I have written about Environment related issues in this post.
1. National Air Quality Index
The NAQI was created by the MoEF&CC with the help of IIT Kanpur. It acts as a ‘One Number- One Colour-One Description’ standard to judge the Air Quality for Common Man. There are six AQI categories, namely Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. The proposed AQI will consider eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for which short-term (up to 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
2. National Adaptation Fund
Government has established the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) to combat climate change. The NABARD would be the National Implementing Entity (NIE) responsible for implementation of projects under NAFCC. The Adaptation Fund is to assist States that are particularly vulnerable, based on the needs and priorities identified under the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) and the relevant Missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
3. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill
The Bill establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state. These Funds will receive payments for: (i) compensatory afforestation, (ii) net present value of forest (NPV), and (iii) other project specific payments. The National Fund will receive 10% of these funds, and the State Funds will receive the remaining 90%. The Bill also establishes the National and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authorities (CAMPA) to manage the National and State Funds.
4. Solid waste management rules
Solid Waste Management Rules were notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The new rules are now applicable beyond municipal areas and will extend to urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships etc. Clear responsibilities have been assigned to various class of consumers. Solid waste is to be segregated into dry waste, wet waste and hazardous waste. The waste generator will have to pay ‘User Fee’ to the waste collector and a ‘Spot Fine’ for littering and non-segregation, the quantum of which will be decided by the local bodies.
5. Heat wave
This summer witnessed extreme heat waves across India. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has given the following criteria for Heat Waves :
6. IndARC
It is India’s first multi-sensor moored observatory in the Kongsfjorden fjord of the Arctic, roughly half way between Norway and the North Pole. This moored observatory is jointly designed and developed by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR). These sensors are programmed to collect real-time data on seawater temperature, salinity, current and other vital parameters of the fjord. The Kongsfjorden is an established reference site for the Arctic marine studies. The Kongsfjorden has been considered as a natural laboratory for studying the Arctic climate variability, as it receives varying climatic signals from the Arcitc/Atlantic in the course of an annual seasonal cycle.
7. India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC)
As per the agreement in the Paris Climate Summit of the UNFCCC, India has committed its INDCs. INDC include reduction in the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. India has also decided to anchor a global solar alliance, INSPA (International Agency for Solar Policy & Application), of all countries located in between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. India’s share of non-fossil fuel in the total installed capacity is projected to change from 30% in 2015 to about 40 % by 2030. There is a long-term goal to increase forest cover through a planned afforestation drive which includes number of programmes and initiatives like Green India Mission, green highways policy, financial incentive for forests, plantation along rivers, REDD-Plus & Other Policies and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
8. Forest Rights Act and PESA
These two important legislation have protected the livelihood of the tribes and other forest dwellers in India. While the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1994 established tribal dominated elected local bodies in Schedule V Areas in India, the Forest Right Act, 2006 ensured the vital role of the Gram Sabha in granting permission for diversion of area for non-forest activities. But the weakly worded acts have resulted in they being exploited by vested interests. The Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) is core to it.
9. Declaring animals as 'vermin' - Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Since 2015, the Union Environment Ministry has acceded to requests from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar to declare wild boar, rhesus macaque, and nilgai as vermin within specified territories of these States, and outside forests and protected areas. This was because they were proven nuisance in the human habitations bordering forest areas. Such a measure means that those who kill these animals here will, for a year after these notifications come into effect, not be subject to the jail terms and fines that hunting these animals typically invite. Wildlife laws divide species into ‘schedules’ ranked from I to VI. Schedule I members are the best protected, in theory, with severe punishments meted out to those who hunt them. Wild boars, nilgai and rhesus monkeys are Schedule II and III members — also protected, but can be hunted under specific conditions.
10. India Biodiversity Awards – 2016
The International Day for Biological Diversity 2016 was celebrated all over the country by different States and various organisations on 22nd May 2016. The India Biodiversity Awards were distributed during the occasion. Launched in 2012, by the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change in partnership with the United Nations Development Progamme, the India Biodiversity Awards recognise excellence in biodiversity governance across the country. The winners are as follows:
11. Sustainable Development Goals
At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. The language of the SDGs were outlined in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, 2012 otherwise known as Rio +20 Summit.
