Geography Environment & Disaster Management

Rat-hole Mining Why in news ? Rat-hole mining has begun to rescue the trapped workers in Uttarkashi tunnel. what is Rat-Hole Mining?  Rat hole mining is a method of extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams,

Tungabhadra River Why in news ? A 17-year-old was recently swept away in the Tungabhadra River in Huligi village. About Tungabhadra River It is a major river in the south Indian peninsula. It is a

El Nino Impact on Food Security: FAO Why in news ? The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently forecast that El Nino may fuel more extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires and droughts. El Niño

Lhonak Lake Why In News ? Recent flash floods in north Sikkim resulted from the bursting of the South Lhonak Lake. This flood occurred due to continuous rain and rising water level in Teesta river.

Cyclone ‘Tej’ Why in News? Recently the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that Cyclone Tej, which is forming a depression in the Arabian Sea, has intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm near the

Heat Belts Why in News? A new study recently reveals the emergence of an “extreme heat belt” in the United States, which is likely to spread to other regions of the world by In Terms

Aerosol Why In News ? Recently, a new analysis by the Physical Research Laboratory of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has revealed that a worrying increase in aerosol levels is being observed in the

The most dangerous earthquake occurred in Afghanistan  Why In News ? Recently, more than 2000 people have died and more than 9,000 have been injured in the powerful earthquake that occurred in Afghanistan. According to

Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022 WHY IN NEWS ? Excessive number of species have been included in the new schedules of the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022, with no consultation or process. What is the

Mytella strigata WHY IN NEWS ? Recently, the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Fisheries Department and the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority to file a detailed report on the

Invasive Plant Species  WHY IN NEWS ?  About 66 per cent of the country’s natural systems are threatened with invasive species, according to the report. MAIN BODY Introduced as an ornamental species and for use

Manis Mysteria Why in news ? Adding to the eight known species of pangolins, scientists recently discovered a ninth variety, tentatively named “Manis mysteria” Manis Mysteria Findings – eight species of pangolin (4 Asian and

Shrinking lion numbers in Africa  Why in News?  The Study by Journal Nature Communications highlighted the concerns with respect to the population of Lions lying well below the carrying capacity across 62 geographic locations of

Moonquakes Why in News ?  An earthquake is caused when tectonic plates shift, however, the quakes themselves aren’t restricted to the earth. Central Idea A research utilized seismic data collected between 1976 and 1977, showcasing

New Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for Environmental Issues Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has constituted a Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on environmental issues. MoEFCC has constituted this Standing Statutory Committee

Powerful quake in Morocco  Recently, an earthquake of 6.8-6.9 magnitude occurred in the Marrakesh-Safi region of Morocco, which is the most destructive earthquake to hit the country in the last 120 years. This is the

Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023 Rankings  Recently the awards of ‘Clean Air Survey 2023’ were announced by the ‘Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan (SVS) It is a new initiative

Sand Mining: Irreversible damage to Ocean benthic life According to a recent report by global data platform ‘Marine Sand Watch’, about six billion tonnes of sand is extracted from the world’s oceans annually, causing irreversible

Bans on two more veterinary drugs linked to vulture deaths in India  Recently, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has banned the production, sale and distribution of Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac and their formulations

Report on water crisis released by World Resources Institute (WRI) According to a recently published report, one-fourth of the world’s population is facing extremely high water stress. As per the data released by the World

UNDP And Partners Launch Open-Source Software For Carbon Credits Trading Recently the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has launched software called ‘National Carbon Registry’. This software will enable countries to effectively manage national data and

State of India’s Birds 2023 report Recently Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have released the report titled ‘Status of Birds of India, 2023’. This report is a periodic assessment

WWF Applauds the Adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund The “Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF)” has been launched at the recently held 7th session of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Through the GBFF, governments,

Fukushima: China retaliates as Japan releases treated nuclear water Recently, Japan will release 1.34 million tonnes of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean after 12 years. It may be

A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) plus El Niño  A recent report from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology states that the IOD index has moved beyond the positive range. Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD): The IOD

Dholpur-Karauli to be Rajasthan 5th tiger reserve & India’s 54th Recently the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has given final approval to the fifth 5th Tiger Reserve of Rajasthan at Dholpur Karauli.

Gabon announces $500 million ‘debt for nature swap’ Recently, the African country Gabon has announced a debt-for-nature swap worth $500 million. This becomes the second Debt for Nature swap in Africa after a similar agreement

India announces definition of Green Hydrogen Recently the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has introduced the Green Hydrogen Standard for the country as part of the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The standard issued

Minamata Convention on mercury completes six years The Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted in Geneva in 2013. It is the world’s first legally binding treaty to protect human health and the environment from the

Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak passes away Recently, renowned social reformer and founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organization Bindeshwar Pathak passed away due to a heart attack. Born in the year 1943, Dr. Bindeshwar