Environment and Ecology: March 2023 UPSC Current Affairs | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

Synchronised Survey of Vultures 

Why in News?

There are 246 vultures spread across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, according to the first-ever synchronised census on the bird carried out in February 2023.

• The survey was conducted by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife department along with its counterparts in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the select regions of the Western Ghats.

What are the Key Highlights of the Survey?

• The survey was carried out in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and the adjoining landscape consisting of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Tamil Nadu, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in Kerala, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) and Nagerhole Tiger Reserve (NTR) in Karnataka.
• A total of 98 vultures were seen in MTR, two in STR, 52 in WWS, 73 in BTR, and 23 in NTR.
• Volunteers sighted White-rumped vultures (183), Long-billed vultures (30), Red-headed vultures (28), Egyptian vultures (3), Himalayan Griffon (1), and Cinereous vultures (1).
• Vultures are witnessing a catastrophic decline from the 2000s as these species are being exposed to diclofenac drug which is mainly used as a painkiller for cattle and experts believe that increasing wild carcass availability was one of the major steps needed to help vultures thrive.

What are Vultures?

• About:
  • It is one of the 22 species of large carrion-eating birds that live predominantly in the tropics and subtropics.
  • They act an important function as nature’s garbage collectors and help to keep the environment clean of waste.
  • Vultures also play a valuable role in keeping wildlife diseases in check.
  • India is home to 9 species of Vulture namely the Oriental white-backed, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Himalayan, Red-headed, Egyptian, Bearded, Cinereous and the Eurasian Griffon.
  • Most of these 9 species face dangers of extinction.
  • Bearded, Long-billed, Slender-billed, Oriental white-backed are protected in the Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Rest are protected under ‘Schedule IV’.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):

• Threats:
  • Loss of Natural Habitats due to anthropogenic activities.
  • Food Dearth and Contaminated Food.
  • Electrocution by Power lines.
• Conservation Efforts:
  • Recently, the Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25 for the conservation of vultures in the country.
  • It will ensure minimum use of Diclofenac and prevent the poisoning of the principal food of vultures, the cattle carcasses.
  • To study the cause of deaths of vultures in India, a Vulture Care Centre (VCC) was set up at Pinjore, Haryana in 2001.
  • Later in 2004, the VCC was upgraded to being the first Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre (VCBC) in India.
  • At present, there are nine Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centres (VCBC) in India, of which three are directly administered by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).

Migration of Great Seahorses

Context

According to a recent study, large seahorses are forced to migrate arduously toward Odisha by intensive fishing off the coast of Coromandel. 

Key Highlights of the Study

• About the Seahorse
  • Seahorse is a fish with a horse-like head.
  • There are 46 species of seahorses reported worldwide. 
  • Seahorse belongs to the family of fish, which is termed “Syngnathidae”, this also includes pipefishes and seadragons. 
  • The coastal ecosystems of India house nine out of 12 species found in the Indo-Pacific.
  • These seahorse populations are distributed across diverse ecosystems such as seagrass, mangroves, macroalgal beds, and coral reefs. 
  • These nine species are distributed along the coasts of eight States and five Union Territories from Gujarat to Odisha, apart from Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 
• Vulnerability of the Seahorse Population
  • Among the eight species classified as "vulnerable" is the population of the great seahorse.
  • It is due to the overexploitation of the seahorse population for traditional Chinese medicines and as ornamental fish, combined with general destructive fishing and fisheries bycatch. 
• Seahorse Migration
  • Seahorse species are abundant off the Coromandel coast (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) but are under extensive fishing pressure, with 13 million individuals caught annually.
  • Thus to maintain their population seahorses migrate by rafting, clinging to floating substrata such as macroalgae or plastic debris for dispersal by ocean currents, to new habitats, despite the fact that they’re poor swimmers. 
  • The 1,300 km northward migration of the great seahorse from Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar to Odisha is likely a response to extensive fishing activities around the southern coast of India.  
• Cons of Seahorse Migration 
  • Fishing is less intense in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coastline. But the shallow coastal ecosystem of the eastern Indian State may not be the seahorse's new comfort zone.
  • The seahorse population is under a great deal of pressure because it is highly dependent on local habitats to maintain its extensive and long-life history traits, despite the 2001 ban on fishing and trading of seahorses in India.
  • The great seahorse is not migrating in large numbers, as the Odisha coast does not have coral reefs or seagrass meadows that the species can call home, except within the Chilika region.
• Suggestions for the Conservation of Seahorses
  • The study advised increased monitoring of the coastal ecosystems of India on the east coast for better conservation and management of the remaining seahorse populations. 
  • Even if seahorses migrate northwards, they would not have a suitable habitat, unless the fishing nets that catch them are banned or the fishing practices such as trawling are stopped.

