Environment

Objections overruled; Forest Bill goes to House unchanged

Context: A Parliamentary committee, set up to examine proposed amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, has endorsed the amendment, Bill.

Forest Conservation Act, 1980

FRA was enacted to provide for the conservation of forests and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto.
It provides that prior permission of the Central Government is required for de-reservation of forest land, use of forest land for non-forest purposes, assigning of forest land by way of lease to private entities and for clearing of naturally grown trees for the purpose of reafforestation.
FRA empowers the Centre to require that any forest land diverted for non-forestry purposes be duly compensated.
The clearance process involves seeking permission from local forest authorities or wildlife authorities. Under this act, the Centre is eligible to reject a request or allow it with legally binding conditions.

Supreme Court Case

Godavarman case

The Supreme court in the Godavarman Case 1996 held that forest would not only cover the statutorily recognised forest under this act. It would recognise any area recorded in government record regardless of the ownership.

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023

The bill is introduced to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, which envisages to remove ambiguity in the applicability of the provisions of said Act, to promote plantation in non-forest areas and to conserve the forests.

Provisions of the Bill

The Bill amends the FRA to make it applicable to certain types of land.
- These include land notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or in government records after the 1980 Act came into effect.
- The Act will not be applicable for land converted to non-forest use before December 12, 1996.
It also exempts certain types of land from the purview of the Act.
- These include land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation.
In the FRA the state government requires prior approval of the central government to assign any forest land to a private entity.
- The Bill extends this to all entities, and allows the assignment to be made on terms and conditions specified by the central government.
The FRA specifies some activities that can be carried out in forests, such as establishing check posts, fencing, and bridges. The Bill also allows running zoos, safaris and eco-tourism facilities.

Issue raised against the bill

The changed definition of the land may go against the Supreme Court’s judgement in Godavarman case on preventing deforestation.
Exempting land near border areas for national security projects may adversely impact the forest cover and wildlife in north-eastern states.
A blanket exemption for projects like zoos, eco-tourism facilities, and reconnaissance surveys may adversely affect forest land and wildlife.
There were even objection to the proposal to change the name of the 1980 law from the Forest (Conservation) Act to the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, which literally translates to Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act The objections were on the grounds that it was “non-inclusive” and left out “vast tracks of population both in South India and also in the North-East.”
This has invited opposition from multiple quarters, including some north-eastern States who objected that vast tracts of forest land would be unilaterally taken away for defence purposes.

The activities exempted by the proposed bill may help in economic development may even contribute to national priorities such as energy security and industrial growth. However, there may be a need to balance -economic benefits of such activities with that of conserving forests. Rather than giving a banket exemption to central government to determine the exempted activities a balance and inclusive approach can be discussed before finalising the bill.

Debrigarh Sanctuary

Context: Debrigarh, a wildlife sanctuary in Odisha’s Bargarh district, has been made completely free from any human settlement following one of the country’s largest ‘peaceful’ relocations of forest-dwellers.

About Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary:

As per the Odisha Forest and Environment department, Debrigarh Sanctuary, which is proposed to be a tiger reserve, has high prey base (46 animals per sq. km).
It is located in the Bargarh district in the Indian state of Odisha, covering a total area of 346.91 km2
The sanctuary is flanked by Hirakud Reservoir which is a Ramsar Site and International Bird Area.
It boasts of having 82 leopards and one Royal Bengal Tiger, besides wild animals such as Bison, Leopard, Sambar, wild boar, spotted deer, wild dog, porcupine and Nilgai.
The sanctuary is home to more than 40 species of mammals, 234 species of birds, 41 species of reptiles, 12 species of amphibians, 65 species of fishes and 85 species of butterflies

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About Hirakud Reservoir

It is one of the largest man-made reservoirs in India, built across the Mahanadi River.
The reservoir helps regulate the water level of the river and moderates the impact of floods in the Mahanadi Delta.

