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Rising Sea Levels

Why in News Recently, a study has projected that sea levels will rise around Lakshadweep Islands due to the impact of global warming. It will...

19 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Namami Gange Programme

Why in News Recently, an agreement was signed for Development of 35 MLD (Mega Liters per day) Sewage Treatment Plant in Maheshtala (City situated on...

18 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Children and Digital Dumpsites: WHO Report

Why in News The World Health Organization (WHO) in its recent report “Children and Digital Dumpsites” has underlined the risk that...

17 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Loan to Sri Lanka for Solar Energy

Why in News Recently, India has signed an agreement extending a USD 100 million Line of Credit (LOC) to Sri Lanka for projects in the Solar Energy...

17 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Revised Subsidy for Electric Vehicles

Why in News Recently, the central government has decided to increase the subsidy by 50% on electric two-wheelers under the FAME-II (Faster Adoption...

15 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought

Why in News Recently, the Prime Minister delivered a keynote address at the United Nations (UN) “High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land...

15 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Blue-Green Economic Model of Development

This article is based on “A greener urbanscape” which was published in The Hindu on 09/06/2021. It talks about the need to incorporate...

11 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Rescuing Gharials: Mahanadi River

Why in News Recently, Odisha announced a cash award of Rs. 1,000 to conserve gharials in Mahanadi River Basin. Key Points About...

11 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
India's Ethanol Roadmap

Why in News The central government has released an expert committee report on the Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India by 2025. The roadmap...

11 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Hindu Kush Himalayan Mountains

Why in News According to UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain ranges could lose up to two-third of...

10 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen Phase-II

Why in News Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM (G)] Phase-II is making steady progress amidst Covid-19 with 1249 villages declared ODF(Open...

08 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
‘Sea Snot’ Outbreak in Turkey

Why in News Recently, Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, which connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest outbreak of...

08 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being

This article is based on “Saving biodiversity, securing earth’s future” which was published in The Hindu on 05/06/2021. It talks...

07 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
World Environment Day 2021

Why in News The World Environment Day is observed on the 5th of June annually to encourage awareness and environmental protection. Key...

05 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Black Carbon and Glacier Melting

Why in News The report titled “Glaciers of the Himalayas: Climate Change, Black Carbon and Regional Resilience” says that the glaciers...

05 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Sustainably Developing Andaman & Nicobar

This article is based upon “Developing the sister islands of Indian Ocean” which was published in the Hindustan Times on 03/06/2021. It...

04 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
State of Finance for Nature Report

Why in News The UN report, titled State of Finance for Nature, analyzes the investment flow in nature-based solutions (NbS) and identifies the...

02 Jun 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Green Revolution

Introduction The Green Revolution was an endeavour initiated by Norman Borlaug in the 1960s. He is known as the 'Father of Green Revolution' in...

31 May 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
The Climate Breakthroughs Summit

Why in News Recently, world leaders convened at the Climate Breakthroughs Summit to demonstrate progress in critical sectors of the global economy,...

28 May 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation
National Mission on use of Biomass in Coal Based Thermal Power Plants

Why in News Recently, the Ministry of Power has decided to set up a National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants. Key...