12. New Delhi Declaration for monitoring GHG emissions
It aims to collect and co-ordinate data from Earth Observing satellites of various countries. More than 60 nations have signed up to work together to establish an international, independent system for estimating and curbing global greenhouse gas emissions based on accepted data.
13. Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
It was adopted in the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at Sendai, Japan. The Sendai Framework is the successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015. It consists of seven global targets and four priorities for action. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) served as the coordinating body.
14. Global Tiger Forum
The Global Tiger Forum is an inter-governmental international organization for the conservation of tigers in the wild formed in 1994. The GTF is committed to work through mandate ratified by the Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) to ensure the implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP). It is the only inter-governmental and international body functioning exclusively for the conservation of tigers in the wild. The number of wild tigers has gone up to 3,890, from the earlier 2010 estimate of 3200, according to the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum.
15. World Environment Day, 2016
The World Environment Day is commemorated as part of the Stockholm Conference which happened on June 5, 1972. It is run by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The Theme for 2016 is " to prohibit illegal trade of threatened " (GO WILD FOR LIFE). Angola is the host country of this year.
16. TRAFFIC
It is a non-governmental organization monitoring globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. It was established in 1976 jointly by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
17. South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)
Regional network is comprised of eight countries in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It aims at working as a strong regional intergovernmental body for combating wildlife crime by attempting common goals and approaches for combating illegal trade in the region.
18. Espoo Convention
It is the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) signed it in Espoo, Finland, in 1991 and it entered into force in 1997. The Convention sets out the obligations of Parties—that is States that have agreed to be bound by the Convention—to carry out an environmental impact assessment of certain activities at an early stage of planning.
Next:International Organisations
1. National Air Quality Index
The NAQI was created by the MoEF&CC with the help of IIT Kanpur. It acts as a ‘One Number- One Colour-One Description’ standard to judge the Air Quality for Common Man. There are six AQI categories, namely Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. The proposed AQI will consider eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for which short-term (up to 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.
2. National Adaptation Fund
Government has established the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) to combat climate change. The NABARD would be the National Implementing Entity (NIE) responsible for implementation of projects under NAFCC. The Adaptation Fund is to assist States that are particularly vulnerable, based on the needs and priorities identified under the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) and the relevant Missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
3. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill
The Bill establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state. These Funds will receive payments for: (i) compensatory afforestation, (ii) net present value of forest (NPV), and (iii) other project specific payments. The National Fund will receive 10% of these funds, and the State Funds will receive the remaining 90%. The Bill also establishes the National and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authorities (CAMPA) to manage the National and State Funds.
4. Solid waste management rules
Solid Waste Management Rules were notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The new rules are now applicable beyond municipal areas and will extend to urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships etc. Clear responsibilities have been assigned to various class of consumers. Solid waste is to be segregated into dry waste, wet waste and hazardous waste. The waste generator will have to pay ‘User Fee’ to the waste collector and a ‘Spot Fine’ for littering and non-segregation, the quantum of which will be decided by the local bodies.
5. Heat wave
This summer witnessed extreme heat waves across India. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has given the following criteria for Heat Waves :
- Heat Wave need not be considered till maximum temperature of a station reaches atleast 40 degree centigrade for Plains and at least 30 degree centigrade for Hilly regions
- When normal maximum temperature of a station is less than or equal to 40 degree centigrade, Heat Wave Departure from normal is 5 degree centigrade to 6 degree centigrade. Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 7 degree centigrade or more
- When normal maximum temperature of a station is more than 40 degree centigrade Heat Wave Departure from normal is 4 degree centigrade to 5 degree centigrade. Severe Heat Wave Departure from normal is 6 degree centigrade or more.
- When actual maximum temperature remains 45 degree centigrade or more irrespective of normal maximum temperature, heat waves should be declared.
6. IndARC
It is India’s first multi-sensor moored observatory in the Kongsfjorden fjord of the Arctic, roughly half way between Norway and the North Pole. This moored observatory is jointly designed and developed by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR). These sensors are programmed to collect real-time data on seawater temperature, salinity, current and other vital parameters of the fjord. The Kongsfjorden is an established reference site for the Arctic marine studies. The Kongsfjorden has been considered as a natural laboratory for studying the Arctic climate variability, as it receives varying climatic signals from the Arcitc/Atlantic in the course of an annual seasonal cycle.
