Context: March 3, 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. CITES is considered a landmark agreement on conservation that focuses on ensuring the sustainability of endangered species. Significance: World Wildlife Day (WWD), marked annually to draw attention to issues of […]
Context: The European Union’s race to rid itself of dependence on Russian fossil fuels is well underway. The International Energy Agency says widespread bids to beef up energy security “turbocharged” growth of green power in 2022, and EU parliamentarians hope to ramp up renewables targets to reach 45% of bloc-wide energy consumption by 2030. Importance: The word […]
CONTEXT: While around 70% of Earth’s surface is covered with water, less than 1% per cent is actually drinkable. Desalination is highly energy intensive and environmentally toxic. But the unconventional freshwater resource is now vital for human survival in dry regions. Here are its challenges and advantages. Challenge: These finite freshwater resources are very unevenly […]
Context: Facing the heat for his recent critical remarks on the state of Indian democracy, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has once again approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking permission to respond to “totally baseless and unfair charges” made against him by senior Ministers in the Lok Sabha. What is Rule 357: In the Rules […]
CONTEXT: Releasing the final report, known as the Synthesis Report, of its sixth assessment cycle, IPCC added that there is still a chance to avert this mass-scale destruction, but it would require an enormous global effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and completely phase them out by 2050. Importance: The world […]
Context: Almost a third of people live in water-stressed countries. Water security depends on rainfall-generating forests. Water supplies, climate change and nature losses linked. Facts About 2.3 billion people — almost one in three — live in water-stressed countries, a third of those facing critical pressures, according to 2021 data from UN-Water. Even more […]
Context: Under the Smart Cities Mission, cities across the country were asked to submit proposals for projects to improve municipal services and to make their jurisdictions more livable. At a review meeting by Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary, these cities were offered help towards meeting the deadline. As the June 2023 deadline for completing the Smart Cities […]
CONTEXT: Panel The Intergovernmental on Climate Change, an UN-backed scientific body whose periodic assessments of climate science form the basis of global climate action, is set to finalize what is known as the Synthesis Report. What is IPCC? The IPCC provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, […]
Context: The next 15-20 days could decide how much wheat India is going to produce — but maybe not the course of food inflation. Currently, the crop in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, largely sown during the first half of November, is in the ‘milk to early dough’ stage. This is when the kernels have started […]
Why in NEWS? The certification industry offers a multi-layer audit system that seeks to authenticate the origin, legality, and sustainability of forest-based products. Why certification requires? With climate change, deforestation has become a critically sensitive issue globally in recent years. Forests absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide that is emitted in various economic […]