence of sea ice, and human-inducedclimate change etc.• Impact: Threatens local vegetation, ecology, human health and economy

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)

It was established as an autonomous body in 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and is a unit ofthe Earth System Science Organization (ESSO).• It is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry,government agencies and the scientific community.• It carries out sustained ocean observations and constant improvements through systematic and focussedresearch.

India Meteorological Department was Estb When

It was established in 1875.

ECBC

It was launched in 2007 by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).• Its main objective is to establish minimum requirements for energy efficient design andconstruction of buildings.o It was revised in 2017 (ECBC 2017) that prescribes the energy performance standards for newcommercial buildings to be constructed across India.o Adoption of ECBC 2017 for new commercial building construction throughout the country isestimated to achieve a 50% reduction in energy use by 2030

Global Climate Risk Index

It was released by Germanwatch.• Index analyses to what extent countries and regions have been affected by impacts of weather-related lossevents (storms, floods, heat waves etc.).Key Highlights• India was the seventh worst-hit country due to extreme weather events in 2019 (Mozambique is the worstaffected). India had a high number of fatalities (2,267) and the biggest economic loss (68,812 million USD) in 2019.• Flooding caused by heavy rain was responsible for 1,800 deaths.

2020 State of Climate Services report

It was released by WMO.• Report provides a basis for understanding how tostrengthen protection for the most vulnerable,including through mechanisms such as the ClimateRisk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative.

EARTH'S MAGNETOSPHERE

It will help advance the knowledge of plasma waves that are useful in planning future space missions.• It can also lead to precisely controlled fusion laboratory experiments for energy needs of humanity.Controlled fusions use magnetic fields to confine a high-temperature plasma of deuterium and tritium.Earth's magnetosphere• It is a region surrounding Earth where the dominant magnetic field is of Earth rather than ofinterplanetary space.• It is formed by interaction of solar winds (whichcarries with it a solar magnetic field, called anInterplanetary Magnetic Field) with Earth'smagnetic field.• Earth's magnetosphere contains plasma andplasma processes have the ability to hamper theworking of a number of satellites that have beenplaced in orbit in the magnetospheric region.o Plasma is a hot ionized gas consisting ofapproximately equal numbers of positivelycharged ions and negatively chargedelectrons. Plasma is the fourth state ofmatter.• Almost 99% of matter in the universe is in theform of plasma.

Electric Vechiles Initiative

Launched of the FAME India Scheme [ FasterAdoption of Electric (& Hybrid) Vehicles inIndia](refer the infographics)• Government has earmarked overRs51000crore for EV sector under ProductionLinked Incentive (PLI).• ISRO has commercialized indigenouslydeveloped lithium ion battery technology.• EESL in collaboration with NDMC hasestablished India's first public EV (ElectricVehicle) charging plaza in New Delhi.• Government is also working for making eHighway on Delhi and Mumbai Expressway.• Delhi government launched an electricvehicle policy: It offers financial incentivesfor buying EVs. Also, a state EV fund to bearall expenses related to the policy will be setup along with an EV board.o Karnataka was the first state in thecountry to introduce a policy dedicatedto electric vehicles.o The Karnataka Electric & Energy Storage Policy, 2017, operational for five years, is expected to givethe necessary impetus to the electric mobility sector in the state, and attract investments. TheGovernment of Karnataka intends to make Bengaluru the Electrical Vehicle Capital of India.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY DRIFTING OBSERVATORY FOR THESTUDY OF ARCTIC CLIMATE (MOSAIC)

MOSAiC is the largest first of its kind one-year long polar expedition into the central Arctic exploring theArctic climate system that lasted from 2019 to 2020.• The objective of the expedition is to measure the atmospheric, geophysical, oceanographic and all otherpossible variables in the Arctic, and use it to more accurately forecast the changes in our weather systemsdue to climate change in Arctic.• The project was designed by the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC).o IASC is a non-governmental, international scientific organization which aims to promote and supportleading-edge interdisciplinary research in order to foster a greater scientific understanding of theArctic region and its role in the Earth system.• The mission involved collaborations from hundreds of scientists at research institutions around the world.• It was led by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany with scientists from 19 countries. India is not a member of the expedition. However, Dr. Vishnu Nandan, a remote sensing scientist fromIndia, was also a participant of this historical Arctic expedition.