27 May 2021 Environmental Pollution & Degradation

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		'title' => 'Rising Sea Levels ',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, a study has projected that sea levels will rise around <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/draft-lakshadweep-development-authority-regulation-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lakshadweep</a> Islands</strong> due to the impact of <strong>global warming</strong>.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It will affect<strong> airport and residential areas</strong> that are quite close to the present coastline.</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s smallest Union Territory, Lakshadweep</strong> is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1624093381_pasted%20image 3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1624093381_pasted image 3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="450" caption="false" /></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sea Level Rise (SLR):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>SLR is an <strong>increase in the level</strong> of the <strong>world&rsquo;s oceans</strong> due to the effects of climate change, especially <strong>global warming</strong>, induced by <strong>three primary factors:</strong> Thermal Expansion, Melting Glaciers and Loss of Greenland and Antarctica&rsquo;s ice sheets.</li>
<li>Sea level is primarily measured using tide stations and satellite laser altimeters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>SLR is Linked to Three Primary Factors:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Thermal Expansion:</strong> When water heats up, it expands. About half of the sea-level rise over the past 25 years is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.</li>
<li><strong>Melting Glaciers: Higher temperatures</strong> caused by global warming have led to <strong>greater-than-average summer melting</strong> <strong>of large ice formations</strong> like mountain glaciers as well as <strong>diminished snowfall</strong> due to later winters and earlier springs. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>That creates <strong>an imbalance between runoff and ocean evaporation</strong>, causing sea levels to rise.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Loss of Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets:</strong> As with mountain glaciers, increased heat is causing the massive ice sheets that cover <strong>Greenland and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/covid-in-antarctica" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antarctica</a></strong> to melt more quickly, and also move more quickly into the sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rate of SLR:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Global:</strong> Global sea level has been rising over the past century, and the rate has accelerated in recent decades. The average global sea level has <strong>risen 8.9 inches between 1880 and 2015.</strong> That&rsquo;s much faster than in the previous 2,700 years.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Also, <strong>Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)</strong> released <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/special-report-on-climate-change-ipcc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&lsquo;The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate&rsquo;</strong></a> in 2019 which underlined the dire changes taking place in oceans, glaciers, and ice-deposits on land and sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Regional:</strong> SLR is <strong>not uniform</strong> across the world. Regional SLR may be higher or lower than Global SLR due to subsidence, upstream flood control, erosion, regional ocean currents, variations in land height, and compressive weight of Ice Age glaciers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Consequences of SLR:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Coastal Flooding:</strong> Globally, eight of the <strong>world's 10 largest cities</strong> are near a coast, which is threatened by coastal flooding.</li>
<li><strong>Destruction of Coastal Biodiversity:</strong> SLR can cause <strong>destructive erosion</strong>, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil contamination with salt, and lost habitat for biodiversity.</li>
<li><strong>Dangerous Storm Surges:</strong> Higher sea levels are coinciding with more dangerous <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hurricane-hanna" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>hurricanes</strong> </a>and typhoons leading to loss of life and property.</li>
<li><strong>Lateral and Inland Migration:</strong> Flooding in low-lying coastal areas is forcing people to migrate to the higher ground causing displacement and dispossession and in turn a <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/migration-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refugee crisis worldwide</a>.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Impact on Infrastructure:</strong> The prospect of higher coastal water levels threatens basic services such as internet access.</li>
<li><strong>Threat to Inland Life:</strong> Rising seas can contaminate soil and groundwater with salt threatening life farther away from coasts.</li>
<li><strong>Tourism and Military Preparedness:</strong> Tourism to coastal areas and military preparedness will also be negatively affected by an increase in SLR.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Steps taken to Tackle SLR:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Relocation:</strong> Many coastal cities have planned to adopt relocation as a mitigation strategy. For example, Kiribati Island has planned to shift to Fiji, while the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indonesia-s-new-capital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capital of Indonesia is being relocated from Jakarta to Borneo</a>.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Building Sea Wall:</strong> Indonesia&rsquo;s government launched a coastal development project called a Giant Sea Wall or "Giant Garuda" in 2014 meant to protect the city from floods.</li>
<li><strong>Building Enclosures:</strong> Researchers have proposed <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/northern-european-enclosure-dam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Northern European Enclosure Dam</strong></a> (NEED), enclosing all of the North Sea to protect 15 Northern European countries from rising seas. The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/persian-gulf-region" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Persian Gulf</strong></a>, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/battle-of-gallipoli" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mediterranean Sea</strong></a>, the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/travel-bubble" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Baltic Sea</strong></a>, the Irish Sea, and the Red Sea were also identified as areas that could benefit from similar mega enclosures.</li>
<li><strong>Architecture to Steer Flow of Water:</strong> Dutch City Rotterdam built barriers, drainage, and innovative architectural features such as a "water square" with temporary ponds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Vulnerability of India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India's <strong>7,516-kilometre-long coastline</strong> includes 5,422 kilometres of coastline on the mainland and 2,094 kilometres on the islands belonging to nine states and four Union Territories.</li>
<li>The coastline <strong>accounts for 90% of the country's trade and it spans 3,331 coastal villages and 1,382 islands.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Efforts:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/coastal-regulation-zone-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coastal Regulation Zone</a>:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The<strong> coastal areas of seas, bays, creeks, rivers, and backwaters</strong> which get <strong>influenced by tides up to 500 m from the high tide line (HTL) and the land between the low tide line (LTL) and the high tide line</strong> were declared as <strong>Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)</strong> in 1991.</li>
<li>The latest regulation <strong>also takes into account rising sea-levels due to global warming.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Action Plan on Climate Change</a>:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It was <strong>launched in 2008</strong> by the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change.</li>
<li>It aims at creating awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/the-big-picture-climate-change-act-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris Agreement</a></strong> provides a clear vision on limiting global warming and thus, SLR.</li>
<li>Some of the other steps in this direction would include:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Switching from <strong>fossil fuels</strong> to clean alternatives like <strong>solar and wind energy.</strong></li>
<li>Instituting carbon taxes on industries and subsidies for reducing the carbon footprint.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/carbon-sequestration" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Carbon sequestration</strong></a> by geo-engineering and natural methods like restoring peatland and wetland areas to capture existing greenhouse gases.</li>
<li><strong>Afforestation</strong> and reducing deforestation.</li>
<li>Subsidizing research on <strong>climate change.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1728293" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 8635,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Namami Gange Programme',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, an agreement was signed for Development of 35 MLD (Mega Liters per day) <strong>Sewage Treatment Plant</strong> in Maheshtala (City situated on the east bank of <strong>River Ganga</strong>), West Bengal under <strong>Namami Gange Programme.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The project was signed under <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/revisit-ppps-to-revive-investments#:~:text=The%20Hybrid%20Annuity%20Model%20(HAM,through%20annual%20payments%20(annuity)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hybrid Annuity PPP mode.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Namami Gange Programme:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Namami Gange Programme is an<strong> Integrated Conservation Mission,</strong> approved as a <strong>&lsquo;Flagship Programme&rsquo;</strong> by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish the <strong>twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution and conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.</strong></li>
<li>It is being operated under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-jal-shakti" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti.</strong></a></li>
<li>The program is being implemented by the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-mission-for-clean-ganga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Mission for Clean Ganga</a> (NMCG),</strong> and its state counterpart organizations i.e State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).</li>
<li>NMCG is the implementation wing of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/first-meeting-of-national-ganga-council" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Ganga Council</strong></a> (set in 2016; which replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority - NGRBA).</li>
<li>It has a Rs. 20,000-crore, <strong>centrally-funded, non-lapsable corpus</strong> and consists of nearly 288 projects.</li>
<li>The <strong>main pillars</strong> of the programme are:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Sewage Treatment Infrastructure</li>
<li>River-Front Development</li>
<li>River-Surface Cleaning</li>
<li>Biodiversity</li>
<li>Afforestation</li>
<li>Public Awareness</li>
<li>Industrial Effluent Monitoring</li>
<li>Ganga Gram</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Ganga River System:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The headwaters of the Ganga called the &lsquo;Bhagirathi&rsquo; are fed by the Gangotri Glacier and joined by the Alaknanda at Devprayag in Uttarakhand.</li>
<li>At Haridwar, Ganga emerges from the mountains to the plains.</li>
<li>The Ganga is joined by many tributaries from the Himalayas, a few of them being major rivers such as the Yamuna, the Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1624010293_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1624010293_image2.png" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1727998" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 8627,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Children and Digital Dumpsites: WHO Report',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-health-organization-who" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Health Organization (WHO)</strong></a> in its recent report<strong> &ldquo;Children and Digital Dumpsites&rdquo;</strong> has underlined the risk that children working in informal processing are facing due to discarded <strong>electronic devices or e-waste.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>There are as many as <strong>18 million children</strong> (as young as five years) and about <strong>12.9 million women</strong> work at these e-waste dumpsites every year.</li>
<li>The e-waste from high-income countries is dumped in the middle- or low-income countries for processing every year.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the E-waste:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>E-Waste</strong> is short for <strong>Electronic-Waste.</strong> It is the term used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded electronic appliances.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It majorly includes electronic equipment, completely or in part discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes.</li>
<li>It <strong>contains over 1,000 precious metals and other substances</strong> like gold, copper, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Volume of E-waste: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Global Scenario:</strong> According to the<strong> Global E-waste Statistics Partnership,</strong> the volume of e-waste generated is surging rapidly across the globe. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>About<strong> 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste</strong> was generated<strong> in 2019.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Only 17.4%</strong> of this e-waste<strong> was processed</strong> in formal recycling facilities. The <strong>rest of it was dumped in low- or middle-income countries</strong> for illegal processing by informal workers.</li>
<li>This is because of the<strong> rise in the number of smartphones and computers.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Indian Scenario:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>According to the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cpcb-notifies-contaminated-sites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)</strong></a>, India generated<strong> more than 10 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2019-20,</strong> an increase from 7 lakh tonnes in 2017-18. Against this, the e-waste <strong>dismantling capacity has not been increased from 7.82 lakh tonnes</strong> since 2017-18.</li>
<li>In 2018, the Ministry of Environment had told the tribunal that <strong>95% of e-waste in India is recycled by the informal sector</strong> and scrap dealers unscientifically dispose of it by burning or dissolving it in acids.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Working at Digital Dumpsites: </strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>On Children:</strong> The children working at these &lsquo;digital dumpsites&rsquo; are more prone to <strong>improper lung function, deoxyribonucleic acid damage and increased risk of chronic diseases</strong> like cancer and cardiovascular disease.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They are less likely to metabolise or eradicate pollutants absorbed.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On Women:</strong> Several women, including expectant mothers, also work there. Processing e-waste exposes them as well as their children to these toxins, which can lead to <strong>premature births and stillbirth.</strong></li>
<li><strong>On Others:</strong> The hazardous impact of working at such sites is also<strong> experienced by families and communities</strong> that reside in the vicinity of these e-waste dumpsites.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Management of E-waste (International Convention):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Basel Convention on the Control of the Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous Waste, 1992.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Originally the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indias-waste-dumping-proposal-stands-defeated" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Basel Convention</strong></a> did not mention e-waste but later it addressed the issues of e-waste in 2006 (COP8).</li>
<li>The convention seeks to ensure environmentally sound management; prevention of illegal traffic to developing countries and; building capacity to better manage e-waste.</li>
<li>The<strong> Nairobi Declaration</strong> was adopted at COP9 of the Basel Convention. It aimed at creating innovative solutions for the environmentally sound management of electronic wastes.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Management of E-waste in India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Producers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The government has implemented the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ineffective-ewaste-recycle-firms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>E-waste (Management) Rules (2016)</strong></a> which enforces the <strong>Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Under EPR principle the producers have been made responsible to collect a certain percentage of E-waste generated from their goods once they have reached their &ldquo;end-of-life&rdquo;.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>State Governments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>They have been entrusted with the responsibility for maintaining industrial space for e-waste dismantling and recycling facilities.</li>
<li>They are also expected to establish measures for protecting the health and safety of workers engaged in the dismantling and recycling facilities for e-waste.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recycling of E-waste:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-s-first-e-waste-clinic" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India&rsquo;s first e-waste clinic</strong> </a>for segregating, processing and disposal of waste from household and commercial units has been set-up in <strong>Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Most of the e-waste is recycled in India in unorganized units, which <strong>engage a significant number of manpower.</strong> Recovery of metals from Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) by primitive means is a most hazardous act.</li>
<li><strong>Proper education, awareness and most importantly alternative cost effective technology</strong> need to be provided so that better means can be provided to those who earn their livelihood from this.</li>
<li>A holistic approach is needed to address the challenges faced by India in e-waste management.<strong> One approach could be</strong> for units in the unorganized sector to concentrate on collection, dismantling, segregation, whereas, the metal extraction, recycling and disposal could be done by the organized sector.</li>
<li>A <strong>suitable mechanism</strong> needs to be evolved to include small units in the unorganized sector and large units in the organized sector into a single value chain.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/over-18-million-kids-at-e-waste-dumpsites-face-threat-of-health-hazards-who-77504" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 8625,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Loan to Sri Lanka for Solar Energy',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, India has signed an agreement <strong>extending a USD 100 million Line of Credit (LOC) to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-sri-lanka-6#:~:text=India%27s%20Support%20against%20Terrorism%3A%20During,developmental%20assistance%20to%20Sri%20Lanka." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sri Lanka</a></strong> for projects in the Solar Energy Sector. The LOC is for a period of 20 years, with an interest of 1.75%.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The agreement was signed between the <strong>Government of Sri Lanka</strong> and the <strong>Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India.</strong></li>
<li>EXIM Bank is a <strong>specialized financial institution,</strong> wholly owned by the Government of India.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623923707_image2.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623923707_image2.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="350" caption="false" /></a></p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Line of Credit</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It is a <strong>credit facility</strong> extended by a bank or any other financial institution to a government, business or an individual customer, that enables the customer to draw the maximum loan amount.</li>
<li>The borrower can<strong> access funds</strong> from the line of credit at <strong>any time</strong> as long as they do not exceed the <strong>maximum amount</strong> (or credit limit) set in the agreement and meet any other requirements such as making timely minimum payments.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Significance of the LOC:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will help <strong>finance various projects</strong> in the solar energy sector in Sri Lanka, such as <strong>rooftop solar photo-voltaic systems</strong> for households and government buildings.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Some of these projects were announced during the <strong>Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA)</strong> held in March 2018 in Delhi.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Initiatives for Global Cooperation Solar Energy:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-solar-technology-summit-isa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Solar Alliance</a> (ISA):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The ISA was <strong>launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France in 2015</strong> on the side-lines of the United Nations Climate Change <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/unfccc" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Conference of the Parties (COP-21)</strong></a>, with 121 <strong>solar resource rich countries</strong> lying fully or partially between the <strong>tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn</strong> as prospective members.</li>