The complete removal of human settlements from Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha's Bargarh district has several positive impacts on the sanctuary and its inhabitants:

Conservation of biodiversity: By removing human settlements, the sanctuary can now be better protected and conserved as a natural habitat for various wildlife species. It allows for the restoration and preservation of the ecological balance, ensuring the survival and well-being of the flora and fauna in the area.
Habitat restoration: The removal of human settlements enables the natural habitats within the sanctuary to recover and regenerate. The absence of human activities such as agriculture, grazing, and infrastructure development allows the ecosystem to rejuvenate, promoting the growth of native plant species and enhancing the overall health of the habitat.
Wildlife protection: The relocation of forest-dwellers helps reduce human-wildlife conflict significantly. It provides a safer environment for wildlife by minimizing the chances of poaching, illegal hunting, and encroachments. Animals can roam freely without disturbance, ensuring their natural behaviour and population growth.

Example- The positive impact of this relocation was immediately evident when a tiger from the neighbouring Chhattisgarh crossed over into Debrigarh which is spread over 353.81 sq. km area and there was visible drop in incidences of man-animal conflict.

Ecotourism and research opportunities: The transformation of Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary into a human-free zone creates opportunities for ecotourism and scientific research. The sanctuary's pristine state and undisturbed ecosystems attract nature enthusiasts, researchers, and wildlife experts, who can study the unique flora and fauna, contributing to scientific knowledge and eco-consciousness.
Water conservation: The absence of human settlements reduces anthropogenic activities that may impact water sources such as rivers, streams, and wetlands. This can help in maintaining the water quality, preserving water bodies, and sustaining the overall hydrological balance within the sanctuary.
Carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation: The restoration of the sanctuary allows for the growth and preservation of forests, which act as crucial carbon sinks. By maintaining and expanding the forest cover, Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary contributes to mitigating climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Education and awareness: The successful relocation of forest-dwellers from Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary serves as an example of sustainable conservation practices. It raises awareness about the importance of preserving natural habitats and encourages people to adopt similar measures in other regions, promoting a culture of environmental stewardship and wildlife conservation.

Green Credit Scheme

Context: The government's proposed ‘market’ scheme seeks to foster sustainable living by offering incentives for a range of activities such as afforestation, water conservation, and waste management. This will be achieved by generating ‘green credits’ as a means of encouragement.

About the scheme

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued the draft 'Green Credit Programme Implementation Rules 2023' under the Environment Protection Act of 1986, marking a significant step towards integrating environmental conservation with economic incentives.
This draft proposes the generation and trading of green credits, a key component of the Mission LiFE initiative.

Highlights of the Green Credit Scheme

Green Credits: Green Credit means a singular unit of an incentive provided for a specified activity, delivering a positive impact on the environment

Generating Green Credits for Environmental Actions

Individuals and organizations can generate "green credits" by actively participating in various initiatives. These initiatives include afforestation programs, water conservation efforts, etc.
By engaging in these activities, individuals and organizations not only contribute to environmental sustainability but also earn credits that can be traded for monetary value.

A Market-Based Approach

It adopts a competitive market-based approach, aiming to motivate not only individuals and communities but also private sector industries, companies, and other entities to fulfill their environmental obligations and acquire Green Credits.
Creating Demand for Green Credits
To ensure the effectiveness of the Green Credit Scheme, the government plans to enact laws or regulations that incentivize companies and organizations to purchase green credits for trading.

Diverse Sectors for Green Credit Generation

The draft identifies eight sectors for green credit generation, each playing a vital role in environmental sustainability.
The eight sectors are: increasing the country's green cover through tree plantation and related activities, promoting water conservation and harvesting, implementing water-use efficiency measures, adopting natural and regenerative agricultural practices, undertaking land restoration, improving soil health and nutritional value of food produced, managing waste effectively, and reducing air pollution.

Special Provisions for Conservation and Restoration

The draft also includes specific provisions for mangrove conservation and restoration-based green credits.
Recognizing the significance of mangroves in protecting coastal ecosystems, the inclusion aims to promote measures for their conservation and restoration.
The eco-mark-based green credits encourage manufacturers to obtain eco-mark labels for their goods and services and sustainable building and infrastructure-based green credits promote the construction of environmentally-friendly structures using sustainable technologies and materials.