Triple Emergency

Making Peace with Nature, a new report published by the UNEP highlighted Triple Emergency: climate change,biodiversity loss and pollution.• Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution add up to three self-inflicted planetary crises that are closelyinterconnected and put the well-being of current and future generations at unacceptable risk.

Pointe d'Esny region

Mauritius has declared a state of environmental emergency after a grounded ship off its coast is said to be leaking tonnes of crude oil in the Pointe d'Esny region. • Pointe d'Esny is a Ramsar site and the largest remaining wetland in Mauritius. The Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve, Blue Bay Marine Area and Mahebourg Fishing Reserves all lie close to the region.

MEDICANES

Medicanes (MEDIterranean hurriCANES) refer to tropical stormlike cyclone observed across theMediterranean Sea.• Medicanes occur more in colder waters than tropical cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons. Hence, the coresof these storms are colder in comparison to the warm cores of tropical cyclones. Since warmer cores tend to carry more moisture (hence rainfall), are bigger in size and have swifter winds,medicanes are weaker and smaller in size than the tropical cyclones.• Like tropical storms, medicanes have a symmetric structure and a clearly visible eye.• The Mediterranean is a generally dry, evaporative sea and cyclonic storms don't grow as much. Accordingto a study published in 2011, only one or two medicanes occur per year.• However, recent studies have shown that medicanes are likely to become a bigger problem as the planetwarms due to climate change.o Warmer sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean can allow the storms to take on more tropicalappearances and characteristics, increasing the wind speeds and making the storms more intense --with stronger winds and heavier rainfall.

GLOBAL METHANE BUDGET (GMB)

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (84-86 times stronger than CO2 over 20 years) and the secondbiggest contributor to human-caused global warming after CO2. Methane stays in the atmosphere for an average of nine years and it is typically destroyed throughchemical reactions that produce CO2 and water. A relatively small portion is also consumed by bacteria in soils.• Methane mitigation offers rapid climate benefits and economic, health and agricultural co-benefits thatare highly complementary to CO2 mitigation.Key findings Global annual methane emission: In 2017, it was around 9% higher than 2000-06 average. Contribution in Increase: Agriculture and waste contributed (60%) and fossil fuels (40%). Area with largest increase: Africa and the Middle East, China, and South Asia and Oceania.• Methane sinks have also increased

Green tax

Ministry for Road Transport and Highways approves a proposal to levy"Green Tax" on old vehicles• Green tax is also called as pollution tax or environmental tax and isthe tax levied on all the goods that cause environmental pollution.• Key proposals:o Transport vehicles older than 8 years could be charged GreenTax at the time of renewal of fitness certificate, at the rate of 10to 25 % of road tax.o Personal vehicles to be charged after 15 years;o Lower Green tax for public transport vehicles; Differential taxdepending on fuel (petrol/diesel); and exemptions to vehiclesincluding strong hybrids, electric vehicles, CNG vehicles, ethanolLPG vehicles, etc.o Revenue collected from the Green Tax to be kept in a separateaccount and used for tackling pollution.

ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE OVER THE INDIAN REGION

Ministry of Earth Sciences' (MoES) released a report titled 'Assessment of Climate Change over the IndianRegion'

India Water Resources Information System

Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a new version of India-WRIS.

NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (NCAP)

NCAP is a pollution control initiative launched by the Ministry of Environment to cut the concentrationof coarse (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) by at least 20% in the next five years, with 2017 as the base yearfor comparison.• It is to be implemented in 102 non-attainment cities.• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) executes the programme for the prevention, control, andabetment of air pollution within the framework of NCAP. It directs state governments about implementingaction plans immediately under NCAP.

Nationally Determined Contributions- Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC- TIA)

NDC-TIA project aims at promoting a coherent strategy of effective policies for decarbonising transport that areco-ordinated among various sector ministries, civil society and the private sector.• Project engages in China, India and Vietnam over the period 2020-24.• It is a joint project of seven organisations including World Resources Institute, International Transport Forum,International Council on Clean Transportation etc.• The implementing partner in India for the project is NITI Aayog.