<li><strong>89 countries</strong> have signed the ISA framework agreement.</li>
<li>ISA&rsquo; vision is to enable <strong>One World, One Sun, One Grid (OSOWOG).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/one-sun-one-world-one-grid-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Sun, One World, One Grid</a> (OSOWOG):</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It focuses on a framework for facilitating global cooperation, building a global ecosystem of interconnected renewable energy resources (mainly solar energy) that can be seamlessly shared.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Schemes for Promoting Solar Energy in India:</strong> Recently, India achieved<strong> 5<sup>th</sup> global position in solar power deployment</strong> by surpassing Italy.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/mind-map/gs-paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change-mind-map" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Solar Mission</strong> </a>(a part of National Action Plan on Climate Change): The aim is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy by creating the policy conditions for its deployment across the country.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rooftop-solar-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rooftop Solar Scheme:</strong></a> To generate solar power by installing solar panels on the roof of the houses, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/phase-ii-of-grid-connected-rooftop-solar-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Grid-connected Rooftop Solar Scheme (Phase II)</strong></a>.</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/expansion-of-production-linked-incentive-scheme#:~:text=This%20scheme%20will%20give%20cash,chemistry%20and%20solar%20PV%20manufacturing." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Production-linked Incentive (PLI) scheme</strong></a> to promote manufacturing of high efficiency solar PV modules in India.</li>
<li><strong>Scheme for Development of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks:</strong> It is a scheme to develop Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs) under the existing Solar Park Scheme.</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/pm-kusum#:~:text=PM%2DKUSUM%20consists%20of%20three,standalone%20solar%2Dpowered%20agriculture%20pumps." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan</a> (PM-KUSUM):</strong> The scheme covers grid-connected Renewable Energy power plants (0.5 &ndash; 2 MW)/Solar water pumps/grid connected agriculture pumps.</li>
<li><strong>National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, 2018:</strong> its main objective is to provide a framework for promotion of large grid connected wind-solar PV hybrid systems for optimal and efficient utilization of wind and solar resources, transmission infrastructure and land.</li>
<li><strong>Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY):</strong> It was launched in September 2016 for the installation <strong>of solar street lighting (SSL) systems</strong> in states with less than 50% households covered with grid power (as per Census 2011).</li>
<li><strong>Suryamitra Skill Development Programme:</strong> To provide skill training to rural youth in handling solar installations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/india-extends-100-mn-loan-to-sri-lanka/article34834128.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 4 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8611,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Revised Subsidy for Electric Vehicles',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the central government has decided to<strong> increase the subsidy by 50% on electric two-wheelers</strong> under the<strong> FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) scheme</strong> in view of the adoption of eco-friendly vehicles.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>New Modification:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Centre has made <strong>a partial modification of the FAME-II,</strong> including <strong>increasing the demand incentive for electric two-wheelers to Rs. 15,000 per KWh</strong> from an earlier uniform subsidy of Rs 10,000 per KWh for all EVs, including plug-in hybrids and strong hybrids except buses.</li>
<li>The government <strong>has also capped incentives for electric two-wheelers at 40%</strong> of the cost of vehicles, up from <strong>20% earlier.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It will <strong>bring down the prices of electric two-wheelers nearer to the IC (internal combustion engine) vehicles</strong> and remove one of the biggest blocks of the high sticker price of electric two-wheelers.</li>
<li>Together with the other important factors like <strong>extremely low running cost, low maintenance and zero emission,</strong> such price levels will surely spur a substantial demand for electric two-wheelers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>FAME-II:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Background:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>FAME India</strong> is a part of the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-electric-mobility-mission-2020#:~:text=Under%20its%20National%20Electric%20Mobility,electric%20vehicles%20in%20the%20country." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> National Electric Mobility Mission (NEMM) Plan</strong></a>. Main thrust of FAME is to encourage electric vehicles by providing subsidies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>NEMM intends to allow <strong>hybrid and electric vehicles</strong> to become the first choice for the purchasers so that these vehicles can replace the conventional vehicles and thus <strong>reduce liquid fuel consumption</strong> in the country from the <strong>automobile sector.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Two Phases of the Scheme:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Phase I:</strong> Started in 2015 and was completed on 31<sup>st</sup> March, 2019</li>
<li><strong>Phase II:</strong> Started from April, 2019, will be completed by 31<sup>st</sup> March, 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The scheme <strong>covers <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hybrid &amp; Electric</a> technologies</strong> like Mild Hybrid, Strong Hybrid, Plug in Hybrid &amp; Battery Electric Vehicles.</li>
<li><strong>Monitoring Authority:</strong> Department of Heavy Industries, the <strong>Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.</strong></li>
<li>Fame India Scheme has <strong>four focus areas:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Technology development</li>
<li>Demand Creation</li>
<li>Pilot Projects</li>
<li>Charging Infrastructure</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Under this scheme, <strong>demand incentives will be availed by buyers</strong> (end users/consumers) upfront at the point of purchase and the same shall be reimbursed by the manufacturers from Department of Heavy Industries, on a monthly basis.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Salient Features of FAME II:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Emphasis on <strong>electrification of the public transportation</strong> that includes shared transport.</li>
<li>Aims to support, through subsidies, approximately 7000 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers.</li>
<li>In the <strong>3-Wheel (W) and 4-Wheel (W) segment</strong> incentives will be applicable mainly to <strong>vehicles used for public transport or registered for commercial purposes.</strong></li>
<li>In the <strong>2-Wheel (W) segment,</strong> the focus will be on the <strong>private vehicles.</strong></li>
<li>To encourage advanced technologies, the<strong> benefits of incentives will be extended to only those vehicles</strong> which are fitted with advanced batteries like a <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/increasing-imports-of-li-ion-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lithium Ion battery</strong> </a>and other new technology batteries.</li>
<li>Proposes for the<strong> establishment of charging infrastructure,</strong> whereby about 2700 charging stations will be established in metros, other million plus cities, smart cities and cities of Hilly states across the country so that there will be availability of at least one charging station in a grid of 3 km x 3 km.</li>
<li>Establishment of <strong>Charging stations are also proposed on major highways</strong> connecting major city clusters.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>adoption of electric vehicles depends on several factors,</strong> including robust charging infrastructure, easy financing and adequate performance in real-world conditions. These<strong> require considerable government intervention and planning,</strong> especially with the sector in its nascent stages.</li>
<li>E-rickshaw drivers also <strong>depend on unsafe, sometimes illegal, sources of power to charge their vehicles.</strong> Charging is done in unsafe conditions, which poses a danger to both the driver and the commuter.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Such<strong> initiatives coupled with a mass awareness campaign</strong> by the government and easy terms financing by public sector banks will bring us closer to the target of <strong>30% of the two-wheeler</strong> market becoming electric in five years.</li>
<li>The government&rsquo;s continued support to drive adoption of EVs, with a keen focus on locally built electric two-wheelers <strong>will make India the manufacturing hub of EVs.</strong></li>
<li>Establishing the right coordination among <strong>three pillars of the EV industry</strong> i.e.,urban planning, transportation and power sectors will assist in systematic adoption of EVs.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/revised-subsidies-to-spur-ev-demand/article34800870.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 5 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8604,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the <strong>Prime Minister delivered a keynote address</strong> at the <strong><a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations (UN)</a> &ldquo;High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought&rdquo;</strong> via video conference.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>He spoke as the President of the <strong>14<sup>th</sup> Session</strong> of the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cop-28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conference of Parties</a> (CoP) of <a href="/printpdf/un-convention-to-combat-desertification-cop-14#:~:text=The%2014th%20edition%20of,Restore%20land%2C%20Sustain%20future%27." target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)</a>.</strong></li>
<li>The Dialogue will encourage all member states to <strong>adopt and implement Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets and National Drought Plans.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Highlighted Steps Taken by India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is on track to achieve its national commitment on <strong>Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)</strong> <strong>(<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Development Goal</a> target 15.3).</strong>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>LDN</strong> is a <strong>state</strong> whereby the <strong>amount and quality of land resources</strong>, necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, <strong>remains stable or increases</strong> within specified temporal and spatial scales and <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-environment-day-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ecosystems</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Working to<strong> restore 26 million hectares</strong> of degraded land by <strong>2030.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This would contribute to India&rsquo;s commitment to achieving <strong>an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes</strong> of carbon dioxide equivalent (a part of the <strong>Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)</strong> target under the 2015 <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-years-of-paris-climate-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paris Agreement</strong></a>).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Over the last 10 years</strong>, around 3 <strong>million hectares of forest cover</strong> has been <strong>added.</strong></li>
<li><strong>For Example:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ngt-upholds-rights-of-pastoralists-in-banni-grasslands" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Banni region</strong></a> <strong>in <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/kutch-desert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rann of Kutch</a> in Gujarat</strong> suffers from highly degraded land and receives very little rainfall.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>In that region, <strong>land restoration is done by developing grasslands</strong>, which helps in achieving land degradation neutrality.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>On Challenges Faced by Developing World:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Today, <strong>land degradation</strong> affects over <strong>two-thirds of the world.</strong></li>
<li>India is assisting fellow <strong>developing countries</strong> to develop land restoration strategies.</li>
<li>A <strong>Centre of Excellence</strong> is being set up in India to promote a scientific approach towards land degradation issues. It is at <strong>Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>ICFRE, based in <strong>Dehradun</strong>, is an <strong>autonomous body</strong> of the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/year-end-review-2019-ministry-of-environment-forest-and-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Land Degradation</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Land degradation is caused by <strong>multiple forces</strong>, including <strong>extreme weather conditions</strong>, particularly drought.</li>
<li>It is also caused by <strong>human activities</strong> that pollute or degrade the quality of soils and land utility.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/desertification-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Desertification</strong></a> is a consequence of <strong>severe land degradation</strong> and is defined as a process that creates arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas.</li>
<li>It <strong>accelerates</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/climate-change-and-development-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>climate change</strong></a> and <strong>biodiversity loss</strong>, and <strong>contributes to droughts, wildfires, involuntary migration</strong> and the <strong>emergence of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/zoonotic-diseases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">zoonotic infectious diseases</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Global Efforts to Check Land Degradation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):</strong> It was established in 1994, the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/un-convention-to-combat-desertification-cop-14" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Delhi Declaration of 2019</strong></a>, signed by 14<sup>th</sup> CoP of the UNCCD, called for <strong>better access and stewardship over land</strong>, and emphasised gender-sensitive transformative projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>The Bonn Challenge:</strong> To bring 150 million hectares of the world&rsquo;s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.</li>
<li><strong>Great Green Wall:</strong> Initiative by Global Environment Facility (GEF), where eleven countries in Sahel-Saharan Africa have focused efforts to fight against land degradation and revive native plant life to the landscape.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Efforts to Check Land Degradation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>India is focusing on <strong>sustainable land and resource management</strong> for livelihood generation at community level for making the local lands healthier and productive for providing a better homeland and a better future for its inhabitants.</li>
<li>The <strong>National Action Programme for combating <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/desertification-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">desertification</a> was prepared in 2001</strong> to take appropriate action in addressing the problems of desertification.</li>
<li>Some of the <strong>major programmes</strong> which address issues related to land degradation and desertification, being implemented currently are as follows:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-krishi-sinchayee-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)</a> (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana)</strong></li>
<li>National Afforestation Programme (NAP),</li>
<li>National Mission for Green India (GIM),</li>
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sub-group-of-chief-ministers-on-coordination-between-mgnrega-and-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)</strong></a>,</li>
<li>Soil Conservation in the Catchment of River Valley Project,</li>
<li>National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA),</li>
<li><strong>Fodder and Feed Development Scheme</strong>-component of Grassland Development including Grass Reserves.</li>
<li>Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) programme,</li>
<li><a href="/mind-map/gs-paper3/mind-map-paper-3-soil-health-card-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Soil Health Card Scheme</strong></a>, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-working-towards-restoring-2-6-crore-hectares-of-degraded-land-by-2030-pm-7359043/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 6 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8587,
		'category_id' => (int) 22,
		'title' => 'Blue-Green Economic Model of Development',
		'description' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/world-environment-day-climate-change-urban-development-sustainability-disaster-risk-management-7350023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;A greener urbanscape&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 09/06/2021. It talks about the need to incorporate Blue-Green Economic Framework as a counter to conventional infrastructure practices.</p>
</div>
<p>The motto of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SDG 2030 agenda</strong></a> &mdash; &ldquo;Leave no one behind&rdquo; &mdash; very much embodies the essence of Gandhiji&rsquo;s philosophy of sarvodaya through antyodaya, reaching the most marginalised first.</p>
<p>This guiding principle has long been a part of Indian thought and policy and is a fundamental virtue for the execution of the national programmes and missions</p>
<p>However, as the threat from climate hazards rise, the government of India should alter their urban planning and design approaches to incorporate Blue-Green Economic Framework as a counter to conventional infrastructure practices by harnessing blue elements (for instance, seas, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and water utilities) alongside the green (such as trees, parks, gardens, playgrounds and forests).</p>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Blue-Green Economic Framework</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The blue economy originates in the green economy concept of incorporating strategies to mitigate climate change and adaptation to result in &ldquo;improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Green Urbanisation &amp; Policy Making India</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission</strong></a> (Urban) focuses on achieving an open-defecation-free India, building solid waste management capacity and bringing about behavioural change.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Swachhata movement, in effect, has become the harbinger of a total transformation of our urban landscape.</li>
<li>It is estimated that the various initiatives under SBM-U can mitigate 17.42 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Smart Cities Mission:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/climate-smart-cities-assessment-framework#:~:text=assistance%20from%20experts.-,Smart%20Cities%20Mission,create%20smart%20outcomes%20for%20citizens." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Smart Cities Mission</strong></a> (SCM) envisages technological advancements of our cities to improve governance, sustainability and disaster risk resilience.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It sought to improve energy efficiency and non-motorised transport capacity in urban centres.</li>
<li>The overall reduction in GHG emissions from projects implemented under SCM is expected to reach 4.93 million tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub> by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/climate-smart-cities-assessment-framework" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework:</strong></a> It has been adopted which aims to help cities adapt, collaborate and exchange best practices to achieve international standards for green, sustainable and resilient urban habitats.</li>
<li><strong>AMRUT:</strong> Under<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/amrut-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> AMRUT</strong></a>, water supply and management, energy efficiency and increased green spaces have been part of the goal in 500 target cities. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The mission is likely to result in the mitigation of 48.52 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent to GHG emissions by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana:</strong> With 1.12 crore houses sanctioned, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-awaas-yojana-gramin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana</strong></a> (Urban) has focused on new construction technologies (for eg. using fly ash bricks) that are innovative, environmentally friendly and disaster-resilient. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Overall, the mission has the potential to mitigate around 12 million tonnes CO<sub>2</sub> equivalent of GHG emissions by 2022.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Metro Rails:</strong> These are an energy-efficient mass rapid transit system and Government of India plans to make them operational in 18 cities, in the near future.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Institutionalising a Blue-Green Urban Framework:</strong> To streamline and ensure the integrity of the original blue-green canvas, governments must maintain uniform statutory terminologies and definitions, and undertake a comprehensive integration of all urban plans and records that highlight environmental features.</li>