Way Forward

• There is still a need to take significant steps and initiatives to protect seahorses, despite some progress against seahorse population depletion.
• Seahorse and other syngnathid family members could be protected through the use of marine protected areas, fisheries management, specific aquaculture projects, trade regulation, better governance (in particular), and consumer engagement.

Earth Hour

Why in News?

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized to encourage individuals, communities and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour.

• It is organized on the last Saturday of March as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

What is an Earth Hour?

• About:
  • Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in 2007.
  • It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.
  • The idea is to refrain from the use of non-essential lighting to save energy in a symbolic call for environmental protection.
  • Theme: Invest in Our Planet.
• Significance:
  • Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature, tackling the climate crisis, and working together to shape a brighter future for humans.
  • The symbolic lights-out Earth Hour has become the world's largest grassroots movement to raise awareness about climate change and energy conservation and to assure a sustainable, brighter future.

What is the World Wildlife Fund?

• About:
  • It is the world’s leading conservation organisation and works in more than 100 countries.
  • It was established in 1961 and is headquartered at Gland, Switzerland
• Mission:
  • To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
• Other Initiatives of WWF:
  • TX2 Goal (a global commitment to double the world's wild tigers by 2022)
  • TRAFFIC (a joint program of WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)).
• Living Planet Report.

New Species of Moray Eel

Why in News?

Researchers have recently discovered a new species of Moray eel off the Cuddalore coast (Tamil Nadu) and has been named after the state as Gymnothorax tamilnaduensis.

What are the Key Highlights of Discovery?

• This is the first ever record of this genus, Gymnothorax, collected through an exploration survey conducted along the coastal waters of Cuddalore.
• 4 specimens (total length 272-487 mm) were collected, and the species is notably different from other species of the genus Gymnothorax.
• The distinction point is a series of lines of small dark spots present on the head and a single line of black spots on the midline of the body.
• The name of the species has been registered in ZooBank, the online registration system for the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN).

What are the Key Points about Moray Eel?

• Moray Eels occur in all tropical and subtropical seas, they live in shallow water among reefs and rocks.
• They are known for two types of jaws: one is regular (oral) jaws with big teeth and the second jaw is called the pharyngeal jaw (which drags prey inside the eels stomach).
• Their IUCN red list status is Least Concern (LC).
• Including the newly discovered species, 29 species of Gymnothorax have been documented in Indian waters so far.

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

• Founded in 1895, ICZN is tasked to create, publish and periodically revise the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.
• It provides and regulates a uniform system of zoological nomenclature ensuring that every animal has a unique and universally accepted scientific name.
• ICZN acts as adviser and arbiter for the zoological community by generating and disseminating information on the correct use of the scientific names of animals.

Myanmar Teak Trade: Dodgy and Conflict Wood

Why in News?

Recent investigation by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that India has become the second largest importer of "conflict wood" from Myanmar, after China. India hasn’t banned the import of teak from Myanmar, which is being exported to the US & EU.

• These supplies of teak not only chip away at the Myanmar’s forest cover but also provide sustenance to the military regime of Myanmar.

Why is Teak Imported from Myanmar Described as “Conflict Wood”?

• Following the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the military junta took over Myanma Timber Enterprises (MTE), with exclusive control over the country's valuable timber and teak trade. The sales of this "conflict" wood are a crucial source of income for the military regime.
• After Western sanctions on timber trade, India has become a popular stop for illegal timber trade.
• As per Forest Watch, between February 2021 and April 2022, Indian companies imported over USD 10 millions of teak.
• India is both the largest importer of teak, and the largest exporter of processed teak wood products in the world.