National Green Tribunal (NGT) provides ____ Principle

NGT was set up by an Act of Parliament in 2010. The Act provides for the "principle of no fault liability", which means that the company can be held liable even if it had done everything in its power to prevent the accident.

DECARBONISING TRANSPORT

NITI Aayog in collaboration withInternational Transport Forum (ITF) has jointly launchedthe Decarbonising Transport in India project. More on news The project is carried out in the wider context of decarbonising Transport Initiative(DTI) and is a part of Decarbonising Transport in emerging Economies (DTEE)family of projects, which supports transport decarbonisation across different world regions.

Hq of UNEP

Nairobi and Depends on Voluntary Contribution

Pyrolysis

Polymer waste is heated to a temperature of 400 - 600°C in an anaerobic environment in presence of suitable catalyst. The volatile matter from polymer waste on condensation gives pyrolysis oil. Wealth: Non-condensed syngas and crude pyrolysis oil are used for heating purposes. The solid residue known as char is mixed with the biogas slurry for production of briquette.

India Climate Change Knowledge Portal

Portal was recently launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.• It will be a single point Information resource on different climate initiatives taken by various Line Ministries.• It will help in disseminating knowledge among citizens about all the major steps Government is taking at bothnational and international levels to address climate change issues.• Major components of portal: India's Climate Profile, National Policy Framework, Bilateral and MultilateralCooperation, International Climate Negotiations etc

Bio-medical Waste Management Rules 2016 (amended in 2018)

Pre-treatment of waste: Waste generated in laboratories, microbiological waste, blood samples and blood bagsto be pre-treated through disinfection or sterilisation on-site in the manner as prescribed by WHO.• Phasing out of use of chlorinated plastic bags, gloves and blood bags.• Better segregation: Bio-medical waste has been classified into 4 categories: Untreated human anatomical waste,Animal anatomical waste, Soiled waste and Biotechnology waste.• Storage of waste: Provision within the premises for a safe, ventilated and secured location for storage ofsegregated biomedical waste.• Training and Immunisation: Regular training to all its health care workers and immunising all health workers.• Transportation and handling: Ensure that the bio-medical waste collected from the occupier is transported,handled, stored, treated and disposed without any adverse effect to the human health and the environment.• Procedure of Disposal: The biomedical waste must be segregated in coloured bags (Yellow, Red, White and Blue)according to the category of the waste. It can be stored up till 48hrs after which it is either needed to be treatedat insitu site or collected by the worker from CBMWTF.• Record maintenance and monitoring: Maintain and update bio-medical waste management register and recordfor operation of incineration, hydro or autoclaving etc, also review and monitor the activities related to bio-medicalwaste management through committee.• Establish GPS and Bar-coding facility at Common biomedical waste treatment facility.

Bamako Convention

Prohibits the import of hazardous wastes in many African states.

ORGANIC FARMING

Recently, India has been ranked first in number of organic farmers as per the 'The World of Organic Agriculture,2020' report.Status of Organic Farming in India• India is home to 30% of the total organic producers in the world and ranks ninth in terms of area underorganic farming, 2.59% of the total organic cultivation area (57.8 million hectares).o Major organic exports from India: flax seeds, sesame, soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice, and pulsesetco Sikkim is first fully organic state in the world.About Organic farming• Organic farming is a production system which avoids or excludes use of synthetically compoundedfertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators etc. It relies upon crop rotations, use of crop residues, animalmanures, legumes, green manures, biofertilizers etc.

Pusa bio-decomposer

Recently, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, Delhi has developed a decomposer capsule, "Pusabio-decomposer" which could be converted into a liquid solution and sprayed on fields to decompose the stubble.Anti-smog gun• It was recently installed in Delhi to reduce air-pollution mainly concentration of PM10 and PM2.5.• Anti-smog gun is designed to create an ultra-fine fog, comprising very fine water droplets (less than 10-micron insize).• These tiny water droplets will be spread over a sizeable area with the help of a high-speed fan, which can absorbsmallest dust particles in air.