Establishing the Trading Platform

The establishment and operation of the trading platform for green credits will be guided by the guidelines issued by the green Credits administrator, with the approval of a steering committee.
A trading service provider accredited by the administrator will be responsible for establishing the trading platform in accordance with the approved guidelines.
This ensures a transparent and efficient mechanism for trading green credits.
Incentivizing Individual and Community Actions
Inclusion of regulatory provisions to account for individual and community actions alongside corporate and business actions. This move aims to incentivize and reward individual and community efforts toward environmental conservation.

Phased Implementation

The mechanism will be implemented in phases. Initially, 2-3 activities from eight sectors are being considered for piloting the Programme. Later, more activities will be added from the selected sectors.

Conclusion

The proposed Green Credit Scheme introduced by the Environment Ministry represents a significant step towards promoting sustainable living and environmental stewardship. By incentivizing a range of activities through the generation and trading of green credits, the government aims to encourage individuals, communities, and private sector entities to actively participate in environmental initiatives.

New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)

Context: The recently concluded Bonn climate conference in Germany, expected to outline the political agenda for the crucial end-of-year Conference of Parties 28 (COP28) in Dubai, was critical for reviewing and reforming the climate finance architecture. The conference has exposed a gaping hole in the funding needed to pay for climate action.

What is NCQG?

At the 2009 CoP, the commitment of ‘$100 billion per year till 2020’ to developing nations from developed countries was set.
Therefore, under Article 9, the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement agreed to set a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCGQ) for climate financing before 2025.
The deliberations were aimed at strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, including by making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
The NCQG work programme runs from 2022–24 and includes four technical expert dialogues (TEDs) each year and a High-level Ministerial Dialogue.
The NCGQ is termed as the “most important climate goal” because,
- It pulls up the ceiling on commitment from developed countries.
- It is supposed to anchor the evolving needs and priorities of developing countries based on scientific evidence and
- It should respond “to the ever-increasing sums of funding, necessary for Loss and Damage in response to failed and/or delayed financial support.

Why do we need a new financial goal?

The finance provided by developed countries may be inflated and misleading.
The $100 billion target set in 2009 was seen more as a political goal since there was no effort to clarify the definition or source of ‘climate finance’.
The economic growth of developed countries has come at the cost of high carbon emissions, and thus they are obligated to shoulder greater responsibility.
Funds available for climate finance have increased quantitatively, but they are inaccessible, privately sourced, delayed, and not reaching countries in need.

Challenges to NCQG:

Developed countries argue that NCQG must be viewed as a “collective goal” for all developed and developing countries.
This argument pushes the “net zero” pathways onto developing countries, which cannot feasibly pay for mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, along with sustainably developing key elements of infrastructure.
The technical expert dialogues (TEDs) didn't establish a clear roadmap for reaching an agreement by 2024.
In 2021, the standing committee on finance of UNFCCC concluded in its first needs determination report (PDF) that developing countries will need $5.8–5.9 trillion up to 2030 to finance actions listed in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
- However, instead of identifying a single aggregate figure, the NCQG could also set separate targets (or subgoals) for focus areas such as mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage.

Bonn climate meet takeaways: Old conflicts, some forward movement

Context: The Bonn climate change conference that finished last week was built up as an opportunity for course correction. Bonn was expected to act as the springboard for accelerated action. But just like the more famous year-ending climate conferences, Bonn underperformed. Developed and developing countries bickered on issues old and new, and could not even agree on the agenda of one of the meetings till the penultimate day.

With current global efforts to keep rising temperatures in check abysmally inadequate, a massive and immediate scale-up in climate action is essential to keep alive any realistic chance of meeting the 1.5 degree or 2 degree Celsius targets.

Issues Discussed

Global Stocktake

One thing that the countries did manage to wrap up, however, was the third and final round of technical discussions on global stocktake, or GST.

The technical discussions just produced a short ‘framework’ on the elements to be included in the stocktake exercise. Even this saw repeated squabbling between the developed and developing countries, mainly over provisions related to finance and ‘historical responsibility’ of the rich countries.

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Historical Responsibility

Things riled the developing countries the most was a statement from Australia seeking to downplay the ‘historical responsibility’ of the developed countries in causing global warming.