What’s so Special about Myanmar Teak?

• About:
  • Teak wood from Myanmar's deciduous and evergreen forests is highly valued for its durability, resistance to water and termites, and is commonly used for high-end furniture, veneers, and ship-decking, especially in the luxury yacht industry. However, the forest cover and teak reserves in Myanmar are shrinking, which ironically increases the wood's value.
  • According to Global Forest Watch, Myanmar has lost forest cover equivalent to Switzerland's size over the last twenty years.
• Status of Myanmar Teak:
  • Teak (Tectona grandis) also known as sagon, sagwan, Indian oak, and teca. Its production covers 1% of global annual timber demand.
  • Teak, is a large deciduous tree native to India, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Teak is highly tolerant of a range of climate conditions and can be found from very dry to very moist regions. It is high resistance to decay and insect damage, and the heartwood changes from olive green to golden brown after exposure.
  • This wood species is listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as endangered, but not listed in the CITES.
  • African teak (Pericopsis elata), also known as Afrormosia, Kokrodua and Assamela, has brown, green or yellow-brown bark. The African teak is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List 2004, and is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

What are the Steps taken to Check Illegal Harvesting of Teak from Myanmar?

• Steps Taken:
  • In 2013, the EU brought regulations, to prevent illegal timber from entering their markets (over 70% of the logs exported from Myanmar between 2000-2013 were illegally harvested).
  • After the military coup in February 2021, the EU and US imposed sanctions on all timber trade with Myanmar.
• Impact of these Sanctions:
  • Teak from Myanmar continues to flow into the US and some EU countries, while imports into countries like Italy, Croatia, and Greece have increased.
  • Traders in Myanmar and India face two challenges: the conflict on the ground and frequent changes in regulations by Myanmarese authorities.
  • After the ban on export of whole logs, a new regulation allowed only teak in "sizes" to be exported.
• Loopholes needs to be Plugged:
  • Timber traders suggest that buyers could conduct DNA testing to trace the origin of teak from Myanmar, despite sanctions in place. However, DNA testing is a relatively new concept and not yet commonly used in India.
  • Loopholes have been found in the regulations for exporting teak to EU countries, with some Indian companies not specifying the origin of the wood or using vague language in transit passes. These loopholes could be addressed to improve regulation.

What Steps can be Taken to Tackle Illegal Trade for Teak?

• Use of science to tackle illegal timber trade, like:
  • Digital Microscopes: In Brazil, for, the law enforcement staff has been trained to take macroscopic anatomical photographs of timber shipments they stop. Reporting Logging: The logging detection system can track activity in real time and report the data to local authorities or to anyone else in the world.
  • DNA Profiling: All trees have a unique genetic fingerprint, allowing us to match sawn wood to its parent tree through DNA profiling.
  • Isotope analysis: To identify wood’s geographic origin (climate, geology and biology), making them unique to an area.
  • Near Infrared Spectroscopy: By exposing wood to near infrared electromagnetic energy, scientists can use spectroscopy to detect its traits and properties.
  • Bridging international and national regulatory gap by effective and objective collaboration, like list this species in the CITES.
  • Bring scientific solution to the wood’s replacement by other artificial materials.
  • Develop genetically modified teak for bridging the demand and supply gap and lower cost in the illegal market.

Peak Plastics: Bending the Consumption Curve

Why in News?

A new report suggests that plastic consumption in G20 countries will almost double by 2050, with the volume of plastic consumption rising to 451 million tonnes from 261 million tonnes in 2019.

• The report, "Peak Plastics: Bending the Consumption Curve," explores the potential impact of policies being considered by the United Nations' plastic treaty negotiators.

What does the Report on Plastic Consumption Suggest?