LOSS OF ICE COVER IN THE ARCTIC SEA

Recently, the National Centre of Polar and OceanResearch (NCPOR) found the largest decline inthe Arctic Sea ice in the last 41 years due to globalwarming in July 2019.More about the study• NCPOR noted that between 1979 and 2018, the seaice has been declining at a rate of -4.7 per cent perdecade, while its rate was found to be -13 per centin July 2019.o Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on theocean surface. It forms in both the Arctic andthe Antarctic in each hemisphere's winter; itretreats in the summer, but does notcompletely disappear.• If this trend continues, there would be no ice left inthe Arctic sea by 2050 since the volume of ice lossduring summers might surpass the volume of iceformation during winters.• Rapid decline in Arctic sea ice cover is linked with growing carbon emissions and subsequent globalwarming

Super typhoon Goni

Recently, this typhoon killed 7 people in Philippines.• A typhoon is defined as a tropical cyclone in the western Pacific.o Typhoons generally track in a westward or northern direction, and occur most frequently in a region of thewestern Pacific and east Asia.o Typhoon season lasts from the early summer to early autumn, often coinciding with the monsoon season inSoutheast Asia and the wet season in eastern Japan.o Hurricane is essentially the same thing as a Typhoons that takes place in the North Atlantic, or central oreastern North Pacific

AEROSOL RADIATIVE FORCINGS

Researchers at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital have found thatAerosol Radiative Forcing (ARF) over trans-Himalayas is larger than the global averages.About Aerosol Radiative Forcing (ARF)• Effect of aerosols on climate is normally quantified in terms of ARF.○ Radiative forcing is a measure of the influence a factor (e.g., greenhouse gaseous, aerosol, cloud, andsurface albedo has in altering the balance of incoming and outgoing energy in the Earth-atmospheresystem and is an index of the importance of the factoras a potential climate change mechanism.○ It is expressed in watts per square metre (W/m2).• ARF is the net change in energy balance of the earth systemdue to some forced perturbation by anthropogenicaerosols.• The atmospheric aerosols play a key role in theregional/global climate system through scattering andabsorption of incoming solar radiation and by modifying thecloud formations and have impacts on atmosphericwarming and glacier retreat.

Renewable Energy Certificates

Sales of RECs fell by 35 % in April 2020 compared to April 2019.• RECs are a type of market-based instrument to provide an economic incentive for electricity generation fromrenewable energy sources. One REC is created when one megawatt hour of electricity is generated from an eligible renewable energy resource. Generators can sell electricity from renewable sources just like conventional electricity and offer RECsseparately to obligated entities to fulfil their renewable purchase obligation. RECs are traded on Indian Energy Exchange and Power Exchange of India

Sea of Galilee

Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberias or Kinneret is one of the lowest-lying bodies of water in the world. • It lies in northern Israel, between the Israel occupied Golan Heights and the Galilee region. • It is a freshwater body fed by underground springs, but its major source is the Jordan river, which flows through the Sea of Galilee before ending in the Dead Sea. • Water is not extracted from the Sea of Galilee, but it is considered to be an important barometer of the water situation in Israel.

SOUTH ATLANTIC ANOMALY

South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA),also called as 'dent' in Earth's Magnetic Field is an unusually weak spot in the Earth's Magnetic Field that allows charged particles from Sun to dip closer to the Earth'ssurface than normal.o It is observed over South America and the southernAtlantic Ocean.• The area of the South Atlantic Anomaly is characterized by asignificant reduction in the strength of Earth's magneticfield compared with areas at similar geographic latitudeso The data gathered reveals that the area of the anomalydropped in strength by over 8 per cent between 1970and 2020.• Also, recent data shows that SAA is expanding westwardand splitting into two lobes which can result in weakeningof magnetic field and can impact:o Low-Earth orbit satellites that travel through SAA will get hit by solar particles which can result in ashort circuit and further lead to permanent damage.o International Space Station, which is in low-Earth orbit, instruments will also be impacted.