A bulk of the accumulated greenhouse gas emissions, the reason for global warming, have come from a group of about 40 rich and industrialised countries, usually referred to as Annex I countries because they were mentioned in Annexure I of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC. This historical responsibility has been the basis for the differentiated burden-sharing on developed and developing countries in the climate change framework.

Australia argued that the historical emissions happened at a time “when there was no alternative to fossil fuel based energy sources”, and when there was little understanding or consensus on the harm caused by greenhouse gases.

It pointed out that since 1992, about 57% of the carbon dioxide emissions had come from non-Annex I countries. It said that 70% of the incremental warming since 1992 due to emissions from carbon dioxide, methane and sulphur dioxide had come from non-Annex I countries.
While maintaining that developed countries would take the lead in climate action, Australia said it did not believe there was “an unambiguous debt” owed by the developed countries for past actions.
The stand was similar to the one taken by the US at the start of the Bonn meeting, which said bridging the adequacy gap was not the sole responsibility of the developed nations and that it would not agree to references to pre-2020 commitments in the GST.
Erasure of historical responsibility is the most sensitive red line for developing countries. This issue would likely come back at COP28 and has the potential to result in major fireworks.

Money matters

Discussions at the Mitigation Work Programme (MWP) ran into trouble after developing countries complained that while they were being asked to strengthen their climate actions, developed countries were yet to offer the enabling finance and technology transfers.

Mitigation Work Programme (MWP)

It is a temporary emergency exercise focused only on increasing emission cuts. It was set up at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 for climate action.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says global emissions have to come down by 43% from 2019 levels by 2030 to keep alive hopes of meeting the 1.5 degree target. As of now, emissions are still growing and, in 2021, were higher than 2019 levels.

Most developing countries, including India, have said they would be able to act more if international support in the form of money and technology transfer was made available.
According to one assessment, developing countries need as much as US$ 6 trillion between now and 2030 just to implement their climate action plans. The loss and damage needs of developing countries are assessed to be about US$ 400 billion every year. More funds are needed for all kinds of other purposes, the total estimated to be running in several trillions of dollars every year. Against this, even a minuscule-looking US$ 100 billion per year that the developed countries had committed to raise from 2020 is not fully available.

UN agreement to protect marine life

Context: Members of United Nations adopted the first ever treaty to protect marine life in the high seas.

UN High Seas Treaty:

The United Nations adopted the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas Treaty, marking the first-ever legally binding international treaty governing the high seas.
The High Seas Treaty was approved by all 193 U.N. member states and aims to establish regulations to protect the environment, prevent conflicts related to natural resources and shipping, and address various issues in waters beyond any country's national jurisdiction.
The treaty introduces a framework for the creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the high seas, which will complement existing MPAs within national territorial waters.
This initiative is intended to address biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation caused by climate change impacts such as ocean warming and acidification, as well as challenges posed by plastics, pollutants, and overfishing.

Focus areas under High Seas Treaty:

Marine genetic resources (MGRs), including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
Area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs).
Environmental impact assessments (EIAs).
Capacity building and transfer of marine technology (CB&TMT).

Biochar: The Ancient Charcoal

Context: Ancient charcoal, a type of charcoal first used by Amazonian tribes thousands of years ago is becoming a key component of net-zero goals set by blue chip companies eager to offset their carbon emissions.

About Ancient Charcoal: Biochar

Known as biochar, this black substance created by heating biomass and other agricultural waste can store carbon for hundreds of years and improve soil quality at the same time.
It is a carbonaceous material derived from waste biomass, of which several key properties, including low bulk density, low thermal conductivity, and the porous nature, have rendered it to present distinguished performance characteristics of the concrete.

How biochar sequesters carbon?

It is produced by heating wood and other biomass in a low-oxygen chamber that limits emissions, in a process known as pyrolysis. The bio-oils and gas produced can be used for power generation.
The resulting char can be mixed with existing soil, acting as a fertilizer and sequestering carbon with a mean residence time of about 2,000 years.
Biochar production and burial remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere through uptake by plants, allowing, in principle, an actual reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
By contrast, conventional carbon capture and storage reduces the carbon dioxide concentrations from exhaust fumes, therefore at best preventing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from rising further.
Biochar is regarded as an ideal material for reducing CO2 in concrete production.