<li><strong>Blue-Green Economic Agenda:</strong> India must club its ongoing green efforts with the &lsquo;blue economy&rsquo; to create a blue-green economic agenda. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A typical blue-green infrastructure project may have several economic benefits, such as health improvement, lesser pollution, better amenities and quality of life, and social cohesion. At the same time, it could also cause a loss of trees or green spaces.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Fast-Tracking SDGs:</strong> Blue-green infrastructure has the potential to fulfil multiple targets outlined in the SDGs, such as:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Those related to water (SDG 6 and SDG 14), land (SDG 15) and climate change (SDG 13).</li>
<li>Blue-green infrastructure can also accelerate progress on green employment prospects (SDG 1), food security (SDG 2), offsetting medical infrastructure load (SDG 3) and improving air and habitation quality in cities (SDG 11).</li>
<li>It will also have implications for SDGs related to returns on investment and startups increasing employment prospects (SDG 8), assured resilience (SDG 9), and social inclusion through greater and more equitable access to natural spaces (SDG 10).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Outcome-Based Policies:</strong> The blue-green concept could transform India&rsquo;s urban planning approach from input to output based by focusing on the outcomes of projects and processes. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This means that required environmental outcomes or specific levels of performance are specified in the framework and the method to achieve the outcome is flexible.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sustainable Land Management:</strong> Climate change cannot be mitigated only through greening and reversing land degradation. This will have to be coupled with sustainable land management strategies.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Sustainable land management is the use of land to meet changing human needs (agriculture, forestry, conservation), while ensuring the land&rsquo;s socioeconomic and ecological functions over the long term.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The concept of blue-green infrastructure is relatively new, but many global cities have already begun the transition, driven by exacerbating climate impacts and events. While the green infrastructure concept has found some acceptance in India, the country must also consider including blue infrastructure in its sustainability transition.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #fbfff0;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>Explain the term Blue-green economic development framework and need to incorporate it in India&rsquo;s development model.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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		'article_id' => (int) 8584,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Rescuing Gharials: Mahanadi River',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Odisha announced a cash award of Rs. 1,000 to conserve gharials in Mahanadi River Basin.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623407680_image7.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623407680_image7.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="500" caption="false" /></strong></a></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Gharials:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Gharials, sometimes <strong>called gavials,</strong> are <strong>a type of Asian crocodilian distinguished by their long, thin snouts. Crocodilians are a group of reptiles</strong> that includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and more.</li>
<li><strong>India has three species of Crocodilians namely:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Gharial</strong> (Gavialis gangeticus): <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/iucn-red-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>IUCN Red List</strong></a>- <strong>Critically Endangered</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ghodahada-reservoir" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mugger crocodile</strong></a> (Crocodylus palustris): <strong>IUCN- Vulnerable.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/important-facts-for-prelims-26th-november-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Saltwater crocodile</strong></a> (Crocodylus porosus): <strong>IUCN- Least Concern.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>All the three are listed on <strong>Appendix I</strong> of<a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/cites" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> CITES</strong> </a>and<strong> Schedule I</strong> of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/wild-life-protection-act-implementation-and-failure" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.</strong></a></li>
<li><strong>Exception: Saltwater Crocodile populations of Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea </strong>are<strong> included in Appendix II of CITES.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Habitat of Gharials:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Natural Habitat:</strong> Fresh waters of the northern part of India.</li>
<li><strong>Primary Habitat:</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ramgarh-dam#:~:text=1982%20Asian%20Games.-,Chambal%20River,(Indore%2C%20Madhya%20Pradesh)." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chambal river</strong></a> (a tributary of Yamuna).</li>
<li><strong>Secondary Habitat:</strong> <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/release-of-gharials" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ghagra</strong></a>, Gandak river, Girwa river (Uttar Pradesh), the Ramganga river (Uttarakhand) and the Sone river (Bihar).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong> Population of Gharials are <strong>a good indicator of clean river water.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Conservation Efforts:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Breeding Centres of <strong>Kukrail Gharial Rehabilitation Centre in Lucknow,</strong> Uttar Pradesh, <strong>National Chambal Sanctuary (Gharial Eco Park, Madhya Pradesh).</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threats:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Increased river pollution, dam construction, massive-scale fishing operations and floods.</li>
<li>Illegal sand mining and poaching.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Mahanadi River:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Mahanadi River system is the <strong>third largest of peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna,</strong> and the <strong>largest river of Odisha state.</strong></li>
<li>The<strong> catchment area</strong> of the river extends to<strong> Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.</strong></li>
<li>Its <strong>basin is bounded by</strong> the Central India hills on the north, by the Eastern Ghats on the south and east and by the Maikala range on the west.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Source:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It <strong>rises from a place near Sihawa in Bastar hills in the state of Chhattisgarh</strong> to the south of Amarkantak.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Major Tributaries:</strong> Seonath River, Hasdeo river, Mand river, Ib river, Jonking river, Tel river</li>
<li><strong>Mahanadi River Dispute:</strong> The Central Government constituted <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/inter-state-river-water-sharing-disputes" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal</strong></a> in 2018.</li>
<li><strong>Major Dams/Projects on Mahanadi:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nhrc-issues-notice-in-hirakud-displacement-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hirakud Dam</strong></a>: This is the longest dam of India.</li>
<li>Ravishankar Sagar, Dudhawa Reservoir, Sondur Reservoir, Hasdeo Bango and Tandula are other major projects.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623407885_image1.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623407885_image1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="650" caption="false" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/odisha-forest-department-announces-cash-reward-for-rescuing-gharials-77386" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 8 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8580,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'India's Ethanol Roadmap',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The central government has released an expert committee report on the <strong>Roadmap for Ethanol Blending in India by 2025.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The roadmap proposes <strong>a gradual rollout of ethanol-blended fuel</strong> to achieve E10 fuel supply by April 2022 and phased rollout of E20 from April 2023 to April 2025.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the Report:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <strong>Ministry of Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas (MoP&amp;NG)</strong> had instituted an Expert Group to study the issues such as pricing of ethanol, matching pace of the automobile industry to manufacture vehicles with new engines with the supply of ethanol, pricing of such vehicles, fuel efficiency of different engines etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ethanol Blending:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About Ethanol:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It is one of the principal <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/biofuels-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>biofuels</strong></a>, which is naturally produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts or via petrochemical processes such as ethylene hydration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Blending Target:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The Government of India has <strong>advanced the target for 20% ethanol blending in petrol (also called E20) to 2025</strong> from 2030.</li>
<li><strong>Currently, 8.5% of ethanol is blended with petrol</strong> in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objectives of Ethanol Blending:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Energy Security:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Increased use of ethanol can help <strong>reduce the oil import bill.</strong> India&rsquo;s net import cost stands at USD 551 billion in 2020-21.</li>
<li>The E20 program <strong>can save the country USD 4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) per annum.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Incentives for Farmers:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The oil companies procure ethanol from farmers that <strong>benefits the sugarcane farmers.</strong></li>
<li>Further, the government plans to <strong>encourage use of water-saving crops, such as maize</strong>, to produce ethanol, and <strong>production of ethanol from non-food feedstock.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact on Emission:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Use of ethanol-blended petrol <strong>decreases emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).</strong></li>
<li>The <strong>unregulated carbonyl emissions</strong>, such as acetaldehyde emission <strong>were, however, higher with E10 and E20</strong> compared to normal petrol. However, these emissions were relatively lower.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recommendations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Notifying Ethanol Blending Roadmap:</strong> MoP&amp;NG should immediately notify the plan for pan-India availability of E10 fuel by April, 2022 and its continued availability thereafter until 2025 for older vehicles, and launch of E20 in the country in phases from April, 2023 onwards so as to make E20 available by April, 2025.</li>
<li><strong>Augmenting Infrastructure for Oil Marketing Companies:</strong> OMCs will need to prepare for the projected requirement of ethanol storage, handling, blending and dispensing infrastructure.</li>
<li><strong>Expediting Regulatory Clearances:</strong> Currently, ethanol production plants/distilleries fall under the &ldquo;Red category&rdquo; and require environmental clearance under the Air and Water Acts for new and expansion projects. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>This often takes a long time leading to delays.</li>
<li>While several steps have been taken to expedite Environment Clearances (EC) under <strong>the Environment Protection Act</strong> there are few areas of concern which if addressed, will facilitate early setting up of ethanol distillation capacities in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Incentivising Ethanol Blended Vehicle:</strong> Globally, vehicles compliant with higher ethanol blends are provided with tax benefits. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A similar approach may be followed so that the cost increase due to E20 compatible design may be absorbed to a certain extent, as is being done in some states for promoting <strong><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/electric-vehicles-evs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electric Vehicles</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Pricing of Ethanol Blended Gasoline:</strong> For better acceptability of higher ethanol blends in the country, retail price of such fuels <strong>should be lower than normal petrol</strong> to compensate for the reduction in calorific value and incentivize switching to the blended fuel. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Tax breaks on ethanol as a fuel may be considered by the government.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Initiatives Already Taken</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/biofuels-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Policy on Biofuels&ndash;2018</strong></a>, provides an indicative target of 20% ethanol blending under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme by 2030.</li>
<li>The <strong>Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways</strong> has <strong>mandated stickers on vehicles mentioning their E20, E85 or E100 compatibility.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will pave the way for flex fuel vehicles.</li>
<li>Flex fuel engines can run any ratio of blended petrol from E20 to E100.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-environment-day-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E100 pilot project</a>:</strong> It has been inaugurated in Pune.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>TVS Apache two-wheelers are designed to run on E80 or pure ethanol (E100).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/pradhan-mantri-ji-van-yojana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019</a>:</strong> The scheme aims to create an ecosystem for setting up commercial projects and boost Research and Development in the 2G Ethanol sector.</li>
<li><strong>GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) DHAN Scheme, 2018:</strong> The scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and <strong>generate wealth and energy</strong> from cattle and organic waste. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing income for farmers and other rural people.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/scheme-for-used-cooking-oil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO)</a>:</strong> The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched this initiative that will enable collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/energy/amp/india-s-ethanol-roadmap-the-targets-and-challenges-77360" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 8574,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Hindu Kush Himalayan Mountains',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>According to <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/undps-accelerator-lab" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)</strong></a>, the <strong>Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain ranges could lose up to two-third of its ice by 2100.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>About <strong>2 billion people may face food, water shortages by 2100.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About HKH Region:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is often referred to as the<strong> &lsquo;Third Pole&rsquo;,</strong> on earth, is spread over<strong> 3,500 square kms</strong> across <strong>eight countries</strong> including India, Nepal and China.</li>
<li>It contains the world&rsquo;s<strong> third-largest storage</strong> of frozen water after Antarctica and the Arctic.</li>
<li>Over <strong>240 million people live in the region&rsquo;s mountains. 1.7 billion live in the river basins downstream,</strong> while food grown in these basins reaches three billion people.</li>
<li>The glaciers <strong>feed at least 10 major river systems,</strong> which have bearings on agricultural activities, drinking water and hydroelectricity production in the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623325663_image4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623325663_image4.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Challenges:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>According to <strong>ICIMOD&rsquo;s (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development) 2019 assessment,</strong> the HKH region will<strong> continue to warm through the 21<sup>st</sup> century</strong> even if the world is able to limit global warming at the agreed 1.5 degrees Celsius.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-years-of-paris-climate-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paris agreement</strong></a> aims to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels, while pursuing the means to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In the future, even if global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees C above the pre-industrialisation levels, <strong>warming in the HKH region is likely to be at least 0.3 degrees C higher, </strong>and<strong> in the northwest Himalaya and Karakoram at least 0.7 degrees C higher.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Threat:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>High Mountain Asia (the Asian mountain ranges surrounding the Tibetan Plateau) <strong>will lose a substantial part of its cryosphere</strong> in the next decades and thus a substantial part of its water storage abilities. This will lead to <strong>increased water stress</strong> in high mountain areas.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>A <strong>cryosphere</strong> comprises portions of Earth&rsquo;s surface where <strong>water is in solid form,</strong> including sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Causes for the Melting of Glaciers:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The melting is driven by larger <strong>anthropogenic modifications</strong> (i.e. influenced by humans) of the atmosphere.</li>
<li>The HKH region lies <strong>downwind</strong> from some of the most<strong> heavily polluted places</strong> on Earth. This threatens agriculture, climate as well as monsoon patterns.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recommendations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is recommended to<strong> shift away from</strong> fossil fuel use in energy, transport, and other sectors, while changing diets and agricultural practices to move to net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases.</li>
<li>The countries in the region<strong> need to reduce emissions</strong> of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/black-carbon-and-glacier-melting" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>black carbon</strong> </a>and other air pollutants as well.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Suggested Policies and Actions to Mitigate the Problem:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Farmers will need support <strong>to design and invest in locally-appropriate water storage solutions,</strong> or to shift to agricultural practices that consume less water.</li>
<li><strong>Designs of new hydropower plants and grids</strong> will need to take into account the changing climate and water availability.</li>
<li><strong>Data and information, capacity-building and early warning systems and infrastructure design</strong> will need to be improved. This calls for sufficient funding and large-scale coordination.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Related Initiative Taken by India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)</strong> is one of the eight missions under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).</strong></a></li>
<li>The mandate is to evolve measures to sustain and safeguard the Himalayan glaciers, mountain ecosystems, biodiversity and wildlife conservation &amp; protection.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>ICIMOD is<strong> an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre</strong> working for the people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).</li>
<li>It is<strong> based in Kathmandu, Nepal</strong> and works in and for <strong>eight regional member countries &ndash;</strong> Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/glacier-melting-in-hindu-kush-2-billion-people-may-face-food-water-shortage-by-2100-77356" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 10 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8554,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen Phase-II',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM (G)] Phase-II</strong> is making steady progress amidst<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/comprehensive-action-plan-for-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Covid-19</strong> </a>with <strong>1249 villages declared ODF(Open Defecation Free) Plus.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>SBM (G) Phase-II</strong> was approved in <strong>February 2020</strong> by the <strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti.</strong></li>