Stockholm Convention

Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and environment from POPs.o It is legally binding.• India ratified the Stockholm Convention in 2006.o Ministry of Environment had notified the 'Regulation of POP Rules' in 2018, under the Environment(Protection) Act, 1986.• POPs are chemicalsubstances that persist inenvironment for a longperiod, bio-accumulate inliving organisms, adverselyaffect human health/environment More on News• The ratification process enable access wouldIndia toGlobalEnvironment Facility(GEF) resources updating financialinNationalImplementation Plan(NIP).o NIP is to meetthe country'sobligationsunder the StockholmConvention

Styrene Gas

Styrene is an organic compound used in the manufacture of polymers/plastic/resins. It is manufactured inpetrochemical refineries.• It is actually a colourless liquid, and not a gas.• According to India's Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989, styrene isclassified as a 'hazardous and toxic chemical'.• It is unstable and has a high propensity for autopolymerisation, meaning it tries to combine with itself tomake long chains, especially at temperatures over 65°C. This process is exothermic and can becomeuncontrollable. For these reasons, styrene is always stored at relatively low temperatures (between 15°Cand 20°C).• Dangers associated with the gaso It is a likely carcinogenic substance.o It can react with oxygen in the air to mutate into styrene dioxide which is more lethal.o Acute (short-term) exposure to styrene in humans results in mucous membrane and eye irritation andgastrointestinal effects.o Chronic (long-term) exposure results in impacts on the central nervous system (CNS), leading toheadaches, fatigue. If the amount of styrene goes beyond 800 ppm, then the person exposed to it cango into a coma.

Carpathian Convention

Subregional for Sustainable Dev of Carpthaian Range

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is Earth's northernmost body of waterand the world's smallest ocean.• It is bordered by Greenland, Canada, Norway, Alaska, andRussia and is almost completely covered with ice for themajority of the year.• It is surrounded by marginal seas such as the Chukchi, EastSiberian, Laptev, Kara, Barents, White, Greenland, andBeaufort.

ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE (ZLD)

The Centre is examining various options of moving forward on the country's ZLD policy trying to make abalance between the environmental protection and industrial development.About ZLD• ZLD is a water treatment process to recirculate all the water back to the process with zero liquid waste.• A ZLD system involves a range of advanced wastewater treatment technologies for treating water up tothe level that can be reused inside the same Company.

Decarbonising Transport initiative and Decarbonising Transportin Emerging Economies

The DTI was launched in 2016 with funding from the InternationalTransport Forums (ITF) and other funding partners including WorldBank, European Commission etc. The initiative promotes carbon-neutral mobility to help stop climatechange. It provides decision makers with tools to selectCO2 mitigation measures that deliver on their climate commitment. Under it, the DTEE project helps national governments and other stakeholders to identify transport measures and establish pathways to reduce transport CO2 emissions and meet their climate goals andNDCs.• India, Argentina, Azerbaijan, and Morocco are current participants. The DTEE is a collaboration between the ITF and the WuppertalInstitute, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) ofthe German Federal Ministry for the Environment, NatureConservation and Nuclear Safety

ITF

The ITF is an inter-governmental organisation within the OECD(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) system.• It is the only global body with a mandate for all modes of transport.• It acts as a think tank for transport policy issues and organises theannual global summit of transport ministers.• India has been a member of ITF since 2008

Cyclone 'Nivar

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted the development of a cyclone in the Southwest regionof the Bay of Bengal, off Tamil Nadu coast.• After cyclone Gaja in 2018, this will be the second cyclone to cross Tamil Nadu in the last two years.• The name of the cyclone 'Nivar', has been proposed by Iran.• Naming of cyclone in Indian Oceano World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission forAsia and the Pacific (ESCAP) started the tropical cyclone naming system in 2000.o Eight north Indian Ocean countries — Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lankaand Thailand, gave eight names each which was combined into a list of 64 names. Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,the UAE and Yemen were also added to the panel in 2018.o Nivar is one of the names on the list, released in April, that has 169 names of cyclones, a compilation of 13suggestions each from 13 countries.o 'Amphan,' was suggested by Thailand in 2004.