• The report examined the potential impact of three key policies that cover the entire lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal.
• These policies include a ban on problematic single-use plastic, a polluter pays extended producer responsibility scheme for full end-of-life costs, and a tax on virgin plastic production.
• The study found that a combination of these policies and bolder action, including possible restrictions on virgin plastic production, will bring about peak plastic and see consumption slow in the future.
• The researchers described peak plastic consumption as the point and volume at which global plastic consumption stops growing and begins to recede.
• The analysis is focused on the 19 countries of the G20 — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • The report warned that extended producer responsibility schemes will have a minimal effect on the consumption of single-use plastic products.
• A global ban on unnecessary single-use plastic items will be the most effective policy. South Korea was the first to do so nationally for selected products in 2019, later expanding the ban to other items. India, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and China have also imposed nationwide bans.

What is the Significance of Plastic?

• Resistant, inert, and lightweight, plastic offers many benefits to companies, consumers, and other links in society. This is all because of its low-cost and versatile nature.
• In the medical industry, plastics are used to keep things sterile. Syringes and surgical implements are all plastic and single use.
• In the automotive industry, it has allowed a significant reduction in vehicle weight, reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, the environmental impact of automobiles.

What are the Issues Associated with Plastic?

• Single Use Plastic:
  • Plastics are primarily produced from crude oil, gas, or coal, and 40% of total plastic is discarded after a single use.
  • Our relationship with plastic is short-term focused. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
• Microplastics:
  • Sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, often less than one-fifth of an inch across called microplastics. Spread throughout the water column and have been found in every corner of the globe.
  • Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller pieces- Plastic microfibers. They have been found in municipal drinking water systems and drifting through the air.
• Other Issues:
  • Upsets the Food Chain: Polluting plastics can affect the world’s tiniest organisms, such as plankton. When these organisms become poisoned due to plastic ingestion, this causes problems for the larger animals that depend on them for food. Larger items, such as plastic bags and straws, can choke and starve marine life.
• Impact on Human Health:
  • The World Health Organisation published shocking research in 2018 that exposed the presence of microplastics in 90% of bottled water.
  • We absorb plastic through our clothes, 70% of which are synthetic and the worst fabric for the skin.

Way Forward

• Identifying Hotspots:
  • Identifying key hotspots of Plastic leakage associated with production, consumption, and disposal of Plastic can assist governments in developing effective policies that address the plastic problem directly.
• Breaking Down Plastic Waste:
  • Plastic has become so enmeshed in our ecosystem that bacteria have evolved to digest it. ‘
  • Plastic-eating bacteria, discovered in Japan, have been cultivated and modified to digest polyester plastics (food packaging and plastic bottles)
• Circular Economy for Plastic Management:
  • Circular economy can reduce material use, redesigns materials to be less resource intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products.
  • Circular economy is not just applicable to the global currents of plastic and clothes, but can also contribute significantly to the achievement of sustainable development goals.

DNA Profiling Of Elephants : 30 Years Of Project Elephant

Why in News?

While celebrating the 30 years of ‘Project Elephant’, the MoEF&CC has announced the completion of the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Profiling of 270 elephants, aiming at ensuring better protection.

What is the Project?

• The DNA profiling was started in August 2022 for Gaj Soochna Mobile Application for forest officials.
• DNA profiling is the process where a specific DNA pattern, called a profile, is obtained from a sample of bodily tissue.
• The DNA profiling will act as the ‘Adhaar card of captive elephants’.
• The captive elephants had earlier been chipped electronically, but the method was not a success.
• With the mobile app, forest officers can identify each elephant and track it and therefore its transfer, which often happens in the case of captive elephants, can be recorded.
• After the elephant profiling, more focus can be put on elephant care – with unique information about elephants.
• Unlike Project Tiger, the Project Elephant looks at the welfare and health of captive elephants as well.

What is Project Elephant?

• It was launched in 1992 as a Centrally-Sponsored Scheme with an aim to protect elephants and improve their habitat and corridors, reduce Human-elephant conflict and ensure their welfare.
• As many as 33 elephant reserves, spanning 80,777 sq km, have been notified.
• It provides financial and technical support to wildlife management efforts by states for their free-ranging populations of wild Asian Elephants.
• The project aims to ensure the long-term survival of the populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and migration corridors.
• Other goals of Project Elephant are supporting the research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating awareness of conservation among local people, and providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants.

What is the Population of Elephants in India?