Benefits of Biochar

Carbon Sequestration: Potential to sequester up to 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2050, or almost as much as India emits in a year.
Sound absorption: In addition to its insulation properties, voids and networks of interconnected pores derived from biochar also increase the sound absorption of the concrete.
Cement hydration: The addition of biochar in cement-based composites could increase compressive strength by promoting cement hydration due to its high capacity for water retention.
Used as filler: It usually has a fine particle size; thus, it could be used as filler to fill the micropores in construction materials.
Fire resistance: Compared to wood-incorporated composites, biochar-modified composites showed relatively high fire resistance due to their stable physiochemical properties.
Construction Industry: Utilised as a renewable resource to replace cement content while making mortar that is being used in the construction industry.
Water retention: Biochar feedstocks, such as poultry litter and pulp and paper mill sludge, play an active role in enhancing water absorption in concrete.
Remediation of Soil: Biochar is often used for the remediation of soil suffering from heavy metal pollution.

Challenges of Biochar

Limit activity of earthworms in soil: Due to the application of biochar in soil, the activity of worms reduces which is essential for soil productivity.
Soil compaction: The frequent application of biochar causes soil compaction which in return decreases crop yield.
Lowers efficiency of pesticides: Biochar also affects the application of pesticides hence reducing the efficiency of pesticides in soil.

About Pyrolysis

It is one of the technologies available to convert biomass to an intermediate liquid product that can be refined to drop-in hydrocarbon biofuels, oxygenated fuel additives, and petrochemical replacements.
It is the heating of an organic material, such as biomass, in low or no oxygen.
Biomass pyrolysis is usually conducted at or above 500 °C, providing enough heat to deconstruct the strong bio-polymers. Because no oxygen is present combustion does not occur, rather the biomass thermally decomposes into combustible gases and biochar.
Thus, pyrolysis of biomass produces three products: one liquid, bio-oil, one solid, bio-char, and one gaseous, syngas.

Particulate Matter Pollution

Context: A recent report by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) highlighted that the particulate pollution is increasing in the cities of Rajasthan.

About Particulate Matter:

Particle pollution — also called particulate matter (PM) — is made up of particles (tiny pieces) of solids or liquids that are suspended in the air. These particles may include:

Dust
Dirt
Soot
Smoke
Drops of liquid

Particle pollution can come from two different kinds of sources — primary or secondary.

Primary sources cause particle pollution on their own. For example, wood stoves and forest fires are primary sources.
Secondary sources let off gases that can form particles. Power plants and coal fires are examples of secondary sources.
Some other common sources of particle pollution can be either primary or secondary — for example, factories, cars and trucks, and construction sites. Smoke from fires and emissions (releases) from power plants, industrial facilities, and cars and trucks.

Particle pollution includes:

PM 10: inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller. These particles are relatively larger and can be seen as fine dust or smoke. They can come from various sources such as dust stirred up from construction sites, pollen, or emissions from vehicles and industrial processes.
PM 2.5: fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. These particles are much tinier and cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are often the result of combustion processes like burning fossil fuels, vehicle emissions, or even cooking. Because of their small size, PM 2.5 particles can penetrate deep into our lungs and even enter our bloodstream, causing more severe health issues.

Impact of Particulate Pollution:

Respiratory problems: Inhaling PM can cause or worsen respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory infections.
Cardiovascular effects: PM pollution has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. Fine particles can enter the bloodstream and contribute to the development of plaque in the arteries.
Reduced lung function: Long-term exposure to PM can lead to a decline in lung function, making it more difficult to breathe properly.
Allergies and irritation: Particulate matter can trigger allergic reactions and irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, causing symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes.
Premature death: Exposure to high levels of PM pollution has been associated with increased mortality rates, particularly among individuals with pre-existing health conditions and the elderly.
Cancer risk: Certain types of PM, such as diesel exhaust particles and some heavy metals, have been classified as carcinogens and are linked to an increased risk of developing lung cancer.
Developmental issues: Pregnant women exposed to high levels of PM pollution may experience complications such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and developmental issues in their children.
Impaired lung growth in children: Children exposed to PM pollution may experience reduced lung growth and development, leading to long-term respiratory problems.
Aggravation of existing conditions: People with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of PM pollution, which can exacerbate their symptoms and increase the severity of their conditions.