Kyoto Protocol (KP), 2005

The Kyoto Protocol adopted, was the first legally binding climate treaty. It required developed countries to reduce emissions by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels, and established a system to monitor countries' progress. • The second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ended in 2020.

Climate Action Summit 2020

The Summit was co-hosted by United Nations, UK and France, in partnership with Chile and Italy, to mark the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement. • At the Summit, countries set out new commitments under three pillars of Paris Agreement: mitigation, adaptation and finance commitments. These will take shape of: o New Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), o Long-Term Strategies setting out a pathway to net zero emissions; o climate finance commitments to support most vulnerable; o ambitious adaptation plans and underlying policies

WRIS

This is a web portal containing information related to Water Resources through dashboards for rainfall, waterlevels & discharge of rivers, water bodies, ground water levels, reservoir storages, evapotranspiration and soilmoisture, as well as modules on water resources projects, water bodies, hydro-met data availability and tools forGIS layer editing.• India-WRIS was launched in 2019 under National Hydrology Project. National Water Informatics Centre tomaintains and updates India WRIS.

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION Initiatives

To save people from theill effects of IAP, thecentral government haslaunched two schemeso Unnat Chulha Abhiyan was launchedto promote improved biomasscookstoveo Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana waslaunched for LPG connections toBelow Poverty Line families.o Retrofit of Air-conditioning toimprove Indoor Air Quality forSafety and Efficiency (RAISE) whichis a joint initiative of EnergyEfficiency Services Limited (EESL)and USAID.• In September, 2010, the UN Foundationlaunched the Global Alliance for CleanCook Stoves.

Champions of the Earth Award

UNEP

Seed Awards and Sasakawa Prize

UNEP

Tunza Report and Atlas of Our Changing Environment

UNEP

Microplastic

Under the influence of solar UV radiation, wind, currents and other natural factors,plastic fragments into small particles, termed microplastics (particles smaller than5 mm) or nanoplastics (particles smaller than 100 nm). This disperses plastic evenfarther and deeper into the ocean, where it invades more habitats and becomeseffectively impossible to retrieve.o Microbeads are manufactured solid plastic particles of less than onemillimeter.

Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) introduces real-time trading of electricity

Under this, auctions will be held 48 times a day, once every half an hour.• Benefits: allows electricity producers to sell surplus energy, consumers to buy in case of shortage, better utilizationof renewable energy (which is prone to fluctuations), enhance overall grid security etc.

Cooling Emissions And Policy Synthesis Report

United Nations Environment Programme and International Energy Agency jointly released this report.• Increasing demand for cooling is contributing to emissions of HFCs, CO2, and black carbon.• Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol could avoid up to 0.4°C of global warming by 2100.o Kigali amendment aims to phase-down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), used asrefrigerants.

GREEN BUILDING

Vice President of India, inauguratedthe Confederation of IndianIndustry's Green Building Congress2020.

Awards by ISA

Visvesvaraya award,recognizes the countries withmaximum floating solarcapacity in each of the fourregions of ISA Kalpana Chawla awardrecognises outstandingcontribution of scientists andengineers working in the fieldof solar energy.ü Diwakar award recognizesorganisations & institutionsthat have been working forthe benefit of differentlyabled people and havemaximised the use of solarenergy.

FOSTERING EFFECTIVE ENERGY TRANSITION REPORT

World Economic FORUMReport is based on findingsfrom Energy Transition Index(ETI) 2020 It is intended to enable policymakers and businesses to plot course for a successful energy transition. Sweden has topped the index

ZERO-BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF)

ZBNF is a method of chemical-free agriculture drawing from traditional Indian practices. It was originallypromoted by Maharashtrian agriculturist Subhash Palekar. ZBNF was introduced in Union Budget 2019-20.• The ZBNF method also promotes soil aeration, minimal watering, intercropping, bunds and topsoilmulching and discourages intensive irrigation and deep ploughing.• Mr. Palekar is against vermicomposting, which is the mainstay of typical organic farming, as itintroduces the most common composting worm, the European red wiggler to Indian soils. He claimsthese worms absorb toxic metals and poison groundwater and soil.• ZBNF is based on 4 pillars (refer infographic).

