NCERT Solutions - Environment and Natural Resources

Q1: Which among the following best explains the reason for growing concerns about the environment?
(a) The developed countries are concerned about projecting nature.
(b) Protection of the environment is vital for indigenous people and natural habitats.
(c) The environmental degradation caused by human activities has become pervasive and has reached a dangerous level.
(d) None of the above.
Ans: (c) 
The growing concern about the environment is due to the widespread and dangerous level of environmental degradation caused by human activities.

Q2: Mark correct or wrong against each of the following statements about the Earth Summit:
(a) It was attended by 170 countries, thousands of NGOs and many MNCs.
(b) The Summit was held under the aegis of the UN.
(c) For the first time, global environmental issues were firmly consolidated at the political level.
(d) It was a summit meeting.
Ans: 
(a) Correct 
(b) Wrong
(c) Correct 
(d) Wrong

Q3: Which among the following are true about the Global Commons?
(a) The earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor and outer space are considered as part of the Global Commons.
(b) The Global Commons are outside sovereign jurisdiction.
(c) The question of managing the Global Commons has reflected the North-South divide.
(d) The countries of the North are more concerned about the protection of the global Commons than the countries of the South.
Ans: 

(a)  True - The earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, ocean floor, and outer space are recognized as Global Commons, meaning they belong to all of humanity.

(b)  True - These areas are outside the jurisdiction of any single nation, hence are not subject to sovereign control.

(c) True - The issue of managing the Global Commons often reflects the North-South divide, as developing nations argue that developed countries exploit these resources disproportionately.

(d)  False - While developed countries (the North) stress environmental protection, developing countries (the South) emphasize equitable access and sustainable development, not indifference to protection.

Q4: What were the outcomes of Rio-Summit?
Ans:

• Rio Summit (1992) produced Agenda 21, a programme of action for sustainable development at local, national and global levels.
• It produced the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (27 principles) and emphasised the concept of sustainable development.
• It led directly to international instruments and processes such as the UNFCCC (climate change) and the Convention on Biological Diversity. It also produced the non-binding Forest Principles.
• The Summit established institutional follow-up (for example, the Commission on Sustainable Development) and promoted the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Q5: What is meant by Global Commons? How are they exploited and polluted?
Ans:  Global Commons are regions and resources beyond the jurisdiction of any single state and requiring common governance or cooperative management by the international community. Typical examples are the atmosphere, Antarctica, the high seas and ocean floor beyond national limits, and outer space. They are exploited and polluted due to:

• Open-access nature leads to overuse (the "tragedy of the commons"): no single actor has exclusive responsibility, so many users act in self-interest.
• Industrial and technological development (e.g., fossil fuel combustion, large-scale fishing, seabed mining) increases pressure and damages ecosystems.
• Insufficient international rules or weak enforcement allow harmful activities to continue.
• North-South inequalities: Historically higher emissions and consumption by developed countries have contributed disproportionately to degradation, while developing countries seek development space.
• Examples: Accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, overfishing and plastic pollution in the oceans, space debris in orbital commons, and historic ozone depletion.

Q6: What is meant by 'Common but differentiated responsibilities'? How could we implement the idea?
Ans: The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) recognises that all states share the obligation to protect the global environment, but they differ in their contributions to environmental problems and in their capacities to respond. Therefore, obligations and commitments should be differentiated according to historical responsibility and capability.
Implementation (practical measures): 

• Adopt differentiated commitments: Binding targets or earlier action by developed countries (example: Kyoto Protocol) while allowing developing countries flexibility and longer timelines.
• Provide finance and technology transfer from developed to developing countries (for mitigation, adaptation and capacity building); institutions such as the Green Climate Fund are designed for this purpose.
• Use capacity-building programmes, technical assistance and training to enable clean technologies in developing countries.
• Negotiate fair transition arrangements (e.g., phased targets, support for low-carbon development, and treatment for least developed countries).
• Embed CBDR in treaties and national-level cooperation: the UNFCCC includes the CBDR principle; subsequent agreements (e.g., Paris Agreement) operationalise it by combining universal participation with differentiated support.

Q7: Why have issues related to global environmental protection become the priority concern of states since the 1990s?
Ans: 

• Clear scientific evidence (e.g., climate change, biodiversity loss, ozone depletion) showed that environmental problems are global and urgent.
• Transboundary and global impacts (for example, greenhouse gases affecting the whole planet) made international cooperation essential.
• The 1992 Rio Earth Summit consolidated environmental issues politically and produced Agenda 21, UNFCCC and stronger awareness of sustainable development.
• Growing public awareness, activism by NGOs, and media attention increased political pressure on governments.
• Economic interdependence and fear of long-term damage to livelihoods and development made environmental protection a component of national security and economic policy.

Q8: Compromise and accommodation are the two essential policies required by states to save Planet Earth. Substantiate the statement in the light of the ongoing negotiations between the North and South on environmental issues.
Ans: Compromise and accommodation are the two essential policies to save Planet Earth by the states but the states from North and South have different notions towards environmental issues:

• Developed countries (North) generally need to accept greater responsibility for past emissions, take earlier and deeper emission cuts, and provide finance and technology transfer.
• Developing countries (South) require policy space for poverty eradication and economic growth, plus support (finance, technology, capacity) to pursue low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
• Compromise examples include differentiated timelines, financial mechanisms (Green Climate Fund), technology cooperation, and flexible approaches to mitigation (e.g., market mechanisms, NDCs under Paris Agreement).
• Accommodation is essential to ensure broad and equitable participation. Developed countries should support developing nations through financial aid, technology transfer, and capacity building to facilitate their transition toward sustainability. In turn, developing countries should adopt sustainable policies and implement feasible mitigation measures, balancing developmental needs with environmental responsibility.

All the above-mentioned provisions were accepted in Earth Summit, 1992 while adopting common but differentiated responsibilities.

Q9: The most serious challenge before the states is pursuing economic development without causing further damage to the global environment. How could we achieve this? Explain with a few examples.
Ans: The challenge can be addressed through policy, technology and behaviour changes that decouple growth from environmental damage. Key approaches and examples:

• Shift to low-carbon energy: Expand renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro), improve grid integration and incentivise clean power. Example: rapidly growing solar and wind capacity in many countries.
• Energy efficiency: Improve efficiency in industry, transport and buildings to lower emissions while supporting productivity.
• Circular economy and waste reduction: Reduce resource extraction through reuse, recycling and product design that minimises waste.
• Regulation and market instruments: Use environmental impact assessments, pollution standards, carbon pricing, and emissions trading to internalise environmental costs.
• Conservation and sustainable resource use: Protect ecosystems, implement sustainable agriculture and fisheries to maintain long-term resource bases.
• International cooperation: Provide finance, technology transfer and capacity-building to enable sustainable development worldwide. Example: Montreal Protocol's phased elimination of ozone-depleting substances showed how coordinated action, technology substitution and financial mechanisms can protect the environment while allowing industry to adapt.