<li><strong>ODF Plus</strong> entails that ODF behaviours are sustained, and every village has access to solid and liquid waste management.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About SBM(G) Phase-II:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About:</strong> It emphasizes the sustainability of achievements under <strong>phase I</strong> and to provide adequate facilities for <strong>Solid/Liquid &amp; plastic Waste Management (SLWM)</strong> in rural India.</li>
<li><strong>Implementation:</strong> SBM (G) Phase-II will be implemented from <strong>2020-21 to 2024-25</strong> in a mission mode with a total outlay of <strong>Rs. 1,40,881 crores.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Funding Pattern and Norms:</strong> The fund sharing pattern between Centre and States will be <strong>90:10</strong> for North-Eastern States and Himalayan States and UT of J&amp;K; <strong>60:40</strong> for other States; and <strong>100%</strong> for other Union Territories.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Funding Norms for <strong>SLWM</strong> have been rationalized and changed to per capita basis in place of the number of households.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Monitoring:</strong> The SLWM component of ODF Plus will be monitored on the basis of output-outcome indicators for 4 key areas:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Plastic waste management,</li>
<li>Biodegradable solid waste management (including animal waste management),</li>
<li>Greywater (Household Wastewater) management</li>
<li>Fecal sludge management.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It will continue to <strong>generate employment and provide impetus to the rural economy</strong> through construction of household toilets and community toilets, as well as infrastructure for SLWM such as compost pits, soak pits, waste stabilisation ponds, material recovery facilities etc.</li>
<li>It will also <strong>help rural India effectively handle the challenge of solid and liquid waste management</strong> and will help in substantial improvement in the health of the villagers in the country.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Swachh Bharat Mission (G) Phase-I:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> rural sanitation coverage</strong> in the country at the time of launch of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/Swachh%20Bharat%20Mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SBM (G)</strong></a> on 2<sup>nd</sup> October, 2014 was reported as <strong>38.7%</strong>.</li>
<li>More than 10 crore individual toilets have been constructed since the launch of the mission; as a result, rural areas in all the States have declared themselves ODF as on 2<sup>nd</sup> October, 2019.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Schemes as part of SBM:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/unified-portal-of-gobardhan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOBAR-DHAN</a> (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) Scheme:</strong> It was launched by the <strong>Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2018.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The scheme aims to augment income of farmers by converting biodegradable waste into <strong>compressed biogas </strong>(CBG).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Individual Household Latrines (IHHL):</strong> Under SBM, individuals get around 15 thousand for the construction of toilets.</li>
<li><strong>Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan:</strong> The Ministry of Education launched Swachh Vidyalaya Programme under Swachh Bharat Mission with an objective to provide separate toilets for boys and girls in all government schools within one year.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The pandemic has largely sensitized the people of this country towards personal health and hygiene. This awareness must be built upon to further the goals under Swachh Bharat Mission.</li>
<li>The landmark allocation, to the tune of <strong>1.42 lakh Crores</strong> over 2021-25, made by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/15th-finance-commission-recommendations-resource-allocation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>15<sup>th</sup> Finance Commission</strong></a> towards Water and Sanitation sectors is termed as a game changer for Gram Panchayats.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1725083" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 8550,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => '‘Sea Snot’ Outbreak in Turkey',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, <strong>Turkey&rsquo;s Sea of Marmara</strong>, which <strong>connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea,</strong> has witnessed the <strong>largest outbreak of &lsquo;sea snot&rsquo;.</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>A &lsquo;sea snot&rsquo; outbreak was <strong>first recorded in the country in 2007.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623141072_map.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1623141072_map.png" width="450" caption="false" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></h3>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Sea Snot and its Formation:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is <strong>marine mucilage</strong> that is formed when <strong>algae are overloaded with nutrients</strong> as a result of <strong>water pollution</strong> combined with the effects of <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/changing-climate-and-deglaciation-a-warning-call" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>nutrient overload</strong> occurs when <strong>algae feast on warm weather</strong> caused by <strong>global warming.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It looks like a <strong>viscous, brown and foamy substance.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Concerns:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Threat to the Marine Ecosystem:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It has caused <strong>mass deaths among the fish population</strong>, and also killed other aquatic organisms such as <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/tough-corals#:~:text=Corals%20are%20made%20up%20of,the%20compounds%20necessary%20for%20photosynthesis." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>corals</strong></a> and sponges.</li>
<li>It is now <strong>covering the surface of the sea</strong> and has also <strong>spread to 80-100 feet</strong> below the surface which eventually can collapse to the bottom and cover the sea floor.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Livelihoods of Fishermen Affected:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>As the sludge is getting collected in their nets, making them so heavy that they break or get lost.</li>
<li>Moreover, the mucilage coating the strings makes the nets visible to fish and keeps them away.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Water-borne Diseases:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It can cause an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as <strong>cholera</strong> in cities like Istanbul.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Steps that are being Taken:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The entire <strong>Sea of Marmara</strong> will be turned into a <strong>protected area.</strong></li>
<li>Moreover, steps are being taken to <strong>reduce pollution and improve treatment of waste water</strong> from coastal cities and ships.</li>
<li>Turkey&rsquo;s biggest <strong>maritime clean-up operation</strong> is being launched and called on local residents, artists and NGOs to join hands to extend assistance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Nutrient Pollution</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is the process where too <strong>many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus</strong>, are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer, <strong>causing excessive growth of algae.</strong></li>
<li>This process is also known as <strong>eutrophication.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sources of Nutrients:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>They can <strong>occur naturally</strong> as a result of <strong>weathering of rocks</strong> and soil in the watershed and they can also <strong>come from the ocean due to mixing of water currents.</strong></li>
<li>There are more nutrients entering our coastal waters from <strong>wastewater treatment facilities, runoff from land in urban areas</strong> during rains, and <strong>from farming.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Severe algal growth blocks light that is needed for plants</strong>, such as seagrasses, to grow.</li>
<li>When the <strong>algae and seagrass die</strong>, they decay and in this process the oxygen in the water is used up and this leads to <strong>low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water.</strong> This, in turn, <strong>can kill fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic animals.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>World Oceans Day</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on <strong>8<sup>th</sup> June</strong> to create awareness about the benefits that mankind gets from the ocean.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008.</li>
<li>Oceans are considered to be the <strong>lungs of the planet</strong>, a critical <strong>part of the biosphere</strong> and are a major <strong>source of food and medicine.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The <strong>theme</strong> of the World Oceans Day 2021 is <strong>'The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods'.</strong></li>
<li>It is especially relevant in the lead-up to the <strong>UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development</strong>, which will run from 2021 to 2030.</li>
<li>The decade is aimed at strengthening international cooperation to develop scientific research and innovative technologies that are capable of connecting ocean science with the needs of modern society.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-the-sea-snot-outbreak-in-turkey-7347989/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: IE</strong></a></p>',
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		'article_id' => (int) 8547,
		'category_id' => (int) 22,
		'title' => 'National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being',
		'description' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based on <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/saving-biodiversity-securing-earths-future/article34731266.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Saving biodiversity, securing earth&rsquo;s future&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in The Hindu on 05/06/2021. It talks about the positive impact of the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being.</p>
</div>
<p>Globally, there has been a 7% loss of intact forests since 2000, and recent assessments indicate that over a million species might be lost forever during the next several decades. Further, climate change and the ongoing pandemic will put additional stresses on our natural ecosystems. India is not an exception to these trends.</p>
<p>Today, it is becoming clear that repairing our dysfunctional relationship with nature is one of the ways to mitigate climate change and curtail future outbreaks of infectious diseases that can bring unimaginable misery. Thus, preserving biodiversity is directly relevant to the social, economic, and environmental well-being.</p>
<p>In this context, the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being (NMBHWB) is a step in the right direction.</p>
<h3>Significance of India&rsquo;s Biodiversity</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Biodiversity Hotspot:</strong> India is home to nearly 8% of global biodiversity on just 2.3% of global land area, and contains sections of four of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots.</li>
<li><strong>Staggering Economic Value:</strong> While the precise economic value of all ecosystem services provided by biodiversity may not be known, estimates suggest that India&rsquo;s forests alone may yield services worth more than a trillion rupees per year.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, it can be imagined how much greater this value will be with grasslands, wetlands, freshwater, and marine can add.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Protection From Natural Disasters:</strong> The varied ecosystems across land, rivers, and oceans, feed our people, enhance public health security, and shield us from environmental disasters.</li>
<li><strong>Spiritual Enrichment:</strong> Our biodiversity also serves as a perpetual source of spiritual enrichment, intimately linked to our physical and mental well-being.</li>
</ul>
<h3>NMBHWB: Vision</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 2018, the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) in consultation with the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and other Ministries approved an ambitious National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being.</li>
<li>The Mission proposes a national effort that aims to transform biodiversity science by linking it to the peoples&rsquo; economic prosperity.</li>
<li>It further aims to help India realize the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by using India&rsquo;s rich biodiversity to create solutions for challenges in agriculture, health, and climate change.</li>
<li>Under this Mission, research institutions, government, and non-government organizations will work together to catalogue, map, assess, monitor, and use our vast but declining natural assets sustainably.</li>
<li>The Mission will also help create a cadre of biodiversity science professionals to sustain and secure Indian biodiversity.</li>
<li>Finally, the Mission hopes to initiate a mass movement to engage India&rsquo;s massive population to feel pride in our natural heritage, and help in restoring and conserving nature.</li>
</ul>
<h3>NMBHWB: Impact</h3>
<p>The pandemic has exposed the dysfunctional relationship between humanity and nature, and wants us to focus on challenges like: the emergence of infectious diseases; lack of food and nutritional security; rural unemployment; and climate change, etc. In this context, the mission can help in following ways:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Boosting Rural Economy:</strong> The mission can rejuvenate agricultural production systems and increase rural incomes from biodiversity-based agriculture while also creating millions of green jobs in restoration and nature tourism.</li>
<li><strong>Augmenting International Commitment:</strong> The Mission can help India meet its commitments under the new framework for the<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sixth-national-report-to-the-convention-of-biological-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Convention on Biological Diversity</strong></a> (CBD), and<a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> UN SDGs</strong></a> related to pressing social issues including poverty alleviation, justice and equity, and protection of life.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, the mission can help India to emerge as a leader in demonstrating linkage between conservation of natural assets and societal well-being.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Economic Advantage:</strong> The Mission&rsquo;s comprehensive efforts will empower India to restore, and even increase, our natural assets by millions of crores of rupees. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Further, restoration activities across India&rsquo;s degraded lands, which amount to almost a third of our land area, alone could generate several million jobs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Developing National Commitment:</strong> It will generate a strong national community committed to sustaining biodiversity, promoting social cohesion and uniting the public behind an important goal.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Envisaging One Health Concept:</strong> There is a need to rethink and reimagine the concept of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/one-health-concept" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>One Health</strong></a> for all living organisms, including the invisible biota in soils that sustain our agricultural systems.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Implementing One Health concept has both the preventive potential to curtail future pandemics along with the interventional capability for unexpected public health challenges.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Dedicated Cadre:</strong> There is a need for a strong and extensive cadre of human resources required to meet the enormous and complex environmental challenges of the 21st century. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This will require training professionals of the highest calibre in sustainability and biodiversity science, along with an investment in civil society outreach.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enabling Cultural Change:</strong> The gains of environmental change will be upheld and carried forward by the cultural change from environmental education for millions of students, from kindergarten to postgraduate levels.</li>
<li><strong>Promoting Nature-based Solutions:</strong> There is a need to promote nature-based solutions to numerous environmental challenges, including degradation of rivers, forests, and soils, and ongoing threats from climate change, with the goal of creating climate-resilient communities.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>On this World Environment Day (June 5), with the novel coronavirus pandemic raging across our vast country, we must reflect on the ways to rebuild our relationship with nature. In this context, the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being Mission can offer a holistic framework, integrated approaches, and widespread societal participation.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #edffeb;">
<p><span style="color: #333399;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>The National Biodiversity Mission can help mend the dysfunctional relationship between humanity and nature. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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	(int) 13 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8536,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'World Environment Day 2021',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-environment-day-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> World Environment Day</strong></a> is observed on the <strong>5<sup>th</sup> of June annually</strong> to encourage awareness and environmental protection.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>World Environment Day:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>History:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>United Nations Assembly</strong> established World Environment Day in 1972, which was the first day of the<strong> Stockholm Conference</strong> on the human environment.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Theme for 2021:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>'Ecosystem Restoration'.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It will kick off the<strong> UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) -</strong> a global mission to revive billions of hectares, from forests to farmlands, from the top of mountains to the depth of the sea.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The theme for this year&rsquo;s in India is<strong> &lsquo;promotion of <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/biofuels-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biofuels</a> for a better environment&rsquo;.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Host Nation:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Pakistan will be the global host for 2021.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Initiatives Taken by India:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>E-100 pilot project</strong> has been launched in Pune for the production and distribution of ethanol across the country.</li>
<li>The government is<strong> releasing the E-20 notification</strong> that will allow oil companies to sell 20% ethanol blended petrol from 1<sup>st</sup> April, 2023, and BIS specifications for ethanol blends E12 and E15.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ecosystem Restoration</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Ecosystem:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is <strong>a community of plants and animals interacting with each other in a given area,</strong> and also with their <strong>non-living environments.</strong> The non-living environments include weather, earth, sun, soil, climate and atmosphere.</li>
<li>The ecosystem <strong>relates to the way</strong> that all these different organisms live in close proximity to each other and how they interact with each other.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Ecosystem Restoration:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ecosystem restoration means <strong>assisting in the recovery of ecosystems</strong> that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as <strong>conserving the ecosystems</strong> that are still intact.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>It involves reviving old water bodies, building natural forests, providing space to wildlife and reducing water pollution to restore aquatic life.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity,<strong> yield greater benefits</strong> such as more fertile soil, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Need of Restoration:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Ecosystem loss is <strong>depriving the world of carbon sinks,</strong> like forests and wetlands, at a time when humanity can least afford it.</li>
<li><strong>Global greenhouse gas emissions</strong> have grown for three consecutive years and the planet is one place for potentially catastrophic climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India's Restoration Initiatives:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/to-the-points/paper3/desertification-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Afforestation Programme (NAP)</strong></a>: It focuses on the rehabilitation of degraded forests and afforestation around forests.</li>