Thermal power plants (TPP) allowed to use coal with high ash content

environment Ministry issued new regulations under which TPPs will be able to use coal irrespective of ash content This overturned 2014 regulation that made it mandatory for all coal-based TPPs to use coal with no more than34% ash content.o Under 2014 regulation, it was mandatory for coal producers to remove impurities from coal before transporting it to TPP. 34% limit pushed TPP to import coal and drove up cost of power. India's domestic coal reserves have ash content up to 40 to 45%, so more coal is required to generate 1kwh of electricity and leads to more emissions. New Notificationo TPPs are liable for proper disposal of coal ash and meeting emission standards i.e.onus of addressingpollution due to high ash content now lies with TPPs instead of coal companies.o Set norms for disposal of rejects at washeries, disposal of ash by TPPs etc. Stresses on use of pollution control technologies by TPP like flue gas desulphurisation.o Makes it compulsory to transport coal in covered vehicles.

GLOBAL CARBON PROJECT (GCP) REPORT

he Global Carbon Project is a Global Research Project of Future Earth and a research partner of the World Climate Research Programme. It was established in 2001 by a shared partnership between the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change(IHDP), the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and Diversitas. This partnership constituted the Earth Systems Science Partnership (ESSP) which subsequently evolved into Future Earth.

Climate Adaptation and Resilience for South Asia (CARE) Project

he Project will build resilience to climate threats and disasters by sharing regional data and knowledge.o It will help in developing regional standards and guidelines for infrastructure, and promoting climateresilient policies and investments.• The project will help develop a public platform to inform climate planning and investments, and fundtechnology to support resilience in South Asia. It includes a $36 million grant from the International Development Association and $3.5 million fromthe Program for Asia Resilience to Climate Change.• CARE will work with two regional organizations:o Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)o Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).

Challenger Deep

in the Mariana Trench, is the deepest known spot in world's oceans below the surface of the Pacific Ocean

World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS)

irst World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) organized by the International Solar Alliance (ISA)• Aims of WSTS is to bring together key stakeholders (researchers, innovators etc.) to present and discuss the recenthighlights of solar technologies, cost-wise; technology-wise, technology transfers, challenges and concerns in thefield.• Key highlights of the summito ISA signed a tripartite agreement with Ministry of new and renewable energy and World Bank which madeit the nodal agency to implement the country's 'One Sun One World One Grid' (OSOWOG) initiative.o ISA Journal on Solar Energy (I JOSE) launched to help authors from across the globe to publish articles onsolar energy.

CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX (CCPI)

ndia ranked 10th in the latest edition of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI).About Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)• The Index is published by Germanwatch, New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network.• Published annually since 2005, the CCPI is an independent monitoring tool for tracking countries' climateprotection performance.o In 2017, the methodology of the CCPI was revised to fully incorporate the 2015 Paris Agreement withthe goal to limit global warming to well below 2°C or even to 1.5°C.• CCPI, 2021 evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 57 countries and of theEuropean Union (EU), which are together responsible for more than 90% of global greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions

Central Water Commission (CWC):

t is an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The Commission isentrusted with the general responsibilities of initiating, coordinating and furthering schemes for control,conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country (in consultation of the concerned StateGovernments).o These schemes may be related to the purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking WaterSupply and Water Power Development, growing alternatives to paddy etc.

Global Environment Facility

the UN entity created by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to collect and distribute the financial resources needed to combat global climate change

• NCPOR,

under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is located in Goa and is India's premier R&D institution responsible for research activities in polar and Southern Ocean realms.

Amery Ice Shelf (AIS)

• As per National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), there would be a 24 % increase in expansion of AIS boundaries in Antarctica by 2021. • AIS is one of the largest glacier drainage basins in world, located on east coast of Antarctica. AIS dynamics and mass balance help in understanding changes in global climate scenario.

Chemical Accidents (Emergency, Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996

• Centre is required to constitute a central crisis group for management of chemical accidents; set up quick response mechanism termed as the crisis alert system. Each state is required to set up a crisis group and report on its work.