• India is home to 20% of the global captive Asian elephant population, but a census of captive elephants is not done regularly.
• India has the largest and the most stable population of Asian elephants, where more than 60% of wild Asian elephants are in India.
• Nilgiri landscape has the largest single population of the endangered Asian elephant anywhere in the world.
• The population of 29,964 elephants as recorded in the last elephant census conducted in 2017 speaks volumes of the passion for wildlife conservation ingrained in Indian culture.
• As per Elephant Census (2017), Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).

What are the Key Points Related to Elephants?

• Asian Elephants: There are three subspecies of Asian elephant which are the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.
  • Global Population: Estimated 20,000 to 40,000.
  • The Indian subspecies has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent.
• IUCN Red List Status: Endangered.
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
• CITES: Appendix I
  • African Elephants: There are two subspecies of African elephants, the Savanna (or bush) elephant and the Forest elephant.
  • Global Population: Around 4,00,000.
  • IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable.
  • Earlier in July 2020, Botswana (Africa) witnessed the death of hundreds of elephants.
• Concerns:
  • Escalation of poaching.
  • Habitat loss.
  • Human-elephant conflict.
  • Mistreatment in captivity.
  • Abuse due to elephant tourism.

What are Elephant Conservation Efforts?

• Cleaning areas from lantana and eupatorium (invasive species) as they prevent the growth of grass for elephants to feed on.
• Gaj Yatra is a nationwide awareness campaign to celebrate elephants and highlights the necessity of securing elephant corridors.
• The Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme, launched in 2003, is an international collaboration that tracks trends in information related to the illegal killing of elephants from across Africa and Asia, to monitor effectiveness of field conservation efforts.
• Even mahouts (people who work with, ride and tend to elephants) and their families play an important part in the welfare of elephants.
• Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the 2011 order of the Madras High Court (HC) on the Nilgiris elephant corridor, affirming the right of passage of the animals and the closure of resorts in the area.

CAMPA Policy at Odds with IPCC Report

Why in News?

Recently, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its Synthesis Report, where it has raised concerns about the ongoing policy of Afforestation in India that allows forests to be cut down and replaced elsewhere.

What is the Background?

• Afforestation is part of India’s climate pledges. The government has committed to adding “an additional carbon sink of 2.5-3 GtCO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030”.
• GtCO2e stands for gigatonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent.
• Afforestation is also codified in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), a body created on the Supreme Court’s orders in 2002.
• CAMPA works as a national advisory council under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for monitoring, technical assistance and evaluation of compensatory afforestation activities.
• CAMPA is meant to promote afforestation and regeneration activities as a way of compensating for forest land diverted to non-forest uses.
• When forest land is diverted to non-forest use, such as a dam or a mine, that land can longer provide its historical ecosystem services nor host biodiversity.
• According to the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, the project proponent that wishes to divert the land must identify land elsewhere to afforest, and pay the land value and for the afforestation exercise. That land will thereafter be stewarded by the forest department.

What is the Controversy Pertaining to CAMPA?

• In 2006-2012, the fund grew from Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 23,600 crore, but the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found in 2013 that most of the money had been unspent.
• CAMPA has also come under fire for facilitating the destruction of natural ecosystems in exchange for forests to be set up in other places.
• In October 2022, the Haryana government said it would develop the “world’s largest curated safari” using CAMPA funds received from deforestation in Great Nicobar for development projects, 2,400 km away and of very different topography.
• CAMPA-funded projects endangered landscape connectivity and biodiversity corridors” and exposed forest patches to “edge effects.
• Planting non-native species or artificial plantations wouldn’t compensate for the ecosystem loss as well as be hazardous to the existing ecosystem.

What are the IPCC’s Recommendations?

• Since the natural ecosystems provide biodiversity, local livelihoods, hydrological services and sequester carbon.
• The IPCC recommended that Renewable energy projects like wind and solar plants must be promoted to mitigate the adverse impacts of natural ecosystem diversion.
• Reducing conversion of natural ecosystems could be more expensive than wind power, yet still less expensive than “ecosystem restoration, afforestation, restoration”, for every GtCO2e.