<li><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Mission for a Green India (GIM)</strong></a>: It is under the <a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)</strong></a> and aimed at improving and increasing tree cover as a climate adaptation and mitigation strategy.</li>
<li><a href="/summary-of-important-reports/6th-national-report-to-cbd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Biodiversity Action Plan</strong></a>: It has been launched to implement strategies for the reduction in rates of degradation, fragmentation and loss of natural habitats.</li>
<li><strong>Rural Livelihood Schemes:</strong> Recognition of natural resources intrinsically linked to rural livelihoods is also reflected in flagship schemes like the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sub-group-of-chief-ministers-on-coordination-between-mgnrega-and-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)</strong></a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-rural-economic-transformation-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).</strong></a><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Potential for restoration through MGNREGA lies in its plantation and rejuvenation of water bodies subcomponents, through which provisions for livelihoods in afforestation, tree plantation, horticulture, and construction of new ponds have been made.</li>
<li>Similarly, schemes under NRLM, bifurcated into farm and non-farm livelihoods, focus on interventions to enhance natural capital and present opportunities for ecosystem restoration.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/world-environment-day-2021-theme-images-importance-of-ecosystem-restoration-june-5-environment-crisis-121060500082_1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: BS</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 14 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8530,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'Black Carbon and Glacier Melting',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The report titled <strong>&ldquo;Glaciers of the Himalayas: Climate Change, Black Carbon and Regional Resilience&rdquo;</strong> says that the <a href="/to-the-points/paper1/glaciers-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>glaciers</strong></a> are melting faster than the global average ice mass. However, the strong policy on <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/concentration-of-black-carbon-on-gangotri-glacier" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>black carbon</strong></a> can sharply cut glacier melt.</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The research report is <strong>released by the <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/world-bank-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Bank</a></strong> and covers the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-mission-on-sustaining-himalayan-ecosystem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Himalaya</a>, Karakoram</strong>, and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/hindu-kush-himalayan-region" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hindu Kush (HKHK)</strong></a> mountain ranges.</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Black Carbon</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Black carbon is <strong>a kind of an aerosol.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>An <strong>aerosol</strong> is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in the air.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Among aerosols (such as brown carbon, sulphates), Black Carbon (BC) has been <strong>recognized as the second most important anthropogenic agent for climate change</strong> and the <strong>primary marker to understand the adverse effects caused by air pollution.</strong></li>
<li>It <strong>gets emitted</strong> from gas and diesel engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It <strong>comprises a significant portion of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/dashboard-for-monitoring-air-quality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particulate matter or PM</a></strong>, which is an air pollutant.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>HKHK Mountain Region:</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>HKHK Region <strong>spans eight countries</strong>; Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar and also <strong>has some of the world&rsquo;s tallest mountains including <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/new-height-for-mount-everest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mt. Everest</a> and K2.</strong></li>
<li>HKHK Glaciers <strong>feed into river systems</strong> including Ganga, Yangtze, Irrawaddy, and Mekong.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The water that runs down from glaciers <strong>feeds the agriculture</strong>, on which nearly 2 billion people are dependent upon.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>HKHK Region, also known as the <strong>third pole</strong>, along with China&rsquo;s Tien Shan Mountains holds most ice outside the North and the South Pole.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About Black Carbon:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>BC is a <strong>short-lived pollutant</strong> that is the <strong>second-largest contributor to warming the planet behind carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>).</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Unlike other greenhouse gas emissions, BC is <strong>quickly washed out and can be eliminated from the atmosphere if emissions stop.</strong></li>
<li>Unlike historical carbon emissions it is <strong>also a localised source with greater local impact.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Source of Black Carbon in Himalayan Region:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Industry</strong> (primarily brick kilns) and <strong>residential burning of solid fuel</strong> together account for 45-66% of regional anthropogenic (man-made) BC deposition, followed by <strong>on-road diesel fuels</strong> (7-18%) and <strong>open burning</strong> (less than 3% in all seasons) in the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Deposits of BC:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It <strong>acts in two ways</strong> hastening the pace of glacier melt:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>By decreasing surface reflectance of sunlight.</li>
<li>By raising the air temperature.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rate of De-glaciation:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The rate of retreat of HKHK glaciers is <strong>estimated to be 0.3 metres per year in the west to 1.0 metre per year</strong> in the east.</li>
<li>Full implementation of <strong>current policies to mitigate BC can achieve a 23% reduction</strong> but <strong>enacting new policies</strong> and incorporating them through regional cooperation among countries can achieve enhanced benefits.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)</strong> is one such policy adopted in India. It is one of the eight missions under the <strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>BC deposits can be sharply reduced</strong> through new, currently feasible policies <strong>by an additional 50%</strong> from current levels.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impact of Glacier Melt:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Glacier melt <strong>produces <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/uttarakhand-flash-flood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flash floods</a>, landslips, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/India%20lost%20One-Third%20of%20its%20Coastline%20Due%20to%20Soil%20Erosion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soil erosion</a>, and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/himalayan-glaciers-impacted-by-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF)</a>.</strong></li>
<li>In the short run, the higher volumes of melt water <strong>could replace receding groundwater downstream.</strong> But in the long run, decreased water availability would <strong>aggravate water shortage.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Measures to be Taken:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>In the Himalayas, <strong>reducing black carbon emissions from cookstoves, diesel engines, and open burning</strong> would have the greatest impact and could significantly <strong>reduce radiative forcing</strong> and help to maintain a greater portion of Himalayan glacier systems. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Radiative forcing is a measure of the change in energy balance</strong> as a result of a change in a forcing agent (e.g., greenhouse gases, aerosol, cloud, and surface albedo) to affect the global energy balance and contribute to climate change.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Steps to be Taken by Regional Governments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Review the <strong>policies on water management</strong>, with an emphasis on basin-based regulation and use of price signals (value of a particular action) for efficiency.</li>
<li>Careful <strong>planning and use of hydropower</strong> to reflect changes in water flows and availability.</li>
<li>Increasing the <strong>efficiency of brick kilns</strong> through proven technologies.</li>
<li>There must also be greater <strong>knowledge sharing</strong> in the region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/strong-policies-on-black-carbon-can-sharply-cut-glacier-melt-says-world-bank-study/article34719913.ece/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: TH</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 15 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8529,
		'category_id' => (int) 22,
		'title' => 'Sustainably Developing Andaman & Nicobar',
		'description' => '<div class="border">
<p>This article is based upon <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/developing-the-sister-islands-of-indian-ocean-101622720051095.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>&ldquo;Developing the sister islands of Indian Ocean&rdquo;</strong></a> which was published in the Hindustan Times on 03/06/2021. It talks about the significance of Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands, its sustainable development and how India&rsquo;s maritime partner France can assist in the developmental projects in the Archipelago.</p>
</div>
<p>The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI), popularly known as <strong>&lsquo;Bay Islands&rsquo;,</strong> hold great significance for India from maritime as well as ecological point of view. ANI provides for nearly 30% of India&rsquo;s Exclusive Economic Zone.</p>
<p>ANI, besides being a home to a rich floral and faunal diversity, is also home to a number of tribal and <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/particularly-vulnerable-tribal-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups</strong></a>, a few of which are on the verge of extinction.</p>
<p>In the immediate past, there have been quite a few projects proposed for these island groups for economic purposes as well as for <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/militarising-andaman-and-nicobar-islands" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>militarising Andaman and Nicobar Islands.</strong></a></p>
<p>As much potential these islands can prove to have for making India a maritime power, this ecological significance can and must not be undermined. A balanced development plan is the ultimate solution.</p>
<h3>Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI)</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Indigenous People of ANI:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indigenous-people-of-andaman-and-nicobar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Andaman and Nicobar Islands</strong> </a>are home to five PVTGs: <strong>Great Andamanese, Jarwas, Onges, Shompens and North Sentinelese.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<strong> Great Nicobarese</strong> are a Scheduled Tribe.</li>
<li>The population of Andaman and Nicobar Islands&rsquo; primitive tribes has rapidly declined over the years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance of ANI:</strong> India's key maritime partners such as the US, Japan, Australia and France acknowledge and recognise the strategic location of the Andaman and Nicobar. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>These islands not only provide Delhi with a <strong>key maritime space</strong> but also<strong> carry significant potential in shaping the strategic and military dynamics</strong> of the Indian Ocean region.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Island Territories Similar to ANI:</strong> France&rsquo;s <strong>La Reunion</strong> island is similar to ANI and lies in the Southwest Indian Ocean near strategic waters. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Australia and the US too have similar island territories in the Indian Ocean with<strong> Cocos (Keeling) islands and Diego Garcia</strong> respectively. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, Diego Garcia&rsquo;s sovereignty is disputed by Mauritius, which has garnered support through a United Nations (UN) resolution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The ANI and Reunion islands are part of a series of island territories under<strong> key maritime players in the Indian Ocean.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Recent Developmental Plans for ANI</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Japan&rsquo;s Overseas Development Assistance :</strong> In March 2021, for the first time, Japan&rsquo;s government approved a grant aid of approximately ₹265 crore toward developmental projects in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/japan-to-fund-projects-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Japan&rsquo;s first Overseas Development Assistance (ODA)</strong></a> initiative toward the islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>ANI as a Maritime and Startup Hub:</strong> In August, 2020 the Prime Minister had declared that the Andaman and Nicobar islands will be developed as a "<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/andaman-and-nicobar-islands-to-be-maritime-and-startup-hub" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>maritime and startup hub</strong></a>"<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>12 islands of the archipelago have been <strong>selected for high-impact projects</strong> with an <strong>emphasis on boosting trade of sea-based, organic and coconut-based products</strong> of the region</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>NITI Aayog&rsquo;s Project for Great Nicobar:</strong> Great Nicobar is the southernmost island of the Nicobar Islands Archipelago. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/niti-aayog-s-project-for-great-nicobar-island" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>proposal</strong> </a>includes an international container trans-shipment terminal, a greenfield international airport, a power plant and a township complex spread over 166 sq. km. (mainly pristine coastal systems and tropical forests).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>NITI Aayog&rsquo;s Proposal for Little Andaman:</strong> The <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/niti-aayog-s-proposal-for-little-andaman" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>plan</strong></a> involves building a new greenfield coastal city that will be developed as a free trade zone and will compete with Singapore and Hong Kong.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Issues Faced by ANI</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Lack of Connectivity:</strong> The island groups, specially the Little Andaman Island, have <strong>little connectivity with the Indian mainland</strong> and global cities.</li>
<li><strong>Geological Volatility:</strong> The island's groups lie in a <strong>seismically highly active zone.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The 2004 earthquake and accompanying<strong> tsunami devastated large parts of the island chain.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Nicobar and Car Nicobar (northernmost Nicobar island) lost almost one-fifth of its population and close to 90% of its mangroves.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Declining Population:</strong> The population of native communities like the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and North Sentinelese has <strong>plummeted from 1,999 to 550 since 1901 to 2011.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Massive projects, epidemics and crippling health crises in the ecologically fragile Little Andaman Island have led to near-extinction of the Onge tribe.</li>
<li>The developmental project proposed by NITI Aayog for Little Andaman includes<strong> de-reserving 32% of the reserved forest</strong> and <strong>denotifying 31% of the tribal reserve</strong> thus rendering the habitations of the tribal groups at risk.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aspects of Blue Economy:</strong> The primary issues facing island nations in the Indian Ocean are related to the key aspects of the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/blue-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Blue Economy</strong></a>. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Sustainable development, illegal fishing, disaster management, the climate crisis, renewable energy and issues of waste management impacts both tourism as well as ecosystems specific to islands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Development and Biodiversity:</strong> A slew of infrastructure projects have been proposed in ANI to give a major boost to tourism and business. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>While this may transform the islands substantially, it would also cause loss of biodiversity and have a negative impact on the indigenous people.</li>
<li>The <strong>Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Committee,</strong> granted the clearance for the infrastructural projects on the condition that all large, medium, and small trees will be counted and geo-referenced and not felled. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>However, <strong>Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO)</strong> is seeking an amendment to this clause so that trees may be felled if required</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Balanced Development:</strong> Militarising ANI and infrastructure and developmental projects will not doubt aid India&rsquo;s strategic and maritime capabilities, but such development should not come at the cost of the ruthless exploitation of Biodiversity hotspot i.e ANI.</li>
<li><strong>Sustainably Developing ANI:</strong> Given its economic, ecological &amp; environmental constraints and the laws to protect the indigenous tribes, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will have to be first <strong>developed sustainably in order to maximise its economic and military potential.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>A sustainable island development framework is not only important for the ANI but will also be applicable and of interest to other island nations across the Indian Ocean.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Sister Islands:</strong> Reunion is the <strong>most developed island territory</strong> among the above-mentioned four island territories, with a framework that supports both the island&rsquo;s economic needs as well as France&rsquo;s military priorities in the Indian Ocean. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Taking from the idea of &ldquo;sister cities&rdquo;, the framework of<strong> &ldquo;sister islands&rdquo;</strong> can be formed.</li>
<li>India and France should lead an effort, utilising their island territories of Andaman and Reunion in developing a concept of sister islands aimed at <strong>creating a foundation for a sustainable model for island development across the Indian Ocean.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Similar to sister cities, a sister island concept would allow India and France to co-develop a sustainable framework for island development.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>India&rsquo;s Development Plans in Indo-Pacific:</strong> If India is to invest in capacity building initiatives and maritime projects in the Indian Ocean, there is a need to research and create an island model for development. Such an approach also creates a new avenue for Indian-led initiatives in the Indo-Pacific.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>As India and its partners compete for access and influence across the Indo-Pacific toward achieving common interests, there is a need to engage with and address regional concerns and challenges of strategically located island nations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Role of IOC:</strong> Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) is the only island driven organisation in the Indian Ocean. It plays an important role in voicing the concerns and challenges of the islands of the western Indian Ocean. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>France recently took over as the Chair of the IOC. India in 2020, formally joined the group as an Observer.</li>
<li>It provides an opportunity for both the countries to lead an island-focused development model.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>India could also borrow lessons from France&rsquo;s island experiences in both the Indian Ocean as well as in the Pacific.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>As India looks to maintain and strengthen its advantages in the Indian Ocean, it should look to leveraging its island territories and non-traditional security issues in offering solutions and addressing regional concerns and challenges. The Andaman and Reunion provide an excellent starting point to do so.</p>
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 100%; border-style: dotted; border-color: #ff0000; background-color: #f2f0ff;">
<p><span style="color: #000080;"><em><strong>Drishti Mains Question</strong></em></span></p>
<p>&ldquo;Taking into account the significance that Andaman &amp; Nicobar Islands have for India in various aspects, a balanced approach towards its ecological fragility and economic significance is the need of the hour. India&rsquo;s key maritime partners with similar interests can be approached for mutual assistance and benefits&rdquo;. Discuss.</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>',