Diamer-Basha Dam

• China and Pakistan signed an accord to construct this Dam in Gilgit-Baltistan region. • It is to be constructed on the River Indus with a capacity of 4,500 MW. • India had objected to the construction of the dam repeatedly as it falls into the Indian territory of northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. Also, it can cause water shortage in Ladakh.

Death Valley, USA

• Death Valley in California's Mojave Desert recorded one of the hottest air temperatures of 54.4 degree Celsius. • It is believed this is the hottest daytime temperature ever recorded, after previous records were shown to have errors. • At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley is the lowest point in North America

Rainforest Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

• Egypt and Ethiopia are having disputes over this dam. • GERD (formerly known as the Millennium Dam) is hydropower project nearing completion on Blue Nile River in Ethiopia. When completed it will be largest dam in Africa. • White Nile River, Blue Nile River is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile. The Blue Nile supplies about 80% of the water in the Nile during the rainy season.

G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance

• Four Indian cities — Indore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Faridabad — feature in a list of 36 cities across 22 countries to pioneer a new roadmap for smart cities as part of the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance. o G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance, established in June 2019, establishes and advances global policy norms to help accelerate best practices, mitigate potentialrisks, and foster greater openness and public trust. • The World Economic Forum, the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation,

Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989

• Importer must furnish complete product safety information to the competent authority and must transport imported chemicals in accordance with the rules.

Bio-gasification

• In this, bio-degradable component of the waste is decomposed in an anaerobic (absence of oxygen) environment and biogas is liberated.• Wealth: Biogas can be used as fuel for cooking and in gas engines for generation of electricity. Residual slurry from biogas plant is converted to compost through vermicomposting which is utilized in organic farming.

Hazardous Waste (Management Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 1989

• Industry is required to identify major accident hazards, take preventive measures, and submit a report to the designated authorities.

Coral Triangle

• It is a marine area located in the western Pacific Ocean described as world's epicentre of marine diversity. • It includes waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands. • It houses nearly 600 different species of reef-building corals. • It is one of 3 mega ecological complexes on Earth, together with Congo Basin and Amazon

Streets for People Challenge

• It is an initiative of Smart Cities Mission (SCM) that aims to inspire cities to create walking-friendly and vibrant streets through quick, innovative, and low-cost measures. • Fit India Mission along with India program of Institute for Transport Development and Policy

Plasma arc gasification process

• It uses electricity to generate high temperature plasma arc (above 3000°C) inside the plasma reactor which converts the waste into syngas (consists of CO, H2, CO2). Wealth: o Syngas can be used in gas engines for generation of electricity. o Residual ash can be mixed with cement for preparation of recycled bricks for usage in construction.

Mount Sinabung Volcano

• Mount Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupted in August, 2020 spouting ash at least 5,000 metres high into the sky. • Mount Sinabung is an active strato volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra island • It erupted in 2010 after a 400-year-long break and has been continuously active since 2013. • It is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific's Ring of Fire or the CircumPacific Belt, which is an area along the Pacific Ocean characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. • Strato volcano is a tall, conical volcano composed of one layer of hardened lava and volcanic ash. • These volcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions. • The lava that flows from them is highly viscous, and cools and hardens before spreading very far.

Mariana Trench

• Recently, China vessel Fendouzhe, descended more than 10,000 metres into Mariana Trench with three researchers on board. • Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean (11,034 meters deep) and the deepest location on Earth. o It is located in the western Pacific east of the Philippines.

Katchall Island

• Recently, Indian Coast Guard averted mishap off at Katchall Islands by towing drifting fuel tanker to safe waters. • Katchal is one of the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, India which was previously known as Tihanyu. • It is inhabited by Nicobari Tribes and Migrated Tamilians and languages spoken include Nicobarese, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. • Important birds found in the region are Indian white-eye, red - whiskered bulbul etc.

Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986

• Set discharge and product standards - source standards for restricting pollution; product standards for manufactured goods and ambient air and water standards - for regulating quality of life and environmental protection.