Geography Environment & Disaster Management

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

Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) Recently ‘Global Environment Facility (GEF)’ and Conservation International have released report on ‘Inclusive Conservation Initiatives’ (ICI). Key points of report: Indigenous peoples account for 40% of the terrestrial protected area and

75 Endemic Birds of India Report Recently a report titled “75 Endemic Birds of India” has been published by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). It has been told in the report that about 5%

Report on decarbonization targets of transport sector of G-20 countries Recently NITI Aayog has released a report titled “Towards Decarbonizing Transport 2023: A Stocktake on Sectoral Ambitions in G-20”. This report analyzes the current status

Aravali Jungle Safari Aravali Safari Park will be developed in three phases, and the first phase is expected to be completed in about two years. Key Points: The Jungle Safari will be set up on

Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States Recently, the Union Home Ministry has launched a scheme for expansion and modernization of fire services in the states. The scheme has been launched

The Mystery of the ‘Gravity Hole’ Beneath the Indian Ocean Recently researchers from IISc, Bengaluru have identified the reasons for the formation of ‘Gravity Hole’ in the Indian Ocean. This gravity hole is also known

Ubinas volcano set to trigger state of emergency in Peru Recently, due to the eruption of the Ubinas volcano in Peru, a state of emergency has been declared for sixty days in the surrounding areas.

Natural short-lived halogens exert an indirect cooling effect on climate In addition to absorbing carbon dioxide and moderating the climate, the oceans keep Earth cool by releasing short-lived halogens (SLHs) such as chlorine, bromine and

Ban on more drugs harmful for vultures Recently, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has recommended the ban of two other drugs known to be harmful to vultures. The DTAB has agreed to ban the

Bonn Climate Change Conference  It was organized to set the agenda and prepare for the proposed COP 28 meeting in Dubai. Key discussions during the meeting: During this, a draft framework for Global Stocktake was

Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh Felt Back-To-Back Tremors Recently several earthquakes of low intensity have been recorded in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh within a span of 24 hours. It may be noted that the geological structure of

Subsidies don’t help fight climate change, World Bank report finds  According to a recently released World Bank report, subsidies do not help fight climate change. Key findings of report: The report highlights the negative consequences

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatoa volcano erupts Recently, Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano erupted twice in just one hour, sending volcanic ash up to 3,000 meters (9,843 ft) into the air. The 157-metre (515.09 ft) high Anak Krakatoa,

Tropical Cyclone Biparjoy Recently, Cyclone Biparjoy changed its course and hit the Gujarat coast, due to which a high alert has been issued in Gujarat. Cyclone Biparjoy was earlier moving towards the coast of Pakistan.

Arctic Region and Melting Aspirations  According to a recent study, limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C or 2°C as per the Paris Agreement may not stop the melting of Arctic sea ice in the summer

Jagdish Sudhakar, first Indian to receive UNESCO’s Michel Batisse Award Recently Jagadish Bakan, Wildlife Warden and District Forest Officer (DFO) of Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district has won the 2023 Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve

Amrit Dharohar and MISHTI schemes for wetland, mangrove conservation Recently, on the occasion of World Environment Day 2023, the Prime Minister has launched two schemes related to the conservation of wetlands and mangroves. These two

CAG’s 2022 report on ‘Derailments in Indian Railways’ flagged multiple shortcomings Recently, A report titled ‘Derailment in Indian Railways’ has been released by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). According to this report,

Increased rainfall alone will not help groundwater recovery  Recently a study was done by a team from IIT Gandhinagar to understand the variability of groundwater storage due to warming climate. It concluded that, mere increase

World getting ‘measurably closer’ to 1.5-degree threshold According to the recent World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global average temperature may increase by more than the targeted 1.5 degree Celsius. The WMO has issued a forecast

Rajasthan govt promotes manufactured sand (M-Sand) as easy alternative Recently, the Government of Rajasthan is promoting Manufactured Sand (M-Sand) as a better alternative to river sand. M-Sand is produced by grinding rocks and quarry stones.

WMO approves a global tracker for greenhouse gas emissions Recently the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has approved Global Tracker for monitoring Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs). The World Meteorological Congress has approved a new GHGs monitoring

Govt forms Steering committee to review, monitor Cheetah translocation project Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has constituted a ‘Cheetah Project Steering Committee (CPSC)’ to monitor the Cheetah project. The 11-member CPSC comprises national and

Decentralised Renewable Energy Technologies for Sustainable Livelihoods Recently released report titled ‘Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) Technologies for Sustainable Livelihoods’. The report has been jointly published by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and