Steps taken by Government:

Government is taking all efforts for the mitigation of air pollution in the country. Central Government has taken a number of regulatory measures for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in the country.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to tackle the air pollution across the country in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 % to 30 % reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.102 non-attainment cities mostly in Indo-Gangetic Plains have been identified based on ambient air quality data for the period 2011 – 2015 and WHO report 2014/2018.
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was notified on January 12, 2017, for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in Delhi and NCR.
National Air Quality Index: It was launched in 2014 as ‘One Number- One Color-One Description’ for the common man to judge the air quality within his vicinity. Eight pollutants namely particulate matter (PM) 10, PM2.5, Ozone (O3), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb) and ammonia (NH3) act as major parameters in deriving the AQI.

Case Study: Rajasthan (Report by CSE)
The air quality is worsening in both big and small cities and towns in Rajasthan due to increasing level of nitrogen dioxide and ozone.Systemic pollution persists due to inadequate infrastructure for pollution control across all sectors.Jodhpur and Kota is the second among the five non-attainment cities in the State.

CSE analysis says South Delhi, New Delhi worst affected by ground-level ozone

Context: According to a new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), parts of the Delhi-NCR region witnessed ground-level ozone readings exceeding the national standards on 87 out of 92 days in the summer period.

About Ground Level Ozone or Tropospheric ozone:

Ozone (O3) high in the Earth's atmosphere protects us from the sun's harmful radiation. But ozone at ground level (tropospheric ozone), is an air pollutant that harms people and plants.
Ground-level ozone is a colorless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the earth's surface.

How ground level ozone is formed?

It is called a "secondary" pollutant because it is produced when two primary pollutants react in sunlight and stagnant air.
These two primary pollutants are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
These precursor primary pollutants are each produced primarily by a variety of human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and various industrial processes. Certain types of volatile organic compounds can also be emitted from natural sources.

Impacts:

Ground-level ozone is known to have significant effects on human health. Exposure to ozone has been linked to premature mortality and a range of morbidity health issues.
It can significantly impact vegetation and decrease the productivity of some crops.
It can also damage synthetic materials, cause cracks in rubber, accelerate fading of dyes, and speed deterioration of some paints and coatings.

Global Stocktake

Context: Climate diplomats from around the world are currently meeting in Bonn to lay the ground for the UNFCCC’s COP 28 in Dubai. This year’s conference has added significance because climate scientists have begun work on a critical mandate of the Paris Pact, known as the Global Stocktake.

About Global Stocktake:

The Paris Agreement’s Global Stocktake process is designed to assess the global response to the climate crisis every five years.
It evaluates the world's progress in slashing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience to climate impacts, and securing finance and support to address the climate crisis.
It serves as a global accelerator, driving nations to step up their climate action and pursue the transformational change needed to secure a zero-carbon, climate-resilient, and equitable future.
The first global stocktake will happen by the end of the UN climate summit in December 2023 (COP28) in Dubai.
Countries must then agree on how they will leverage their findings to keep the global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C alive and address the impacts of climate change.

Purpose of Global Stocktake:

Established under Article 14 of the Paris Agreement towards achieving the purpose of the Paris Agreement and its long-term goals.
Those goals include
- Cutting greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and ideally 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F);
- Building resilience to climate impacts; and
- Aligning financial support with the scale and scope needed to tackle the climate crisis.
It is intended to evaluate progress on climate action at the global level, not the national level.
In the Paris Agreement, Parties agreed that the Stocktake should inform countries in updating and enhancing their climate actions and support, and in enhancing international cooperation for climate action.
It should also inform countries about new climate plans (known as “nationally determined contributions,” or NDCs) which will be fully updated next in 2025.

Thematic areas of Global Stocktake

At COP24 in Katowice, Poland in 2018, countries agreed that the Global Stocktake would address climate progress in three key areas:
- Mitigation: Evaluating global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees.
- Adaptation: Measuring progress in countries abilities to enhance their resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate impacts.
Means of implementation, including finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.
Loss and damage helping assess the actions and support needed to respond to climate impacts beyond what communities and ecosystems can adapt to.
It also considers the unintended social and economic consequences that may arise from climate action and implementation, known as response measures.
It is also intended to emphasise the importance of promoting equity and leveraging the best available science to inform strategies for tackling the climate crisis.