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	(int) 16 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8508,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'State of Finance for Nature Report',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>The UN report, titled <strong>State of Finance for Nature,</strong> analyzes the investment flow in <strong>nature-based solutions (NbS)</strong> and identifies the <strong>future investment needed to meet the climate change, biodiversity and land degradation targets</strong> (set in three <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cop-28" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rio Conventions</strong></a>).</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The report was jointly produced by the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/making-peace-with-nature-unep-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations Environment Programme</strong></a> (UNEP), the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Economic Forum</strong></a> and the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/land-degradation" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Economics of Land Degradation.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About the 'Nature-based solutions (NbS)':</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/nature-based-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> NbS</strong></a> refers to <strong>sustainable management and use of nature</strong> to tackle socio-environmental challenges, which range from disaster risk reduction, climate change and biodiversity loss to food and water security as well as human health.</li>
<li>NbS creates<strong> harmony between people and nature, enables ecological development</strong> and represents a holistic, <strong>people-centred response</strong> to climate change.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Thus, NbS underpin the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals</strong></a>, as they support vital ecosystem services, biodiversity, and access to fresh water, improved livelihoods, healthy diets and food security (organic agriculture) from sustainable food systems.</li>
<li>Also, NbS are an essential component of the overall global effort to achieve the goals of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-years-of-paris-climate-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paris Agreement on Climate Change</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1622632740_image3.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="content-img" src="http://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1622632740_image3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="800" caption="false" /></a></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Key Findings of Report:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Current Investments:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Approximately <strong>USD 133 billion</strong> currently flows into nature-based solutions<strong> annually</strong> (using 2020 as base year). It <strong>comprises about 0.10% of global gross domestic product.</strong></li>
<li>The funds flow<strong> to protect biodiversity and landscapes,</strong> mixed with activities such as sustainable forestry.</li>
<li>NbS finance is <strong>much smaller in scale than <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/climate-finance-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate finance</a></strong> and relies more heavily on public finance.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Public vs Private Funds:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Public funds make up 86% and private finance 14% of these investments.</li>
<li>The <strong>public financial services providers</strong> included the government, development finance institutions (DFIs), environmental/climate funds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Top Spenders:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Public sector spending for the same is <strong>dominated by the United States and China,</strong> followed by Japan, Germany and Australia.</li>
<li>Countries such as<strong> Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia are likely spending large amounts</strong> of money too, but they do not report internationally comparable data.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Recommendations:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>More Investments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Public and private actors will need to scale up their annual investments</strong> by at least four times to meet future climate, biodiversity and land degradation targets.</li>
<li><strong>Annual investment should reach USD 536 billion</strong> by 2050.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Enhancing Cash Flows for Investment:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Reforming taxes, repurposing agricultural policies and trade-related tariffs and harnessing the potential of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/carbon-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>carbon markets.</strong></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Smart Investments:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Restoration of <strong>natural vegetation and afforestation</strong> are essential to meet international targets.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The most important component of annual investment needs is the <strong>cost of establishing new forests,</strong> as it accounts for 80% of total costs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Making Nature-based Solution a part of Government Policies:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Supporting <strong>inclusion of nature-based solutions in current <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/ndc-synthesis-report-unfccc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nationally determined contribution</a> revisions,</strong> national adaptation plans and domestic sectoral legislation.</li>
<li><strong>Aligning private finance with public policy</strong> for scaling up capital flows to nature to a level that can meet the targets of the three Rio Conventions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>System to Track Finances:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>There is a need for a comprehensive system and framework for labelling, tracking, reporting and verifying the state of finance for NbS.</li>
<li>This would improve data comparability and quality as an input to future decision-making.</li>
<li>Further, there is a need to increase positive financial flows by de-risking &amp; incentivizing and reducing harmful financial flows.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/environment/nature-to-tackle-environment-challenges-triple-investments-by-2030-says-un-report-77196" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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	(int) 17 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8493,
		'category_id' => (int) 28,
		'title' => 'Green Revolution',
		'description' => '<h3>Introduction</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The Green Revolution was an endeavour initiated by<strong> Norman Borlaug</strong> in the 1960s. He is known as the <strong>'Father of Green Revolution'</strong> in world.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It led to him winning the <strong>Nobel Peace Prize</strong> in 1970 for his work in developing <strong>High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of wheat.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>In India, the Green Revolution was mainly led by<strong> M.S. Swaminathan.</strong></li>
<li>The Green Revolution resulted in a<strong> great increase in production of food grains</strong> (especially wheat and rice) due to the introduction into developing countries of new, high-yielding variety seeds, beginning in the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Its early dramatic successes were in Mexico and the Indian subcontinent.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The Green Revolution, spreading over the period from 1967-68 to 1977-78, changed India&rsquo;s status from a food-deficient country to one of the world's leading agricultural nations.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Green Revolution</h3>
<p><strong>Objectives of Green Revolution</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Short Term:</strong> The revolution was launched to address India&rsquo;s hunger crisis during the <strong>second Five Year Plan.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Long Term:</strong> The long term objectives included overall agriculture modernization based on rural development, industrial development; infrastructure, raw material etc.</li>
<li><strong>Employment:</strong> To provide employment to both agricultural and industrial workers.</li>
<li><strong>Scientific Studies:</strong> Producing stronger plants which could withstand extreme climates and diseases.</li>
<li><strong>Globalization of the Agricultural World:</strong> By spreading technology to non-industrialized nations and setting up many corporations in major agricultural areas.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Basic Elements of the Green Revolution</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Expansion of Farming Areas:</strong> Although the area of land under cultivation was being increased from 1947 itself, this was not enough to meet the rising demand. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Green Revolution provided assistance in this quantitative expansion of farmlands.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Double-cropping System:</strong> Double cropping was a primary feature of the Green Revolution. The decision was made to have two crop seasons per year instead of just one. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The one-season-per-year practice was based on the fact that there is only one rainy season annually.</li>
<li>Water for the second phase now came from huge irrigation projects. Dams were built and other simple irrigation techniques were also adopted.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Using seeds with improved genetics:</strong> Using seeds with superior genetics was the scientific aspect of the Green Revolution. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/indian-council-of-agricultural-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Indian Council for Agricultural Research</strong> </a>developed new strains of high yield variety seeds, mainly wheat and rice, millet and corn.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Important Crops in the Revolution:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Main crops were Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra and Maize.</li>
<li>Non-food grains were excluded from the ambit of the new strategy.</li>
<li>Wheat remained the mainstay of the Green Revolution for years.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Green Revolution in India</h3>
<p><strong>Background of Green Revolution in India</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>In 1943, India suffered from the world&rsquo;s worst recorded food crisis; <strong>the Bengal Famine,</strong> which led to the death of approximately 4 million people in eastern India due to hunger.</li>
<li>Even after independence in 1947, until 1967 the government largely concentrated on expanding the farming areas. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>But the population was growing at a much faster rate than food production.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This called for an immediate and drastic action to increase yield. The action came in the form of the Green Revolution.</li>
<li>The green revolution in India refers to a period when <strong>Indian Agriculture was converted into an industrial system</strong> due to the<strong> adoption of modern methods and technology</strong> such as the use of HYV seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilizers.</li>
<li>It was funded by the US and the Indian Government and the Ford and Rockefeller Foundation.</li>
<li>The Green Revolution in India is largely the Wheat Revolution as the wheat production increased by more than three times between 1967-68 and 2003-04, while the overall increase in the production of cereals was only two times</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positive Impacts of Green Revolution</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Tremendous Increase in Crop Produce:</strong> It resulted in a grain output of 131 million tonnes in the year 1978-79 and established India as one of the world's biggest agricultural producers. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The crop area under high yielding varieties of wheat and rice grew considerably during the Green Revolution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Reduced Import of Food-Grains:</strong> India became self-sufficient in food-grains and had sufficient stock in the central pool, even, at times, India was in a position to export food-grains. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The per capita net availability of food-grains has also increased.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits to the Farmers:</strong> The introduction of the Green Revolution helped the farmers in raising their level of income. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Farmers ploughed back their surplus income for improving agricultural productivity.</li>
<li>The big farmers with more than 10 hectares of land were particularly benefited by this revolution by investing large amounts of money in various inputs like HYV seeds, fertilizers, machines, etc. It also promoted capitalist farming.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Industrial Growth:</strong> The Revolution brought about large scale farm mechanization which created demand for different types of machines like tractors, harvesters, threshers, combines, diesel engines, electric motors, pumping sets, etc. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Besides, demand for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, weedicides, etc. also increased considerably.</li>
<li>Several agricultural products were also used as raw materials in various industries known as<strong> agro based industries. </strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Rural Employment:</strong> There was an appreciable increase in the demand for labour force due to multiple cropping and use of fertilizers. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Green Revolution created plenty of jobs not only for agricultural workers but also industrial workers by creating related facilities such as factories and hydroelectric power stations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Negative Impacts of Green Revolution</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>Non-Food Grains Left Out :</strong> Although all food-grains including wheat, rice, jowar, bajra and maize have gained from the revolution, other crops such as coarse cereals, pulses and oilseeds were left out of the ambit of the revolution.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Major commercial crops like cotton, jute, tea and sugarcane were also left almost untouched by the Green Revolution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Limited Coverage of HYVP:</strong> High Yielding Variety Programme (HYVP) was restricted to only five crops: Wheat, Rice, Jowar, Bajra and Maize. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Therefore, non-food grains were excluded from the ambit of the new strategy. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The HYV seeds in the non-food crops were either not developed so far or they were not good enough for farmers to risk their adoption.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Regional Disparities:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Green Revolution technology has given birth to growing disparities in economic development at interred and intra regional levels.</li>
<li>It has so far affected only 40 percent of the total cropped area and 60 per cent is still untouched by it.</li>
<li>The most affected areas are Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh in the north and Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the south.</li>
<li>It has hardly touched the Eastern region, including Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa and arid and semi-arid areas of Western and Southern India.</li>
<li>The Green Revolution affected only those areas which were already better placed from an agricultural point of view.</li>
<li>Thus the problem of regional disparities has further aggravated as a result of the Green Revolution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Excessive Usage of Chemicals:</strong> The Green Revolution resulted in a large-scale use of pesticides and synthetic nitrogen fertilisers for improved irrigation projects and crop varieties.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, little or no efforts were made to educate farmers about the high risk associated with the intensive use of pesticides.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Pesticides were sprayed on crops usually by untrained farm labourers without following instructions or precautions.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>This causes more harm than good to crops and also becomes a cause for environment and soil pollution.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Water Consumption:</strong> The crops introduced during the green revolution were water-intensive crops. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Most of these crops being cereals, required almost 50% of dietary water footprint.</li>
<li>Canal systems were introduced, and irrigation pumps also sucked out the groundwater to supply the water-intensive crops, such as sugarcane and rice, thus depleting the groundwater levels.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Punjab is a major wheat- and rice-cultivating area, and hence it is one of the highest water depleted regions in India.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Impacts on Soil and Crop Production:</strong> Repeated crop cycle in order to ensure increased crop production depleted the soil's nutrients. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To meet the needs of new kinds of seeds, farmers increased fertilizer usage. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The pH level of the soil increased due to the usage of these alkaline chemicals.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Toxic chemicals in the soil destroyed beneficial pathogens, which further led to the decline in the yield.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Unemployment:</strong> Except in Punjab, and to some extent in Haryana, farm mechanization under the Green Revolution created widespread unemployment among agricultural labourers in the rural areas. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The worst affected were the poor and the landless labourers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Health Hazards:</strong> The large-scale use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides such as Phosphamidon, Methomyl, Phorate, Triazophos and Monocrotophos resulted in resulted in a number of critical health illnesses including <strong>cancer, renal failure, stillborn babies and birth defects.</strong></li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Overall, the Green Revolution was a major achievement for many developing countries, specially India and gave them an unprecedented level of national food security. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It represented the successful adaptation and transfer of the same scientific revolution in agriculture that the industrial countries had already appropriated for themselves.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>However, lesser heed was paid to factors other than ensuring food security such as environment, the poor farmers and their education about the know-how of such chemicals.</li>
<li>As a way forward, the policymakers must target the poor more precisely to ensure that they receive greater direct benefits from new technologies and those technologies will also need to be more environmentally sustainable.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Also, taking lessons from the past, it must be ensured that such initiatives include all of the beneficiaries covering all the regions rather than sticking to a limited field.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Green Revolution &ndash; Krishonnati Yojana</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The government of India introduced the <a href="/to-the-points/paper3/green-revolution-krishonnati-yojana#:~:text=The%20government%20of%20India%20introduced,increase%20the%20income%20of%20farmer." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Green Revolution Krishonnati Yojana</strong></a> in 2005 to boost the agriculture sector.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Government through the scheme plans to develop the agriculture and allied sector in a holistic &amp; scientific manner to increase the income of farmers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>It comprises of 11 schemes and mission under a single umbrella scheme:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/mission-for-integrated-development-of-horticulture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)</strong></a></li>
<li>National Food Security Mission (NFSM)</li>
<li>National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)</li>
<li>Submission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)</li>
<li>Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP)</li>
<li>Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)</li>
<li>Sub-Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine (SMPPQ)</li>
<li>Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics (ISACES)</li>
<li>Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (ISAC)</li>
<li>Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM)</li>
<li>National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>The Evergreen Revolution</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The improvements brought out by the Green Revolution came at the cost of adverse environmental effects in areas subjected to intensive farming. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>However, where population pressure is high, there is no option except to produce more food.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Hence, the<strong> need for the Evergreen Revolution was called out by Dr. M S Swaminathan,</strong> the Father of the Green Revolution in India.</li>
<li>Under the Evergreen Revolution, it is envisaged that<strong> productivity must increase, but in ways which are environmentally safe, economically viable and socially sustainable.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The evergreen revolution involves the<strong> integration of ecological principles in technology development and dissemination.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
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	(int) 18 => object(Cake\ORM\Entity) {