7. India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC)
As per the agreement in the Paris Climate Summit of the UNFCCC, India has committed its INDCs. INDC include reduction in the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. India has also decided to anchor a global solar alliance, INSPA (International Agency for Solar Policy & Application), of all countries located in between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. India’s share of non-fossil fuel in the total installed capacity is projected to change from 30% in 2015 to about 40 % by 2030. There is a long-term goal to increase forest cover through a planned afforestation drive which includes number of programmes and initiatives like Green India Mission, green highways policy, financial incentive for forests, plantation along rivers, REDD-Plus & Other Policies and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
8. Forest Rights Act and PESA
These two important legislation have protected the livelihood of the tribes and other forest dwellers in India. While the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1994 established tribal dominated elected local bodies in Schedule V Areas in India, the Forest Right Act, 2006 ensured the vital role of the Gram Sabha in granting permission for diversion of area for non-forest activities. But the weakly worded acts have resulted in they being exploited by vested interests. The Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) is core to it.
9. Declaring animals as 'vermin' - Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Since 2015, the Union Environment Ministry has acceded to requests from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar to declare wild boar, rhesus macaque, and nilgai as vermin within specified territories of these States, and outside forests and protected areas. This was because they were proven nuisance in the human habitations bordering forest areas. Such a measure means that those who kill these animals here will, for a year after these notifications come into effect, not be subject to the jail terms and fines that hunting these animals typically invite. Wildlife laws divide species into ‘schedules’ ranked from I to VI. Schedule I members are the best protected, in theory, with severe punishments meted out to those who hunt them. Wild boars, nilgai and rhesus monkeys are Schedule II and III members — also protected, but can be hunted under specific conditions.
10. India Biodiversity Awards – 2016
The International Day for Biological Diversity 2016 was celebrated all over the country by different States and various organisations on 22nd May 2016. The India Biodiversity Awards were distributed during the occasion. Launched in 2012, by the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change in partnership with the United Nations Development Progamme, the India Biodiversity Awards recognise excellence in biodiversity governance across the country. The winners are as follows:
- The Hargilla army project to conserve the Greater Adjutant Bird that is an endagered species found only in India and Cambodia.
- Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme in Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh
- Vechur cattle ex-situ breeding programme
- Conservation of the living root bridges in Mawkyrnot, Meghalaya by the self help group.
- Participatory Learning and Action Network - An ecological intervention to conserve the coastal ecosystem in Tamil Nadu
11. Sustainable Development Goals
At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years. The language of the SDGs were outlined in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, 2012 otherwise known as Rio +20 Summit.
12. New Delhi Declaration for monitoring GHG emissions
It aims to collect and co-ordinate data from Earth Observing satellites of various countries. More than 60 nations have signed up to work together to establish an international, independent system for estimating and curbing global greenhouse gas emissions based on accepted data.
13. Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
It was adopted in the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at Sendai, Japan. The Sendai Framework is the successor instrument to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015. It consists of seven global targets and four priorities for action. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) served as the coordinating body.
14. Global Tiger Forum
The Global Tiger Forum is an inter-governmental international organization for the conservation of tigers in the wild formed in 1994. The GTF is committed to work through mandate ratified by the Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) to ensure the implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP). It is the only inter-governmental and international body functioning exclusively for the conservation of tigers in the wild. The number of wild tigers has gone up to 3,890, from the earlier 2010 estimate of 3200, according to the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum.
15. World Environment Day, 2016
The World Environment Day is commemorated as part of the Stockholm Conference which happened on June 5, 1972. It is run by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The Theme for 2016 is " to prohibit illegal trade of threatened " (GO WILD FOR LIFE). Angola is the host country of this year.
16. TRAFFIC
It is a non-governmental organization monitoring globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. It was established in 1976 jointly by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
17. South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)
Regional network is comprised of eight countries in South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It aims at working as a strong regional intergovernmental body for combating wildlife crime by attempting common goals and approaches for combating illegal trade in the region.
18. Espoo Convention
It is the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) signed it in Espoo, Finland, in 1991 and it entered into force in 1997. The Convention sets out the obligations of Parties—that is States that have agreed to be bound by the Convention—to carry out an environmental impact assessment of certain activities at an early stage of planning.
Next:International Organisations
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