Significance of Global Stocktake

The Global Stocktake is meant to be a participatory process that is open, inclusive and transparent, as countries agreed at COP24.
Taking place over the course of two years, the Global Stocktake begins with data collection and technical assessment phases and culminates with a high-level political phase.

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

Context: Ending an operation that lasted over five days, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department officials successfully tranquillised wild elephant, Arikompan in the Chinna Ovulapuram reserve forest in Theni district, early on Monday, June 5, 2023. Sources said Arikomban will be released at Muththukuzhivayal beyond Upper Gothaiyar area in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR).

Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

Location:
- It is located in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in Tirunelveli district and Kanyakumari district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
- It includes three sanctuaries, viz. Kalakad, Mundanthurai and part of Kanyakumari Sanctuary, with portions of Tirunelveli forest division of the State.
- It is the second-largest protected area in Tamil Nadu.
- It is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
- Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary together with the Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary has been notified as the 17th Project Tiger Reserve in 1988.
- The topography of Kalakad is rugged with numerous perennial hill streams originating from the rainforest areas on the upper slopes and they confluence to form the rivers of Tamirabarani, Manimuthar and Ramanadhi.

Flora: The vegetation types ranges from forests of tropical West Coast Tropical Wet Ever Green forest to Tropical Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest and Thorn Forest makes it one of the richest biodiversity areas in the world.

The forests are categorized as below:

West Coast tropical evergreen forests
Southern dry mixed deciduous forests
Ochlandra Reed Brakes
Tropical riparian fringing forests
Dry teak forests
Southern moist mixed deciduous forests
Southern montane wet grass land
Southern hilltop evergreen forests
Carnatic umbrella thorn forests
Tirunelveli Semi evergreen forests
Grass lands.

Fauna: The faunal diversity is tremendous and around 84 threatened species have been reported (4 critical, 24 endangered and 56 vulnerable). Tiger and elephant are the charismatic mammals, besides a large array of co-predators (leopard, small carnivores), ungulates (sambar, spotted deer), birds, reptiles (crocodile) and fishes.
Tiger Status: The reserve has a comparatively low tiger status and the 2010 country level tiger assessment has estimated around 15-18 tigers.

India seeks leeway to plan shift to sustainable aviation fuel

Context: The 41st International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly adopted a long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG) for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in support of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius and reach net zero by 2050.

What is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)?

SAF is a liquid fuel currently used in commercial aviation which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80%. It can be produced from a number of sources (feedstock) including waste oil and fats, green and municipal waste and non-food crops.
It can also be produced synthetically via a process that captures carbon directly from the air. It is ‘sustainable’ because the raw feedstock does not compete with food crops or water supplies, or is responsible for forest degradation.
Whereas fossil fuels add to the overall level of CO2 by emitting carbon that had been previously locked away, SAF recycles the CO2 which has been absorbed by the biomass used in the feedstock during the course of its life.
Seven biofuel production pathways are certified to produce SAF, which perform at operationally equivalent levels to Jet A1 fuel. By design, these SAFs are drop-in solutions, which can be directly blended into existing fuel infrastructure at airports and are fully compatible with modern aircraft.

Need for SAF:

International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) could contribute around 65% of the reduction in emissions needed by aviation to reach net-zero in 2050.
This will require a massive increase in production in order to meet demand. The largest acceleration is expected in the 2030s as policy support becomes global, SAF becomes competitive with fossil kerosene, and credible offsets become scarcer.

What is India’s stand?

India asserted that global mandates for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with 2050 as the target year was ‘too early’ and each country must be allowed to develop its strategy according to its national plans.
It also sought the support of UN Aviation watchdog ICAO to achieve carbon net-zero goals alongside other priorities in the aviation sector.
Any global mandates for SAF with milestones to 2050 are too early as each State must be allowed time to develop its own strategy for reaching LTAG as per its national plans,” said Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Rajiv Bansal at ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium 2023.