		'article_id' => (int) 8473,
		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'The Climate Breakthroughs Summit',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, world leaders convened at the <strong>Climate Breakthroughs Summit</strong> to demonstrate progress in critical sectors of the global economy, including steel, shipping, <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/green-hydrogen-for-green-roadmap" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>green hydrogen</strong></a> and nature.</p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>This is a collaboration between the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/davos-dialogue-world-economic-forum" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>World Economic Forum</strong></a>, <strong>Mission Possible Partnership,</strong> the <strong>United Nations Climate Champions,</strong> and the<strong> United Kingdom (<a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/cop-28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COP 26</a></strong> Presidency).</li>
<li>It aims to demonstrate the need for systemic change to accelerate the global transition to a <strong>zero-carbon economy.</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The <strong>&ldquo;Zero carbon economy&rdquo;</strong> refers to the green ecological economy based on low energy consumption and low pollution, where emissions are compensated by absorption and removal of greenhouse gases <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/india-transforming-to-a-net-zero-emissions-energy-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>(net-zero)</strong></a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>One of its key campaigns is the<strong> &lsquo;Race to Zero&rsquo; campaign</strong> that mobilises support of 708 cities, 24 regions, 2,360 businesses, 163 investors, and 624 higher education institutions to move towards zero-carbon recovery for a sustainable future.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Highlights of the Summit:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The <a href="/important-institutions/drishti-specials-important-institutions-international-institution/united-nations-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>United Nations</strong></a> made a call for coordinated action to secure global net-zero emissions and fulfill its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels by 2050.</li>
<li><strong>Maersk,</strong> the <strong>world&rsquo;s largest container shipping line and vessel operator, joined Race to Zero</strong> with the commitment to halving the emission by 2030.</li>
<li><strong>As many as 40 health care institutions worldwide have committed to halving emissions by 2030</strong> and reaching net zero by 2050. <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>These 40 institutions represent more than 3,000 health care facilities in 18 countries.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>The transitions of individual companies and institutions such as these are<strong> being supported by sector-wide plans,</strong> reflected in the revised <strong>Climate Action Pathways, launched with the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action.</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>The pathways set out sectoral visions for achieving a 1.5&deg;C resilient world in 2050, providing a roadmap to help countries and non-State actors alike to identify actions needed by 2021, 2025, 2030 and 2040 to deliver a zero-carbon world in time.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Significance:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Decarbonizing</strong> both <strong>heavy industry</strong> (aluminium, concrete and cement, chemicals, metals and mining, plastics and steel) <strong>and light industry</strong> (consumer goods, fashion, ICT and mobile, and retail) is <strong>technically and economically feasible.</strong></li>
<li>This <strong>can be done through</strong> reducing materials and energy use; increasing their productivity; and decarbonising production processes while implementing transitional solutions such as natural climate solutions where direct emissions reduction cannot be achieved.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>It supports implementation of the <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/five-years-of-paris-climate-accord" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Paris Agreement</strong></a> by enabling collaboration between <strong>governments and the cities, regions, businesses</strong> and<strong> investors</strong> that must act on <strong>climate change.</strong></li>
<li>The focus is on <strong>environmental, economic</strong> and<strong> social system transformation, promoting higher ambition</strong> of all stakeholders to collectively strive for the<strong> 1.5 &deg;C temperature</strong> goal and a climate-neutral and<strong> resilient world.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Race to Zero Campaign</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Race to Zero is the <strong>UN-backed global campaign</strong> rallying <strong>non-state actors &ndash;</strong> including companies, cities, regions, financial and educational institutions &ndash; to take rigorous and immediate action to halve<strong> global emissions by 2030</strong> and deliver a healthier, fairer, <strong>zero-carbon world in time.</strong></li>
<li>Race To Zero mobilizes actors outside of national governments to join the<strong> Climate Ambition Alliance.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Climate Ambition Alliance</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>The CAA currently includes 120 nations and several other private players that have committed to achieving zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.</li>
<li>Signatories are responsible for 23% of current greenhouse-gas emissions worldwide and 53% of global GDP.</li>
<li><strong>India is not part</strong> of this Alliance.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/un-calls-for-swift-zero-carbon-recovery-action-at-climate-summit-77143" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: DTE</strong></a></p>',
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		'category_id' => (int) 21,
		'title' => 'National Mission on use of Biomass in Coal Based Thermal Power Plants',
		'description' => '<h3>Why in News</h3>
<p>Recently, the Ministry of Power has decided to set up a <strong>National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants.</strong></p>
<h3>Key Points</h3>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The proposed National Mission on biomass will also contribute to the <strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-clean-air-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)</a>.</strong></li>
<li>It would further <strong>support the energy transition in the country</strong> and our targets to move towards <strong>cleaner energy sources.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Aim:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>To <strong>address the issue of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/air-pollution-concerted-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">air pollution</a></strong> due to farm <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/stubble-burning-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>stubble burning</strong></a> and to <strong>reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>Increase the <strong>level of <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/reducing-emissions-from-coal-based-power-sector" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biomass co-firing</a> from present 5% to higher levels</strong> to have a larger share of carbon neutral power generation from the thermal power plants.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Biomass co-firing</strong> stands for adding biomass as a partial substitute fuel in high efficiency coal boilers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Take up R&amp;D (Research &amp; Development)</strong> activity in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets.</li>
<li><strong>Facilitate overcoming the constraints in supply chain of biomass</strong> pellets and agro- residue and its transport upto to the power plants.</li>
<li>Consider <strong>regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Proposed Structure:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The Mission would have a <strong>Steering Committee headed by the Secretary (Ministry of Power)</strong> comprising all stakeholders including <strong>representatives from the Ministry of Petroleum &amp; Natural Gas , Ministry of New &amp; Renewable Energy etc.</strong></li>
<li><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/national-thermal-power-corporation-limited" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Thermal Power Corporation Limited</strong></a> will play a larger role in providing logistics and infrastructure support.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Duration:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>The duration of the proposed National Mission would be a <strong>minimum 5 years.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Initiatives to Reduce Pollution from Coal Power Plants:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Stringent emission standards</strong> for coal based thermal power plants have been notified.<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Compulsory adoption of emissions standards for installing <a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/sulfur-dioxide-emission-norms-delayed" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD)</strong> </a>units that cut emissions of toxic sulphur dioxide.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Approved automatic transfer of coal linkage from inefficient power plants</strong> <strong>to new supercritical plants</strong> subject to certain conditions to promote setting up of supercritical units in place of old ones.</li>
<li>Thermal power plants within 50 km of sewage treatment facilities will <strong>mandatorily use treated sewage water.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Other Initiatives to Reduce Air Pollution:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong><a href="/loksabha-rajyasabha-discussions/policy-watch-india-will-shift-to-bs-vi-norms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms</a>.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-energy-efficiency-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UJALA scheme</a>.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/report-on-energy-efficiency-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Solar Alliance</a>.</strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="/to-the-points/Paper2/national-action-plan-on-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)</a>.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="border-bg">
<p><strong>Biomass</strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>Biomass</strong> is plant or animal material used as fuel to produce electricity or heat. Examples are wood, energy crops and waste from forests, yards, or farms.</li>
<li>Biomass has always been an <strong>important energy source for the country considering the benefits it offers.</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Benefits:</strong> <br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li>It is<strong> renewable, widely available, carbon-neutral</strong> and has the potential to provide <strong>significant employment in the rural areas.</strong></li>
<li>It is also capable of providing firm energy. About <strong>32% of the total primary energy use in the country is still derived from biomass</strong> and more than <strong>70% of the country&rsquo;s population depends upon it</strong> for its energy needs.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Biomass power &amp; cogeneration programme:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: circle;">
<li><strong>About:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li>Initiated by the <strong>Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.</strong></li>
<li>For efficient utilization of biomass, <strong>bagasse based cogeneration in sugar mills and biomass power generation</strong> have been taken up under the programme.</li>
<li><strong>Biomass materials used for power generation include</strong> Rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells, soya husk, de-oiled cakes, coffee waste, jute wastes, groundnut shells, saw dust etc.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Objective:</strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li><strong>Promoting technologies for optimum use</strong> of the country's biomass resources for grid power generation.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1721473" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Source: PIB</strong></a></p>',
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